Contemporary Literature [pp. 395-424]

1872.~ CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE. 405
Nor can we admit that our Constitution, in making "all ministers, with
or without pastoral charges" members of the Presbyteries and Synods
within whose bounds they reside, contains, as Dr. H. avers, a "radical
departure from first principles." In regard to ministers without pastoral
charge in church-courts, we are asked, whom do such men "represent?"
We ask in return, whom do pastors, as members of church-courts, "represent?" Do they not stand and act for the whole Church whose ministers
they are, for Christ whose ambassadors they are, far more than for the
particular congregations of which they are Pastors? And whenever the
wishes of their particular flocks, in their view, militate against the interests
of the whole Church, are they not bound to subordinate the former to the
latter? And do not all ministers of the Church, in whatever capacity
they may serve it and its Head, stand in a like relation to them? The
theory that ministers derive their power and standing in church-courts
only from the congregations of which they may be pastors, is that of Congregationalism and Independency. As to the eligibility of ministers without charge to church-courts, our respected friend well says, "We could
not have afforded to dispense with this valuable element in our deliber
ative and legislative bodies. We cannot now afford to lose it." And yet
is it a "radical departure from first principles" to have it? First principies of what? Presbyterianism or Congregationalism? We are sorry to
be obliged to indicate this measure of dissent from an address containing
so much which we heartily commend.
BIBLICAL LITERATURE.
Das ~~arcns evan~elium, etc. (The Gos~eI of Ni lark, and the parallel
passages in Matthew and Luke.) Interpreted by Dr. BERNHARD WEISS,
Prof. in Kiel. Berlin: Verlag von Wilhelm Hertz. 1872. Imp. 8vo. pp.
515. Dr. Weiss is already well known as a thorough student and able
critic, by his works on The Biblical Theoto~y of the New Testament,
i868 and on The Doctrinal System of ~ohn, 1862, etc. He has now
undertaken a laborious, critical task upon the Synoptic Gospels, of which
this comprehensive and minute criticism of Mark's Gospel is the first instalment. During the past quarter of a century a prolific literature has
sprung up, especially in Germany, on the first three (synoptic) gospels,
and their historical and internal relations. Every variety of hypothesis
has been tried upon them, the "traditional," the "combination," the
Mark4~ypothesis," the precedency and sources of Matthew, etc. The
Gospel of Mark has most frequently been put in a position of dependence
upon the others, but it has not lacked able defenders (called by Strauss
"the lions of Maik") of its independence and even of its priority. Among
these Dr. Weiss takes his place. And it may be safely said that no work
on the s~ii~ject enters into the question so thoroughly and comes so near
to a solution on historical and critical grounds; he sums up and systematizes whatever has been written before. It is an admirable example of