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X. HACKETT'S ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE.1

WE had prepared a lengthened notice of this work, but an unanticipated want of space prevents our insertion of it.

We have seldom, if ever, read a volume of Biblical Illustrations, with so much interest as we have felt in perusing this work. Prof. Hackett's accuracy is proverbial. We can rely on his statements with a confidence which is, itself, a pleasure. His acquaintance with the volume to be illustrated, is extensive and minute. He knows and appreciates the wants of his readers. Therefore, he explains the texts which need explanation, and, on the authority of his own vision, imparts to his readers the knowledge which they require. His taste, also, is delicate and correct. He gives us life-like pictures, instead of dry details. The varied information which he communicates, he arranges in a beautiful as well as lucid order, and thus charms while he instructs. His selection of words is remarkably apposite, and his rich thoughts are clothed in a winning garb.

The volume of Prof. Hackett abounds with proofs of the authenticity of the Bible: see some remarkable instances on pp. 180-183, 190. Sometimes he makes an impression, of which the poetical element is as decided as the historical: see pp. 176-7. Many of his Illustrations have an important bearing on polemical theology: see, for example, p. 106. Several of them show the value of exact Biblical learning for the fine arts: see pp. 134, 139. Our sacred hymnology and our sacred eloquence would be essentially enriched, if our poets and orators would become more intimate with the archæology, etc., of the Bible. Prof. Hackett pays an elegant and affecting tribute to the memory of the late Prof. Edwards of Andover, with whom he intended to make the tour, of which this volume is one result: see p. 149. His notice of the late Prof. Fiske of Amherst, whose grave he visited, on Mount Zion, is touching and instructive: see p. 286. We regret our inability to comment, at length, upon other features of this volume; but we are obliged to part from it, with the mere but earnest expression of a hope, that our readers, lay as well as clerical, may add the volume to their libraries, as a book which will be at first perused with interest, and subsequently consulted with profit as a book of reference.

1 Illustrations of Scripture, suggested by a tour through the Holy Land, by Horatio B. Hackett, Professor in Newton Theological Seminary. Boston: Heath & Graves, No. 79 Cornhill, 1855. 12mo. pp. 340.

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ARTICLE VIII.

THEOLOGICAL AND LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

GERMANY.

THE more important of the recent contributions to the department of Biblical Exegesis comprise :

Part 16 of the Exegetical Handbook to the Old Testament, containing the Song of Solomon, by Dr. Ferd. Hitzig, and Lamentations, by Dr. Otto Thenius.

A new edition of Bengel's Gnomon.

"The meaning of the word Eúps in the New Testament. Part 1 its use by Paul," by Dr. C. Holsten.

"Christologiæ in epistola ad Hebræos propositæ particula II. Jesus Messias propheta qui locum filii Dei tenet;" by Prof. C. B. Moll, of Halle.

Third improved and enlarged edition of Meyer's Commentary on Mark and Luke.

A new Catholic Commentary on Matthew, by Prof. Arnoldi.
Commentary on Solomon the Preacher, by Ernest Elster.

Vol. first of Hupfield's new Translation of the Psalms, with Elucidations.

"Sulamith, or the Song of Songs of Solomon, freely translated for the first time in eight and twenty centuries, from the language of Dreams, into ordinary speech, and explained in accordance with its import," by S. F. W. Lippert.

Complete Commentary on the History of the Passion of Christ, by the Four Evangelists, by Prof. J. Wichelhans.

In the department of Church History and Biography, we have to record:

A Synchronistic History of the Church and of the World, in the Middle Ages, 7th vol., by J. F. Dumberger. The author is a Catholic. In his work he is assisted by other scholars.

The 3d Lieferung of Rabbi Herzfeld's History of the Jewish People, from the completion of the second temple, to the elevation of Schimon to the High Priesthood.

A universal History of Religion, viewed from the position of Christian Revelation, by Franz Peterson.

Vol. 2d, of Bindeman's Life of St. Augustine, containing his life from his baptism to his election as Bishop of Hippo.

The People of Israel, under the rule of the Kings; a contribution towards introducing an organic comprehension of Israelitish History, by Dr.

Eisenlohr. Only the first part has appeared, embracing the development and flourishing age of the Theocracy.

The Ethics of Christianity in its chief historical forms; a contribution to the History of Theology and Morals, by Emil Fenerlein.

Primitive Christianity in the chief crises of its development, with special reference to the latest investigations of Hase and Baur, by Prof. A, Hilgerfeld.

Ulrich Zwingli; The character of his Theology, exhibited with special reference to Picus Mirandula, by Dr. C. Sigwart. It is the design of the author, a Repetent at Tübingen, to correct the views respecting Zwingli, which have been presented by Prof. Zeller, of Marburg,

Peter Abalard, a study in the Church History of the Middle Ages, by Dr. C. A. Wilkins.

Part 2d of Cunz's History of German Hymns, from the 16th century to the present time.

In the department of Dogmatics, nothing of importance has appeared.
Among the Miscellaneous Theological works, may be mentioned:
A small volume of Selections from Channing's Writings.

An Academic Discourse by Dr. Karl Hase, on the Development of Protestantism.

"Clementis Alexandrini de λóy doctrina. Cimmentatio historica theologica," by Dr. Hugo Laemmer. A work which gained the Royal Prize at Leipsic, in 1854.

"De Clementis Romani epistola ad Corinthos priore disquisitio," by Dr. R. A. Lipsius.

Meditations on the Revelation of the Glory of God in His Church, and especially on the Presence of the glorified Body and Blood in the Holy Communion, by Dr. Ernest Sartorius.

Second enlarged edition of Weisse's Treatise on the "Christology of Luther, and the Christological task of Evangelical Theology."

The 4th cheap edition of Otto von Gerlach's translation of Baxter's Saint's Rest.

Second edition of Hengstenberg's Christology.

140th and 141st Hefts of Wetzer and Welte's Church Lexicon or Encyclopædia of Catholic Theology.

"Goethe's relation to Religion and Christianity," by Ludwig von Loncizolle.

3d and 4th vols. of the Translation of Theodore Parker's Works. 28-32 Hefts of Herzog's Real-Encyclopædia of Protestant Theology. Prof. Baur has published a Letter to Dr. Karl Hase in reply to his recent pamphlet on the "Tübingen School."

Several of the Lectures delivered before the Evangelical Union of Berlin, during the last and preceding winter, have been published. Among them are some on "The Prophet Isaiah," by Hengstenberg; and "Philip Melanchthon," and "Religion as the moving and ordering power of the World's History," by Nitzsch.

Vol. 3d of the Latin Hymns of the Middle Ages, by F. P. Moore. The Religious Lays of the Evangelical Church of the 16th century. Edited by Dr. Julius Mützel.

Chevalier Bunsen has found time to turn aside from his labors on the Old Testament, to publish two volumes, in the form of Letters to a friend, on the "Signs of the Times," in which he discusses various questions respecting Spiritual Liberty, in their bearings upon recent developments in Germany. The work will appear in an English translation.

A beautiful edition of Augustine's Confessions, edited with notes from the Oxford edition, by Parker, has recently been published.

The Tübingen Jahrbücher, which has played so important a part in the recent theological movements of Germany, ceases to exist at the close of the present year. It is certainly one of the not least significant signs of the times that a journal conducted with so much ability and learning, no longer receives popular support.

Among the philosophical works we notice:

Prolegomena to Speculative Natural Science, by George Blassmann.
New Exhibition of Sensualism, by Dr. Heinrich Czolbe.

A new edition of Erdmann's Psychological Letters.

3d and 4th vols. of Furtmair's Philosophical Real Lexicon, continued by Dr. J. N. Ushold.

The chief points in the Philosophy of Franz Baader, by Dr. J. Harnberger.

The epicreative System of René Descartes, its excellences and subjects, by Prof. J. H. Loewe.

Machiavilli's Religious and Political opinions exhibited in full Quotations from the "Discorsi," by Dr. H. Plato.

"Grammar, Logic, and Psychology, their Principles and their Relation to each other," by H. Steinthal. The author is Privat-docent at Berlin.

"The Scientific and Artistic Form of the Platonic Writings exhibited in their heretofore unobserved Characteristics," by Privat-docent G. F. W. Luckow.

"The Genetic development of the Platonic Philosophy," by Privatdocent Franz Susemihl.

"Platonis de rationibus quae inter Deum et ideas intercedunt doctrina," Dissertatio Philosophica, by A. Erdtman.

Plato's Complete Works, translated by Jerome Müller.

Part 2d of Weigeet's Modern Philosophy, containing Schelling, Hegel, and Feuerbach.

History of the Philosophical, Ethical, Legal, and Political Theories of the English and the French, inclusive of Machiavelli's, and with a short View of Modern Moral and Social Theories in general," by Franz Vorlander.

"Polignosy and Polilogy, or a genetic and comparative civil and legal Philosophy," by Dr. Karl Völlgraff.

A new System of Psychology, by Prof. C. H. Shultz Schultzenstein. 2d Heft of the Philosophy of the Second Sources of Christianity, by J. Ebel.

The Revolution of Science in Russia, with especial reference to Stahl, and the Replies of his opponents Braniss and Erdmann. By F. H. T. Allihz, Privat-docent at Halle.

The whole number of works relating to Religion and Theology, published in Germany from April to October, amounts to seven hundred and four. Of these a large proportion, of course, are reprints, sermons, and occasional publications of little or no value. Two hundred and eighty-three are by Catholics, mostly devotional works. The promulgation of the Decree of the Immaculate Conception, which has not been received with favor by all the Catholic scholars of Germany, and the great Festival in honor of St. Boniface, have probably drawn forth a larger proportion of publications, during the last summer, than usual, from the Catholic Communion. A number of works have also been contributed by Jews.

ENGLAND.

Bloomfield's Greek Testament, with English Notes, ninth edition, two vols. 8vo. with the volume of supplementary annotations incorporated. This has been a useful book in its day. But since the appearance of Alford's Testament, its day is passed. To junior students, it may still be of some service; but it is far behind the state of modern investigation respecting the text and meaning of the New Testament.

Von Bohlen's Introduction to the Book of Genesis, with a Commentary on the opening portion; translated from the German. Edited by James Heywood, M. P.; two vols. 8vo This is an old book on Genesis; old at least in Germany. And it is worthless, besides; or rather, worse than worthless. It is ultra sceptical. Mr. Heywood must either be very ignorant of what has been published in Germany, on the Book of Genesis, since Von Bohlen's work; or he must presume largely on the ignorance of German theology, prevailing in England; or, lastly, he must have a wondrous predilection for neology. Certainly his money might have been better spent than in introducing to English readers a book of this kind. We charitably hope that he is such a novice in theological matters as not to be able clearly to distinguish between true and false doctrine. If he wanted better German commentaries on Genesis, why did he not take Tuch's, or Knobel's, or Delitzsch's ?

Lyra Germanica: Hymns for the Sundays and chief Festivals of the Christian Year; translated from the German by Catherine Winkworth, This is a pleasing volume, containing many fine hymns and sacred songs of Germany, well translated.

Patriarchy, or the Family, its constitution and probation; by the Rev. John Harris, D. D. 8vo. A carefully written volume, which will repay the theological, and also the general reader. It is one of a series, the next after Man Primeval.' Republished in this country.

The Promises of Christianity; an Essay. By W. Kay, D. D. Here, no new light is thrown on the promises.

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