i ciety, and late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. With an Appendix, containing the Journal of Mr. Joseph Greaves, on a Visit to the Regency of Tunis.... XIV. The Cathedral Antiquities of England; or, an Histori ́cal, Architectural, and Graphical Illustration of the English Cathedral Churches. By John Britton, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Honorary Member of the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Honorary Treasurer and Secretary to the London Architects' and Antiquaries' Society, Honorary Member of the Norwich Society of Artists, &c. XV. Hints to some Churchwardens; with a few Illustrations, relative to the Repair and Improvement of Parish Churches. With twelve Plates XVI. Some Account of the Life and Writings of the late Rev. Thomas Rennell, B.D. F.R.S. Vicar of Kensington, and Prebendary of Salisbury Sermons on various Subjects. By the late Rev. Thomas Rennell, Vicar of Kensington, &c.............. XVII. Justification by Faith: a course of Sermons preached before the University of Cambridge, in the Month of January, 1825. By the Rev. William Whittaker, B.D. Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, Vicar of Blackburn, and lately Domestic Chaplain to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury .... XVIII. The Scheme of Divine Revelation considered, principally in its Connection with the Progress and Improvement of Human Society; in Eight Sermons, preached before the University of Oxford, in the Year 1825, at the Lecture founded by the late Rev. John Bampton, M.A. Canon of Salisbury. By the Rev. George Chandler, LL.D. late Fellow of New College, Rector of Southam, Warwickshire, District Minister of Christ Church, St. Mary-le-bone, London, and Domestic Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry 136 144 163 167 181 196 XIX. Sermons. By the Rev. Robert Gordon, D.D. Minister of Hope Park Chapel, St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh .. 210 XX. Sermons, Expositions, and Addresses at the Holy Communion. By the late Alexander Waugh, A.M. Minister of the Scots Church, in Miles Lane, London. To which is prefixed, a short Memoir of the Author 220 A Literal Translation of the Psalms of David; solely upon the Authority of the Rev. J. Parkhurst, M.A. A Manual of Devotion for a Sick Person; containing Meditations, The Parish Church; or, Religion in Britain. By Thomas Wood, ......... PAGE 222 223 224 225 The Opinion of the Catholic Church for the first three Centuries, on the Necessity of believing that our Lord Jesus Christ is truly God. Translated from the Latin of Bishop Bull: to which is prefixed, a Memoir of his Life. By the Rev. T. Rankin ibid. Six Lectures on Popery; delivered in King-Street Chapel, Maidstone. By William Groser A Translation of Bishop Pearson's Annals of St. Paul: to which are added, Geographical and Critical Notes, illustrative of the Life and Labours of that Apostle, taken from the most approved Annotations ibid. Questions and Answers upon the History and Prophecies of the Old Testament, as illustrated and explained by Passages from the New Testament: intended chiefly for the Use of the Masters and Mistresses of the National Schools. By the Rev. W. H. Turner, B.D. Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford...... ibid. A Companion for Pilgrims in their Journey to Canaan: consisting of Divine Songs for their Recreation, Meditations on the various Experiences they meet with, and select Texts of Scripture for their Food and Nourishment by the Way Hymns. By John Bowring Biblical Memoranda (No. III.). Law Proceedings relative to the Church. State of the Dioceses in England and Wales List of Foreign Theological Publications .... 226 ibid. QUARTERLY THEOLOGICAL REVIEW. DECEMBER, 1825. A Dissertation on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel the Prophet. By the REV. JOHN STONARD, D. D. Rector of Aldingham, Lancashire. Pp. 492. 15s. London. Rivingtons. 1825. THERE are two prophecies in the Old Testament, which being delivered in language apparently easy in its construction, and scarcely admitting of a double interpretation, and being likewise limited to a period distinctly marked, should seem not only to be capable of a ready explanation by the aid of historical evidence, but likely to afford a clue for the unravelling of other predictions. We allude to Jeremiah's prophecy of the seventy years, and Daniel's of the seventy weeks. The former of these is so short, so simple, so distinct, that when once the captivity which it foretold had begun and ended, one is at a loss to know how any doubt could rest upon it. The latter is less simple in its construction, and it points to a longer period. The duration, however, of that period is distinctly marked, (for to understand the seventy weeks of so many septenaries of years can hardly escape the sagacity of a child,) and when that period has fairly run out, what hinders that the limits assigned by the prediction should be ascertained, and its meaning generally understood and acknowledged? How comes it, then, that a full and satisfactory solution of the difficulties which have attended the former of these is scarcely discovered even in the present age of the world; and that the skill and learning of some of our ablest biblical scholars are still employed in clearing up the mystery in which the latter is involved? Is it that the hand of the Most High has designedly hung a dark cloud over such portions of holy Writ, in order at once to excite a laudable spirit of enquiry, and to check a vain curiosity? Is it that in this, as in all his dealings with his creatures, he would make trial of their faith, and convince them that they must be ever learning, without acquiring perfect knowledge, approaching more nearly to him, yet looking forward to the future day of promise when all things shall be revealed? Is it that he has visited some ages with blindness and ignorance, as in the days of inspiration he, in just judgment, withheld his spirit from the prophets," night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision, and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine, and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them: then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded; yea, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer of God." Micah iii. 6, 7.;-and that even in the present day, when we would willingly hope that "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in the hearts of many of his servants, the unbelief of many, and the sins and infirmities of the best among us stand in the to hinder the full revelation of his Will and Truth? way Whatever may be thought of these things, it should appear from, the word of God as well as from the experience of past ages, that though the progress which we have made in the interpretation of prophecy gives little cause for boasting; yet we have abundant encouragement to proceed in our researches, so long as they are conducted in that spirit which alone can hope for a blessing,-a spirit of humility and faith, of devotion and sincere love of the truth. There are two things requisite in him who would hope to understand Prophecy aright, and trace out its fulfilment: a patient investigation of the meaning of the original-the literal meaning of the words, and then their sense according to the prophetic style; and that which may be thought sometimes to require almost equal patience, a scrupulous adherence to the written word. This is, perhaps, the more necessary upon a subject where some licence must be granted to the imagination. For if to some boldness of interpretation we add a freedom of conjectural emendation, where are we to stop? If we are at liberty to alter a text because it is obscure (there being reason to believe that the Almighty intended to veil it more or less in obscurity,) may not the whole face of the prediction be changed, till we ourselves become rather the prophets than the interpreters. There is indeed a remark made by Bishop Lowth, and none of his words should fall to the ground, that such forced interpretations as convey no meaning, or a very bad one, are equally conjectural with the boldest critical emendation. This may be true, and we are tempted to catch at the pleasing bait thus held out to us, and under the sanction of such an author to indulge our own fancies, or our vanity, if not our idleness. For be it observed that to alter the text is generally much easier than to discover the meaning of what we already find written.: The passage indeed which occasioned the remark that we have quoted (Is. Ixiv. 5.), may have suffered from transcribers. The Septuagint, at least, shews a different reading. What then is the language adopted by this accomplished scholar in commenting upon it? "I am fully persuaded that these words, as they stand in the present Hebrew texts, are utterly unintelligible: there is no doubt of the meaning of each word separately, but put together they make no sense at all. I conclude, therefore, that the copy has suffered by mistakes of transcribers, &c. In this difficulty what remains but to have recourse to conjecture?" Each succeeding commentator is, of course, at liberty to indulge his own invention, and the text will be altered according to the taste of him who handles it. They, we conceive, will act more wisely who shut themselves out from the exercise of such freedom, and are content to make the best they can of the words before them. How far they may derive assistance from old versions, or old manuscripts, or old commentaries, is another question; but mere conjectural emendation ought not to be admitted. If it be, the whole nature of a passage may be altered at our will; the present or the past may be substituted for the future; and instead of a prediction of events yet to come we may discover an historical record of those which had taken place. We are well aware that in delivering this opinion we are placing ourselves at issue with the most renowned of our bibli cal scholars and critics. Even Dr. Stonard, though he is scrupulous of altering a single word in the text of his author, admits that "the exigentia loci, when fairly made out, is always pleaded with great effect;" but, he adds with some point, "the exigentia interpretationis has not yet obtained firm footing in the canons and court of criticism." It is because we conceive that such emendations may almost always be traced to this exigentia interpretationis that we desire to shut the door against conjecture, as far as concerns the words of the text. The strange alterations which have been made in the prophecy of the seventy weeks by various translators and interpre ters, and amongst the rest by so able a critical scholar as the late Dr. Blaney, must be our apology for this expression of our own feelings upon the subject. The Doctor has not perhaps, strictly speaking, put forth any merely conjectural emendation; but by the aid of "patchwork readings," (to use an expressive phrase |