red with no other view, than that the apostles, in executing this trust, would act under the influence of divine inspiration.

Other forms of language, setting forth the inspiration of the apostles, will perhaps be more satisfactory :-" When they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." But as this passage refers to particular occasions, it can have only an indirect reference to our present subject. We will, therefore, add others of more general application "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, because he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." "The comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.' "When the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." "İ will tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. . . . When he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."

If these passages do not contain a clear announcement of the complete inspiration of the apostles, then I am wholly unable to say what language could be used to express it. They were not only to testify of the teachings and miracles of their divine Master, as competent witnesses, having been with him from the beginning; but the direct influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit were to be added. The comforter was to be with them, not temporarily as Christ was, but forever, at least during their

natural life. It was not only to be with them, but in them, and speak through them. It would bring all things to their remembrance, and would show them things to come. In a word, it would lead them into all truth. This is sufficient. Thus qualified, they were fully prepared to execute their important mission. Hence they are instructed to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; and to all true believers, miracles were vouchsafed in confirmation of their divine authority.1 The promise of the Saviour is added, that he would be with them, by his miraculous agency, even to the end of the age. And it is said that they went forth and preached, everywhere; the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. It is not reasonable to suppose that such a commission would be given to uninspired men. Nor could men be uninspired, while the Lord was working with them; nor would he confirm their preaching with signs following, unless they preached what he approved.

2

In view of the foregoing testimony, are we not required by the great Author of Christianity, to believe that his apostles are to be implicitly relied upon, in the account they give us of his doctrines and miracles, and in the principles which they inculcate. I am not convinced that he could have given us more satisfactory assurances in their behalf. If, therefore, the inspiration of the Saviour is admitted, that of his apostles must be regarded as no less certain. We may, then, in advancing with our discussion, consult them both, on any topic to which their inspiration, as above described, can legitimately apply. The inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures, is a topic of this kind; and to this subject I shall not hesitate to apply their declarations. But this, after we have noticed one objection.

If it be said that Luke among the Evangelists, and Paul among the apostles, whose writings make up a considerable portion of the New Testament, were not of those to whom the Saviour's declarations were addressed, it would perhaps be a sufficient reply, that the principal facts and doctrines of Christianity are not affected by this objection. All that is said by Luke and Paul, that is not

1 Mark xvi. 15-18. 2 Matt. xxviii. 20; Mark xvi, 20.

said by the other apostles and by Christ, may, if we desire, be entirely omitted; and ali that is essential in Christianity will still remain. The Gospel of Luke is substantially the same as that of Matthew, Mark, and John. The Book of the Acts reports no doctrine, as taught by the apostles, that is not directly sanctioned by the teachings of Christ; and it reports no miracle, that these teachings do not lead us to expect. We are not aware that the Epistles of Paul contain any doctrines, not found in the recorded instructions of Jesus, though the doctrines inculcated by him may be more fully illustrated, and more directly applied. I am not, however, convinced that the objection is entirely sound which has suggested these remarks.

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Having had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first;" having received them from those who had been "eye witnesses and ministers of the word," Luke must be admitted as a competent historian of what he relates, saying nothing of his inspiration; for few historians have as good authority for the truth of their statements, whom we are accustomed to receive with undoubting confidence. And giving him only the credit which we are accustomed to give to others, we must admit the general accuracy of his statements, both in his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles. And admitting this, the divine commission of the apostle Paul is clearly sustained. It is certain from the statements of Luke, that Paul was miraculously converted, and received the following commission :-"Arise and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me." According to the same testimony, Ananias, of Damascus, received of the Lord the following communication concerning Paul:—“ Go thy way; for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of

Israel." Hence, of the brethren at Antioch, it is said :— "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." It is asserted, too, of Paul and Barnabas, that they spoke "boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands." Instances of miraculous power, exercised by Paul, are recorded in numerous places.3 Thus it is evident that the same signs followed him that were to follow all true believers; and that the Lord was with him, as he was with the other apostles, confirming the word by sundry miracles. And if Jesus Christ did not, while on earth, give to Paul a divine commission, it is certain that he did give him such commission from heaven. This, indeed, is no more than is necessary to account for the well known and acknowledged effects of Paul's ministry-the churches he established in Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome; the extensive spread of Christianity in his day, and by his means; and the universal reception of his writings, as the genuine productions of an inspired man.

Whether Matthew, Mark, and John were the apostles of Christ, having these names; and whether they wrote the Gospels ascribed to them; whether Luke was cotemporary with them, and wrote the Gospel bearing his name, together with the Acts of the Apostles; whether Paul and other epistolary writers actually composed the letters ascribed to them in the New Testament; and whether these books are substantially what they were when they came from the hands of their respective authors-are questions that do not come within the present discussion. If these writings are genuine, and substantially correct, it remains to be shown, if any one is disposed to enter upon that work, that the portions we have quoted, are not within the original documents. And if it be admitted that these are genuine passages, all that we have claimed, thus far, for the inspiration of the Scriptures, must be correct, unless it can be made to appear that we have given wrong interpretations, or drawn wrong conclusions. And

3 Acts xiii. 11; xiv. 10; xvi. 18; xix. 6, 11, 12; xx. 12; xxviii. 5.

if these passages are not genuine, we would know in what manner this can be shown, that will not, at the same time, invalidate the whole, and plunge us into absolute and undisguised infidelity.

III. We propose now to show what views are put forth in the New Testament, concerning the Jewish Scriptures. And if any one is disposed to place more confidence in what is said by Christ on this subject, and by those apostles whose inspiration he expressly affirms, than in the declarations of Luke or Paul, he may do so, without weakening our general argument.

The most common name given of the Old Testament in the New, is that of "Scripture" or "Scriptures." "The law and the prophets" designates the same thing. And, in one instance, "the law of Moses, the prophets, and psalms" are mentioned. These and some other designations, will appear in quotations which we shall soon have occasion to make.

We commence this part of our discussion with the remark, that Christ uniformly refers to the Scriptures, with that respect due only to a divine revelation. He not only refers to their most important historical statements, as undoubtedly true; but he uses such language of respect and confidence as can apply, properly, to no other than a book of divine authority. 1. He gives the Jews the strongest assurance, that his mission was not intended to conflict with the law and the prophets; but was in harmony with them. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail." 2. He enjoins it on the Jews to obey the law, and reproaches them for their disobedience. "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying; The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do, but do not ye after their works, for they say and do not." "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one that accuseth you, even Moses in whom ye trust.' not Moses give you the law; and yet none of you keepeth

"Did