The Plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures

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Contents

CHAPTBE L The State or the QuEsnoir, ...•••• 9

OHAFTEB n.

Pbelqukaby Obsbbyatiohb, 13

Chapter I. Thb State Of The Questiok

No question concerning Bevealed Eeligion is of higher importance in itself or in its bearings at the present time, than that which immediately respects the plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. What is the nature of that Inspiration by which the Divine thoughts are so conveyed to man and so expressed in human language, that the words of the sacred Text are the words of God ? This is the question. The solution of it requires, as well with respect to any one as to any other portion of what is contained in the In-, spired volume, such an exposition of the nature and effects of the Inspiration, as shall perfectiy reconcile the fact, that the words as inscribed by the sacred penmen, are the words of Q-od, with the fiict, that the writing consists of the ordinaiy language in the peculiar style and idioms of the respective writers.

That fidth in the Divine Inspiration, authority, and in&llibility of the Holy Scriptures, which is connected with eternal life, has, fix>m age to age, been uniformly held, by the heirs of salvation ; and would have been in like manner, and as firmly held, had the nature and 9*

10 THE PLENAEY INSPIRATION

mode of Inspiration never been subjected to any theological or plulosophical disquisition. Of that faith the Scriptures themselves supply those grounds and evidences which Divinely enlightened minds and regenerated hearts perceive and embrace, with intuitive and perfect conviction. Discussions of the subject, therefore, have had reference chiefly to another class — ^to skeptics, or to those having but an unsettled, historical or speculative belief— -to present to their view such rational considerations, and such historical, or other evidences, as might obviate objections, and induce conviction, that the Scriptures were inspired. To that class who are supposed, generally, at least, to admit that the Scriptures contain many facts and doctrines which man could not discover, and which, therefore, must have been revealed, and, if revealed, must have been inspired, it has been deemed to be of great importance to show what is the nature, mode, and extent of that Inspiration which is aflSrmed of the sacred oracles. This question naturally presented itself in connection with the fact, that the Scriptures were written at different periods of time, by men of different countries, and of various degrees of education and intelligence, and written in the peculiar styles of the different writers. Moreover, in the discussion of the subject, it has been taken for granted, that it was the writers personally, instead of that which they wrote, which was alleged to be inspired. Hence, as their writings contained some things which were level to their capacity, and within their previous knowledge, and other things which were previously unknown and above their capacity, different kinds ^nd degrees of Inspiration have been imagined, as being most likely to account for the various contents and styles of the sacred Text.

Thus, an inspiration of superintendency has been supposed, whereby the minds of the writers were preserved from error in recording what was familiarly known to them, or within the scope of their natural fitculties. Next an inspiration of elevation, by which the natural fiiculties were excited and invigorated ; and then an inspiration of suggestion, whereby they were enabled to conceive of things which were previously unknown, and undiscoverable. To these, indeed, some add an inspiration of direction; but they do not treat of it as differing essentially from superintendence. See Home, Doddridge, Pye Smith, Dick, Daniel Wilson, Henderson, Michaelis, Grotius, and a host of others besides the Eabbinical doctors.

It is not necessary at present, to take any further notice of these fencied distinctions, than to observe, that they have not been shown to have any foundation in the Scriptures themselves ; which on the contrary, indicate but one kind and degree of inspiration ; and that they create, but do not remove any real or supposed difficulties. The distinction made by some, between Inspiration and Eevelation, is irrelevant and nugatory ; since, had any thing been revealed which was not also inspired, who could determine what was inspired, and what not? If the whole was inspired, how can it elucidate the nature or mode of inspiration to treat of some portions of the matter as supematurally revealed, and of other portions as within the previous knowledge of the writers ? But so far as we know, or can infer from the Scriptures themselves, every distinct Eevelation was expressed in words ; and all the words of Scripture were inspired into the minds of the writers.

In general, and especially wherever rationalistic criticism and philosophical idealism and pantheism are dominant, the utmost vagueness of language, confusion of thought, and inconsistency of doctrine, are exhibited concerning the nature, reality, extent, and results of Inspiration. Those generally who have discussed the subject, seem to have directed their attention to the objections which they felt called upon to meet, or to the preconceived theories which they desired to support, rather than to the nature and the inherent and necessary demands and implications of the subject itsel£

Such, then, briefly, is the state of the question, as exhibited in the principal publications relating to it, both in this and other countries. Some, indeed, as Gausen, Haldane, and Carson, maintain the plenary inspiration, and consequent binding authority of the entire volume of canonical Scriptures, on the ground of their own testimony, that " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God ;" but they do not so discuss the nature and mode of inspiration as satisfactorily to obviate the distinctions above referred to. There is, therefore, occasion for a further elucidation of the subject. It needs to be shown that the nature and mode of inspiration were such as to preclude variety of kiads and degrees, and establish the conclusion that every portion of the original text was alike inspired, and is, therefore, with strict propriety, denominated the Word of God, and the inMlible and only rule of feith and life.

OF THB HOLY SCEIFTUBEa 18

Chapter II. Pbeliminary Observations

With tlie inspired volume of Scripture in our liands, we are in a condition to judge what was necessary in tlie case of a Divine Eevelation, by wliat has actually been communicated. Were we without a knowledge of that volume, we should be utterly incapable of conceiving, as the wisest of the heathen from age to age have shown themselves to be, of any one of its essential truths concerning the perfections and government of the Creator, the invisible world, the moral relations and duties of man, his condition as a sinner, the method of salvation, or the retributions of eternity ; and equally incompetent to discover the way in which such truths might be revealed. But with the Scriptures in our possession, we are made aware of the vehicle of Eevelation — human language, the ordinary fixed and permanent language of common life ; and of the instruments employed in communicating the divine thoughts in that language — ^holy men selected and qualified for the purpose. With these two preliminaries we are also made aware of what the Divine Wisdom deemed it proper to include in the volume which was to be the infallible rule of faitli and life — a point which none but the Omniscient Being could possibly determine. And we find the contents as varied as the phenomena of human experience are on the one hand, and as the superhuman existences, facts, and relations of the invisible worid are on the other. To the extent perhaps of two thirds of the entire contents of the volume, the original text consists of words which had been audibly spoken by the Eevealer to the writers. Intimately collocated and intermingled with these are passages of several distinct classes : 1. Passages consisting of words which are declared to have been spoken by good men, by angels, by bad men, and by Satan. With respect to these, whether truthful and correct in sentiment or otherwise, it is the fact only of their having been spoken, that is authenticated by their insertion in the sacred books. 2. Historical and biographical narratives, in which actual events, acts, and sayings, whether good or bad, are recorded, and thereby the reality of their occurrence is certified. 3. Whatever of poetry or prose was inspired without the previous or coincident occurrence of vocal utterance.

These varied contents conclusively manifest what it was necessary to include in a revelation from God to man, and in what relations the facts and doctrines of Scripture should be communicated to him ; while the vehicle employed, the language of his ordinary life, implies that his constitution, mental and physical, was perfectly adapted to that mode of receiving divine instruction. With these considerations, and the facts and doctrines of the actual revelation in view, we may safely assert, as what with the same knowledge would

OP THiB HOLY SCRIPTURES. 15

be felt prior to an actual revelation, and as preliminary to an inquiry into the nature and mode of inspiration :

1. That a revelation of the mind and will of God was a natural and first necessity to man.

2. That the requisite matter of revelation, comprising supernatural truths in their due relations to the fects of human experience and consciousness, faith and life, could not, in any degree, be discovered by man.

8. That the vehiclo employed in a revelation must be such as infiJlibly to convey the Divine thoughts to men ; and that human language, therefore, in its ordinary use and acceptation is perfectly adapted to that office : for otherwise, in a case of such infinite concern, some other means would have been employed.

4. That the manner of conveying to men the thoughts of the Divine Mind, in words, according to their current and familiar signification, must of necessity be like that of conveying in words the thoughts of one man to the mind of another : that is, in accordance with man's mental and physical constitution, and his mode of conceiving and expressing his own thoughts in words. A Divine revelation expressed in words, must be conveyed to the minds of the writers in a way agreeable to the laws of their minds in order to their imderstanding and intelligibly writing what was revealed.

5. That in every particular the contents of a revelation, the mode of communicating them, and the times, circumstances, and connections in which they should be committed to writing, must be determined exclusively by the Eevealer himself

6. That as the supernatural doctrines and fects.

16 THE PLENAEY INSPIRATION

whicli in their due connection witli tlie history, agency, and character of man, would constitute the Scriptures, were confessedly undisco verable by men, or by any created beings, and, therefore, must be from God, their own testimony as to their authorship and authenticity would be entitled to be implicitly relied on. Those &cts and doctrines would' be as conclusive evidence of their Divine original, as the visible works of creation and Providence are of the existence of a creator and ruler of the world,

7. That a Divine revelation would exhibit this evidence in the successive portions of the whole ; and by their correlation in respect to covenants, promises, and predictions, and their fulfillments, and by the supernatural fects and doctrines common to the several parts, the evidence would establish the claims alike of all the parts as inseparable, involved in each other, and constituting one consistent and perfected work.

8. That He who created man, knew beforehand that a revelation expressed in words, and written, would be indispensable, and He therefore gave to man a constitution and faculties perfectly adapted to his reception of such a Eevelation. Hence He said to Moses : "Who hath made man's mouth ? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, Jehovah? Now, therefore, go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

9. That every portion of the Holy Scriptures must have been given by Inspiration of God, for the same reasons that any part or portion was so given — that is, for reasons founded in the nature of the case, the objects of an infellible rule of fisdtli and life, and the incompetency of man.

10. That the nature and mode of Inspiration mnst, therefore, be such as to constitute what is written, the infallible word of God ; the narratives and jBeicts of ordinary human experience, equally with the original Eevelations ; the historical, equally with the doctrinal ; the figurative, equally with the literal passages ; and those most strikingly characterized as of the style and idiom of the writers, equally with all other passages.

11. That all the contents of a volume so provided, must be consistent and harmonious throughout; so that to suppose the contrary, would be as absurd a contradiction as to say that the laws of Nature are not universal, because man has not discovered their application to aU the phenomena of Nature.

12. That the objections of skeptics and errorists, to particular narratives, illustrations, styles, and idioms of Scripture, betray the same depravity and ignorance, which lead them to reject the peculiar doctrines revealed immediately from God in words of His own selection.

From the stand point afforded by these considerations, we may apprehend the nature of that Inspiration which is affirmed of the Holy Scriptures.

It is obviously necessary to any useful discussion of this subject that what is meant by inspiration should be clearly understood. In the present discussion that term is employed strictly in the sense hereafter to be more fully illustrated, as a Divine act by which thoughts were conveyed to the minds of the sacred writers. This, as is properly signified by the term itself and is plainly tanglit in the Scriptures, is held to be its true and only meaning, to the exclusion not only of an theories of different kinds and degrees of Divine inspiration, but also of the prevalent notion that inspiration was an influence exerted on the feculties of the prophets elevating, superintending, and guiding them. According to this view, that which the Prophets and Apostles wrote was " given," imparted, conveyed to them by in^iration, in distinction from their capacity of discernment or comprehension being increased so as to enable them to discover the things to be written ; and being so given, it was both congruous and necessary that it should be conveyed in words and idioms familiar to those who received it, level to their capacity, adapted to their intellectual habits, and their personal circumstances, that in the natural exercise of their facilities, they might comprehend and duly commit it to writing. It is the effect of the act of Inspiration that we are to consider, not the mode in which the Divine efficiency was exerted. And in whatever mode the Divine agency was exerted, the effect produced by it was the reception and intelligent consciousness on the part of the writers, of the truths to be committed to writing, and in the styles, idioms, and collocations in which they were to be incribed in alphabetic characters. Subjectively^ the writers received these communications, without any option, volition, or action on their part. Actively, they exercised their natural faculties, voluntarily and intelligently, in committing to writing what they were conscious of having recebred by inspiration. Their subjective relation in receiving by inspiration what they were to write, and as they

OP THB HOLY SCBIPTUBES. 19

were to write it, was the same as in hearing what was audibly spoken to be vocally repeated by them. In the one case they uttered, as they were often expressly commanded to do, the veiy words which they heard ; in the other, they wrote what they internally heard, received, became conscious of by inspiration. In the one case their voluntary agency was exerted only in speaking; in the other only in writing. There appears to be no ground to suppose that their natural feculties were in any degree interfered with in either case ; or that they were any otherwise affected or exercised than if the words which they wrote had been spoken to them by one of their fello'vv^men.

By the terms NaJtwre and mode of Inspiration, a reference is not intended to the manner of the Divine act, or the mode in which the Divine agency was exerted, in the act of inspiring thoughts into the minds of the sacred writers. That is wholly inscrutable to us. As in respect to the Divine act wHch regenerates the soul, we know not how it is exerted, but that it is exerted, we know by the effects produced ; so in respect to Inspiration, the mode of the Divine agency is not known, but the feet of its being exerted is known by the effect produced, namely, the conveyance of thoughts to the intelligent consciousness of the sacred writers ; and the question is, Whether the in^iring act conveyed the thoughts in the words which were to be written, or without words ? If with the words, then the prophet would be conscious of the words and thoughts together, as in case of thoughts audibly expressed to him in words. He would conceive and comprehend the thoughts in those words, as he conceives of and compreliendfl all other thoughts in words ; would be able, therefore, to commit those words to writing ; and when written, as when received by inspiration, they would be infallibly the words of God. But if the thoughts were inspired without words, then the prophet could not be conscious of them in the natural and ordinary way as in other instances of receiving thoughts ; since men are not conscious of uninspired thoughts apart from words. It is according to man's constitution, a law of his mind, that he should be conscious of thoughts only as he is conscious of the words which express them ; a further Divine act, an act suspending that hm, would therefore be necessary, by which he should be made conscious of inspired thoughts without words ; and still a further Divine act infallibly guiding him to the choice of the proper words.

Such several and distinct acts are not to be supposed, without evidence, of which there is none within our reach. For the effect of Inspiration as made known to us, was the reception by the sacred writers of the iQspired thoughts; Inspiration being a Divine act by which thoughts are breathed — ^transmitted— conveyed to the intelligent consciousness of those who were to write them in words. There is no apparent reason why the inspiring act should not convey the thoughts in the words in which they were to be written, so that the recipient should be conscious at once of the thoughts in the words which it behooved him to write. And that such was the effect of the Divine act of Inspiration, is evident from a variely of considerations.

1. It was that which is called the Scriptures — ^the

OP THE HOLY SOEIPTURES. 21

writings, the words which were written by the Sacred Penmen, that was given by inspiration. (2 Tim. 8 : 16.)

2. The words as written were the infellible words of God ; which implies that ihey were conveyed by Him to the writers with the thoughts, so that they conld rntelligenily conceive the thoughts in the words, and commit them to writing. To suppose them after receiving the thoughts by inspiration, to select the words imder the guidance of a Divine influence, is to suppose a joint agency in the selection; in which case the words would not be exclusively the words of God.

8. The necessity of an inspiration of the words to be written, must have been as absolute as that of an inspiration of the thoughts to be expressed in writing ; at least, iq innumerable instances — such as those in which words previously imknown to the writer were required,- and those in predictions which required typical, figurative, or symbolic, representations. So in very numerous instances where words are written which are said to have been spoken at times and places at which the writers were not present ; and cases like that of the prophecy of Enoch recorded by the Apostle Jude. In all such cases it would seem to be indubitable that the words must have been inspired.

4. Though Inspiration was an immediate super- * natural work of God ; it is abundantly evident that it did not suspend. or coimteract any law, function, or faculty of the human mind. The Prophets and Apostles when vocally uttering what they were at the same time receiving by inspiration, had tiie ordinary use of all their feculties ; and equally so when uttering the same in alphabetic characters.

5. In all other instances thouglits conveyed from one mind to another are conveyed in words, or signs equivalent to vocal articulations ; and there does not appear to be any thing in the nature of the case to justify the supposition that the conveyance of thoughts by inspiration is an exception to the general rule.

6. It is inconceivable that thoughts should be conveyed into the mind of man by inspiration without words, so that he could conceive them without words, and select words whereby to express them, unless the act of Inspiration suspended the natural exercise of his faculties of conception and consciousness, and caused a supernatural consciousness, and power of conception, which would be incompatible with the necessary exercise of those and other faculties in the selection of words. For in the natural exercise of his powers he can neither conceive nor be conscious of thoughts apart from words ; and any Divine guidance of him as a rational agent in the selection of words, must be a guidance of the natural and rational exercise of his faculties.

If it is a law of our nature that we can intellectually conceive thoughts and receive thoughts from others, so as to be conscious of and remember them only in words, then we may with confidence conclude, that both thoughts and words were conveyed by inspiration ; and this accordingly is, in various ways, taught and implied in every part of the Scriptures. To those of the Apostles who were disciples and heard the words of the Lord Jesus, it was promised, that in the exercise of their peculiar office, the Spirit should bring to their remembrance whatever he had said unto them — ^that is,

OP THE HOLY SCBIPTUBES. 28

should inspire into their minds — ^render them renewedly conscious of the same words which they had heard spoken, or of the same thoughts in equiv^ent words. Paul who, not having been a disciple, had not heard those words, was caught up to Paradise to receive revelations of the Gospel directly from the Lord. It was the peculiarity of their office that, in the exercise of it, they spoke and wrote only what was given them by inspiration. The things which they were to testify were communicated to them by inspiration ; and they testified them not in words of their own selection, but in the words which the Holy Ghost taught them. (1 Cor. 2.) When accused and brought before magistrates, they were expressly forbidden to premeditate what they should say. " Take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate ; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour [more strictly, in that moment] that speak ye ; lorii isnotye ^^5p(3a;fe,butthe Holy Ghost." (Mark 18.) "Take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say : For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour [moment] what ye ought to say." (Luke 12.) Li these and all other statements and allusions to the subject, the supposition that those who received Divine commimications by inspiration, had any agency in selecting the words to express those commimications, is precluded. The Holy Ghost spake by them, by David and the prophets, as His instruments. His word was on their tongues. The Divine act of Laspiration did not contravene or disturb the exercise of their natural fitculties or the laws which governed them, but was in harmony with them. They acted rationally

24 THE FLENABY INSPIRATION

and voluntarily in speaking the inspired words, and in writing them.

If the reader doubts as to the alleged law of man's nature, and imagines that he receives, conceives, is conscious of and remembers thoughts independently of words, let him prove it by telUng vocally or by writing what those thoughts are. It is a matter for his consciousness to decide ; not a matter to be proved to him by argument. If he has a distinct consciousness of thinking or having thoughts upon any subject whatever, otherwise, in fact or degree, than as he is conscious of conceiving those thoughts in words — conceiving particular words as the vesture, vehicle, instrument, adjunct, necessary matrix or condition, of the thoughts — conceiving the thoughts and words together— conceiving and being conscious of the thoughts, in manner and degree, only as he conceives and is conscious of that which signifies them, and which, whether silently articulated or expressed by vocal utterance, or by written characters, we call words ; then may he demur and hesitate as to whether the law in question is a law of our nature. But in that case, since it is indubitable that, as a general rule, we conceive and are conscious of our thoughts in words, he ought to be able to specify what thoughts he has, that are not subject to that nde. And that, no doubt, he will be able to do if he has a distinct consciousness of them. And he will be able to tell whether he conceives those particular excepted thoughts in that orderly succession which is necessary to constitute intelligible sentences, or whether he conceives them without that condition, and determines the succession by the

OF THE HOLY SCRIFTUBBS. 25

collocation of the words wldch lie selects as the means of expressing them in sentences, propositions, deductions, questions, affirmations, and the like.

If the reader can not discern to his own entire satisfiustion, whether or not he does, or by possibility can^ think independently of words, he nevertheless may readily perceive that, as to the general rule, he does not He may perceive this in all instances in which he is distinctly conscious of particular thoughts, and therefore, so fiur as he has the clear testimony of consciousness, he may conclude that such is the general rule.

It may not be possible, to demonstrate that we think only in words and in signs equivalent to words ; while on the contrary it is undoubtedly impossible to prove that we do, or can, think independently of words, for we have no consciousness of thinking, except in words. But, considering the importance of the question, Whe^ ther it is a law of our intellectual constitution, that every cogitative act includes, as its medium and instrument, the words which express the thoughts conceived? some further observations may be permitted on this point.

The particular words employed in the construction of sentences, and all that concerns the arrangement of them, and their relations, imply that we conceive the thoughts in those words in the orderly suecession in which they are disposed. Thus the qualifying words, the particles, the parenthetical and elliptical expressions, the comparisons, the interrogatories, hyperboles, affirmations, negations, and all other modifications of expres- 2

26 THE PLENABT INSPIRATION

sion in sentences, imply that the words are not selected and arranged after the thoughts are conceived.

The thought conveyed in a perfect sentence, is that thought only as it is defined, limited, qualified, by the particular words employed and collocated as they are when the sentence is written To conceive the thought^ therefore, is to conceive all that constitutes it a thought as expressed in writing. To conceive it without words would in effect be the same as to conceive it in words duly arranged as when written. As conceived without words it must, in order to express it, be written in the same words that it would be written in, were it conceived in words. Accordingly we are no sooner conscious of the thoughts than we are conscious of the words. There is, therefore, nothing gained by suppos* ing that we do, or can, think without words. The inference firom such a supposition would be, at most, only that we first conceive our thoughts independently of words, and that being to no practical purpose, then select the verbal expres^ons, and conceive the same thoughts in words, to the end that we may be conscious of them, remember them, and express them to' others.