of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with them two men, which were Moses and Elias; who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." The sudden ushering in of these events, and the soul-appalling conversation which they heard about the sufferings of Christ, so filled the minds of the disciples with awe and amazement, that they were for the moment absorbed and lost in a vision of deep and melancholy gloom, which has a tendency to produce heaviness and sleep; but on beholding his glory, and inferring from the manifestation of it a better omen, they waked up to a clearer and more distinct perception of what was passing before them; "and Peter said, Lord, it is good for us to be here." Then the approach of the cloud, betokening a still farther exhibition of the divine presence, and the voice out of the cloud, so overawed them, that, like Daniel in the case referred to, and Saul, when Christ appeared to him on his way to Damascus, they fell "on their faces, and were sore afraid.”

All this seems natural, and adapted to the high state of excited feeling which the occasion must have produced. But the alleged long and natural sleep of the disciples, which finds no support in the sacred text, is contradicted by every incident in the narratives given by the evangelists, as well as the fact, that these very disciples were to be the witnesses, and the only witnesses, of all that transpired on that occasion; and to their testimony we are indebted for all we know respecting it.

The thunder storm, described in such glowing terms by the author, we hesitate not to pronounce a fiction, unworthy of a Christian writer, and highly derogatory to the credit of the evangelical record. True, the author says, "It is said, by many standard commentators, that the fairest account of such of the incidents as are connected with natural objects, is, that a tremendous thunder storm came down upon the mountain while they were asleep, and that a loud peal of thunder, bursting from this, was the immediate cause of their awaking." But he does not tell us who these standard commentators are. The reader may rest assured that he will look in vain for them among our approved English commentators and theologians; though from this unqualified appeal to accredited authority he may be led to suppose, without examining for himself, that these generally concur in the view the author has given. It is

proper here to say, that his entire exposition of this miracle, and especially this part of it, savors much of the neology of German schools, that bane of pure Christianity, which has inundated nearly half the continent of Europe; and it is not improbable that the divines who have adopted this semi-infidel scheme are the "standard commentators" appealed to by the writer in support of his interpretation of the miracle of transfiguration. There is the more reason to place the readers of this volume upon their guard, as the seeds of this foreign and corrupt theology are evidently contained in many portions of it.*

Since the above was written, the following remarks of Dr. Adam Clarke, which are found appended to his notes on the 17th chapter of Matthew, have, in our course of reading, come under our notice. The appropriate bearing of these remarks upon the present question had not before so particularly struck our attention; and we insert them here in confirmation of what we have stated, that the volume before us is strongly tinctured with the foreign theology to which we have referred. Dr. C., speaking of the transfiguration, says,

"Some foreign critics, who are also called divines, have stripped it, by their mode of interpretation, of all its strength, use, and meaning. With them it is thus to be understood:- Jesus, with the disciples, Peter, James, and John, went by night into a mountain, for the purpose of prayer and meditation. While thus engaged, the animal spirits of the disciples were overcome by watching and fatigue, and they fell asleep. In this sleep they dreamed, or Peter only dreamed, that he saw his Master encompassed with glorious light, and that Moses and Elijah were conversing with him. That early in the morning, just as the sun was rising, there happened some electric, or thunder-like explosions, (a thing not unfrequent near some mountains,) by which the disciples were suddenly awoke; that Peter, whose mind was strongly impressed with his dream, seeing the rising sun rise gloriously upon his Master, and his strongly impressed senses calling to remembrance his late vision, he for a moment imagined he saw, not only the glory of which he had dreamed, but the persons also, Moses and Elijah, still standing on the mount with Christ: that not being yet sufficiently awake, finding the images impressed on his imagination fleeting away with his returning exercise of reason, he cried out, before he was aware, Lord! it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, &c.; but in a short time, having recovered the regular use of his senses, he perceived that it was a dream; and having told it to our Lord and his brother disciples, lest the Jews might take occasion of jealousy from it, he was desired to tell the vision to no man.' This is the substance of that strange explanation given by those learned men to this extraordinary transaction; a mode of interpretation only calculated to support that system which makes it an important point to deny and decry all supernatural and miraculous influence, and to explain away all the spirituality of the New Testament. WhatVOL. I.-2

The author's last fancy, the "dark cloud," is most absurd of all. It is in direct opposition to the explicit declaration of the three evangelists, who designate it as a bright cloud; and also to what is supposed by our ablest and most evangelical commentators to have been designed by it. Let the candid reader compare his terrific description of "a dark cloud suddenly descending upon the mountain's head, enwrapping and overshadowing" the apostles, and of a voice, "amid the flash of lightnings, and the roar of thunders," &c., with the following exegetical interpretation of the occurrence by that profound Biblical scholar and eminent divine, Bishop Porteus, and he will perceive the justness of the remark just made. "The CLOUD," says Bishop Porteus, "is the well-known token of the divine presence under the law. Many instances of it occur in the Old Testament, but more particularly at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. On the mountain where our Saviour was transfigured a new law was declared to have taken place; and, therefore, God again appeared in a cloud. But there is one remarkable difference between these manifestations of the divine presence. On Mount Sinai the cloud was dark and thick; 'and there were thunders, and lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, and all the people that were in the camp trembled.' At the transfiguration, on the contrary, the cloud was bright; the whole scene was luminous and transporting, and nothing was heard but the mild paternal voice of the Almighty, expressing his delight in his beloved Son. These striking differences, and the two appearances, evidently point out the different tempers of the two dispensations, of which the former, from its severity, was more calculated to excite terror; the latter, from its gentleness, to inspire love."-Port. Ser., p. 232.

We have extended our strictures on this point, not because it is more particularly obnoxious to criticism than some other portions of the work, but for the purpose of exhibiting in one view the objection to which it is liable as a whole, namely, the concealment of anti-evangelical principles under the attractive covering of a popular and fascinating style. As this is a production of some magnitude,

ever ingenuity may be in this pretended elucidation, every unprejudiced person must see that it can never be brought to accord with the letter and concomi tant circumstances of this remarkable case."

and designed to be a standard work for both professional and general readers, it is a matter of no small importance that they should be guarded against incautiously imbibing any insidious poison it may contain.t

The doctrinal errors inculcated in this work are too palpable and obvious to mislead the intelligent reader. Some of the exploded dogmas of popery, particularly the supremacy of St. Peter, and its cognate absurdities, are boldly asserted and elaborately vindicated by the author. Indeed, when we first read a few paragraphs in the work, upon which we incidentally opened, touching this topic, we were in doubt whether the writer might not be a Jesuit in disguise. But other parts of it soon convinced us that this was impossible.

* The second edition, now in circulation, is stereotyped.

The following is the author's view of the miracle of the "cloven tongues," &c., recorded in the second chapter of the Acts:

"My own opinion of the nature of this whole phenomenon is," he says, "that of Michaelis, Rosenmüller, Paulus, and Kuinoel,-that a tremendous tempest actually descended at the time, bringing down clouds highly charged with electricity, which was not discharged in the usual mode, by thunder and lightning, but quietly streamed from the air to the earth, and wherever it passed from the air upon any tolerable conductor, it made itself manifest in the darkness occasioned by the thick clouds, in the form of those pencils of rays, with which every one is familiar who has seen electrical experiments in a dark room; and which are well described by the expression, 'cloven tongues of fire. The temple itself being covered and spiked with gold, the best of all conductors, would quietly draw off a vast quantity of electricity, which, passing through the building, would thus manifest itself on those within the chambers of the temple, if we may suppose the apostles to have been there assembled."

We will not detain the reader to present the arguments urged in support of this opinion, nor yet to show their futility, as our only purpose in making this extract is to exhibit a peculiar characteristic of the work to which we have adverted. The writer need not to have taken the trouble to inform his readers of his ready acquiescence in the opinions of the authors he names. This is sufficiently evident, not only in this, but in other particulars, without his mentioning it. It has been well said, by a judicious critic, in regard to Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, which has lately been recommended to public notice in a translation, with notes, by Marsh, for some time resident at Leipsic, that it "exhibits great learning and deep research, but doubts and skepticisms are occasionally introduced, which capriciously altering the text or the sense, undermine the authority of Scripture, and lessen the respect which should be paid to the inspired writings."-Dr. Blake.

Yet he has made concessions and assumed positions which show him to be at least a very inconsistent Protestant. Although his work is entitled, "The Lives of the Apostles of Jesus Christ," yet more than two hundred and forty pages of it have the name of Peter in the running title. This apostle occupied, in the estimation of the author, such a prominent position in the primitive Christian church, that little besides his life and labors seemed necessary to complete its history.

He was its "foundation," the "rock" on which it was built; the "chief apostle," sustaining a "perfectly commanding pre-eminence;" and the honored bearer of its sacred "keys." Such are the views set forth by our author, and inculcated in every possible form throughout his work.

That we may not be suspected of stating the case in too strong terms, we beg to refer the reader to the work itself, as evidence of the justness of the language here employed. The author, as his object seems to be to convince the reader of Peter's absolute preeminence before he dismisses him, arranges his course with the skill of a master; and in the very commencement makes an effort to dislodge from the mind, before it is at all apprised of his object, every impression that the distinction which was given to Peter among the apostles might be accounted for on the ground of seniority, by a labored argument to show that he was younger than his brother Andrew. From this preliminary, the design of which the reader scarcely perceives at first, we are carried forward, step by step, until, to cap the climax, we are presented with the papal dogma of Peter's absolute supremacy without disguise. Take the following extracts :

"To draw from them the distinct acknowledgment of their belief in him, Jesus at last plainly asked his disciples, 'But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter, in his usual character as spokesman, replied for the whole band, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus, recognizing in this prompt answer the fiery and devoted spirit that would follow the great work of redemption through life, and at last to death, replied to the zealous speaker in terms of marked and exalted honor, prophesying at the same time the high part which he would act in spreading and strengthening the kingdom of his Master: Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed this unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art a ROCK; and on this ROCK I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys