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The authority of the Hebrew Scriptures, as a standing rule to the Church, which no man was at liberty, in any shape, to alter, is often declared: "What things soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it"" Add thou not to his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."* Our Lord and his Apostles make frequent appeals to these ancient Scriptures, as of infallible authority.- "Search the Scriptures," said Jesus, "for in them ye think ye have eternal life"-" If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead"-" Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." The perfect ease and simplicity with which the New Testament writers constantly refer to the Old, is highly instructive. While ever and anon they use such expressions as these "Wot ye not what the Scripture saith," "It is written," "Moses saith," "Isaias is very bold, and saith,' "The Holy Ghost saith," their language clearly indicates the deep veneration due to the sacred books as an authoritative and decisive test, from which lies no appeal. Terms equally strong and conclusive, too, are used, as we have seen, with regard to the authority, infallibility, and perpetuity of the New Testament Scriptures. It may suffice to quote that solemn and awful admonition with which the Apocalypse and the whole Bible is shut up: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."‡

Now, is it at all credible that a volume invested with this paramount, extensive, and lasting authority, was nothing more than partially and imperfectly inspired? If Prophets and Apostles had, in the course of their writing, been but occasionally under divine inspiration; or if the Spirit had only suggested the leading ideas, and exercised a superintendence that preserved them from material error, their works could not have obtained a place so immeasurably higher than the rank allotted to all other valuable books on religion. We may go farther and affirm, that had not inspiration been verbal, it could scarcely

* Deut. xii. 32-Prov. xxx. 6-See also Is. viii. 20-Mal. iv. 4. † John v. 39-Luke xvi. 31-Mat. xxii. 29. Rev. xxii. 18, 19 See also Mat. x. 40; ch. xxviii. 19, 20-Luke x. 16-John xx. 22, 23, 30, 31.

have been plenary, or to say the least, it would have been difficult for us to believe that it is altogether so. "In relation to the language of the Holy Scriptures," it is observed in a public Testimony to the truth formerly referred to, "unless the words can be depended upon as infallibly conveying the mind of the Spirit, the matter of Revelation must be quite undetermined; and to have left us to this uncertainty would neither have been worthy of the goodness of God, which disposed him to grant such a communication to men, nor of his wisdom, which always selects adequate means for accomplishing his purposes."

The importance of appropriate terms, and correct arrangement, in every communication of moment, is universally admitted. The omission, addition, transposition, or change of a single word or particle, will often materially affect the meaning of a sentence. A few verbal, and apparently slight alterations, are sufficient essentially to mar the tenor and subvert the object of a whole discourse. In the instructions addressed by a proprietor to his steward, by a prince to his servants, by a state to its ambassadors, generals and admirals; in the laws enacted for the government of nations; and in evidence laid before courts of justice, on which the destination of valuable property, and the fortune, character, and life of individuals. depend the necessity of the most rigid verbal accuracy has often been felt. But no human instructions, laws, or testimony, are comparable, in importance, to that Revelation, in which the dearest interests of the Divine glory, and the immortal welfare of mankind, are equally concerned. Here, assuredly, we have to do with a writing of unequalled and incalculable magnitude. Here, far more than any where else, it is indispensable that the sentiments be fully and correctly expressed; that the terms be properly chosen and arranged; that not one jot or tittle in the precious communication be either defective, or redundant, or altered, or misplaced.

Can it then be alleged that the inspiration of the words was neither necessary, nor calculated to serve any valuable purpose? Was not the dictation to the sacred penmen of "accep table words, even words of truth," as well as the suggestion of weighty sentiments, a work altogether worthy of the wisdom and goodness of God? If we regard the sacred volume as wholly Divine both in matter and expression, we shall repose an unbounded confidence in it, as an infallible and satisfactory standard. But if, on the contrary, we hesitate to embrace it as thus fully inspired, we need a new revelation to explain the Testimony of the United Synod, p. 96.

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old; we can form no certain conclusions with regard to principles to be believed, or duties to be done; we still labour under deplorable uncertainty and perplexity respecting the allimportant concerns of God and eternity. "We are still left, as an excellent writer expresses it, to make the voyage of life in the midst of rocks and shelves and quicksands, with a compass vacillating and useless, and our pole-star enveloped in mists and obscurity."

These, then, are Proofs of the Plenary and Verbal Inspiration of the Holy Bible; the express statements of Scripture itself on the subject; the direct promises of our Lord to his Apostles; the various designations and epithets applied to the sacred volume; the undeniable verbal inspiration of some portions of Scripture; the manifest importance of the inspiration of the words in all the various modes of writing which the Scriptures exhibit; the emphasis not unfrequently attached by the sacred writers to short phrases and single terms; the intimate connection that subsists betwixt thoughts and the words by which they are expressed; the indisputable excellence of scripture diction; and, in fine, the grand purpose which this volume was intended to serve, as an infallible and perpetual rule of faith and practice.

Let each of these arguments be allowed its proper weight; let a just estimate be formed of their united force; let gratuitous assumptions and ill-founded prepossessions be laid aside; above all, let the mind be cordially disposed to acquiesce in the testimony of the All-wise Author of the Bible in reference to his own book—and we cannot but anticipate a conclusion, on the part of the reader, correspondent to the views we have endeavoured to advocate.

• Dr Gregory's Letters on the Evidence, Doctrines, and Duties of Religion, vol. i., Let. 10.

CHAPTER III.

REPLIES TO OBJECTIONS.

It is not our intention to enter the lists with those determined adversaries of revealed religion, who utterly deny the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The tenor of this Essay makes it proper almost wholly to confine our remarks to the objec tions urged by the professed friends of the Bible against Plenary and Verbal Inspiration. That nothing specious, or even nothing possessing some degree of force, can be alleged in opposition to the doctrine maintained in the preceding Chapter, we do not venture to affirm. Yet much of the reasoning employed by our opponents appears to be futile, and the most appalling difficulties they can muster, admit, it is hoped, of a satisfactory solution.

I. It is said, "The Scriptures contain a variety of quotations from human books, and a multitude of mere human words, including sinful speeches uttered both by men and devils. With what propriety, then, can it be asserted that they are fully and verbally inspired?"

The circumstances from which this objection is drawn are readily admitted. The Scriptures do contain quotations from human books, as those from the heathen writers, Aretas, t Menander, and Epimenides, the poet of Crete.§ Proverbial sayings are sometimes appealed to. Human words occur, at one time, in the form of an oral address, as in Gamaliel's advice to the Jewish Council; at another, in the shape of a letter, as in the communication by Claudius Lysias, the chief captain, to Felix the Governor.** The sacred writers have, in reality,

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Amongst the valuable answers to the objections of Deists composed by many excellent writers, the concise reply by the late Dr Dick, in the seventh chapter of his Essay on the Inspiration of the Scriptures, is entitled to marked approbation. It is luminous, forcible, and satisfactory. + Acts xvii. 28. 1 Cor. xv. 35.

1 Sam. xxiv. 13-Luke iv. 23.
** Acts xxiii. 26-30.

§ Tit. i. 12.
Acts v. 34-40.

recorded a vast number of highly culpable speeches, both diabolical and human. Of this sort are the blasphemous speeches pronounced by the devil, when he tempted our first mother Eve; when he preferred calumnious accusations against Job; and when he assaulted our blessed Lord in the wilderness. Such also are the ungodly expressions of Cain and Pharoah; the outrageous harangue addressed by Rabshakeh to the servants of Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and, in fine, the various speeches uttered by good men on some unhappy occasions, when they spoke unadvisedly with their lips, as those of Moses and Jonah, and the eloquent speeches of Job's three friends, in which palpable mistakes are mingled with excellent instructions.

From all these concessions, however, no consequence unfavourable to full and Verbal Inspiration can justly be deduced. If common proverbs are referred to, and if sentences are taken from human writings, and even from heathen poets, it was by inspiration of the Spirit, and to answer important ends, that these proverbs and sentences were quoted. If the words of Gamaliel and the letter of Lysias are cited, the citation is divine. Nay, the very worst speeches of men and devils, found within the limits of the Bible, form necessary parts of the inspired historical accounts; and it is for salutary purposes that they are faithfully rehearsed. The horrid impiety, pride, and malignity of the great enemy of God and man are thus fearfully exposed; the depravity of fallen human nature, the deplorable wickedness of the unregenerate, and the remaining darkness and weakness of the godly, are usefully displayed. In all that they wrote, the Prophets and Apostles acted under the immediate impulse and guidance of the Spirit, who taught them what to omit and consign to oblivion, and what to insert and transmit to posterity.

It is vain to pretend that it necessarily follows from the doctrine of Verbal Inspiration, that all the speakers introduced in the Scriptures, not excepting the Old Serpent himself, were inspired; or that all the sayings and speeches recorded met the approbation of the Spirit. The sacred history, indeed, comprehends much that was both said and done in direct contradiction to the divine law, and which it would be criminal to imitate. It is by the appointment of God, nevertheless, that these narratives were written; and, as recorded by the Holy Spirit, they communicate inspired and important instruction. How contrary soever to each other, in their character and tendency, the mildest remonstrances of Moses, and the unad

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