II. Epistles of Ignatius—­6.  Notices of Ignatius—­The Seven Genuine Epistles that bear his Name—­Unsatisfactory State of the Text—­Syriac and Armenian Versions—­Enumeration of these Epistles—­Their Character—­Strong Ecclesiastical Spirit that pervades them—­His Letter to the Romans—­The Undue Desire of Martyrdom which it manifests—­His Letter to Polycarp—­7.  Spurious Epistles ascribed to Ignatius, and their Character

III. Epistle of Polycarp—­8.  Notices of Polycarp—­His Epistle to the Philippians—­Its Character and Contents—­Time and Occasion of its Composition

IV. Writings of Barnabas and Hermas—­9.  Their Doubtful Authority—­10.  The So-called Epistle of Barnabas—­Tischendorf’s Discovery of the Original Greek Text—­The Author and Date of the Work—­Notice of its Contents—­Its Fanciful Method of Interpretation—­11.  The Shepherd of Hernias—­Outward Form of the Work—­Its Internal Character—­Its Author and Age

V. The Apostle’s Creed—­12.  In what Sense it belongs to the Apostolic Fathers—­Apostolic Character of its Contents

VI. Apocryphal Gospels and Acts—­13. Their Number—­Their Worthless Character in Contrast with that of the Canonical Gospels and Acts

* * * * *

PART IV.

A DISCUSSION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS—­1.  Definition of Certain Terms—­Hermeneutics, Exegesis, Epexegesis—­2.  The Expositor’s Office—­Parallel between his Work and that of the Textual Critic—­3.  Qualifications of the Biblical Interpreter—­A Supreme Regard for Truth—­4.  A Sound Judgment with the Power of Vivid Conception—­Office of Each of these Qualities and their Relation to Each Other—­5.  Sympathy with Divine Truth—­6.  Extensive and Varied Acquirements—­The Original Languages of the Bible; Sacred Geography and Natural History; Biblical Antiquities; Ancient History and Chronology—­7.  General Remarks on the above Qualifications—­8.  The Human and Divine Side to Biblical Interpretation—­The Importance of observing Both

FIRST DIVISION—­INTERPRETATION VIEWED ON THE HUMAN SIDE.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION—­1.  Signification of the Terms employed how ascertained, with some Superadded Remarks—­2.  On Ascertaining the Sense of Scripture—­3.  The Scope General and Special—­Its Supreme Importance illustrated—­How the Scope is to be ascertained—­The Author’s Statements; Inferential Remarks; Historical Circumstances—­Important Help derived from the Repeated and Careful Perusal of a Work—­4.  The Context defined and distinguished from the Scope—­Indispensable Necessity of attending to it—­This illustrated by Examples—­Question respecting the Limits