iv scriptures, as the rule of religious sentiment; or how far the apostles, and other writers of the NewTestament were inspired, and their opinions are to be the guide of ours. It is evident, that some entertain very low ideas of their inspiration, and speak of them as fallible in their religious sentiments; but it does not appear, that any writer, who embraces this view of the apostles as christian teachers, has given a clear, and full statement of his ideas on this subject. The short controversy which took place respecting it, between Mr. Burn and Dr. Priestley, terminated, on the part of the latter, without a full elucidation of his sentiments concerning it. It is, however, very desirable, that the doctor, or some who think with him, would come forward, and explicitly state their ideas of the inspiration of the apostles, because it is the turning point, on which the Socinian controver sy in general depends. The following pages were written with a view to subserve the cause of truth, by an examination of the scriptural evidence on this subject, and are therefore submitted to the candour of the public. Little Baddow, Essex, AN INQUIRY, &c. INSPIRATION is a term which, in its strict and primary sense, as used by theological writers, means the immediate communication of knowledge from God; and in this sense, it is synonymous with the word Revelation. But it has been common with divines, to use the term in a less strict and proper sense, for such a degree of divine influence, assistance, or guidance, as enabled men to communicate religious knowledge to others, without error or mistake, whether the subject of such communications were things which were then immediately revealed to those who declared them, or things with which they were before acquainted. In both views, the term implies a previous idea, the possibility of an immediate communication from God to the human mind, or the doctrine of divine influence. That the author of the human mind can have access to it, and can influence that mind, either to reveal things to it, or to direct its attention to things revealed long before, and dispose it to receive them, is a position which is so far from being false, that the denial of it would involve an absurdity. It would be absurd to suppose, that it is impossible for God to do any thing which is not inconsistent with the goodness and perfection of his nature: but it never can be made to appear, that it would be incompatible with his perfections, or unworthy of his goodness, to influence the minds of his rational creatures; to communicate religious knowledge from heaven to some men, for the purpose of instructing others; or to lead men by a secret agency to regard and obey that instruction which is contained in his word. On the contrary, to exclude "the God of the spirits of all flesh," from having access to the spirits he has formed, would imply a restraint upon his power not consistent with omnipotence, and would prescribe limits to that divine benevolence, which, according to our conceptions, cannot be more worthily employed, than in promoting the moral good of his erring and fallible creatures. It is therefore neither irrational, nor unphilosophical, to suppose, that God can, by his immediate agency, influence the minds of men. The difficulty of conceiving of the mode, in which such divine influence takes place, is not a solid objection against the possibility and reality of it in certain cases. We know not the mode of the divine operation in other instances, where, nevertheless, we are certain it does exist. We see evident expressions of skill and contrivance, of admirable wisdom, infinite power, and abundant goodness, in the formation and arrangement of the universe. We have not more reason to suppose, that the world could preserve itself in being, independent of the all-wise and powerful first cause, than that it could give itself existence. We must therefore admit, that he who created, does also uphold all things by the word of his power; and that what are called the laws of nature, are nothing else than the different parts of the material system continuing to act, in that direction which the will of the Creator at first gave them, and in which it constantly preserves them. Yet we do not know the mode whereby divine power and wisdom first operated in the production of the universe, nor that in which they continue to operate for its preservation; so that if we will not admit of a divine influence in any cases but where we understand the mode of its operation, we must exclude the agency of God from the natural, as well as from the moral world. If, therefore, we believe that there is an infinitely wise, intelligent, and good being, the Creator and Preserver of all things, we must, on the same ground admit, that it is strictly philosophical to suppose he can, if he thinks proper, influence the minds of his reasonable creatures, and give to men a revelation of his will. That he hath done this, and that the holy scriptures are the Word of God, is a fact generally admitted by professing christians, and may be proved by a great variety of arguments. It is not the design of this essay, to enter into the general evidences of revelation, which have been so clearly and fully stated by many writers of the present century, both in our own and foreign countries; but rather to consider the subject in a different point of view, which is more peculiarly interesting to christians themselves, with relation to the religious controversies that exist among them, and the degree of deference that is to be paid to the sacred writings, and especially to the New Testament, as the guide. of religious opinions. Amongst those. who admit, in general, that the writers of the New Testament were inspired men, or receive it as a revelation from God, it has been questioned by some, how far their inspiration extended? Whether to every thing which they taught, or only to the great and leading facts and doctrines of christianity? Whether, as to some things in religion, they were not left merely to the exercise of their own minds; and consequently, Whether in some cases they might not be mistaken in their religious sentiments, as well as other men? It will readily be perceived, that it is of no small importance to the faith and consolation of christians, that they should have clear and consistent ideas of the inspiration of the apostles of Christ, who first propagated christianity in the world, and were the principal instruments of recording it for the perpetual instruction of the church. The greater part of the New Testament was written by some of them; and if there be reason to conclude, that they were under the infallible guidance of the Spirit of Truth in what they have taught and written for the instruction of mankind, it will follow, that their testimony and declarations are authoritative and decisive in all matters of religious faith and practice. But if there be not reason to believe that they were under such infallible divine direction, we must then seek for the proper standard and criteria of what is true or false in christianity, from some other sources than the apostolic writings. The design of the following essay therefore is, to inquire into the nature and extent of that inspiration, or divine influence and guidance, which the apostles and other writers of the New Testament |