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INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY THE EDITOR
Preface
Preface, showing the utility of the treatise on Christian doctrine
Argument
Chap. 1.--The interpretation of Scripture depends on the discovery and enunciation of the meaning, and is to be undertaken in dependence on God's aid.
Chap. 2.--What a thing is, and what a sign
Chap. 3.--Some things are for use, some for enjoyment
Chap. 4.--Difference of use and enjoyment
Chap. 5.--The Trinity the true object of enjoyment
Chap. 6.--In what sense God is ineffable
Chap. 7.--What all men understand by the term God
Chap. 8.--God to be esteemed above all else because He is unchangeable Wisdom
Chap. 9.--All acknowledge the superiority of unchangeable: wisdom to that which is variable
Chap. 10.--To see God, the soul must be purified
Chap. 11.--Wisdom becoming incarnate, a pattern to us of purification
Chap. 12.--In what sense the Wisdom of God came to us
Chap. 13.--The Word was made flesh
Chap. 14.--How the wisdom of God healed man
Chap. 15.--Faith is buttressed by the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and is stimulated by His coming to judgment
Chap. 16.--Christ purges His church by medicinal afflictions
Chap. 17.--Christ, by forgiving our sins, opened the way to our home
Chap. 18.The keys given to the Church
Chap. 19.--Bodily and spiritual death and resurrection
Chap. 20.--The resurrection to damnation
Chap. 21.--Neither body nor soul extinguished at death
Chap. 22.--God alone to be enjoyed
Chap. 23.--Man needs no injunction to love himself and his own body
Chap. 24.--No man hates his own flesh, not even those who abuse it
Chap. 25.--A man may love something more than his body, but does not therefore hate his body
Chap. 26.--The command to love God and our neighbour includes a command to love ourselves
Chap. 27.--The order of love
Chap. 28.--How we are to decide whom to aid
Chap. 29.--We are to desire and endeavour that all men may love God
Chap. 30.--Whether angels are to be reckoned our neighbours
Chap. 31.--God uses rather than enjoys us
Chap. 32.--In what way God uses man
Chap. 33.--In what way man should be enjoyed
Chap. 34.--Christ the first way to God
Chap. 35.--The fulfilment and end of Scripture is the love of God and our neighbour
Chap. 36.--That interpretation of Scripture which builds us up in love is not perniciously deceptive nor mendacious, even though it be faulty. The interpreter, however should be corrected
Chap. 37.--Dangers of mistaken interpretation
Chap. 38.--Love never faileth
Chap. 39.--He who is mature in faith hope and love, needs Scripture no longer
Chap. 40.--What manner of reader Scripture demands
The author divides his work into two parts, one relating to the discovery, the other to the expression, of the true sense of Scripture. He shows that to discover the meaning we must attend both to things and to signs, as it is necessary to know what things we ought to teach to the Christian people, and also the signs of these things, that is, where the knowledge of these things is to be sought. In this first book he treats of things, which he divides into three classes,--things to be enjoyed, things to be used, and things which use and enjoy. The only object which ought to be enjoyed is the Triune God, who is our highest good and our true happiness. We are prevented by our sins from enjoying God; and that our sins might be taken away, "The Word was made Flesh," our Lord suffered, and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, taking to Himself as his bride the Church, in which we receive remission of our sins. And if our sins are remitted and our souls renewed by grace, we may await with hope the resurrection of the body to eternal glory; if not, we shall be raised to everlasting punishment. These matters relating to faith having been expounded, the author goes on to show that all objects, except God, are for use; for, though some of them may be loved, yet our love is not to rest in them, but to have reference to God. And we ourselves are not objects of enjoyment to God: he uses us, but for our own advantage. He then goes on to show that love--the love of God for His own sake and the love of our neighbour for God's sake--is the fulfilment and the end of all Scripture. After adding a few words about hope, he shows, in conclusion, that faith, hope, and love are graces essentially necessary for him who would understand and explain aright the Holy Scriptures.
Argument
Chap. 1.--Signs, their nature and variety
Chap. 2.--Of the kind of signs we are now concerned with
Chap. 3.--Among signs, words hold the chief place
Chap. 4.--Origin of writing
Chap. 5.--Scripture translated into various languages
Chap. 6.--Use of the obscurities in Scripture which arise from its figurative language
Chap. 7.--Steps to wisdom: first, fear; second, piety; third, knowledge; fourth, resolution; fifth, counsel; sixth, purification of heart; seventh, stop or termination, wisdom
Chap. 8.--The canonical books
Chap. 9.--How we should proceed in studying Scripture
Chap. 10.--Unknown or ambiguous signs prevent Scripture from being understood
Chap. 11.--Knowledge of languages especially of Greek and Hebrew, necessary to remove ignorance of signs
Chap. 12.--A diversity of interpretations is useful. Errors arising from ambiguous words
Chap. 13.--How faulty interpretations can be emended
Chap. 14.--How the meaning of unknown words and idioms is to be discovered
Chap. 15.--Among versions a preference is given to the Septuagint and the Itala
Chap. 16.--The knowledge both of language and things is helpful for the understanding of figurative expressions
Chap. 17.--Origin of the legend of the nine Muses
Chap. 18.--No help is to be despised even though it come from a profane source
Chap. 19.--Two kinds of heathen knowledge
Chap. 20.--The superstitious nature of human institutions
Chap.21.--Superstition of astrologers
Chap. 22.--The folly of observing the stars in order to predict the events of a life
Chap. 23.--Why we repudiate arts of divination
Chap. 24.--The intercourse and agreement with demons which superstitious observances maintain
Chap. 25.--In human institutions which are not superstitious, there are some things superfluous and some convenient and necessary
Chap. 26.--What human contrivances we are to adopt, and what we are to avoid
Chap. 27.--Some departments of knowledge, not of mere human invention, aid us in interpreting Scripture
Chap. 28.--To what extent history is an aid
Chap. 29.--To what extent natural science is an exegetical aid
Chap. 30.--What the mechanical arts contribute to exegetics
Chap. 31.--Use of dialectics. Of fallacies
Chap. 32.--Valid logical sequence is not devised but only observed by man
Chap. 33.--False inferences may be drawn from valid seasonings, and vice versa
Chap. 34.--It is one thing to know the laws of inference, another to know the truth of opinions
Chap. 35.--The science of definition is not false, though it may be applied to falsities
Chap. 36.--The rules of eloquence are true, though sometimes used to persuade men of what is false
Chap. 37.--Use of rhetoric and dialectic
Chap. 38.--The science of numbers not created, but only discovered, by man
Chap. 39.--To which of the above-mentioned studies attention should be given, and in what spirit
Chap. 40.--Whatever has been rightly said by the heathen, we must appropriate to our uses
Chap. 41.--What kind of spirit is required for the study of Holy Scripture
Chap. 42.--Sacred Scripture compared with profane authors
Having completed his exposition of things, the author now proceeds to discuss the subject of signs. He first defines what a sign is, and shows that there are two classes of signs, the natural and the conventional. Of conventional signs (which are the only class here noticed), words are the most numerous and important, and are those with which the interpreter of Scripture is chiefly concerned. The difficulties and obscurities of Scripture spring chiefly from two sources, unknown and ambiguous signs. The present book deals only with unknown signs, the ambiguities of language being reserved for treatment in the next book. The difficulty arising from ignorance of signs is to be removed by learning the Greek and Hebrew languages, in which Scripture is written, by comparing the various translations, and by attending to the context. In the interpretation of figurative expressions, knowledge of things is as necessary as knowledge of words; and the various sciences and arts of the heathen, so far as they are true and useful, may be turned to account in removing our ignorance of signs, whether these be direct or figurative. Whilst exposing the folly and futility of many heathen superstitions and practices, the author points out how all that is sound and useful in their science and philosophy may be turned to a Christian use. And in conclusion, he shows the spirit in which it behoves us to address ourselves to the study and interpretation of the sacred books.
Argument.
Chap. 1.--Summary of the foregoing books, and scope of that which follows
Chap. 2.--Rule for removing ambiguity by attending to punctuation
Chap. 3.--How pronunciation serves to remove ambiguity--different kinds of interrogation
Chap. 4.--How ambiguities may be solved
Chap. 5.--It is a wretched slavery which takes the figurative expressions of Scripture in a literal sense
Chap. 6.--Utility of the bondage of the Jews
Chap. 7.--The useless bondage of the gentiles
Chap. 8.--The Jews liberated from their bondage in one way, the gentiles in another
Chap. 9.--Who is in bondage to signs, and who not
Chap. 10.--How we are to discern whether a phrase is figurative
Chap. 11.--Rule for interpreting phrases which seem to ascribe severity to God and the saints
Chap. 12.--Rule for interpreting those sayings and actions which are ascribed to God and the saints and which yet seem to the unskilful to be wicked
Chap. 13.--Same subject, continued
Chap. 14.--Error of those who think that there is no absolute right and wrong
Chap. 15.--Rule for interpreting figurative expressions
Chap. 16.--Rule for interpreting commands and prohibitions
Chap. 17.--Some commands are given to all in common, others to particular classes
Chap. 18.--We must take into consideration the time at which anything was enjoyed or allowed
Chap. 19.--Wicked men judge others by themselves
Chap. 20.--Consistency of good men in all outward circumstances
Chap. 21.--David not lustful, though he fell into adultery
Chap. 22.--Rule regarding passages of Scripture in which approval is expressed of actions which are now condemned by good men
Chap. 23.--Rule regarding the narrative of sins of great men
Chap. 24.--The character of the expressions used is above all to have weight
Chap. 25.--The same word does not always signify the same thing
Chap. 26.--Obscure passages are to be interpreted by those which are clearer
Chap. 27.--One passage susceptible of various interpretations
Chap. 28.--It is safer to explain a doubtful passage by other passages of Scripture than by reason
Chap. 29.--The knowledge of tropes is necessary
Chap. 30.--The rules of Tichonius the Donatist examined
Chap. 31.--The first rule of Tichonius
Chap. 32.--The second rule of Tichonius
Chap. 33.--The third rule of Tichonius
Chap. 34.--The fourth rule of Tichonius
Chap. 35.--The fifth rule of Tichonius
Chap. 36.--The sixth rule of Tichonius
Chap. 37.--The seventh rule of Tichonius
The author, having discussed in the preceding book the method of dealing with unknown signs, goes on in this third book to treat of ambiguous signs. Such signs may be either direct or figurative. In the case of direct signs ambiguity may arise from the punctuation, the pronunciation, or the doubtful signification of the words, and is to be resolved by attention to the context, a comparison of translations, or a reference to the original tongue. In the case of figurative signs we need to guard against two mistakes:--1. the interpreting literal expressions figuratively; 2. the interpreting figurative expressions literally. The author lays down rules by which we may decide whether an expression is literal or figurative; the general rule being, that whatever can be shown to be in its literal sense inconsistent either with purity of life or correctness of doctrine must be taken figuratively. He then goes on to lay down rules for the interpretation of expressions which have been proved to be figurative; the general principle being, that no interpretation can be true which does not promote the love of God and the love of man. The author then proceeds to expound and illustrate the seven rules of Tichonius the Donatist, which he commends to the attention of the student of Holy Scripture.
Argument.
Chap. 1.--This work not intended as a treatise on rhetoric
Chap. 2.--It is lawful for a Christian teacher to use the art of rhetoric
Chap. 3.--The proper age and the proper means for acquiring rhetorical skill
Chap. 4.--The duty of the Christian teacher
Chap. 5.--Wisdom of more importance than eloquence to the Christian teacher
Chap. 6.--The sacred writers unite eloquence with wisdom
Chap. 7.--Examples of true eloquence drawn from the epistles of Paul and the prophecies of Amos
Chap. 8.--The obscurity of the sacred writers, though compatible with eloquence, not to be imitated by Christian teachers
Chap. 9.--How, and with whom, difficult passages are to be discussed
Chap. 10.--The necessity for perspicuity of style
Chap. 11.--The Christian teacher must speak clearly, but not inelegantly
Chap. 12.--The aim of the orator, according to Cicero, is to teach, to delight, and to move. Of these, teaching is the most essential
Chap. 13.--The hearer must be moved as well as instructed
Chap. 14.--Beauty of diction to be in keeping with the matter
Chap. 15.--The Christian teacher should pray before preaching
Chap. 16.--Human directions not to be despised though God makes the true teacher
Chap. 17.--Threefold division of the various styles of speech
Chap. 18.--The Christian orator is constantly dealing with great matters
Chap. 19.--The Christian teacher must use different styles on different occasions
Chap. 20.--Examples of the various styles drawn from Scripture
Chap. 21.--Examples of the various styles, drawn from the teachers of the church, especially Ambrose and Cyprian
Chap. 22.--The necessity of variety in style
Chap. 23.--How the various styles should be mingled
Chap. 24.--The effects produced by the majestic style
Chap. 25.--How the temperate style is to be used
Chap. 26.--In every style the orator should aim at perspicuity, beauty, and persuasiveness
Chap. 27.--The man whose life is in harmony with his teaching will teach with greater effect
Chap. 28.--Truth is more important than expression. What is meant by strife about words
Chap. 29.--It is permissible for a preacher to deliver to the people what has been written by a more eloquent man than himself
Chap. 30.--The preacher should commence his discourse with prayer to God
Chap. 31.--Apology for the length of the work
Passing to the second part of his work, that which treats of expression, the author premises that it is no part of his intention to write a treatise on the laws of rhetoric. These can be learned elsewhere, and ought not to be neglected, being indeed specially necessary for the Christian teacher, whom it behoves to excel in eloquence and power of speech. After detailing with much care and minuteness the various qualities of an orator, he recommends the authors of the Holy Scriptures as the best models of eloquence, far excelling all others in the combination of eloquence with wisdom. He points out that perspicuity is the most essential quality of style, and ought to be cultivated with especial care by the teacher, as it is the main requisite for instruction, although other qualities are required for delighting and persuading the hearer. All these gifts are to be sought in earnest prayer from God, though we are not to forget to be zealous and diligent in study. He shows that there are three species of style,--the subdued, the elegant, and the majestic; the first serving for instruction, the second for praise, and the third for exhortation: and of each of these he gives examples, selected both from Scripture and from early teachers of the Church, Cyprian and Ambrose. He shows that these various styles may be mingled, and when and for what purposes they are mingled; and that they all have the same end in view, to bring home the truth to the hearer, so that he may understand it, hear it with gladness, and practice it in his life. Finally, he exhorts the Christian teacher himself, pointing out the dignity and responsibility of the office he holds, to lead a life in harmony with his own teaching, and to show a good example to all.
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