THE DESIGN AND USE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. By the Rev. MARSHALL RANDLES, D.D. Being the twenty-second Fernley Lecture. London: C. H. Kelly. We have here a weighty and sober contribution to Christian apologia. The position and authority of the Bible is a constant subject of attack and defence; it has never yet attained to that beatitude of the evil that all men speak well of it; and where its authority is accepted as final its exact relation to ecclesiastical, to individual authority is variously determined. At the present moment some who would have been expected to rank as defenders of the stronghold appear in the eyes of the older soldiers of the garrison to be enfilading it from within. And it is the older position that is taken up by Dr. Randles. His apology is emphatically conservative; his attitude towards the higher criticism one of respectful but decided hostility. His general position may be fairly gauged by his own words at the end of chap. vi." The Higher Criticism" (p. 114) :

"That the Pentateuch is authentic history, written by Moses, or under his authority, whatever pre-existent materials might be appropriated, the last chapter being probably penned by the writer of Joshua; that the other historical books are credible history; that a considerable number of the Psalms are Davidic, and the rest by men divinely qualified; that the prophets, who were also in some degree historians, predicted future events unknowable by natural means; that Isaiah xl.-lxvi. might easily be from the same hand as the previous chapters, though if it were otherwise that would not disprove the Divine authority of either portion; that the Old Testament as a whole, in the original writing, the selection and incorporation of portions from other sources, and the arrangement of all in the form of the message which God designed for mankind, was inspired by the Holy Spirit in a sense peculiar to communications from heaven; and that, therefore, the Church to-day, as in ages past, may confidently use it, along with the New Testament, as revealing the mind of God for the salvation of men. Then.... what is our rational course with the sacred word? To believe it as heartily as ever our fathers did."

Such a position is an honest and courageous one; it may in the end triumph. But in the present stress a more defensible position might be to vindicate the inspiration of the writers rather than of the documents, severally or together, although St. Paul's "every Scripture inspired by God" may be invoked in aid of Dr. Randles' position.

This chapter, however, does not show the lecturer quite at his best, for the highest criticism of the higher criticism requires more fulness of detail. But Dr. Randles has clearly indicated some weak points; e.g., he rightly insists upon the probabilities of deterioration. Development, literary as well as moral, is not all in one direction; it may be downwards and backwards, not upwards and forwards (p. 98).

"No doubt, the principle of development was at work; but to no such extent, nor with such uniform direction, as the theory supposes. The course of the Church, like that of the nation of Israel, was chequered by many lapses and recoveries, seasons of rebellion, decay, and return to God and prosperity. To assume that the priestly system was the outgrowth of a thousand years, and took its mature form at the end and not at the beginning of that period, and then to decide dates, authorship, and meaning of the Old Testament in conformity with that assumption, is a process to be distrusted."

The excessive subjectivity of the ultracritical standard is another vulnerable point assailed by Dr. Randles, which may be tested in any of Dr. Driver's pages by ordinary readers, especially in the historical books. More than a footnote, too, might have been devoted to the more recent researches in Oriental archæology, confirming the antiquity of Israelite and pre-Israelite literature and civilization.

In Chapter v.,

"The Inspiration of Holy Scripture," inspiration is defined as

"that extraordinary control of the Holy Spirit over the production of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which was a chief cause of their being, for man, an unerring guide to salvation" (p. 76). The lecturer felicitously collects passages which prove that Scripture presupposes and affirms constantly its own inspiration. Under this head, one would have liked to see some lines of thought on the relation of the Personal to the written Word. It must be a close one, pertaining to one function of Christ's prophetic office. The latter is alluded to (p. 16), but would bear fuller treatment. And does not the ecclesia doceus represent and execute that prophetic function of her Head? The living voice interprets and applies the written Word. Faithfulness to the Person and to the Book must have a large common measure. And His command to evangelize all the world implied, as the practical necessities of Church expansion threw light on His meanings, written as well as oral testimony; as His promise of the Holy Spirit bringing all things to their remembrance was an implied guarantee of truthful memory and accurate report. Such were the critical presuppositions of the first depositaries and transmitters of the faith. And St. Luke, as his preface informs us, was the first critical historian. The other evangelists were writers of memoirs.

Chapter vii. contains some valuable suggestions on the practical use of Scripture. All parts are one in spirit, but not co-equal in value. "With Christ, the Revealer and the Revelation; for the centre of light and power . . . . it is not to be supposed that all parts of the Bible are equally luminous and instructive in Divine things, though all bear the impress of Divine sanction." Again, "the saving knowledge treasured in the Scriptures is complete, and yet ever progressive complete, as it contains all that is necessary to its purpose, admitting of neither addition or diminution; progressive, as it continually exhibits to the devout student new depths of meaning." By progressiveness the lecturer here means increase of apprehension on the part of the believers. 66 Consequently a truth lodged in the Bible from the first may be centuries or millenniums before it appears full-orbed and lucid." The latter statement is open to much question, and opens the door to the widest development of doctrine. "If many cardinal doctrines are better understood in these modern times than they were in the patristic or mediæval. . . . it is in accordance with the principle of doctrinal development." What principle of doctrinal development? Is it "the old continually augmenting and unfolding itself"? or is that which was implicit becoming explicit from stage to stage of general or individual belief? If the former, how can the lecturer reconcile his "continually augmenting itself" with his former "admitting of neither addition nor diminution"? But if revealed truth has been once for all delivered, the book is closed, the message final, and progress can only come from the side of its acceptance. And it might well be contended that "cardinal doctrines " were better understood nearer the fountain head of their issue than at some indeterminate points down a stream open to many contaminating inflowings. But upon the basis of the lecturer's statement above, "the gulf between the teaching of Scripture and that of Rome," upon which he rightly insists, becomes easy of bridging; the magic word development is a span capable of any strain or lengthening.

Chapter viii. deals with the office of reason in the use of the Scriptures. "Reason is not the source of the highest knowledge, but the receptacle. Reason does not create, but finds out the truth and import of the message." Dr. Martineau's intuitive basis for revelation is examined, and pronounced to be "another abortive attempt to get rid of supernatural revelation," and his "representation of the dependence of historical Christianity on the religion of nature" to be "inadmissible." The whole chapter, and the following too short one on the office of the Holy Spirit in

NO. VI.-VOL. II.—THE THINKER.

LL

"The Use of the Scriptures," are valuable. Chapter x., on "The Office of the Church in the use of the Scriptures," is of the highest denominational, but of the lowest general interest. Chapter i., "The Scriptures a Divine Medium of Revelation," deserves more than one perusal. But there is some confusion or inexactness of expression: "Immediate perception of the mind of God by man is unthinkable, and alien to the course actually taken by the Revealer." Surely, when the Lord spake to Moses and the prophets there was immediate perception! Truth we receive mediately; grace we receive by means. But when He who was "full of grace and truth" spoke and wrought there was "immediate perception " of the Divine mind by those who heard with their ears the Incarnate Lord. Dr. Randles himself says, "when the great message had to be written, it was no unfamiliar thing that God did sometimes immediately influence men's verbal expression of ideas "—à fortiori, when God expressed His own ideas through the lips of Christ. From the lecturer on page 3 we appeal to the lecturer on page 83. The whole book is carefully written, but there are a few slips of pen, or printer-e.g., "all the eight letters must have been written not later than A.D. 52" (p. 58, footnote). We can heartily commend it.

J. F. VALLINGs, M.A.

THE MOUNT.

CHRISTUS MAGISTER: SOME TEACHINGS FROM THE SERMON ON By Rev. A. PEARSON. (London: Messrs. J. Nisbet & Co.) THIS book is an attempt "to produce a devotional vade mecum for the people. . . . This sermon of sermons has been read in the light of our modern social and moral situation and needs." The aim is a high and worthy one, not very felicitously expressed, but issuing in a stream of sensible manly counsels, not remarkably penetrating or original, but sound and straight. There is no attempt to formulate a system of Christian ethics; sections of the sermon are followed by expository thoughts and applications put with point and terseness. Any attempts to illumine social problems with the spirit of the Master of moral life and order should not be made in vain. And it is in the sphere of conduct that the Christian spirit becomes incarnate, and the Christian's character a visible Gospel or a degrading parody. The vital connection between doctrine and practice is stated by Mr. Pearson with simplicity and force. "Christ was born into human nature. There is the dogma of the Incarnation; every nature has in consequence become intensely sacred. Life, time, action, suffering, all are sacred, intrinsically so, whether or no I treat them so. Christ has died. There is the dogma of Redemption. I am crucified with Him to the world, the flesh, and the devil; the baptismal cross has been impressed upon my front." The naturalness of grace, which has been well pointed out by Bishop Webb and Canon Scott Holland, is rightly handled by Mr. Pearson. "Character is a stamp by which each man is distinguished from his neighbour. It is but another name for individuality, and it is no part of religion to suppress or destroy individuality. Religion neither creates nor kills it. With the advent of grace, the natural character becomes Christianized." Hence the noblest characters are the simplest, and most transparent. The oneness of a heart in increasing peace with God permeates the whole being. The inner life unifies and organizes the whole nature. Whatever be the wealth and variety of gifts and endowments, there is a royal singleness of rule which makes itself felt from the seat of government through all its depen dencies. The man of one idea, if that idea be God, may be a man of many ideas and activities created or controlled by one motive, tone, and spirit.

Turning to some of the social teachings of the book, the writer strikes not into the air.

"But in social matters we of our day need to learn the blessedness of peace

It is a

making and peace-maintaining as much as any who have gone before.
disagreeable thing to have to write, but, as a class, Christians are as much given to
touchiness as any. The slightest rub of their dignity or amour propre, and the
bristles are often erect in a moment" (p. 62); so, in reference to forgiveness, "The
Spirit of Christ, who in the latest hours of His life was our example here, has
conquered much, very much that was opposed to it in the lives of men and women.
But
it would seem that this grace, which Christ makes of primary import-
ance, is attained last" (p. 93). So, too, p. 221: “Spiritual pride is a strange abortion.
When other sins have been cast out, this lingers, and seems to live upon the very
decay of others." In the chapter on non-resistance, some remarks on the moral
relations of labour and capital would not have been amiss. The spirit of give-and-
take, of forbearance, of equitable concession, is one of the most difficult to cultivate
where the spirit of party and competition runs high. Between nations, between
classes, between wars of tariff, between jealousies and greeds of labour and capital,
the borderland of sweet peace can only be widened by the application of Christian
principles of Divine sonship and human brotherhood. A life fragrant in love to
fellow-creature must have throbbed near to the heart of Him who is Love. "In
secret" must be acquired that ointment which is to run down and flow over. Never,
as the world has grown busier, has this truth been more needed. "Every thorough
Christian life must have its hidden side; its inner 'holy place,' to which the world
is not admitted; its prophet's chamber' up in the roof, open only to the sky, into
which the traveller turns out of the dusty way to be alone with himself and his God
-blessedly alone" (p. 132). That Christus Magister will help the Christian reader
both in the hidden and in the outward and visible sides of his life, we have no doubt.
J. F. VALLINGS, M.A.

WHAT AND HOW TO PREACH. Lectures delivered in the United Presbyterian
College, Edinburgh, by ALEX. OLIVER, B.A., D.D. Edin. (Edinburgh and
London: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier, 1892.)
HOMILETICAL Works are of two kinds, those which draw from the fountain-head of
original insight, and those which generalize the teachings of experience. The present
volume takes a good place among the second. The author has read assiduously, and
gives us quite a mosaic of quotations skilfully chosen and deftly used. The great
teachers are constantly appealed to-Vinet, Fairbairn, Dale, Dupanloup, Phillips
Brooks. But, more than this, the author also draws upon the resources of his own
long course of observation and experience. While the body of the work is faithful to
the title, the second question, "How to preach," justly receives the chief amount of
attention. The use of quotation is occasionally pushed too far. We scarcely needed
the authority of the Bishop of Ripon to convince us that "the duty of making a thing
plain is the first duty of a public speaker"; or Elliot, the Corn-law Rhymer, to tell
us that "he does well who does his best"; or Canon Twells to assure us that
"preaching without notes is the preaching of the future." But these are exceptions
to the general excellence of the quotations. The writer says, quite honestly, “I am
against much formal quotation in sermons, although I have been indulging in it in
these lectures." The very good reason is given that "quotations, however pertinent
and otherwise valuable, seldom tell with the same effect as the preacher's words when
he has fairly assimilated their thought." The author strongly condemns read sermons,
although, of course, there are many notable exceptions. Julius Hare is quoted to the
effect that by reading ministers lose real preaching; "preaching of the voice in many
cases, the preaching of the eye almost always." But we are surprised to find
memoriter-preaching strongly commended. "For continuous work the old method

of careful writing and careful committing is to be commended. That will yield, in the average, the best results." This is not the highest form of preaching; and, from the first, the highest form should be the preacher's aim. Writing and preaching should only be a preparatory stage to this goal. On another point Dr. Oliver says, "I hold with Calvin, and not with Arminius. But I maintain that it is a perversion of Calvinism if it is used in any way to cast doubt on the freeness of Christ's salvation, or God's desire that all men should partake of it." Cecil says that "he who would preach the Gospel truly must preach it with all the strictness of a Calvinist and all the freedom of an Arminian." John Newton said of Calvinism, "It was the worst system conceivable if preached theoretically, but the best conceivable if preached practically." The following is worth notice: "A judicious preacher will be careful to see that his anecdotes are true, not vulgar, not trite, not used to excess." Leifchild's advice is also quoted: "Begin low; proceed slow; take fire; rise higher; be self-possessed, when most impressed." A few proper names are misspelt in the book. J. S. BANKS.

THE TEACHING OF JESUS. By H. H. WENDT, D.D.

Translated by Rev.

J. WILSON, M.A. Vol. II. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. WRITERS of the critical school constantly insist that ordinary expositions of the Gospels are vitiated by the fact that they do not go behind the present text, but simply assume it as a basis without discrimination. Dr. Wendt as belonging to the critical school undertakes this preliminary task. His work as expositor is based on his work as textual critic. He first discriminates between the original Gospels, as he thinks they must have been, and only admits the testimony of these original witnesses in his exposition of the teaching of Jesus both in detail and as a whole. As far as we know, this is the first thorough, systematic work of the kind. The results of the critical analysis are summarized in the introduction to vol. i., and the scheme there outlined is rigidly adhered to throughout the work.

66

The results reached on the critical question may be briefly stated thus. There are three Apostolic sources" or authorities underlying our present Gospels: 1. Mark's Gospel; 2. Matthew discourses, edited in two forms in the first and third Gospels; 3. Johannine discourses, edited in the fourth Gospel by a post-Apostolic writer. The Matthew discourses, which lie behind our first and third Gospels, have been modified by the reviser or redactor, but are still easily recoverable by a comparison of the two redactions. (What could critics do without the convenient hypothesis of redactions?) The Johannine discourses are not so easily recoverable. because we are shut up to one redaction. Still, Dr. Wendt is sure of two things— first that these Johannine discourses, which form the nucleus of the fourth Gospel, are as truly Apostolic as the Matthew discourses; and secondly, that the postApostolic editor or redactor has taken greater liberties with his Apostolic authority, giving it a mistaken historical setting and obscuring it by parenthetical remarks. It is pleasing to note the firmness with which the author holds to the first point. His reason is a twofold one, namely, that these Johannine discourses have nothing in common with post-Apostolic teaching, and have much in common with the teaching of the synoptical Gospels. A further remark should be made. Dr. Wendt holds that these Johannine discourses have evidently been modified by the mind through which they passed, a circumstance which explains the striking peculiarities of the fourth Gospel.

Such in bald outline is the critical position, from which the author exclusively works. The difference between the Synoptists and St. John is strongly emphasized