demurrer against this condemnation, and as an encouragement to those who may be already perplexed by a partial or superficial examination of the doctrine of Inspiration, the writer takes this opportunity of avowing that he himself has, in times past, tried to hold and to uphold the theory which is commonly known as that of verbal Inspiration. He has tried this, and various modifications of this. He at one time believed-in common with the majority of his contemporaries—that to abandon the infallibility of Scripture was the same as abandoning its inspiration; and that such an abandonment was inconsistent with the vows of a clergyman, if not with the faith of a Christian. Under this conviction he clung, like a drowning man, to the high doctrine of Inspiration but ever and again he was tortured by the consciousness that his creed and his knowledge were out of harmony. For years he has been examining and reflecting on this subject of Inspiration. At last-many months since-circumstances induced him to commit his thoughts and the result of his reading to paper; and then it was that he discovered the clue by which, for himself at all events, this mystery was to be unravelled. The following pages are a result of that discovery, and the author has thus no hesitation in avowing, that he has been obliged to think out for himself the course of thought unfolded in this book-that, in the process of his reading and reflecting, he has sometimes been on the point of abandoning the Christian faith and his clerical position-but that now, having passed through this fiery ordeal, whose dread trials none should despise that have not known them, his Christian belief and his professional and conscientious tranquillity are perfectly undisturbed.

Thus, let any man faithfully, candidly, patiently go through this enquiry concerning Inspiration, and the writer is sanguine in the hope that faith, instead of being overthrown, will be restored and confirmed; inasmuch as those props of it which were irreconcilable with Reason, will have been got rid of, and Faith and Reason will have been brought into harmonious action for the upholding of Christian truth.

SECTION 6.-Several common Epithets of Inspiration not employed in these pages.

It will be observed by the reader, that the ordinary epithets by which "Plenary" Inspiration is distinguished from

"Verbal," and "Mechanical" from "Dynamical," are not employed in any part of this Essay. Full, or "plenary" Inspiration, whether of a book or of a writer, we regard as necessarily synonymous with "verbal” "Inspiration; for we know no means, except by the names of things (or words), whereby thoughts can be quickened in the mind, or recorded in a book.* As to the difference between "mechanical" and

"dynamical," it is broad enough. If a flute (for example), or one of Mr. Babbage's machines, or a dead man, or a man to whom the spirit was not subject, were said to be inspired, that would be "mechanical" inspiration indeed: but if a living man, without the destruction of his individual characteristics, be "moved by the Spirit," it can, assuredly, only be by a strengthening, or enlarging, or adding to the number of the faculties of that living man-that is, by "dynamical" inspiration.

Indeed, after all, if the infallibility of the Bible be regarded as an effect of the Inspiration of the sacred volume, we see not what practical good is attained when we are supposed to have learnt that that effect is produced on the general contents of the Bible (which is what we presume is meant by the advocates of plenary Inspiration), or on its every word, as is maintained by the upholders of verbal Inspiration. Or, yet again, we are at a loss to imagine what great practical good accrues to us when, as an ultimate result of our examining the subject of Inspiration, we are supposed to acknowledge the manifest truth, that the Spirit operates on man as a rational being (dynamically), and not on man as a mere machine (mechanically). On such considerations we have abstained from the use of these epithets, just as we also leave unemployed the fantastic distinctions between the inspiration "of suggestion" and that "of superintendence."

SECTION 7.-The Confirming of Faith, the Removing Unbelief, and the Promotion of Charity, are the objects of this Essay. It has been already said that the confirming of men in an intelligent and reasonable faith is one object at which we aim

The writer has re-perused Mr. Maurice's admirable Essay on Inspiration since these words were written; and it is to him a source of much satisfaction to find that his estimate of the value of these epithets, "verbal" and "plenary," coincides with the opinion of Mr. Maurice. Indeed, if it were not for fear of involving that reverend and useful author in any blame which may attach to these pages, the writer would fain express his belief that the opinions set forth in this volume are, to a great extent, in accord with Mr Maurice's views, as only too briefly stated in the well-known "Theological Essays."

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in publishing this Essay. A kindred object, which, it is believed, our pages will tend to effect, has been thus quaintly but graphically described by a great writer on the doctrine of Inspiration. Leclerc's words are:- "One consequence of our "principles is, that hereby at one blow will be solved an "infinite number of difficulties, which Libertines" (ie., Freethinkers)" are wont to allege against the Holy Scripture, and "which it is not possible to solve by the ordinary principles. "Their mouths will be stopped, and it will no longer avail "them to object against Christians the contradictions which are found in the Scriptures; the lowness of the style of the "sacred writers; the little order observed to be in many of "their discourses; and whatever else they have been used to say against our divines, who have in vain puzzled them"selves to answer them. By imposing nothing upon these men as necessary to be believed, but the Truth of what is "most essential in the Histories of the Old and New Testament, and the Divinity of Our Saviour's Doctrine (in which "there is nothing that is not conformable to right Reason), "they will be brought to acknowledge that Christian Religion "is really descended from Heaven; and will be easily inclined to embrace that which hitherto they have obstinately re"jected, because it was grounded on suppositions repugnant "to that light of Reason by which they were guided."

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Thus the writer hopes his work will, with the Divine blessing, be a means of converting the unbeliever, as well as of confirming the believer.

Another object we have in view is the increasing of charity among all Christians, who will observe and reflect that those verities, which we are apt to regard as dogmatic certainties, are, after all, just matters of belief, based respectively on more or less rational and firmly-established human opinions. Obviously, if any men may attain to the infinite so far as to know an infallible oracle or guide, it is right that they, who are so infallibly enlightened, should dictate to their fallible brethren; and hence arises uncharitableness, naturally enough, out of the supposed infallibility of knowledge possessed by some men. But if, on the other hand, we all can only know in part, and not infallibly, then we should all be very humble and very patient in the prosecution of knowledge for ourselves, and in the endeavour to impart to others what we think we know. Hence humility and charity should, and to a certain

extent will, arise naturally from the consciousness that God alone is to be conceived of as infallible, and that all we and ours are more or less fallible.

Thus, then, it is hoped that our Essay will be a means, however small, for the lessening of unbelief, and for the augmenting of faith and charity; and assuredly, in proportion as we may succeed in these points, so will there be hope that we shall be advancing true and godly obedience to Christ and practice of His religion, which are so essential to human happiness, and which yet are so apt to be forgotten or neglected in the heat of controversy, where strong assertion and subtle argumentation must too frequently make up for the deficiency of light which Reason and Truth can throw on either side of the questions from time to time discussed.

SECTION 8.-The Arrangement of the Work in Five Books. THE mode in which we shall carry on our inquiry will be by asking first-Does the Bible permit us to regard its teaching as infallible? This will be the subject of our First Book. The Second Book will furnish an answer to the questionWhat reason have we for expecting the Bible to be infallible? Our next point, in the Third Book, will be to ascertain the true meaning of the term "Inspiration." The Fourth Book

will be occupied with an endeavour to vindicate the just authority of Holy Writ. And in our Concluding Book we shall endeavour to show the bearing of the preceding pages on Christian believers and Christian ministers.

SECTION 9.-Acknowledged Sources whence the Materials of this Essay have been drawn.

In these introductory remarks, it only remains that the author should make his acknowledgments as to the sources whence his opinions are drawn. For the materials the writer lays no claim to originality; nor yet can he say that he has merely compiled them from other books. He has read Hinds, Morell, Henderson, Gaussen, Lee, and many other works, on the subject of Inspiration: he has read some of the publications of Francis Newman, Froude, Theodore Parker, and others of a like school: he has read, and largely profited by, Leclerc's

Five Letters on Inspiration, and Coleridge's "Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit." These, and many other works bearing more or less directly on the subject, he has read, and tried to learn from. Some have suggested truth; others have, intentionally or unintentionally, warned against fallacies; all and each have contributed some light, and to all and each the author's thanks are cordially given. Professor Tholuck is named twice in the ensuing pages; and to his articles on "Inspirationslehre" the writer is especially indebted. But, after all, a careful perusal of the Bible itself, and much painful, but ultimately happy and truly remunerative reflection, have chiefly led the Essayist to the views now set forth by him.

In the materials of this book there will be found little, if anything, which is new. That which the writer believes to be novel, and that, consequently, which induces him to ask from the public a perusal of his book, is the combination of a tolerable freedom from bias; a fearless following of premises to their conclusions; and, after free inquiry, the candid avowal of those modified but distinct opinions regarding Inspiration which still remain in the mind of a believer and a clergyman. This combination, and the results to which it has led, the author believes to be both novel and important; and therefore he wishes the utmost possible publicity for his book.

SECTION 10.-The Solemnity of the present Inquiry fully
Recognised.

A CAREFUL judgment of the serious matters, not lightly or impiously handled in these pages, is asked from the reader. It is feared that there may be some errors in the particulars of the Essay; but, as to the general soundness of the argument, the author entertains no doubt whatever; and he has, therefore, no hesitation in introducing his work to public notice, with the devout supplication that God-the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-may bless this inquiry, to the relief of many doubting minds, to the confirmation of every reader's heavenly confidence, and to the general extension of the kingdom of Christ. May the author not write, nor the reader think, aught that would be untrue, ungodly, or uncharitable!