THENISM, ETC. continued By Professor Tholuck, of Halle. Translated by Professor Emerson. PAGE. 409 409 517 524 540 By Professor Tholuck of Halle, Translated by L. Woods Jr. NOTE. An original article, prepared for this Number, is necessarily THE BIBLICAL REPOSITORY. No. VII. JULY, 1832. ART. I.-ON THE CANONICAL AUTHORITY OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. By Joseph John Gurney. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. THE following article is the first of a series of dissertations contained in a work published in London 1830, by Joseph John Gurney, a member of the Society of Friends. The title is, "Biblical Notes and Dissertations, chiefly intended to confirm and illustrate the doctrine of the Deity of Christ." A review of this work in the London Christian Observer for November 1831, written apparently by the able editor of that Journal, employs the following language in respect to Mr Gurney's book. "This is an admirable work. It contains a series of notes and dissertations on various passages of Holy Scripture connected with the doctrine of the Deity of our blessed Lord. It is also unique; there being no work, the production of a member of the Society of Friends, which fixes on so important a subject, and pursues it with such clearness of argument, such depth of sound critical knowledge, and such sobriety and discretion. The respected author is already advantageously known to the public by his Essays; but he will now take a yet higher place. That work elevated him above the peculiarities of the religious body to which he belongs, and ranked him amongst the ablest defenders of our common Christianity and of the great truths of which that revelation consists. Our readers will have observed VOL. II. No. 7. 52 in that volume the prominence given to the great articles of the Divinity of Christ, and the Atonement of his death. These articles are pursued in the present publication, which will raise the author to a yet higher rank amongst solid, able, and learned theologians." Of the following article in particular the reviewer says, it is of itself worth the price of the volume-calm, deliberate, conclusive-a beautiful specimen of inductive reasoning." Although this language may appear somewhat too strong, yet the article cannot fail to interest theological students, as a plain and lucid discussion of the subject in question, and a concise and perspicuous exhibition of the various species of evidence on which a decision of it must rest. The author has evidently pursued the study of the Bible with deep interest and much success; although he does not appear to have acquired those large views in respect to the principles of interpretation, nor that familiarity with the practical application of them, which different circumstances. would have placed within his reach. He exhibits great modesty; and has very just views of the nature and influence of biblical criticism. In his preface he thus expresses himself: "My own attainments in biblical criticism are by no means great. Yet I know enough of that pursuit, to be thoroughly convinced, that, when conducted on just principles, it will never support those novel explanations of Holy Writ, which have been seized upon, with eagerness, by modern writers of a speculative turn. If I am not greatly mistaken, it condemns all the floating fancies of the sceptic, and ranges itself on the side of that sound and simple interpretation of Scripture which has been familiar, in all ages of the church, to the humble followers of a crucified Redeemer." The reviewer in the Christian Observer proceeds to make some general observations, which are in themselves so forcible and just, and are besides so applicable to our own country and times, that the Editor cannot deny himself the gratification of quoting them here. Another motive also for inserting them is, that they express in language more appropriate than he himself could select, the views and feelings by which his own mind was influenced in the establishment of the Biblical Repository. May the grace of God enable him ever to conduct the work upon like principles ! "We are led to observe, how much more valuable are the labours of good men, when devoted to grand and command ing truths, than when exhausted on subordinate and perhaps doubtful topics. Supposing our author to have given all this mass of attention to the defence of his own amiable, but to our view erroneous, body of Christians: what would have been the result? how jejune his own mind, how feeble in comparison all his efforts, how narrow the benefit conferred, how imminent the danger of a spirit of party, of overstatements, of irritation, of division and heart-burning. The Christian would sink into the combatant and the partizan, as was in some degree the case with so eminent a man as Robert Hall. But now every thing vies with the topic he has selected; the discussion becomes large, useful, permanent, catholic and invaluable. The Christian stretches himself to the measure of his gifts, employs himself on what will be effective, teaches the whole Christian church, and insensibly draws nearer together those whom other topics would have alienated and separated. This is a point which we would earnestly press. Subordinate matters are for subordinate bounds, and subordinate places and occasions. They are best left as they are. Let each christian body employ to purpose, and with all diligence, its several means of doing good; instead of merely endeavouring to set other bodies right, let each labour to improve itself, to benefit the universal church, to glorify God, to save souls, and to promote godly union and love in the world. "These things are needful for this end,-not to overstate our own particular points of doctrine and discipline, not to attack other bodies, and not to mingle a spirit of secular politics and unlimited agitation with our discussions. He that errs in these points, will do little good in his generation, and may do much mischief. The magnifying of inferior matters, the assaulting all who differ from us, the imbibing a political temper which will carry a point at all hazards; these are the evils which are eating as doth a canker in the present day."-EDITOR. CANONICAL AUTHORITY OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. EVERY student in theology must be aware that there are, in the epistle to the Hebrews, many important passages, which directly or indirectly relate to the divinity of our Saviour. In the first chapter, more especially, the writer's whole argument is built on the doctrine-allowed, no doubt, by those whom he |