y .\ -'V :SS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library https://archive.org/details/presbyterianrefo3918warf : The Presbyterian and Reformed Review. EDITORS: Benjamin B. Warfield, Talbot W. Chambers, Wm. G. T. Shedd, Willis J. Beecher, Wm. H. Jeffers, John DeWitt, Edward D. Morris, William Alexander, S. M. WOODBRIDGE, ' V ; AT i.M CAVEN. vol u • .: in. 1892 . Lipina Published for the Presb’n and Ref d Review Association, by MacCALLA & 00., 237-9 DOCK STREET. the Review Copyright, 1892 , by Presbyterian and Reformed Association. HacCalla & Company, Printers, 237-9 Dock St., Phila. CONTENTS. PAGE. Amusements, Popular, and the Church. Sylvester W. Beach. 709 Apostolic Fathers, The, and New Testament Revelation. Hugh M. Scott jD.D 479 , Astruc, Jean. Howard Osgood, D.D., LL.D 83 Bible, The, and Criticism. Charles A. Aiken, D.D 687 Calvin as a Commentator. Philip SchafiF, D.D., LL.D 462 Canonicity, Apostolic Origin or Sanction the Ultimate Test. William McPheeters D.D 246 M. , Christianity and Social Problems. Charles A. Aiken D.D 64 , Columbus, Christopher. Ethelbert D. Warfield, LL.D 258 Creation, The Semitic Tradition of. John D. Davis, Ph.D 448 Deacon versus Trustee. John Fox, D.D 276 Divorce, Willful Desertion a Ground of. Samuel T. Lowrie, D.D. 297 England, Theological Movements in the Church of. Charles H. Waller 651 Eschatology, The, of our S}r mbols. Edward D. Morris, D.D., French-speaking Protestants, Recent Movements of Theological Thought Among. A. Gretillat 421 Isaiah xl-lxvi, The Genuineness of. William Henry Green, D.D. 229 Jerusalem, Discoveries in. Selah Merrill, D.D 630 Missionary Work, The School a Factor in. George W. Gilmore, A.M., James S. Dennis, D.D., Benjamin C. Henry, D.D., James J. Lucas, D.D., C. W. Forman, D.D., Lai Bahari Day, Augustus C. Good, M.A., George Wilkinson Knox, D.D. 489 Netherlands, Recent Dogmatic Thought in the. Herman Bavinck, D.D 209 Old Testament, The Testimony of Christ to the. William Caven, D.D 401 Religious Life, The Present Aspect of our. A. Gosman, D.D.. 665 Ritschl’s Theology. Charles M. Mead, D.D 1 Russian Empire, Religious Thought in the. Nicholas Bjerring 103 Satan in the Old Testament. Talbot W. Chambers, D.D., LL.D. 22 Seven Churches, Structure of the Message to the. Thomas Murphy, D.D 470 Socialism. James MacGregor, D.D 35 IV Contents. Historical and Critical Notes. PAGE. Textual Criticism of the Old Testment, Some Recent Works on. Lewis B. Paton A.M 123 , IT rim and Tkummim. Henry E. Doslcer, D.D 717 Editorial Notes. Canada, The General Assembly of the Presbjderian Church in. William Caven, D.D 740 Current Topics. William G. T. Shedd, D.D., LL.D 313 Driver’s Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament. Talbot W. Chambers, D.D. LL.D 518 , Ministers, Points as to our SuppH of. Willis J. Beecher, D.D., Revision of the Confession, Final Report of the Committee on. Benjamin B. D.D. LL.D 322 Warfield , , Reformed Church in America, The General Synod of. T. W. Chambers, D.D. LL.D 736 , The Cloud of Witnesses. William Alexander, D.D 731 The One Hundred and Fourth General Assemblj'. Benjamin B. D.D. LL.D 530 Warfield, , Obituary Notes. Charles Augustus Aiken. D.D. LL.D.. 331 Benjamin B. Warfield, , Thomas Harvey Skinner. John DeWitt D.D. LL.D 514 , , Reviews of Recent Theological Literature. Exegetical Theology 137, 335, 542, 744 Historical Theology 154, 350, 561, 753 Systematic Theology 166, 365, 580, 758 Practical Theology 182, 379, 595, 764 Historical Literature 385 Oriental Literature 186 Philological Literature 767 General Literature 203, 604, 791 General Index 795 THE PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMED RE VIE AY No. 9—January, 1892. I. RITSCHL’S THEOLOGY. HE rapid growth of the Eitschl school of theology in Ger- T many during the last twenty years is a phenomenon which, whatever may he one’s estimate of the theology itself, is deserving of careful attention. Though it may not yet have produced any marked impression in our own country, past experience shows that it cannot in the long run fail to find zealous representatives and advocates among us. It is well, therefore, to inquire what its merits and defects are. If our judgment is on the whole unfavor- able, it will have to be in spite of the most extravagant claims of the adherents of the Gottingen theologian. They have inherited from him, as we may say, an arrogant assumption, a claim to little short of infallibility for themselves, accompanied by an almost contemptuous condemnation of all opinions dissonant from theirs. While such a tone naturally provokes opponents to vigor, or even bitterness, in their opposition, we shall seek to exercise a dispassion- ate judgment in the examination which wr e now undertake. I. Let us first attempt to state the causes of the favor which Eitschl’s theology has received. For the mere pretense of having found the only correct statement of Christian truth would not of itself have secured so large a body of devoted adherents. We shall find that the theology in question has characteristics suited to commend it to large circles of Christians. What are these characteristics? 1. It emphasizes the moral element in the religious life. It exalts the practical above the theoretical. According to some, it makes religion identical with morality but its representatives insist ; “ that they make a distinction. As Herrmann puts it : The founcla- 1 2 THE PRESB TTERIAN AND REFORMED REVIEW. tion of ethics can be laid without any regard to religion. But the development of ethics can be accomplished only in connection with a religious view of the world.” * “ The moral sense which moves in the thoughts of an unconditional law, and in the connected ones of freedom and of purpose, has its concrete reality only through the mediation of religion.”f. 2. It falls in with the prevalent aversion to speculative philos- ophy. It wages a vigorous polemic against so-called “ heathen metaphysics.” It professes to be independent of the shifting founda- tion which the varying types of human philosophy must be to all theological systems which are shaped by metaphysical theories. It is, however, an error to represent Ritschl as repudiating all meta- “ physics. lie expressly says : Every theologian, as being a scien- tific man, is necessitated or obliged to proceed according to a definite theory of cognition of which he must be conscious and the correct- ness of which he must show. Accordingly it is an inconsiderate and incredible assertion, that 1 eliminate all metaphysics from theol- ogy.”^; At the same time he denounces all previous systems of theology as being vitiated by metaphysical subtleties. He criticises especially the metaphysical attempts that have been made to set forth the nature of God and the doctrine of the Trinity. He pro- fesses to simplify theology by confining its problems to the scientific statement of what practical Christianity actually consists in. And such an attempt naturally seems to be a commendable thing, when we consider how various, mutually contradictory, subtle, and unprac- tical a large part of the theology of the Christian Church has been. 3. This theology lays great stress on the historical revelation of God as being its sole foundation. Natural theology is practically discarded. Christianity is taken as a great fact, and its character- istics are set forth. Herein the theology in question certainly manifests a healthy tendenc}7’. Natural theology, even if it be conceded to have a legitimate place in scientific Christianity, must be admitted to be in fact shaped by the views which Christianity has propagated and made the common property of Christendom. Moreover, the emphasis which is laid upon revelation seems to make the Ritschl theology par excellence antithetic to rationalism, which minimizes or rejects altogether the determining character of revela- tion in the development of religion. 4. It also serves to commend this theology to thoughtful men of the present day that it professes to deliver theology from all possi- bility of collision with secular science. By eliminating speculations which at the best can be made only plausible but cannot compel conviction, and confining the province of theology to the task of *Die Religion tin Verhaltniss zum Welterkenntniss und zur Sittlichkeit, p. 231. t Ibid., p. 267. J Theologie und Metaphysik, ed. 1, p. 38. RITSCEL’S THEOLOGY. 3 stating and unfolding the actual experiences of the Christian life, it appears to assume an attitude that is unassailable. It does not spend its strength in maintaining mere dogmas, which at the best can only be made out to be probably true, and which in any case can be apprehended only by a trained mind it aims to set forth Chris- ; tianity as an experienced and undeniable fact. The practical truths of religion are not made to depend on a demonstration of disputed propositions, but upon the immediate consciousness of the Christian. And therefore natural aud metaphysical science, having nothing to do with them, can never disturb them. II. If we turn now to ask more particularly what the distinctive features of Eitschl’s theology are, they may be briefly stated in the following particulars, some of which have been incidentally touched on in the foregoing. 1. Eeligion in general is conceived as originating in an aspiration after help from higher powers, in the struggle with the obstacles and hardships which come from the natural world. Hence 2. The essence and aim of the religious life is to overcome the world, to become superior to it by faithful labor or by patient endurance.