The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 448

FAITH

4o8 Baumgarten-Crusius,

etc.,

who

present day maintain the

to the

original tradition.

And

he is said to have favored the other But if he had surrendered the original interpretation, he would have given some reason for it for he was thoroughly acquainted with it. And this makes it probable that he never intended to discuss the question. That he adhered to the traditional exegesis is proven from his own words, in his " Antidote Against the Decrees of the Concilium of Trente" (page 190, edition 1547): " Faith is not of man, but of God." Even our educated Reformed laymen are acquainted with the fact, if it were only from the study of the magnificent commentary on the Ephesians by Petrus Dinant, minister at Rotterdam, who lastly, Calvin, altho

exegesis.

;

He

flourished in the latter part of the seventeenth century.

and the book had such a large issued in 1726; even now it is in great demand. lished

it

in 17

10,

the following (vol. the gift of God.'

i.,

p. 451):

The word

ing being saved,' or to '

'

'"

And

must refer

to faith.

We

it

pub-

was

re-

quote from

that not of yourselves,

it

it

is

that," tovto, refers either to the preced-

'

faith.'

To

the former

Paul having stated already that salvation it

sale that

It is

is

true the Greek

it

can not

a gift of God. tovto is

refer, St.

Hence

a neuter, while

faith, is a feminine. But Greek scholars know that the relapronoun may refer just as well to the following dupov, gift, which is neuter, as to the preceding niarijc, which is feminine, according to the rule in Greek grammar governing this point. Hence KiGTTjg,

tive

faith, is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. But recent discoveries may have upset this ancient exegesis. If the modern expositors of Utrecht, Groningen, and Leyden, who make a hobby of this modern exegesis, will therefore show us this recent discovery, we will give them an attentive hearing. But they '

that,

fail to

'

viz.

do

'

,

this.

On

the contrary, they say

:

"

The matter

is settled,

Greek can see it." And by saying For brains incomparably superior, this, they judge themselves. such as Erasmus and Hugo Grotius, knew so much of Greek that they were at least acquainted with the Greek rudiments. And we may venture to say that all the Greek scholarship now lodged in the brains of our exegetes at the universities just named would not half fill the cup which Erasmus and Grotius together filled to the brim. Wherefore we confidently maintain the traditional exegesis. The positive assurance wherewith these young expositors make and so plain that even a tyro

in

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