There would be no need for a preface to this second volume were it not that a very kindly and careful review of the first volume in The Guardian of May 24 last, requires a word of notice. The reviewer warns me off 'the dialogue system of exegesis.' Now no doubt this principle, like every other, may be abused. 'The Jewish objector' may, as the reviewer complains, be allowed to 'run riot.' Still I cannot doubt that the Jewish objector is a reality of an illuminative kind in the argument of such passages as Romans iii. 1-8, or the great passage (ix-xi), to which the first part of this volume is devoted. Of the other points of detail noticed by the reviewer—which a volume of this kind is not the place to discuss—many are confessedly doubtful, and some unimportant. On most of them I am still disposed to retain my former opinion, but I would, in accordance with my critic's wishes, alter 'the actual life' (vol. i. p. 203) into 'the principle of life,' and (p. 213) instead of saying that the principle of living by dying 'belongs only to a fallen world' say that 'it belongs, as St. Paul views it, though probably not in its ultimate law, to a fallen world.' I agree that in its deepest sense the principle appears to be an ultimate law of all created life of which the conditions are known to us.
C. G.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY,
Conversion of St. Paul, 1900.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.
PAGE
DIVISION IV The theodicy or justification of God for His
dealings with the Jews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [1]
CHAPTER
IX. 1-13 § 1 The present rejection of Israelites no
breach of a divine promise . . . . . . . . . . [14]
14-29 § 2 God's liberty in showing mercy and judgement
always retained and asserted . . . . . . . . . [31]
30-x.21 § 3 Lack of faith the reason of Israel's rejection [44]
XI. 1-12 § 4 God's judgement on Israel neither universal
nor final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [59]
13-36 § 5 God's present purpose for the Jews through
the Gentiles: and so for all humanity . . . . . [68]
DIVISION V Practical exhortation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [95]
XII. 1-2 § 1 Self-surrender in response to God . . . . . . . [97]
3-21 § 2 The community spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . [103]
XIII. 1-7 § 3 The Christians and the imperial power . . . . . [116]
8-10 § 4 The summary debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [127]
11-14 § 5 The approach of the day . . . . . . . . . . . . [133]
XIV. 1-23 § 6 Mutual toleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [137]
XV. 1-13 § 7 Unselfish forbearance and inclusiveness . . . . [159]
DIVISION VI Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [170]
XV. 4-33 § 1 St. Paul's excuse for writing, and his hope
of coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [171]
XVI. 1-2 § 2 A commendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [189]
3-16 § 3 Personal greetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [191]
17-20 § 4 Final warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [198]
21-23 § 5 Salutations from companions . . . . . . . . . . [200]
25-27 § 6 Final doxology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [201]
APPENDED NOTES:--
A. The meanings of the word 'faith' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [205]
B. The use of the word 'conscience' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [207]
C. Recent reactions from the teaching about hell . . . . . . . [210]
D. Difficulties about the doctrine of the atonement . . . . . . [215]
E. Evolution and the Christian doctrine of the Fall . . . . . . [219]
F. Baptism by immersion and by affusion . . . . . . . . . . . . [237]
G. A prayer of Jeremy Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [238]
H. The origin of the maxim 'In necessariis unitas, &c.' . . . . [239]
I. St. Augustine's teaching that 'The Church is the
body of Christ offered in the eucharist' . . . . . . . . [240]