our author understands his purpose, for him to have gone about to
"Whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law."
3. It would have been impertinent to the Apostle's purpose, even as our author understands his purpose, for him to have gone about to convince the Jews, that there had been a strong party of bad men in David's and Solomon's and the prophets' times. For Dr. Taylor supposes, the Apostle's aim is to prove the great corruption of both Jews and Gentiles at that day, when Christ came into the world.
In order the more fully to evade the clear and abundant testimonies to the doctrine of original sin, contained in this part of the holy Scripture, our author says, the Apostle is here speaking of bodies of people, of Jews and Gentiles in a collective sense, as two great bodies into which mankind are divided; speaking of them in their collective capacity, and not with respect to particular persons; that the Apostle's design is to prove, neither of these two great collective bodies, in their collective sense, can be justified by law, because both were corrupt; and so, that no more is implied, than that the generality of both were wicked. On this I observe,
(1) That this supposed sense disagrees extremely with the terms and language which the Apostle here makes use of. For according to this, we must understand, either
First, that the Apostle means no universality at all, but only the far greater part. But if the words which the Apostle uses, don't most fully and determinately signify an universality, no words ever used in the Bible are sufficient to do it. I might challenge any man to produce any one paragraph in the Scripture, from the beginning to the end, where there is such a repetition and accumulation of terms, so strongly and emphatically and carefully to express the most perfect and absolute universality; or any place to be compared to it. What
instance is there in the Scripture, or indeed [in] any other writing, when the meaning is only the much greater part, where this meaning is signified in such a manner, by repeating such expressions, "They are all … they are all … they are all … together … every one … all the world" joined to multiplied negative terms, to shew the universality to be without exception; saying "There is no flesh … there is none … there is none … there is none" four times over; besides the addition of "no, not one … no, not one" once and again!
Or secondly, if any universality at all be allowed, it is only of the collective bodies spoken of; and these collective bodies but two, as Dr. Taylor reckons them, viz. the Jewish nation, and the Gentile world; supposing the Apostle is here representing each of these parts of mankind as being wicked. But is this the way of men's using language, when speaking of but two things, to express themselves in universal terms, of such a sort, and in such a manner, and when they mean no more than that the thing affirmed is predicated of both of them? If a man speaking of his two feet as both lame should say, "All my feet are lame. They are all lame. All together are become weak; none of my feet are strong, none of them are sound; no, not one," would not he be thought to be lame in his understanding as well as his feet? When the Apostle says, "That every mouth may be stopped," must we suppose that he speaks only of those two great collective bodies, figuratively ascribing to each of them a mouth, and mean that those two mouths are stopped!
And besides, according to our author's own interpretation, the universal terms used in these texts cited from the Old Testament, have no respect to those two great collective bodies, nor indeed to either of them; but to some in Israel, a particular disaffected party in that one nation, which was made up of wicked men. So that his interpretation is every way absurd and inconsistent.
(2) If the Apostle is speaking only of the wickedness or guilt of great collective bodies, then it will follow, that also the justification he here treats of, is no other than the justification of such collective bodies. For they are the same he speaks of as guilty and wicked, that he argues cannot be justified by the works of the law, by reason of their being wicked. Otherwise his argument is wholly disannulled. If the guilt he speaks of be only of collective bodies, then what he argues from that guilt, must be only, that collective bodies cannot be justified by the works of the law, having no respect to the justification of particular persons. And indeed this is Dr. Taylor's declared opinion. He supposes, the Apostle here, and in other parts of this epistle, is speaking of men's justification considered only as in their collective capacity.5 But the contrary is most manifest. The 26th and 28th verses of this third chapter can't, without the utmost violence, be understood otherwise than of the justification of particular persons. "That he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.… Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law." (So ch. 4:5), "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." And what the Apostle cites in the 6, 7, and 8th verses from the book of Psalms, evidently shews, that he is speaking of the justification of particular persons. "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered." David says these things in the 32d Psalm, with a special respect to his own particular case; there expressing the great distress he was in, while under a sense of the guilt of his personal sin, and the great joy he had when God forgave him, as in vv. 3, 4.
And then, it is very plain in that paragraph of the third chapter, which we have been upon, that it is the justification of particular
persons that the Apostle speaks of, by that place in the Old Testament, which he refers to in v. 20. "Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." He refers to that in Ps. 143: "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." Here the Psalmist is not speaking of the justification of a nation, as a collective body, or of one of the two parts of the world, but of a particular man. And 'tis further manifest, that the Apostle is here speaking of personal justification, inasmuch as this place is evidently parallel with that [in] Gal. 3:10, 11. "For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the works of the law, is evident; for the just shall live by faith." It is plain, that this place is parallel with that in the 3rd of Romans, not only as the thing asserted is the same, and the argument by which it is proved here, is the same as there, viz. that all are guilty, and exposed to he condemned by the law; but the same saying of the Old Testament is cited here in the beginning of this discourse in Galatians (ch. 1:16). And many other things demonstrate, that the Apostle is speaking of the same justification in both places, which I omit for brevity's sake.
And besides all these things, our author's interpretation makes the Apostle's argument wholly void another way. The Apostle is speaking of a certain subject, which cannot be justified by the works of the law; and his argument is, that that same subject is guilty, and is condemned by the law. If he means, that one subject, suppose a collective body or bodies, can't be justified by the law, because another subject, another collective body, is condemned by the law, 'tis plain, the argument would be quite vain and impertinent. Yet thus the argument must stand according to Dr. Taylor's interpretation. The collective bodies, which he supposes are spoken
of as wicked, and condemned by the law, considered as in their collective capacity, are those two, the Jewish nation, and the heathen world: but the collective body which he supposes the Apostle speaks of as justified without the deeds of the law, is neither of these, but the Christian church, or body of believers; which is a new collective body, a new creature, and a new man (according to our author's understanding of such phrases), which never had any existence before it was justified, and therefore never was wicked or condemned unless it was with regard to the individuals of which it was constituted: and it does not appear, according to our author's scheme, that these individuals had before been generally wicked. For according to him there was a number both among the Jews and Gentiles, that were righteous before. And how does it appear, but that the comparatively few Jews and Gentiles, of which this newcreated collective body was constituted, were chiefly of the best of each?
So that in every view this author's way of explaining this passage in the third of Romans, appears vain and absurd. And so clearly and fully has the Apostle expressed himself, that 'tis doubtless impossible to invent any other sense to put upon his words, than that which will imply that all mankind, even every individual of the whole race but their Redeemer himself, are in their first original state corrupt and wicked.
Before I leave this passage of the Apostle, it may be proper to observe, that it not only is a most clear, and full testimony to the native depravity of mankind, but also plainly declares that natural depravity to be total and exceeding great. 'Tis the Apostle's manifest design in these citations from the Old Testament, to shew these three things: 1. That all mankind are by nature corrupt. 2. That every one is altogether corrupt, and as it were, depraved in every part. 3. That
they are in every part corrupt in an exceeding degree. With respect to the second of these, that everyone is wholly, and as it were in every part corrupt, 'tis plain, the Apostle chooses out, and puts together those particular passages of the Old Testament, wherein most of those members of the body are mentioned, that are the soul's chief instruments or organs of external action. The hands (implicitly) in those expressions, "They are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good." The throat, tongue, lips, and mouth, the organs of speech; in those words, "Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they have used deceit: the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." The feet, in those words (v. 15), "Their feet are swift to shed blood." These things together signify, that man is as it were all over corrupt, in every part. And not only is the total corruption thus intimated, by enumerating the several parts, but by denying of all good; any true understanding or spiritual knowledge, any virtuous action, or so much as truly virtuous desire, or seeking after God. "There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God: there is none that doth good; the way of peace have they not known." And in general, by denying all true piety or religion in men, in their first state. (v. 18), "There is no fear of God before their eyes." The expressions also are evidently chosen to denote a most extreme and desperate wickedness of heart. And exceeding depravity is ascribed to every part: to the throat, the scent of an open sepulchre; to the tongue and lips, deceit and the poison of asps; to the mouth, cursing and bitterness; of their feet it is said, they are swift to shed blood: and with regard to the whole man, 'tis said, destruction and misery are in their ways. The representation is very strong, of each of these things, viz. that all mankind are corrupt; that everyone is wholly, and altogether corrupt; and also extremely and desperately corrupt. And it is plain, 'tis not accidental, that we have here such a collection of such strong expressions, so emphatically signifying these things; but
that they are chosen of the Apostle on design, as being directly and fully to his purpose; which purpose appears in all his discourse in the whole of this chapter, and indeed from the beginning of the epistle.
SECTION 3. OBSERVATIONS ON ROMANS 5:6–10, AND EPHESIANS 2:3 WITH THE CONTEXT, AND ROMANS 7
ANOTHER passage of this Apostle in the same epistle to the Romans, which shews that all that are made partakers of the benefits of Christ's redemption, are in their first state wicked and desperately wicked, is that (ch. 5:6–10), "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
Here all that Christ died for, and that are saved by him, are spoken of as being in their first state sinners, ungodly, enemies to God, exposed to divine wrath, and without strength, without ability to help themselves, or deliver their souls from this miserable state.
Dr. Taylor says, the Apostle here speaks of the Gentiles only in their heathen state, in contradistinction to the Jews; and that not of particular persons among the heathen Gentiles, or as to the state they were in personally; but only of the Gentiles collectively taken, or of the miserable state of that great collective body, the heathen world: and that these appellations, "sinners," "ungodly," "enemies," etc. were names by which the apostles in their writings were wont to signify and distinguish the heathen world, in opposition to the Jews;
and that in this sense these appellations are to be taken in their epistles, and in this place in particular. And 'tis observable, that this way of interpreting these phrases in the apostolic writings, is become fashionable with many late writers; whereby they not only evade several clear testimonies to the doctrine of original sin, but make void great part of the New Testament; on which account it deserves the more particular consideration.
'Tis allowed to have been long common and customary among the Jews, in Christ's and the apostles' days, especially those of the sect of the Pharisees, in their pride and confidence in their privileges as the peculiar people of God, to exalt themselves exceedingly above other nations, and greatly to despise the Gentiles, and call them by such names as "sinners," "enemies," "dogs," etc. as notes of distinction from themselves, whom they accounted in general (excepting the Publicans and the notoriously profligate) as the "friends," "special favorites," and "children of God"; because they were the children of Abraham, were circumcised, and had the law of Moses as their peculiar privilege, and as a wall of partition between them and the Gentiles.
But it is very remarkable, that a Christian divine, who has studied the New Testament, and the epistle to the Romans in particular, so diligently as Dr. Taylor, should be strong in an imagination, that the apostles of Jesus Christ should so far countenance, and do so much to cherish these self-exalting, uncharitable dispositions and notions of the Jews, which gave rise to such a custom, as to fall in with that custom, and adopt that language of their pride and contempt; and especially that the apostle Paul should do it. 'Tis a most unreasonable imagination, on many accounts.