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Compendious Introduction to the Study of the Bible. 385

the MSS. and antient versions of the Scriptures might have been omitted. Some very interesting Tables of the modern versions are given in p. 127, et seq.

In Part III. we have a summary of the principal subjects relative to Biblical Geography and Antiquities, as treated of in the third volume of the large Introduction. The great mass of interesting matter which the author had condensed into that volume, is here recondensed, in a manner peculiar to Mr. Horne, so as to enable the student to run over the leading facts of the subjects there treated of in a clear and satisfactory order. We would take the liberty of suggesting to Mr. Horne, that a less condensed abridgement of this part of his great work, accompanied by suitable Maps and Tables, would form a valuable addition to our list of works for elementary instruction in Biblical literature, of which the Geography and Antiquities of Palestine, form so important a part.

The fourth and last part contains an analysis of each book in the Old and New Testaments, according to the plan of the fourth volume of the Introduction; of which it is a very concise, and for general readers, perhaps too concise an abridgement.

The Appendix consists of the following articles; I. a Table of Scripture Weights, Measures and Money. II. A Table of the Order and Dates of the books of the New Testament. III. A Table of the Psalms, classed according to their subjects. IV. A List of select chapters of the Bible, forming an epitome adapted to family or private reading; designed to present the most important parts of the Sacred Volume to the attention of those who possess no leisure to make a selection for themselves, and who are desirous of becoming acquainted with the leading facts, doctrines, and precepts of the Bible. V. A Select List of the most useful books for facilitating the study of the Scriptures, with Bibliographical notices, (in which, by the way, we differ from the author, in the praise which he bestows upon one or two productions.) VI. A Concise Chronological Table of the principal events recorded in the Bible, in which the author has followed Usher, or, "The Bible Chronology"-we regret that he has omitted the dates, established with such success by Dr. Hales. We are also of opinion, that some other Tables, particularly the Index of the symbolical language of Scripture, and the Geographical Index, which appeared in the original work, might have been added in an abridged form.

We lament that our limits forbid us to make any extracts from the very valuable manuals, to which we have devoted these few observations, but this defect is the less to be regretted, as we trust, few of our readers will be without the works themselves : and we do not hesitate to assure them, that for a very trifling price, they will be possessed of a mass of valuable information, which we are not aware exists elsewhere under the same bulk, in the English language.*

We are happy to perceive that a second Edition of the Compendious Introduc tion, with corrections, has been already advertised. VOL. IV. D 3

386

REVIEW OF THE HOMILY CONTROVERSY.

(LETTER FROM THE BISHOP OF LIMERICK.)

We received, since the publication of our last Number, the following communication from the Bishop of Limerick. We intended to insert it in connection with the conclusion of our Review of his Lordship's pamphlet, as the best mode of securing that it should be read by ali the readers of the passage to which it refers. But as an accident prevents the appearance of that article for this month, and as we do not hold ourselves at liberty to subject his Lordship's letter to the same delay, we must content ourselves with directing our readers' attention to it in this way: "To the Conductors of the CHRISTIAN EXAMINER.

"The Bishop of Limerick presents his compliments to the Conductors of the CHRISTIAN EXAMINER, and, with reference to what has been said in the last Number, (page 303,) begs to inform them, that, in using the term " sectaries," he did not, by any means, intend to designate "members of the Established Church," He applied it, not in any offensive sense, but, in its strict grammatical meaning, to certain members of sects, or separated religious bodies, long since gone, he hopefully believes, to a blessed eternity. Harsh, or scornful language towards individuals, or classes of men, he always endeavours conscientiously to avoid and for the memory of the excellent Whitfield, and Wesley, and that of several of their followers, while, on various important matters, obliged to differ from them, he feels the most unfeigned respect.

"By thus (however unintentionally) diverting a single word from its natural meaning, the Reviewer has cast an imputation on the Bishop's moral character; a circumstance which imperatively calls for this statement of the fact. To the controversial and critical part of the Review, he intends not making any reply whatever. He would only ask permission to observe, that, if a similar want of caution in the interpretation of words had not generally misled the writer of the Article, he would, probably, have himself discovered, that his learned criticism is no less inapplicable to the argument, than his moral criticism is assuredly inapplicable to the principles of the Bishop.

"It is hoped the request will not be deemed unreasonable, that this communication may be inserted in the next Number of the Christian Examiner."

"Limerick, April 5, 1827."

We need not say that we have great pleasure in complying with his Lordship's desire. We should be glad to find, and very ready to make it generally known, that the objectionable use of the term " Sectaries," which we felt obliged to notice so pointedly, wants the respectable sanction of his Lordship's authority. His letter, however furnishes us with additional satisfaction, as his anxiety to remove our misconception, and the language which he employs, warrant us in concluding that he agrees with us in regarding such a use of the term as highly reprehensible.

His Lordship proceeds to attribute our misconception in this instance, to a want of caution in the interpretation of words; and informs us, that our article is throughout chargeable with this fault, to an extent that makes it but of little value in the controversy. As to the general charge, we shall be easily excused from making any other answer than that we hope it is not well grounded. But

in this particular case, we must say, that after the fairest consideration of the circumstances of which we are capable, we do not consider ourselves to have fallen into this misconception, through any want of due caution. We were led into attributing erroneously to his Lordship, the application of the term which we condemned; in the first place, because it did not occur to us that sectaries, properly so called, were interested in obtaining our Church's sanction of their peculiar opinions, at least to any degree that would lead them to adopt the proceeding described-while, to churchmen charged with holding peculiar opinions the sanction of the Church's authority would obviously be a matter of much importance. In the next place, we have heard and seen this term injuriously and loosely applied to those members of our Church, whom we believed to have been, in our own times, most in the habit of resorting to the Homilies, and maintaining their authority. And lastly, we could not then doubt that Dr. Elrington's account of the origin of the opinion in question was meant to agree with the Bishop of Limerick's; he, as well as his Lordship, represents the opinion as originating in our own times, and produced by a desire to obtain sanction for certain religious views; but he distinctly attributes the origin of it to members of our Church, without any mention whatever of sectaries. Now, we would venture to ask any of our readers, whether a conclusion resting on such grounds, however erroneous it be, can be fairly described as hasty? Indeed we cannot avoid entertaining some hopes that even the Bishop of Limerick, upon a reconsideration of the circumstances, will acquit us of the charge of precipitancy.

We shall be greatly misunderstood if we are supposed to intend any thing more by the foregoing, than a defence of ourselves. We are of course thoroughly convinced by his Lordship's letter, that the word was really employed by him in a sense to which we should never have been unreasonable enough to have made any objection; but we mention, to defend ourselves from the imputation of captiousness, or unbecoming hastiness, the grounds which we had at the time for a contrary impression, and these we expect will be thought about as good as we generally can command for our strongest impressions or most important acts.

In reference to his Lordship's remark, that the passage in our Review to which he adverts, contained an imputation upon his moral character, we may say that the want of temper and discretion which such a use of this term as we conceived him chargeable with, would evince, is no doubt, in a large sense, a moral defect; and the kind of imputation upon his moral character, necessarily involved in attributing such a use to him, we of course must have been understood to make. But his Lordship's letter sufficiently shews, that we did not, in his view, aggravate the impropriety of the act, and we hope that our remarks have shewn that we did not upon light grounds attribute it to him. And both combined, furnish a defence of us from this serious charge (for such we regard it) to which we do not think it necessary to make any addition.

His Lordship's concluding remark, upon what he styles our

"moral criticism," we do not perfectly understand. We have, however, such a general notion of its meaning, as leads us to think what we are about to say, may have some connection with it. We consider his Lordship in very great error, concerning the principal question discussed in his pamphlet, and we regard his mode of maintaining his view as highly dangerous. We have thought ourselves bound to express both opinions very distinctly in the part of our Review which has appeared, and still more distinctly in the part which we are obliged for the present to postpone, and to sustain them in the best manner in our power; but we are quite convinced, that what we have said, or shall say upon the subject, cannot so misrepresent our sentiments, or oppose the principles upon which we should desire to regulate our conduct, as to convey any imputations injurious to the character, or justly painful to the feelings of the very respectable persons, upon whose declared opinions on an important subject, we have felt it our duty freely to animadvert.

NOTICES OF FOREIGN BOOKS.

Pentateuchus, Annotatione perpetua illustravit Ern. Frid, Car. Rosenimueller, Theol. Doct. et liter. Orient. in Acad. Lips. P. P. O. Volumen tertium, Leviticum, Numeros et Deuteronomion continens, Editio tertia, sic ab auctore recognita, emendata et aucta, ut novum opus videri possit. Lipsiæ.

Those of our readers who are acquainted with the earlier editions of this work, will rejoice to hear that in the one noticed above, the learned author has not only expunged those dangerous and infidel criticisms which were designed to shake the very foundations of revealed religion, but has substituted in their place others of a very different tendency. He gives his reasons for this change in his opinions (apology he needs not) in his preface, and informs us that he has diligently consulted and made use of the old and orthodox commentators, the Fathers of the Church, and the works of the more celebrated Rabbis. We are now as anxious to recommend this novum opus to the attention of our theological students and readers, as we should have been to caution the inexperienced against the rash and unfounded assertions of the earlier editions. Augustine's book of retractions in which he corrected the errors of his other works, did him more credit than all his elaborate performances, and we believe this learned Professor will rise in the esteem of all persons for his ingenuous and Christian conduct.

Philosophie des Christenthums von Friederick
Koeppen. Leipzig. 8vo. 2d edit.
Philosophy of Christianity, by Frederick
Koeppen.

Vierterjaerige Mittheilungen aus den Arbei. ten mehrerer evangelischen Prediger vereine herausgegeben von D. F. F. Schwabe. Dritter Band dritte Mittheilung. Neustadt. 1826.

Quarterly Extracts from the Labors of several Clerical Conferences, edited by D. F. F. Schwabe.

This Volume contains-1st. Hints for answering the question, "How Preachers may make their Sermons interesting?" by Schmidtborn. 2dly. "Thoughts upon the inutility and disadvantages of sermons by irregular and itinerant Preach

ers."

Der Katholik, eine religioese Zeitschrift zum
Belehrung and Warnung, berausgegeben von
D. Lieberman. 21st vol. 6th year, part for
August. Strassburg. 1826.

The Catholic, a religious periodical for in-
struction and admonition, edited by Dr.
Leiberman.

This Part contains two articles: 1st. The Church and its institutions, with reference to the opinions of the time.— 2dly. Of Celibacy.

Der Zustand der Protestantischen Religion in Deutchland, reden an der Universitaet zu Cambridge gehalten, von H. J. Rose, A. M. Leipzig. 8vo.

The State of the Protestant Religion in Germany, in Sermons before the University of Cambridge, by H. J. Rose.

An angry Preface is prefixed to this work by the translator, though he finds it impossible to contradict Mr. Rose's

statements.

Handwoerterbuch der Christlichen Religis ons und Kirchengeschichte. Zugleich alm huelpmittel bei dem Gebrauch der Tabellevon Seiler, Rosen mueller und Vater. He

rausgegeben von W, D. Fuhrmann. Evan. gel. Prediger zu Hamm in der Graffschaft Mask. Nebst einer abhandlung ueber die hohe Wichtigkeit und die zweckmassigste Methode eines fortgesetzten studiums der Religions und Kirchengeschichte fuer praktische religionslehrer von D. A. H. Niemeyer. Erster Band. Halle, 1326. 8vo. Lexicon of the Christian Religion and Church History. Also a Key to the use of the Tables of Seiler, Rosenmueller and Vater. By W. D. Fuhrmann, Evangelical Preacher at Hamm in the Graffschaft of Mark. Together with a treatise on the high importance and best method of a continued study of Religion and Church History, for practical Students in Religion. By A. H, Niemeyer. 1st volume, 8vo. Halle. 1826.

The two authors who bave contributed to the present work are well known in the literature of Germany. The volume. before us is in some respects similar to the Theological Dictionaries of Broughton, Buck, and Robinson; this, however, promises to be more complete than any we have yet met with; a great number of words which are often found in ecclesiastical history are here explained; a succinct account is given of the various fathers, theologians, &c. and their works, of the canon and civil law, of heresies and the founders of various sects; and, in short, it may be best described as a theological encyclopedia. The first part only has as yet appeared; when it is completed, we hope it may meet with an English translator: some few alterations would make it an excellent work.

Die Jungfrau im Ungange mit Gott bei den wichtigsten Veraenderungen ihres Lebens. Zur Erbanung fuer gebildete Jungfrauen von M. Karl Gottlob Willkomm, Pfarrer zer Herwigsdorf bei Zittau Leipzig 1826, 1 vol. 8vo.

The Young Female in communion with God in the most important Periods of her Life; for the edification of educated females. By M. K. G. Willkomm, Minister of Her wigsdorf.

Ueber die Quellen des Evangeliums des Mar. cus. Ein Beitrag zer du Untersuchungen ueber die Eutstehung unserer kanon. Evangelien, von H. Saunier. Berlin. 1 vol. 8vo. On the Origin of the Gospel of St. Mark. A continuation to the Enquiries on the Rise of our Canonical Gospels. By H. Savnier. Another work on the question which has been agitated during the last half century, "From what sources did the Evangelists draw up their narratives," The Bishop of Peterborough argues that they made use of a common document, written by some unknown person, which is now lost. Dr. Schleiermacher of Berlin, in a late work, attempts to prove that the Gospel of St. Luke is composed of various detached pieces, drawn up by Christ's early followers at different times and in different places, which the Evangelist picked up and connected into one

narrative. Nay, the Doctor shows where each piece begins and ends, and almost vertures to tell us who supplied them; he frequently corrects St. Luke, and says that he was mistaken in placing certain portions where be did. The authors of these two hypotheses can have but little reverence for the word of God, or strange notions on the inspiration of the sacred writers. It is not supposed that the Holy Spirit dictated to them each particular event, or did away with the necessity for accurate enquiries-for the preface of St. Luke to his Gospel plainly shows that be learned what Jesus said and did from those who had been eye-witnesses of these things. But it has always been the belief of the Christian Church, that in writing these, he was preserved from errors, and assisted in remembering the sermons and discourses of the Redeemer, according to his promise, John xiv. 26. But admitting the Gospels to be original narratives, how is the striking similarity, not only of thought, but of expression, to be accounted for? It is the object of Dr. Saunier to solve this problem as far as concerns the Gospel of St. Mark, where these difficulties principally exist. We have no room to detail his arguments. His conclusions from them are, that the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John are authentic and independent narratives, that St. Mark made use of those by St. Matthew and Luke, and that the passages which are not to be found in either of these were supplied by St. Peter under whose direction (and this is an ancient opinion, as may be seen in Eusebius) he wrote. St. John's Gospel was written long after, and for a particular purpose,

as we also learn from the same father of Church History. The work before us has the rare excellence of being short, it contains but 187 pages, contrary to the long established usage of "cloud compelling" German critics. It deserves the attention of biblical students.

Dr. Bernhard Klefeker's weiland Pastors zu St. Jacobi and Scholarchen in Hamburgh, aussuehrliche predigtenwurfe fur das Jahr 1825, vom 1 Advents Sonntage bis zum Sonntage Trinitatis. Nach dem tode des Verfassers herausgegeben und mit einem kurzen Vorworte begleitet von L. H. Kun. hardt. Hamburgh, 1 vol. 8vo. Sermons by Dr. Bernhard Klefeker, for the year 1825, from the first Sunday in Advent to Trinity Sunday. Edited after the death of the author, by Dr. Kunhardt, with a short notice of his life.

Das Leben Jesu Christi, beschrieben von den Evangelisten und geschildert in 59 Liedern deutscher Meistersaenger. Ein Vorberei. tungsbuch zum Religions unterricht fur die

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