Page images
PDF
EPUB

synoptics; the latter being in his view three branches of one traditional stem, and therefore related to John as one to one, and not as three to one.

SYSTEM OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE FOR EDUCATED READERS OF ALL RANKS AND DENOMINATIONS.'- A popular system of theology from the strict Lutheran point of view. It is divided into three great sections entitled: 1. God and the world in their original union; 2. God and the world in their antagonism; 3. God and the world in their re-union. The first section treats of God prior to the world; creation as a free act of God; the world as God's creature; the relation of God to the created world as its Creator; the mission of the creature in its state of innocence. The second section, of the present state of the world; the doctrine of the devil; the doctrine of sin; the doctrine of death and corruption; the reciprocal relations of God and the fallen creature. The third section, of the divine preparations for re-union; the person of Christ as the real centre of the re-union of God with the fallen world; the work of Christ; the nature and attributes of the Christian church; the equipment of the church by its Head with divine powers, offices, and gifts; the life of the church in its members; the complete re-union of God and the world in the church triumphant.

The work is marked by one great defect, - it is too exclusively German; i.e. the author writes as though all the possible forms of church life and developments of doctrine had been exhausted in Germany; America and England are never alluded to. Otherwise the compendium is a useful

one.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S SPECULATIVE DOCTRINE OF GOD THE TRIUNE. - Professor Gangauf is a Roman Catholic, but a man of learning and liberal spirit; his work is one of a series on the philosophy and theology of St. Augustine. The present treatise was suggested by the Protestant Professor Thomasius, of Erlangen. Its design is to supply scientific evidence of the objective reality of the Trinity from the writings of St. Augustine, in opposition to the unbelief of the age, with its pretendedly philosophical objections to this article of the Christian faith. After an introduction on the general character of St. Augustine's treatise De Trinitate Dei, he discusses his subject under four heads: 1. The existence of God; 2. The nature of God; 3. Analogies of the Trinity in the creature ; 4. The divine subject-objectification (Subjectobjectivirung). St. Augus

1 Christliche Glaubenslehre für gebildete Leser aller Stände und Bekenntnisse. By Dr. Wangemann, Inspector of Missions, Berlin. Berlin: Haupt Verein; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1865.

2 Des Heiligen Augustinus speculative Lehre von Gott dem Dreieinigen. Von Theodor Gangauf, Professor of Philosophy at the Lyceum of Augsburg. Augsburg: B. Schmid; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1866.

tine's works will ever be a mine of thought on all the points of Christian theology into which students should industriously dig; and every contribution to the better knowledge of him, whether supplied by Catholics or Protestants, must be welcome; especially when they furnish the materials for forming an independent judgment, as Professor Gangaut's work does, in the numerous extracts it gives. The four hundred and forty-eight pages consist, indeed, — and we commend the book in saying so, - principally of quotations. Dr. Gangauf was formerly, and probably is still, an admirer of Günther's philosophy, one of the recommendations of which was that it was condemned at Rome.

HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE DURING THE PATRISTIC PERIOD, from 325 till 787 A.D.1-Dr. Schwane is also a Roman Catholic; and we are glad to chronicle the appearance of able books by Roman Catholic theologians, because investigation must eventually lead to light; and his Dogmengeschichte, notwithstanding its Romish coloring, is an able work. The first volume, treating of Christian doctrine during the Ante-Nicene period, was noticed with considerable praise by Protestant Reviews at the time of its appearance, the chief fault found with it being the result of the author's ecclesiastical position. As representing in the best way what the Romish church in Germany is doing in this direction, the present work is worthy of attention. The present volume embraces the first section, and treats of the doctrine of God.

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS IN GREEK AND GERMAN, with an Explanation of the more difficult Passages, and an Essay on Chap. iii. 20.1 So far as we have examined Dr. Matthias's Commentary, it does not seem to us a very great advance on previous works. The translation where new, does not strike us as happy. Take as a sample chap. i. 4, where the author connects movpoû with the following words karà TÒ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, instead of with the foregoing words, ἐκ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος alvos, translating, "to deliver us from the present world, evil according to the will of God." The rendering is new, but scarcely true. Fifty-two pages are occupied with an excursus on the term peoírns which occurs in chap. iii. 20. The older commentary of Usteri is still one of the best in the German language, though, owing to the marked Schleiermacherian leanings of the author, not in every respect satisfactory.

1 Dogmengeschichte der patristischen Zeit. Von Dr. J. Schwane, Professor of Theology in Münster. Münster: Theissing; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1866. Price, 40 sgr.

2 Der Galaterbrief griechisch und deutsch nebst einer Erklärung seiner schwierigeren Stellen und einer Abhandlung über, Cap. iii. 20. Von Dr. G. W. Matthias, Director of the Gymnasium at Cassel. Cassel: Theod. Kay; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1865. Price, 25 sgr.

[blocks in formation]

pro

HAND-BOOK OF THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, from the earliest period down to the present day.'- Any work by the late Profesfessor Niedner will be regarded with special interest at Andover, for his valuable collection of books now forms an important part of the Seminary Library. But even where there are no such associations to invest his ductions with interest, their high intrinsic value will recommend them. It is not a value, indeed, which lies exactly on the surface, which a superficial reader is likely to discover; but for the conscientious, painstaking, digging student, both old and young. The judgment of men who may be regarded as the compeers of the late Professor is, that his works are strong meat for anybody. Niedner was a philosopher, theologian, and historian. His library bears traces of his devotion to these three branches of study. He was a deep thinker, close observer, and very learned. The work whose title we give above, is the ripest fruit of his prolonged study and instructions as Professor; but while giving evidence on every page of close thought and immense reading, it bears abundant traces of the very marked idiosyncracies of the author. Professor Niedner was a thorough oddity; and the truth of the maxim "the style is the man," is thoroughly confirmed in his case. His style is full of corners, angles, extraordinary combinations of words and clauses; and the whole book makes the impression of having "grown," instead of being "made." The first edition the present is the second was bought up and destroyed after a short time by its author, because he felt its deficiencies, though theologians of all classes had pronounced most favorable judgments on its merits. He commenced a new work of which the present is a revision in 1858, when called to Berlin to succeed Neander; but refused to publish it though it was printed, and delivered sheet by sheet to his students alone, as they required it. So much about the author and the general features of the work.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Dr. Niedner commences with sections on the idea of the church and of a history of the church, specially in relation to the compass, sources, and aids of the latter. He then narrates the introduction of Christianity into the world, describing the contemporary religions, the natural religions of the East and West, Hellenism considered as philosophy, and the Jewish religion; the Life of Jesus, and the age of the apostles. Afterwards come the struggles of Christianity with, and its victories over, the heathenism of Greece, Rome, and Germany. A second division of this first part discusses the constitution of the church; a third, its doctrines and institutions. The same method is pursued during the subsequent periods. The compass of the Hand-book is nearly one thousand large octavo pages; a pretty

1 Lehrbuch der christlichen Kirchengeschichte von der aeltesten Zeit bis auf die Gegenwart. Von Dr. C. W. Niedner, late Professor of Theology at the University of Berlin. Berlin: Wiegandt und Grieben: London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1866. pp. 978. Price, 4 thaler.

good index is appended; the notes, containing often brief characteristic extracts and numerous references to the best works for consultation, both ancient and modern, on all sorts of subjects that bear on church history, are very extensive; the text, though gnarled, is concise and pregnant; the spirit in which those are judged from whom the author differed, both ecclesiastically and doctrinally, is generous and Christian, and the information seems to be accurate; such qualities are enough to recommend any work.

CRITIQUE OF DUNASCH BEN LABRAT ON SINGLE PASSAGES FROM SAADIA'S ARABIC TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.'- Dunasch ben Labrat Levita, or as the Jews called him, Adonim, lived about the middle of the tenth century, in Fez, and wrote remarks on passages from Saadia's Arabic translation of the Old Testament, to which a double interest attaches: first, they contain not a little that throws light on Hebrew grammar and the Old Testament; secondly, they bear witness to the state of thought and learning among the Rabbis of Spain and Northern Africa, in the tenth century. The text, which is now published for the first time, from an old manuscript, is given in the present book; Dr. Schröter intends to publish shortly an introduction and translation.

THE GODMAN, THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD. A contribution to Christology.-This is the second volume of a larger work. The first appeared under the titles, "Man the Image of God, his Relation to Christ and to the World," and "The Account of Creation and the Doctrine of Paradise," and was very favorably noticed by several eminent theologians. The present volume treats of the following subjects: The Invisibility of God; The Image of the Invisible God, and the First-born of all Creation; The Brightness of his Glory, and the Image of his Essence; The Logos; Christ in the Form of God; The God of Israel and the Cherubim; The Son of God and the Son of Man; The God-man; The Glory of God and Christ; The Holy Spirit and the Seven Spirits; The Doctrine of the Trinity; The Doctrine of the Good Angels; The Doctrine of Satan and his Angels; The Doctrine of the Exaltation of Christ; The Church in Christ." One of the writer's peculiarities is that he believes in the pre-existence of Christ as God-man; not merely in the pre-existence of his divine or human nature, but of his divine-human nature. The work is well worth reading.

1 Kritik des Dunasch ben Labrat über enizelne Stellen aus Saadia's arabischer Uebersetzung des Alt. Test. Von Dr. R. Schröter. Breslau: Skutsch; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1866.

2 Der Gott-Mensch, das Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes. Ein Beitrag zur Christologie. Von P. F. Keerl. Basel: Detloff; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1866. Price, 2 thaler.

BIBLICO-THEOLOGICAL LEXICOn of the Greek OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.- Licentiate Cremer's conviction is, that the Greek Lexicons of the New Testament heretofore published, overlook too much the "languagemoulding power of Christianity," as Schleiermacher termed it; and his intention is to supplement this lack. Christianity, as the purest spiritual religion, and the Greek language as the organ and reflection of an unusually full and rich, merely natural life, must stand in strong antagonism to each other. Consequently the latter must have undergone great modifications in becoming the dress of the former. The author wishes to bring this clearly out. He has been working nine years at his book. The words are not arranged alphabetically, but according to derivation and composition. An excellent feature of the present attempt is, that the passages referred to, both in the classics, in the Septuagint, in the Apocrypha, and in the New Testament, are mostly adduced in full; a sign that the author has worked for himself; for nothing is easier than to pile up a heap of second-hand references. The print is very clear; the form is octavo; the whole will contain from five hundred to six hundred pages. So far as we have been able to examine, the treatment of the words seems to be natural and careful. The author's theological position would seem to be that of an orthodox, but mild Lutheran.

ARTICLE X.

NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

DR. JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE ON ORTHODOXY.2

[ocr errors]

"Soleo enim in aliena castra transire, non tanquam transfuga, sed tanquam explorator' (Seneca, Epistolae, 2). Fiat lux. Cupio refelli, ubi aberrârim; nihil majus, nihil aliud quam veritatem efflagito' (Thomas Burnet, Arch. Phil.)." These are the two mottoes prefixed to this able volume. Its author says: "The peculiarity of the book now offered to the religious public by the government of the American Unitarian Association, is this. that it is an honest attempt to find and state the truth contained in the doctrines of their opponents. It is, perhaps, something new for an

1 Biblisch-theologisches Wörterbuch der neutestamentlichen Gräecität. Von Lic. Hermann Cremer. Gotha: F. A. Perthes; London: Asher and Co., Trübner and Co. 1866. First Half. Price, 1 thaler, 10 sgr.

2 Orthodoxy; its Truths and Errors. By James Freeman Clarke. 12mo. pp. 512. Boston: American Unitarian Association; Walker, Fuller, and Co.; New York: James Miller. 1866.

« PreviousContinue »