that species of fables which is denominated rational, and the other that called moral." taken place, while those who make use of parables or fables for the ilustration of their themes, may draw upon their own invention.* Even if it should happen that a fable writer should meet with a true history suited to his purpose, which may save him the trouble of invention; still, his attention must be diverted from the truth of the fact, which has nothing to do with bis design, and of which he can make no use. There is, therefore, no ground for alarm lest the licence of inventing fables should either lessen the credit of true history, or afford facility for spreading falsehood. There cannot be even the appearance of falsehood in a form of speech already in such general use, that, notwithstanding its historical form of composition, it is impossible for any one not to recognize it as a fiction. The Jews, in particular, had in the time of Christ, been long accustomed to the ancient mode of teaching by means of fables, (Judg ix. 7-15, 11. Sam. xii. 1-4. II. Ki. XIV. 9. n. Chr. XXV. 18. Isa. v 1-6. Ezek. xvii. 3-10. xix. 1–9.) so that none of them could have been so stupid, as not to understand that the histories related were feigned, not true, (comp. Mat. xiii. 10). Indeed it is not the design of a fable to put on the semblance of a true history, but to be understood as a fiction, that the reader, who would not perceive its meaning, if he confined his attention to the narration (§. x1.), may be led to inquire concerning the object for which it was invented. The use of fables, moreover, is allowed to teachers only, never to historical writers. We may conclude, therefore, that whatever credible historians, -the evangelists, for instance-relate, is to be received as matter of fact, and not as fable. In the case of the evangelists, even in their accounts of the discourses of Christ, it is generally easy to distinguish between. the true and the fictitious histories, although the latter are not always pointed out as parables; e. g. Lu. vii. 41 s. xiv. 16 ss. xvi. 1 ss. Mat. xviii. 23 ss. xx. 1 ss. xxv. 1 ss. Even when a teacher has been in the habit of using fables for the purpose of instruction, we may nevertheless be sure that examples adduced by him are historically true (e. g. Lu. iv. 25 ss. Mat. xii. 3 s. 41 s. xxiii. 35,) whenever either the same history has been handed down by historical writers, and those such as are worthy of credit, or the manner of arguing used by the teacher, and all the context, show that he assumes the truth of the fact which he relates. When we are unable by either of these criteria to discover whether a narrative used by Christ is a historical example or a fable (Lu. xvi. 19 ss. x. 30 ss.) the probability is, that it is to be reckoned among the latter, as they were so frequently employed by him. 11 This distinction is derived from the progymnasmata of APHTHQ * [Fabulae exemplorum vicarii et supplementa olim extiterunt: BACON de Augm. Scient. Works. IV. 214. J 12 do The rational fable 13 relates an event absolutely possible, i.e which either customarily occurs, (m) or at least may so. (n) The moral fable recounts events possible only on the supposition, either, that the objects of which they are related, did exist, which species is called by LESSING the mythical fable, or, that things really existing, such as brutes or inanimate substances, were in possession of certain gifts, such as reason and speech, which they do not enjoy. Of this latter sort is the fable told by Jotham, Judg. ix. 8-15. 13 §. IV. The evangelists, contrary to the Greek usage, 15 (0) have (m) Mat. xiii, 3-8. 31-33. 47 s. xxi. 28-30, &c. (n) Lu. xii. 20. xiv. 21-23. Matt. xxii. 2 ss. (0) §. 11. NIUS; he makes three classes of fables, TO 20gIxor, To Mikov, and To 12 Fables of this kind occur in the Old Testament, in 11. Sam. xii. 1 ss. 13 This hypothetical condition is expressly recognized by MENENIUS, whose fable, as given by LIvy, begins thus: "At a time when the human members were not, as now, inseparably united, but had each its private interest, each its power of speech, the other members having taken umbrage," &c. 15 The words fabula, fabella, affabulatio, (μvior, §. XIII.) have already been applied to the parables of Christ by GROTIUS (Comm. in Matth. xiii. 10. 44. 49. De Jure Belli ac Pacis, Lib. II. c. xx. §. 48. no. 3,) COCCEIUS (Schol. in Matth. xx. p. 32, and Disp. Select. xxxv. §. 1. p. 89. Opp. T. IV. and v1.) and many others. There is no reason to consider the very ancient, and, as LUTHER (Opp. Lips. T. vi. p. 380. Append. T. XXII. p. 61 ss.) has well observed, highly excellent (§. 11. 1.) 14 given to fables of the first class, (the only kind used by Christ) the name of parables, (p) or comparisons. (q) This may be accounted for by their tendency to the Hebraistic idioms. The Hebrew word was used in the first place to signify a similitude 16 or an image. (r) or an image. (r) Poems generally (p) §. 1. (9) Mat. xiii. 3, 18, 24, 31, 33, 36, 53. xxi. 33. xxii. 1. Lu. method of teaching by fables, as trifling or unworthy of Christ," nor are we immediately to conclude from there being no mention of the use of the apologue, or completely moral fable by our Lord, that none of that sort were ever told by him. Even the common definition of a parable, that is, a history bearing the similitude of truth, invented for the purpose of conveying through that medium some recondite and spiritual meaning (see GLASSII Philol. Sac. p. 479. ed. Lips. 1705, and Pfaffil Commentat. de recta theol. parabolicae et allegoricae conformatione, p. 2.) will suit many of the fables of Æsop, nay, all of the rational fables, if we take from it the restrictive epithet spiritual, which seems to signify not a moral of any kind but more definitely a divinely revealed doctrine. This, however, is only what is called the specific difference of the parables of Christ, which certainly does not deprive them of the GENERIC character of fables. Nevertheless, although in a treatise like the present, we cannot dispense with the name of fable, for the purpose of distinguishing the different forms of the parables of Christ (§. 1—1v.) and of ascertaining with the greater accuracy the nature of such of them as belong to the class of fables. (§. v. ss.); yet, as WOLF has remarked (ubi supra, §. 302,) it is better to refrain from the use of that word in the vernacular language, and to retain the Hebrew-Greek term parable, lest the Latin word fable should be misunderstood by unlearned persons, and they be induced to confound it with the idea of old wives' fables. 14 EUSTATHIUS indeed (p. 176, below) comprises even that species of the eyes in which a historic style is used, (§. 11.) under the name of Tagacorn or parable. But it is very possible that the Archbishop of Thessalonica may have been led to this by some recollection of the more extended use of the word in the New Testament. 10 The word in, like the Arabic já, is plainly used for compari TT * [ See some valuable remarks on this feature of the teaching of our Saviour in SUMNER'S Evidences, p. 141 s. Am. ed.; and a full discussion of the subject in NEWCOME'S Observations on our Lord's conduct as a divine instructor, Chap. 11. Sect. x. pp. 141–158. Tr.i abounding in images, it was applied to them. (s) Ingenious sayings being usually couched in poetic style, and replete with comparisons, next acquired the name; (1) hence it came to be applied to proverbs, (u) which constituted the most usual and favourite class of ingenious sayings, and at last to fables. (w)17 Thus, the Hebraizing writers were led to give the Greek word Tagabon besides its proper meaning of similitude, (x) not only the other meanings of the Hebrew word, for instance, that of an ingenious saying, (y) and that of a proverb, (z) but also the signification of a fable. (a) And indeed both fables (b) and similitudes (c) might with the more propriety be included under the common name ragaboλn, (d) as all the fables of Christ are a kind of similitudes, which is far from being the case with any other fables than those of the compound or mixed class. 18 §. V. This will appear more evident, upon a closer investigation of the nature of a fable. In the first place, then, it is well (3) Isa xiv. 4. Ps. xlix. 5. Num xxiii. 7, 18. xxiv. 3, 15, 20 s., 23. son (e. g. Isa. xlvi. 5.) On the etymological derivation of its meanings SCHULTENS (in the beginning of his Comm. in Prov.) and MICHAELIS (in LOWTHи Prael Iv. de Sac poesi. Hebr. p. 64 s.) may be consulted. [See also DATHE's examination of its meanings, in his edition of GLASSI Philol. Sac. Lib. 11 Tract. 1 c. xxi. p. 1305 s ] 17 The Arabic J has the same meaning. [The Syriac also is used for the Greek agaboan in an equally extended application, (e. g. Met. xiii. 18,) and the fables of Talmud are called DAThe, ubi supra. TT 13 On the other hand the word zapotuia which properly answers to the Hebrew in its signification of a proverb, is made to receive the other sense of the Hebrew word in which it expresses an image, an allegory, e. g. Jo. 1. 6. See by all means VORSTII Philol. Sac. P. 1. c. iv. end. it known" that the name of fable (λoyos) belongs only to that species of narration of fictitious events, which inculcates some moral instruction adapted to reclaim from sin, and to recommend the practice of virtue and prudence. (e) With this view may either delineate an image of human manners, (ƒ) or set before the eyes the melancholy consequences of sin, (g) or by declaring the principles of the divine government (h) remove the occasions for rash judgments and attempts, and the other vices which spring from ignorance of those principles; or, as is generally the case, serve for several of these moral uses. Now a fable may illustrate such a moral doctrine either generally, or with a particular reference to some certain event, or to some impending emergency, which may have furnished occasion for it. There are therefore two sorts of fables, the simple and the compound. The first sort, or simple fable, is not to be reckoned among metaphorical allegories. There is no similitude between it and the doctrine which it expresses, inasmuch as the subject. and predicate of the latter form the genus of which the subject and predicate of the fable are a species. There cannot be said to be a similitude between a genus and any species or individual comprehended in it; and therefore a simple fable is rather an example of moral doctrine than an allegory. 20 But a compound fable may be considered as an allegory of the thing or event on occasion of which it was narrated. For example, the fable of the conspiracy of the human members for the destruction of the belly () is simple, if intended merely to teach the general truth, that dissensions are injurious to both the contending parties. For the hand, and mouth, and " (e) Mat. xviii. 35. Lu. x. 37. xii. 21. xvi. 8 ss. 19 ss. xviii. 1. 9. 14. xv. 32. (h) Mat. xiii. 24-33. Lu. xiii. 6 ss. (i) §. II. 19 LESSING, Diss. 1. p. 131 ss. 20 LESSING. p. 114 ss |