Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-14
NEW BOOK.

NEW BOOK
" SYNONYMS OF THR New TESTAMENT being the SUBJ
stance Of Of lectures addressed to the Theoo
gical Students, Kings College, London. By RICHARD
CHsSEvIx TRENCH b. d. Professor Of Divinity Kng's
College London; author Of The Study Of Words, !
The Lessons in Proverbs &c. REDPIELD, New York,
1854" limo. PIP. 25O. For sale, in Washington, by
TAYLOR MAURY.
The writings Of Mr.. TRENCH have been received with
much favor by the public that the mention Of his
alone is considered sufficient pledge that the work it
heralds is worth perusing His lectures the study Of
words established his reputation both at home and abroad
and his subsequent publications have fully sustained his
claim to be considered Of the profoundest thinkers
Of the age His frat work and the Lessons in Proverbs
brief notice Of which given in paper they
respectively republished in this country, Of
character to well instruct almost every
class of readers. His larger work on the Parallels
though designed especially as an aid to the in
depreciation Of the inspired writer's was Of equal value
the general student Indeed it is impossible that any
scholar take up Of Mr.. Trenchs volumes, what
he may be disposed to think of the Of
theeogca doctrines without finding his "reminiscences
lneesply awakened or some thought to engage his
feHeo1& The work before is less adap ted Tor
the general reader than any yet from him
and regret it the it would have lost none Of
its value the student of Divinity had its meaning been
made moro accessible to those unacquanted with the
dead languages. His Hebrew, Greek, and Latin quota
tons are numerous than usual; and the greater
portion Of his illustrations being taken from the best cas
sca critics Of the two last languages which there are
few translatons exant he might, without adding
much to the bulk Of his volume have suboined such
terpretatons would make them Ineligible the
English reader and thus have greatly extended the cir
culation as well as the usefulness of his labors.
The following extract from the authors preface may
perhaps be regarded apology for SO nterardng
the only English pork given to the public the Sy
nonyms Of the New Testament with passages wholly
less to the English reader:
have never doubted hat-setting aside those higher
and solemn lessons which in great measure
of reach to mpar being to be taught rather by
God than man-there are few things which we should
have heart than to awaken in scholars
thusasm for the grammar and the lexicon. We shall
have done much very much Tor those who come to us for
theological training and generally for mental guidance
persuade them to have these continually in their
hands, if make them believe that with these and
of these they may be learning more, obtaining
real and lasting acquisition such will stay by them,
such will form part of the texture Of their minds
forever that they shall from these be eectualy
compishing themselves for their future work than from
many volume of divinity studied before its tme
if it worth studying at all, crudey dgested, and
therefore turning true nourshment Of the inner
man.
We agree most heartily with the author to the great
fund of useful knowledge to be acquired from patient
study of the grammar and lexicon; butt the utility of
such study is by confined to lexicons word
books of the dead languages cannot how would
have essened the advantages of his theological students
extend the benefit by English transations It will not be
denied by any phologst that gords the elements
only Of Christian theology but of all knowledge in any
branch of human pursuit the results of which
mupcasd for the information of others liscsrt.in
can never gain accurate acquaintance with the whole
unless first make ourselves several
wvrds those parts in the peculiar dog
mas of every SCIENCE must know the different shades
and degrees Of intensity in the meaning of every import
ant word which different people in different ages have
signed it, arrive at any certainty that
understand the writer who uses it he intended
be understood In the very nature and object Of language
it is impossible that any two words can be identical in
their meaning for, the object cannot convey to
the mind distinct IDEAS neither any ideas
be accurately symbolized by the same expression But
unfortunately with view to give variety and copious
to dicon authors have from time to time brought
into various words identical which originally
only cognate in their meaning. To this confusion poets
and rhetoricans have added largely by applying words in
metaphorical to for which, in their true i'm
port, they were totally unified From these causes
sprang up in all languages innumerable Synonyms,
they have been very improperly Called making indis
psnsabe that the student who desires to acquire all the
increase of intellectual wealth which the perusal of any
author may yield him should he proceeds step by STEP
himself acquainted with the whole force and power
of the cords used and this Mr. Trench strongly
urges upon his theological Students only be done by
q profound study of the lexicon. 81
There is peculiar quanness in the style Of this
celent author which carries back the sixteenth
tury and which renders him sometimes obscure to the
careless reader But there is vigor his every thought
and power in his expressions prnging manfesty from
the warmth of his zeal to communicate useful knowledge
to bis generation which make every thing writes
acceptable to the serious thinker