Scriptures; and may be of some service in directing them to a correct knowledge of its meaning.—Written at Leipzig, during the Autumnal Fair, A. D. 1761. CONTENTS. Page PART FIRST. SECTION I.-CHAPTER I. ON THE SIGNIFICATION OF WORDS § 1. The Sense or Signification of a Word defined. 2. The Literal Signification. 3. 4. was arbitrarily imposed. but by usage has become necessary. 5. Sources of Ambiguity in the Signification of Words. 6. The Necessity of the Signification the only Ground of Certainty in Interpretation. 7. Error of Augustine as to a Multiplicity of Senses. 8. Error of the Jewish Expositors. 9. Allegorical Interpretations. 10. The Typical Sense. 11. Error of supposing that some Texts have no Literal Sense. 12. Signification of Words depends on the Usage of Language. 13. Usage of Language affected by Certain Causes. 14. Of the Literal, Grammatical, or Historical Sense. 15. False Distinction between the Grammatical and the Logical Sense. 16. The Scriptures are to be Interpreted according to the same general principles, as other Ancient Books. 17. Error of Interpreting from Preconceived Notions of the Subject. 18. further exposed. Page 15 § 19. Limits of the Application of Dogmatic Opinions to the Interpretation of Scripture. 20. Absurdity of submitting the Interpretation of Scripture to Human Authority. 21. Apparent Discrepancies or Errors in Scripture. 22. Grammatical Reasons ought to have greater Weight than Dogmatic Reasons in determining the Sense. 23. No Real Discrepancies or Errors exist in Scrip ture. 24. The Context a safe Guide to the Sense of Particular Passages. § 1. Importance of Attention to these Differences. Sense. 3. All Words originally Proper. 4. Origin of an Extension in the Sense of Words. 5. Of Words in which the Tropical Sense has be come Proper. 6. Of Words in which the Tropical Sense has become more Familiar than the Proper. 7. Of Words transferred by Necessity. 8. Of Words transferred for the sake of Ornament. 9. Metaphors naturally pleasing. 10. Most abundant in the Works of Poets and Ora tors. 11. Their frequency determined by the Genius of the Author, and the Nature of the Subject. Page 40 § 12. Importance of keeping in view the difference be- tween transference by Necessity, and trans- 13. Interpretation of Tropical as well as of Proper 15. Of Words švonμa, dúoonμa, and Emphatic. 16. Emphasis not inherent in any Words. 17. Distinction between Temporary and Constant 20. Error of supposing all Tropical Words Emphatic. 21. Every Language has Untranslateable Words. 23. Of the Permutation of Abstracts and Concretes, 25. It tends to Perspicuity and Ornament. |