the heart, and a purely external Supernaturalism of reason. The principle of the Protestants is such as to induce them to combine depth with provision, warmth with coldness. It must, however, be admitted that this principle has not yet been always carried out to perfection. § 243. THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOCTRINE INSPIRATION AND INTERPRETATION. Though the Reformers humbly submitted their judgment to the authority of Scripture as a Divine revelation, they considered also the share which man had in its composition, and taking a more comprehensive view of inspiration, looked at it especially in its practical bearings. But the Protestant theologians of later times frequently manifested such a narrow-minded adherence to the letter of Scripture, that, by their opposition to the less rigid views of Arminians,2 and Socinians,3 they were induced to hazard the most daring assertions. 4 The orthodox divines also developed the formal aspect of the locus de Scriptura,5 while the mystics sought to remind men of that saying of Holy Writ, "the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." Spener, in particular, endeavoured to revive the Protestant principle of Scripture in its practical bearings, and thus to reconcile the spirit with the letter, in the sense of true Protestantism.7 The Roman Catholics, in general, retained inspiration, but the views of the Jansenists on this point were stricter than those of the Jesuits.8 As regards the interpretation of Scripture, theologians of all denominations employed (consciously or unconsciously) the allegorical system, together with the grammatico-historical; but even the latter frequently bore the impression of the doctrinal views entertained by the teachers of the church.9 While Coccejus taught that every passage of Scripture was pregnant with its peculiar meanings, the example of the Arminians and Socinians, who adopted a kind of literal interpretation,10 was followed by others. Even that principle of the Socinians, according to which revelation cannot contradict reason, was approved of by some, especially towards the close of the present period.12 1 See, e. g., the preface of Luther to his translation of the New Test.-Compare also his opinion respecting the relation in which the gospels stand to each other, the Epistle of James (Epistola straminea), the Book of Revelation, etc. At the same time we meet with expressions in which he manifests the profoundest reverence for Scripture, and shows that he had the liveliest perception of the blessing which attends its perusal, and of that peculiar excellence which distinguishes it from all human writings......" To sum up all, the Holy Bible is the most excellent and best book of God, full of comfort in all temptations; concerning faith, hope, and love, it teaches very different things from those which reason can see and feel, comprehend and experience, and in adversities it teaches how Christian virtues are to shine forth, and that there is another and eternal life beyond this poor and miserable one." Tischreden (Francf. 1576,) fol. 1. Zuinglius also judged of Scripture without preconceived notions, and considered the principal proof of its Divine origin to consist in the practical effects which it produces......" Take some good and strong wine! he who is in good health enjoys it, for it renders him merry, strengthens him, and warms his blood; but he who is suffering from pestilence or from fever will not even taste it, and still less drink it, and he wonders how persons in health may drink it. But that is not on account of the wine, but on account of his disease. In the same manner the Word of God is perfect in itself, and revealed for the welfare of man; but he who neither loves it, nor understands it, nor will receive it, is sick. Thus much in reply to those who daringly assert, that God does not mean his Word to be understood, as if he desired to exclude us from its light." (Deutsche Schriften, i. p. 68.)-Calvin also expressed himself in similar terms, Institut. i. 8. though he thought a difference of form and style quite consistent with the Divine origin of Scripture: Lege Demosthenem, aut Ciceronem, lege Platonem, Aristotelem, aut alios quosvis ex illa coherte: mirum in modum, fateor, te allicient, oblectabunt, movebunt, rapient: verum inde si ad sacram istam lectionem te conferas, velis nolis ita vivide te afficiet, ita cor tuum penetrabit, ita medullis insidebit, ut præ istius sensus efficacia, vis illa rhetorum ac philosophorum prope evanescat, ut promtum sit perspicere divinum quiddam spirare sacras scripturas, quæ omnes humanæ industriæ dotes ac gratias tanto intervallo superent. Fateor quidem Prophetis nonnullis elegans et nitidum, imo etiam splendidum esse dicendi genus, ut profanis scriptoribus non cedat facundia ac talibus exemplis voluit ostendere Spir. S. non sibi defuisse eloquentiam, dum rudi et crasso stilo alibi usus est. As instances he adduces David and Isaiah on the one hand, Amos, Jeremiah, and Zechariah (quorum aperior sermo rusticitatem sapit) on the other. 2 Limborch. Theol. christ. i. 4. 10: De inspiratione Script. S. concludimus hinc, libros hosce a viris divinis scriptos, qui non tantum non errarunt, sed et quia spiritu Dei regebantur, in tradenda voluntate divina errare non potuerunt; qui sicut non propria voluntate, sed instinctu Spiritus S. ad scribendum se accinxerunt (2 Petr. i. 21.) ita etiam in scribendo a Spir. S. directi fuerunt (2 Tim. iii. 6.) adeo ut errorem nullum committere potuerint, nec in sensu ipso exprimendo, nec in verbis sensum continentibus divinum conscribendis aut dictandis. Si quædam non exacte definiverint, fuere ea non res fidei aut præcepta morum, sed rerum majorum parvæ circumstantiæ, ad fidem fulciendam nullum habentes momentum, circa quas tamen non errarunt aut memoria lapsi sunt, solummodo eas, quia necesse non erat, accurate et præcise non determinarunt.-Grotius, indeed, had made much bolder assertions, Votum pro pace ecclesiastica (de canonicis scripturis). Opp. theol. Amst. 1679. T. iii. p. 672.:-Non omnes libros, qui sunt in hebræo Canone, dictatos a Spir. S.Scritos esse cum pio animi motu non nego......sed a Spiritu Sancto dictari historias nihil fuit opus......Vox quoque Spiritus Sancti ambigua est, nam aut significat......afflatum divinum, qualem habuere tum Prophetæ ordinarii, tum interdum David et Daniel, aut significat pium motum, sive facultatem impellentem ad loquendum salutari vivendi præcepta, vel res politicas et civiles etc. (compare the subsequent chapters on different readings, etc.) Episcopius also passed his judgment with much freedom on the canon, Institutt. iv. 1. 4.: In hoc volumine continentur varii libelli, non qui singuli singulas religionis christianæ particulas in se habent, et conjuncti totam religionem christianam complectuntur ac constitunt, seu veluti partes essentiales totum, adeo ut si unus tantum deficeret aut deesset, religio Christi tota destruenda et plane desitura aut defutura esset; seu veluti partes integrales, ita ut librorum istorum uno aut pluribus deficientibus, religio Christi mutila et trunca esset futura. Nihil minus: plures enim sunt libelli, qui nihil continent, quod non in aliis et sæpius et luculentius reperitur; et sunt qui nihil ad religionem christianam magnopere faciens continent. Denique certum est, libellos hos in codicem seu volumen unum digestos fuisse non divino jussu aut impulsu, sed consilio studioque humano, licet sancto pioque etc.—He laid great stress upon the fides humana, viz., that the Sacred penman both would and could speak truth, etc. Comp. c. 2. 3 Faustus Socinus, de auctoritate Scripturæ. Racov. 1611. (Opp. i. p. 265.) His mode of argumentation is nearly the same as that of the Arminians. 4 This rigid adherence to the very letter of Scripture (Grammatolatry) manifested itself especially in the Formula, Cons. 1.: Deus T. O. M. verbum suum, quod est potentia ad salutem omni credenti (Rom. i. 16.) non tantum per Mosen, Prophetas et Apostolos scripto mandari curavit, sed etiam pro eo scripto paterne vigilavit hactenus et excubavit,a ne Satanæ astu vel fraude ulla humana vitiari posset. Proinde merito singulari ejus gratiæ et bonitata Ecclesia acceptum refert, quod habet habebitque ad finem mundi sermonem propheticum firmissimum; nec non ispà ypáμuara, sacras litteras, ex quibus, pereunte cœlo et terra, ne apex quidem, vel iota unicum peribit (2 Petr. v. 19. 2 Tim. iii. a How much this mere watching and guarding of a dead treasure is in accordance with their lifeless notions of God, and the relation in which he stands to the world, is evident. 15. Matth. v. 18.) 2. In specie autem hebraïcus V. T. codex, quem et traditione Ecclesiæ judaïcæ, cui olim oracula Dei commissa sunt (Rom. iii. 2.) accepimus hodieque retinemus, tum quoad consonas, tum quoad vocalia sive puncta ipsa sive punctorum saltem potestatem, et tum quoad res, tum quoad verba beóπVEUOTOS, ut fidei et vitæ nostræ, una cum Codice N. T. sit Canon unicus et illibatus, ad cujus normam, ceu Lydium lapidem universæ, quæ extant, versiones, sive orientales, sive occidentales exigendæ, et sicubi deflectunt, revocandæ sunt. The Lutheran theologians also maintained that the Hebrew vowel points were original. Joh. Gerh. loc. theol. i. c. 14. 15. Quenst. i. 272 ss. and Hollaz. Prol. iii. Quæst. xliii. and others. The controversies respecting the purity of the Greek of the New Test. belong to the same class; see Winer, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Sprachidioms, Einletung. 5 Thus the idea of inspiration was more precisely defined and frequently identified with revelation (see de Wette, Dogmatik p. 39.) Comp. Gerhard, Loci i. c. 12. § 12.: Causa efficiens Scripturæ Sacræ principalis est Deus. § 18.: Causæ instrumentales fuerunt sancti homines. Scripserunt non ut homines, sed ut Dei homines h. e. ut Dei servi et peculiara Dei organa. Hollaz. Prol. iii. Qu. vi. p. 75......: Sicut scriptura, quam homo alteri in calamum dictat, recte dicitur verbum humanum in litteras relatum, ita scriptura a Deo inspirata verissime dicitur verbum Dei litteris consignatum. Quæst. xvi.: Conceptus omnium rerum, quæ in sacris litteris habentur, prophetis et apostolis a Spir. S. immediate inspirati sunt. Qu. xviii.: Omnia et singula verba, quæ in sacra codice leguntur, a Spir. S. prophetis et apostolis inspirata et in calamum dictata sunt. Compare other passages quoted by De Wette, Dogmatik, and Hase, Hutterus redivivus.-The Divine origin of Scripture was founded partly upon the fides divina (the testimony of the Holy Spirit), and partly upon the fides humana (αυθεντία and ἀξιοπιστία); it then served in its turn as the source from which the so-called affectiones Sacræ Scripturæ were derived. These were: I. Affect. primaria: 1. divina auctoritas, 2. veritas, 3. perfectio, 4. perspicuitas (semetipsam interpretandi facultas), 5. efficacia divina; II. secundariæ: 1. necessitas, 2. integritas et perennitas, 3. puritas et sinceritas fontium, 4. authentica dignitas. Attention was also directed to |