Error of those who affirm that the words of Scripture mean all that they The sense of words, properly considered, is not allegorical..... Danger resulting from the spirit of multiplying allegories and types.... The principles of interpretation are common to the sacred and profane Language can be properly translated only in a philological way.................. No sentiment of the Scriptures to be hastily deemed unreasonable. Every interpretation should harmonize with the design of the writer, and CHAPTER II. Page OF THE KINDS OF WORDS AND THEIR VARIOUS USES. How emphasis is known. ...... Tropical words not of course and from their nature emphatic.... The frequency of tropes depends much on the genius of the writer...... ornament........ Sense of tropical words grammatical.. 53 ib. 54 ib. ......... ib. 67 ib. No ground for dividing emphasis into real and verbal.. Words in one language do not always correspond exactly to those in another 58 Antithesis Abstract and concrete words. The use of abstracts for concretes arose from necessity. Popular and learned use of words.. PART V. RULES OF INTERPRETATION. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS... CHAPTER II. ib. 59 60 ..... 61, 62 Parallel passages to be read continuously and frequently.. .......... 63 ib. 64 ib. 65 65-67 68 ........... 70 Many parallel passages should be compared... Testimony of Scholiasts respecting the usus loquendi... Glossaries Versions Other similar testimonies Knowledge of the peculiar style and all the circumstances of an author necessary... The nature of composition specially to be regarded... CHAPTER III. Page 71 ib. 72 73 74 OTHER MEANS TO ASSIST IN FINDING THE SENSE OF WORDS BESIDES THE USUS LOQUENDI. Necessity of indirect testimony... Scope of a writer the first and best means... Cautions in judging of the scope.. Use of the context.. Various comparisons useful Analogy of languages of use.. Grammatical analogy Analogy of kindred languages.. Etymology an uncertain guide... Similar expressions to be compared.. Foundation of analogy in all languages... Use of this general principle... Interpretation by appeal to the nature of things, &c............. The error of pressing etymologies too far not unfrequent........................... The kind of Greek with which the New Testament is to be compared New Testament Greek not pure... Some phrases common to Greek and Hebrew. Arguments to prove that the New Testament Greek is not pure.... Hebrew-Greek idiom does not necessarily make the style of the New Testament obscure.. Language of the New Testament is Hebrew-Greek It also comprises Latinisms, &c.. Method of finding the usus loquendi of the New Testament not difficult.. Much caution necessary to decide what is classic and what is Hebrew- 88 ib. ib. 90 91 92 ib. 93 94 95 ib. 96 ib. 96 In respect to the forms, tenses, and numbers of words... 99 Other idioms to be consulted in certain cases ib. Direct testimony not always sufficient 100 New words to be explained by testimony direct and indirect.. Duty of an Interpreter in respect to tropical language 106 Page How to examine whether language is tropical Certain words not tropical...... 108 110 Words tropical where the subject and predicate disagree Usus loquendi in regard to things which cannot be examined by our feelings and conceptions..... 112 Sources of tropical interpretation Adjuncts useful in determining when words are tropical...... Context to be consulted... Caution to be used in judging from etymology.. Method of determining whether a trope is adequately understood.. 113 ib. 114 ............ ib. 115 Emphasis not to be taught by etymology, or recurring to the original sense of words... ib. 122 Prepositions in composition do not always increase the meaning of a word. Whether emphasis is to be deduced from the plural number............ ib. MEANS OF HARMONIZING APPARENT DISCREPANCIES.. ............ 127 ib. Discrepancies, doctrinal and historical ib. Causes of apparent discrepancies in doctrinal passages Origin of apparent historical discrepancies.. 131 We should be conversant with the mode of reconciling passages in the best classic authors.. 132 Historical facts not to be confounded because of a slight similitude, nor PART VI. ON TRANSLATING THE SCRIPTURES. ....... 134 ib. An interpreter should not only understand the Scriptures, but be able to explain them well, so as to give an exact delineation of the original..... 135 The words of a version ought to correspond as exactly as possible to those of the original... 136 When we cannot translate ad verbum, we must translate ad sensum.... ib. 137 Causes where we must adhere to the mode of translating ad verbum..... ib. In translating, we ought to lean towards our own idiom.... 133 APPENDIX. Morus on translatiɔn.. 140-152 ELEMENTS OF BIBLICAL CRITICISM, &c. PART I. GENERAL RULES OF CRITICISM IN RESPECT TO * THE NEW TESTAMENT. § 1. CRITICISM is divided into lower and higher; terms, perhaps, not altogether adapted to express a proper division of it; each of which is again subdivided into grammatico-historical and conjectural. § 2. The authenticity of a book, the genuineness of a passage, and the goodness of a particular reading, are established by arguments external and internal. The latter kind of arguments are deduced from the nature of things treated of, the sentiments, and the language. Translated from Beckii Monogrammata Hermeneutices Librorum Nov. Testamenti, edit. 1803, Lipsiæ, Sectio III. Pp. 117, &c. B § 3. Lower or verbal criticism is regulated by the following general principles; viz. that reading is preferable, respecting which it may be probably shewn that it bears the stamp of the author, and from which it may appear that all the varieties of readings have proceeded. Hence all the errors of copyists should be noted; as they often furnish means of finding out the true reading and the origin of various readings. § 4. Common laws of lower criticism which apply to books in general, whether sacred or profane. 1. That reading is to be regarded as true, which is supported by far the greater number of copies and witnesses. But still, readings supported by a few books are not entirely to be disregarded; [especially when they harmonize with the usus loquendi of the author.] 2. That reading which the better copies exhibit, unless special reasons prohibit it, is to be preferred to the one which the inferior copies exhibit, although most numerous. What copies are of the better kind, is a question to be discussed in another place, where inquiry is made respecting the genius of the New Testament writings. Neither the antiquity nor propriety of a reading, solely considered, always proves it to be a true one; [unless the antiquity should extend back to the autograph, or the propriety should be shewn to be exclusive.] 3. That reading which is more harsh, obscure, difficult, unusual, or delicately chosen, if supported by the authority of a proper witness, is preferable to one which is plain, easy, usual, and common. Difficulty sometimes exists in respect to a whole passage and its connexion; sometimes in regard to the ambiguity of particular words and phrases; sometimes in respect |