unauthorized and erroneous epistles were being written to the churches, to which 2 Thes. ii. 2, 3, may refer. "Nor yet be troubled. . . . by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is now present: let no man beguile you in any wise." Paul was recognized as the true teacher and prophet, and his own name, written in his own hand, was the token both of the genuineness and inspiration of his epistles. In some instances we find the Apostles boldly asserting the truthfulness and perfection of what they have written, which, under the circumstances, would be the highest presumption and folly if they were not conscious of their own inspiration. John, at the close of his gospel, says, referring to himself: "This is the disciple which beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true" (Jno. xxi. 24). How could he know that the sublime statements in the very first verses of his gospel were true, if he had not penned them under the guidance of the Spirit; and that his record of the Saviour's most wonderful and mysterious teachings were accurate, if the Spirit had not brought these things to his remembrance? At the end of the Revelation he pronounces a most fearful anathema on any person who should add to or subtract from the words of that wonderful book which had almost wholly to do with the future. Could there be a stronger claim to its infallibility or inspiration?

Paul says, as to the directions he gives in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: "If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord" (1 Cor. xiv. 37). And in his Epistle to the Galatians he wishes it understood at the beginning, that he writes by direct, divine authority, and he pronounces the curse of God upon any man who should preach a different Gospel from that which he had preached, which

in this epistle he restates in detail. He must believe or know himself to write as instructed and moved by the Holy Ghost. But this Apostle's testimony is still more direct in 1 Cor., second chapter. He there shows that the subjectmatter of apostolic teaching is something the natural man can neither understand nor teach. "But unto us," he says (ver. 10-13), "God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. . . . . That we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth." Here Paul plainly declares that the Holy Spirit is the author of the truth he teaches, and that it is under His guidance that he proclaims it whether orally or in writing.

In the seventh chapter, verse 25, the Apostle says: “Now, concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful." Also in verse 40, speaking of a widow in the "present distress," previously referred to, he says: "But she is happier, if she abide as she is, after my judgment, and I think that I also have the Spirit of God." These passages show: First, that the epistle, as a whole, consists of doctrines, commandments, etc., received directly from the Lord by revelation. Second, that the directions referred to in these passages are from his own judgment; but, third, that he thinks or believes himself to be giving them under the guidance of the Spirit. This modest claim to inspiration where he gives his judgment, does, in reality, emphasize the full inspiration of all his epistles.*

The term, "think," in the last passage above, does not imply a doubt in the Apostle's mind. The original word, dokeo, is ordinarily used as a modest and courteous way of expressing a strong conviction. So Paul writes and teaches.

*Compare Dr. Brookes' Paper on this subject, p. 159.-ED.

as one who has the Spirit of God, and has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

Third. The Apostles bear testimony to the inspiration of each other. This they do in recognizing each other as of equal authority in their works and teaching, and classing the apostolic college with the prophets as the foundation upon which the Church is built, Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone. But Peter bears direct testimony to the inspiration of Paul's epistles. In his Second Epistle, iii. 15, 16, he says: "Account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction." Here, first, Peter classes all Paul's epistles with "the other Scriptures," referring, doubtless, to the Old Testament, and probably, also, to other apostolic writings. Second, he states that Paul wrote according to the wisdom given to him. This most evidently refers to supernatural wisdom. Third, he states that there are some things in these epistles "hard to be understood," which is not a reflection on Paul's perspicuity, but a recognition of the supernatural nature of the teaching. Fourth, he states that certain persons wrest them to their own destruction. Such could not be the case were the epistles not inspired by the Holy Ghost. This testimony is conclusive as to Paul's epistles, which make up such a large portion of the New Testament. And it might be noted that in that little word "also,"-"Our beloved brother Paul also wrote," Peter suggests that his own and other apostolic writings come under the same head. Thus, inasmuch as all the New Testament was written by the Apostles or under their direction, we have their own very clear testimony to the inspiration of this portion of our Bible.

Fourth. The Apostles testify to the inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures. Their Old Testament was certainly identical with ours. Wherever they use the term Scripture or Scriptures, they refer to this collection of writings.

First. They refer to them as "the Holy Scriptures," which points to God as their author. Also their human authors are spoken of as holy men, which would indicate that in addition to being upright in character, they were under the special influence of the Holy Spirit.

Second. The Apostles refer to them and quote them in such a way as to assert their infallibility. There was an end of all controversy when they could say "it is written." "What saith the Scriptures?" was Paul's ultimate appeal, and the strongest argument for the truth of the Gospel was that its great facts were "according to the Scriptures." They make their quotations from all parts of the Old Testament, and refer them to the Holy Spirit and to their human authors interchangeably. Quite frequently the Holy Spirit is referred to as the principal, while the human author is not mentioned at all, or is mentioned as the agent or organ through which the Spirit speaks.

Third. They positively assert their inspiration. Peter testifies that "no prophecy ever came by the will of man : but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost." This at least asserts the inspiration of the Old Testament as a whole, since the prophetic element is the very soul and substance of it. And Paul says (Rom. xv. 4) that "Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope." They were all written for the use of the Church, and no one but the "Spirit of the prophets" was competent to guide in their writing. Also the familiar passage in 2 Tim. iii.

15-17, declares to Timothy, as in the new version, that "from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." Here the sacred writings are evidently all the Old Testament Scriptures and the "every Scripture inspired of God" is certainly no less comprehensive, while it would also include the apostolic writings. The Apostles, like ourselves, applied the term "Scripture" to none but the sacred writings, and they nowhere speak of any Scripture as uninspired, and there is no reason for supposing that Paul implies such a thing in the passage above. But this point will come up again.

Thus we have the testimony of the Apostles to the fact that the Bible as we have it is inspired. We come now to their evidence as to the extent of this inspiration.

II. THE EXTENT OF INSPIRATION.

Some regard certain books and parts of books as inspired and others as not. Others hold that while the Bible as a whole is inspired, it nevertheless contains more or less matter erroneous or otherwise for which the Holy Spirit is not responsible. Some also contend that while the Spirit guided in the selection of matter, the authors were left to themselves in choice of words and sentences through which to communicate it. But the testimony of the Apostles is

First. That inspiration attaches to all the books in all their parts. This appears in the testimony already produced. There is nothing in all they say that would cast a suspicion on any book or any part of a book. To them it