6th. Many transcendental philosophers of the present day, as represented by Morell in his " Philosophy of Religion," hold that the inspiration of the sacred writers was nothing more than an exaltation of their " intuitional consciousness," i. e., that this di- vine assistance took the place in them of great genius and of great goodness, and effected nothing more than the best results of the highest exercise of their own faculties. And thus their writings have no other authority over us than that which their words sev- erally manifest to our consciousness, as inherent in themselves, as we see and feel them to be preeminently wise and good.
7th. The true doctrine is that their inspiration was plenary,, and their writings in every part infallible truth. — Bib. Rep., October, 1857, Dr. T. V. Moore's Univ. Lect., and Gaussen on Inspiration.
7. What is meant by "plenary inspiration V
A divine influence full and sufficient to secure its end. The end in this case secured is the perfect infallibility of the Scriptures in every part, as a record of fact and doctrine both in thought and verbal expression. So that although they come to us through the instrumentality of the minds, hearts, imaginations, consciences and wills of men, they are nevertheless in the strictest sense the word of God.
EXTENDS TO THE WORDS. 71
8. On what ground is it held that the sacred writers were in- spired as historians as ivell as in their character of religious teachers ?
1st. The two elements are inseparable in Scripture. Keligion is everywhere based upon and illustrated by the facts of history. Imperfection in one respect would invalidate the authority of its teaching in every department.
2d. The Scriptures themselves claim to be the word of God as a whole (2 Timothy hi., 16), and never hint at any distinction as to the different degrees of authority with which their several portions are clothed.
3d. The perfect historical accuracy and agreement of so many authors, of such various ages and nations, which we find in the Scriptures, itself demands the assignment of a supernatural cause.
9 . On what grounds is it assumed that their inspiration ex- tended to their language as well as to their thoughts ?
The doctrine is, that while the sacred writers thought and wrote in the free exercise of all their powers, nevertheless God ex- erted such a constant influence over them that, 1st, they were al- ways furnished, naturally or supernaturally, with the material necessary ; 2d, infallibly guided in its selection and distribution ; and, 3d, so directed that they always wrote pure truth in infalli- bly correct language.
That this influence did extend to the words appears, 1st, from the very design of inspiration, which is, not to secure the infalli- ble correctness of the opinions of the inspired men themselves (Paul and Peter differed, Gal. ii., 11, and sometimes the prophet knew not what he wrote), but to secure an infallible record of the truth. But a record consists of language.
2d. Men think in words, and the more definitely they think the more are their thoughts immediately associated with an ex- actly appropriate verbal expression. Infallibility of thought can not be secured or preserved independently of an infallible verbal rendering.
3d. The Scriptures affirm this fact, 1 Cor. ii., 13 ; 1 Thess. ii., 13.
4th. The New Testament writers, while quoting from the
72 INSPIRATION.
Old Testament for purposes of argument, often base their argu- ment upon the very words used, thus ascribing authority to the word as well as the thought. — Matt, xxii., 32, and Ex. iii., 6, 16 ; Matt, xxii., 45, and Psalms ex., 1 ; Gal. iii., 16, and Gen. xvii., 7.
10. What are the sources of our knowledge that the Scrip- tures are inspired ?
The only possible sources of information on this subject are, of course, the phenomena of the Scriptures themselves ; the claims they present, and their intrinsic character taken in connection with the evidences by which they are accredited.
11. How can the propriety of proving the inspiration of a booh by the assertions of its author be vindicated ?
1st. Christ, the prophets and apostles claim to be inspired, and that their word should be received as the word of God. The "evi- dences" above detailed prove them to be divinely commissioned teachers. The denial of inspiration logically involves the rejec- tion of Christianity.
2d. The Bible, like every other book, bears internal evidence of the attributes of its author. The known attributes of human nature can not account for the plain phenomena of the Scriptures. A divine influence must be inferred from the facts. If partially divine, they must be all whatsoever they claim to be.
12. What d priori argument in favor of the inspiration of the Scriptures may be drawn from the necessity of the case, the fact of a divine revelation being presumed ?