career and subsequently. On the occasion of the latter taking his degree of M.A., 'and the former of D.D., it was Bengel’s privilege, as respondent, to defend Hochstetter’s final disputation, u De pretio Redemptionis.” He, with Hoc.hstetter, subsequently superintended the correction of anew edition of the German Bible, more conformed to the accentuated Hebrew, as far as could be done, consistently with not altering Luther’s own renderings. This formed a useful pre- parative to his critical labours in the New Testament, and also led to his writing an essay on the Hebrew accents, wherein he wishes to show, that, though there is a general uniformity in the accentuation of all the prophetical books, yet each book has besides a distinct ac- centuation of its own, and that therefore the Hebrew accents, though not of equal authority with the text, are closely connected with its true interpretation.
After leaving the University, Bengel, immediately upon ordina- tion in 1706, became curate in the City Church of Tubingen, under Hochstetter. He next entered on the parochial charge of Metzingen- under-Urach. In his own memoir he observes, u My first fortnight’s residence, as curate of Metzingen, convinced me at once what a variety of qualifications a young clergyman ought to have for such an office. How totally different is it from the notions one had formed of it at the University !”
Before a year had passed he was called to the office of junior divinity tutor at Tubingen. This was not without its benefit to him. He observes, u After one has spent some time among people out of doors, and acquired a gustum plebeium et popularem , it is useful to return for a while to College again, to undergo a second theological education. Thus, upon afterwards coming out, one is likely to labour with more experience and success.”
From 1711 to 1713 he served a curacy at Stuttgart. It was about this period he composed a Latin treatise, “ Syntagma de Sanctitate Dei,” in which he shows, by parallel passages of Scripture, that all the attributes of God are implied in the Hebrew holy , rendered
ay tog or o6io$ in the lxx. : in fact, that the Divine holiness compre- hends all His supreme excellence.
In 1713 he was promoted to the head- tutorship of a theological seminary newly set up by Government at Denkendorf. Before entering on it, he took a tour, at the expense of Government, to qualify him the better for his important post. This literary journey was of much use to him as to his future labours. At Heidelberg he became acquainted with the critical Canons of Gerhardt of Mas- tricht, which he refutes in the Preface of the Gnomon. In Halle, too, his attention was drawn by Lang to Vitringa’s u Anacrisis ad Apocalypsin,” which, as well as his conversations with Lang, who was a disciple of Spener, led his mind into that train of thought, the fruit of which appears in his Expositions of the Apocalypse.
From his earliest years Bengel had felt the dawnings of spiritual