440 MIN AND RECOVERY, &C. imputation of his righteousness to us, which are so often usedby our protestantdivines, may be very well understood in a scriptu- ral sense, or a sense much favoured by scripture, according to the common ideas and notions whichpeople have of one person's suffering for the sins or crimes of another, or one person's receiv- ing special benefits for the good deeds of another, as appears in the beginning of this essay, without running into needless cavils orcontroversies, into improper language, and dangerousextremes. And in general, I may make this just inference : If we would but allow the expressions of scripture, or the plain and obvious sense and meaning of those expressions the same candour of interpretation as we allow to all men who write of civil or histori- cal subjects in the like cases, and not cavil at them in common writings, we might sufficientlyenter into the sense and meaning of God inhis word, and find a greater uniformity in oursenti- ments : And we should also abound more in charity and love towards each other, if any lesser difficulties and darkness should remain upon our minds, and should lead us to some differences of opinion and expression aboutthese subjects.
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