5. This Apostle does especially strive in this Matter in this Epistle to the Romans, above all his other Writings; […] himself in a most elaborate Manner, and with his utmost Skill and Power to bring the Jewish Christians off from every thing of this Kind; end••v•••ing by all Means, that there might no longer be in them any Remains of these odd Notions they had been educated in, of such a great Distinction between Jews and Gentiles, as were expressed in the Names they used to distinguish them by, calling the ⟨p. 225⟩Jews holy, Children of Abraham, Friends and Children of God, but the Gentiles Sinners, Unclean, Enemies, and the like. He makes it almost his whole Business, from the Beginning of the Epistle, to this Passage in the 5th Chapter which we are upon, to convince them that there was no Ground for any such Distinction, and to prove that in common, both Jews and Gentiles, all were desperately wicked, and none righteous, no, not one. He tells them, Chap. iii. 9. that the Jews were by no Means better than the Gentiles; and (in what follows in that Chapter) that there was no Difference between Jews and Gentiles; and represents all us without Strength, or any Sufficiency of their own in the Affair of Justification & Redemption: And in the Continuation of the same Discourse, in the 4th Chapter, teaches that all that were justified by Christ, were in themselves ungodly; and that being the Children of Abraham was not peculiar to the Jews. In this 5th Chap. still in Continuation of the same Discourse, on the same Subject and Argument of Justification through' Christ, and by Faith in him, he speaks of Christ's dying for the Ungodly and Sinners, and those that were without Strength or Sufficiency for their own Salvation, as he had done all along before. But now, it seems, the Apostle by Sinners and ungodly must not be understood according as he used these Words before; but must be supposed to mean only the Gentiles, as distinguished from the Jews; adopting the Language of those self-righteous; self-exalting, disdainful Judaizing Teachers, whom he was with all his Might opposing: Countenancing the very same thing in them, which he had been from the Beginning of the Epistle discountenancing, and endeavouring to discourage, and utterly to abolish, with all his Art and Strength.
5. This Apostle does especially strive in this Matter in this Epistle to the Romans, above all his other Writings; 〈…〉 himself in a most elaborate Manner, and with his utmost Skill and Power to bring the Jewish Christians off from every thing of this Kind; end••v•••ing by all Means, that there might no longer be in them any Remains of these odd Notions they had been educated in, of such a great Distinction between Jews and Gentiles, as were expressed in the Names they used to distinguish them by, calling the ⟨p. 225⟩Jews holy, Children of Abraham, Friends and Children of God, but the Gentiles Sinners, Unclean, Enemies, and the like. He makes it almost his whole Business, from the Beginning of the Epistle, to this Passage in the 5th Chapter which we are upon, to convince them that there was no Ground for any such Distinction, and to prove that in common, both Jews and Gentiles, all were desperately wicked, and none righteous, no, not one. He tells them, Chap. iii. 9. that the Jews were by no Means better than the Gentiles; and (in what follows in that Chapter) that there was no Difference between Jews and Gentiles; and represents all us without Strength, or any Sufficiency of their own in the Affair of Justification & Redemption: And in the Continuation of the same Discourse, in the 4th Chapter, teaches that all that were justified by Christ, were in themselves ungodly; and that being the Children of Abraham was not peculiar to the Jews. In this 5th Chap. still in Continuation of the same Discourse, on the same Subject and Argument of Justification thro' Christ, and by Faith in him, he speaks of Christ's dying for the Ungodly and Sinners, and those that were without Strength or Sufficiency for their own Salvation, as he had done all along before. But now, it seems, the Apostle by Sinners and ungodly must not be understood according as he used these Words before; but must be supposed to mean only the Gentiles, as distinguished from the Jews; adopting the Language of those self-righteous; self-exalting, disdainful Judaizing Teachers, whom he was with all his Might opposing: Countenancing the very same thing in them, which he had been from the Beginning of the Epistle discountenancing, and endeavouring to discourage, and utterly to abolish, with all his Art and Strength.
