one

the work of author, their design being, partly, to support the power of the clergy, and the authority of the church, and partly, to please the admirers of Peter. Whiston is distinguished among the moderns, for his great exertions, to obtain for these writings the rank of sacred books. Another name, likewise of Latin derivation, is to be mentioned among the apostolic fathers, as they are called, though it is very doubtful who these writers were, which is, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, whose numerous Greek epistles were by many held in high estimation. It is a question with others, whether, of the seven epistles which were written on his journey to Rome, perhaps in the year 116, the larger or the shorter edition is to be considered entirely genuine; for there is a great difference in the editions. We reject them all, even that to Polycarp: for they are forgeries, and interpolated in various ways, and their subjects are mean, and almost childish. An epistle to the Philipians is attributed to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who is said to have lived to the middle of the second century. The authority of this also is doubtful. An epistle of Barnabas, (that Barnabas, indeed, who was the companion of St. Paul, if the story be credible,) was formerly much esteemed, as were the three fanatical books of Hermas. These belong to the second century. All these works may be found in the extensive collection, made by Cotelerius and Le Clerc, illustrated by various labors of learned men. Their ancient Latin translations are of use in throwing light upon the ecclesiastical style of writing. We are probably indebted for most of them to some persons of Alexandria, who thought it not proper that men, whose names were so much celebrated, should have left no writings, for the instruction of posterity. A judgment may be formed of the capacity, and moderate ability of the authors from these works, from which, I dare affirm, Christianity has derived neither honor nor credit; but, on the contrary, has received much injury."

In Semler's Selecta Capita, which is an earlier publication, than that from which I have quoted, there is nothing of importance relating to the writings in controversy, that is not repeated in his later work.

Such then seems to be the opinion of the learned, respecting one of the principal points in controversy between Dr. Priestley and his opponents.

(To be continued.)

[For the following translation we are indebted to a gentleman, from whose friendship and whose various learning we hope for other favors. It is taken from a publication of Eichorn's well known, at least by name, to the learned. Its German title is given below, and may be thus translated; "The Universal Library of Biblical Literature." It is a periodical publication, containing writings relating to theological subjects.

pose the lives of few men will be more interesting to the theological student, than that of Semler. The biography is probably written by Eichorn himself. Ed.]

BIOGRAPHY OF J. S. SEMLER :

Translated from the original, in Eichhorn's Allgemeine Bibliothek der Biblischen Litteratur. Band. 5. Theil. 1.

John Solomon Semler:

Born 18th December, 1725, died 14th March, 1791.

To the rare moral and literary phenomena of the present century, now drawing to a close, belongs, without dispute, the celebrated Doctor Semler, whose loss our literature has recently been called to deplore. What was theology in Germany when he took it in charge from the hands of Baumgarten?* And what has it now become through that kind of care, which he first took, and in which others followed him? A full quarter of a century he was employed in disrobing this science of the old and squalid garments, which Platonists and scholastics had thrown about her, and in bringing her back, renovated and endowed with new charms, to a reconciliation with her sister, philosophy, who had threatened wholly to reject her. From the time of these his first efforts, his German contemporaries were not indifferent to his claims. They were di

[Sigismund Jacob Baumgarten. He was professor of theology at Halle; he was born 1706, he died 1757; leaving numerous writings on theological subjects, and many translations of French and English works into German. Ed.]

vided into parties on his account, which admired or despised, which praised or blamed him; but on whichsoever side they enlisted, they all agreed in acknowledging that his character was irreproachable.

At length, however, the direction of his own mind and the voice of his contemporaries concerning him, were suddenly changed. From the way, in which he had so long indefatigably proceeded, he unexpectedly returned; and destroyed with his own hands the fabric, which he had erected with great exertions, and to which he had dedicated the full strength of his best years. All were now dissatisfied with him. They, who had formerly admired him for his supposed deserts, became his opposers, and his former opposers remained as before, averse from him and every thing he did. He lost all public approbation: and the last twelve years of his life were passed in sorrow and regret, that after so many years of exertion, he had outlived himself. After being for a time morally dead, the news of his actual decease was at length received with coldness and indifference.

It is a question whether posterity will reverence his great name more than his contemporaries have done. The writings of the most distinguished period of his life do indeed shed great light upon theology, and richly reward a diligent examination. But, because they were by turns blamed and praised, admired and calumniated, many of his contemporaries, for the sake of their reputation, used them only in silence; and thus his sentiments, without passing under his name, imperceptibly obtained circulation among our theologians. Still his writings are read only by a few; for it is a difficult task, on account of the total want of a regular, pleasant, and properly arranged style and manner, to become possessed of their contents. In short, none will give them a thorough perusal, but the most curious among the literati; because almost every thing that they contain of what is good, novel, great, or bold, is more easily found, and more amply and perfectly expressed, in the works of other theologians. Semler, notwithstanding all his unwearied diligence in theological pursuits, and his great influence upon the opinions of the last half century, and his being worthy on these accounts to be held in continual and grate

ful remembrance by posterity, is in great danger of being whol ly forgotten by the next generation, and of being robbed of what is peculiarly his own, from its circulating under other names. Such is the high-prized immortality of a name !

This sad destiny, which threatens the great name of Semler, it is not perhaps in my power to avert: yet still I venture to write something concerning him. If it be read only by few, and by these few soon be forgotten, still I shall enjoy the consciousness of having offered a tribute due to his memory. And should the account of this great reformer of theology fall into the hands of a generous youth, it may perhaps kindle the sparks of his noble spirit to such a flame, as shall give new light and warmth to future theologians.

He has written his own life to the time when his greater activity cominenced, with true fidelity. It explains however but imperfectly the sources of his literary character.

In consequence of a country education in the house of his father, an ecclesiastic of very limited pecuniary circumstances, in his native town, Saalfield, he was accustomed to a simple mode of life, and to what is of the first necessity to speculative scholars, temperance. His wishes kept within moderate bounds during the whole period of his life, and he was never occupied in those extravagant projects, which lead only to dissatisfaction with one's self and situation, and interrupt those bold literary undertakings, which without natural cheerfulness cannot be prosecuted with success. The curiosity, with which nature had richly endowed him, was in his early years directed to the ancient classics. The most common of these were at that time almost the only books, to be found in the small library of an ecclesiastic, and in a town where there was no public collection; for it was not then as now, that all classes in the cultivated parts of Germany were readers, and that the bookstores were filled with innumerable journals. The study of the classics led him to a manly course of reading, and thence to a right estimate of what was worth acquiring; to which the effeminate scholars of our times can never conduct a youth. But it may be questioned whether from an extreme love of reading he did not read too much, without choice and direc

tion, and without ascertaining whether the ancient author were adapted to his age. Thus passed his school-years in reading without a director in his course; by which indeed he acquired dexterity in catching the general meaning of a writer, but was not accustomed to exactness of interpretation, to laborious examination of readings, and to that nice judgment, concerning the beauties and defects in ancient authors, necessary for the forming of his taste. The dexterity, that I have mentioned, in which he left scholars of his standing far behind him, and which could not be observed without praise, did not supersede the necessity of skilful direction, to enable him to obtain these other qualifications; but his ambition was not directed to these objects. He thought facility and expedition in expressing his thoughts by writing, a greater perfection, than industrious care to place them methodically, and to express them with exactness and propriety. After pursuing his literary labors in conformity to this opinion, he fixed a habit, which became a second nature, and was so interwoven with his whole being, that it remained to the end of his life a distinguished part of his literary character.

Before he left school, he was in danger of being wholly disordered and impaired in his spirit and intellect. The principal persons of his native town were seized with a religious phrenzy. His father, who had great simplicity of character, withstood this malady till he was overpowered by the extremity of his situation. The son withstood it still longer; for one of his quick and penetrating mind was no subject for the infection. But at length compelled by respect for his father, he also fell into the same disorder.

In this state he went to the Orphan-house* at Halle, where

[This Orphan-house was an institution, which had for its immediate object, the maintenance and education of orphans, of both sexes; but its advantages were extended to many others. It is commonly called the Orphan-house of Halle, but it is in Glauche, a town adjoining the city. It was founded in 1694, by Professor Augustus Herman Franke, and was one of the most useful and noble establishments in the Prussian dominions. It was formerly much celebrated, and was resorted to from all parts of Europe. Several schools, and two charitable institutions, a nunnery and an almshouse for widows, were connected with it. The whole was under the