INTERPRETATIOK
627
INTERPRETATION
tural interpretations are to be tried as by a touchstone." Art. XX of the Anglican Church : " It is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God's word written, neither may it expound one place of Scripture so as to be repugnant to another." Scotch Confession, art. xviii : '' We dare not admit any inter- jiretation which contradicts any leading article of faith, or any plain text of Scripture, or the rule of charity," etc.
2. The allegorical, as well as the dogmatical mode of interpretation, presupposes the grammatical, which con- sequently forms the basis of the other two, so that neither the one nor the other can exist-entirely without it. Hence the grammatical mode of interpretation must have a historical precedence before the others. But liistory also proves that the Church has constantly en- deavored to curtail the province of grammatical inter- pretation, to renounce it as much as possible, and to rise above it. If we follow, with the examining eye of a historical inquirer, the course in Avhich these three modes of interpretation, in their mutual dependence upon each other, have generally been applied, it becomes evident that in opposition to the grammatical mode, the allegorical was first set up. Subsequently, the allegori- cal was almost entirely supplanted by the dogmatical; but it started up with renewed vigor when the dogmati- cal mode rigorously confined the spiritual movement of the human intellect, as well as all religious sentiment, within the too narrow bounds of dogmatical despotism. The dogmatical mode of interpretation could only spring up after the Church, renouncing the original multiplici- ty of opinions, had agreed upon certain leadin.g doctrines ; after which time it grew, together with the Church, into a mighty tree, towering high above every surrounding object, and casting its shade over everything. The long- ing desire for light and warmth, of tliose who were spell- bound inider its shade, induced tbem to tultivate again the allegorical and the gTammaticnl interpretation: but they were unable to bring the fruits of these modes to full maturity. Every new intellectual revolution, and every spiritual development of nations, gave a, new im- pulse to grammatical interpretation. This impulse last- ed until interpretation was again taken captive by the overwhelming ecclesiastical power, whose old formali- ties had regained strength, or which had been renovated under new forms. Grammatical interpretation, conse- (piently, goes hand in hand with the principle of spiritu- al progress, and the dogmatical with the conservative principle. Finally, the allegorical interpretation is as an artificial aid subservient to the conservative princi- ple, when, by its vigorous stability, the latter exercises a too unnatural pressure. This is confirmed bj- the his- tory of all times and coimtries, so that we may confine ourselves to the following few illustrative observations. The various tendencies of the first Christian period were combined in the second century, so that the prin- ciple of one general (Catholic) Church was gradually adopted by most parties. But now it became rather difficult to sclett, from the variety of doctrines prevalent in various sects, those by the application of which to Biblical uiterjiretation a perfect harmony and systemat- ical imity could be effected. Nevertheless, the wants of science powerfully demanded a systematic arrange- ment of Biblical doctrines, even before a general agree- ment upon dogmatical principles had been effected. The wants of science were especially felt among the Alexan- drine Christians; and in Alexandria, where the allegori- cal interpretation had from ancient times been practiced, it offered the desired expedient which met the exigency of the Church. Hence it maj' naturally be explained why the Alexandrine theologians of tlie second and third century, particidarly Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen, interjireted aUegorically, and why the allegori- cal interpretation was perfected, and in vogue, even be- fore the dogmatical came into existence. Origen, es- pecially in his fourth book, De Prmcipiis, treats on scrip- tural interpretation, usuig the following arguments: The
holy Scriptures, inspired by God, form a harmonious whole, perfect in itself, without any defects and cdutra- dictions, and containing nothing that is insigniticaiit and superfluous. The grammatical interpretation leads to obstacles and objections which, according to the quali- ty just stated of the holy Scriptures, are inadmissiljle and impossible. Now, since the merely grammatical in- terpretation can neither remove nor overcome these ob- jections, we must seek for an expedient beyond the boundaries of grammatical interpretation. The alle- gorical interpretation offers this expedient, and conse- quently is above the grammatical. Origen observes that man consists of body, soul, and spirit ; and he dis- tinguishes a triple sense of the holy Scriptures analo- gous to this division {De Princip. iv, 108 ; comp. Klausen, Ilermeneutik des Neuen Testumentes, Leipzig, 1841, p. 104 sq.)._
Since, however, allegorical interpretation cannot be reduced to settled rules, but always depends upon the greater or less influence of imagination; and since the system of Christian doctrines, which the Alexandrine theologians produced by means of allegorical interpreta- tion, was in many respects objected to; and since, in op- position to these Alexandrine theologians, there was gradually established, and more and more firml}' defined, a system of Christian doctrines which formed a firm basis for uniformity of interpretation, in accordance with the mind of the majority, there gradually sprung up a dog- matical mode of interpretation founded upon the inter- pretation of ecclesiastical teachers, which had been rec- ognised as orthodox in the Catholic Church. This dog- matical interpretation has been in perfect existence since the beginning of tlic fourtli ((iitiny, aiul then more and more sujiplanted tlic allc goiiral. wliicli Ik nrtlorward was left to the wit and ingenuity ola lew individuals. Thus St. Jerome, about A.I). 4(10, could s&y {Comment, in Jlfal- ach. i, 16) : " The rule of Scripture is, where there is a manifest prediction of future events, rot to enfeeble that which is written by the uncertainty of allegory." Dur- ing the whole of the fourth century, the ecclcsiastico- dogmatical mode of interpretation was developed with constant reference to the grammatical. Even Hilarj', in his book De Trinitate, i, properly asserts : " He is the best reader who rather expects to obtain sense from the words than imposes it upon them, and who carries more away than he has brought, nor forces that upon the words which he had resolved to understand before he be- gan to read."