his being sentenced by God to eternal torments; it follows not from the word krima, (in the text translated damnation,) seeing that, in its literal import, signifies judgment, and no more, and sometimes is applied to human judgments,' &c. Annot. in loc.

2. LOCKE.So that he who resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist will be punished by those powers that they resist.' Par. in loc.

2. CLARKE. Shall receive to themselves damnation : krima, condemnation; shall be condemned both by the spirit and letter of that constitution, which, under pretence of defending or improving, they are indirectly laboring to subvert. Com. in loc.

4. WAKEFIeld. 'Whosoever, therefore, setteth himself against the power, he opposeth the appointment of God; and such opposers will bring punishment upon themselves.' Trans. in loc.

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5. GROTIUS. Shall receive to themselves damnation : not less than those who opposed themselves to the Sanhedrim, Deut. xviii. 12, or to the king, 1 Kings ii. 42, or to their parents, Deut. xxi. 18.' Annot. in loc.

By referring to the places here cited, the reader will perceive, that the damnation, or punishment inflicted, was the death of the body. Hence it appears to have been the opinion of Grotius, that such is the nature of the damnation, or punishment, mentioned by the apostle in this place.

SECTION LXXV.

'But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.ROM. xiv. 10.

As far as my examination has extended, all the orthodox critics suppose the judgment here indicated shall be in the future life. There are one or two circumstances,

however, to which I ask the reader's attention. (1,) It is not said here, that a single 'soul shall be punished at the judginent; perhaps, however, this may be implied, inasmuch as punishment seems to be indicated in a similar passage, 2 Cor. v. 10. But, (2,) in those passages where Jesus plainly asserts he will reward and punish men according to their deeds, some of the orthodox critics allow that the judgment was in this world. See notes on Matt. xvi. 27, 28, xxv. 31—46, &c. See also Clarke's note on Matt. x. 15, Whitby on Rom. xiii. 2, and Cappe on Acts xvii. 31.

Under such circumstances, I see nothing which necessarily requires this text to be interpreted with reference to another life. By their own admission, Jesus does judge and punish men in this life; what necessity is there, then, for understanding this text to relate to the future existence?

SECTION LXXVI.

'Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.'-ROM. xiv. 22, 23.

THE phrase, to be damned, is considered by many as necessarily implying the idea of endless misery. Hence, some have thought this text afforded proof that a portion of mankind shall be miserable in the future life. But, from the following quotations, it will be seen, that others interpret it differently.

1. GILPIN. Be satisfied, then, with the liberty you allow yourselves; only be careful, that religion and conscience allow it likewise; for, in all cases of this kind, doubt is guilt.

'Our translation expresses the original too strongly.

He that doubteth is damned if he eat. The apostle only means to express the wrongness of any action about which we doubt. Damned should be translated condemned; or, in his own conscience, convicted.' Expos. Note in loc.

2. WYNNE. 'He that maketh a difference [doubteth] between clean and unclean food, is condemned by his conscience, if he eat,' &c. Note in loc.

3. GILL. Damned: not with everlasting damnation, which is not the consequent of, nor connected with, such an action, as eating of a thing indifferent, with a scrupulous conscience; but such a one is condemned in his own conscience.' Expos. in loc.

4. CLARKE. He that doubteth: this verse is a necessary part of the preceding, and should be read thus: but he that doubteth is condemned, if he eat, because he eateth not of faith. The meaning is sufficiently plain. He that feeds on any kind of meats prohibited by the Mosaic law, with the persuasion in his mind, that he may be wrong in so doing, is condemned by his conscience for doing that which he has reason to think God has forbidden.' Com. in loc.

5. GROTIUS. Is damned: that is, by himself.' Annot. in loc.

In this short note, Grotius has sufficiently expressed his opinion concerning the damnation, or condemnation, mentioned in the text, and he fully agrees with the other writers quoted, in supposing it to be merely the condemnation of one's self by his own conscience.

SECTION LXXVII.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.'-1 COR. i. 18.

THE word perish, which here occurs, has been supposed, by some, to indicate misery in the future existence.

But, from the quotations which follow, it will appear to be admitted, that saved and perish, in this place, merely indicate the different situations of believers and unbelievers in this life. Those who are saved, are 'saved from their sins and prejudices;' while those who are not thus saved, are said to be perishing. But all this was experienced in the present life.

1. HAMMOND. For the preaching a crucified Saviour, requiring belief in him, obedience to him, who was shamefully put to death, and believing on whom may probably bring the same on us, may seem a ridiculous thing to impenitent unbelievers; but to us,who have come into Christ by repentance and faith, it is the most glorious evidence of the power of God.' Par. in loc.

See also Hammond's note on Luke xiii. 23, quoted in its place.

2. GILPIN. The simplicity of the cross, indeed, which hath ever been my subject, though it is the great foundation of all our hopes, is little understood by worldly men.' Expos. in loc.

3. PEARCE. The account and doctrine of the cross is looked upon by unbelievers, who are in a perishing condition, as a foolish doctrine; human eloquence cannot move and convince them to it: but they who are saved, i. e., the christian converts-those who profess christianity-know and see, that our preaching, both by reason of the wide spreading of it, and because of the miracles which accompany it, is no less than the power of God.' Par. in loc.

4. PYLE. "This plain and clear article of a crucified Saviour looks, indeed, to obstinate unbelievers, men conceited of their philosophical speculations, and proud of their own learning, like a ridiculous and mean method of salvation and happiness. But to all christians, who have duly considered and embraced it, it appears the most effectual that can be for the honor of God, and the benefit of sinful mankind.' Par. in loc.

5. HORNE. On the subject of election, and 'indefect

ability from grace,' Horne remarks, that certain passages have no relation whatever to the doctrine of election; and that if the translators of our authorised version had rendered the original of Acts ii. 47, literally, as they have done in other parts of the New Testament, it would have run thus: the Lord added daily to the church tous sozomenous, the saved; that is, those who were saved from their sins and prejudices; and so the passage is rendered by Drs. Whitby and Doddridge, and other eminent critics and divines.' In a note, he adds:

'It is worthy of remark, that the participle sozomenous occurs in four other places of the New Testament, in all which, our translators give the true meaning. These are Luke xiii. 23, are there few that be saved?-1 Cor. i. 18, but unto us which are saved.-2 Cor. ii. 15, in them that are saved.--Rev. xxi. 24, the nations of them which ARE SAVED. In none of these instances have the translators given the forced and arbitrary meaning above noticed, and no reason can be assigned why they should have so rendered Acts ii. 47. Intro. &c. vol. ii. 684.

The obvious import of Horne's note is, that in the passage under consideration, (for he quotes this among others,) those who are saved are the persons who, when the apostles wrote, 'were saved from their sins and prejudices; and consequently, those that perish are those who then remained in their sins and prejudices.' Thus he, like the other authors quoted, explains the whole text with reference to a state of things existing on the earth, and not to a state which shall exist in the future life.

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