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mons on the Scriptures : they are truly Protestant . There are passages which will not , we think , bear the test of a severe criticism ; and some which
Really surprise us , even while we consider the Sermons as ad populum ; tut with a few exceptions these dis ~ pourses might he read by all Christians with satisfaction and to edification .
To the common reader of the Bible , Dt- Bruce recommends the plan of interpreting scripture by scripture : ike advice however , as he judiciously
remarks , requires some modification flfad limitation , for there may be a decided contrariety or agreement beitween two texts in the original , that may not be perceptible in the translation .
€€ For example , our Lord is frequently said to have received worship during his ministry . This might seem a sufficient 'warrant for us to worship him . —But , though the Greek term sometimes signifies adoration , it more frequently implies -only obeisance . The word prevent is
uniformly employed in the Bible , in its original sense , to anticipate ; often in the Old Testament , and twice in the New , Matt , xvii . 25 , iC Jesus prevented him , " &c , and 1 Thess . iv . 15 , " We , who are alive , shall not prevent them that are asleep . " Damnation is synonymous with
condemnation ; but it is sometimes used for eternal , and at others , temporal condemnation . Devil and demon are expressed by two words in the Greek , which are both transiated devil ; and devil , in Greek * has two very different senses . This will serve as a caution to a common reader , against too much reliance on his skill in verbal
criticism . ** When he finds , that atonement also , had two significations originally , and is now confined to one of them , he will be on his guard , not to build his faith on such a sandy foundation , as the disputed meaning of a word 1 '—Pp . 41 , 42 .
The preacher , with evident propriety , lays down the position , " that we should collect the whole of the Christian doctrine from the words of Jesus as recorded in the four
Gospels ; " and with regard to those portions of holy writ , to which nothingparallel occurs in the language of Christ , he proposes the following admirable rules :
" When they arc susceptible of different interpretations , you should , in the first place , incline to that which accords best with the attributes of God , as dis-
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coverable by reason , or more distinctly revealed in the sacred books , especially the New Testament ; not looking out for dark phrases ,. or obscure hints ; but dwelling on those grand and amiable representations which abound in every part of
the Bible . Any doctrines , that are directly repugnant to these , we may safely reject . We should also prefer such views of religion as are most conducive to good morals in general ; particularly to temperance and purity in mind and body ; to the good of society , and the welfare of mankind at large ; and especially to
charity and brotherly love ; because we knotv that these are agreeable to the will of God , and earnestly enjoined by our Lord ; and that they cannot contradict themselves . Nothing can be more clearly taught than these doctrines ; nor can any sense of Scripture be true , that is inconsistent with them . "—Pp . 50 , 51 .
We cannot but regard the author as being at variance with himself when in a manly tone he condemns implicit faith , ( pp . 55 , 56 , ) and when a little before he dissuades the reader from resorting to commentators and controversial writers . Is not the protest against controversy of much the same
nature as the objection to the use of reason in religion ? Lay aside controversy , and what follows but ignorance and credulity and a blind submission to human authority ? Dr . Brace allows the utility of paraphrases of Scripture . Now , for our own parts ,
we confess that paraplirasts are the least to our liking of all biblical expositors ; we know but of one whom , upon the whole , we can read with satisfaction , and him , we fear , Dr , Bruce would not admit amongst his useful guides ; we refer to Mr . Belsham ,
whose paraphrase of Paul ' s Epistles approaches nearer to our idea of the perfection of this species of writing than any thing of the same kind that we are acquainted with . But , again , we apprehend that the last-named biblical critic would not b $ flattered
by being placed in a list of commentators , answering to the following description , in which we cannot help marking by italics some expressions , that either appear to be inconsistent with other passages of the Sermons , or are not quite intelligible :
" But there are some paraphrases which express the sense of Scripture in plainer , more intelligible , or more modern language than our translation , wit / tout $ n-
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170 Reviews—Brtic&s Sermons on the Study of 4 ke Bible .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1825, page 170, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2534/page/42/
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