94. in pov (fic). Infra hoc libro 338. 80. res habet p μεγαροισιν ròs | Dane notam adfcriptam; αριςοφάνης ἔθιννητος, ὡς τὸ ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἀφίστα Los de dia evos v.“ Unde liquet jam olim in duas fectas divifos effe grammaticos, quorum alteri in heroici verfus cæfura femper liquidas duplisaverint, alteri non,"

In this way, by fhort annotations, well worthy of his acutenefs and knowledge, Mr. Porfon illuftrates the Scholia and readings of this MS. The value of fuch additions can only. be eflimated by those who know how to eftimate fuch a collator. Having thus made the edition known, we fhall leave it to the further infpection and attention of the learned.

mabion statte

ART. XII. Introduction to the New Teftament, by John David Michaelis, late Profeffor in the University of Got ingen, &c. Tranflated from the Fourth Edition of the German, and confiderably augmented with Notes, and a Differtation on the Origin and Compofition of the Three First Gofpels. By Herbert Marsh, B. D. F. R.S. Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. Vol. III. and IV. 8vo. Deighton, Cambridge; Rivingtons, London. 1801.

HOUGH we have been occupied, from time to time,

THOUG

with other theological works, we have never loft fight of this, the importance of which demands no flight degree of attention. It was the peculiar fortune of Profeffor Michaelis to publish a fourth edition of a learned work thirty-eight years after the appearance of the firft. In this fpace, the additions le had made to his original lectures exceeded them in quantity, in the proportion of five to one; and in 1793, the first part of this augmented edition was made acceffible to the English public by Mr. Marth, who added very learned and elaborate notes. Of that work, we gave a circumflantial ac-count in our third volume, p. 601, extended alfo to our fourth, pp. 46 and 170, exprelling then our with to fee the tranflation completed. The demands of the public foon exhausted the copies of the first part, which bad long been out of print, when it was republished to accompany the prefent continuation. In one refpect, Mr. Marfh has not yet completed his de... fign, the chief part of the notes being to be added at fome future

* His first edition appeared in 1750, his fourth in 1788. The English translation of the first edition in 1761. Michaelis died in $791.

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time.

time. We have too warmly commended his intermediate occupations not to acquiefce in this delay; while he was rendering an important fervice to his country, and to Europe at large, he might be allowed to intermit his theological studies; and the tranflation of Michaelis would in itfelf be valupe, without the additions of the translator.

Yet the volumes now published, though they have not their full proportion of notes, are not deftitute of acceffions from the hand of the tranflator. There are notes continued as far as chap. vi. fect. 7. of the third volume; but on the re mainder, and the whole of the fourth volume, there are no notes. To that volume, therefore, and the 7th, 8th, and 9th chapters of the third, we may expect in time Mr. Marth's further obfervations. The third volume is divided into two parts, the firft of which contains the tranfTation of nine chapters; the fecond comprifes the notes, as far as they go, and an original Differtation, by Mr. Marsh, "on the Origin and Compofition of the Three firft Gofpels." This Differtation, containing matter that is at leaft queftionable, has given occafion to a very acute and valuable pamphlett, of caution to young ftudents in divinity, against 400 ready an admiffion of its affumptions; and this again has produced a reply from Mr. Marth, and an augmented edition of the former tract. Michaelis alfo having thrown fome doubt upon the evidence for the authenticity and infpiration of the Apocalypfe, in the laft chapter of his Introduction, this citcumftance has occafioned another tract, of diftinguithed merit, ftating the evidence in favour of that book. These publications, which have arifen out of the work on which we are now employed, we have purpofely delayed to notice till the book itfelf fhould come before us; left we should seem to prejudge caufes of fuch moment, or to decide too hastily upon them. Our plan will now be to give an account, firsk of Michaelis's work as here tranflated, next of the additions made by the tranflator, and, immediately after, of the pamphlets

66

See our account of Mr. Marth's work on the Politics of Great Britain and France." Brit, Crit, vol. xv. p. 170.

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The title is Remarks on Michaelis's Introduction to the New Teftament, Vols. III. and IV. tranflated by the Rey. Herbert Marsh, and augmented with Notes. By way of Caution to Students in Divinity."

This is entitled, "The Evidence for the Authenticity and Divine Infpiration of the Apocalypfe ftated; and vindicated from the Objections of the late Profeffor Michaelis: in Letters addreffed to the Rev. Herbert Marth," &c.

now mentioned, which have been occafioned by this publication.

Those of our readers who are converfant with fuch works," will recollect, probably, that Mr. Marth's former publication contained thirteen Chapters, or the whole firft part of Michaelis's Introduction, with a confiderable addition of notes. The leading fubjects of those twelve Chapters were thefe: 1. Of the Title ufually given to the Writings of the New Covenant. 2. Of the Authenticity of the New Teftament. 3. Of the Infpiration of the New Teftament. 4. Of the Language of the New Teflament. 5. Of the Quotations from the Old Teftament in the New. 6. Criical Enquiry into the various Readings of the New Tellament. 7. Critical Review of the Ancient Verfions. 8. Of the Manufcripts of the New Teftament. 9. Of the Quotations from the New Teftament in the Works of Ecclefiaftical Writers. 10. Conjectural Emendations of the Greek Teflament. 11. Chronological Account of the Authors who have collected various Readings to the New Testament. 12. Of the Editions of the Greek Teftament. 13. Of the Marks of Diflinction and Divifion of the Greek Teftament. All this matter, it will eafily be perceived, is ftrictly introductory, and relates to the whole of the New Testament at large.

In the fecond part of the work, now tranflated, we proceed more particularly to the feparate books, and their authors. We fhall prefent a view of the whole work, with fatisfactory diftinctnefs, if we here continue the enumeration of the Chapters, to thofe forming the fecond part, with their fubjects. 1. Of the Name and Number of the Canonicat Gospels. 2. Of the Harmony of the Four Golpels. 3. Of. the Caufe why St. Matthew and St. Mark, and alfo St. Mark and St. Luke, have, in feveral inftances, a remarkable verbal Harmony, though the One did not Copy from the Writings of the Other. 4. Of St. Matthew's Gofpel. 5. Of St. Mark's Gofpel. 6. Of St. Luke's Gofpel. 7. Of St. John's Gofpel. 8. Of the Acts of the Apolles. 9. The Study of Jofephus recommended, as the belt Means of underftanding the Hiflorical Books of the New Teftament. 10. Of the Epifles of St. Paul in General. 11. Of the Epiltle to the Galatians. 12. Of the Two Epiftles to the Theffalonians. 13. Of the Epifle to Titus. 14. Of the Two Epiltles to the Corinthians. 15. Of the Firft Epiftle to Timothy. 16. Of the Epistle to the Romans. 17. General Remarks on fome of the Epiltles written by St. Paul, during his Imprifonment in Rome; and on the Imprifonment itfelf. 18. Of the Epistle to Philemon. 19. Of the Epiftle to the Coloffians.

20. Of the Epifle to the Ephefians. 21. Of the Epifle the Philippians. 22. Of the Second Epifle to Timothy. 23. Of St. Paul's Character and Mode of Life. 24. Of the Epiftle to the Hebrews. 25. General Remarks on the Catholic Epifles. 26. Of the Epifle of St. James. 27. Of the First Epistle of St. Peter. 28. Of the Second Epiftle of St. Peter. 29. Of the Epifle of St. Jude. 30. Of the First Epifle of St. John. 31. Differtation on 1 John v. 7. 32. Of the Two laft Epiftles of St. John. 33. Of the Apo calypfe.

Such are the general contents of this work, which, in almost every chapter, are branched out into feveral fubordinate fections; an elaborate work, but not without example, even in our own country, with refpect to a large part of its contents; the collec tions of Dr. Lardner, refpecting the feveral books of the New Teftament, being of great value and utility. In the prefent work, notwithstanding the high and deferved fame of Michaelis, the English ftudent will occafionally have to guard against that bold latitude of opinions, in which the German divines, with little benefit to truth or reafon, are fo prone to indulge themfelves. With a due attention to this unpleafant exception, which, in the cafe of the Apocalypfe, we fhall fee expofed in the pamphlet already mentioned, the work will be found both learned and inftru&tive. An inftance appears in the very first chapter of the fecond part, and as early as the fecond page, where, fpeaking of the abfurd fancies formerly prevalent con cerning the myftic import of four Golpels exactly, the author adds,

"But I am fo far from feeking a mystery in the number four, that I have my doubts whether two of them, namely, thofe of St. Mark and St. Luke, were divinely inspired; and even if it were true, that thefe doubts were ungrounded, yet, on the other hand," &c.

Here, then, are doubts already, which the author himself allows may be ungrounded. How painful is it then to see them fo rafhly indulged, and fent forth into a world where too many foolifh doubts are already afloat, in order to increase their number. For fuch reafons it is, that, much as we refpe&t Mr. Marsh and his author, we cannot wish to fee many of the German divines fimilarly introduced among us; whofe conjectures and furmifes have long produced a moft pernicious effect among the theologians of their country. Nothing but fober and cautious criticism can conduct us to truth in fludies of this nature; and the wantonnefs of hypothefis is never more perniciously indulged than when it is applied to the explanation or appreciation of the facred books.

The

The first chapter is very short, and contains nothing more that is much worthy of notice. The fecond chapter, on the Harmony of the Golpels, has many valuable remarks, tending to folve apparent contradictions in thofe narratives; the author, however (in page 28) allows a very few real differences, which would probably vanifh on a further examination. The hiftorical account of the feveral harmonies, in the fixth section of this chapter, is very learned and fatisfactory; and the author's deficiencies are fupplied in the notes of his learned annotator, who, befides mentioning Macknight, Newcome, and Priestley, unknown to Michaelis, makes fome important additions to the earlier parts of his catalogue. Michaelis fubjoins a harmony, or rather an harmonic table, of his own. The third chapter, on the Verbal Harmony of the Evangelifts, is chiefly remark able for having, as it appears, fuggefted to Mr. Marth the hy pothefis detailed in his differtation. Chap. 4, in treating of St. Matthew's Gofpel, takes up the difputed question, whether he and Levi are to be confidered as the fane perfon; which the author decides in the negative, but without attempting further to define who Levi was, whom fome have made to be Lebbeus. His commentator, on the contrary, maintains Matthew and Levi to be the fame. The fubdivifions of this chapter chiefly relate to the original language of St. Matthew's Gospel, which, with the chief ancient authorities, Michaelis contends to have been Hebrew. In tranflating this chapter, Mr. Marfh found it fo unneceffarily prolix, that he ventured to abridge it; but he affures us, that nothing of the leaft importance is omitted; and there is no reason to doubt his affertion. He has alfo taken another liberty, for which the English ftudent at least will feel obliged to him, which is, that, when Michaelis cites a Greek author in a German translation, he fubftitutes here for it the Greek original.

St. Mark's Gofpel, as we have already feen, forms the fubject of the 5th Chapter; and the difcuffions here are less extenfive than in the former cafe. In treating of St. Luke's Gofpel, in Chapter 6, the Profeffor endeavours to perfuade his readers, that inftead of being lofers, we fhould be real gainPers, if we confidered St. Luke as a mere human historian”; on account of the contradictions which he conceives to occur in his Gofpel. In our opinion, more weight is given to thefe apparent contradictions than properly belongs to them, it being moft probable that they are all capable of folution. In treating of St. John's Gofpel, in the Chapter enfuing, Profeffor Michaelis adds the weight of his judgment to the opinion of those who hold that it was written exprefsly with a view to counteract the