COMMENTARY UPON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL ΤΟ THE ROMANS. BY JOHN CALVIN. EDITED FROM THE ORIGINAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF BY HENRY BEVERIDGE, ESQ. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR THE CALVIN TRANSLATION SOCIETY. M.DCCC.XLIV. EDITOR'S PREFACE. THIS Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans was written by Calvin during his residence at Strasburg, after the Genevese had, by expelling him and his colleagues, Farel and Viret, deprived their city of its best and noblest ornaments. The comparative leisure thus obtained could not have been employed to better purpose. As often happens, in the course of Providence, more especially where the interests of religion are concerned, good was brought out of evil, and the particular loss which Geneva sustained by the expulsion of Calvin was far more than compensated by the boon which it enabled him to bestow on the Church at large. The importance of this Epistle, the intricacy of many of its parts, and the prominence which it gives to those leading views of doctrine which Calvin made it the business of his life to illustrate, were well fitted to call forth his unrivalled powers as a commentator; and, accordingly, it seems to be generally admitted, that nowhere would it be easy to find, within the same compass, so much clear, succinct, profound, and practical theology. In accordance with the object of the Calvin Translation Society, the translation now published is a reprint of one executed by Christopher Rosdell, and published in 1583. The translator, aware of the importance and difficulty of his |