books, as Judges and Ruth, Ezra and Nehemiah, Jeremiah and the Lamentations, and all the minor prophets.

Josephus is also a help to us in interpreting many passages of the Old Testament. He introduces circumstances which throw light upon particular passages, removing difficulties, and harmonizing apparent discrepancies. His paraphrase of the sacred history is, in many parts of it, of the nature of a commentary, not to be followed implicitly, but to be consulted, in interpreting the Old Testament.

Josephus is of essential service to Christians in that he bears testimony to some of the leading facts of the Gospel history. He speaks expressly of Herod's murder of John the Baptist, that he might make way for Herodias. Herod had repudiated his former wife, who was the daughter of Aretas, a king of Arabia. To avenge the ill-treatment of his daughter, Aretas made war upon Herod, conquered him, and destroyed his army. Referring to these events Josephus says: Some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army was from God, and that very justly, as a punishment for what he did to John the Baptist; for Herod slew him, who was a very good man."+

Josephus also refers to the murder of the Apostle James, and thinks that the destruction of Jerusalem was a judgment upon the Jews for their guilt in this matter. "These miseries," he says, "befell the Jews by way of revenge for James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus, that was called Christ; because they had slain him, who was a most righteous person.' "*

The genuineness of these passages is not disputed. There is another which has been questioned, in which Josephus speaks directly of Christ. "About this time lived Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he performed wonderful works, and was a teacher of those who had a veneration for the truth. He drew over to him many, both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. For he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the Divine Prophets had spoken; whence the

*Antiq., Book xviii.

Antiq., Book xx.

tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."*

The principal objection to this passage is, that the writer calls Jesus the Christ; implying that Josephus was a Christian. But we do not so understand the declaration. What Josephus meant to say was, that Jesus was frequently called the Christ -was believed to be the Christ by his followers. And so the passage is quoted by Jerome: "He was believed to be the Christ." The passage may have been written originally as Jerome quotes it. But as it stands in our editions of Josephus, it no more implies that he believed Jesus to be the Christ. than Pilate's superscription on the cross implies that he regarded Jesus of Nazareth as the proper King of the Jews. This passage of Josephus comes in very naturally where it stands; it is quoted as genuine by most of the early fathers, and we feel inclined to admit its authenticity. And if it be authentic, it is certainly a very important testimony from a learned and almost contemporaneous Jew, to the fact of his having lived at that time, and to some of the leading events of his history.

As Christians, we are also indebted to Josephus for recording a most remarkable fulfillment of prophecy-we mean our Saviour's prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem. We need not go into an exposition of this matter. Let any one read our Saviour's prediction, as recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, and then read Book VI of Josephus's History of the Wars of the Jews, and see if he can retain a lingering doubt that here was a most remarkable prediction most remarkably and circumstantially fulfilled. The Jews and Romans had no knowledge of this prediction, and could have had no intention. of fulfilling it. Nor could Josephus have had any intention of recording its fulfillment when he wrote his history. And yet here it is the event harmonizing with the prophecy exactly-sufficient of itself, if we had no other evidence, to prove the divinity of our Saviour's person, and of his mission to the world.

On the whole, we have much reason to be thankful that God raised up such a man as Josephus at the eventful period in which he lived; that he put it into his heart to write his histories; and that these have come down to us in a shape so *Antiq., Book xviii.

authentic and satisfactory. Let Christian scholars make themselves acquainted with these histories, and faithfully use them to the glory of God, and for the explication, vindication, and furtherance of his Gospel.

ART. IX.-FOREIGN RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

ROMAN CATHOLICISM.

THE ROMAN COUNCIL-IMPORTANT MOVEMENT WITHIN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.-The Council in Rome has been in session since the 8th of December, 1869; but in consequence of the oath of secresy which all the participants have to take not to divulge any part of the proceedings, our knowledge of its history is but fragmentary and uncertain. To the great mortification of the Roman authorities, it has, however, been found impossible to prevent the publication of the important documents which have been laid before the Council; and even accounts, generally regarded as trustworthy, of some of the most important speeches made by the Bishops, have found their way into publicity.

The

to have received 410 signatures. counter-address (or rather counteraddresses) against the infallibility was signed by 162 Bishops, among whom were 20 Americans, 46 Frenchmen, 37 Germans and Austrians, 19 Orientals, 2 Portuguese, 14 Hungarians, 3 Englishmen, and 15 Italians. The address of the middle party, which desires to effect a compromise, is said to have been drawn up by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Other addresses are mentioned, but they coincide more or less with one of these three. The reports on the debates, of course, widely differ; but the addresses of the three parties, which have been published, are, on all sides, accepted as authentic. The address against the proclamation of the doctrine of infallibility has been drawn up by the CardiThus we are tolerably well informed nal Archbishop Rauscher, of Vienna. about the progress of the question of It is couched in the most submissive Papal infallibility, which is by far the expressions, assures the Holy Father of most important topic that awaits the the devotedness of all the Bishops to the decision of the Council. Three par- Apostolical See, and continues: "It would ties, it seems, have been formed among not be right to ignore that many difficulthe Bishops with regard to this question: ties, arising from expressions or actions one which regards the promulgation of of the Church fathers from the documents this new doctrine as the best and most of history, and even from the Catholic urgent work the Council should attend doctrine, remain, which must be thorto; the second, which petitions the Pope oughly explained before it would be adagainst this doctrine, which they believe missible to lay this doctrine before the would be at least a great stumbling- Christian people as one revealed by God. block for all non-Catholics, and even for But our minds revolt against a controa great many members of the Catholic versial discussion of this question, and Church; the third, which is in favor of confidently implore thy kindness not to a compromise, would have some regard lay upon us the duty of such a transacfor the arguments adduced by the sec- tion. As we, moreover, exercise the ond class, and therefore, instead of pro- Episcopal functions among great Catholic mulgating in unmistakable and bold nations, we know their condition from clearness the doctrine of Papal infallibil- daily intercourse; hence we are satisfied ity, would attain the same end in a less that the asked-for doctrinal decision will offensive way, by inculcating the duty offer weapons to the enemies of religion, of an absolute submission to every de- in order to excite aversion to the Cathocision of the Pope in matters of faith.lic religion, even of men of good characThe majority of the Bishops are reported to have signed a petition for the promulgation of infallibility. Altogether this petition, which has been drawn up by the German Bishop of Paderborn, is said

ter, and we are certain that this decision would offer, at least in Europe, an opportunity or a pretext to the governments of our countries to make encroachments upon the rights which have remained to

the Church. We have concluded to lay | taught." The proclamation of this dogthis before thy Holiness, with the sin- ma, he says, would be an "alteration in cerity which we owe to the Father of the faith and doctrine of the Church, the Faithful, and we ask thee that the such as has never been heard of since doctrinal opinion, the sanction of which Christianity was first founded." The is demanded by the address, be not sub- whole foundation of the Church would mitted to the Council for consideration." thereby be affected. Dr. Döllinger shows Among the signers are, besides the Car- conclusively that until the sixteenth dinal Archbishop of Vienna, nearly all century the doctrine of Papal infallibility the Archbishops of Germany and Aus- was entirely unknown, and that when it tria; in particular, the Cardinal Arch- was taken up by Cardinal Bellarmine, it bishop of Prague, the Archbishops of could only be supported by the testiCologne. Munich, Bamberg, and others. mony of Isidorian decretals, which are forged, and those of Cyril, which are a fiction.

Dr. Döllinger says of this petition of the champions of Papal infallibility, that henceforth" one hundred and eighty millions of human beings are to be forced, on pain of excommunication, refusal of the sacraments, and everlasting damna- in Rome. tion, to believe and to profess that which Even stronger than the declaration of hitherto the Church has not believed, not | Dr. Döllinger is a protest from Father

Gratry, a French priest, one of the first | Augsburg Gazette (Augsburger Allgemeine theological scholars of France, and a Zeitung) have given more information member of the French Academy. In a reply to the Archbishop of Mechlin in Belgium, who has written a book in favor of infallibility, he shows that the sixth Ecumenical Council really condemned Pope Honorius as a heretic; that for centuries "the school of dissimulation, craft, and lies has labored to stifle the true history of Pope Honorius; " that to this end the Roman Breviary has been designedly falsified; that never was there perpetrated in history a more audacious piece of knavery." But lies, he concludes, will not profit God, the Church, or the Papacy.