dews, and the exciting warmth, to aid and effectuate its full development."

I would, with all due deference to a Professor's chair, inquiresupposing that an analogy may be fairly drawn between the mode of producing the first language, and that of producing the first trees-does not the argument in the extract before us entirely fail? For does any one suppose, that in forming the vegetable creation the Great Author of all things merely produced seeds capable of protruding buds, leaves, branches, flowers, &c., and then placed these in situations fitted to excite and develop these capabilities? Are we not rather led by the inspired page to suppose, that the Almighty Fiat did by creative power instantaneously produce the tree in that maturity of form which was best suited to afford to all creatures that nourishment, or shade, or to answer any other ends for which trees were designed, so that they were at once suited to afford a habitation to the fowls of heaven, which were two days after* to sing among their branches, and that the stork did on the fifth evening of the creative week find "the fir trees perfectly fitted for her habitation?" Each tree and herb having at the same time, by the wonderful wisdom and power of God, a power in itself of producing seed after its kind? I would ask, does not analogy from this datum seem to teach us, that the first man was at once endued with a sufficient knowledge of some language to enable him immediately to converse with his Maker? How else, I would inquire, could he understand the words of the permission and prohibition addressed to him on the day of his creation?

*See Gen. i. 11--21.

Surely this does not indicate the slow invention of arbitrary sounds to express ideas and things; but an intuitive knowledge of a language, which language, whether thus given intuitively, or vented by Adam, it seems questionable, was tongue.

in

un

the Hebrew

My second question arises from the following remark of the Professor:*"No translation, however excellent, can convey the spirit of the original. Permit me to illustrate this by an example: the basis of Scripture morality is expressed in Hebrew in three words, viz. and thou shalt love to thy neighbour (or rather thy fellow-creature) as thyself." And then the Professor proceeds to found a criticism on this adoption of the dative case (" To thy TO neighbour,") after the verb to love. The question I wish to ask is, whether this criticism is not, after all, entirely hypercritical, as much so as if any one were to found a criticism on such a Latin phrase as sine ipso, contending, that because ipso is in the ablative case, therefore the common version, without him, does not convey the spirit of the Latin words?

means

Notwithstanding the second of these inquiries, I by no question the truth of the remark, that very frequently there is a peculiarity in the original, which no translation can fully convey, and hence I am persuaded, that a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew tongue must be of great use to those who study the Old Testament; not to insist that from the transfusion of Hebraisms into the Greek of the New Testament, an acquaintance with Hebrew must afford considerable assistance in reading the Greek of the New Testament; but whether

*Cong. Mag. p. 50.

criticisms of the character now adverted to will tend to produce a solid knowledge of the Hebrew language, to say the least, may admit of a doubt.

I con

clude with expressing my sincere wish for the prosperity and usefulness of the London University.

J.

To the Editors. As your Correspondent "J. S." in the Supplement, states that he is not influenced in his remarks by any feelings of hostility towards the Religious Tract Society, I trust the displeasure expressed in his letter respecting the edition of the Pilgrim's Progress, published by that Institution, will be diminished by the following explanation.

The first part of the Pilgrim's Progress, from which his extracts are taken, was revised by the late venerable Rev. John Townsend, especially for the use of Sunday Schools, as long ago as 1814; the second part was added some years since. This will, I think, satisfactorily account for the alterations to which he refers; and he will be glad to learn that his suggestion as to a distinct explanation of the variations, has been anticipated. I copy the following notice from page 162, Part II. "N.B. In this edition the work has been divided into chapters; those expressions that have become obsolete have been altered; and a few words and sentences that might prove repulsive to modern readers have been omitted." This notice has been added for some time past; but as an edition was published without it, I do not mean to speak of this complaint as unfounded; although it certainly might as well have been addressed in the first instance to the Committee.

“J. S." will also, I have no doubt be glad to receive the following assurance as to the reprints

issued by the Society during the last four years: they are printed from what are considered the most approved copies, and collated, as far as practicable, with early editions; and when alterations or omissions are made which require notice, they are distinctly adverted to. If "J. S." will refer to the late editions of Doddridge's Rise and Progress, Boston's Fourfold State, and some other valuable works, I think he will be satisfied with them; and I would particularly mention, that the former is without abridgment; which I know is not the case with some other modern unexpensive editions. In that most important publication, THE BRITISH REFORMERS, the utmost care is taken to insure accuracy: in every instance more than one early copy has been referred to, and many gross errors which had crept into some modern editions have been corrected, while the greatest care has been taken to adhere precisely to the plan stated in the prospectus. That many dif ficulties were to be obviated, will be admitted by those of your readers who are acquainted with the numerous variations in different early editions of these works. The importance of this work will be a sufficient reason for my referring to it so distinctly, as the effect of an erroneous impression respecting it might be very injurious.

I fully admit the necessity of care on the part of modern editors

on

the points which "J. S." notices, and I am sure that he will

rejoice to learn that the Committee of the Religious Tract Society proceed with much caution, being aware of the vast and increasing importance of their operations in the present age of general education. The great improvement in the recent publications of the Society has been highly pleasing to the religious public, and the encouragement their labours have received, has stimulated the Com

mittee to increased care and exertions.

I trust that your Correspondent will not be displeased with this reply to his animadversions, and I can venture to assure him, that any suggestions or information relative to the republication of the valuable writings of former days, will always be thankfully received by the Committee.

I.

Thy future path to see;

Thy bright or gloomy days;

And know'st thou not thy heavenly Guide, Still bending over thee,

And ordering all thy ways?

Much, in his mercy, he conceals;
That thou by faith may'st live,
Reposing on his grace;

Much, in his wisdom, he reveals,

Shews thee the crown he waits to give,
When thou hast won thy race.

"Tis thine to run with patient zeal,
Though faint, yet to pursue,
With hope that never dies;
To Him resign thy future weal,

In Him thy sinking strength renew,
And thou shalt grasp the prize!

Low'rs on thy evening sky,

And fills thee with dismay;

Amid the storm, though dark and loud, He hails thee sweetly from on high, And bids thee watch for day.

Now gleams the day-spring from afar,
The dawn of glory given,

To chase the mists of night;
Soon shalt thou see the morning star,
That beams on thee from heaven,
And brings thy perfect light.

Then, sufferer, as the troubled dream,
That haunts the midnight hour,
Fades from thy memory;
So shalt thine earthly sorrows seem,
When rising in thy Saviour's power,
Thou seest eternity!

W. H. S.

The Reasons of the Laws of Moses. From the "More Nevochim" of Maimonides. With Notes, Dissertations, and a Life of the Author. By James Townley, D.D. Author of Illustrations of Biblical Literature, &c. London: Longman,

1827. 10s. 6d.

Two Dissertations on Sacrifices. The first on all the Sacrifices of the Jews, with Remarks on some of those of the Heathens; the second on the Sacrifice of

Christ: in both which the General Doctrine of the Christian Church on these Subjects is defended against the Socinians. By William Outram, D.D. Translated from the Original Latin, with additional Notes, &c. By John Allen, Author of Modern Judaism. Second Edition. London: Goode and Co. 1828. 12s.

A Dissertation on the Origin, Nature, Functions, and Order of the Priesthood of Christ. By John Wilson, Minister

of the Gospel, Montrose. London:

Holdsworth and Ball, 1829. 7s. 6d.

12mo.

Four Sermons on the Priesthood of Christ. By Theophilus Lessey. London: Ker

shaw. 8vo. 4s.

THE great principles of Judaism and Christianity are the same. As systems proceeding from one divine author, they stand or fall together; and an accurate knowledge of either involves necessarily an acquaintance with both. The Jewish system of priesthood and sacrifice, though anterior in operation to the Christian system, was constructed entirely with a view to establish and illustrate the latter, and has no longer any glory, by reason of the glory which so far excelleth. Viewed independently of its completion by Christianity, it is impossible to explain many of its peculiar provisions, or to vindicate fully either the wisdom or goodness of God in its construction. But when regarded as a preparatory economy, designed to make way for a better and more enduring

N. S. NO. 50.

state of things-and when that state of things should take place, to furnish a body of illustrations, by which the right understanding of heavenly and invisible objects it assumes an importance of a very might be powerfully promotedhigh order, and appears altogether worthy of that God from whom it proceeded.

We are not satisfied that Christians in general have made the best use of the Mosaic law. Many of them seem to us to have attempted to read the countenance of Moses, while the veil remains upon his face,-to explain and defend his laws and institutions by themselves, without much aid from the apostles; or have used

the law to illustrate Christianity, instead of Christianity to explain the law. They have employed what the apostles say, for instance, about the sacrifice and priesthood of Christ, to illustrate the Levitical economy, instead of following the example of the apostles themselves, whose conduct in this respect is precisely the reverse. They represent the whole machinery of the Mosaic institute, as formed according to a pattern shown to Moses in the Mount, of the heavenly things of the better dispensation-to which, therefore, his own institute was in all respects designed to be subordinate.

On this principle, we can account for the little real service which Jewish or Rabbinical writers have ever rendered to Christianity. We are persuaded no great loss would be sustained, though we should, on other grounds, regret such an occurrence, were all the Talmuds and Cabbala,

consigned to destruction. The Epistle to the Hebrews is worth, for the exposition of the book of Leviticus, ten thousand loads of Rabbinical annotation and commentary.

While we frankly avow these opinions, and record our experience of the general uselessness of rabbinical literature in the explanation of Scripture-we as freely state, that there is much that is curious and worthy of attention in some of the Jewish writers. The best, that is, the most learned, and most judicious of them, is Maimonides; and the most useful of his works, is that now presented for the first time to the English reader, by Dr. Townley. We owe that gentleman an apology for not noticing his work sooner. But better late than never. We now acknowledge our obligations to him, the third or fourth time, for much valuable contribution to the stock of our biblical literature. In the following paragraph he gives a short account of the work.

"Amongst the innumerable commentators and expounders of the Mosaic writings, Maimonides deservedly ranks among the foremost for intelligence and learning. His fame as a writer on Jewish literature and antiquities, is fully established by the sanction of the learned of different ages and countries, whether Jews or Christians, who constantly refer to him as indisputable authority on every topic of Hebrew legislation and tradition. His writings are multifarious and voluminous; but in none of them do we discover more extensive knowledge or sounder judgment, than in his More Nevochim, or Teacher of the Perplexed.' Of this work, which contains critical remarks on Hebrew words and phrases, and explanatory observations on Jewish opinions, no portion is more deservedly esteemed or does greater credit to the writer, than that which is devoted to the examination of the Reasons of the Laws of Moses.' Yet it is a singular fact, that, although this part has been uniformly referred to, and quoted by almost every writer on the Mosaic Institutes, no entire English translation has ever yet

appeared; and the reader of the various interesting extracts made from it by able Commentary, as well as by others Bishop Patrick, in his learned and valuof considerable note, has only to regret that he is not in possession of the whole exposition.

66

importance and general excellence of Impressed with a conviction of the this compendious defence of the Ritual of Moses, the translator, without pledging himself to the absolute correctness of every opinion maintained by the author, has attempted to give a faithful, but not a servile translation of it. The copies of the work which were before him, were R. Samuel Aben Tybbon's Hebrew edimentaries of RR. Shem Tob, Ephodæus, tion, with the triple Rabbinical comand Karshakas, printed in folio, at Jaznetz, in 1742,--and the Latin versions of Justinian, and Buxtorf, the by Jodocus Badius Ascensius, in a beauformer in folio, printed in 1520, at Paris, tiful Gothic character; the latter, in quarto, printed at Basle, by J. J. Genath, in 1629.-In a few instances, the transtured to abridge the details of the aulator, from motives of delicacy, has venthor, but has generally inserted them in the notes, from Buxtorf.

"To the Translation, are prefixed a LIFE OF MAIMONIDES, with several DISSERTATIONS on different subjects connected with the object of the work; and which, with the NOTES appended at the close, the translator trusts, will serve to elucidate the views and positions of the author, and occasionally to rectify what has been regarded as erroneous or uncertain."--pp. iv--vi.

Maimonides lived during a dark period, and was one of the most learned men of that period.

"RABBI MOSES BEN MAIMON or MAIMONIDES, called also RAMBAM from the initials of his name, and MOSES the Egyptian from his long residence in Egypt, was born at Cordova, in Spain, in the year 1131, or according to some 1133, of the Christian era. His father, who was descended from an illustrious line of ancestors, sustained the office of judge among his own nation; and by his knowledge of jurisprudence, and the ability and integrity with which he executed the difficult and important duties of the magistracy, secured the respect of Christians as well as Jews."-p. 13.

He was bred a physician, and practised in his profession with great celebrity and success in his