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STEWART, M.A., Atahor of " The Scriptural Form of Church Government.' ♦ ^ M»>* Coronto : JAMES CAMPBELL Sc SON. 187^. ^1 h:^\.r.?t.w 4v ^-. w ■ V ■<* «. 4 '«, ii^. , !«r;' If- ;V f !^gftf#W^ ' I'- } St. s. EXEGEMA; OR, / } t\\t crxiro^itiott of »\\Ux\} ^\m\\\\ '^mHt% 0f BY THE REV. C. C. STEWART, M.A, Author of " The Scriptural Foi-m of Church Government." PART I. The Parabl of the Labourers in the Vineyard. When did Paul wish himself accursed from Christ? Toronto : JAMES CAMPBELL & SON. I 1873. PREFACE. There are many passages in the Scriptures which cannot be treated at sufficient length in ordinary commentaries to give one in search of the truth much satisfaction. Thu author has thought that, when so many men labour in the production of commentaries, useful though they be, it would be well if more would turn their attention to special difficulties, give them a more earnest and patient study, and treat them at greater length than one can reasonably be expected to do, who sets himself to work to produce an exposition of the whole or even of part of the Bible. The author here makes a small contribution of the nature just indicated, and it is his intention, if t^'^se discourses should prove useful to any, and the Lord so wills it, to publish others of a similar nature, from time to time, as he may be able. He has ventured to differ from men of great name and fame in Scrip- ture knowledge, and if any are ready to accuse him of presumption, his reply is, that there is no work, not even the Bible itself, which should be used to fetter the human mind ; but the great object of all works calculated to have a beneficial effect upon it, is to stimulate it to activity in reference to the things of which they treat, and the more perfect they are, the more certain it is that every mind so exercised by them, will eventually come into harmony with them. There is no mistake more pernicious in itself, or more derogatory to the character of the docu- ments put forward, than the o" . or supposing tiiat such documents carry with them the power to stretch all human minds on their rack, and at once conform them to their measure ; for that authority they can never have, and the claiming of it for them implies the suspicion that they cannot stand the true test ; while the gaining of it for them carries with it the spiritual and intellectual slavery of all who bow down before them. God never brings His book to human souls with any such condition ; but He says : ' read, consider, test, prove, and hold fast that which is good,' and we are certain that the great and good men already referred to, would be sorry indeed, that any should claim for them one grain of such authority, and that to such as would be disposed to yiehl submis- sion to anything which they have said without an intelligent convic- tion of its truth, they would bf ready to cry, in the words of an Apostle, " Stand up ; I myself also am a man." He must say, however, that he yields to none in his appreciation of the great works which tliey have accomplished, and while he has differed from them, he has endeavoured to treat their opinions with all that can- dour and fairness which he asks from others when criticising his own. Owen Sound, March, 1873. C. C. S. Matt. xx. 1, 16. In undertaking a journey where i "iy experienced travellers have found great difficulties, by reason of iio nature of the way, it well be- comes us, not only to avail ourselves of their discoveries, but also to consider well their mistakes : — we ought not only to search for every guide post on the true way, but also for every indi ation of false ways, that we may be able to keep the right and avoid the wrong, Pjven so, when undertaking the interpretation of a very difficult passage of Scrip- ture, we should hold fast by that which is sure and certain, while we reject altogether what is known to be false, and examine with great care what is, as yet, untried. While looking into different interpretations of this parable, and taking note of the difficulties — not to say contradictions — which even the com- mentators themselves seem to have felt, we have come to the conclusion that these difficulties have arisen from making certain assumptions on the one side, while certain great and well defined truths were neglected on the other. To say that the vineyard mentioned in the parable is the Church, is an assumption, since it has nowhere in Scripture been decided that the vineyard shall always represent the Church in every figure of speech in which it is used, and there is nothing in the parable itself, in our opinion, which requires it to be so interpreted. Lange thinks that " it is unnecessary to prove that the vineyard is intended to designate the kingdom of heaven. (See Is. v. 1. ; Matt. xxi. 28, 33.)" It is a great pity that he did not try to prove it, for he might, in try- ing, have found his mistake. The fact that the vineyard is used in other passages to represent the kingdom, is no proof at all that it does so here. It is only a principle of common sense, that when anything is used as an illustration, what it signifies, is to be determined by its im- mediate connections, and not by what it sets forth in other and totally different connections. The absurdity of Lange's statement may be easily seen, by just reading : ' The vineyard is like unto a certain house- holder who went out to hire labourers into the vineyard, or, the king- dom of heaven is like the Master going forth to introduce labourers into the kingdom of heaven.' It is an assumption to affirm that all the labourers in the vineyard are either true or professed Christians ; and of the same nature is the sup- position that every one who is dealt with by the ruler of the kingdom in accordance with its laws is necessarily a member of the Church. The proof of the last two statements we shall bring forward in due time. To avoid all mistakes here, it is necessary for us at the very outlet to ascertain what is meant by the phrase, kingdom of heaven. This should not be a very difficult task, inasmuch as it is so often spoken of in the Scriptures, and spoken of, too, in so many diffi?rent connections. It is compared to a great many things, and to things which are widely differ- ent from each other. It is said to be like unto ten virgins who went forth to meet the bridegroom, &c. ; to a householder who went forth to hire labourers into his vineyard, &c. ; " to a certain king which would take account of his servants," &c. ; " to leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal," &c. ; " to a mustard seed, which a m.an took and sowed in his field," &c. ; " to a man which sowed good seed in his field," &c., and to many other things. It is spoken of as existing in three different places. 1. In the heart : " The kingdom of God cometh not with observation -, neither shall they say, lo here ! or, lo there ' for behold the kingdom of God is within you." * "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost." t 2. In this world : *' The Son of man shall send forth ITis angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom" (i.e., the kingdom of heaven) " all things that offend, and them which do ini- quity," &c. X The kingdom here spoken of must exist in this world, or there would not be found in it " things that offend, and them which do iniquity." 3, In heaven : " There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."§ Now, what can be meant by the kingdom of heaven ? Let us think, for a moment, of what the word kingdom signifies, for when the Spirit makes use of any such word in order to set forth heavenly things, it is because it already represents for us earthly things * Luke xvii., 20. t Rom. xiv., 17. i Matt, xiii., 41. § Luke xiii., 28. \ tourers into analogous to those* whicli it is His design to bring before us. A king- dom implies a ruler, subjects, and national possessions. These again im- ply the existen^pi of laws, the instruction of men in the principles of these laws, the admin otration of these laws, and the means and appliances tor having them both taught and administered, the behaviour of those who live under them, and to whom they are taught, and their reward according to their behaviour, and so on. The kingdom of h» ven, or of (rod, is just that great organization of which Christ is the supr' me rider, and of which men and angels are the subjects. We have the lav/s of this kingdom, in as far as men are concerned, in the Gospel or the Bible, for the whole Bible contains the Gospel story. We have these laws taught and administered by the Church under Christ in this world, an<( at the end He will judge the world by the piinciples revealed in this great Gospel story. We can now easily see how this kingdom can be spoken of as existing in three different places. Our world has revolted from its ruler, hence in order to have His kingdom established in this world as one containing loyal subjects -we say containing loyal subjects, for there is a sense in which His kingdom is over all — it is necessary that men be brought back to acknowledge their allegiance to Him ; and this i: done by tiie King's getting possession of men's hearts or affections. Ke brings a heart into subjection to Him, that heart gives Him its love, it bows down to Him, receives His laws as its guide, and enthrones Him king. Thus we have at once His kingdom in the heart. We have only to imagine a number of such hearts — a number of human beings who have thus submitted to Christ, organized as a body to do His woik, and under authority to Him, (as of course they must be, f( the perfection of a ruler's power over a nation consists in the fact that he has control of the hearts composing that nation by reason of their willing submission to his laws and principles of government,) and we have another phase of His kingdom, viz., the Church. AVe have only to carry the notion a little farther, and think of those whom he has in heaven, whose hearts are bound to Him for the same reasons that His followers still on earth acknowledge Him as king, and v\a» Have His kingdom in heaven. In reference to the fact that tiiis kingdom is compared to a great many things which are widely different from each other, we have to bear this in mind, that when it is likened to any particular thing we are not to expect that in the thing to which it is likened we will find a II ! fc perfect representation of everything in it ; on the contrary, it is only some particular feature or features of it that are set forth by such illus- trations. When it is compared to leaven, for example, we are to under- stand that its laws and principles of action, i.e., the doctrines of the Gospel, operate in the heart and in society as leaven does in the meal ; the leaven brings the whole of the meal under its influence, and so these doctrines subdue the whole heart, and as soon as one heart is under their influence, it is sure to communicate them to another, and so the work has gone on, and will go on until the whole world is evangelized. In the parable of the pearl of great price is set forth the precious nature of the blessing which one becomes possessed of when he is made a loyal subject of this kingdom. The merchant is looking for pearls in order that he may purchase them, just as all men are seeking for joy and peace; he at length discovers one pearl of great price, just as the weary, anxious and heavy laden sinner, when his eyes are opened, finds the fountain of life ; and as the merchant is willing to part with all his wealth if it will purchase the pearl, so the sinner, who has dis- covered the great blessing of salvation, is willing to part with everything else, if need be, that he may possess it. In the parable of the treasure hid in the field the same truth is set forth, with this additional one, the merchant is willing to part with all that he may get the pearl, the man who finds the treasure is willing not only to part with all else to get it, but to take whatever else its possession may entail upon him ; the Christian not only parts with all for Christ, but welcomes shame and suffering, if necessary, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world. The parable of the ten virgins again sets forth other features of this kingdom. It sets forth the great need there is of being prepared, according to the principles of the kingdom, to meet the King when He comes to receive His own to the mansions which He has prepared for them, by reason of the difficulties which the unprepared shall then find in their way, and especially on account of the stern laws according to which they shall be judged. And so we might go on to almost any length showing how different features of this great kingdom are set forth in the different things to which it is com- pared. We may expect, then, that some great feature or features of the kingdom of heaven will be set forth in this parable of the labourers in the vineyard, and our inquiry now is, what are they 1 To ascertain we w '# y, it is only )y such illus- ire to under- trines of the 1 the meal ; and vso these irt is under and so the evangelized, xiom nature ade a loyal [•Is in order for joy and i the weary, ened, finds part with ho has dis- everything he treasure :ial one, the rl, the man 3e to get it, him; the shame and ater riches rgins again great need J kingdom, ! mansions which the account of tVnd so we res of this it is com- es of the bourers in ertain we must just take the same course which we ought to follow in the inter- pretation of any other passage of Hcripture. This course we shall now point out. We have as safe-guides, first, the general tenor of Scripture. This nmst never be lost sight of at any time, but particularlj' in the interpre- tation of the parables do we nted it. 1 do not say it is the general tenor of Scripture which gives to each parable its peculiar form or par- ticular phase of truth ; but this, tliat it is only in the light of Scripture teaching in general that we can see the features of the truiii taught in the parable coming out in distinct outline. We have, secondly, the context, and it affords us two very important and distinct elements : — the first is Peter's question and the answer to it, and the second is this statement, " So the last shall be first and the first last, for many be called, but few chosen." Petev says " Behold we have forsaken all, and followed thee ; what shall we have therefore'}" Jesus replies to all the ajMjstles, " Verilj'^ I say unto you. That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man sliall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken bouses, or brethren, or sisters, or father or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit eveilasting life." On the first part of this answer, Barnes says, " Among them " (the redeemed) " Jesus says. His apostles shall be honoured in the Day of Judgment, as earthly kings place in posts of honour the counsellors and judges of those who have signally served them." Whatever may be the exact meaning of the passage, there can be no doubt of this, that it is some great honour which is to be bestowed on the apostles, over and above what is given to others. The remaining part of the parsage shows that I'eward is proportioned to self-denial, for whatever is given up shall be resvored, though not in kind, yet in value, ( ne hundred fold. This seems to be in accordance both with reason and Scripture. It is reasonable ; for if we take that view of heaven to which, in our present state, we seem to be slnit up, viz., this, that while it does not yet appear what we shall be, we know that whatever our capacities may be, they will be satisfied to the fullest extent, it will appear that there will be dif- ferent degrees of reward, for we believe, and are sure, that all capacities will not be equal ; therefore hap{)iness or rewards cannot be equal to all. Ill 10 ¥' It is also scriptural : he who usod his pound so well that he gained ten, received authority over ten cities ; while he who gained only five got authority over five cities. * Dr. David Brown says, " Ten .... five cities — different degrees of future gracious rewai'd, proportioned to the measure of prese'it fidelity." In Daniel it is said : " They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever."t This seems to point to a difference in futui-e rewards. In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, we are told of Christ the only foundation ; also of those who build upon this foundation, and of the day which shall try the woi-k, and it is added, " If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, b t he himself shall be saved ; yet so as by fire." ;}: Comment is unnecessary : the reward of the one whose work abides, and of the one whose work perishes, must be different. We might refer to other passages, but our space will not allow of it. It seems to us that both the context and the general tenor of Scripture teaching make it impossible for us to accej>t that interpretation of this parable, which goes to show that the re- wards of God's servants will at the last be equal. In the context we have still this passage to consider : " But many that are first shall be last, and the last first. For the kingdom of heaven," &c. * * * * "So the last shall be first, and the first last ; for many be called, but few chosen." The first part Ls, if taken alone, enig- matical ; it cannot be understood except in connection with a plainer and more explicit statement. This is furnished : the words, " many be called, but few chosen," are given as a reason for many of the first being last, and the last being first. Wlio are the chosen ] It will not do to dispose of this matter in the summary way in which Barnes does. The chosen hei'e are the eKkeKToi the elect, the same who are spoken of in the Bevela- tion as the called, elect (chosen), and faithful,§ who go forth to war in company with the Lamb ; the same who cry day and night \into God, and whom He declares He will speedily avenge ;|| and the same who are mentioned in these words, " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect 1 'IF The very same sentence is used in connection with the parable of the great supper, and there, we cannot avoid the conclusion, that it teaches the doctrine of election. Many had been invited to the ^ i * Luke xix, 16. t Dan. xii, 3. 1 1 Cor. iii, 14-15. § Rev. xvii, 14. II Luke xviii, 7. i Rom. viii, 33. e gained ten, only five got . . . five ioned to the that be wise t turn many ms to point Corinthians, build upon it is added, shall receive er loss, b t nnecessary : kvhose work jes, but our ext and the IS to accept hat the re- t many that of heaven," it last ; for ilone, eniff- plainer and y be called, being last, to dispose riie chosen he Eevela- to war in unto God, le who are charge of 1 with the onclusion, ed to the n marriage feast ; the invitation had been treated with contempt ; tlie servants had been murdered by some of those whom jhey had invited ; the murderers had been destroyed ; and then other servants were sent to the highways to gather together all they could find in order to furnish the wedding with guests. The guests were provided, but one was found without a wedding gannent ; he was bound hand and foot and cast out into outer darkness ; and after all this the announcement was made, covering the whole ground of the parable, " Many are called, but few are chosen ;" and this is given as a reason why some sat down as wel- come guests at the marriage feast, while so many never had the privilege. This is, without dispute, the doctrine of election. Now all these references go to show that the words at the conclusion of the parable of the labourers in the vineyard teach the same doctrine. So think Alford, Brown, and others of greater or less note as exegetical scholars. Every attempt to evade this doctrine here seems to us a com- plete failure. But what of the first being last, and the last first 1 These words, we have already said, must be understood in the light of what follows them, in fact they must be so imderstood, or we must give them up altogether. They need an explanation, and what follows is the only one given, unless we call a passage in Liike, to which we shall refer, an exception. The first become last, because the last have been chosen in their stead, and so become tb'^ first. The Jews, called first, now became last, because they rejected Christ, and many of the Gentiles, the last called, became first, because they were chosen. Those who made light of the invitation to the marriage feast became last, though they were first invited, while those invited at the last became first, and that, too, because they were chosen. Esau was the first born, but *' that the purpose of God accord- ing to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger." The words do not refer at all, as some suppose, to the first Christians receiving their reward after those who have been more recently brought to Christ, for all Christians will receive their reward at the same time on the Day of Judgment ; the words, " Come ye blessed of my Father," will be addres- sed to all at once. And if we take it that they are in a measure rewarded before that day, as doubtless they are, then the first are first, and the last last. The words are given by Luke in a slightly different connection. 12 and it gives a decided suppoi-t to the interpretation wbich we have ^iven. " Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying. Lord, Lord, open unto us ; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are. Then ye shall begin to say. We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are ; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold there are last which shall be first, and there ■are first whiear on that day to be dealt with by a perfectly just God according to their works ; the other called and chosen to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, appear to receive a reward which they have never earned, but one which is a gift of God's free grace. Besides these there is another great doctrine taught in the pai'able,. and one, too, which is the foundation upon which the others rest, viz., the sovereignty of '^Sd : " Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own T God is sovereign in His dispensation of the gifts of His love and grace. All who have received salvation, or ever shall receive it, * have been chosen in Christ to it before the foundation of the world, not because God foresaw that they would forsak( in and live holy lives, but that they might do so — that they should be holy and without blame before Him in love ; having predestinated them unto the adoption of child - dren by Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.'* And when, at the close of the great day, it shall appear that all the saved received salvation as a free gift, eveiy mouth will be stopped "^ • Eph 1, 4, 5. 14 til by this consideration ; The blessing was God's, and God's alone ; no one had any claim upon it, and in doing what He pleased with His own, He was doing that which was lawful. Moreover, in the exercise of His sovereign power, He passes by or withholds His salvation from whom he pleases : ** He hath mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth." * But while He pi^sses certain by. He does not deal with them in an arbitrary and capricious manner. His sovereignty is the sovereignty of wisdom, holiness, justio , goodness, and truth, as well as of power. He reveals to all the very laws by which they shall be judged, and these laws, our own conscience must acknowledge, are perfectly just and fair, for when the wicked are at the last rewarded according to their works in the light of these laws, none shall receive more than he deserves, or more than his own conscience shall recognize as just, f The remaining parts of the parable are of secondary importance, and take the places which naturally belong to them by reason of their con- nection with the great truths just brought out; while in this, as in every parable, there are certain things, such as the particular hours mentioned, the market place, the calling of the man who found fault "'friend," &c., which are the mere setting, so to speak, of the more important parts, and ■do not in themselves stand for anything. The interpretation just given, we think, is in perfect harmony with the context, and with the teaching of the Scriptures in general. 1. It is appropriate to what seems to have been Peter's state of mind, while the common interpretation is not. Peter speaks as though some merit attached to their forsaking all and following Christ. He is told that the apostles shall have a great reward ; but told at the same time that it was God's grace which made them forsake all, and that the very thing for which he seems to think a reward is due is itself a great favour from God. How well calculated is this to prevent boasting, and to keep the apostles humble. But, according to the common interpretation, the parable is not at all appropriate, when the apostles are told that they shall have such great things : what necessity is there for warning them as Dr. Brown says they are warned : " Take heed, lest by indulging the spirit of these 'murmurers' at the 'penny' given to the last hired, ye miss your own jr-enny, though first in the vineyard." This does not at all apoi mei whJ botl foi'fi hei thol elec I a| to * Bom. IX, 18. + See Hodge, Theol. Lon. and Edin. ed., p. 28. 's alone ; no one th His own, He He passes by or hath mercjr on leueth."* But in an arbitrary 3ty of wisdom, r. He reveals these laws, our fair, for when rks in the light more than his aportance, and L of their con- lis, as in every irs mentioned, "friend," &c., iant parts, and larmony with leral. state of mind, though some He is told le same time oat the very great favour and to keep rotation, the id that they ling them as dulging the ist hired, ye does not at 15 all apply to what seems to have been Peter's state of mind when he spoke, nor yet to what is likely was his state of mind when the announce- ment of his reward was made to him. He wo id not be likely to murmur when he heai'd that he was to occupy one of the twelve thrones ; but both this announcement, and what he himself was boasting of, viz., his forsaking all to follow Christ, would have a tendency to make him proud; hence the other interpretation is most appropriate. Nothing tends so thoroughly to exclude boasting and cultivate humility as the doctrine of election. The most advanced Christian must say : ' By the grace of God I am what I am, and it ill-becomes me to suppose that God is indebted to me because I have forsaken all and followed Him !' 2. It is just what we would exi)ect the parable to teach, when we consider that it stands connected with the words, " So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many be called, but few chosen," as an illus- tration stands connected with the doctrine illustrated. The common interpretation is altogether at fault here. Taking Dr. David Brown again as a representative ; he says : " Many receiva the invitations of the gospel whom God has never ' chosen to salvation through sanctifica- tion of the spirit and belief of the truth.' But what, it may be asked, has this to do with the subject of our parable 1 Probably this — to teach us that men who have wrought in Christ's service all their days, may, by the spirit which they manifest at the last, make it too evident that, as between God and their own souls, they never were chosen workmen at all." This invalidates all the first part of his interpretation, in which he makes the labourers hired in the morning, and who are here rejected as those who were not chosen, represent the apostles. 3. It agrees with the teaching of the Scriptures on this subject, which represents Christians as saved by God's grace alone, while all others are dealt with on the principles of justice. The common interpretation con- tradicts Scripture by making all rewards at the last equal. OBJECTIONS. 1 . ' The vineyard represents the Church, a^..d so you have made the Church include the whole world, both bad and good.' There is no proof whatever that the vineyard represents the Church ; to be sure it might, under other circumstances, very appropriately represent it, but that is no reason why a teacher may not, by it, illustrate other things. What such ^' I I n an illustration sets forth is known, not from the thing itself, but from its connections ; e.g., sleep sonietime.s signifies natural death, sometimes spiritual death, and sometimes spiritual slothfulness, but it would be a great mistake to make it iepresent any of these in the parable of the ten virgins. A vineyard is nothing more in itself than a farm, or an orchard, or a railway, and if it had been said that a householder went out to hire labourei's to work in his orchard or on a railway, would we supposci that either of these nuist necessarily represent the Church 1 2. ' " It is said that the kingdom of heaven is like," il'c. According to your interjiretavion, do you not su|)p08e the kingdom of heaven to be composed of all men V Not at all. To belong to the kingdom of heaven as a loyal subject is one thing ; to be dealt with by the Ruler of that kingdom according to its laws is another ihin<, All both bad and good, must meet that liiiler and be dealt with according to its laws, but only l)art are its true subjects. This appears from many of the parables which relate to the kingdom of heaven. Some of the wayside hearers were never subjects of the kingdom of heaven, no, not even by profession, yet its teachings reached them, and they must account for what they have heard ; the field in which the tai'es grow along with the wheat is the world ; and the foolish vii-gins represent all whose light fails, whether it be the light of a false profession or a worldly philosophy. 3. ' You have said that the labourers who work all day represent those who are dealt with on the principles of justice, i. e., unsaved sinners, and the othei-s the saved ; how is it, then, that these sinners speak of the saved as being made equal with them 1 This is an objection of apparent force ; but it holds against the interpretation of Alford and Lrown as well as against ours. I may, to this, make counter objections. Suppose all the labourers are Christians, how is it that the householder says, <'Take that thine iaf Can Christians be said to have anything that is their own 1 is not their reward entirely of grace 'i We have before seen that this penny in justice belongs to these labourers, and in justice they can demand it ; the householder says so, too ; in his estimation it rightly belongs to them ; can Christians, as a matter of right or justice, claim anything 1 The householder says to them, '* Go thy way ;" does the Lord so address His followers 1 does he say to them, " Depart," or " Come, ye blessed f These labourers "murmured against the house- holder ;" do Christians murmur against the Saviour 1 The householder says, " Is thine eye evilf implying that it is ; will any Christian, at the grej] wlui If, but from its ith, sometimes it would be a able of the ten or an orchard, F»nt out to hire e sui)po8(^ that According to heaven to be lom of heaven Ruler of that bad and good, ws, but only arables which hearers were rofession, yet it they have wheat is the s, whether it iresent those sinners, and ipeak of the of apparent 1 Thrown as I. Suppose bolder says, that is their before seen justice they timation it t or justice, svay;" does Depart," or the house- louseholder }ian, at the 17 L,'reat day of account, have an evil eye 1 will they not be like Christ when they see Him as Ho is, and becauae He is good, be good also. The objection siviaes from twisting ex^)ressious in the parable into har- mony with pn>conceivL'.l notions, as well as from not looking beneath the surface to ascertain what the true ground of complaint is. It is not the surfa -o fact, viz., that each receives a penny, which trotibles the first labourers ; they are angry because the last get a present, and they get none ; they iii-e angry because the householder gives what is his own to others, not to them. This fact appears from the answer which the liouse- holder gives in juistilication of his conduct, "Is it not lawful for me to do wliat I will with mine own T' they are evidently offended at what ai)pear8 to be his partiality. This is just the complaint which sinners make against the doctrine of election now, and will be one of the complaints forever silenced, when the proceedings of the Day of Judgment vindicate the character of the great Householder as a God of justice and mercy. 4. 'But as both receive a penny, does not this bring justice and grace to the same thing V This is just the last objection stated in differ- ent words. It is made on the supposition that all the labourers are Christians, and of course it must follow tiiat the lessons taught are these : All Christians will receive an equal reward at the last, some will mur- mur, and the Lord will tell them that they have an evil eye, and will ask them to take what in justice is their due, and go away. Now this is contrary to the context, and also to Scripture in general. The penny must, then, be introduced in the parable for some other purpose. We think it has been introduced to set forth the great principles of justice .and grace, and he who would show that we are wrong must tell us of some better reason why it has been used. Of course, if all that holds true of pennies is to be pressed against our interpretation, we will have no end of objections, but at the same time such a course would make not only the interpretation of this, but of every other pai*able impossible. We might, on the same principle, say that because five virgins were wise and five foolish, that the good and bad will at the end be exactly equal ; that only virgins will be saved or lost ; that the oil which the bad have in this world is just the same as that which the good have, the bad err in not having a greater quantity ; that Christ will come to judgment in the night ; that His people are not His bride, since they are only called to the marriage feast, and so on. 5. ' These labourers are all introduced to the vineyai'd by the house- B .;i««"^ 18 holder, and work in his service ;' does God introduce sinners into His vineyard, and do they work in His service, and does he punish them when they have finished th«;ir work? Y<;s ; "The earth is tlie Lord's, and the fulness thereof; ihe world, and tliey that dwell therein."* God introduc 's into His great vineyard, the world, every sou of Adam. The householder sent the labourers to work in his vineyard, but nothing is said of their motives ; they may have been the most sordid — it after- wards appears by their muruuiring that they were ; so sinners serve ( fod, even though their hearts are far from Him. He declares that the Assyrian monarch is the rod of His anger, and that he will send this monarcli against an hypocritical nation, viz., the Jews ; and that, too, though the Assyrian has no intention of serving Him. And besides all this He adds, " Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath ])erfoi'med His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will iMJiish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory -^f hi« high looks." He will do this because of the boasting of the Assyrum, for says He, " Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith 1 or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh if?" ite.f God makes the wrath of man to praise Him.;}; Ho we see that tliough sinners are the slaves of the Devil, both they and the Devil together cannot defeat God's purposes, but only succeed in accomplishing as in the case of the death of Christ, " whatsoever His hand and His counsel determined before to be done, " § For this work he punishes them, for " He speaks unto them in His wrath, and vexes them in His sore dis})leasure." || . We have now finished our work for the present on this great parable ; and if the intei-pi-etation which we have given puts a very natural and not a foroed construction on the imagery of the parable ; if it is thoroughly consistent with itself ; if it is in perfect harmony with the context and the general tenor of Seiiptai-e • if no reasonable objection can be urged against it ; and if no other interpretation can be given which will stand rsuch tests, then it must be the correct one. We think it will stand all the above tests, but we may be mistaken ; we therefore send it forth that other's may test it, and in doing so, whether they find us to be right or iu error in this matter. 'a; ap we are sure that their knowledge will be increased. * Ps. xxiv. , 1. t Isaiah x., 5-15. X Ps. Ixxvi., 10. § Actsiv., 28. Ps. ii. 5. — Compai'e these passages. 19 Bi'H into His [Minish them i tlie Lord's, 'in."* God Idam, Tlie b nothing is d— it after- I serve (Jod, is that the II send this d tliat, too, besides all ■ Lord hath lem, / ivil/ .1 the glory ing of the liat heweth laketh it?" see that the Devil mplishing and His punishes im in His parable ; ural and oroughly itext and be urged ill stand stand all )rth that right or will be gid gaul ivl$lt Mm^eU girnir^ed from (fillirljsit ? *AX^^€tav Aeyoj iv ^^ptorai, ov {f/€v8ofjiat, avfifiapTvpova-rfi /xot t^s (twciSj/o'cujs fwv iv TTvevfJiaTL ayiio on Xwttt/ /jlol eornv /AcyaAr; kcu dSiuAeiTTTos oSvyrj rrj KupSia fjiov. rjv^^oixTjv yap avdOiixa eli/ai auros cyw utto tov p^tcTov vrip Twv d.St\(fMv /xov, Toil' avyyevuiv p.ov Kara. (rdpKa, k.t A. — Rom. ix. 1, 2, 3. Great is the difficulty attending the interpretation of this passage. How could Paul, a most sincere and eminent Christian, as well as an upostle specially favoured of the Lord, say that he could wish himself H(!cursed from Christ 1 8ome, to avoid this difficulty of a theological nature, have proposed to render the passage, / did ivish to be accursed, and objections, both theological and grammatical, have been urged against it. Hodge says : 1. " The usual force of the imperfect indicative would give a meaning to what Paul says, which he would rather have expressed by the usual tense of narration, viz., the aorist ;" e.g. if he had wished to say, " I did wish myself accursed from Christ for my breth- ren," the following would have been the expression r)v$dfj.r]v irore, not r]vx6ixr]v. . . 3. " This interpretation does not give a sense pertinent to the apostle's object. He is not expressing what was the state of his mind formerly, but what it was when writing. It was no proof of love to his brethren, that he once felt as they then did ; but the highest imaginable, if the ordinary interpretation be adopted. 4. The language will hardly admit of this interpretation. No Jew would express his hatred of Christ, and his indifference to the favours which he offered, by saying he wished himself accursed from Christ. Paul never so wished himself before his conversion, for this supposes that he recognised the power of Christ to indict on him the imprecated curse." "While stating his objections to the interpretation of the imperfect in its historical sense, he shows his preference for the common interpreta- tion of the passage. He says, " It is no objection to the common trans- lation, that some form of the optative is not used instead of the imper- fect indicative, and that, too, without an optative particle ; the 25th of Acts, 22n 1 verse, makes a like use of the imperfect." 20 Alford, like Ho(lf:fe, one of the ripest scholars juul ablest comiuentiitors- of modern times, takes the same view, " The impeifect," says he, ** ig not historical alluding to his days of Pharisaism as Pelag. and others, but (juasi-optative as hi reti'. (Acts xxvii. 29, reff. imperf , — Acts xxv. 22, reff.)T was wishing, hao it been possible, — rjixofiyjv tl €Ve;(wpei, ct iv€?i€)(eTo. — Phot. The sense of the imperf. in such expressions is the proper and strict one (and no new discovery, but common enough in every school-boy's reading) ; the act is unfinished, an obstacle intervening. So in Latin, "faciebam, ni ' the completed sentence being 'faxieham et perfecissp/m, ni ' " Winer, Jelf, and others, also show ns by references both to the N.T. and the classic authors, that / could loish is a correct rendering of the im- perfect in certain cases, and we ai'e not the least disposed to dispute it ; we may just remai'k, however, that we would naturally have expected e^ov\6fir]v here instead of r)i)^6firjv, if Paul had really meant to say "I' could wish." After all this we are afraid that we may seem to be perverse when we say that we cannot accept this rendering ; we cannot accept it, because it " makes for us theological difficulties of such a nature that we cannot be reconciled to them by mere grammatical accumcy, even if the rendering possessed such accuracy, which it does not. Tliese theological difficulties* we now proceed to point out. It is our duty, in the first place, to find out the exact force of this quasi-optative interpretation. It will not do for us to accept it, and then either to conceal from ourselves its true meaning, or shrink from its full force. This is just what, it seems to us, both Hodge and Alford do — unconsciously, I am sure— but still unconsciously they try to sofven down the true force of their own rendering. Of the interpretation under considei'ation, Hodge says, "The only objection to this is one of a theological kind. It is said to be incon- sistent with the Apostle's character to wish that he should be accursed from Christ." He disposes of this objection in this way : " Paul does not say that he did deliberately and actually entertain such a wish ; the expression is evidently hypothetical and conditional; 'I could wish, were the thing allowable, possible, or proper.' So far from saying he actually desired to be thus separated from Christ, he impliedly says the verv reverse, " I could wish, were it not wrong, or did it not involve my be- coming unholy as well as miserable.' But as such is the case, the desiie )mmentHtoi'.s says he, " is- and others, cts XXV. 22, the proper h ill eve}'y rening. So 'facie/iam ) tlie N.T., of the im- Hspute it ;. expected o say " I" en we say ecause it ' iinnot he enderino- fficulties i of this it, and ik from Alford > sofien e only incon- cursed il does i; the , were tually very y he- lesii-e 21 cannot be entertained ! This is the proper force of the imperfect indica- tive wlien thus used ; it implies the presence of a condition which is known to be impossible. "The expression is evidently hypothetical and conditional." Tnie, but in a restricted sense ; it will not admit a certain kind of condition. " It im])lies the presence of a condition known to be impossible." That is just the kind of condition which it does not im})ly. " the desire can- not be entertained." When the imperfect is used in this way, the desire is always actually entertained, "^o we have taken a }»osition the op])08ite of that of Hodge and Alford, and we must conscientiously hold it until we have a better reason for giving it up than we yet possess. "What reason can we give for our opinion 1 The rendering, / could wish, is founded on a few passages from the classics and the N.T. — a few passages, still sufficient to justify it gram- matically — but at the same time, if these passages were removed from Greek literature, there would be no authority at all for such a quasi- optative rendering of the imperfect indicative. It is therefore plain that we cannot go one inch farther than these passages wan-ant, and that it must be decided from these, and from these alone, whether the condition present is one known to be impossible, and whether the wish is actually entertained or not. The first passage which we shall examine is the very one quoted by Hodge in support of his position. It is Acts xxv. 22 : 'Ay/oiWas 8« irpos Tov ^(TTov ^E/Sovkofirjv Koi auTos Tov avOponrov aKovarai. Avpiov ricriv aKovcry avTov. Now, can any one say that this wish, even though conditional, implies the presence of a condition known to be impossible 1 Is it not quite possible in the nature of things for Agrippa to hear the man ; does he not actually entertain the wish to hear him ; and out of mere politeness does he not condition the jJ^'&ssing of his actually entertained wish upon the pleasure of Festus, which at the time of speaking is un- known to Agrippa ? Most certainly ; and Festus so understood it, for he answered, " To-morrow thou shalt hear him." In Gal. iv. 20, Paul says : -^dekov 8c Trapetvai Trpos v/uas aftri, k. t. X. There is not a doubt that he actually entertains the wish to be present, and so we have it correctly translated, " I desire to be present with you now." Let us now take one or two examples from classic Greek. In Aris. The Frogs, Dionysius says to ^schy lus, 2v 8c 8^ ti /SovXcuct iroitlv ; Acy', fit ; 22 AmtxvXc; the latter answers, 'E/SovXo/xrjv ixev ovk ipi^eiv €v6a8€. The wish is certainly entertained here, for the question is asked, " What do you wish to do 1" Now if ^schylus only says, " I could wish," implying that he does not entertain the wish now, he evades the question ; but that is clearly not the force of the answer ; it means, I ' do actually wish not to contend here, but I cannot have my way, or I do not know that I can have my way.' -Machines, in his oration against Ctesiphon, also makes use of the idiom' undfr consideration. In Sec. 2, Oxford ed. after briefly referring to the preparations which the party of Demosthenes had made to gain their desired object, he declares that his appeal is to the gods, the laws, and the people, as he supposes that no means which could be used, would more avail with the people, than the laws and the principles of justice ; he then proceeds, '* I could wish (ipovkofirjv) therefore, that the council of five hundred, and the ecclesiae, were rightly directed by those placed over them ; and that the laws enacted by Solon concerning the orderly behaviour of public speakers, should have full force," &c. That he actually entertains this wish, there can be no doubt ; it is just because he really desires such things that he undertakes to speak, but just as Agrippa, after stating his wish, politely deferred to Festus, so here ^schines states what he really wants, and then leaves it with the peo- ple. Where then is the impossible condition 1 In the close of the same oration, after a ridiculous flight, he says, " and now if I have spoken nobly and worthily against this violation of law, I have spoken as I could wish (e^ovXofirjv) ; but if indifferently, as we were able." It is unneces- sary to add that the wish expressed is entertained. We have examined another passage in Lucian's Dialogues of the Dead, proving the same thing, but we need not quote any more ; for the rest we can take Winer's word. He says, " 'E^ov\o/xr/. , «fec., vellem, without av is to be explained somewhat differently, as Acts xxv. 22. 'I too should have liked,' &c. Aristoph. Ran., 866. ^s. Ctes. 274&. Arrian Epict. 1, 19, 18. Lu. Dial. Mort. 20, 4. abdic. Char. 6, etc. Here is- expressed, not a wish previously excited by another circumstance, vnlebatn, but a wish still felt by the speaker. This however is not directly stated by him, rnlo, as the gratifying of it does not depend purely on his will." Dr. Alexander is of the same opinion, as the following quotation will show. " The nice distinction in Greek usage as explained by these authorities," (the most exact philologists of modern times) " is that the prd m TlJ wii aul iml thf H S€. The wish Vhat do you mplying that but that is Y wish not to V that I can of tho idiom, 'rring to the ;o gain their e laws, and used, would of justice ; the council aose placed the orderly That he ust because ut just as 18, so here h the peo- •f the same )ken nobly s I could * unneces- the Dead, the rest I, without 'I too Arrian Here is volebam, ly stated is will." on will y these hat the 23 present tense would have represent,ed the result as dependent upon the speaker's will, (as in Rom. i. 13, 16, 19, ; 1 Cor. xvi. 7 ; 1 Tim, ii, 8.) The imperfect with the qualifying particle av would have meant I could wish (but I do not ;) whereas this j^recise form is expressive of an actual and present wish, but subject to the will of oth« rs."* It may be objected that the condition under some circumstances is impossible, e. g., it may have been impossible for V'-*\\\ to be present on the occasion to which he refers, and it may have been impossi'>le for ^4Cschines to make his oration wliat he desired. True, the condition mav be impossible, but impossible for what ] for the ijratifying of the wish not for the entertaimng of it ; for if the latter were the case, then we could not expect any one to give iitterance to the expression at all, with- out telling a lie, for it does, as we have seen, convey the notion of an actually entertained wish. Both Hodge and Alford here introduce a direct contradiction. The former jnits it, " so far from saying he actually desired to be thus separated from Christ, he impliedly says the very reverse." That is, Paul uses the words which, it is everywhere well understood, give expression to an actually entertained wish, the gratify- ing of which depends upon the will of another ; but since we feel sure that such a wish was contrary to his nature as a Christian, we are to understand that he meant the veiy reverse of what he actually said. This will not do ; we must hold that he meant what he said, and if the quasi-operative rendering of the imperfect l>e adopted, he tells as })lainly that he entertai.is the wish to be sepai'ated from Christ, but refrains from directly stating it, because its gratification does not depjnd upon his own v.lll. To see the full force of this wisli we must look for a moment at the word avadifxa. Its i»riuiitive meaning according to 8uidas is anytiiing consecrated to God to avariOifxivov tw Qua. It next came, according to Hodge, to be a}>plied only to such things as coiiM not be redeemed, and which, when possessed of life, were to be put to death. Then it came to signify a [»erson or thing set apart to desti'uetion on religious grounds. In the New Testuinent it is plain that the uieanuig of the word is accursed, and tho.se to whom it is applied are re[»resented as under the curse of God. Paul so uses it. In 1 Cor. xvi. 22, he says : " If anj' man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha." In noticing some far-fetched inter|)r(itations, Alford in conclusion says of * Quoted by Hoilge in Com. on Kom. 24 one in particular : " It is, however, no unfair sample of a multitude of otheis, all more or less shrinking from the full meaning of the fervid words of the Apostle, 'from Christ,' i. e., cut off and separated from Him forever, in eternal perdition ; no other meaning will satisfy the plain sense of the words." Hodge substantially agrees with Alford, though he does not make use of such strong exj)ressions. According to the quasi-optative rendeiing then, Paxil is made to say, ' I do actually wish to be sent to eternal perdition for my brethren, &c., and would go willingly if outward cii'Cumstances or the will of another did not prevent me,' We cannot see that the above doctrine is not the legitimate result of the I-could-wish rendering ; and if it be, then it presents a theological difficulty which we cannot get over. I know that it is customary to refer us to an expression made use of by Closes, recorded in Ex. xxxii. 32. : " Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin : — and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written," as justifying the words of Paul ; but we cannot see how it does, for the two cases aj)pear to us to be very different. To make the case as favourable as possible for our opponents, we will admit that the book here spoken of is the Book of Life in which the names of the elect are written, (though here there is room for an argument ; it is quite as likely to be the roll of those whose lives were to be spared on this occa- sion,) and still there are most striking differences between the case of Moses and that of Paul. Moses does not say that he wishes to be blotted out of the book of life ; he does not imj^ly that his being blottjd out would save his brethren ; for he only ar.ks if they are destroyed, that he shiiil be destroyed too. His meaning evidently is, that his life is bound up witli their lives, and that if God should ;i]>ltened is to be given. Even when he knew that he sinned, he must snll record his sin, as was the case when he offended God by liis impati- ence. But Paul is not speaking, but writing, and even though in writing under strong emotion, he might make use of an unguarded exjn-ession, lie could on reading his letter over before sending it, coirect whatever \A as improper, though we can hardly see how he could make any mistake even in the first copy, unless we give up the idea that he was insi)ired. It is to be noticed that Moses was inspired to give a faithful record of ^^ hat happened, but not necessarily inspired to offer the prayer ; while Paul is inspired to write the very words which some compare to the expression made use of by Moses. But let this be as it may, Paul not onlv writes, but writes most deliberatelv : " I sav the truth, * * * 1 lie not," a w}»^ of making an assertion emphatic, as Hodge points out, (:. (J., in Is. xxxviii. 1., it is said: "Thou shalt die and not live," i. e.' thou shalt most certainly die ; John " confessed and denied not," i. e., he confessed most frankly. The remarks of Alford to the effect that Paul here anticipates the insinuations of his enemies is beside the mark. " I say the truth in Christ:" — not only does he make the expression very strong ; he makes it equivalent to an oath, for when he says "in Christ " lie realizes his union with Christ, and necessarily Christ's presence with him, and it is as though he said, "I speak fully realizing Christ's presence witli me," which is equivalent to an oath. This very solemn assertion he makes still stronger by adding, "my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost ;" and whatever he may mean by it, this we think will hold true, that if after using it, he were to utter what was false, it might be said to him as was said to another, " thou hast not lied unto man but unto Go*ed on mattai's of ||s ecclesiastical organization, and of the exactness with which they are settled. We scarcely know a defence of Preshyterianism we could more readily recommend than that befoi-e us, and the treatise. On Preshy- terianism, by the late Professor Miller, of Princeton. Both of the works are very clear and convincing, "Mr. Stewart bases his arguments on Scnpture, and holds that Christ has in His word, laid down, in its main features, a scheme of Church Government. He maintains, in fact, the jus divinuvi of our form. The various other plans which have been pi-oposed are all con- sidered, and refuted with great ability, and, we think, success. \ ' One of the cbaptei-s is devoted to the theory of the ]>i*e8ent Princiiml Campbell of Abeideen, touching the eldership, and upholds the view that there are two classes of eldei-s — teaching and ruling— both spiritual ^ office-beai-ei-s of the Church. " The views of the author on the respective duties of the Church and State, and their relation to each otlier, we hoj)e will attmct atten- tion in Canada." From t/is "London Weekly Review" of June 29th, 1872. "It is a marvel of conciseness. Mr, Stewart has managed, within the limit of 200 pages, to touch all the questions generally included under the head of Church Government. In the first chapter— to run through the main contents as the easiest way of showing its completeness ^ — the Scriptural idea of the Church, and the several ways in which this i|^ idea is disowned or perverted by Romanists, High Churchmen and Plymouth Brethren, are admirably sketched. This is followed up, in i 1 the second chapter, by the discussion on the question of a divinely- ap))ointed ministry, distinct from the private members of the Chuich, which affords an opportunity of exposing the conceits and sophistjies ][ with which the Plymouth Brethren, in rejecting a Christian jninistry, \ ^ 8 -^ impone on tlunnselves and others. But if there are, as shown, rncl showu triuniphautly, diviuely-aj)i>ointesed to the priuci]>le of whatever is not forbidden is permitted. It will tlius be seen that, if this little book may not lay claim to originality, it has, at any rate, a good claim to completeness. '" " Mr. Stewart has earned the thanks of many for having in-ovided a much needed digest of the various questi«r>Birtri no* i those Provinces ! with extensive tself and for its the contents of )yterianism with such a handling led, and seldom er ani tlie student." From Rev. ./. Straith, in the ^^ Painlejj Advocate." '* This volume is a very welcome and valuable addition to Cana- dian l^iterature, and ought to Ije placed in the library of ev^ry one who desires to Income master of the subject of which it treats. The style is clear and logical and i)ersi)icuo\is. We think the author makes good his positions in a mo.nner logical, sci'iptur.il and unanswerable." F^rom Rev. ]). JI. MticVicar. LL.D., Pro/ensor of Syntemdiic 'rh-ohujij and Apologetics, Prexhijterian College, Montreal. " 1 rejoice in tlie marked success of the work. 1 have read it this week in connection with a competitive examination ujmju it, and 1 can veiy heartily commend it to our i)eo}>le and to all otheis w ho wish to know the truth on the subject of which it treats." Montreal, Doc. 5, 1872. From. Rev. John Eadic, D.I)., LL.D., /'(o/c.ssor /iit. Lit. toihf U. V. "hmrh OUmjin<\ Scoihvud, '*I feel that vou have satisfact. S. Times." '* The subject of the book is one of deep interest to the well-wishers of Zion, as it treats of the economy, management, and government of the Lord's House; and if the subject is discussed by a man of inind, in the spirit of Chfistianity, with a manly independence of thought, with an earnest desire for the truth, with due res^ard to the opinions of others wlio may differ from him, this interest is much enhanced in the estimate of every well-condi- tioned mind, and presents new and additional claims upon our attention. Well, similar are the qualities which characterise the book under review. * * Tlo author has evidently read much, but he has evidently thought much more on the subject; and he lias written upon it with great conciseness. " * # ^Ve wtmld advise all to read such a book on our denominational differences. This would be attended with many beneficial results:— View- ing the same thing from different standpcnnts, new light would be cast upon our own ecclesiastical policy, as well as upon that of others; and modified by intelligence, our a8[)eritie3, whereby we irritate each other, would be soothed down intct good w'll and respect; our angularities, whereby we come into violent collision with one another would be smoothed down into friendly intercourse find co-operation; our prejudices would be replaced by liberal sentiments, and otir narrow-mindedness widened int<» largeness of view. From the " Oven Sound Jdvertise,;'' Feb. 1, 1872. " It is written in a clear and logical style, the arguments are fairly and lucidly stated, and the proofs appear to us incontrovertible. We cor- dially recommend this work to our readers — not only of the Presbyterian l^ersuasion, but to all who wish to examine the grounds on which the Church of Christ of all denominations holds her authority." From the '* Owen So^md Times,'' Feb. 2, 1872 " The author has put the arguments in favor of the Presbyterian view clearly and forcibly, and no doubt, when it comes to be known the volume will be welcomed as a valuable addition to popular theology on that side. Too often theological works but succeed in mystifying the ordinary reader, but in the volume before us the author is plain and connected in his argu- ments, so that those who have not made theology a special study have no difficulty in following him; while at the same time the various points are dealt with in such a manner as leave the greatest stickler for learning and theological h)re nothing to complain of on that score. It cannot fail to become popular with those who hold to that view of the ques- tion as also with those who, while differing from them like to have an intelligible statement of the views of others and the reasons «.»n which they are founded." From the " Good Neir>i Magaznie'' for 1872. " Wo gladly welcome another contribution to tlie native theological literature of Caiuida in a volume on the scriptural form of Church govern- ment, by the Rev. C. C. Stewart of Owen Sound. "The subject is one of importance to all intelligent Christians, and Mr. Stewart, by a clear, simple, and concise style, rigid h)gical arrangement, apt illustration, and ample ({uotation, makes a subject that is considered dry, very interrsting reading." , The If ark has been adopted as one of the Text Hooks hij the FTesbytevian College, Montreal. • The foregoinil coniniendations have all been ^iv en unasked. m-it of I tlesire |r from [condi- j ktion, I jeview. | pought sen ess. vtional View- iipon , ^diiied fiild be i >y we \n into ced by liess of fairly ^e cor- terian 'cli the 1 view oluine t side. 3ader, argil- ve no ts are r and ail to jnes- 'e an they fical erii- and Jnt, red Accession no. Author, Title Stewart, C, C. Exegema; or, The exposition of Class mark sundry passages of scripture. Copyright no. Order no. 5214. Gift/Exchange Source Amtmaim List price NL-27 or Deposit no. or Can. ace. no. Date rec'd Sept. 7/61 Destination Can. Col. '. ■ i ,,t, ... - , vt n ■ '%v -"■•■ "'yv'fe.^:***--^^^*^ Sti(f»i»,{*^«^': ^iiin:; -J!' ®he ^mptutal $om af ffibutrii ^orernmcnt. BY THE T^E"V. C O. STE^^^T-A-ItX, IwT.-Au. SECOND EDITION-REVISED AND CORRECTED. OPINIONS OP THE PRESS. Fr(ym the " Eastern Chronicle.'' * * In a volume of 101 pages, he presents a clear statement of the conclu- sions to which his researches have led him. His language is plain, his course of reasoning clear and concise. Withal it breathes the spirit of Christian charity, anc* that respect for the conscientious convictions of those who take a different view of the subject, which should characterize the speech and behaviour of every professed follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, The price of the book — only One Dollar — places it within tlie reach of all who luaj'' desire to study its pages." From tlte "Evangelical Witness and Irish PreMiyferian Re mew" for Det',emher. " We rejoice that every wher« attention is being turned to the (question of Church government. We lately noticed the goodly volume of a Scotchman, Mr. Porteous, and we now call the attention of our reailors to this smaller but able treatise by a Canadian Presbyterian Minister. Mr. Stewart takes what we believe to be the true gi'ouud, and holds that Clirist, as head of the Church, has given her a form of governu)ent — that this form is delineated in scripture, and is the Presbyterian. He merts the objections of Prelatists on the one hand, and of Plymouth Bretiireu on the other ; and shows that the loading features of Presbyterianism are t-i be found in the New Testament. We congratulate the Canadian Chtirch upon the production of this useful work, and, though on some minor points wo may not fully go along with Mr. Stewai-t, we ohould ho glad to see his book widely cii'culated and read (m this side the Atlantic."