The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Were Written by the Inspiration of God

Having endeavoured to establish the authenticity of the Scriptures, I come now to say something respecting the inspiration of the writers of the several books. These two subjects are, it is true, involved in each other; and many of the arguments for the former are conclusive in favour of the latter; but .still there is a distinction which it is important to observe. A boo*k may be authentic, without having the least claim to inspiration, as are all true narratives of facts, written by men of veracity in the exercise of their unassisted powers. The gospel history may be established on the common principles ol human testimony, in the same manner as any other histcry. Indeed, this must be done, in the order of proof, before any convincing argument can be formed in favour of divine revelation. Accordingly, all judicious writers on the Evidences of Christianity first attempt to establish the fticts recorded in the Gospels, by an appeal to mere human testimony. This distinction is so clear, and practically so important, that many persons believe in the facts — miracles as well as others — and yet have no conviction that the history of these events was written by divine inspiration. This is understood to be the case in regard to most of those called Unitarians. Dr. Priestley, in his “Institutes of the Christian Ileligici.,” has established the authenticity of the flicts recorded by the evangelists with great force of reasoning; and yet n the same work, he utterly denies the plenarjr in spiratiou jf those writers; but alleges that they were men of voracity, and that their testimony should be received, just as we receive that of other credible historians, but without ascribing infallibility to them. The same opinions have been maintained by many others. The authenticity of the facts is sufficient to denionstrate that the Christian religion is of divine origin; but it does not follow, as a matter of course, that the historian who gives an account of the facts on which” rests was inspired. This is a distinct inquiry, ana although not so vitally important as the former, is of greaC moment, and deserves a serious and nnpartial consideration.

It may be proper also in this place to distinguish between inspiration and tha, i.lumination which every true Christian must receiv;, and which is the foundation of that saving faith which is produced in the mind by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The distinction is, that the object of hispiratlon is commonly to reveal some new truths, or more clearly to reveal such as were before but obscurely revealed; or it is intended to direct the mind, in a supernatural way, to write and speak certain things, and so superintends or strengthens its faculties, that it is enabled to communicate, with unerring certainty, truths before unknown; or to form ideas and adopt expressions so sublime, as to be above the range of the natural powers of the person. The illumination of the Holy Spirit communicates no new truths, but enables the soul spiritually to apprehend truths, already revealed. Here then is the grand distinctiipn between those spiritual influences which all Christians enjoy, and enthusiasm which claims something of the nature of inspiration. The sober Christian can appeal to the word of God, as containing all the ideas by which his mind is affected, in its highest elevations of joy and love; but the enthusiast departs from the written word, and trusts to impulses, impressions on the imagination, immediate suggestions, dreams or supposed visions. If these impulses or suggestions were fron“” the Spirit of God, Uiev would

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be strict’y 3f the nature of inspiration. And, lccorc ingly, most fanatics believe themselves to be inspii ed; but however strong their persuasion, we are noi bound to believe in their pretensions, unless they can exhibit those external proofs, by which God is pleased to attest such communications as he makes to men,

1”’here is also a difference between inspiration and revelation. All revelations are not made by a suggestion of truth to the mind of an individual. God often spake to people of old by audible voices, and communicated his will by the mission of angels. Many persons have thus received divine revelations who had no pretensions to inspiration. All the people of Israel who stood before God at Mount Sinai, heard his voice uttering the ten commandments, and yet no one would say that all these were inspired. So also when Christ was upon earth, in more instances than one, a voice was heard declaring that he was the beloved Son of God. Indeed, all who had the opportunity of hearing Christ’s discourses might be said to receive a revelation immediately from God; but it would be absurd to say that all these were inspired. Dr. Dick is of opinion, that the word reve- /(itio)i would be more expressive, as being more comprehensive, than suggestion, which last conveys the idea of an operation on the mind; whereas, truth, in many cases, was made known in other ways. But for the reason staled above, it would not do to substitute the word revelation for inspiration; inasmuch as multitudes received revelations who had no claim to inspiration. And when inspiration is confined to those who wrote the books of Scripture, no other word would so clearly express the idea.

Inspiration has by theologians been distinguished into three kinds; that oi superintendence, oi suggestion, and of elevation. The first of these takes place, wheJi an historian is influenced by the Holy Spirit to “write, and in writing is so directed as to select those facts and circumslances which will answer the end .proposed; and so assisted and strengthened in the narrative of events, as to be preserved from a.i error and mistake. The facts need not be revealed, be iause they may be well known to the writer from his own observation, and may be deeply impressed on hia memory; but no man can avoid inaccuracies and mistakes in a narrative of facts, long past. If it is important that such a narrative be exempt from error, the writer must be inspired. But as the chief object of itispiration is to communicate truths before unknown, the inspiration of suggestion is requisite in all such cases; as when the prophets were inspired to predict the revolutions of empires, or to communicate a message from God to a whole people, or to an individual, the ideas must of course have been immediately suggested by the Holy Spirit. The third species of inspiration takes place, when, by a divine influence, persons are enabled to bring forth productions, in speaking or writing, far more sublime and excellent than they could have attained by the exercise of their own faculties. Thus women, under the inspiration of God, have instantly uttered, in elevated strains of poetry, discourses in praise of God, which, by their unassisted powers, they could never have produced. In these compositions, there may be no revelation of truth; nor is there a mere superintendence of the human faculties, as in the first case was described; but the powers of the mind are, for the occasion, wonderfully elevated above their common level, so that the conceptions are more vivid and sublime, and expressed in language more appropriate and striking, than would have naturally occurred to them. By an inspiration of this sort David wrote the Psalms, and Solomon the Proverbs, and the speakers, in the book of Job, the sublime discourses which are there recorded. Many things of this kind are also found in the writings of the prophets.

Here another question of some perplexity demands our attention. It is, whether the words of Scripture, as well as the ideas, were given by inspiration. Oo the one hand it is alleged, that there is no necessity fr supposing vha he words used in comm micating

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revealed inith should be suggested by tue HAy Spirit; a. id that the fact proves that no sv.ch inspiration existed, because the style of each of the writers is peculiar, and accords precisely with his education, Jisposition, and turn of mind. But on the othei hand it is argued, that unless the words were inspired as well as the ideas, W(. cannot be certain that the writer has, hi any case, :ommunicated accurately the mind of the Spirit; frr men are liable to mistake in the selection of appropriate words, as much as in any thing else; and as men often fail in conveying their own ideas in language which correctly expresses their meaning, they might make similar mistakes in the use of language to express ideas received by inspiration, if in this matter they were left to the guidance of their own minds. It has also been plausibly urged in favour of inspiration extending to the words, that we can scarcely conceive of a revelation of truths to the mind, without supposing thai they were clothed in language. We cannot even think distinctly, much less reason conclusively, on any subject, without the intervention of words.

It is probable, that in this controversy as in many others, both parties are right; or rather, that the truth will be fully possessed by adopting the views entertained on both sides, and endeavouring to reconcile them. The same principles which apply to the ideas may, without any alteration, be applied to the words. When the truths revealed were before unknown to the inspired person; and especially — as seems often to have been the case with the prophets — when they did not fully comprehend the import of what was revealed, it is necessary to suppose that the words, as well as ideas, were immediately suggested by the Holy Spirit. This was remarkably the case, when the apostles and others received the gift of tongues: which was nothing else but the inspiration of words, as they were needed, for the communication of the truths of the gospel.

Hut as in the nar ation of well-known Aicts, the tvriter did not nee 1 a ‘ontinual suggestion of eve-^

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idea, bm only to be so superintended, as to be pre-Beved from error; so in the use of language in recording such familiar things, there existed no necessity that every word should be inspired; tint there was the same need of a directing and superintending influence as in regard to the things themselves Here, then, we see that the language of the sacred writers might oe preserved from impropriety and inaccuracy, and yet all the characteristics of style peculiar to each writer be retained. Just as if a master should so guide the hand of a child in writing, that the pen should be actually moved by the pupil, but governed and directed by the master, so as not to transgress the limits prescribed. Or this superintendence, both as to ideas and words, may be illustrated by the case of a father conducting a child along a narrow path. The child walks by its own activity, and takes steps according to its ability; but the father preserves it from falling, and keeps it in the straight path. Just so it is with men when under the superintending influence of the Holy Spirit. Their own powers of understanding, memory and invention are not superseded, but only directed, and preserved from inaccuracy and error; but the man pursues his own peculiar method of thinking, reasoning, and expression. He speaks or writes in the language which he has learned, and uses that idiom and style which have become habitual; so that inspired men will, according to this theory, retain their peculiarity ot istyle and expression just as fully, as if they were writing or speaking without inspiration.

Some object to this theory of superintendence, under the impression that it is less perfect, than if every thing were inspired by direct suggestion of the Holy Spirit. But there is really no foundation for this objection. It certainly is a matter of no consequer.ie how our knowledge is obtained, if it is only rendered uifallibly certain. There are aiany things concern-Tig which we could not acquire a greater degree of assurance lhaii we alri’ady possess, by inspiration of ;ui tcind: and such kn iwledge acquired by the exer

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‘Mse «)f reason cr intuition, is not the less valuable because it has been obtained in a natural way. (ii deed, these natural faculties, by which we are so constituted as to be capable of certain knowledge of the first principles of truth, are the gift of God at much as any inspiration can be: and the clear intuitive knowledge which we possess of certain triilhs, may be considered as a sort of permanent inspiration. Suppose a man by a constant plenary inspiration to be made absolutely sure of the truth of certain pro [)ositions, so that he could not entertain any doubt respecting them, in what respect would there be any difference between this and the intuitive perception of self-evident principles, which every rational man by nature possesses? There would then be nothing gained by the inspiration of direct suggestion, in regard to our knowledge of those things of which we already possess intuitive certainty. It is also evident that in relation to all our knowledge acquired by experience or testimony, we only need such an influence as will enable us to commmiicate what oughi to be recorded for the benefit of the church, and to do this without error, either as to matter or manner Some, who do not deny the inspiration of the sacred writers, in general, have thought it necessary to make concessions on this subject which are not called for from the nature of the case, and have thus Involved the cause which they defend in real difRcul ties. They have granted that, while, in all matters of real importance, the penmen of the Scriptures were guided by a plenary inspiration, they were left to their own unassisted powers in trivial matters, and the relation of unimportant circumstances; and in such matters have, therefore, fallen into mistakes in regard to trivial circumstances. No evil or inconvenience would result from this hypothesis, if the line could be definitely drawn between the parts of the book written by inspiration and those in which the writers were left to themselv(!S. But as no human wisdom is suflicient to draw this line, the effect of ^Hs opinion is to introduce uncertainty and doubt in a mdttei concerning which assurance is of the utmost importance. And it is in itself an improbable supposition, that the Spirit of God should infallibly guide a writer in some parts of his discourses, and forsake nim m other parts. If Ave find a witness mistaken in some particulars, ii weakens our confidence in his general testimony. And could it be shown that the evangelists nad fallen into palpoble mistakes in facts of minor importance, it would be impossible to demonstrate that they wrote any thing by inspiration.

The case of Paul is often adduced to prove that a writer who, for the most part, was inspired, may in particular cases be left to follow his own opinions.* If the meaning here ascribed to this apostle, and which is perhaps the most obvious, should be admitted, it would not authorize the opinion which we are now opposing. It would only follow that, in these few excepted cases, Paul was not inspired; which would leave us to enjoy full confidence in what he says in all other cases, as being spoken by divine inspiration. BiU it may well be doubted whether this was the true meaning of the apostle. It is much more probable, that all he intended to teach was, that our Lord Jesus Christ had delivered no opinion on the point which he was treating; but that he, by the aid of the Spirit which was in him, expressed an opinion which he evidently intended should be authoritative. And he plainly intimates that he spoke by inspiration, when he says, “And I think also that I have the Spirit of God.” The import of this declaration, according to the usage of the New Testament, is, that Paul was persuaded that he was inspired in ut::ering the sentiments which he did. The words “I think,” should not be interpreted as indicating any doubt or uncertainty, for that is not at all the meaning of the original; but as being the expression of the convvjtion of his own mind. There is, therefore, no need to suppose that Paul intended to intimate that he wrote any thing without the aid of divine ins miration. It would be strange indeed, if he

See 1 Cor. vii. 12- 40.

who was inspired to all other purposes, had been ief to himself in this one instance, as this is not to be reckoned among the least important matters which have fallen from his pen.

Tho true definition of inspiration, then, is, such a

DIVINE INFLUENCE UPON THE MINDS OF THE SACRED WRITERS AS RENDERED THEM EXEMPT FROM ERROR, BOTH IN REGARD TO THE IDEAS AND WORDS.

This is properly called plenary inspiration. No thing can be conceived more satisfactory. Certainty infallible certainty, is the utmost that can be desired in any narrative; and if we have this in the sacred Scriptures, there is nothing more to be wished in regard to this matter.

That the Scriptures of the Old Testament were Appealed to, and constantly spoken of as inspired, and free from error, is capable of the clearest proof. Christ said to the Jews, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.” “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me.” On another occasion, he said, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures,” where it is evidently implied that the Scriptures are an unerring rule. In the same chapter it is recorded, that Jesus confounded the Pharisees by asking them how David could in SPIRIT call Christ Lord, when he was his son. Agam, Christ after his resurrection expresses this sentiment in the strongest terms: “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you; That all things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understandings, that they should understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, on the third day.” In the preceding pari of the same discourse, this idea is also clearly exhibited:” Then he said unto them, 0 fools, and slow of heart ‘o believe all that the prophets have spoken* jughl not Christ to have suffered these things, ana

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to ciitf r into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto tlieni in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. And they said one to anotjier, Did not our hearts bum within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?” So also in the garden of Gethsemane, our Lord addressing Peter said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” The same infallible authority is ascribed to the Old Testament by Christ, in his dispute with the Jews, recorded in the tenth chapter of John. “Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came,

and THE SCRIPTURES CANNOT BE BROKEN,” &C. We

have, besides, many passages, in which the evangelists refer to the Holy Scriptures as an infallible standard of truth. “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him, that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake — Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” “Therefore, they could not believe, because that Esaias saith again — He hath blinded their eyes,” &c, “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again, another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they have pierced.”

The apostles are not less explicit than Christ an the evangelists, in testifying io the inspiration of the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Paul in his second epistle to Timothy put him in mind, that “from a child he had known the holy Scriptures, which were able to make him wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus;” and then adds, “all Scr pture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correcf.on, for instruction in righteousness; that the mar o God maybe ferfect, thoroughly furnished unto all g;ood works.”

The Scrijtures, which Timothy knew from hi- chila hood, must have been the books of the Old Testament, for at that time no others had been written But when Paul goes on to declare, that “all Scripture was given by inspiration of God,” he might have included mider this general expression, all the books of the New Testament which had been published before his second imprisonment at Rome; and this would probably comprehend the first three Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and al his own epistles; for this seems to have been the last of Paul’s writings; as he says in it, “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” That the writings of Paul were by the Church reckoned among the sacred Scriptures, we learn from the second epistle of Peter, which was probably written about this time or a little before. His words are remarkable, as containing the only clear testimony on record of one apostle to the writings of another. “Account,” says he, “that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvaUon, even as our beloved brother Paul also, accordmg to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood; which they that are unlearned and unstable pervert, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Hence it would appear, that Paul’s epistles were now well known, and were reckoned among the other ScriptUTes, by the apostle Peter. Certainly then Paul himself might have included them, as well as the other published books of the New Testament, under the phrase “all Scripture;” and if so, this passage will contain a strong testimony to the inspiration of the whole of the Old Testament, and a large part of the New TestamtMit. And admitting the facts of Paul’s miraculous conversion, divine mission as an apostle, and endowmern with the gift of tongues, of healing, of prophecy, &c., we cannot deny that he is a witnes?v in this case, on (whom we may repose the most perfect confidence. The apostle Peter has also given the most unc’iui

7ocai testimony to the inspiration of the Old Testament prophets. He had been speaking concerning the wonderful scene of which lie was a witness on the momit of transfiguration, whereupon he goes on to say: “We have a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” There is another testimony of this apostle in his first epistle: in which he clearly speaks of the inspiration of the prophets, “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it certified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you, by them that have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.”

That the Scriptures of the Old Testament were continually recognized by the apostles as given by inspiration of God, is so evident from every mention of them, that it may seem to be a waste of time to adduce the testimonies; but the subject i« exceedingly important, and we cannot too frequently have these evidences set before our eyes.

In the epistle to the Hebrews, there are many clear testimonies, some of which I will bring forward. In the very first sentence it is said, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” Wjiatever is spoken by the prophets is represented throughout this book as spoken by God himself. Thus in the same t-haj ter it is declared. “Ai 1 when he bring ‘^34 RVIPENCES ( F CHRIsTfANITT

elh Ihe first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, he saith, Who niuketh his angels spirits. But to the Son, he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for “ver and ever.” Now all these passages, where God is said to speak, are quotations from the Psalms Certainly” then we may conclude, that whatever is spoken in this book of Psalms is from the inspiration of God. The same is the fact, in the next chapter, where a large part of the eighth Psalm is quoted and applied to Christ. So also the Captain of our salvation is represented as saying certam things, which are found written in the Old Testament: “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren:” — “And again, I will put my trust in him.” In the third chapter of this epistle we have a quotation from the Psalms ir. the following remarkable words, “Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith. To-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts.” And in the fourth chapter the same style is used as before. “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day in this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” And in the fifth: “But he said unto him, Thou art my Son; to-day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place. Thou art a priest for ever aftei the order of Melchisedec.” And God is represented as the speaker, not only in what is written in the Psalms, but in the prophets also. In the eighth chapter we have a long quotation from Jeremiah, which is declared to be the word of the Lord. “Behold the days come, saith the Lord,” &c. One mor( testimony from this book shall suffice. In the tenth chapter, it is said, “Wherefore the Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us; for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord,” &c.

In short, as the writers of the Old Testament declared themselves to speak what they received from the Lord, so the wl ole of the Scriptures are continually referred to, and recognized as given by inspiration; ns’>»n )ch that t would be difficult to find a singlr

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passage, in which these Scriptures are inei.tioned, where this idea is not expressed or c.early implied. And it will be shown hereafter, that the writers ol the New Testament claim inspiration for themselves.