must be applied to virgins. The Sept. here gives, as above, veávides, From this examination we may see that in no passage is the usage decidedly against the meaning virgin, and in several that meaning seems to be required by the context. We come now to the passage in question. 7. Isa. vii. 14: "Behold an 'Almah shall conceive, and shall bring forth a son," etc. Here the Sept. translates map¤évos, Aquila, Theod., Symm. veâvis, Vulg. virgo, Chald. N, Syr. العذري Arabic .virgo = الْعَدْري There seems at first sight to be a consensus among the versions here, with the exception of the version of the Chaldee paraphrast, which is indeterminate, and that of Aquila, Theod., and Symm.; but the fact must be acknowledged, that here the Sept., Syr., etc. have varied from their usual rendering, and have intentionally used παρθένος in place of νεάνις. This we have already seen was done in Genesis in the case of Rebekah, who was expressly stated to be a virgin. Accordingly we see that in the mind of the interpreters than to by had no such force as to render it impossible to translate it by Tapévos, and as they, in common with all Jews of their day, believed that the word here was used of a virgin, they translated it by the less general and more specific term, which is properly more nearly equivalent to . The word raptévos does not necessarily convey the idea of an unspotted virgin, but the usage is so general that we may call this sense almost universal. In the same manner virgo, from vireo, has no etymological meaning of chastity, but simply means the ripe, marriageable maiden; usage, however, has given it its more restricted signification. The translation, then, is an allowable, though not a necessary, one; and though no stress should be laid upon by, as if it were, still its force is such as to make it impossible that in this passage the wife of Isaiah can have been intended, who was already the mother of at least one son. Whether or not it refers to any virgin living at that time, and who was shortly to become pregnant and bring forth, or only to her who should be the mother of the Messiah, is a question which must be determined on other than philological grounds. 2 Cf. Homer, Il. ii. 514. 1 Cf. note on p. 764. ARTICLE VIII. THE THEOLOGICAL JOURNALS OF GERMANY.1 TRANSLATED BY CASPAR René gregory, Doctor of philosophy, THE periodical organs of theological science necessarily share in the prosperity or ill-fortune of theology itself. They are in this respect like the attendance upon, or the attention paid to, theological studies at the universities, only that they speak more distinctly. Their bearing and the influence they wield mirror the healthful or diseased condition of theological life and work within given periods of time. Leaving out of consideration the papers which serve at the same time the practical interests of various churches, it may be said that scarcely any scientific theological sheet in Germany enjoys at present a brilliant or even a satisfactory and comfortable position. This is a like sign of the times with the lack of theological students, a lack much grieved over, but hard to remedy. Almost every turn of the year announces the suspension of one or other of the journals which have existed for years. Occasional appeals for help in gaining new subscribers have long been part of the indispensable measures for every publisher of such journals, but probably none of them secure an increase that more than covers expenses. The cause of this phenomenon can scarcely be sought, as a general thing, in a want of editorial skill or of ability on the part of the contributors. The existing journals, without distinction as to theological party, all enjoy an intelligent guidance. It is not likely that one of those already suspended was compelled to cease its activity because of a lack of suitable literary matter. Indeed, those which now have almost reached the verge of possible existence, must complain rather of excess than of want of able contributions. This is clearly seen in the facts, that articles, even of very direct application to the times, often appear to be much delayed, and that, as for the critical and bibliographical part, scarcely any editor is in a position 1 This paper appeared, in four articles, in the Allgemeine Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirchenzeitung, for Jan. 12, 19, 26, and Feb. 2, 1877. Professor Christoph Ernst Luthardt of Leipzig is the responsible editor of this journal, which therefore represents the strictly orthodox (in the German sense), confessional, Lutheranism of Saxony. 2 If we are not mistaken one of the chief difficulties which led to the suspension of the Zeitschrift für historische Theologie, edited by Professor Kahnis, was the want of support from contributors to its pages. — TR. to keep pace with the more important new issues. If to this be added the consideration that the last two or three years have seen the founding of no less than five new theological journals, some of them on an important scale, we shall almost be tempted to think that a superabundance rather than a lack of productive living power is the cause of the generally unfavorable circumstances and prospect of this class of literature. We shall first take up these new productions of theological journalism. They all belong, as might be expected, to the evangelical theology and church. It is true that a review has been announced as to begin at Innsbruck with this January, the Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie. The editors are the Jesuits Dr. J. Wieser and Dr. J. Stenstrup, and it will be the organ of the Innsbruck theological faculty, which is made up almost exclusively of Jesuits. But whether it will have a right or not to figure in the list of "scientific" theological journals cannot yet be decided. Theologische Literaturzeitung. The J. C. Hinrichs' publishing house in Leipzig unquestionably met a need when it started the "Journal of Theological Literature," Theologische Literaturzeitung, January a year ago. It appears every fourteen days in large form, from one and a half to two sheets, and is under the editorial care of Professor Emil Schürer, of Leipzig. Protestant theology in Germany has needed a critical central organ of this kind for many years. The "Theologisches Literaturblatt," edited by Professor F. II. Reusch in Bonn, being directed very skilfully and supported by vigorous contributors, had done for the sphere of Catholic theology what could be expected from a journal of this character, and that in a manner almost to put to the blush the scientific theological circles of Protestantism, certainly in a manner worthy of imitation, and in many respects fitted to serve as a standard. Even after the events of 1870-1872 had changed it to a specifically Old Catholic organ, and drawn upon it the implacable hostility of ultramontane theological circles, it had continued to do good work in spite of external difficulties. Zimmermann's "Theologisches Literaturblatt" appeared for a while by the side of Reusch's, but in 1871, in company with the Darmstadt" Allgemeine Kirchenzeitung," to which it belonged as a supplement, after fifty years continuance it had to close its existence; towards the last it had been growing feebler and feebler. The "Theologischer Jahresbericht," edited by Pastor W. Hauck, died the same year, after continuing ten years. It was really very necessary that at least the attempt should be made to establish a paper in which, under the co-operation of well-known evangelical theological teachers and writers, the principal publications of scientific and practical theology should constantly receive critical mention. This attempt now lies before us in the form of the first year of the Theologische Literaturzeitung; (quarto, columns x, 688: Leipzig, Hin richs'; 16 Marks = $4.00). It may in the main be called a success. The majority of the productions of the years 1875 and 1876, in the sphere of the scientific theological literature of Germany, and at least a part of the practical theological publications and a selection of the more important new theological books of foreign countries, are discussed in it more or less thoroughly. Not a few of the reviews of scientific theological works, by reason of their entering fully into critical and exegetical or into historical details, bear the character of learned treatises with an independent scientific value. A few foreign scholars have also contributed valuable articles to this first year, namely Professor A. von Oettingen, in Dorpat, the Dutch theologian Chantepie de la Saussaye, and the American Professor Steenstra, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. As for the theological bias of the journal, it entirely lacks such a thing in a definite form, and should the principles which have thus far guided the editing of it continue in force, it will probably never come to assume a uniform color and firmly fixed party spirit. The editors permit theologians of different parties to speak, in so far as they show themselves to be strong in serious scientific discussion. At the side of Lutherans like Von Oettingen, Köhler, and Plitt, are seen representatives of the positive union, such as Weiss, Kähler, W. Schmidt, and F. W. Schultz. There is also a fair number of Vermittlungs [mediating] theologians, and among these are several who decidedly belong to the left wing of this party, such as Gass, Kamphausen, Krauss, Lipsius, and Ritschl. Indeed, single reviews have been accepted even from such representatives of theological radicalism as Overbeck in Basel. The editors cause each contributor to sign his article with his full name, and thus endeavor to free themselves from responsibility for any extreme expressions of opinion on the one side or the other. The whole journal, in consequence of these diverse views, bears a somewhat variegated, many-colored, changeable stamp, perhaps less calculated to please churchly-disposed readers who desire, along with scientific instruction, religious or churchly incitement and advancement. There are, doubtless, weighty grounds for the course which the editors have taken in this regard. A theological literary journal may, if it chooses, bear the character of a hall for general discussion among the different scientific parties which at any given time exist side by side in the theological world. If it assumes this posture it will be in a position to do good service to any one who desires to obtain a true and complete picture of the condition of theological instruction and life at each period. Of course a literary paper edited on such principles renounces more or less the possibility of exercising a decisive influence upon the course of development of theology in the church. Moreover such a journal can hardly be long in a condition to secure itself against the danger, that the most active and zealous (not to say the loudest-spoken) of the schools or parties expressing themselves in it, may at last go forth as victor from the play of parties, and seize the dominion for itself.1 Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte. Just after the "Theologische Literaturzeitung," a new journal for church history, the Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte, made its appearance, under the editorship of Theodor Brieger, until lately extraordinary professor in the theological faculty at Halle, now ordinary professor at Marburg. This seems in many respects intended to take the place of the "Zeitschrift für historische Theologie," which was started by Illgen, continued first by Niedner and then by Kahnis, and which expired at the age of forty-three years, in 1875. Nevertheless, though in the hands of the same publisher, F. A. Perthes of Gotha, and though gotten up in similar style, the new quarterly declares itself "entirely self-dependent, and independent" of the former undertaking. So far only three numbers have appeared (at 4 Mark $1.00 apiece). It hardly looks now as if the plan of bringing out four numbers each year would soon be realized. = The numbers already issued are scarcely sufficient for us to form a judgment as to the bearing and party character of the review. The names of the theologians, Gass, Reuter, and Ritschl, standing at the side of the editor as counsellors and guarantees, permit us to expect that the left and the right wing of the Vermittlungs theology will be alike represented; aside from Dr. Reuter, the editor himself, as his direct pupil, probably belongs to the latter school. The first number (174 pp. 8vo) opened with an article by Professor H. Weingarten, now of Breslau, upon the “ Origin of Monasticism in the Period after Constantine": its developments breathing something of the spirit of a hypercritical ultra-Protestantism, would find many an objection on the part of the representatives of a less prejudiced historical school. Ritschl's article in the same number, on "The Origin of the Lutheran Church," comes out daringly and as if with a 1 The present writer is constantly asked how news of theological publications can be best attained. Entirely aside from the question of his own connection with it, he can only say that the Theologische Literaturzeitung is the only Protestant journal which announces and as quickly as possible discusses briefly all important theological works of all lands. Last year's numbers treat of American, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Swiss publications. As for the announcement of new books, of articles, and of reviews in other journals, it is believed that little of importance escapes prompt notice, and greater fulness and promptitude are objects of constant endeavor. — TR. 2 Albrecht Ritschl has passed through several phases. While he was a student at Halle, Tholuck replied to a question on the atonement, put one day while walking, that Ritschl should read his, Tholuck's, book and Baur's. Ritschl did this, and, enraptured with Baur, made haste to Tübingen. In his first publication, upon "Marcion's Gospel," in 1846, he outdid Baur himself. Habilitating at Bonn also in 1846, he published in 1850 the first edition of his "Origin |