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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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palliate or apoldgize , or pass over the faults he has recorded . Such an inspiration appears to have been necessary to the Evangelists ; for though they recorded facts with which they were acquainted , yet they were
obliged to record their own faults and weaknesses in connexion with the gospel history- It may be said that no more was necessary than that the historians of the Jews , and the Evangelists who wrote the gospel , should be honest men , and this I grant : but
honesty is an effect and must have a cause , and in this case I cannot think that any cause but a divine influence could be an adequate one . A person who has just conceptions of the Divine Being , and of his own duty , and who acts under the influence of these
conceptions , acts , , in * my opinion , by divine influence or inspiration . Inspiration is , therefore , something distinct from revelation . By revelation a person has knowledge communicated to his mind unattainable by any other means . By inspiration he acts under the influence of that
knowledge . Hence two men may be inspired by the same thing or by the same being , though the one has received his ideas by immediate revelation , but the other by some other means . The apostle does not say All
Scripture is given by revelation ^ but by inspiration ; and Peter says , " Holy men of old spake as they were moved * * that is 9 moved to speak " by the Holy Spirit . "
In short , I , suppose none will deny that a man who is actuated by the knowledge and fear of God , is actuated by a divine influence , and that this , and nothing but this , was necessary to those who recorded what they had been eye-witnesses of , but in the recording of which they were
under temptation to prevaricate . I am aware that it may be said , if this be the truth , then men may be said to be under divine influence now ; and I grant , nay contend , that they are , so far as they are under the influence of knowable truth ; but it does not follow that they act under the influence of immediate revelation . I
grant also , that they ought to pray for this divine influence , apd strive ta act under its guidance , but not that they should expect an immediate revel ation . But a person may be
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mistaken , and think that he is under a divine iinfluence when heisnotj and so he maybe mistaken in any thing , in reason , in understanding , in the Scriptures . As it is necessarv that a
man should examine himself whether he be in the faith , so he should examine himself whether he be undfer the influence of truth , or the influence of error , folly or depravity . J . C .
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» Brief Notes on the Bible . No . V . —John xx . 28 . [ Articles of Biblical Criticism which have hitherto occupied a separate department of our Work , will be henceforth intermixed with the Miscellaneous Communications . Ed . ]
Sir , t J ^ NHE persuasion is" not yet ex * JL ploded that Thomas ' s exclamation , John xx . 28 , *^ My Lord and my God T when satisfied of his Lord ' s identity , was a confession of his divinity .
Let us briefly consider the passage , taking with us , what some very devout readers of the Bible are habitually careless of the context ; for insulated texts , or , to speak more correctly , such as they are in the habit of insulating , are the source of all error , misconception and prejudice .
Thomas was incredulous . He became convinced and believed , —what ? the fact that he had declined taking upon trust , ij e . the resurrection of
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Brief Notes on the Bible . No . V . 413
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Sir , June 4 , 1819 . GIVE me leave to suggest that the last paragraph of Mr . Marten ' s letter [ p . S 38 ] is calculated , 1 am persuaded without intention , to convey
the notion that the Unitarian Peedobaptist brethren were the only Unitarians , unconnected wjth the General Baptists , who took an interest in the very laudable design now pursuing at Dover .
It appears , however , from at least more than one name mentioned , that the design has , been approved and encouraged by those who , while they cannot discover an y scriptural authority for Pcedobaptism , are also unable to perceive that what they regard as the only Christian baptism was intended to be perpetual . VERBUM SAT .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1819, page 413, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1774/page/13/
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