SECT. I.-The Grounds of Theologic Reasoning.

Faith, its first principle; based on reasonable evidences, which are its means; may proceed by the ascending or descending process; the latter adopted and exemplified; first, by the internal evidence; secondly, by the evidence of miracles; thirdly, by that of prophecy; fourthly, by types; fifthly, by our own experience-Reason may also inquire into the authenticity of the sacred writings; connects herself with history and philosophy 58-106

CHAP. IV.—HOLY SCRIPTURES.

The sole repository of revealed truth; reason an act of interpretation; truth uniform; the books of nature and of grace correspondent; Revelation, its mysteries; the style of Scripture prophetic and parabolical; artificial systems to be avoided; school logic hostile to Christian truth, no less than to sound philosophy; our hopes of the future; nature and grace to be compared, not confounded 107-125

CHAP. V.-INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIP

TURES.

The Bible the Word of God; requires a distinct rule of interpretation from any human volume; the Fathers indifferent interpreters; the schoolmen far worse; Poole's Synopsis. Our hopes of the future: I. By the cultivation of the learned languages; the importance of the Hebrew -the Greek-the Latin; the high value of the Septuagint:II. The knowledge of the styles and idioms of Scripture: the analogic, its vast extent and importance; the parabolic sanctioned by our Lord; often designedly obscure. Lowth, his merits and demerits as a sacred critic; too fond of classic elegance; the obscurities of unfulfilled prophecy to be preserved in the style of the interpreter; its parabolic concealment; double sense of prophecy

126-187

CHAP. VI.-TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Demands a mode of translation peculiar to itself; more strict

and literal than any other; difference of interpreter

and translator; our English version; its high value;

admits of improvement; the difficulties and defects of

our translators; the original text to be ascertained by

a collation of manuscripts; the rules of translation;

the translator to give up all party prejudice; to be

strict and grammatical; attend to the idioms of the ori-

ginal; aim at faithfulness rather than elegance; leave un-

touched the prophetio obscurities of the original; aim

at general plainness; the uniformity of the Scripture

diction; the high value of the Septuagint; caution

against aiming at classic elegance; recapitulation. Sketch

of the ascending method of studying the Scriptures, from

their authenticity, authority, divinity, &c. 188-266

CHAP. VII.-THEOLOGIC TRUTH.

Founded on faith; imperfect in its development; its scientific
imperfection; its peculiar difficulties; designed to try and
exercise the moral, rather than the intellectual faculties;
suited to moral discipline; its end eternal happiness; faith,
its sublime character; theology necessarily inferior to other
sciences in logical arrangement; its evidence dependant
on our trust in God; affords the amplest exercise for the
moral powers; union of the heart and understanding;
its first disciples unlearned but candid; the faith of the
patriarchs, prophets, and apostles various in degree;
uniform in nature and design; theologic truth united with
charity, constitutes wisdom; address to freethinkers; the
pre-eminent advantages of the Christian believer

THE

CHART AND SCALE OF TRUTH,

BY WHICH TO FIND THE CAUSE

OF ERROR.

T

PART II. THEOLOGY.

CHAP. I.

The Logic of Theology.

O this general Chart of Truth, specula

tive, practical and poetical, I now proceed to add another and far higher province, or rather, that which forms their metropolis and capital. Like a metropolis however, though distinct and superior, it holds an intimate connexion with all, and at once imparts and receives strength and glory from the union. This is a department of science, distinct in its nature, superior in its origin, more extensive in its objects, and more im

portant in its end-in which, the intellect, the will, and the imagination have universally the deepest interest, and the sublimest exercise.

This metropolitan province is the science of theology-a science resulting from the relation between God the Creator, the moral Governor of the universe, and man, the creature, the moral agent in this lower world. Out of this supreme relation, springs the law of the moral Governor, on the one handwhich is the will of God-and on the other, the obligation of the moral agent operating on the will and affections of man.-Here we find the foundation of all religion, which forms the crown and perfection of intellectual and moral truth.

Theologic truth consequently does not spring out of any material subject in the compass of the universe, nor from the mind of man, in its various operations or imitative effects, like those of the other kinds of truth, which we have previously discussed. It arises from another, and far higher source—the will of God, more fully and more immediately declared, than in the ordinary administration