THE NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. WITH AN INTRODUCTION, CONNECTING THE HISTORY OF THE EDITED BY WILLIAM SMITH, LL.D., CLASSICAL EXAMINER IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. THE STUDENT'S MANUAL OF OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. From the Creation to the Return of the Jews from Captivity. With an Appendix, containing an Introduction to the Books of the Old Testament. Second Edition. In Preparation. THE STUDENT'S MANUAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. Containing the History of the Christian Church from the close of the New Testament Canon to the Reformation. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET, AND CHARING CROSS. PREFACE. THE object of this Work is the same as that of the Old Testament History, namely, to supply a Manual of New Testament History, which in fulness, accuracy, and use of the best sources of information, may take its place by the side of the Histories of Greece, Rome, England, and France, in the present series. The Work consists of three parts. The First Book gives the connection between Old and New Testament History, including the relations of the Holy Land to Persia, Egypt, and Syria, and the narrative sets forth the main facts of the general history of the East during what is called the "Hellenistic" age. To preserve the unity of the subject, this part is brought down to the destruction of Jerusalem. The Appendix contains a full account of the national and religious life of each separate section of the Jewish nation, -of the Dispersion as well as in Judæa,-their Scriptures, worship, and sects; in short, that information respecting them which is necessary to understand the condition of the people at the advent of our Saviour, and the allusions in the Gospels. The Second Book, containing the Gospel History, is designed to present a clear, harmonised account of our Lord's Ministry, as related by the Four Evangelists, illustrated by all needful collateral information, but free from speculative discussions. Pains have been taken to exhibit b N. T. HIST. the different chronological views of the highest authorities; and the Appendix contains a discussion of the great question respecting the origin of the Gospels, and a Table of the Gospel Harmony. The Third Book, embracing the Apostolic History, aims at a completeness not previously attained in any similar work. The method, in which Paley led the way, of using the Epistles of St. Paul, not only to supply the incidents omitted in the Acts, but to set the Apostle's spirit and character in a vivid light, has been followed throughout. Similar use is made of the Epistles of Peter, John, and James, and the section is completed by a summary of all that is really known, both of the other Apostles and of the persons associated with them in the History. The unity of this part is preserved by bringing it down to the destruction of Jerusalem; and that catastrophe which closes the first book as an historic event, is now exhibited, in the light of our Lord's great prophecy, as the epoch of His coming in the full establishment of the Christian Church. The History embodies much valuable matter from the Dictionary of the Bible, and in particular from the Archbishop of York's articles on the life of our Saviour and on the Gospels, as well as from the different articles on the Apostles and the books of the New Testament and Apocrypha. The appearance of Mr. Lewin's Fasti Sacri has aided the Editor in giving the work that chronological completeness which will be especially seen in the Tables. LONDON, November, 1866. Wм. SMITH. |