CHAPTER XI. ON HARMONIES OF SCRIPTURE. 1. Occasion and Design of Harmonies of the Scriptures. II. Works reconciling alleged or seeming Contradictions in the Sacred Writings. --III. Harmonies of the Old Testament.—IV. Harmonies of the Four Gospels.-V. 1. Harmonies of particular parts of the Gospels.-2. Harmonies of the Acts of the Apostles and of the Apostolical Epistles. -VI. Observations VI. Observations on the different Schemes of Harmonisers, and on the Duration of the Public Ministry of Jesus Christ. I. THE several books of the Holy Scriptures, having been written at different times and on different occasions, necessarily treat on a great variety of subjects, historical, doctrinal, moral, and prophetic. The sacred authors also, writing with different designs, have not aways related the same events in the same order: some are introduced by anticipation; and others again are related first which should have been placed last. Hence seeming contradictions have arisen, which have been eagerly seized by the adversaries of Christianity, in order to perplex the minds and shake the faith of those who are not able to cope with their sophistries: though, as we have seen in the preceding volume of this work, there is no foundation whatever for charging real contradictions on the Scriptures. The manifest importance and advantage of comparing the sacred writers with each other, and of reconciling apparent contradictions, have induced many learned men to undertake the compilation of works, which, being designed to show the perfect agreement of all parts of the sacred writings, are commonly termed Harmonies. A multitude of works of this description, has at different times been issued from the press; the execution of which has varied according to the different designs of their respective authors. They may, however, be referred to four classes; viz. — Works which have for their object the reconciling of apparent contradictions in the Sacred Writings;-Harmonies of the Old Testament, which exhibit a combined account of the various narratives therein contained; — similar Harmonies of the New Testament; and Harmonies of particular books. Walchius, Fabricius, and other bibliographers have given accounts of very numerous works of this description: it is proposed in this chapter to notice only a few of those which are most deserving of attention. II. Among those harmonies, which have for their object the reconciling of apparent contradictions in the sacred writings generally, following publications are the best known. 1. Michaelis Waltheri Harmonia Biblica; sive brevis et plana Conciliatio locorum Veteris et Novi Testamenti, adparenter sibi contradicentium. Noribergæ, 1696, folio. This work first appeared at Strasburg (Argentorati) in 1626, and has been repeatedly printed in Germany: the edition of 1696 is reputed to be the best and most correct. Walther's Harmonia Biblica is a work of considerable learning and industry, which illustrates many difficult passages with great ability. He has, however, unnecessarily augmented the number of seemingly contradictory passages; a defect which is common to most of the writers of this class. 2. Christiani Matthiæ Antilogiæ Biblica; sive Conciliationes Dictorum Scripturæ Sacræ, in speciem inter se pugnantium, secundum seriem locorum theologicorum in ordinem redactæ. Hamburgi, 1500, 4to. 3. Symphonia Prophetarum et Apostolorum; in quâ, ordine chronologico Loci Sacræ Scripturæ specie tenus contradicentes, conciliantur, ut et ad quæstiones difficiliores chronologicas et alias Veteris Testamenti respondetur; in duas partes divisa. Auctore D. M. Johanne Scharpio, Scoto-Britanno, Andreapolitano, pastore. Genevæ, 1525, 4to. 4. The Reconciler of the Bible enlarged, wherein above three thousand seeming Contradictions throughout the Old and New Testament are fully and plainly reconciled. By Thomas Man, London, 1662, folio. 5. Johannis Thaddai Conciliatorium Biblicum. Amstelodami, 1648, 12mo. Londini, 1662, folio. The last is reputed to be the best edition, and professes to be considerably enlarged. This work follows the order of the several books of the Old and New Testament. The remark above made, on Walther's Officina Biblica, is equally applicable to Mr. Man's work, to the Conciliatorium Biblicum of Thaddeus, and also to 6. The Dividing of the Hooff: or Seeming Contradictions throughout the Sacred Scriptures, distinguish'd, resolv'd, and apply'd, for the strengthening of the faith of the feeble, doubtfull, and weake, in wavering times. Also to bring the soule (by prayer and spirituall application) into more familiar acquaintance with the Lord Jesus, the onely David's-Key, to unlock the cabinet of Jacob's God, to fetch out that secret, why he should lay his hands thus crosse when he gave his children this blessing. Helpfull to every houshold of faith. By William Streat, M. A. London, 1654. 4to. This work is occasionally found in booksellers' catalogues, where it is marked as both rare and curious. It is noticed here merely to put the student on his guard not to purchase it. The critical information it contains is very meager; and the quaint title-page, which we have copied, sufficiently indicates the enthusiastic spirit of the author. 7. Joannis Pontasii Sacra Scriptura ubique sibi constans; seu Difficiliores Sacræ Scripturæ Loci, in Speciem secum pugnantes, juxta sanctorum ecclesiæ sanctæ patrum celeberrimorumque theologorum sententiam conciliati. Paris, 1698, 4to. M. Pontas was distinguished for his knowledge of casuistical theology. His design in this publication was to have reconciled all the seeming contradictions of the Scriptures, but he proceeded no further than through the Pentateuch. It is a work of considerable learning and research. 8. The Harmony of Scripture; or an attempt to reconcile various passages apparently contradictory. By the late Rev. Andrew Fuller, 8vo. London, 1817. This posthumous tract contains fifty-five judicious observations on so many apparently contradictory texts of Scripture. They were originally written for the satisfaction of a private individual. III. The following works are more particularly worthy of notice among the various Harmonies, which have for their object the elucidation of the Old Testament by disposing the historical, poetical, and prophetical books, in chronological order, so that they may mutually explain and authenticate one another.1 1. A Chronicle of the Times and the Order of the Texts of the Old Testament, wherein the books, chapters, psalms, stories, prophecies, &c., are reduced into their proper order, and taken up in the proper places, in which the natural method and genuine series of the chronology requireth them to be taken in. With reason given of dislocations, where they come. And many remarkable notes and observations given, all along for the better understanding of the text; the difficulties of the chronicle declared; the differences occurring in the relating of stories reconciled; and exceeding many scruples and obscurities in the Old Testament explained. This Chronicle' is to be found in the first volume of Dr. Lightfoot's works, published at London, in 1634, in two volumes folio, and in the second volume of the octavo London edition, printed in 1822-23. Of all the theologians of his time, this celebrated divine (whose opinion was consulted by every scholar of note, both British and foreign,) is supposed to have been the most deeply versed in the knowledge of the Scriptures. "It was his custom for many years, to note down, as opportunity presented, in the course of his talmudical and rabbinical studies, the order and time of the several passages of Scripture, as they came under his consideration." By pursuing this method he gradually formed the invaluable chronicle, the title of which has just been given. In what year it was first published, we have not been able to ascertain, but it probably was not before the year 1646 or 1647, as it is not mentioned by Mr. Torshel, in the publication which is noticed below. In this work, Dr. Lightfoot has briefly stated the summary or substance of the historical parts of the Old Testament, and has indicated the order in which the several chapters, psalms, and prophecies are to be placed. In the margin he has given the years of the world, and of the judges or sovereigns under whose administration the several events took place. Notwithstanding the differences in opinion entertained by the learned concerning the chronology of particular events, the general method of this Chronicle' has been, and still continues to be, held in the highest estimation by all who are competent duly to appreciate its merits. About or soon after the appearance of Dr. Lightfoot's Chronicle, Mr. Samuel Torshel, another learned Englishman, published at London, in 1647, a quarto tract entitled 2. A Designe about disposing the Bible into an Harmony. Or, an Essay concerning the transposing the order of books and chapters of the Holy Scriptures, for the reducing of all into a continued history. The Benefits. It appears from the preface that Mr. Torshel was preceptor of the children of King Charles I. under the Earl of Northumberland; and his tract was addressed To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament,' whom he endeavoured to excite to patronise the undertaking, by the consideration of the glory which had redounded to France by the then recent publication of the Parisian Polyglott, in'ten folio volumes. The state, however, paid no regard to this address, and the design which Torshel had ably sketched, was never accomplished. He proposed "to lay the whole story together in a continued connection, the books, or parts of books, and all the severall parcels disposed and placed in their proper order, as the continuance and chronicall method of the Scripture 1 Walchius has described a great number of works reconciling the seeming discrepancies in the sacred writers, as well as Harmonies of the Öld Testament by eminent critics of former times. But as our design is to notice only those which are accessible to biblical students, the reader, who is desirous of seeing an account of their labours, is referred to his Bibliotheca Theologica Selecta, vol. iv. pp. 854 history requires; so that no sentence nor word in the whole Bible be omitted, nor any thing repeated, or any word inserted but what is necessary for transition. So as some whole chapters or pieces be put into other places, yea, great parts of some books, and some whole books, to be woven into the body of another book." (Torshel's Designe, p. 10.) In the prosecution of this undertaking, besides reducing all the historical books of the Old Testament to a continued Series, the book of Psalms, and the sermons of the Prophets were to be inserted in their proper places, and the writings of Solomon incorporated according to those periods of his reign when they are supposed to have been written; and those parts of the book of Proverbs, which the men of Hezekiah copied out,' were to be disposed in the body of the books of Chronicles, towards the end of the reign of Hezekiah, King of Judah. In harmonising the Gospels, Mr. Torshel proposed to follow the plan then recently adopted in the Latin Harmony, commenced by Chemnitz, continued by Lyser, and finished by Gerhard; and the apostolic epistles were to be distributed in the Acts of the Apostles, according to the order of time when they were written. The writings of Saint John were to close the proposed undertaking. The perusal of this modest and well written tract, several years since, suggested to the writer of these pages the idea of attempting a harmony of the entire Bible, on the completion of the present work. This laborious undertaking, however, has happily been rendered unnecessary by the publication of 3. The Old Testament, arranged in historical and chronological order, (on the basis of Lightfoot's Chronicle,) in such manner, that the books, chapters, psalms, prophecies, &c. may be read as one connected history, in the very words of the authorised translation. By the Rev. George Townsend, M. A. London, 1821. In two very large volumes, 8vo. This beautifully printed and carefully executed work (as its title page an nounces,) is arranged on the basis of Dr. Lightfoot's Chronicle, above noticed: from which, however, Mr. Townsend has deviated for the better in one very material respect. According to Lightfoot's plan, the Old Testament would have been read as one unbroken history, without any division into chapters, or any of those breaks, the omission of which causes not a little weariness to the reader. In order to obviate this difficulty, and also with the view of making the Scripture narrative more attractive, as well as more easily remembered, Mr. T. has divided his harmony into eight suitable periods, viz. 1. From the creation to the deluge; 2. From the confusion of tongues, to the death of Jacob and the Patriarchs; — 3. From the birth to the death of Moses; - 4. From the entrance of the Israel ites into Canaan under the command of Joshua, to the death of David ; — 5. The reign of Solomon;-6. From the elevation of Rehoboam to the Babylonish Captivity;-7. The Babylonish Captivity, seventy years, from B. c. 606 to 536;· 8. From the termination of the Babylonish captivity to the Reformation of worshp by Nehemiah, and the completion of the canon of the Old Testament, by Sima the Just, from B. c. 536 to about 300. These eight periods are further subdivided into chapters and sections, the length of which is necessarily regulated by the su)jects therein discussed: and in settling the chronology and order of some paticular events and prophecies, the arranger has availed himself of the labours of the most eminent modern biblical critics. A well written introduction developes hs plan and design, and points out its advantages to various classes of readers, especially to clergymen, and those who are preparing for the sacred office, to whom this work is indispensably necessary. The work is terminated by six Indexes; the firs, containing an account of the periods, chapters, and sections into which the work is divided, with the passages of Scripture comprised in each; - the second, in columns, enabling the reader to discover in what part of the arrangement, any chapter or verse of the Bible may be found; the third and fourth contain tables of the Psalms and Prophecies, showing in what part of the arrangement, and after what passage of Scripture, every psalm or prophecy is inserted; and likewise on what occasion, and at what period they were probably written, with the authority for their place in the arrangement; - the fifth, containing the dates of the events according to Dr. Hales's elaborate System of Chronology; and the sixth, a general index to the notes, which, though not numerous, are very apprcpriate, and possess the rare merit of compressing a great variety of valuable information into a small compass. The Rev. Mr. Archdeacon Nares has justly characterised this work, as being "digested with such skill, and illustrated with such notes, as prove the author to have studied his task with deep attention and distinguished judgment." (Visitation Sermon, p. 24. London, 1823.) — Mr. Townsend is about to render biblical students a further service by publishing a new and improved harmony of the entire New Testament, in which the four gospels will be harmonised by themselves, and the Apostolical Epistles will be interwoven with the book of the Acts of the Apostles, in the order of time when they were respectively written. IV. We now come to those works which profess to harmonise the memoirs or narratives concerning Jesus Christ, written by the four evangelists; which (as we have already observed) having been written with different designs, and for the use of particular classes of Christians, various contradictions have been supposed to exist between them although, when brought to the test of sober examination, their agreement becomes as clear as the noon-day sun. The importance and advantage of collating these relations with each other, and obtaining the clear amount of their various narratives, has, from a very early period, suggested the plan of digesting the Gospels into Harmonies, exhibiting completely their parallelisms and differences, or into a connected history, termed respectively a Monotessaron, or Diatessaron in which the four accounts are blended into one, containing the substance of them all. Works of this description are extremely numerous. Mr. Pilkington has enumerated one hundred and four, which had come to his knowledge in 1747; and Walchius has given a select list of one hundred and thirty, which had been published prior to the year 1765.2 The indefatigable bibliographer Fabricius, and his editor, professor Harles, have given a list of those which were known to be extant, to the year 1795, which amounts to one hundred and seventy-two, but it is by no means complete.3 Our notice must necessarily be confined to a few of the principal composers of harmonies.4 1. Tatian, who wrote about the middle of the second century, composed a digest of the evangelical history, which was called to dia dagav, that is, the Gospel of the four, or Movorstdagov, Monotessaron, that is, one narrative composed out of the four. Tatian is the most antient harmonist on record: for, if Theophilus bishop of Antioch had before written on that subject (as Jerome insinuates,) his work is long since lost. In the beginning of the third century, Ammonius, an Alexandrian, composed a harmony which was also called Tidia Tegragav, or the Gospel of the four, of the execution of which Eusebius speaks with approbation. The works of Tatian and Ammonius have long ago perished; but attempts have been made to obtrude spurious compilations upon the world for them in both instances. Victor, who was bishop of Capua, in the sixth century, gave a Latin version of a harmony, which was published by Michael Memler at Mayence, in 1524, as a translation of Ammonius's Harmony, in consequence of Victor being undetermined to which of those writers it was to be ascribed, though he was disposed to refer it to Tatian. 1 Pilkington's Evangelical History and Harmony, Preface, pp. xviii.-xx. 2 Walchii Bibliotheca Selecta, vol. iv. pp. 863-900. 3 Bibliotheca Græca, vol. iv. pp. 882-889. 4 The notices of Harmonies in the following pages are chiefly derived from the three works just cited, and from Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, vol. iii. part í. pp. 31-36. and part ii. pp. 29-49. |