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I the way for the study of the Bible in its original languages . In 1488 the whole Hebrew Bible was printed at Soncino : and about the middle of the century Laurentius Valla had made contributions of real value to the criticism and interpretation of the Greek Testament . The sixteenth century is adorned by the great names of Erasmus , Luther ,
and Melanchthon . By them and by their learned contemporaries * a method of enlightened interpretation was at once exemplified and defended . Tn the seventeenth century there appear writers still more eminent who were advocates of a single sense and a literal exposition : J . and L . Capellus , F . Spanheim , Louis De Dieu , Pricaeus , Lightfoot , Arminius , Grotius , Episcopius , Le Clerc , are a few among the number . f
Bishop Marsh takes occasion to remark , in a note , that " it would have been fortunate , if they who agreed in opinion that Scripture had only one sense , could have further agreed in adopting one and the same sense . " " Fortunate , " nevertheless , as he may deem this uniformity of interpretation and of sentiment , he must be aware that , in the circumstances , and at the period , of which he treats , the approaches to it were necessarily and particularly faint . Nor would its existence be an unmixed good ; nor would there be any difficulty in assigning the reasons why , even at the present day , it cannot be attained .
" Towards the close of the seventeenth century / ' says the Right Reverend Professor , " an effort was made by Cocceius at Leyden , and by some German divines at Berlin and Halle , to restore the manifold interpretation of Scripture , which the Reformation had banished . During a period of many years their efforts were attended with success ; but good sense and good taste
gradually restored the Scriptures to the same mode of interpretation which is applied to classic authors . And with a few exceptions , which it is unnecessary to mention , the same kind of interpretation has continued to prevail . Here then I will conclude , without further remarks , the historical view of the modes which have been adopted in the interpretation of Scripture from the earliest ages of Christianity to the present day . "
We should have been more satisfied if he had not here concluded : for at least one additional lecture ample and interesting materials were at hand . We should have been glad if Bishop Marsh had noticed those divines , both of his own church and of other communions , not excluding the Romish , who , during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries , have given proofs of their
practical acquaintance with the true principles of Scriptural interpretation Jn particular , we wish that he had directed the student to the best works illustrative of the subject , whether in the way of precept or of example ; nor can we hold him justified for attempting little or nothing of this kind by the plea that selection would be difficult and invidious .
Is the follow ing statement designed for censure or for praise of the state of theological learning in England ? " Since the year 1800 , the explanations of the Bible , which have been published abroad , are not generally such as would recommend themselves to an English divine . *' To a certain extent these Supplementary Lectures J are good and valuable . We lament , however , the scantiness of their limits , and of their references to
• Camerarius , Osiander , Chemnitz , Calixt , Zuingli , Bucer , Calvin , Beza , Isaac Casaubon , Drusius , Scaliger , &c . f Pp . 41—49 . % First printed in the new edition ( 1828 ) of the Lectures on the Bible .
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252 Bishop Marsh ' s Lectures .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1829, page 252, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2571/page/28/
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