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REVIEW.

An Elementary Course of Biblical | We have long been deeply im|| Theology, translated from the Work of PROFESSORS STORK and FLATT, with additions, by S. S. SCHMUCKER, A. M. Professor of Theology in the Theological Seminary of the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States, Gettysburg, Pa. Two vols. 8vo. pp. 481 and 408. Andover, Flagg & Gould, 1826. ||

pressed with the importance of paying more regard than has generally been paid to the Bible in the professed study of theology; and we have contemplated with much gratification, the example which the trustees of our Newton Theological Institution have set; for while, in establishing the course of study, they made distinct provision for instruction in Biblical Literature, and Ecclesiastical History, and Pastoral Duties, they were content to let their Theology be a Biblical Theology; and the following paragraph in their "Regulations" exhibits their idea of the manner in which it should be taught: "To the sphere of Biblical Theology it shall belong to aid the students in acquiring a knowledge of the sacred Scriptures in the original languages as well as in the English; to guide them to correct principles of interpretation,

THE work whose title stands at the head of this article, has some special claims to our attention. It was written originally in Latin, and first published about thirty years ago, by Dr. Storr, then a Professor of theology in the University of Tubingen in Germany; a man whose bold and skilful defence of many important principles of religion has given him a distinguished reputation, has endeared him to the lovers of evangelick truth, and command-and habituate them to employ, in ed, in most instances, the respect seeking to understand the various of its adversaries. He died in parts of the Bible, all those helps 1805. Dr. Flatt, his worthy col- which may be derived from the league, survived him, and trans- || different branches of Biblical Litlated this work into German, and erature; to analyze, and lead the enriched it with many notes of his students to analyze, in the origiown, adapting his remarks to the nal, the most important portions existing state of the controversy of the Old Testament, and the on several subjects; for his sec- whole, if possible, of the New, exond edition of the translation was hibiting the scope of the respective published so late as the year 1813.parts, and whatever of doctrinal or In the German dress and in the of practical import they may conLatin, we have highly esteemed tain, and showing how they are the work, as a whole; but we hes-applicable at the present day, and itate not to say that it has come forth from the hands of Professor Schmucker, and from the Codman press at Andover, greatly improved in its form and general appearance; (though we have perceived a few slight inaccuracies in the printing of some Hebrew words ;) and that it contains some ingenious and some valuable additions.

profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ;'-and after thus surveying the rich field of Scripture, and viewing the products as scattered profusely on every side by the bounteous hand of God, it shall be required, for the sake of convenient reference, to classify and arrange the partic

hundred and eighty-third page of the first volume, is introductory, and treats 'OF THE DIVINE AU

can

ulars, and, for this purpose, to bring the students to the examination of a series of theological subjects, in such a manner as most to THORITY OF THE HOLY SCRIPawaken the efforts of the genuine TURES. 9 It is of itself a lucid disciple of Christ, and lead him and able treatise. The impor to search the Scriptures." " tance of the subject none The work before us claims the doubt; and its appropriateness evhigh honour of being built entire-ery one must admit, when he conly on the Bible. The transla-siders that on the authority of the tor in speaking of Storr and Flatt, Scriptures the whole work must says: "Having been harassed rest. If we take away that auby metaphysical and speculative thority, we take away the foundaand infidel systems of pretended tion. christianity, they were taught the absolute necessity of building their faith exclusively on the word of God; and the present work is purely of this Biblical character. It is confined to the doctrines which are taught in the sacred volume totidem verbis [in so many words.] The various inferential, sectarian views, which are used by divines of different denomina-importance, we proceed to examtions to complete their peculiar systems, are here omitted; even those of the Lutheran church to which the authors belonged."

To some extent, this claim is just. On some interesting articles the work is very much what it professes to be; but not on all. It is highly creditable to the talents and industry of the translator; and it will, we hope, be of no small service in encouraging our Lutheran brethren and others in this country, to hold fast many important truths of the gospel. But with grief we must add that we think it contains some things that are not purely of this Biblical character; some things that are at variance with the Scriptures, instead of being built exclusively on the word of God;' some things that are neither taught in the sacred volume totidem verbis,' nor deduced from it by fair and legitimate inference.

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In a future number, we may advert to this subject again. At present, we would remark that the first book, extending to the two

When a book is presented as having descended from a distant age, and as having been written by a certain individual, or an individual of a certain character, in that age, our first inquiry is, Have we reason to reject it as a forgery? Here is a claim exhibited: What prevents its being allowed?

If the subject is one of great

ine the circumstances; we consider the language, the style, the allusions, the sentiments; and we mark whatever may seem unsuitable to the age in which the work is said to have been written, or incongruous with the character and situation of the reputed writer, and more likely to have proceeded from some other. We also weigh the direct testimony, if such can be adduced, of those who claim for the work another writer, or state such facts as would be inconsistent with its having come from the hand of the person whose name it bears. But if no such testimony appears at all; or if, after a patient scrutiny, it is found to be more than counterbalanced by other testimony; if, instead of discovering any thing incongruous with the character of the reputed writer, we find numerous and striking indications of congruity; if the language, and style, and allusions, and sentiments, instead of giving the least evidence of their containing any thing unsuitable to the age in which the work

professes to have been written, all || different readings which criticks testify, and the more we examine have collected, are so far from afthem, all testify the more fully fording any ground of alarm as to and circumstantially, that it was written, and must have been written in that age, we conclude with confidence that the book is genuine.

Such is the conclusion to which we have been constrained to come, in regard to the Scriptures; and the evidence, especially in respect to the Pentateuch, and to most of the books of the New Testament, is remarkably overwhelming. It is far, very far beyond all example that we have ever known, and probably beyond all example that the records of the world afford, of evidence substantiating the genu, ineness of any other ancient pro

the correctness of our text, that they corroborate the proofs by which its integrity is established. For these various readings, by their very diversity, show that the copies used by ancient christian writers and transcribers, came to them through different channels; channels which we can trace back to a common source only in the apostolick age. Many copies, therefore, as so many separate witnesses, must have come from that age, and the countries where the apostles preached. They all testify to the substantial correctness of the text which we now have of the New Testament. The fact of their being separate wit

ductions. When we have admitted an an-nesses, strongly corroborates their cient book as genuine, or written by the person whose name it bears, our next inquiry is, Has it been preserved substantially as it was written? or rather, Is there any proof of its having been corrupted?

Suppose, for a moment, that the inquiry is concerning

THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

That they have not suffered any alteration destructive of their integrity, would be probable from the fact, that had such alteration been attempted by any one party, it would have been detected and exposed by their opponents. But we have evidence that renders certain what might otherwise have been only probable. We allude to the evidence arising from the agreement of our New Testament with all the manuscripts which have been examined of every age and country, and with the numerous quotations found in ancient commentators and other christian writers, and with the translations which are known to have been made at a very early period. The

testimony; and that they are such, is proved by the diversity exhibited in the various readings, while this diversity is, for the most part, merely verbal, and rarely affects the sense at all.

But to establish the genuineness and the integrity of the Scriptures, is not sufficient. We must advance a step further before we can feel that it is a matter of much importance to deduce from them a system of doctrines. We might indeed prove that a particular doctrine is taught, or that the doing of a particular act is enjoined in these writings. But it would be of but little more avail than to show from the writings of Plato or of Xenophon, that Socrates taught a particular doctrine, or gave a particular precept.

By what authority, each might inquire, by what authority am I bound to believe and to obey? Should any one say, It is by the force of reasoning; we would reply: The force of reasoning can be applied only to subjects which lie within the sphere of reason. But here are matters which, manifestly, lie beyond that sphere. What shall

They || character, and his miracles; and most impressively vindicated by his triumphant resurrection from the dead.

we do in regard to these? are things about which we have not the means of reasoning; but yet they are closely connected with our dearest interests. They invest our existence with an impressive grandeur, and our characters with an unutterable importance. What shall we do? Must we continue to grope in the fearful darkness? Besides, among the various subjects about which we sometimes venture to reason, many are of such a nature, or perhaps we ought to say, our relation to them is of such a nature, that our judgments are extremely apt to be biassed, and led into error. Amidst the clashing, and interested, and ever varying opinions of men, how desirable it would be to have the unerring decision of God. And, forever blessed be his name, he has caused such a light to shine upon our path.

Jesus Christ came as the authorized messenger of heaven. He claimed a peculiar connexion with the Father on high. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. * He that sent me is with me; the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.† Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. All things that the Father hath are mine. '§

Thus our Saviour professed to teach and to act, in all things, with divine authority; and his claim was fully sustained by his

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Here is solid ground. Whatever such a messenger asserted must be true; whatever he sanctioned must be correct; and whatever he promised must be fulfilled.

About to leave his apostles and return to heaven, he cheered their desponding spirits by saying, 'I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter (Tagaxantos, monitor, guide,) that he may abide with you forever; even the spirit of truth.* He shall testify of me.t When he, the spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth. The comforter, (monitor or guide,) which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. And he will show you things to come.§ Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.** But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 'Ħ

Such are the declarations which our Lord made to his apostles, to the men who either wrote or sanctioned the several books of the New Testament. Paul exhibited abundant proof of his being divinely intrusted with the apostleship, and of his enjoying supernatural aid equally with the very chief of the apostles. These also most fully acknowledged his claims.

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ences in the New Testament, and in the works of Philo and of Josephus, who both lived in the age of the apostles, and especially by the statements which Josephus and other ancient writers give concerning the sacred books of the Jews, that the Jewish canon in the time of our Lord, contain

Among the writers of the New Testament, Mark and Luke are the only individuals that were not apostles. But they were intimate companions of apostles; and there is good reason to believe that Mark's gospel received the approbation of the apostle Peter, and even that it was written under his superintendence. We have evi-ed all and the very same books

were

which we now have in our Old Testament.

dence also that Luke, when he wrote his gospel and the Acts, was with the apostle Paul, who The statement of Josephus our was then a prisoner at Rome; readers will find in his treatise and it cannot well be doubted against Apion, B. I. 7, 8. That that these works, as the early, part which relates immediately to current opinion testifies, the present subject is as follows: submitted to this apostle's revisal, "We have not an innumerable muland received his sanction. Be- titude of discordant and contradicsides, the apostle John, it is almost tory books, but only twenty-two, certain from an inspection of his which contain the records of all gospel, wished to have his own the past times, and which are justly account used as a supplement to believed as being divine. And of the other three, thus virtually them, five belong to Moses, which sanctioning what had been writ- contain his laws, and the account ten by Mark and Luke, as well of the origin of mankind, and exas by his fellow-apostle Matthew. tend to his death. This interval That all these writers had am- of time_embraces nearly 3000 ple means of knowing the truth years. From the death of Moses of what they asserted, is most man- till the reign [or, according to most ifest; and that the apostles were manuscripts and Eusebius, till the faithful in the high trust confided death] of Artaxerxes, who was king to them by their Lord, that, wheth- of Persia after Xerxes, the Propher they approved or made state-ets who were after Moses, wrote ments, they and their associates down what was done in their times did it in simplicity and godly in thirteen books. The remaining sincerity, is equally manifest: four contain hymns to God and It is manifest from the circum- precepts for the conduct of human stances in which they were life. Our history, moreover, since placed; from the pure and be- Artaxerxes, has been written very. nevolent character which they particularly, but has not been essustained; from the artiess man- teemed of the like authority with ner in which they have written; the former; because there has not and from the sufferings, the re- been an exact succession of the proach, the torture, the death, to Prophets since that time. And which they deliberately and volun-how firmly we have given credit tarily exposed themselves in pro-to those books of our nation is evimoting a religion that inculcates truth and holiness.

We are now prepared to speak concerning

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

It has been ascertained by a patient examination of the referDEC. 1826.

dent from what we do; for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has dared to add any thing to them, to take any thing from them, or to make any change in them; but it has become natural to all Jews immediately, and from their very birth, to esteem

* 2 Cor. i. 12.

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