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what God the Lord will speak;" "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

This unreserved submission to the dictates of the Holy Spirit, at all times necessary, is peculiarly called for at the present juncture. Christians have heard with admiration of the gigantic efforts in biblical criticism by which the German theologians have signalized themselves; an admiration, however, mingled with deep regret for the Socinianism and Neology, by which these efforts are, to a great extent, dishonoured. Unbounded liberties have been used with the Scriptures and their inspiration, for the daring purpose of discarding every thing miraculous and mysterious in the sacred records; and Deistical systems, under the guise of Christianity, threaten, like a mighty torrent, to inundate the Church of Christ. When the enemy is thus, in a new form, coming in like a flood, may the Spirit of the Lord lift up a standard against him! May Heaven preserve those divines of Great Britain and America, who intermeddle with the lauded improvements of German erudition, from imbibing its anti-scriptural spirit, and thus losing infinitely more in one way than they acquire in another! And may insidious attempts to undermine the grand peculiarities of the faith once delivered to the saints," be over-ruled for promoting their more luminous vindication, and for accelerating their final and universal triumph!*

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VI. The views for which we contend, are recommended also by this advantage, that they tend to preserve us from admitting false and enthusiastical pretences to divine inspiration.

The reader will not imagine that this remark is intended in any degree to discountenance the doctrine of that gracious and special agency of the Holy Spirit which is experienced by the truly pious in every age. We have no sympathy with the men who allege that genuine moral excellence arises merely from human power and effort, under the common blessing of Providence; and that a wild fanaticism must be imputed to all those Christians, who, convinced of their own darkness and impotence, earnestly implore, and humbly rely upon, the illuminating and sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God.

The divine inspiration now referred to, is that extraordinary communication of the Spirit which enables its subjects to pre

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ture events, or at least, in one form or another, to make

nd authoritative discoveries of the will of God to the

See Dr Alexander's spirited allusion to this topic, p. 119.

church. That many gratuitous and fascinating claims to this inspiration would be advanced at different periods of the world, is expressly and repeatedly intimated in the sacred records.* In accordance with these inspired warnings, false pretenders to an extraordinary commission have frequently made their appearance, and thousands have been seduced by their pernicious delusions. Some, like MAHOMET, actuated only by avarice, ambition, and other unhallowed passions, have, with the most criminal hypocrisy, deliberately asserted that they enjoyed immediate intercourse with the Almighty or his angels, whilst they were fully conscious that the claim was utterly false. Others, like MONTANUS in the second century, and ANTOINETTE BOURIGNON in the seventeenth, adding a lively and unbridled imagination to a pious disposition, have first imposed upon themselves, and then displayed much zeal and activity in persuading others that their vain religious fancies were the effects of inspiration. Whoever duly considers the warnings of Scripture on this head, or reflects on the subtilty of Satan, who "himself is transformed into an angel of light," will not be greatly surprised when false prophets and prophetesses arise, and most absurd pretensions to a variety of miraculous gifts are put forth, even in an age characterized by the progress of knowledge, both human and divine.

The necessity of caution against false and enthusiastical pretences to divine inspiration is perfectly obvious. The plain path of Holy Scripture, and of sound reason, cannot be deserted but at very great hazard; and the mournful deviations of some excellent and amiable individuals may remind us, that no Christian should neglect any legitimate and suitable means which may serve to fortify his mind against the wiles of those who, "by good words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple." Now, an enlightened attachment to the doctrine of Plenary Inspiration is particularly calculated to shield us against these delusive arts.

No man, it is true, has a right to affirm that it is impossible for God, in these latter days, to endow any of his servants with miraculous powers. It has been conceded, too, by theologians distinguished for gravity of temper and soundness of judgment, that, though the age of miracles has long since ceased, it may please God, on special occasions, still to impart to some of his

* Deut. xiii. 1-4-Jer. xxiii. 25-32—Mat. vii. 15; ch. xxiv. 11, 24— Acts xx. 29, 30-2 Thessal. ii. 7-12—1 Tim. iii. 1-3---2 Tim. iii. 8, 13— 2 Pet. ii. 1, 2-1 John ii. 18; ch. iv. 1.

Rom. xvi. 18.

highly favoured people, "private suggestions, relative to private events or duties.' But the solemn declarations of inspired writers, relative to the perfection and the permanent authority of the Holy Scriptures, and their awful admonitions against adding to, as well as subtracting from them, ought to convince us that new revelations for directing the faith and practice of the church are not now to be expected. Admit that the Scriptures are but partially inspired, and you open a wide door for fanatics and enthusiasts of every description, as well as for those who particularly arrogate to themselves the character of rational Christians; all of whom propose, though by very different methods, to correct the errors, and supply the defects of the Book of God. Firmly maintain, on the contrary, the principle of Plenary and Verbal Inspiration; never lose sight of the solid grounds on which holy men of old were satisfied of their own inspiration, or the incontrovertible evidence by which their just pretensions were confirmed to others; keep your eye steadily fixed on the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as the pole-star that is destined to govern your course-as the pure, perfect, and perpetual standard, by which every other standard must be strictly regulated, and every doctrine and spirit impartially tried ;—and then neither high professions, nor bold averments, nor vehement declamations, nor even hopeful appearances of genuine piety mingling themselves with strange hallucinations, will induce you to give the least credit or countenance to those who falsely, or enthusiastically pretend to share in the miraculous endowments, and immediate inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

VII. We must not omit to mention it, moreover, as a delightful recommendation of the doctrine of Plenary Inspiration, that it is highly conducive to unity amongst the followers of Christ.

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Divine truth being inestimably valuable in itself, and extensively beneficial in its tendency, the unity of Christians in believing and obeying it, is ardently to be desired. By the exercise of scriptural forbearance, they may, no doubt, cherish a cordial affection for one another, notwithstanding considerable diversity of sentiment; but human nature is so formed, that, were they fully to harmonize in their conceptions of the truth, they could not fail, other cir

Compendious View of Natural and Revealed Religion, by the Rev. John Brown of Haddington, p. 100.

cumstances being equal, to cultivate a still more tender mutual affection, and to experience a still more intense delight in holding brotherly fellowship with each other, both in the social exercises of religion and in the whole intercourse of life. The blessed consummation solemnly requested by our divine Mediator ought, on numerous accounts, to be greatly longed for by the Church: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may one, as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.'

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The Holy Scriptures constitute, unquestionably, a powerful mean of accomplishing a union so dear to the Saviour's heart; and right views of their plenary inspiration are obviously conducive to this glorious object.

An advocate of partial inspiration asserts, indeed, "that by admitting this (his own) hypothesis, we may terminate many great disputes among Christians, which have risen from the false subtilty of divines, interpreting too mysteriously the expressions of the Holy Scriptures, as if every syllable had been dictated by God."† The author appears to allude, in this quotation, to the disputes that have taken place among divines with regard to the peculiarities of the evangelical system, which are confessedly countenanced by the expressions of Scripture, understood in their literal and obvious sense; and his hopes of the termination of these disputes seem to rest on the assumption that, were his chosen hypothesis to prevail, evangelical divines and their followers might be expected to relinquish their views, and to embrace a less spiritual and mysterious creed. Suppose that this abardonment of the truth should prove the result, it would be no real benefit, but a pernicious injury, to the church. The hypothesis of partial inspiration, nevertheless, has a great and manifest tendency, not to terminate, but to perpetuate, differences and disputes among Christians. Should they all resolve, with one consent, to regard the sacred oracles as neither fully nor verbally inspired, but as consisting of a heterogeneous mass, partly divine and partly human, partly infallible and partly doubtful, an unbounded liberty in the interpretation of Scripture is thus permitted and encouraged; and an endless diversity of sentiment, with respect to matters of faith and practice, may justly be anticipated as the natural consequence. How can Christians be expected to be

John xvii. 20, 21.

Five Letters concerning Inspiration, pp. 116, 117.

of "one faith," or even to approximate each other in their sentiments, unless they agree to adopt the Bible as the rule of their faith? or-which amounts to very nearly the same thing -unless they agree to make the Bible their rule, according to the natural and just interpretation of its words and passages ?

But let Christians cordially believe the Plenary and Verbal Inspiration of the sacred volume; let them only regard "all Scripture as given by inspiration of God," and determine, with the simplicity of little children, to receive instructions on every point from the mouth of God himself; and then we shall see them "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." On articles clearly revealed and expressly decided in this supreme and common standard, they would discover complete unanimity; and with respect to other points, no man would usurp dominion over his brother. Lordly dictation, ungenerous surmisings, violent invectives, and angry contentions, would universally cease; and the lovely scene exhibited by the primitive church of Jerusalem would again be realized, when "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul."†

"Though I neglect not," says the celebrated BOYLE, "those clear passages or arguments that may establish the doctrine of that church I most adhere to, yet I am much less busied and concerned to collect those subtle glosses or inferences that can but enable me to serve one sub-division of Christians against another, than heedfully to make such observations as may solidly justify to my own thoughts, and improve in them, a reverence for the Scripture itself, and Christianity in general; such observations as may disclose to me in the Bible, and the grand articles clearly delivered in it, a majesty and an excellency becoming God himself, and transcending any other author; and such observations as may unveil to me in the Scripture, and what it treats of, that manifold wisdom of God, which even the angels learn by the church."-" I use the Scripture," he adds, "not as an arsenal to be resorted to only for arms and weapons to defend this party or defeat its enemies, but as a matchless temple, where I delight to be, to contemplate the beauty, the symmetry, and the magnificence of the structure, and to increase my awe, and excite my devotion to the Deity there preached and adored.”‡

* 1 Cor. i. 10.

† Acts iv. 32.

Considerations on the Style of the Scriptures, by the Hon. Robert Boyle, pp. 76–78.

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