ture is given," and, inftead of referring to the context, we have what he calls a liberal tranflation from the Syriac, Arabic, and Vulg. all tending to the fame purport, "every writing infpired by God is ufeful," &c. Philological enquiries are to be difcountenanced when they weaken the plain fenfe of a paffage, and we may as fairly fupply the ellipfis e, after yan, as after leonveUSOS. The two foregoing verfes will fet the matter in a clear point of view. In them Timothy is exhorted to continue in those things which he had learnt and been affured of, that is, the Jewith feriptures, knowing of whom he had learned them, that is, from his grandmother Loir, and his mother Eunice; he had alfo learned them from his childhood, and they would, through faith in Jefus, make him wife unto falvation. When we alfo confider the care with which the canon of these fcriptures was adjusted by Eyra and his fucceffors, how cautious the Jews were to admit nothing fpurious, with what minute attention every word, and almost every letter, were copied, we are to conclude that "every writing," fubstituted here by the Doctor for "all fcripture," is a mere trick to deceive the unwary, by an appearance of improvement, without a fhade of distinction. We are not accustomed to use any other term than "fcripture," though we know that the meaning is the fame with "writing," in the various languages which make mention of the oracles of God. By infpiration we understand fuch a portion of divine aid as prevented the facred writers from being deceived themselves or deceiving others. Whenever their perfonal knowledge of events was fufficient, extraordinary affiftance was totally unneceffary. This remark is applicable to the writers of the new, as well as the old, Teftament. But when they were enabled to foretel future events, doubtlefs this was entirely the gift of God, nor was it ever beftowed in fuch abundance as to give prophecy the clearness of hiftory. It is fufficient for us to know, that events, often improbable in themfelves, have happened in the manner they were foretold. The facred hiftory is proved to be true from every circumftance that confirms the veracity of any hiftory. The inftitutions of the Ifraelites were framed for a continual remembrance of whatever was remarkable. Their journey from Egypt through the wilderness might, in time, have been deemed as fabulous as the melancholy adventure of Æneas and Dido, if the paffover had not been obferved every year. But it is out of our province to enter more minutely into this very clear point. Dr. Geddes and Dr. Priestley may enjoy their ideas of partial infpiration, till they leave fcarcely any thing which may not, according to their fentiments, be difbelieved or difputed. Yet the Doctor promifes wonders from adopting his doctrine of partial and putative infpiration. In the first place, he thinks he could then filence Freret, Bolingbroke, Voltaire, Boulanger, Diderot, and Paine. This he would do by admitting many of their objections to be juft, by meeting them at least half way; and, whenever he fhall do this, he will foon lofe the difinclination to go the whole way with them. In the fecond place, "he would get rid of an endless tribe of harmonifts," &c. because he would prove that the facred writers contradict one another. The real intention of thofe men of whom he speaks fo contemptuously, though they fometimes have gone too far, was to prove, that main facts are established beyond a doubt, both in the Old and New Teftament, though there be a difference as to minuter circumftances, as Bithop. Watfon has well exemplified in the History of the Crucifixion and Refurrection. But in the third place, the fcriptures would be ftudied by fashionable fcholars.' We are ashamed to hear fuch a reason from a Chriftian divine. We often hear of fashionable preachers, and whenever we do it raifes in us no other fenfation but difguit. If fashionable men will take the trouble of reading the fcriptures, they will find in them a degree of fublimity fuperior to all the writings of Greece and Rome. But it is very dangerous for any man, or any fet of men, to make that which is quite an inferior confideration their leading one. Did God grant a revelation to gratify the taste of mankind, that it fhould be perused like a pleafing romance or like elegant poetry? It is the fubject matter which they are required to confider. With this they will receive the higheft conceptions. of God, and his Providence, and the boldnefs of the figures and fimilitudes will animate the imagination as well as delight the understanding. And if they with to unite the character of critics with that of Chriftians, they may have recourfe to Dr. Lowth's Prelections, a production of inestimable value. They will not think the facred books "written in a rude age, by rude and unpolished writers, in a poor uncultivated language." Pref. P. 13. They may learn from Bishop Warburton the origin of many of the figures from the language of hieroglyphics; and Dr. Lowth has proved, to the fatisfaction of many, that the Hebrew language is copious; for, if we rightly recollect, he fays, that a paucity of books is no proof of the barrenness of a language, and that were Pliny, Varro, and many other writers taken from us, we should not, from thofe which would remain, pronounce the Latin to be barren. It is not eafy to find out why what Dr. G. calls the little pleafant ftory of Ruth is placed after the Chronicles, when she lived confiderably before the time of David. The Doctor allows great praise to the fong of Deborah, which he fneeringly fays, theologifts afcribe to the Holy Ghoft, though Jael is pronounced the most bleffed of women for one of the bafeft acts that man or woman can commit. Here let us obferve, once for all, that the ideas of blefing and curfing are various in various parts of Scripture. The former often denotes no more than worldly happiness, the latter no more than worldly mifery. Curfes on vegetable fubftances mean only barrennefs-Jael's happiness confifted in being inftrumental to the deliverance of her country, and all that is obviously meant is, that in present and future times her memory would be celebrated on account of the deliverance the wrought in lfrael. "The memory of the juft is bleffed, but the name of the wicked fhall rot," fays Solomon. No reference is here meant to future happiness; it refers to the good name of the former, and to the infamy of the latter. The reader will find in Dr. Geddes's notes, as well as preface, a vulgar familiarity of expreffion always difgufting, but particularly fo on facred or folemn subjects. Of the fong of Hanna, he says, it is a pretty hymn of gratitude, patched up out of different fcraps of holy writ. The fhort lamentation on the death of Abner may also be called a bit of poetry. All that he has faid on infpiration is nothing in comparison of what we are to expect from his critical remarks. We would advise him to treat established opinions with respect, at leaft, and not to meafure the weight of objections which are, or may be brought against him, by the mere ftandard of his own puerile fancy. We are no ftrangers to a filly macaronic epiftle, of which a boy, in one of the lower forms of one of the great schools, would be afhamed. We would also advise him, if not altogether incorrigible, to take fome Mentor, who might prune away all the vulgarifms of his diction, both as a tranflator and a commentator. We have dwelt longer on the preface than it deferved; but as we confider the Doctor hoftile to Revelation, and inordinately captious, we would forewarn his readers what they are to expect from him. To deny him the praife of diligence would be extremely unjust, but we lament that years and experience have neither matured his judgement, nor corrected his vanity. Much is faid in the notes upon 1 Sam. xvi. 17, of a long, incongruous interpolation. We would not enter minutely into the difpute. A fimilar idea in Dr. Ken nicott brought upon him the feverity of Dr. Warburton, who, doubtlefs, thought, with fome reafon, that liberties were taken with the printed text, which no prudence or difcretion would warrant. Events in Scripture are not always mentioned in ftrict chronological order, and it was poflible for Saul to have rewarded a young man, and afterwards not to have remembered his name. There are many alterations which have been propofed, and which do not appear at all neceffary. But though we do not wish to cramp genius, though we do not contend for the abfolute integrity of the prefent text, yet let great caution be used, efpecially as we want thofe collateral helps which are found in publishing the claffics; and as much more care has been used in tranfcribing the facred books than in preferving to us the volumes of profane hiftory. The Jews have always been particularly careful; and it does not appear that the ignorance of the darker ages was nearly fo prejudicial to the holy Scriptures as to any other books whatsoever. We may now be allowed to give fome fpecimens of the Doctor's language in his tranflation. We will begin with the fong of Deborah : "Liften ye Kings, give ear ye courtiers, "My love to those chiefs in Ifrael Who volunteer'd themselves among the people. "At her feet he tumbled and fell down, At her feet he tumbled and fell, Where he tumbled there he lay ghaftly dead, "From a balcony gazed Sifera's mother; In the fong of Hanna the Doctor has fallen into the common error : "The bows of the ftrong have been broken, While the rich in children hath been worn out." This fhould be rendered in the present tenfe, to fignify that it is ufual with God, in the courfe of his providence, to weaken the ftrong, to ftrengthen the weak, &c. The fimilar paffage in the Magnificat fhould be rendered in a fimilar way. "He putteth down the mighty from their seat, and exalteth the humble and weak." The first aorift of the Greeks, it is well known, expreffes cuftom and continuity; but the preter of the English does not admit of fuch an interpretation: therefore, in the 112th Pfalm-" He hath difperfed abroad and given to the poor," should be, he difperfes abroad and gives to the poor. It is his conftant practice to do fo. In the verfion of David's Thankfgiving Pfalm, in 2 Sam. we have falvation horn, cords of hades, condensed clouds, blaft-breathing anger, a God, whose conduct is irreprehenfible, that mine ankles may not fagger, like the dirt of the lanes I ftamp them down. In the other words of David we find— "Who harmonized the pfalmody of Ifrael." Gliftereth from the previous rain: previous is fuppofed to be wanting to fupply the fenfe. The man who would meddle with them, that is, with briars. In his verfion of the profe we have many quaint expreffions: -My Lord-King, for my Lord the King; thou sworeft, for thou fweareft; kingship, for kingdom; one fmall request I crave of them, in as far as, feat-place, armstay, hill-chapels, roof-room, overwhelm him with ftones, a mountain-ged, the men taking this for a good omen inftantly took the hint, fanatic for madman, the naked steps of the fair, refideft between the cherubs; when the rest arofe in the morning, instead at the time of rifing in the morning; or, as we thould fay familiarly, when people arose in the morning; he will judge the nations with his own veracity, the children of Judah captived, the corner gate, the vale gate, and the falient angles. On the whole, when we compare the ftyle of his tranflation with that of the common verfion, we do not hesitate to give the latter a decided preference; and we could wish that whoever fhall undertake a new version would follow the falutary rules of the tranflators of James the First. The Primate of Ireland has written a treatife on this fubject, well worthy perufal; and the fingular modefty with which he has conducted himself in all his verbal criticisms, claims our most fincere refpect and attention; and we congratulate the church of Ireland on the exaltation of fo excellent a Prelate to the fee of Armagh. The volume concludes with a tranflation of the Prayer of Manaffeh, when a captive in Babylon. ART. |