Itwasre-echoedthroughEngland，Germany，France，andAmerica，and，ifpossible，yetmorehighlydeveloped。InEnglandTheophilusGalesethimselftoprovethatnotonlyallthelanguages，butallthelearningoftheworld，hadbeendrawnfromtheHebrewrecords。
　　ThisorthodoxdoctrinewasalsofullyvindicatedinHolland。
　　Sixyearsbeforethecloseoftheseventeenthcentury，Morinus，DoctorofTheology，ProfessorofOrientalLanguages，andpastoratAmsterdam，publishedhisgreatworkonPrimaevalLanguage。
　　ItsfrontispiecedepictstheconfusionoftonguesatBabel，and，asapendanttothis，thepentecostalgiftoftonguestotheapostles。Inthesuccessivechaptersofthefirstbookheprovesthatlanguagecouldnothavecomeintoexistencesaveasadirectgiftfromheaven；thatthereisaprimitivelanguage，themotherofalltherest；thatthisprimitivelanguagestillexistsinitspristinepurity；thatthislanguageistheHebrew。ThesecondbookisdevotedtoprovingthattheHebrewlettersweredivinelyreceived，havebeenpreservedintact，andarethesourceofallotheralphabets。Butinthethirdbookhefeelsobligedtoallow，inthefaceofthecontrarydogmaheld，ashesays，by“notafewmosteminentmenpiouslysolicitousfortheauthorityofthesacredtext。”thattheHebrewpunctuationwas，afterall，notofDivineinspiration，butalateinventionoftherabbis。
　　France，also，washeldtoallappearanceincompletesubjectiontotheorthodoxideauptotheendofthecentury。In1697
　　appearedatParisperhapsthemostlearnedofallthebookswrittentoproveHebrewtheoriginaltongueandsourceofallothers。TheGallicanChurchwasthenattheheightofitspower。Bossuetasbishop，asthinker，andasadviserofLouisXIV，hadcrushedalloppositiontoorthodoxy。TheEdictofNanteshadbeenrevoked，andtheHuguenots，sofarastheycouldescape，werescatteredthroughouttheworld，destinedtorepayFrancewithinterestathousandfoldduringthenexttwocenturies。ThebonesoftheJansenistsatPortRoyalweredugupandscattered。LouisXIVstoodguardoverthepietyofhispeople。ItwasinthemidstofthisseriesoftriumphsthatFatherLouisThomassin，PriestoftheOratory，issuedhisUniversalHebrewGlossary。Inthis，tousehisownlanguage。”thedivinity，antiquity，andperpetuityoftheHebrewtongue，withitsletters，accents，andothercharacters。”areestablishedforeverandbeyondallcavil，byproofsdrawnfromallpeoples，kindreds，andnationsunderthesun。Thissuperb，thousand-columnedfoliowasissuedfromtheroyalpress，andisoneofthemostimposingmonumentsofhumanpietyandfolly——takingrankwiththetreatisesofFromundusagainstGalileo，ofQuaresmiusonLot’sWife，andofGladstoneonGenesisandGeology。
　　Thegreattheologic-philologicchoruswassteadilymaintained，and，asinaresponsivechant，itsdoctrineswereechoedfromlandtoland。FromAmericatherecametheearnestwordsofJohnEliot，praisingHebrewasthemostfittobemadeauniversallanguage，anddeclaringitthetongue“whichitpleasedourLordJesustomakeuseofwhenhespakefromheavenuntoPaul。”AtthecloseoftheseventeenthcenturycamefromEnglandastrongantiphonalanswerinthischorus；MericCasaubon，thelearnedPrebendaryofCanterbury，thusdeclared：“Onelanguage，theHebrew，Iholdtobesimplyandabsolutelythesourceofall。”
　　And，toswellthechorus，therecameintoit，incompleteunison，thevoiceofBentley——thegreatestscholaroftheoldsortwhomEnglandhaseverproduced。Hewas，indeed，oneofthemostlearnedandacutecriticsofanyage；buthewasalsoMasterofTrinity，ArchdeaconofBristol，heldtwolivingsbesides，andenjoyedthehonourofrefusingthebishopricofBristol，asnotrichenoughtotempthim。Noblesseoblige：thatBentleyshouldholdabriefforthetheologicalsidewasinevitable，andweneednotbesurprisedwhenwehearhimdeclaring：“Wearesure，fromthenamesofpersonsandplacesmentionedinScripturebeforetheDeluge，nottoinsistuponotherarguments，thattheHebrewwastheprimitivelanguageofmankind，andthatitcontinuedpureabovethreethousandyearsuntilthecaptivityinBabylon。”Thepowerofthetheologicbias，whenproperlystimulatedwithecclesiasticalpreferment，couldhardlybemoreperfectlyexemplifiedthaninsuchacaptivityofsuchamanasBentley。
　　Yetheretwoimportantexceptionsshouldbenoted。InEngland，Prideaux，whosebiblicalstudiesgavehimmuchauthority，opposedthedominantopinion；andinAmerica，CottonMather，whointakinghisMaster’sdegreeatHarvardhadsupportedthedoctrinethattheHebrewvowelpointswereofdivineorigin，bravelyrecantedanddeclaredforthebetterview。[416]
　　[416]ThequotationfromGuichardisfromL’HarmonieEtymologiquedesLangues，……danslaquelleparplusiersAntiquitesetEtymologiesdetoutesorte，jedemonstreevidemmentquetoutesleslanguessontdescenduesdel’Hebraique；parM。EstienneGuichard，Paris，1631。Thefirsteditionappearedin1606。ForWillett，seehisHexapla，London，1608，pp。125-128。FortheAddressofL’Empereur，seehispublication，Leyden，1627。ThequotationfromLightfoot，beginning“Othercommendations。”etc。，istakenfromhisErubhin，orMiscellanies，editionof1629；seealsohisworks，vol。iv，pp。46，47，London，1822。ForBishopBrianWalton，seetheCambridgeeditionofhisworks，1828，ProlegomenaS1and3。AstoWalton’sgivinguptherabbinicalpoints，hementionsinoneofthelatesteditionsofhisworksthefactthatIsaacCasabon，JosephScaliger，IsaacVossius，Grotius，Beza，Luther，Zwingli，Brentz，Oecolampadius，Calvin，andevensomeofthePopeswerewithhiminthis。ForSennert，seehisDissertationdeEbraicaeS。S。LinguaeOrigine，etc。，Wittenberg，1657；alsohisGrammiticaOrientalis，Wittenberg，1666。ForBuxtorf，seetheprefacetohisThesaurusGrammaticusLinguaeSanctaeHebraeae，sixthedition，1663。ForGale，seehisCourtoftheGentiles，Oxford，1672。ForMorinus，seehisExercitationesdeLinguaPrimaeva，Utrecht，1697。ForThomassin，seehisGlossariumUniversaleHebraicum，Paris，1697。ForJohnEliot’sutterance，seeMather’sMagnalia，bookiii，p。184。ForMericCasaubon，seehisDeLinguaAngliaVet。，p。160，citedbyMassey，p。16ofOriginandProgressofLetters。ForBentley，seehisworks，London，1836，vol。ii，p。11，andcitationsbyWelsford，MithridatesMinor，p。2。AstoBentley’spositionasascholar，seethefamousestimateinMacaulay’sEssays。Forashortbutveryinterestingaccountofhim，seeMarkPattison’sarticleinvol。iiiofthelasteditionoftheEncyclopaediaBritannica。ThepostionofPattisonasanagnosticdignitaryintheEnglishChurcheminentlyfittedhimtounderstandBentley’scareer，bothasregardstheorthodoxandthescholasticworld。
　　ForperhapsthemoststrikingaccountofthemannerinwhichBentleylordeditinthescholasticworldofhistime，seeMonk’sLifeofBentley，vol。ii，chap。xvii，andespeciallyhiscontemptuousreplytothejudges，asgiveninvol。ii，pp。211，212。ForCottonMather，seehisbiographybySamuelMather，Boston，1729，pp。5，6。
　　Buteventhisdissentproducedlittleimmediateeffect，andatthebeginningoftheeighteenthcenturythissacreddoctrine，baseduponexplicitstatementsofScripture，seemedforeversettled。Aswehaveseen，strongfortresseshadbeenbuiltforitineveryChristianland：nothingseemedmoreunlikelythanthatthelittlegroupsofscholarsscatteredthroughthesevariouscountriescouldeverprevailagainstthem。Thesestrongholdswerebuiltsofirmly，andhadbehindthemsovastanarmyofreligionistsofeverycreed，thattoconquerthemseemedimpossible。Andyetatthatverymomenttheirdoomwasdecreed。
　　Withinafewyearsfromthisperiodoftheirgreatesttriumph，thegarrisonsofallthesesacredfortresseswereinhopelessconfusion，andthearmiesbehindtheminfullretreat；alittlelater，alltheimportantorthodoxfortressesandforceswereinthehandsofthescientificphilologists。
　　Howthiscameaboutwillbeshowninthethirdpartofthischapter。
　　III。BREAKINGDOWNOFTHETHEOLOGICALVIEW。
　　Wehavenowseenthestepsbywhichthesacredtheoryofhumanlanguagehadbeendeveloped：howithadbeenstrengthenedineverylanduntilitseemedtobiddefianceforevertoadvancingthought；howitrestedfirmlyupontheletterofScripture，upontheexplicitdeclarationsofleadingfathersoftheChurch，ofthegreatdoctorsoftheMiddleAges，ofthemosteminenttheologicalscholarsdowntothebeginningoftheeighteenthcentury，andwasguardedbythedecreesofpopes，kings，bishops，CatholicandProtestant，andthewholehierarchyofauthoritiesinchurchandstate。
　　Andyet，aswenowlookback，itiseasytoseethateveninthathourofitstriumphitwasdoomed。
　　ThereasonwhytheChurchhassofullyacceptedtheconclusionsofsciencewhichhavedestroyedthesacredtheoryisinstructive。
　　Thestudyoflanguageshasbeen，sincetheRevivalofLearningandtheReformation，afavouritestudywiththewholeWesternChurch，CatholicandProtestant。Theimportanceofunderstandingtheancienttonguesinwhichoursacredbooksarepreservedfirststimulatedthestudy，andChurchmissionaryeffortshavecontributednoblytosupplythematerialforextendingit，andfortheapplicationofthatcomparativemethodwhich，inphilologyasinothersciences，hasbeensofruitful。Henceitisthatsomanyleadingtheologianshavecometoknowatfirsthandthetruthsgivenbythisscience，andtorecogniseitsfundamentalprinciples。Whattheconclusionswhichthey，aswellasallotherscholarsinthisfield，havebeenabsolutelyforcedtoaccept，Ishallnowendeavourtoshow。
　　Thebeginningsofascientifictheoryseemedweakindeed，buttheywerenonethelesseffective。Asfarbackas1661，Hottinger，professoratHeidelberg，cameintothechorusoftheologianslikeagreatbellinachime；butlikeabellwhoseopeningtoneisharmoniousandwhoseclosingtoneisdiscordant。
　　Forwhile，atthebeginning，Hottingercitesaformidablelistofgreatscholarswhohadheldthesacredtheoryoftheoriginoflanguage，hegoesontonoteacloserresemblancetotheHebrewinsomelanguagesthaninothers，andexplainsthisbydeclaringthattheconfusionoftongueswasoftwosorts，totalandpartial：theArabicandChaldaichethinksunderwentonlyapartialconfusion；theEgyptian，Persian，andalltheEuropeanlanguagesatotalone。Herecomesinthediscord；heregentlysoundsforthfromthegreatchorusanewnote——thatideaofgroupingandclassifyinglanguageswhichatalaterdaywastodestroyutterlythewholesacredtheory。
　　Butthegreatchorusresoundedon，aswehaveseen，fromshoretoshore，untiltheclosingyearsoftheseventeenthcentury；thenarosemenwhosilenceditforever。Thefirstleaderwhothrewtheweightofhisknowledge，thought，andauthorityagainstitwasLeibnitz。Hedeclared，“ThereisasmuchreasonforsupposingHebrewtohavebeentheprimitivelanguageofmankindasthereisforadoptingtheviewofGoropius，whopublishedaworkatAntwerpin1580toprovethatDutchwasthelanguagespokeninparadise。”
　　InalettertoTenzel，Leibnitzwrote，“TocallHebrewtheprimitivelanguageislikecallingthebranchesofatreeprimitivebranches，orlikeimaginingthatinsomecountryhewntrunkscouldgrowinsteadoftrees。”Healsoasked，“IftheprimevallanguageexistedevenuptothetimeofMoses，whencecametheEgyptianlanguage？”
　　ButtheefficiencyofLeibnitzdidnotendwithmeresuggestions。
　　Heappliedtheinductivemethodtolinguisticstudy，madegreateffortstohavevocabulariescollectedandgrammarsdrawnupwherevermissionariesandtravellerscameincontactwithnewraces，andthussucceededingivingtheinitialimpulsetoatleastthreenotablecollections——thatofCatharinetheGreat，ofRussia；thatoftheSpanishJesuit，LorenzoHervas；and，atalaterperiod，theMithridatesofAdelung。TheinterestoftheEmpressCatharineinhercollectionoflinguisticmaterialswasverystrong，andherinfluenceisseeninthefactthatWashington，topleaseher，requestedgovernorsandgeneralstosendinmaterialsfromvariouspartsoftheUnitedStatesandtheTerritories。TheworkofHervasextendedovertheperiodfrom1735to1809：amissionaryinAmerica，heenlargedhiscatalogueoflanguagestosixvolumes，whichwerepublishedinSpanishin1800，andcontainedspecimensofmorethanthreehundredlanguages，withthegrammarsofmorethanforty。ItshouldbesaidtohiscreditthatHervasdaredpointoutwithespecialcarethelimitsoftheSemiticfamilyoflanguages，anddeclared，asaresultofhisenormousstudies，thatthevariouslanguagesofmankindcouldnothavebeenderivedfromtheHebrew。
　　WhilesuchworkwasdoneinCatholicSpain，ProtestantGermanywashonouredbytheworkofAdelung。ItcontainedtheLord’sPrayerinnearlyfivehundredlanguagesanddialects，andthecomparisonofthese，earlyinthenineteenthcentury，helpedtoendtheswayoftheologicalphilology。