PART III. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY. 1. THE term THEOLOGY, which strictly imports, “A discourse or treatise concerning God," embraces, according to its enlarged and ordinary acceptation, every thing pertaining to the principles, institutions, and practices of religion. Theology is therefore a branch of biblical science of preeminent importance; it is that, in fact, which gives to criticism and interpretation all their value, in-servient. This should be the object and aim of asmuch as they are directed solely and exclusively all our studies-the prompting motive to all our to ascertain the precise character, import, obliga- inquiries. tions, and purposes of this, as it is revealed and illustrated in the sacred writings. The Bible, as a mere literary work-comprising history, philosophy, jurisprudence, morals, poetry, and prophecy-is, indeed, a volume of incomparable value to the philosopher, and of inexhaustible interest to the inquisitive mind. It comprises "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;" the simple eloquence of its narratives, the sublime imagery of its poetry, the grandeur of its descriptive painting, the profundities of its social and political economy, and the persuasive power of its moral lessons, with many other high qualities that are familiar to every attentive reader, combine to render it a book which will repay, a thousand-fold, any amount of thought and labour that may be expended upon its study and interpretation. But all else dwindles into insignificance and comparative worthlessness, when the divinity of its origin, and the nature and object of its revelations, are taken into the account. It is to the thorough understanding of these, therefore, that every thing should be made sub 2. It would not comport with our design to enlarge upon topics which fall more properly within the province of the theologian or divine; but a work purporting to be introductory to the study of the Scriptures, would be manifestly defective did it not at least indicate the primary features and progressive character of the divine revelationpoint out the evidences which attest its genuineness and authenticity-trace the errors and corruptions that have been grafted upon it, so far as they are indicated in Scripture and describe the principal rites and ceremonies which it has prescribed and enjoined. These topics will furnish the subjects of inquiry and exposition in the following chapters. CHAPTER I. OF THE MEDIA OF DIVINE REVELATION. Divine Revelation originally communicated to Individuals purpose, and furnished with the necessary credenCessation of Personal Revelations-The Bible the only Me-tials to attest the divine character of their mission, dium of Revelation-Inspiration of the Scriptures-Various Theories of Inspiration-The Author's Theory of Inspira- and to command the attention and obedience of tion in relation to the Scriptures-Discrepancies in the Gospels are proofs against their plenary Inspiration, but attestations of their Genuineness and General Authenticity Character and Claims of the Bible. I. TIME was when the revelations of God were communicated to mankind through the medium of certain individual persons, chosen for this special those to whom they addressed themselves. A succession of divine teachers, from Adam to Christ, was raised up by the Almighty, and under his inspiration taught mankind those doctrines, pertaining both to life and godliness, which their unaided reason could never have discovered. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake 1. And what is thus seen to be necessary in theory, is accorded in fact, to the Sacred Scriptures. The memorable words of Paul and Peter are most explicit. The ovεUsos of the former asserts unequivocally the important fact; and the sents the Sacred Agent direct as breathing, and "bearing" the writers beyond the possibility of error: "All Scripture given by inspiration of God" (OεOVEU505), 2 Tim. iii. 26. "Knowing this first, that 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" (To IIveuμaros àуioυ pegoμevor), 2 Pet. i. 20, 21. With such language, of so determinate a meaning, the solemn declaration of John, Rev. xxii. 18, 19, need scarcely be appealed to. in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath | original communication might be greatly comproin these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom mised or wholly invalidated by the subsequent he hath appointed heir of all things, and by whom narrator, if he were not protected against error also he made the world," Heb. i. 1. "There was by a divine interposition. a time when each revelation of the word of God had an introduction into this earth, which neither permitted men to doubt whence it came, nor wherefore it was sent. If, at the giving of each several truth, a star was not lighted up in heaven, as at the birth of the Prince of Truth, there was о ПIVEUμaтos ȧyoυ pegouavor of the latter predone upon the earth a wonder, to make her children listen to the message of their Maker. The Almighty made bare his arm, and, through mighty acts shown by his holy servants, gave demonstration to his truth, and found for it a sure place among the other matters of human knowledge and belief. But now the miracles of God have ceased, and Nature, secure and unmolested, is no longer called on for testimonies to her Creator's voice. No burning bush draws the footsteps to his presence chamber; no invisible voice holds the ear awake; no hand cometh forth from the obscure to write his purpose in letters of flame. The vision is shut up, and the testimony is sealed, and the word of the Lord is ended; and this solitary volume, with its chapters and verses, is the sum total of all for which the chariot of heaven made so many visits to the earth, and the Son of God himself tabernacled and dwelt among us. The truth which it contains once dwelt undivulged in the bosom of God; and, on coming forth to take its place among things revealed, the heavens, and the earth, and nature through all her chambers, gave it reverend welcome. Beyond what it reveals, the mysteries of the future are unknown. To gain it acceptation and currency, the noble army of martyrs testified unto the death. The general assembly of the first-born in heaven made it the day-star of their hopes, and the pavilion of their peace. Its every sentence is charmed with the power of God, and is powerful to the everlasting salvation of souls."* II. It is obvious that to claim so much as this on behalf of the Scriptures, is to claim for them a degree of inspiration of which no other writings partake. For it is not to be overlooked, that the biblical writers are not always those who were numbered amongst the prophets, apostles, or evangelists; and that even where this is the case, the writers often describe events which they did not themselves witness, record discourses and propound doctrines which they did not themselves originally deliver or bring to light. It is evident, therefore, that the validity and authority of the * Irving's Orations for the Oracles of God. 2. We confess, however, that we are far from being satisfied with the current doctrines of inspiration as claimed on behalf of the Scriptures. It is vague, unsatisfactory, incapable of proof, and leaves insuperable objections against some passages in the historical parts of the New Testament Scriptures. 3. The term inspiration, in its application to the sacred writings, was formerly employed to denote the divine communication of knowledge to the human mind, extending not only to the doctrines and facts which the writers had to detail, but also to the identical words in which those doctrines and facts were to be communicated. This doctrine of organic or literal inspiration, however, is now very generally abandoned for a modified and more flexible theory. Instead of maintaining a uniform, unremitting, indiscriminate operation of the Holy Spirit upon the minds of the sacred penmen, the divine agency is now generally represented as accommodating itself to circumstances, and assuming, as occasion required, the several forms of superintendence, suggestion, and revelation. This theory, though scarcely accurate, as its definition falls short of the ideas intended by the persons adopting it, is sufficiently so for our present purpose. That there are many things in the historical parts of the Old and New Testaments, of which the writers must have obtained a knowledge by the ordinary modes of communication, is too obvious to need a single remark; and that, as men possessed of memory and judgment, they were able, without supernatural influence, to relate them to others, and to accompany them with occasional remarks, must be equally evident. Matthew could relate, with - | that is, any material error. This property must out divine aid, that Christ called him from the be considered as extending to the whole of each receipt of custom, to become his disciple, and that of those writings of which a part only is inspired; upon this occasion he made his Master a feast in for it is not to be supposed that God would suffer his own house; and John, without supernatural any such errors as would tend to mislead our faith assistance, could give an account of the mira- or pervert our practice. In this restricted sense culous conversion of water into wine, at the mar- it may be asserted, that the sacred writers always riage in Cana. But notwithstanding that this is wrote under the influence, or guidance, or care of conceded by the claimants of plenary inspiration, the Holy Spirit, which sufficiently establishes the it is argued, that even in these cases there was an truth and divine authority of all Scripture." inspiration of superintendence, to preserve from error; and of suggestion, to record particular events, and note particular observations. least. 6. Such are the theories of inspiration that are now generally maintained. The one class extends some kind of active divine interposition to every part of Scripture; but the others, though in words they do so, in fact confine it to a part of the text. Of the two kinds, we think the theory supported by Mr. Horne to be the most exceptionable, inasmuch as it leaves us ignorant of the limits of the inspiration argued for. Those who maintain this theory, do not pretend to possess any peculiar information respecting the situation of the sacred writers, or of the opportunities and means of knowledge they possessed, so as to be able to ascertain where their ordinary sources of knowledge failed them, and where the need of a divine interposition arose; still less do they profess to Spirit, and so to distinguish passages inspired from those derived through personal experience or testimony. The existence, therefore, of any writing of the former description is a merely arbitrary conjecture, which rests entirely on a dog 4. The term revelation is used with reference to those communications of knowledge on subjects relative to God and divine things, which are placed beyond the sphere of human attainments. Had man possessed the abilities of an angel, he could never have explored the thoughts and purposes of the Divine Being; and therefore, where these are brought within the cognizance of the human mind, it must be by a revelation from above. Dr. Doddridge and others have noticed a degree of inspiration, which they term elevation, and confine to such parts of Scripture as are lofty and sublime. But as this notion is generally exploded, further reference may be deemed unne-recognize, by any marks, the operation of the cessary. The celebrated Michaëlis struck out a path, in which we are not aware that he has been followed by any writer, in this country at According to the theory maintained by this critic, the inspiration of the several parts of the New Testament is made to depend upon thematical ground. fact of their having been written by the apostles of Christ. The inspiration of Mark and Luke is therefore abandoned, and the inspiration of the writings ascribed to Matthew and John is made contingent upon the genuineness of these gospels. This theory appears to be any thing but satisfac-portant question. Men have been, so to speak, tory, and the arguments any thing but convincing. 5. The last theory to which we shall refer, is what may be termed partial inspiration, and is advocated by Mr. Horne, in his Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures. "It is not to be supposed," he remarks, "that the writers were thus inspired [that is, in the lowest degree] in every fact which they related, or in every precept which they delivered. They were left to the common use of their faculties, and did not, upon every occasion, stand in need of supernatural conmunication; but whenever, and as far as divine assistance was necessary, it was always afforded." He again observes, "Whatever distinctions are made with respect to the sorts, degrees, or modes of inspiration, we may rest assured that one property belongs to every inspired writing, namely, that it is free from error, 7. These discrepancies and anomalies, as to the theory of inspiration, originate in want of attention to the real nature of the case, and also, and perhaps above all, in an imperfect knowledge of the doctrine of Scripture itself relative to this im ; more anxious than the Divine Author of the Scriptures himself has been, to multiply the claims of its authority, by exaggerating the divinity of its character. The advocates of plenary inspiration have confounded questions that are essentially distinct and independent of each other namely, authenticity and infallibility-the possibility of error with error itself. As historical records, the sacred writings are sustained by evidence demonstrative of their truth, and this wholly apart from the consideration of their inspiration ; and it is upon this evidence, and not upon the ground of their supposed inspiration, that they immediately challenge the belief of mankind, and denounce the punishment of man's negligence and infidelity. 8. But do we therefore deny all inspiration in reference to the Scriptures, and restrict their claims to the mere fact of their truth or false-rences, contingent upon the actions of mutable hood? We have already asserted the contrary, beings. Without a divine revelation, each of and will now proceed to point out the limitations these things must have remained amongst those under which, we think, all theories of inspiration which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and should be received, as indicated by the Scriptures which it hath not entered into the heart of man themselves, and as rendered necessary by the exi- to conceive" of. gencies of the case. 9. The sacred writings are of a multifarious character. There is one great object proposed by the Divine Being throughout all the dispensations of his providence and revelations of his will, as recorded in these documents, namely, the enlightenment and salvation of mankind. But the documents themselves assume a variety of forms, embracing history, cosmography, theology, psalmody, prophecy, preaching, and various other things, neither immediately connected with, nor essentially dependent upon, each other. Now, the question is, were all these several subjects, and every part of these several subjects, reduced to writing under the direct and immediate superintendence of the Holy Spirit; or, if they were not thus uniformly and universally inspired, do we possess the means of discriminating between the two classes of writing-that which is of divine superintendence or revelation, and that which is the mere product of unaided intellect? The plenary theory is given up, as we have seen, by Mr. Horne and others; but they leave us wholly at a loss to discover where the mere rational faculties of the biblical writers terminated, and inspiration came in to their aid. "They were left," remarks the writer just named, "to the common use of their faculties, and did not, upon every occasion, stand in need of supernatural communication; but whenever, and as far as divine assistance was necessary, it was always afforded." We think that the following theory will get rid of the diffi- | culties attendant upon both the hypotheses we have noticed, and dispose, at the same time, of some otherwise unaccountable discrepancies and anomalies in the sacred text itself. We assume, then, that all that portion of the sacred writings which partakes of the prophetic or of the didactic character, whether it assume the form of theological teaching or of historical narrative, was written under the immediate direction and superintendence of the Holy Spirit. For this portion of the sacred writings we are disposed to contend for the fullest amount of inspiration, and that for the following reasons:— (2) For this inspiration we have the express declarations of the sacred writers themselves, as well as (in relation to the New Testament) the unconditional promises of our Saviour Jesus Christ himself. (3) As to the prophetic parts of the sacred volume, whether comprised in the Old or the New Testament, there can be no doubt. The foretelling of future events is by the Almighty him self made the criterion for distinguishing those who were inspired by his Spirit. "I will... . . . that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know; and before time, that we may say, He is righteous? Yea, there is none that sheweth; yea, there is none that declareth; yea, there is none that heareth your words. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion," Isai. xli. 19–29. "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations; they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? and (1) The nature of the subjects requires such a there is no God else beside me; a just God divine illumination and superintendence. They and a Saviour: there is none beside me," chap. relate either to the Divine Being; to the spiri- xlv. 20, 21. "Remember the former things of tual relations, exigencies, and duties of man, and old: for I am God; and there is none else: I a future life; to the nature and reasonable-am God, and there is none like me, declaring the ness of moral obligations; or to future occur- end from the beginning, and from ancient times : moral truth, or to discover and enforce any obligation, whether resulting from the established harmony and order of the divine economy in human affairs, or resting, apparently, upon the mere fiat and inscrutable will of God, comes within the category of inspired writing, and possesses divine authority. the things that are not yet done, saying, Thy | Testament Scriptures. Whatever was intended to counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure," communicate the knowledge of any spiritual or chap. xlvi. 9, 10. "I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them: I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee, lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my molten image hath commanded them. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens; when I call unto them, they stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans," chap. xlviii. 3-14. In accordance with these declarations, which might be multiplied to an almost unlimited extent, is the uniform testimony of the apostles and evangelists. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," Heb. i. 1. "Knowing this first, that 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," 2 Pet. i. 20, 21. Hence, too, the common formula, "Thus saith the Lord;" "Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith;" "As he saith in another place," &c. (see Hebrews, passim); always having reference to the prophetic Scriptures of the Old Testament, and affirming, in the most direct terms, their inspiration. It is upon this ground of their inspiration, in fact, that the doctrinal value and authority of the Old Testament Scriptures are placed by the inspired apostle, who, in addressing Timothy, says, "All Scripture given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works," 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.+ What is true of the prophecies, in this respect, is also true of the legislative and didactic portions of the Old (4) With reference to the New Testament Scriptures, the question is, if possible, still clearer and more satisfactory. For all the purposes of divine teaching, whether orally or by writing, our Lord promised to his disciples the suggesting and superintending influence of the Holy Spirit: "When the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John xvi. 13); “He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you," xiv. 26. The latter passage explains the former, and, with its context, clearly refers it to the discourses and teachings of Christ. Hence we find, that however the authors of the gospels may differ in their relation of historical circumstances, they agree in recording the discourses of our Saviour, and in exhibiting the same moral and spiritual truths. Then, with regard to those parts of the New Testament which are professedly doctrinal, we have also the unequivocal avowal of the writers themselves, as to the fact of a divine inspiration having been granted. Paul, writing to the Galatian church, claims, in the most unqualified manner, a plenitude of inspiration: “I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which is preached of me is not after man; for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught but by the revelation of Jesus Christ," chap. i. 11, 12. And in reply to the Corinthians, who reproached him with his destitution of the graces of oratory, the apostle says, "We speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual," 1 Cor. ii. 13. In like manner, he appeals, not only to this church in general, but to those who were prophets or spiritual in particular, to acknowledge that the things which he commanded were those of the Lord (xiv. 37, 38); and in the seventh chapter of the same epistle, he carefully draws a line of distinction between that which proceeded from himself, and that which was from the Lord; inducing the natural infer * The word enλvous signifies impetus, impulse, and probably this is the best sense here, i. e., "not by the mere impulse of their own mind, but by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost."-ence, that where no such caution is taken, the See Dr. A. Clarke, in loco. + This translation of the apostle's words is supported by the best authorities. Dr. A. Clarke, who thus translates, says, "the particle, Kat, and, is omitted by almost all the Versions, and by many of the Fathers, and certainly does not agree well with the text"-Comment. in loco. apostle spoke and wrote under a divine afflatus. So far and satisfactory, Paul; and with him agrees Peter, who not only asserts of the apostles generally, that they "preached the gospel with: the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven," but |