The Fundamentals - 1910: Vol.7

Inspiration 23 tion; and they wrest the “Scriptures unto their own de- struction”, who teach otherwise. Prof. A. A. Hodge says: “The line can never rationally be drawn between the thoughts and words of Scripture. . . . That we have an inspired Bible, and a verbally inspired one, we have the witness of God Himself.” Prof. Gaussen says: “The theory of a Divine Revelation, in which you would have the inspiration of thoughts, without the inspiration of the language, is so inevitably irrational that it cannot be sincere, and proves false even to those who propose it.” Canon Westcott says: “The slightest consideration will show that words are as essential to intellectual processes as they are to mutual intercourse. . . . Thoughts are wedded to words as necessarily as soul to body. Without it the myste- ries unveiled before the eyes of the seer would be confused shadows; with it, they are made clear lessons for human life.” Dean Burgon, a man of vast learning, says: “You cannot dissect inspiration into substance and form. As for thoughts being inspired, apart from the words which give them ex- pression, you might as well talk of a tune without notes, or a sum without figures. No such theory of inspiration is even intelligible. I t is as illogical as it is worthless, and cannot be too sternly put down.” This doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture, in all its elements and parts, has always been the doctrine of the Church. Dr. Westcott has proved this by a copious catena of quotations from Ante-Nicene Fathers in Appendix B to his “Introduction to the Study of the Gospels”. He quotes Clemens Romanus as saying that the Scriptures are “the true utterances of the Holy Ghost”. Take a few quotations from the Fathers: 1. Justin, speak- ing of the words of Scripture, says: “We must not suppose that the language proceeds from the men that are inspired,

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