The progress of doctrine in the New Testament

Front matter

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t- t UNITED STATES OF AMERICA..!

GOULU AND LINCOLN,

Prefatory Note

TO

THE AMERICAN EDITION.

The Bampton Lectures of Mr. Bernard on the Progress of Doc-

. l trine in the New Testament, deserve unqualified commendation;

for they are as nearly perfect both in substance and form as any

~," i human production can well be made. The views which they

express are fresh and convincing, and the language in which they

are presented is clear as crystal, revealing every thought and

- shade of thought with absolute distinctness. There is not, I

believe, a dark or dull sentence in the volume.

The argument awakens curiosity, satisfies reason, and strengthens faith. There is constant progress from first to last, and the reader is made to see that every step in advance is safe, that he is moving steadily forward on solid ground. I have rarely perused a more attractive or instructive work, and I do not hesitate to pronounce it one of the best fruits of biblical study in modern times. No person can read it without having his interest in the New Testament and his knowledge of that wonderful book greatly increased.

For the benefit of the general reader, the untranslated sentences of the author's edition have, in most cases, been translated, and the Greek itself placed as foot-notes.

ALVAH HOVEY.

Newton Theological Institution, May 1, 1867.

EXTRACT

FROM

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

^ OF THE LATE

KEY. JOHN BAMPTON,

CANON OF SALISBURY.

. . . "I give and bequeath my Lands and Estates to the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Oxford forever, to have and to hold all and singular the said Lands or Estates upon trust, and to the intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned ; that is to say, I will and appoint that the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford for the time being shall take and receive all the rents, issues, and profits thereof, and (after all taxes, reparations, and necessary deductions made) that he pay all the remainder to the endowment of Eight Divinity Lecture Sermons, to be established forever in the said University, and to be performed in the manner following :

"I direct and appoint, that, upon the first Tuesday in Easter

Term, a Lecturer be yearly chosen by the Heads of Colleges

only, and by no others, in the room adjoining to the Printing-

House, between the hours of ten in the morning and two in the

afternoon, to preach eight Divinity Lecture Sermons, the year

following, at St. Mary's in Oxford, between the commencement

ix

X EXTRACT FEOM BAMPTO^'S WILL.

of the last month in Lent Term, and the end of the third week in Act Term.

"Also I direct and appoint, that the eight Divinity Lecture Sermons shall be preached upon either of the following subjects — to confirm and establish the Christian Faith, and to confute all heretics and schismatics — upon the divine authority of the holy Scriptures — upon the authority of the writings of the primitive Fathers, as to the faith and practice of the primitive Church — upon the Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ — upon the Divinity of the Holy Ghost — upon the Articles of the Christian Faith, as comprehended in the Apostles 1 and Nicene Creeds.

" Also I direct, that thirty copies of the eight Divinity Lecture Sermons shall always be printed, within two months after they are preached ; and one copy shall be given to the Chancellor of the University, and one copy to the Head of every College, and one copy to the Mayor of the city of Oxford, and one copy to be put into the Bodleian Library ; and the expense of printing them shall be paid out of the revenue of the Land or Estates given for establishing the Divinity Lecture Sermons ; and the preacher shall not be paid, nor be entitled to the revenue, before they are printed.

" Also I direct and appoint, that no person shall be qualified to preach the Divinity Lecture Sermons, unless he hath taken the degree of Master of Arts at least, in one of the two Universities of Oxford or Cambridge ; and that the same person shall never preach the Divinity Lecture Sermons twice."