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Untitled Article
of the Christian doctrine , as far as they . are proved to be the genuine productions of t ] he apostles , or of other wellinformed persons , . and as far as we hay e good reason to believe that they cofitam correct accounts of the . discourses and the actions of Jesus . Much injudicious language ha £ been held , and many extravagant opinions have been advanced , concerning what is called the plenary inspiration of the Christian scriptures , which having generated a superstitious reverence for these inestimable volumes , have proved
a greats obstruction to rational an'fl liberal criticism ^ and have given an undue advantage to unbelievers . My worthy friend ' s i'deas upon the inspiration of the New Testament , which is the subject of his fifth lecture , are so singular ancf ' curious that it is but justice to let him speak for himself .
• In . the first place , upon the / authority of Mr . Seed , he . contends that the inspiration of the books of the New Testament is universal , because , ( p , £ > 7 . J " a partial inspiration is to all intents and purposes no inspiration at all /* Secondly—upon the authority of Dr . Benson he concludes that the inspiration of the sacred writers was only partial , ( pv 102 . ) that it does not extend to CQ relating facts of which they weie eye-witnesses / ' nor to c < the language in which they wrote , " nor to " the manner of illustrating and recommending divine revelation . " " . And ( p . 109 . ) that we cannot ascertain how far
th ? evangelists were inspired in writing the gospels , and how far they wrote -from their own memories , nor is it a matter of importance . " Thirdly , —Upon his own authority , ( for surely he has no other , ) my friend informs us , ( p . 113 . ) v that the apostle Paul " in one instance" at least Ci seems doubtful whether he spoke of himself , or by the suggestion pf the spirit of God . " In the case alluded to , probably , 1 Cor . ; vii . 40 .. I suspect , not that the apostle doubted of his inspiration , but that my . worthy friend had forgotten his Greek . Let him compare Gal . ii . 6 . 9-
Fourthly , —upon rhc authority of Dr . Lardner , my friend cc acknowledges ( p . 115 . ) that all the books of the New Testament have not equal authority nor exactly the same high pretensions to infallibility . " Nevertheless Fifttilyy—on the authority of the first Christians ^ ' , and , I snppo&e , to save
fur-* -Who were these first chps-liutii \ l Does niy friend mean the bi hops of the council c . { l . aodkca , A . D . 36 4 , by vvhotn oin present canon , with the exception , hi > w £ ver , of the Apocalypse wfcis-settled' ? and livlipsc decrees were not long after received into the body of the canp / ttr o £ the universal church ? Sec Jpncs en the Canon , v . i . p . 74 .
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$ 60 Mr . Belsha-m ' s Strictwes on Carpenter ' s Le € ttiv $ s .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1807, page 366, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2382/page/26/
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