common word to denote the Christian salvation. It is only once used for odnoɛraι, in the Peschito, in any sense approaching this, and that is 1 Cor. iii, 15: "shall be saved as by fire"; and there it is alone the strength and consistency of the metaphor that justify it. In the Philoxenian, on the contrary, it is everywhere employed, not only for the most outward deliverance, as the escape from shipreck, Acts xxvii, 44, and from the venomous serpent, xxviii, 4, but also for the most inward idea of soul-healing, or spiritual deliverance. Thus, 1 Pet. iii, 21 where the contrast between it and the Peschito is very striking. "We are rescued by baptism," says the later Version; "in baptism we live," says the older, not by baptism, as an outward saving power, but in the obedience and faith exercised in baptism, ye begin to live the Christian life, and thus enter upon the Christian salvation. Even in such unmistakably subjective passages as Rom. v, 10: "We shall be saved by his life, which the Peschito renders we shall live in his life, the Philoxenian has this same outward word: "We shall be rescued by his life."

To form a comparison between the Versions, in this respect, and to enable us to judge of the causes that led to the difference, we need only cite a few of the more striking passages; in which, for the sake of the contrast, the reader will pardon us if there be some that have been already quoted for a different purpose. Thus, 1 Cor. v, 5: "That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord;" Vulgate ut spiritus salvus sit; Peschito: "That the spirit may live;" Philoxenian : "That the spirit may be rescued in the day of the Lord." The contrast here is the more striking from its connection with the word vεʊμа: Luke xiii, 23: "Are there few that be saved?" Vulgate: si pauci sunt qui salvantu; Peschito: "are there few that live," or are alive; Philoxenian: "are there few that be rescued." Luke viii, 12: "That they might not believe and be saved;" Vulgate: salvi fiant; Peschito: "that they might not believe and live; Philoxenian: "That they might not believe and be rescued."

πνεύμα:

Thus, also, since there is no noun from ane, the Philoxenian uses xp, from the similar verb p, to deliver, for

σwrηp, Saviour, instead of the Peschito

no (Mah yo no),

Life-giver, and sp, rescue, deliverance, for σwinpia. The Peschito words rendered life and life-giver, etc., never occur in any such connection throughout this later translation, and to get rid of the mystical, and, as it was supposed, erroneous ideas conveyed by them, was probably the chief motive for which it was made. It was alleged that the Peschito had become antiquated; but it was, in fact, too young and primitive for the withered ideas that had succeeded its vivid language.

It may be remarked here, that the Peschito proper did not originally contain 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelations. Though there are Syriac Versions of these in our modern printed editions of the Peschito, yet it is alleged that they are of later date (perhaps a century or two), though not so late as the Philoxenian. The internal evidence that they did not belong to the old Peschito is even stronger than the traditional. Besides other varieties of style, there is an entire absence of the peculiarities of the older Version on which we have been dwelling, this rendering of salvation by life, Saviour by Life-giver, and the saved by the living. If all other proofs were wanting, this is sufficient evidence of their later translation, and fully confirms the tradition in this respect.

The fragments that remain of the old Gothic Scriptures afford precious and clear evidence that their subjective ideas of healing, health, spiritual soundness, life, were still predominantly attached to the Greek oornpia, and Latin salus, in the Fourth Century; at least by pious souls, like the good Bishop Ulfilas, who made that early version of the Bible. In this respect the Gothic is very much like the early Syriac. All its words for salvation, saving, Saviour, are from the root nisan, ganisan, which means to heal, be healed, become healed, well or sound, like the German genesen, which is the same word, meaning to grow well, recover health. Thus nasjands, allied to nisan, for Saviour, Luke ii, 11; compare Eph. v, 23: nasjands leikis, "healer of the body of the church." How exactly appropriate the Syriac and Gothic renderings, appears immediately from a study of the context: "Christ, the head of the church," the source of life and healing to the whole

body. So owrnpía is ganists, healing, heil. Compare Rom. x, 10; xi, 11: "Salvation to the Gentiles;" Syriac: life to the nations;" Gothic: Ganists, "healing to the nations." Compare Malachi iii, 20: "the Son of righteousness with healing in his wings." Many other places might be cited, but if the reader has the Gothic Version, and a vocabulary, he need only turn to the passages already quoted from the Peschito, to see how universal is this style of rendering.

The language of this Gothic Version is interesting to us from the fact of its affinity to our own Saxon tongue; and what makes its testimony the more striking is another fact, that they were an exceedingly warlike people for whom this translation was made. On this account the outward sense of rescue, etc., such as the Philoxenian Version has everywhere given to these words, would have been naturally quite acceptable, as being in harmony with their most cherished ideas. The modern church of Rome would not hesitate, at all, in making such an accomodation, if she were giving a Version of the Scriptures to a heathen and barbarian people. Ulfilas, it is said, did not translate for the Goths the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles, regarding them as having a tendency to encourage the military spirit, and, therefore, as not adapted to these semi-savage tribes. That is probably a fable. In regard however, to these precious words of salvation, nothing would have induced him thus to translate them, but the conviction that they most truly represented the Scripture in its original sense, as held by himself and the most pious souls of the age to which he belonged.

ART. II.-SIN AND SUFFERING IN THE UNIVERSE.*
By ALBERT BARNES.

To know

That which lies before us in daily life,

Is the prime wisdom: what is more is fume,

Or emptiness, or fond impertinence.

Paradise Lost, B. VIII.

INTRODUCTION.

The following Essay on "Sin and Suffering in the Universe" has been prepared as an explanation of some remarks, expressive of my own feelings on the subject, made more than twenty years ago. In a Sermon preached at the time and subsequently published, I used the following language :—

"I confess for one, that I feel them, and feel them more sensibly and powerfully the more I look at them, and the longer I live. I do not understand these facts, and I make no advances toward understanding them. I do not know that I have a ray of light on this subject which I had not when the subject first flashed across my soul. I have read, to some extent, what wise and good men have written. I have looked at their theories and explanations. I have endeavored to weigh their arguments, for my whole soul pants for light and relief on these questions. But I get neither, and in the distress and anguish of my own spirit, I confess that I see no light whatever. I see not one ray of light to disclose to me why sin came into the world, why the earth is strewn with the dying and the dead, and why men must suffer to all eternity. I have never seen a particle of light thrown on these subjects that has given a moment's ease to my tortured mind, nor have I an explanation to offer, or a thought to suggest, which would be of relief to you. I trust other men, as they profess to do, understand this better than I do, and that they have not the anguish of spirit which I have. But I confess, when I look upon a world of sinners and sufferers; upon death-beds and grave-yards; on the world of woe, filled with hosts to suffer forever; when I see my friends, my parents, my family, my people, my fellow-citizens-when I look upon a whole race all

*It is understood in conducting this Journal, that, when the name of an Author is appended to an Article, he alone is responsible for its doctrine. The Author desires that this may be understood in relation to this Article, and to the three on the same general subject, which will follow it in the succeeding numbers of this Quarterly REVIEW.

involved in this sin and danger; and when I see the great mass of them wholly unconcerned, and when I feel that God only can save them, and yet He does not do it, I am struck dumb. It is all dark, dark to my soul, and I can not disguise it."

This passage, which has often been referred to; which, I have reason to believe, has given pain to some of the friends of religion; and which has been made a theme of exultation by those who are opposed to the commonly received doctrines of Christianity, especially by those who are opposed to the doctrine of the future punishment of the wicked, was made the occasion of a printed letter of 16 pages, addressed to me in the Autumn of 1867, by the Hon. Gerritt Smith, of Peterboro, New York. That letter was entirely courteous in manner and in spirit, though commenting freely on the passage quoted, and was a model in this respect of what controversial writings should be on subjects so great and difficult as those to which the extract and the letter referred. To this letter of Mr. Smith I replied in five letters, published in the American Presbyterian of this city. In that reply it was my aim to imitate the spirit of Mr. Smith in his letter to me, while, at the same time, I followed his example in my comments on the sentiments which he had expressed, examining with entire freedom the views which he had suggested as a substitute for the views commonly held by those who believe the Bible to be a revelation from God, and which he supposed would furnish a relief from the difficulties which I had expressed.

In a more recent publication, Mr. Smith has reproduced the whole of this correspondence—his letter to me and my answer—with a reply to my letters, and with a republication of two pamphlets of his own on kindred subjects, as expressing more fully his views, the whole constituting a volume of 124 8vo. pages.*

This reply is in the same spirit of courtesy, freedom and kindness which was evinced in Mr. Smith's former letter, and has left me nothing to complain of in the manner in which he has treated me and my arguments. Whatever may be thought of our views and arguments on this great subject; whether any persons shall be confirmed in their former opinions by our reasoning, or shall be induced to change their opinions; or whether it shall be found that any new light has been shed on the very difficult subject involved in this discussion, I trust that some good may be done by the fact that, though differing very

*The title is, " Correspondence of Gerritt Smith with Albert Barnes, 1868. For sale by American News Company, New York; A. Winch, Philadelphia; New England News Company, Boston; Western News Company, Chicago; and by J. West, Peterboro, N. Y."