ENCE OF INTERPRETATION.

are.

is done. Considered simply as an For the Christian Spectator.

interpreter, he has nothing to do

with the correctness of his author's BRIEF HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE SCI- opinions, their good or bad tenden

cy; he has only to tell us what they

This species of interpretation The apostle Peter says there are is called historical and grammaticsome things in the epistles of Paul, al, chiefly to denote the sources to hard to be understood. He inti- which the interpreter goes for mates that the same is true of the help. other scriptures. If Peter, a Jew, I well know there is another

speand an apostle living in Palestine, cies of interpretation more comsaid this nearly two thousand years mon among us. I mean that which ago, no wonder if there are many consists, not so much in an explathings hard to be understood by us, nation of the difficult passages of who live in these last days, and in scripture, as in a series of pious rethese ends of the world. How in- marks on the plain ones. This kind deed can it be otherwise ? Should of interpretation is well adapted to an American write a book abound- the object for which it was designing in imagery, in illustrations, and ed. This is, to affect the heart arguments, drawn from the magni- rather than enlighten the underficent scenery of our own country; standing. It answers a valuable from our free institutions, our do- purpose for the unlearned reader, mestic society, in short, from every and therefore has claims to our rething around us, and should a Chi- gard. This is the kind of internese, who knew nothing of Ame- pretation in which the English comrica but the name, read it, how ma- mentators abound. ny things would he find hard to be Some very able interpreters have understood? What this book would appeared of late, on the continent be to this Chinese, in relation to of Europe, and have intermingled its obscurity, the Bible is to us. The with their learned and valuable business of the biblical interpreter criticisms, some lax notions on subis to explain such obscurities, by jects of theology. Their works are making us acquainted with every well adapted to enlighten the unthing to which the sacred writers derstanding, but not to warm the allude. When he has helped us to heart. They teach us the sentidraw from the words of the author ments of the sacred writers, but do the very ideas which he meant to not impart to us their spirit. The convey, his work, as an interpreter, picture which they draw on the 1826-No.4.

22

canvass, is true to the original in published in series of critical obevery respect but one ; the coldness servations written in Chaldaic Heof death is on it, instead of the brew, and entitled the

Masora. warmth and glow of life. Such Froin this book interpreters have helps however must be used for derived some aid respecting Hepurposes of instruction, till inter- brew idioms and customs. preters, of equal ability and more Christ, and his apostles by divine piety, furnish commentaries more illumination, understood the scripin accordance with the spirit of the tures, and taught them in simpligospel. Hume and Gibbon were city and truth. The same was true, infidels, and missed no fair opportu- though in a less extent, of the imnity to give a thrust at Christianity. mediate successors of the apostles, But who cannot easily distinguish through whose instruction the peobetween this wanton expression of ple were taught the pure princitheir infidelity, and the information ples and doctrines of Christianity, which they convey as historians ? till the beginning of the third cenand what scholar, wbo seeks a deep tury. Then arose Origen, a native and thorough acqnaintance with of Alexandria, a man of learning Roman or English history, will be and piety; but unhappily for the so foolish as to reject their aid, at cause of sacred interpretation, he least till other histories of equal gave currency to an erroneous meability are furnished ?

thod of explaining the scriptures, The science and business of bib- the influence of which is still felt. If lical interpretation, as they now ex- the sacred books were to be explainist, are of somewhat recent origin, ed according to the real import of though the interpretation of the the words, Origen thought it would scriptures is no new thing. It com- be found difficult to defend every menced with the return of the Jews thing they contained against the from the Babylonish captivity. The cavils of skeptics. Being himself Hebrew was then no longer their deeply imbued with the Platonic vernacular tongue. Many were philosophy, and being pressed with ignorant of their history, their re- these cavils, Origen's inventive ligion, their country; and when Ez- imagination suggested the thought, ra stood on a pulpit of wood, and that the scriptures were to be exread in the book of the law of plained in the same allegorical God distinctly, others stood on his manner as the Platonists explained right hand and on his left, and gave the fabulous history of their gods. the sense, and caused the people The thought was fanciful in the exto understand the reading. After treme, and better becoming the the captivity, the learned Jews dark ages than the times of (Origen. began to apply themselves to Still he embraced it, and gave curthe study of their sacred books. rency to the notion, that though At length there arose

a class

certain ideas may be contained in of men, called Masorites, who de- the words of scripture, taken litevoted themselves chiefly to these rally, yet this is not the true meanstudies. They wrote out copies of ing of the sacred writers. This he the scriptures for the use of the said is hidden under the veil of alsynagogues, taught the true method legory.

legory. Hence arose the multipliof reading them, and commented cation of allegories; the notion of on the sacred books. These Ma- double sense and mystical meansorites invented the vowel points, ings, by which interpreters have and thereby settled finaily the been led in almost every way but reading of the Hebrew text. The the right one. result of all their labours on the From the third to the sixth cen. scriptures has been collected and tury, Eusebius, Chrysostom, and

sense.

Theodoret, in the Greek church, Since that time, some of their most together with Augustine and some distinguished scholars have devoted of less note in the Latin, applied themselves chiefly to the study of themselves to the interpretation of the Bible, and the advances made the scriptures. But, with the ex- in the science of interpretation ception of the distinguished Jerom, have been truly great. It has been they were not sufficiently learned, founded on the principles of lanespecially in the Hebrew language guage and common

The and Jewish antiquities; they were civil and religious history of the not guided by good rules, for inter- Jews, their geography and scenepretation had not yet become a sci- ry, indeed every thing that pertainence ; they followed too much in ed to the Jewish people or their the allegorizing and mystical path country, has been made to reflect of Origen, and their critical works light on the sacred pages. While are comparatively of small value the biblical scholars of the Contito the biblical scholar.

nent have done this, England has From the sixth to the sixteenth moved on in the beaten track of century, few vestiges of sound inter- mere moralizing interpretation. pretation can be found. The Bi- She has given us commentaries ble during this period was neglect- distinguished indeed for their pieed, nay even proscribed, and the ty, but not at all for their learning. faith of the church was settled by Commentaries which unite great the decisions of councils and the leurning with great piety are yet a authority of the Pope. About the desideratum in the church. The commencement of the sixteenth Pilgrims left every thing dear in century, the study of the Bible was home and country, to plant civil somewhat revived in Germany, and liberty and the religion of the Bisome better specimens of interpre- ble on these western shores. God tation were sent abroad by Eras- reserved it for them to teach the mus and others. Near the middle world true notions of liberty and of this century, Luther translated free institutions. Whether he has and published the Bible in German, reserved it for their descendants to together with some commentaries. unite great biblical learning with These were attacked on every side much piety, and thereby teach the by the supporters of papal domina- world the true method of interprettion. To defend his Bible and stop ing the scriptures, I cannot tell. the mouths of bis opponents, Luther I only know that every thing urges systematized and published the rules those devoted to the sacred proby which he guided himself in the fession in this country to study the interpretation of the sacred books. Bible. It is demanded by the inThis treatise, written by Luther telligence of American Christians, while involved in the conflicts of their desire to understand the simthe reformation, laid the founda- ple meaning of the scriptures-tion of the modern science of inter- their sound piety, which demands pretation. From that time it has instruction drawn directly from the gradually advanced among the word of God-all unite in requiring biblical scholars of protestant Eu- of those who minister in holy

things a thorough knowledge of A new and far greater impulse the word and doctrine which they

A was given to the study of the scrip- teach. Here too no set of doctures in Germany about the middle trines is supported by civil authoof the last century, by the publica- rity, but the Bible is regarded as tion of Bishop Lowth's Lectures on the foundation of our faith ; so that Hebrew Poetry. These were de- the preacher's most important qualivered at Oxford in England.lification is, as it always should

rope.

be, a knowledge of the sacred the church by degrees and at disbooks. Besides, explanatory tant periods, is unsatisfactory. Neipreaching is coming into use, and ther is it conceivable that these is beginning to be demanded books, which so plainly assert the by the people. Bible classes are doctrine of the Trinity, should neto be instructed, and all are begin- ver have been cited in the disputes ning to demand the appropriate with the Arians, nor that Chrysosevidence of the doctrines they are tom, Ambrose, and Augustine, who called on to believe. These mentioned the Dionysius of Athens, things call loudly on those of the should have concealed, if acquaintsacred profession to study the Bi- ed with, bis writings. ble,-to understand the Bible,-to These works are probably those preach the Bible,-and let me add, of a Platonistic Christian, mysticaland let the suund echo through ev- ly but argumentatively written, in ery part of our beloved land,—to good style, and with a free use of live in accordance with the pre- terms introduced by the disputants cepts of the Bible.

of the fourth century. Some have imagined that Dionysius, not the Areopagite converted by Paul, but

the patron of the Franks, who were LAY PRESBYTERS, No. XVII. different men, of different periods, DIONYSIUS, the Areopagite, who

was the author of these works.

About the commencement of the heard Paul at Athens,* has been

fifth century we may with proba.

, the great, Baronius, and many oth-bility place them ;t and supposing

them the works of an anonymous ers, the writer of the books which bear his name. According to these, be a man of more than ordinary ta

and disingenuous writer, yet was he received a liberal education, lents and information; they are enand went into Egypt a little before

titled to notice therefore, subject to the death of Christ, where he wit

these qualifications. nessed that eclipse of the sun which happened at the crucifixion, when

Not a solitary instance has been the moon was full. The writer af

observed, rejecting the captions, firms, he was then in his twenty

wherein this writer uses the words fifth year; he nevertheless appears

επισκοπος, πρεσβυτερος, διακονος, bito have survived Ignatius and Tra-shop, presbyter, or deacon ; but injan. The genuineness of these

stead of them, iepagxns segeus and writings, which have received the NEITOUS7Os, governor of priests, priest, scholia of Maximus, and paraphrase ment upon apxiegeus not found in the

and minister ; segasxns is a refineof Pachymeras, in the Greek; and the annotations of Corderius in the

New Testament : sepeus never there Latin, has been a matter of dis

occurs for an officer under the gospute through the last twelve cen

pel, nor heiTougyos for the deacon. turies, The reasons furnished by

The term priest does rarely, if Baronius, wherefore they were not

ia any instance, appear for an offmentioned by Eusebius and Jerom,

cer in the church of Christ, in Cleare plausible; and his opinion, that

mens Rom., Justin Martyr, Clethe Clement named in them was

mens Alexandr., Origen, Gregory not Alexandrinus, is probable. But Thaum., Lactantius

, or in either of his answer to the objection of

a

Levi's having no inheritance but unqualified from the offices of presthe priesthood, that the apostles, byter and deacon. Designations to forsaking the fields, became the presidency among presbyters were priests of God. Tertullian argues, variously affected in different that because Christ is a high priest, places. The duties were long those who are baptized into Christ, merely parochial, even after the having put on Christ, are, accord- name of bishop had been monopoing to the apocalypse, priests to lized. We have already seen, that God the Father. But neither of instead of a jus divinum, diocesan these writers has usually adopted bishops, as such, bad no existence the word priest for presbyter in in the apostles' days : and the tarhis writings. Minutius Felix ob- dy advancement towards a secondaserves, that Christians had nei- ry ordination shows that they knew ther temples nor altars except that their legitimate authority was their hearts, nor images, nor pur- only presbyterial, whilst their episple, nor dignities. Cyprian and copal superiority, being founded on Ambrose have used the terms priest human appointment, was continued and priesthood for the preaching by custom and supported by policy. office in the gospel, but do not or- Such is the history of the POEITWS, dinarily make the substitution. or ruling elder.

The principal and listinguishing. It has been often affirmed in our character of the ordination of a bi- own day, that bishops are successshop, separxns, at the time of the ors to the apostolic office. But the writing of these books, appears to writer of these books thought othhave been, " the imposition of erwise, and probably wrote the the scriptures upon his head, sentiments wbich prevailed at the which neither of the lower or- commencement of the fifth centu. ders received."*

But

ry. He represents deacons as diat this period accompanied by rected “by priests, priests by laying on of hands, which neither archbishops, archbishops by the appears in the constitutions, nor apostles and the successors of the in the Traditions of Hippolytus. apostles.”I The present form of the ordination Neither in the Celestial nor Ecof bishops fell into practice at clesiastical Hierarchy, nor in any some later period, by the mere other of the writings ascribed to omission of that which was the Dionysius the Areopagite, has there earliest but unauthorized ceremo- been found a word, a fact, or even py, of holding the scriptures over a circumstance, which so much as the head of a presbyter, when ap- excited the idea of a lay presbypointed to preside.

ter, or ruling elder, in the modern If imposition of hands is thought meaning of those terms. in our day to communicate either gifs or graces, experience will John of Constantinople was born prove the reverse. And in the or- at Antioch, of Christian parents, but dination of the isgasxns, it was not lost his father in childhood. His originally a constituent. Ordina- first object was jurisprudence, tion, even when rightful, confers which he exchanged for the study neither knowledge nor purity; and of the scriptures. Becoming a though at first followed by extra- reader, he discharged the duties ordinary gifts, it was no doubt in- with such acceptance that he could tended as an exclusion of persons

was

a