'

Again: It is ly no means probable that Solo"mon wrote any thing by infpiration."

So fays Dr. Prieftley: but a greater than he hath faid, All fcripture is given by infpiration of God;* and, in the opinion of moft men, the affertion of St. Paul, where it is plain and positive, is at any time preferable to the fophiftical reasonings of Dr. Priestley: for, whatever other excellencies that learned gentleman may poffefs, I do maintain, that he is one of the most fallacious theological writers of the prefent day. His abilities are very confiderable; fo were Voltaire's; and, I chearfully acknowledge, I am much entertained with reading various parts of their works; but would always be upon the utmost guard against both one and the other, on fubjects where their minds are biassed in favour of any particular noftrums on political or religious fubjects. The Reader will fee farther the neceffity of caution in the perufal of their writings in the course of these ftrictures.

Again:

"ploits of their great men, wrought through faith; their fins and captivities; their repentances and restorations; the fufferings “and victories of David; the peaceful and happy reign of Solomon; the advent of Meffiah, with its effects and confequences; "his incarnation, birth, life, paffion, death, resurrection, afcenfion, kingdom, and priesthood; the effufion of the Spirit; the con" verfion of the nations; the rejection of the Jews; the establish❝ment, increase, and perpetuity, of the Chriftian church; the end "of the world; the general judgement; the condemnation of the "wicked; and the final triumph of the righteous with their Lord " and King."

Commentary on the Pfalms, pref. p. 1.

2 Theolog. Repos. vol. 4. p. 97.32 Tim. 3. 16.

Again: As the ancient Ifraelites, and, as far as "appears, even the Prophets alfo, were left to them"felves with refpect to the interpretation of pro

phecy, and they accordingly fell into great mistakes; "it is natural to expect, that the Chriftian prophets, "as the Apostles may be called, fhould likewise "be left to themfelves in the fame refpects, and that "they should fall into like mistakes. From this ana logy we may conclude, that they would have knowledge enough for their miffion, but not

46

5. more."

The Prophets were enlightened to predict future events, to explain and inculcate the law of Mofes, and to reprove the people for their deviations from it. This was their proper office. And this they E 2 executed

Theolog. Repos. vol. 4. p. 121.-"The object of their miffion required, that the first preachers of Christianity should be infalli"ble, in whatever opinions they maintained either about the nature "of God, or the principles of his moral government; in whatever they taught concerning the terms, or the means, of man's ac"ceptance and falvation, and in the facts which they have rela"ted of the Redeemer's life. If in these things they were not

infallible; if any appeal lies from their affertions, to any man's private opinions; who fhall draw the line, where the truth of "their preaching ends, and their error commences? If their inst fpiration was compleat upon thefe fubjects; it was, to all intents and purposes, plenary. If it gave them no light about the true fyftem of the world, the circulation of the blood, or the proper"ties of the Leyden Phial; it was not upon that account defective, as a religious infpiration. The diftinction therefore between a plenary infpiration, and an inspiration extending only to cafes in which the object of their miffion required it, is vain and imaginary and it is a mere pretence to profefs a belief in the "one, when the other is openly denied."

:

Horfley's Tracts, p. 407, 408.

executed with great fidelity and zeal. Nor does it appear that they ever committed any error, in their prophetic capacity, as Dr. Priestley feems to fuppofe. In all other refpects they were mere men, and liable to the mistakes to which other men are liable. The Apostles, in like manner, were inspired for a particular purpose. That infpiration, so far as it extended, was infallible. They were guided into all truth which concerned their office.. Nor does it appear, that they ever committed the smallest error in their predictions of future events, or in their applications of Old Teftament writings to the ftate of things under the New Testament difpenfation. In every other respect, like the Prophets who preceded them, they were, like all other men, weak, fallible, and liable to mistakes of every defcription.

THI

SECTION VI.

HIS fame gentleman treats the New Teftament no better than the Old. The Prophets, he has just told us, committed great mistakes, the Apostles did the fame. And moreover, And moreover, "I have fre"quently avowed myself," fays he again, "not to "be a believer in the infpiration of the Evangelifts "and Apostles, as writers: I therefore hold the fubject of the miraculous conception to be one, " with respect to which any perfon is fully at liber

** ty tổ think as the evidence fhall appear to him.” To this dangerous affertion I reply in the words of the very learned Dr. Jortin:-"How far, and in "what degree, the Apoftles were infpired, is not ea"fy to determine, nor confequently neceffary to be "known. Thus much we may affirm, that they "were affifted of God to give us a faithful account "of the things which we ought to believe, and to " perform, that we may attain eternal life.

"For, firft, the Apoftles had a promise of divine "affiftance upon certain occafions. When they de"liver you up, fays Chrift, take no thought how or "what ye shall speak, for it is not ye that fpeak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Whence reafon thus-If the Apoftles were to re"ceive from the Holy Ghoft a fkill to speak what

σε

we may

*Letters to Dr. Horley, part 1. p. 132. When the infpiration "of the facred writers is once deemed partial, it is easy to elude "the force of any portion, or paffage, which a fanciful critic may "deem abfurd or ill founded.”

Croft's Sermons, p. 40.

"Nothing can be more evident, fays the pious and learned Doddridge, than that a firm and cordial belief of the inspiration "of the facred fcripture is of the higheft moment, not only to the "edification and peace of the church, but in a great measure to its 66 very existence. For if this be given up, the authority of the re"velation is enervated and its ufe deftroyed. The star which is to "direct our courfe is clouded; our compaís is broke to pieces, and "we are left to make the voyage of life in fad uncertainty, amidst "a thousand rocks, and fhelves, and quickfands."

See Doddridge's Differtation on the Infpiration of the New Teftament, in the Family Expofitor, vol. 3. p. 37. Appendix. See also the 7th. of Mr. Kett's late excellent Sermons at the Bampton Lecture for a good account of the Infpiration of holy fcripture

"was proper when they appeared in public to defend "Chriftianity, we may fuppofe that they were gui

ded by the fame Spirit in their writings; because

this was of greater importance, and more worthy. "of the Divine interpofition. By fpeaking juftly.. they might confute fome adversaries, preserve " themselves and their religion from the contempt "of their hearers, and convert and confirm that

part of the affembly which had good difpofitions; "whereas their writings were defigned for the fer"vice, not of four or five hundred men, but of all ages and nations.

Secondly, Our Saviour promised his Apostles "that the Holy Ghost should continually abide with. them-that he fhould lead them into all truth"and that in particular he fhould bring to their "remembrance whatsoever Chrift had faid unto "them; which will appear to have been neceffary, "if we confider that the gofpels confift in a great "measure of the difcourfes of Chrift-that Chrift " converfed with them at least for three years-that "they had at that time very imperfect notions of the religion which he came to teach, and of the office to which they fhould be appointed-and that in "all probability they had not collected materials for "the gofpels, or fet down his discourses, whilst he "was with them.

Thirdly, Our Lord told his difciples that they were not then difpofed to receive and understand "fome"