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measure, really inspired, all the time they were writing the Books of the Old and New Testament. And if we allow this to be true, then we must necessarily suppose, that every book, and every sentence in every book, was written under the plenary inspiration of Suggestion. I may now add,

5. That the sacred Penmen profess to have written the Scriptures under the immediate and constant guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Writers of the Old Testament tell us, that they saw visions; that the Word of the Lord came to them; and that they were divinely authorized to sanction their warnings, their reproofs, and their predictions, with a Thus saith the Lord. By all these modes of expression, they solemnly profess to have written, not according to their own will, but as they were directed and moved by the divine Spirit. And this testimony of the Prophets to their own inspiration, is fully confirmed by the united testimony of the Apostles. Peter says, "No prophecy of the 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." And Paul says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." The Apostle here asserts, that all scripture in general is given by inspiration of God; and that all parts of scripture in particular, which are profitable either for doctrine, or reproof, or correction, or instruction, are given by the same inspiration. These parts taken together, evidently comprise all the history, all the biography, all the poetry, all the prophecy, and all the precepts, promises, and threatenings, to be found in the law and the Prophets. This passage, therefore, testifies to the immediate inspiration of the whole, and of every part of the Old Testament writings. And the same Apostle gives as ample testimony to the inspiration of the Writers of the New Testament. He speaks of his own inspiration, with great assurance. "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel, which was preached of me, is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." In another passage, he more fully and expressly asserts, that both he and the other Apostles were favored with the inspiration of Suggestion. "But, as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit; - which things also we speak; not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." The Apostle John also professes to have been divinely taught and directed, in writing his Revelations. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word • of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." Thus the Apostles and Prophets profess to have written under the immediate inspiration of God, who dictated the matter, manner, and style of their writings. And from this and& the other considerations which have been offered, we have sufficient reason to believe, that the Bible was written from beginning to end, by the inspiration of Suggestion.

But since this is a very important subject, which claims a fair and full discussion; it may be proper to

take particular notice of the most weighty objections, which may be made against the plenary inspiration of the holy Scriptures.

1. It may be said there appears a great diversity in the manner and style of the sacred Penmen, which cannot be easily reconciled with the supposition of their being equally and constantly guided by the inspiration of Suggestion.

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It is true, indeed, we plainly discover some variety in the manner and style of the sacred Writers. Isaiah and Paul, as well as Moses, David, and Solomon, who were men of education and refinement, write in a more pure and elevated style, than the prophet Amos, who lived among the herdmen of Tekoa, and the Apostle John, who lived among the fishermen of Galilee. But this is easy to be accounted for, by only supposing, that God dictated to each sacred Penman a manner and style corresponding to his own peculiar genius, education, and manner of living. Were a parent to dictate a letter for a child, would he not dictate it, in a manner and style somewhat agreeable to the age, genius, and attainments of the child? And is there not as much reason, why God should dictate a different manner and style to the different Authors of the Old and New Testament; as why he should employ so many men of such different degrees of knowledge and refinement, to write the sacred Scriptures? We do not discover, therefore, any greater diversity in the manner and style of the sacred Penmen, than we might reasonably expect to find, in case they wrote exactly as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

But, on the other hand, we find a much greater similarity in their manner and style, than could be reasonably expected, on supposition of their writing agreeably to their own genius and taste, without the sug

gesting influences of the Spirit. That great christian philosopher, Robert Boyle, and many other excellent judges of good composition, have justly observed, that there is not only a simplicity, but a sublimity, in the style of Scripture, which cannot be found in any other writings. This is not all. The sacred Penmen have a manner, as well as a style, which is peculiar to themselves. They seem to avoid the common modes and forms of uninspired Writers. They write in the most free, easy, and authoritative manner. They enter upon their subject, without any formal introduction; they pursue their subjects, without any formal arguments, or dissertations; and they conclude their subjects, without any formal reflections, or recapitulations. Herein they not only differ from others, but agree with one another. And this general similarity of manner, as well as of style, is a stronger evidence in favor of their plenary inspiration, than any inaccuracy or inelegance of language is against it.

Besides, the manner and style of the sacred Writers were of too much importance, to be left to their own unassisted discretion and integrity. Will any wise general permit an under officer to deliver his special orders to the army, without dictating the expressions to be used? Or will any public body send an important message to any other public body without dictating the words of the message? Can it be supposed, then,

that God would suffer his imperfect, fallible creatures to publish his will, without dictating the manner and style, in which his will should be published?

2. It may be said, that the mistakes and contradictions to be found in the Scriptures, plainly refute the notion of their being written under the inspiration of Suggestion.

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the supposed mistakes and contradiction in the Scriptures, may be only appar might be fully reconciled or removed, if ter acquainted with the original languag the sacred books were written, and with and manners of the different ages and pla the sacred Penmen lived. But the direct answer to this objection is, that it operat force against every kind of inspiration. allow, who suppose, that there are more spiration than one; and who maintain, t parts of Scripture, which were not writte spiration of Suggestion, were written eith spiration of Superintendency, or the inspi vation. For, so long as God especially s or especially elevated the minds of the sa he must have effectually preserved them contradictions and mistakes. Indeed, t refutes itself. For, if nothing short of the Suggestion could have preserved the sa from falling into real errors, then it mus that they were constantly dictated by the And if they wrote under this plenary ins the merely apparent errors to be found ings must be placed to our own ignoranc real contradictions and mistakes must b the ignorance, or inattention, or unfa transcribers and of translators.

3. It may be said, since God origina that the Bible should be transcribed by di and translated into different languages, occasion for his suggesting every thoug to the sacred Penmen; because, after al

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