Preface

The Canon and Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures are subjects of the highest importance to every Christian. The Divine Books contain the only information with respect to the salvation of sinners; and the duties, privileges* and hopes of the heirs of heaven. All that can he known of the mind of God, and of the fu-,

1 re state of man, must’bVleamecl’fiom them.

2 e theories of men wrfch respect to the things I God, and reasonings respecting revealed

&i jects, grounded on any other foundation

but the divine declarations, are not only fallacious as far as concerns their immediate objects, but prevent an accurate acquaintance with the ways of God, by opening innumerable devious paths, which deceitfully promise to lead to heavenly knowledge.

The Bible not only contains tilings that are divinely accredited as true, but it contains all y-^&H&. ythe truth on divine subjects that is accessible ‘tuuM^>o&^ |Q man* Hence every thing: that respects the ^yd^J^- particular books composing the Canon, and ’ the inspiration of these books, is of the liveliest interest to every Christian. Whatever tends to invalidate the authority of any particular book of the Canon, or to add others to the number, ought to be met with the most decided opposition, as threatening to rob us of the most precious revealed truth, or to impose on us the traditions of men as the commandments of God. To reject a book whose authenticity rests on the authority of the Canon, is not only to give up the portion of divine truth which such book contains, but to take away the evidence of every other book standing on the same authority. If one book of the Canon is given up, how shall any other be retained on the authority of that Canon? Is it a light thing to admit a principle that unsettles the evidence of every book of the Bible? Is it an innocent thing to charge as superfluous, unimportant, unholy, or unwor-PREFACE. Ill

thy of God, any thing that there is authority to hold as his word? What, then, shall be said of those Christians, who have not only discovered an unbecoming facility in surrendering parts of the book of God, but have laboured with the most strenuous exertions to unsettle the Canon, and have availed themselves of every resource, with which a perverse ingenuity could supply them, to degrade some of the books that are as fully authenticated as any in that sacred collection?

In like manner, to recognise a book, not authenticated by the Canon, is to invalidate the authority of the Canon, and to lay a foundation for the admission of unaccredited books to an indefinite extent. It is obvious, that those who do so cannot be assured of the truths which they receive, nor that they have all revealed truths in the Bible. Such a mode of proceeding degrades the Word of God, unsettles the faith of the Christian, and greatly mars his edification and comfort.

The inspiration of the Scriptures is a thing of equal importance with the authority of the Canon. If God is not the author of them, in the fullest and most complete sense of that £ r - £ term? we cannot receive them as the word of God. The Scriptures so plainly assert their inspiration, that it is matter of astonishment that any who profess to believe them should have denied it. Yet many have contrived to hold the word, and to deny the thing itself. In this way, they perhaps hide even from themselves the boldness of their unhallowed speculations. That inspiration extends to words as well as to matter, is a thing so obvious, that it never could have been questioned, if those who deny it had not misled themselves by their vain reasonings on the subject, or taken the contrary for granted without enquiry, on the authority of others. A writing inspired by God self- evidently implies in the i very expression, that the words are the words

of God; and the common impression of mankind coincides with this most entirely. That the inspiration is in the matter, not in the words; that one part of Scripture is written; njhiL A^nwith one kind or degree of inspiration, and ^f.^/^f another part with another kind or degree, is Itycontrary to the phraseology, and totally with-PREFACE.

out foundation in any part, of the Scriptures themselves, and never could have suggested itself as a natural meaning of the word. This unholy invention is the figment of an ill-employed ingenuity, either to invalidate some Scripture truths, or to repel some objections, which appeared otherwise unanswerable. It is an expedient to serve a purpose, and as little to be approved, when it is used to defend the declarations of God, as when it is used to overturn them. Yet degrading views both of the Canon and Inspiration of the Scriptures too generally prevail; and the writers of most influence on the public mind, instead of correcting these errors, lend all their influence to their establishment.

The plenary or verbal inspiration of the Holy Scriptures is not only established by the most express passages in the way of direct authority, but it is a matter of no light consideration that there are no opposing passages on the other side. Hardly an error ever was maintained, but what could press some passage of the Word of God into its service, by the use of torture. Indeed, Aery many imvi

portant truths of the divine word are not without their difficulties, from passages that afford a handle to human ignorance and human depravity. While these are always capable of a solution in perfect accordance with the truths to which, at first sight, they may appear to be opposed, they prove a test of our submission to the divine wisdom. They manifest the childlike disposition of the people of God; but they are as gins and snares to the wisdom of this world, and the wise are taken by them in their own craftiness. As the contiguity of the Canaanites manifested the unbelief of the people of Israel; so these passages in the divine wisdom bring out into open avowal the enmity of men to the truth of God. But the inspiration of the Scriptures in the words as well as in the matter, is not opposed by any difficulty of this kind; and, r the authors of the low and derogatory view of (fccu+j-e*, <^the word of God, which ascribes to it different ^^^^^jdegrees of inspiration, cannot plead a single y lvi nassage that will afford them even the shadow / of support.^ Their doctrine is but a theory — j a theory m opposition to the most express vii

assertions of Scripture, and not countenanced by the allegation of a single text.

Whence comes the Bible? is a question in every way worthy of the deepest attention of the Christian. The grounds on which is rested the happiness of this world, and of the world to come, can never be too deeply examined. The title-deeds to so immense an inheritance are worthy of the constant researches of the life of man.

To establish with the utmost precision what are the books belonging to the Canon of Scripture, to fix the brand of reprobation on all false pretenders to the honour of inspiration, and to vindicate the writings of the Old Testament and the New, as the words of the Spirit of God, can at no period be a useless labour. But present circumstances add greatly to this importance, and recent events have discovered not only ignorance on these subjects, where knowledge might have been expected, but opposition even from the friends of the Gospel. It is much to be regretted, that unscriptural opinions concerning these subjects have long been entertained, and have of late been advoviii

cated by persons, who might have been expected to be the most zealous in opposing their progress. The Christian public are in the greater danger from the infection of this heresy, that it is propagated by persons whom they have long been accustomed to regard as among the brightest ornaments of true religion. Had these dangerous opinions made their appearance in the works of Socinians, Christians would have stood on their guard against them. But when the Canon is unsettled, and verbal inspiration is denied by men who profess to hold the distinguishing doctrines of the Gospel, many will be misled. If, then, we are commanded to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, it is surely our duty to contend for the Canon and Inspiration of the Bible, by which only that faith can be ascertained. Our reverence for the Bible depends on our full conviction of the plenary inspiration of the Apostles and Prophets, and our being satisfied that our Bible exclusively contains their writings. On these subjects the mind of every Christian should be fully informed and firmly esta-PREFACE.

blished. Just views respecting them exalt our conceptions of the perfection of the Holy Scriptures, and tend to make us better acquainted with their contents. The opposite views have a contrary tendency in a very high degree.

While the natural opposition of fallen man to God leads some to open and avowed infidelity, it operates on a still greater number in the way of indifference to religion. It leads them to be satisfied with very lax and general views on a subject to which they are indisposed, but which they dare not altogether neglect. Under the influence of this indifference many entertain no fixed views in regard to the Bible. They admit that the Scriptures contain a revelation from God, and that many parts of them are, therefore, entitled to our utmost reverence; but they do not perceive that all parts of the Bible, whether history, prophecy, praise, or precepts, are so many integral and connected parts of one great whole, intimately connected with the cross of Christ, which forms the centre of revelation, without reference to which no part can be PREFACE.

understood. They may read the history of Israel, they may believe the facts recorded, and yet remain completely unacquainted with the instruction conveyed. They may admire the Proverbs of Solomon as the dictates of the wisest of men; they may derive benefit from them in the regulation of their conduct in the world; while their souls cleave to the dust, and they are treasuring up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath. They may read the predictions of the desolation of Tyre and Babylon; they may acknowledge the proof which these afford of the divine foreknowledge, while they remain utterly ignorant of the nature of that kingdom, to the establishment of which all such events were subservient, and with which every part of revelation is closely and inseparably connected. But when God opens the understanding to understand the Scriptures; when men are made to know that all the prophets, both in the history of the past and the predictions of the future, bear witness to Christ, and that every circumstance recorded in the word of God, is a part of the testimony of Jesus, then xi

they are led to exclaim, “0 the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God;” to pray with the Psalmist,” Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law and with the Apostle, they follow on to apprehend Christ Jesus, the Lord, in the diligent study of every part of the word of God.

This naturally produces j ust views on the subject of inspiration. Unless the mind be misled by false teaching, or perverted by some unscriptural theory, it puts an end to idle and impious speculations about supernatural influence being unnecessary, when the sacred penmen are speaking of “common or civil affairs and about their mentioning “common occurrences or things in an incidental manner as any other plain and faithful men might do.” We behold the word of God composed of many parts, but forming one grand connected system, like a building, so admirably constructed, that every stone increases its beauty and stability, and not one of which could be removed without injury. We behold the wisdom of God in employing so many persons to labour in distant xii

ages, and in different departments, producing in their various compositions a revelation of his will, complete in all its parts, and distinguished why the most perfect unity, withoutjth<^

rennncY9 or deficiency. From <rf not perceiving this, some attach different de-Agrees of authority to different parts of Scripture* In the same way, many prefer the discourses of Jesus to the other portions of the New Testa» ment, although, when about to leave the world, he informed his Apostles that there were many things which at present they could not bear, but which he would afterwards communicate to them by the teaching of his Spirit. According to his promise, he endued them with power from on high, and consequently in their writings we have the completion of divine revelation, the exhibition of the great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and which he more fully explained by speaking in his Apostles, 2 Cor. xiii. 3.

It is the object of the following pages to exhibit the abundant evidence by which the authenticity of the books of the Old and New Testaments is confirmed, and to prove that the xiii

inspiration to which the Scriptures lay claim, is in the fullest sense plenary in every part of them, extending both to the ideas, and to the words in which these ideas are expressed. Hence the Scripture is described as the Word of God, and the words of which it is composed, are represented as proceeding out of his mouth. This language is conclusive on the subject, and by directing the sacred writers to employ it, God has ascribed to himself whatever is written in the Bible, and requires all to listen to his word with the utmost reverence. Ish. 1, 2, 20.

Two editions of this publication have already been sent into the world, but the present is greatly enlarged. An account is added of the Apocryphal writings, in which a view is given of the reasons that forbid their being received along with the word of God. Their usurpation of the place they have long occupied in the estimation of many, is traced to its origin; and their presumptuous claims to inspiration, or to any authority, are exploded. This is the more necessary, as many are but little acquainted with the manner in which these forgeries have obtained the situation they hold in xiv

the Bibles of Roman Catholics and even of Protestants, or with the impiety of their contents. It is proved that the Apocrypha is not apart of God’s word, and that instead of being a book of useful though uninspired instruction, it is a book of imposture and destructive delusion.

A work has just appeared from the pen of Mr Carson, in which the false theories of inspiration exhibited in some late publications, are triumphantly refuted.* The reader who desires to examine this important subject will find it advantageous to read that work in connexion with this publication. They both refer to it in different points of view. The one is in proof, the other in reply. The one aims at exhibiting the evidence, and the other answers objections; and in order to have at once

*” The Theories of Inspiration of the Rev. Daniel Wilson, Rev. Dr Pye Smith, and the Rev. Dr Dick, proved to be erroneous; with Remarks on the Christian Observer, and Eclectic Review. By Alexander Carson, A. M. minister of the gospel. Sold by W. Whyte and Co., Edinburgh; T. Hamilton and Co., London; and W. Carson, Dublin &c. &c.

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a view of the evidence drawn from Scripture of the doctrine of inspiration, and a solution of the most plausible cavils against it, both should be perused. A question of such importance demands full consideration, and if ingenuity has exerted its utmost efforts to shroud this subject in darkness, detail ought not to be thought tedious in restoring light and order. These publications together will, it is hoped, enlarge the views and fortify the convictions of Christians respecting the divine origin and absolute perfection of the Holy Scriptures, and will prove that those who recognise distinctions in the inspiration of the word of God, or who make concessions that virtually subvert it, are chargeable with no slight evil. After candidly weighing what is advanced, they will have reason to conclude that in the Bible they possess the whole word of God, and nothing but his word. In the appendix it will be grateful to them to observe, that the views of the inspiration of the Bible maintained in these publications are not new. They will see, by a number of quotations, that, though too much neglected, and even opposed by many, xvi

the doctrine of the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures has been, from the earliest times, the faith of some of the greatest ornaments of the church of God.