UNITED STATES (LITERATURE). 



749 



tical divinity, very little has yet been done in Ame- 

 rica for the advancement of theological science. 

 Whilst the best foreign works, both of former and 

 recent times, on biblical criticism and interpretation, 

 are appreciated and studied, scarcely any original 

 works in these departments have yet appeared. A 

 few elementary books have been prepared for the 

 use of students, such as Stuart's Hebrew Grammar 

 (4th edition, 1831), and Chrestomathy (2d edition, 

 1832); Gibb's Hebrew Lexicon, on the basis of 

 Gesenius, and Robinson's translation of Wahl's 

 Lexicon of the New Testament. Some subsidiary 

 works have likewise been translated for the same 

 purpose, of which it may be sufficient to mention 

 Jahn's Biblical Archaeology, translated by Thomas 

 C. Upham (1823); Jahn's Introduction to the Old 

 Testament, translated by Samuel H. Turner and 

 William R. Whittington (1827); Jahn's Hebrew 

 Commonwealth, translated by Calvin Stowe (1828) ; 

 Winer's Grammar of the New Testament (1825), 

 and Ernesti's Elements of Interpretation (1822). 

 The most important original contributions that 

 have as yet been made to theological literature in 

 the United States are the new translations of Job, 

 with an Introduction and explanatory Notes (1827), 

 and of the Psalms (1831), both by George R. Noyes. 

 A new version of the Epistle to the Hebrews, with 

 A Commentary and Notes (1827), and a similar work 

 on Romans (1832), by Moses Stuart, display much 

 learning and research ; and the New Testament in 

 the common version, conformed to Griesbach's 

 standard text, by John G. Palfrey (8vo., Boston, 

 1828), deserves honourable mention. Much of the 

 theological literature appears in the form of contri- 

 butions to religious periodicals a species of publi- 

 cation with which the country abounds, from the 

 weekly newspaper to the tri-monthly journal. At 

 the head of this department stands the Christian 

 Examiner and General Review, published, once in 

 two months, at Boston a work distinguished for 

 its talent and literary character, as well as for its 

 elevated moral tone and deep religious spirit. The 

 Biblical Repository, published quarterly at Andover, 

 is no less celebrated for its critical and exegetical 

 learning; whilst the Christian Spectator, published 

 quarterly, at New Haven, displays great acuteness 

 in discussing the vexed questions of dogmatic the- 

 ology. The theology of the United States is as 

 distinctive as any other feature in its character. 

 Perhaps in no other nation on the earth is there so 

 much diversity of religious sentiment, or so great a 

 variety of sects. This is doubtless owing, in a 

 great measure, to the absence of a church establish- 

 ment, and to the consequent freedom enjoyed by 

 each individual for forming his opinions for himself. 

 American theology, in its various forms, may be 

 considered as the native growth of the land ; for, 

 though originally imported from abroad, it can 

 hardly be said to have been since subjected to any 

 extraneous influence. Multiform as it is, it has 

 sprung up from the varying sentiments held by the 

 first settlers, coming as they did from different 

 countries, England, Holland, Germany, Sweden, 

 from the subsequent intermixture of these senti- 

 ments, and from the free scope here given to reli- 

 gious thought and feeling. Neither the orthodox 

 nor the liberal system of theology has been percep- 

 tibly affected by foreign influence. The works of 

 the most eminent European theologians, particularly 

 the German, are diligently studied, and are prized 

 as the most valuable helps in the criticism and in- 

 terpretation of the Scriptures. Yet, though highly 



esteemed as verbal critics, they are not regarded as 

 very safe guides in matters of taste and judgment. 

 Their theological deductions are not held in any 

 undue honour ; and the extravagant interpretations 

 and wild conjectures advanced by some of these 

 scholars, meet with no sympathy or encouragement 

 from any denomination of Christians. In short, 

 American theology, like its literature, is yet in its 

 infancy ; and many years must elapse before it ar- 

 rives at its full growth. At present, its products 

 are green and crude. Nor till it has reached its 

 maturity, will it yield fruit that shall be for the 

 healing of the nation. 



5. Law. The earliest colonists, of course, needed 

 laws, in order to maintain among themselves civili- 

 zation and the rights of persons and property. 

 Those who settled Virginia brought out with them 

 a code of laws, which rested on the authority of the 

 company in England : but the religious adventurers 

 at the north were republicans from the first contract 

 for a civil government, signed on shipboard, Nov. 11, 

 1620; and they elected their governor, and made 

 such regulations as they thought expedient, by popu- 

 lar vote. In 1640, 100 ordinances were prepared, un- 

 der the direction of the legislature of Massachusetts, 

 by the reverend Nathaniel Ward, of Ipswich, wbo 

 had formerly been a lawyer in England. They were 

 called the Body of Liberties, and were published by 

 the constables through the villages of the colony. 

 In 1648, they were enlarged, and printed at Cam- 

 bridge, and thus form the first law book prepared 

 and printed in the colonies. They were again en- 

 larged and printed in 1660 and 1672. This collec- 

 tion was followed, in 1672, by the Book of the 

 General Laws of New Plymouth, and, in 1673, by 

 the Book of the General Laws of Connecticut, and 

 so on, in succession, by the codes of the other co 

 lonies. But, excepting such special laws as were 

 needed to suit the particular circumstances of the 

 country, there was nothing done, for a long time, 

 to enlarge or perfect either legislation itself or the 

 study of the law as a profession. The students of 

 legal and political science resorted to the mother 

 country ; and thence, too, came nearly all the judges. 

 Even down to the period of the revolution, except- 

 ing Mercer's Abridgment of the Laws of Virginia, 

 in 1758, Simpson's Justice of the Peace, in 1761, 

 and the County and Town Officer, in 1768, with 

 perhaps one or two more practical works of the 

 same kind, nothing appeared but the records and 

 acts of the different colonial legislatures. The 

 whole of this state of things, however, was neces- 

 sarily changed as soon as the country became inde- 

 pendent, and was compelled to look within its own 

 limits for no small part of its judicial authority and 

 construction. Since that period, therefore, the 

 following division may be made of the legal writ- 

 ings that have been published in the United States : 

 1. In the first place, the United States, as a govern- 

 ment, have published their statutes regularly from 

 1789 to the present time ; and an excellent edition 

 has been printed under the direction of judge Story 

 (3 vols., 8vo., Boston, 1827). The decisions of 

 the supreme court of the United States have also 

 been published regularly, from 1791, by Dallas, 

 Cranch, Wheaton and Peters. Besides these, the 

 circuit courts of the United States have sometimes 

 had reporters, of whom the most prominent are 

 Gallison and Mason in the eastern circuit, whose 

 reports, beginning in 1812, contain the decisions of 

 judge Story. The reports of the third circuit con. 

 tain the decisions of judge Washington. Some in- 



