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is contrary to the express letter of any of || vine Influences has been much called in the commandments.-3. Nothing will ad-question of late; but we may ask, 1. What mit of a just and sufficient excuse upon the doctrine can be more reasonable? "The account of infirmity, which a man before-operations which the power of God carries hand considers and deliberates with him- on in the natural world are no less mysteriself, whether it be a sin or no. A sin of in- ous than those which the Spirit performs in firmity is, 1. Such a failing as proceeds the moral world. If men, by their councils from excusable ignorance.-2. Or una voida- || and suggestions, can influence the minds of ble surprise-3. Or want of courage and one another, must not Divine suggestion pro strength, Rom. xv. 1. By infirmity also we understand the cor- ther of Spirits, by a thousand ways, has acduce a much greater effect? Surely the Faruptions that are still left in the heart, cess to the spirits he has made, so as to give (not withstanding a person may be sanctified them what determination, or impart to them in part,) and which sometimes break out. what assistance he thinks proper, without These may be permitted to humble us; to injuring their frame or disturbing their raanimate our vigilance; perhaps that newly || tional powers." convinced sinners might not be discouraged by a sight of such perfection they might scriptural. Eminent men from the patriarWe may observe, 2. Nothing can be more despair of ever attaining to; to keep us chal age down to St. John, the latest writer prayerful and dependant; to prevent those believed in this doctrine, and ascribed their honours which some would be ready to religious feelings to this source. Our Lord give to human nature rather than to God; strongly and repeatedly inculcated this truth; and, lastly, to excite in us a continual de- and that he did not mean miraculous, but sire for heaven. Let us be cautious and moral influences of the Spirit is evident, John watchful, however, against sin in all its iii. 3. Matt. vii. 22, 23. John vi. 44, 46. forms: for it argues à deplorable state of See also, John xii. 32, 40. Rom. viii. 9. 1 mind when men love to practise sin, and Cor. ii. 14.-3. And we may add, nothing then lay it upon constitution, the infirmity of can be more necessary, if we consider the nature, the decree of God, the influence of natural depravity of the heart, and the inSatan, and thus attempt to excuse them-sufficiency of all human means to render selves, by saying they could not avoid it.Clarke's Sermon, ser. 12, vol. ix. Massil-supernatural power. See William's Historic lon's Serm. vol. ii. p. 213, Eng. trans.

ourselves either holy or happy without a

liams' Answer to Belsham, letter 13. HurDefence of Experimental Religion. Wilrion's Sermons on the Spirit. Owen on the Spirit.

INFINITY. Infinity is taken in two senses entirely different, i. e. in a positive and a negative one. Positive infinity is a quality of being perfect in itself, or capable of receiving no addition. Negative is vinistic dissenters, who are the followers of INGHAMITES, a denomination of Calthe quality of being boundless, unlimited, or endless. That God is infinite is evident; B. Ingham, Esq. who, in the last century, for as Doddridge observes, 1. If he be limit of England. About the year 1735, Mr. Ingwas a character of great note in the north ed, it must either be by himself, or by ano- ham was at Queen's college, with Mr.Hervey ther; but no wise being would abridge him- and other friends, but soon afterwards adoptself, and there could be no other being to limit God.—2. Infinity follows from self-ex- and Whitfield. We do not know the cause ed the religious opinions and zeal of Wesley istence; for a necessity that is not univer- of his separation from these eminent men; sal must depend on some external cause, but it seems, in a few years afterwards, he which a self-existent Being does not.-3. became the leader of many numerous socieCreation is so great an act of power, that ties, distinct from the methodists. They rewe can imagine nothing impossible to that ceived their members by lot, and required Being who has performed it, but must them to declare before the church their extherefore ascribe to him infinite power-4. perience, that the whole society might judge It is more honourable to the Divine Being to of the gracious change which had been conceive of him as infinite, than finite-5. wrought upon their hearts. It happened in The scriptures represent all his attributes a few years, that some individuals, who as infinite. His understanding is infinite, Psalm cxlvii. 5. His knowledge and wis- for admission, instead of speaking of their were much respected, and who applied dom, Rom. xi 33. His power, Rom. i. 20. Heb. xi. 3. His goodness, Psalm xvi. 2. Hissions on their minds, which they only consiown attainments, or the comfortable imprespurity, holiness, and justice, Job iv 17, 18 Isa. vi 2, 3-6. His omnipotence and eternity prove his infinity: for were he not infinite, he would be bounded by space and by time, which he is not. Doddridge's Lect. lect. 49. Watt's Ontology, chap. 17. Locke on Underst. vol i. chap. 17; Howe's works. vol. i. p. 63, 64, 67.

INFLUENCES DIVINE, a term made use of to denote the operations of the Divine Being upon the mind. This doctrine of Di

declared their only hope was the finished dered as productive of strife and vain glory. work of Jesus Christ, and as to themselves, they were sensible of their own vileness. Such confession as this threw the congregation into some confusion, which was considerably increased when they found, that on that there were votes against their admistheir having recourse as usual to the lot, sion, which was considered as a rejection from the Lord. On this they were led to

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examine more particularly both their church accusations that are not true. Now if we order and doctrines. After this time, Mr. consider the value of character, the resentIngham became much more orthodox in his ment which the injurious person has of sentiments, and new-modelled his churches. such treatment when it comes to his own The book which he published is, in general, turn to suffer it, the consequence of a man's weli thought of by the Independents. He losing his good name; and, finally, the dif contends very strongly for salvation by the ficulty of making reparation, we must, at imputation of Christ's righteousness; and as once see the injustice of lessening another's to doctrine, the chief point wherein the Ing- good character. There are two considerahamites differ from the Independents, is re- tions which should sometimes restrain us specting the Trinity. The common man- from speaking the whole truth of our neighner of speaking of the Divine Three, as dis-bour, when it is to his disadvantage. (1.) That tinct persons, they decisively condemn. They he may possibly live to see his folly, and redo not consider a plurality of elders as ne-pent and grow better.-(2.) Admitting that cessary in a church to administer the Lord's we speak the truth, yet it is a thousand to Supper. In other respects, they much es- one but when it is handed about for some teen the writings of Mr R Sandeman Their time, it will contract a deal of falsehoodnumbers have not been so numerous since they 4. We may injure a person in his relations became more strict in their public worship. and dependencies. In his servants, by corINGRATITUDE, the vice of being in- rupting them; in his children, by drawing sensible to favours received, without any en- them into evil courses; in his wife, by sowdeavour to acknowledge and repay them. ing strife, attempting to alienate her affecIt is sometimes applied to the act of return- tions.-5. We may be guilty of injuring ing evil for good. Ingratitude, it is said, is another in his worldly goods or possessions. no passion for the God of nature has ap- 1. By doing him a mischief, without any adpointed no motion of the spirits whereby itvantage to ourselves, through envy and ma might be excited; it is therefore, a mere vice, arising from pride, stupidity, or narrowness of soul.

INIQUITY. Sce SIN.

done.

lice-2 By taking what is another's, which is theft. See Grove's Moral Philosophy, chap 8. p. 2. Watts Sermons, vol. ii. ser. 33. Tillotson's Sermons, serm. 42.

INJURIES, Forgiveness of. See FORGIVENESS.

INJUSTICE. See INJURY.

INNOCENCE, acting in perfect consonance to the law, without incurring guilt or consequent punishment. See MAN.

INJURY, a violation of the rights of another. Some, says Grove, distinguish between injustitia and injuria. Injustice is opposed to justice in general, whether negative or positive; an injury to negative justice alone. See JUSTICE. An injury is, wilfully doing to another what aught not to INQUISITION, in the church of Rome, be done This is injustice, too, but not the a tribunal, in several Roman catholic coun whole idea of it; for it is injustice also to tries, erected by the popes for examination refuse or neglect doing what ought to be and punishment of heretics This court was An injury must be wilfully commit- founded in the twelfth century, under the ted; whereas it is enough to make a thing patronage of pope Innocent, who issued out unjust, that it happens through a culpable orders to excite the Catholic princes and negligence. 1. We may injure a person in people to extirpate heretics, to search into his soul, by misleading his judgment; by their number and quality, and to transmit corrupting the imagination; perverting the a faithful account thereof to Rome. Hence will; and wounding the soul with grief they were called inquisitors, and gave birth Persecutors who succeed in their compul- to this formidable tribunal, called the Inquisisive measures, though they cannot alter the tion. That nothing might be wanting to renreal sentiments by external violence, yet der this spiritual court formidable and tresometimes injure the soul by making the mendous, the Roman pontiffs persuaded the man a hypocrite.-2 We may injure ano-European princes, and more especially the ther in his body, by homicide, murder, pre-emperor Frederick II. and Lewis IX. king venting life, dismembering the body by of France, not only to enact the most barba wounds, blows slav ry and imprisonment, rous laws against heretics, and to commit to or any unjust restraint upon its liberty; by the flames, by the ministry of public justice, robbing it of its chastity, or prejudicing its those who were pronounced such by the inhealth-3. We may injure another in his inquisitors, but also to maintain the inname and character, by our own false and quisitors in their office, and grant them their rash judgments of him; by false witness; protection in the most open and solemn manby charging a man to his face with a crime ner. The edicts to this purpose issued out which either we ourselves have forged, or by Frederick II. are well known; edicts which we know to have been forged by sufficient to have excited the greatest horror, some other person; by detraction or back- and which rendered the most illustrious biting; by reproach, or exposing another piety and virtue incapable of saving from for some natural infelicity either in body or the cruelest death such as had the misforja mind; or for some calamity into which tune to be disagreeable to the inquisitors. he has fallen, or some miscarriage of which These abominable laws were not, however, he has been guilty; by inuendos, or indirect" sufficient to restrain the just indignation of

the people against those inhuman judges, judges, who attend at the right side of the whose barbarity was accompanied with su-altar, and immediately pass sentence. For perstition and arrogance, with a spirit of the conclusion of this horrid scene, see ACT suspicion and perfidy; nay, even with teme- oF FALTH We rejoice however, to hear, rity and imprudence. Accordingly, they that in many Roman Catholic countries, the were insulted by the multitude in many inquisition is now shut. May the God of places, were driven in an ignominious man- mercy and love prevent its ever being emner out of some cities, and were put to deathployed again! See Baker's History of the in others; and Conrad, of Marpurg, the Inquisition, and Limborch's History of first German inquisitor who derived his com- the Inquisition, translated_by_Chandler. mission from Gregory IX. was one of the A View of the Inquisition in Portugal in many victims that were sacrificed on this Gedde's Tracts. Lavalle's History of the occasion to the vengeance of the public, Inquisition. which his incredible barbarities had raised to a dreadful degree of vehemence and fury.

INSPIRATION, the conveying of certain extraordinary and supernatural notions or motions into the soul; or it denotes any supernatural influence of God upon the mind of a rational creature, whereby he is formed to any degree of intellectual improvement, to which he could not, or would not, in fact, have attained in his present circumstances in a natural way. Thus the prophets are said to have spoken by divine inspiration. 1. An inspiration of superintendency, in which God does so influence and direct the mind of any person as to keep him more secure from error in some ||various and complex discourse, than he would have been merely by the use of his natural faculties.-2. Plenary superintendent inspiration, which excludes any mix

This diabolical tribunal takes cognizance of heresy; Judaism, Mahometanism, sodomy, and polygamy; and the people stand in so much fear of it, that parents deliver up their children, husbands their wives, and masters their servants, to its officers, without daring in the least to murmur. The prisoners are kept for a long time, till they themselves turn their own accusers, and declare the cause of their imprisonment, for which they are neither told their crime, nor confronted with witnesses. As soon as they are imprisoned, their friends go into mourning, and speak of them as dead, not daring to solicit their pardon, lest they should be brought in as accomplices. When there is no sha-ture of error at all from the performance so dow of proof against the pretended crimi- superintended.-3. Inspiration of elevation, nal, he is discharged, after suffering the where the faculties act in a regular, and, as most cruel tortures, a tedious and dreadful it seems, in a common manner, yet are imprisonment, and the loss of the greatest raised to an extraordinary degree, so that part of his effects. The sentence against the composure shall, upon the whole, have prisoners is pronounced publicly, and with more of the true sublime or pathetic than extraordinary solemnity. In Portugal they natural genius could have given.-4. Inspierect a theatre capable of holding three ration of suggestion, where the use of thousand persons, in which they place a rich the faculties is superceded, and God does, altar, and raise seats on each side, in the as it were, speak directly to the mind, form of an amphitheatre. There the pri- making such discoveries to it as it could soners are placed, and over against them is not otherwise have obtained, and dictating a high chair, whither they are called one by the very words in which such discoveries one to hear their doom from one of their in- are to be communicated, if they are designquisitors. These unhappy persons know ed as a message to others. It is generally what they are to suffer by the clothes they allowed that the Scriptures were written wear that day: those who appear in their by divine inspiration. The matter of them, own clothes are discharged on paying a fine; the spirituality and elevation of their dethose who have a santo benito, or strait sign, the majesty and simplicity of their yellow coat without sleeves, charged with style, the agreement of their various parts; St. Andrew's cross, have their lives, but for- their wonderful efficacy on mankind, the feit all their effects; those who have the candour, disinterestedness, and uprightness resemblance of flames made of red serge of the penmen, their astonishing preservasewed upon their santo benito, without any tion, the multitude of miracles wrought cross, are pardoned, but threatened to be in confirmation of the doctrines they conburnt if ever they relapse; but those who, tain, and the exact fulfilment of their prebesides those flames, have on their santo be- || dictions, prove this. It has been dispunito their own picture surrounded with de- ted, however, whether this inspiration is vils, are condemned to expire in the flames. in the most absolute sense, plenary. As The inquisitors, who are ecclesiastics, do this is a subject of importance, and ought not pronounce the sentence of death, but to be carefully studied by every Chrisform and read an act, in which they say, tian, in order that he may render a that the criminal, being convicted of such a reason of the hope that is in him, I shall crime, by his own confession, is with much here subjoin the remarks of an able reluctance, delivered to the secular power, writer, who though he may differ from to be punished according to his demerits: some others as to the terms made use of and this writing they give to the seven above, yet I am persuaded his arguments

will be found weighty and powerful. "There have made a proper selection; nor would are many things in the Scriptures," says || persons unskilled in the art of composition Mr. Dick, "which the writers might have have been able to express themselves in known, and probably did know, by ordinary such terms as should ensure a faithful remeans. As persons possessed of memory, presentation of doctrines and facts, and with judgment, and other intellectual faculties such dignity as the nature of the subject which are common to men, they were able required. A divine influence, therefore, to relate certain events in which they had must have been exerted on their minds, by been personally concerned, and to make which their memories and judgments were such occasional reflections as were suggest strengthened, and they were enabled to reed by particular subjects and occurrences. late the doctrines and miracles of their In these cases no supernatural influence Master in a manner the best fitted to imwas necessary to invigorate their minds; press the readers of their histories. The it was only nesessary that they should be promise of the Holy Ghost to bring to their infallibly preserved from error It is with remembrance all things whatsoever Christ respect to such passages of Scripture alone, had said to them, proves, that, in writing as did not exceed the natural ability of their histories, their mental powers were the writers to compose, that I would ad-endowed, by his agency, with more than mit the notion of superintendence, if it usual_vigour. should be admitted at all. Perhaps this word, though of established use and almost undisputed authority, should be entirely laid aside, as insufficient to express even the lowest degree of inspiration. In the passages of Scripture which we are now considering, I conceive the writers to have been not merely superintended, that they might commit no error, but likewise to have been moved or excited by the Holy Ghost to record particular events, and set down particular observations. The passages written in consequence of the direction and under the care of the Divine Spirit, may be said, in an inferior sense, to be inspired; whereas, if the men had written them at the suggestion of their own spirit, they would not have possessed any more authority, though they had been free from error, than those parts of profane writings which are agreeable to truth.

"Farther; it must be allowed that in several passages of Scripture, there is found such elevation of thought and of style, as clearly shews that the powers of the writers were raised above their ordinary pitch. If a person of moderate talents should give as elevated a description of the majesty and attributes of God, or reason as profoundly on the mysterious doctrines of religion, as a man of the most exalted genius and extensive learning, we could not fail to be convinced that he was supernaturally assisted; and the conviction would be still stronger, if his composition should far transcend the highest efforts of the human mind. Some of the sacred writers were taken from the lowest ranks of life; and yet sentiments so dignified, and repre sentations of divine things so grand and majestic, occur in their writings, that the noblest flights of human genius, when compared with them, appear cold and insipid.

2.There are other parts of the Scriptures in which the faculties of the writers were supernaturally invigorated and elevated. 3. "It is manifest, with respect to many It is impossible for us, and perhaps it was passages of Scripture, that the subjects of not possible for the inspired person himself, which they treat must have been directly to determine where nature ended and inspi- revealed to the writers. They could not ration began. It is enough to know, that have been known by any natural means, nor there are many parts of Scripture in which, was the knowledge of them attainable by though the unassisted mind might have a simple elevation of the faculties With proceeded some steps, a Divine impulse the faculties of an angel we could not diswas necessary to enable it to advance. I cover the purposes of the Divine mind. think, for example, that the evangelists This degree of inspiration we attribute to could not have written the history of Christ those who were empowered to reveal heaif they had not enjoyed miraculous aid. venly mysteries, which eye had not seen, Two of them, Matthew and John, accom- and ear had not heard,' to those who were panied our Saviour during the space of sent with particular messages from God to three years and a half. At the close of his people, and to those who were employ this period, or rather several years after it, ed to predict future events. The plan of when they wrote their Gospels, we may be redemption being an effect of the sovereign certain that they had forgotten many of his councils of heaven, it could not have been discourses and miracles; that they recol-known but by a communication from the lected others indistinctly: and that they Father of lights. would have been in danger of producing an "This kind of inspiration has been called inaccurate and unfair account, by confound- the inspiration of suggestion. It is needless ing one thing with another. Besides, from to dispute about a word; but suggestion so large a mass of particulars, men of un-seeming to express an operation on the cultivated minds, who were not in the habit mird, by which ideas are excited in it, is of of distinguishing and classifying, could not "too limited signification to denote the various

modes in which the prophets and apostles || of the Old Testament, as having attested, were made acquainted with supernatural without any exception of limitation, a numtruths. God revealed himself to them not ber of books as divinely inspired, while some only by suggestion, but by dreams, visions, of them were partly, and some were almost voices, and the ministry of angels. This entirely, human compositions; it supposes degree of inspiration, in strict propriety of the writers of both Testaments to have prospeech, should be called revelation; a word fanely mixed their own productions with preferable to suggestion, because it is ex- the dictates of the Spirit, and to have paspressive of all the ways in which God com- sed the unhallowed compound on the world municated new ideas to the minds of his as genuine. In fact, by denying that they servants. It is a word, too, chosen by the were constantly under infallible guidance, Holy Ghost himself, to signify the discovery it leaves us utterly at a loss to know when of truths formerly unknown to the apostles. we should or should not believe them. If The last book of the New Testament they could blend their own stories with the which is a collection of prophecies, is called revelations made to them, how can I be the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul says, certain that they have not, on some occathat he received the Gospel by revelation; sions, published, in the name of God, sentithat by revelation the mystery was made ments of their own, to which they were known to him, which in other ages was desirous to gain credit and authority? not made known unto the sons of men, as it Who will assure me of their perfect fidelity was then revealed unto his holy apostles in drawing a line of distinction between the and prophets by the Spirit:' and in another divine and the human parts of their wriplace, having observed that eye had not tings? The denial of the plenary inspiration seen, nor ear heard, neither had entered of the Scripture tends to unsettle the founinto the heart of man the things which God dations of our faith, involves us in doubt and had prepared for them that love him,' he perplexity, and leaves us no other method adds," But God hath revealed them unto of ascertaining how much we should believe, us by his Spirit." Rev. i. 1. Gal. i. 12. || but by an appeal to reason. But when reaEph. ii. 5. 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. son is invested with the authority of a judge, not only is revelation dishonoured, and its author insulted, but the end for which it was given is completely defeated.

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"I have not names to designate the other two kinds of inspiration. The names used by Doddridge, and others, Superintendence, Elevation, and Suggestion, do not convey the ideas stated in the three pre- "A question of very great importance deceding particulars, and are liable to other mands our attention, while we are endeaobjections, besides those which have beenvouring to settle, with precision, the notion mentioned. This account of the inspiration of the Scriptures has, I think, these two recommendations; that there is no part of Scripture which does not fall under one or other of the foregoing heads; and that the different degrees of the agency of the Divine Spirit on the minds of the different writers, are carefully discriminated.

of the inspiration of the Scriptures: it relates to the words in which the sacred writers have expressed their ideas. Some think, that in the choice of words they were left to their own discretion, and that the language is human, though the matter be divine; while others believe, that in their expressions, as well as in their sentiments, they were under the infallible direction of the Spirit. It is the last opinion which appears to be most conformable to truth, and it may be supported by the following reasoning:

"Some men have adopted very strange and dangerous notions respecting the inspiration of the Scriptures. Dr. Priestly de- || nies that they were written by a particular Divine inspiration; and asserts that the writers, though men of the greatest probity, "Every man who hath attended to the were fallible, and have actually committed operations of his own mind, knows that we mistakes in their narrations and their think in words, or that, when we form a reasonings. But this man and his follow-train or combination of ideas, we clothe ers find it their interest to weaken and set them with words; and that the ideas which aside the authority of the Scriptures, as are not thus clothed, are indistinct and conthey have adopted a system of religion from fused. Let a man try to think upon any which all the distinguishing doctrines of subject, moral or religious, without the aid revelation are excluded. Others consider of language, and he will either experience the Scriptures as inspired in those places a total cessation of thought, or, as this seems where they profess to deliver the word of impossible, at least while we are awake, he God; but in other places, especially in the will feel himself constrained, notwithstanding historical parts, they ascribe to them only his utmost endeavours, to have recourse to the same authority which is due to the words as the instrument of his mental ope writings of well informed and upright men,rations. As a great part of the scriptures But as this distinction is perfectly arbitrary, was suggested or revealed to the writers; having no foundation in any thing said by as the thoughts or sentiments, which were the sacred writers themselves, so it is liable perfectly new to them, were conveyed into to very material objections. It represents their minds by the Spirit, it is plain that our Lord and his apostles, when they speak "they must have been accompanied with

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