The Inspiration of the Scriptures

THE INSPIRATION OP THE SCRIPTURES. BY THE I Rev. FRANCIS L^ PATTON, D.D. PHILADELPHIA : PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, No. 1331CHESTNUT STREET. Filtered according to Act of Congress, in the year 186f', by THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRKSBYTKRIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court uf the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Westcott & Thomson, Sterecitypers. I'hilada. PREFACE. It is the writer's hope that this attempt to indicate the steps by which we are led to the sure position that the Scriptures are an infallible guide, may aid the faith of some who belong to that increasing class of men who are disposed to speak with hesitancy concerning the divine authorship of the Bible. Nyack on the Hudson, May 19, 1869. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Scripturks are Trustworthy. — PAQB Introductory Divine Authority of the Bible an Important, Ques- tion at the Present Time—Bible a Seri-es of Literary Doc- uments—Their Historical — of the — Credibility Authorship Pentateuch Profane History Confirmatory of Scripture— Rawlinson Quoted—False Theories concerning the Person of Christ Refuted by Establishing the Historic Credibility of the Gospels— Christianity does not depend on the Doc- trine of Inspiration —The Argument a fortiori 9 CHAPTER II. The Bible Contains the Word of God, The Scriptures Speak for themselves—Xo Fallacy in Arguing from their Credibility to their Inspiration—Supernatural Element in Miracles Scripture: (1.) ; (2.) Recital of Divine Communications; (3.) Predictions: these not Written after the Events Occurred; not Analogous to Heathen Prognos- tications; not Instances of Farsighted, Sagacity, but Divine 5 CONTENTS. that Utterances—hence their Evidential Value; (4.) Doctrines which must have been Revealed, as we know (a) from their Inherent Excellence, (6) their Adaptation to Human Wants, (c) the Mysteriousness of Some, {d) the Apparent Irrecon- cilability of Others—Bible Contains the AVord of God 24 CHAPTER III. The Whole Bible is God's Message. DifiFerence between a True and an OfiScial Account— Bible is an Authoritative Expression of God's Will—This shown (1) by the Official Rank of the Writers; (2.) The Bible is the of the of Salvation It is Pervaded only Account Way ; (3.) one Relation in which the Historical Por- by Purpose ; (4.) tions stand to rest of Direct of Scripture ; (5.) Testimony Bible 41 CHAPTER IV. Divine Agency Employed in the Composition of Scripture. Is the Bible a Human or Divine Account of Supernatural Reve- lations?—The fact that the Bible is God's Message raises a Presumption in Favor of its Infallibility—This Presump- tion sustained by Several Considerations: (1.) Extended Account of Divine Communications; (2.) Marvellous Accu- of Motives ascribed to and Rea- racy Scripture ; (3.) Men sons assigned for Divine Acts by the Writers of Scripture; (4.) Reticence of the Writers and their Wisdom in Selec- tion of Facts Relations between the Sev- ; (5.) subsisting eral Books of the New Testament 53 CONTENTS. 7 CHAPTER V. Plenary Inspiration. — )>AOB Do Scriptures teach Plenary or Partial Inspiratiori ? Plenary Inspiration of Old Testament proved: (1.) Naues applied to Old Testament by AVriters of the New; (2.) Deference asserted paid to Old Testament; (3.) Its Infallibility by the Saviour; (4.) Verbal References to Old Testament; (5.) Direct Assertions of Divine Authorship.—Arguments for 72 Inspiration of New Testament CHAPTER VI. Objections Considered. Rationalistic— Spirit of Controversy at the Present Day Objec- said to be tions to Plenary Inspiration : Obj. 1. Revelation Impossible—Objection rests on False Philosophy; Obj. 2. Bible said to Contradict Science— Scripture, though not Technical, teaches no Error; Obj. 3. Bible said to Contra- dict Itself— Passages examined; Obj. 4. Un- Conflicting — important Passages; Obj. 5 based on 1 Cor. chap. vii. Lee quoted—Proof demanded for Theory of Partial Inspira- tion—The Verifying Faculty— Office of Reason in Deter- mining what is a Revelation ?3 CHAPTER VII. Explication of the Doctrine. the MSS.— of (1.) Inspiration covers only Original Importance this Remark—Have we a Correct Text ?— Professor Stuart and quoted— Difference between an Inspired Uninspired for Writers of Original. (2.) No In:?piration claimed Scrip- 8 CONTENTS. PAOS tuie OuUide of their Official Work— Infallibility as Authors did not make them Faultless as Men. (3.) Agency of Spirit in making Sacred Writers Infallible not equivalent to his Sanctifying Grace—Confusion arising out of apply- ing same name to Both—Mistake of Maurice. (4.) Inspi- ration, though Verbal, is not Mechanical—Dr. Bannerman Quoted and Reviewed. (5.) There is a Difference Be- tween Revelation and Inspiration—Does Inspiration imply Revelation ?—Controversy between Dr. Lee and Dr. Ban- nerman alluded to—Revelation Defined. (6.) There is a Human and s. Divine Element in Scripture 112 THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. CHAPTER I. THE SCRIPTURES ARE TRUSTWORTHY. Bible is the sole warrant for the existence THEof the Christian society. The facts on which the Christian system is based, and the doctrines which constitute that system, are authoritatively recorded nowhere else. The members of this society agree in ascribing divine honours to Jesus. They trust him as their Saviour. They observe religiously the day which commemorates his resurrection. They recognize obligations which do not fall within the circle of duty described by human ethics. They foster hopes which can be realized only in a future world. If tlie Bible is not true, they are entertaining be- liefs which have not a shadow of support—are forming plans in which they must meet with bitter 10 INSPIRATION OF THE SOR.PTURES. disappointraeiit. The Christian is resting the for- tunes of his soul on the authority of the book which he calls the Bible. He is contented to settle the question of his destiny by complying with the directions which are offered him in its pages. It cannot, therefore, be a matter of mere literary curiosity to inquire into the reasons for receiving this book. The thinking Christian must feel a de- sire to know why he is required to take it as his rule of faith. Nor will it do to say that the question concerning the divine authority of the Bible has been settled, and there is no need of bringing it up for fresh discussion. It is a subject of vital interest at the present day. Opposition to the doctrine of the infallibility of the Scriptures comes from a quarter which makes it more injurious in its effects. The spirit of Rationalism has invaded the Church, and among professing Christians, and even Christian ministers, there are only too many who adopt loose views on this fundamental question, and give utter- ance to sentiments which are seriously damaging to the faith of God's people. If, as it is claimed, the Bible is the word of God, and if the writers in the words they used acted under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, it is fair to THE SORfPTURES TRUSTWORTHY. H suppose that the argument can be presented in a way which will satisfy the minds of those who are inquiring on the subject. If the doctrine of inspiration is one which claims our faitli, there must be evidence for it. I shall endeavour in the following pages to indicate the steps by which we are led to a definite statement concerning the authorship of the Bible. The discussion will take the shape of an inquiry rather than a defence. I shall approach the subject not as the advocate of any particular theory of inspiration, but as one desirous of learning all that the Bible can tell me concerning the agency employed in its composition. The conclusions which are reached will be the result of an inductive investigation. The Bible comes into the hands of the student as a series of literary documents. It would be pre- mature at this stage of our inquiries to attach much importance to the claim which they make of being a revelation from God. The question of their historic credibility must first be settled according to the rules of historical criticism. It is fair for the inquirer to ask whether these documents are reli- able. Can we trust them as the vehicles of historical information? Is the Pentateuch, for example, 12 ^NSPfRATTON OF THE SCRIPTURES. the product ioii of its reputed author, or is it a forgery which was palmed upon the Hebrew people? These are questions of vital importance. The discussion of them belongs to the department of the- ology known as Introduction. The reader must refer to the works of sucii writers as Home, Hav- ernick, Jahn, Rawlinson, etc., if he wishes to see how the arguments of those who assail the credibility of the Scriptures have been met, and how completely the Bible has been vindicated. Little more is possible here than the statement that the books of the Old and New Testaments have been subjected to the most thorough critical handling, and that their credibility as historic documents has been i)laced beyond dispute. Better evidence of their authenticity we could not have than is furnished in the fact that they have passed safely through the ordeal of German criticism. No objection has been raised against the genuine- ness and authenticity of the Pentateuch sufficiently grave to outweigh the testimony of the entire Jew- ish nation. The study of the Old Testament will show that the Jews as early as the reign of David were confident that Moses wrote the first five books of the Scriptures. So deeply was this conviction rooted in the national mind that political differ- THE SCRIPTURES TRUSTWORTHY. 13 ences, even when they onlminated in schisms, were not strong enough to induce either party to cast discredit on the books which bear the name of their lawgiver.

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