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in connexion with which all his early associations had been formed ; and when he had taken the resolution of relinquishing his preferment , the propriety of this act was doubted by some of his oldest and warmest friends . Dr . W . Chambers , whose sentiments concerning the Divine Unity differed
in no respect from Mr . Lindsey's , although he made a solemn determination never to renew bis subscription , " did not think it necessary to follow his venerable friend ' s example of resigning his living . ** Nor shall we be justified in pronouncing an unqualified censure upon the conduct of the latter . To his own Master he must stand or fall ; since the motives by which he was influenced can be known only to the great Searcher of hearts .
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Very erroneous and dangerous practical inferences have sometimes T > een deduced from this parable . It has been frequently appealed to as affording countenance to the prevailing doctrine that all mankind are on a level in respect of justification before God . It has been supposed to teach that those who had spent the greater part of their lives in a state of idleness , ignorance , disregard of God ' s laws and promises , by a late or even a death-bed repentance , could be immediately placed on the same footing with those who had
endeavoured ( doubtless with many failures , imperfections , and occasional sins ) to observe the Divine commands , and to cultivate the habits of religion and virtue . Such inferences arise in a great measure from the very inconsiderate practice of seeking for an immediate application or improvement , not merely in the general purport , but in the minute details , of our Saviour ' s parables . In these interesting and valuable portions of his public instructions , our Lord appears always to have had some one point in view which the story was intended to illustrate ; but the particular circumstances , and
minuter incidents with which , for the sake of exciting curiosity and adding interest to the narrative , the whole is dressed up , must be considered as having this object in view , and no other . Such is evidently the case in the present instance . His object is to shew the Jews that God is just in calling the Gentiles to partake in equal privileges under the gospel dispensation with themselves . They are represented by the discontented labourers who came first into the vineyard . But the remonstrance of the householder represents exactly the argument by which the unreasonableness of their jealousy might
be clearl y exposed . Neither one party nor the other had any claim of right to the privileges which it pleased the Father of all to bestow on the human race through the intervention of the Messiah . Both were sinners in the presence of God , the Jews not less than the Gentiles . And though these latter were admitted upon equal terms at a late period , yet they had not in the interval been in the state of wilful sinners , who disregarded or set at
nought the proffered mercies of God , but were in a condition of ignorance and idolatry , being abandoned to the mere dictates of their own minds . The times of this ignorance , says the apostle , God winked at , but now commandeth all men every where to repent . Things are now changed , and all mankind being now admitted to the enjoyment of the same privileges and opportunities , a change of sentiments , dispositions , and conduct , is called for , and the same duties and responsibility are imposed upon all .
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On the Parable of the Labourer * in the Vineyard . 367
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ON THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1831, page 367, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2598/page/7/
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