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preferable to suggestion, because the different writers are carefully it is expressive of all the ways discriminated. "Some men have adopted very in which God communicated new ideas to the minds of his ser-strange and dangerous notions vants. It is a word, too, chosen respecting the inspiration of the by the Holy Ghost himself, to scriptures. Dr. Priestly denies signify the discovery of truths for-that they were written by a parmerly unknown to the apostles. ticular Divine inspiration; and The last book of the New Testa-asserts that the writers, though ment, which is a collection of men of the greatest probity, were prophecies, is called the Revela-fallible, and have actually comtion of Jesus Christ. Paul says, mitted mistakes in their narrathat he received the gospel by re-tions and their reasonings. But velation; that by revelation the this man and his followers find it mystery was made known to him, their interest to weaken and set which in other ages was not made aside the authority of the scripknown unto the sons of men, as tures, as they have adopted a sysit was then revealed unto his holytem of religion from which all apostles and prophets by the the distinguishing doctrines of reSpirit; and in another place, velation are excluded. Others having observed that eye had consider the scriptures as inspired not seen, nor ear heard, neither in those places where they profess had entered into the heart of man to deliver the word of God; but the things which God had pre-in other places, especially in the pared for them that love him,' he historical parts, they ascribe to adds, 'But God hath revealed them them only the same authority unto us by his spirit,' Rev. i, 1, which is due to the writings of Gal. i, 12. Eph. ii, 5. 1st Cor. ii, well informed and upright men. But as this distinction is perfectly 9, 10. "I have not names to designate arbitrary, having no foundation the other two kinds of inspiration. in any thing said by the sacred The names used by Doddridge, writers themselves, so it is liable and others, Superintendence, Ele-to very material objections. It vation, and Suggestion, do not con-represents our Lord and his aposvey the ideas stated in the threetles, when they spoke of the Old preceding particulars, and are li-Testament, as having attested, able to other objections, besides without any exception or limitathose which have been mentioned. tion, a number of books as diThis account of the inspiration of vinely inspired, while some of the scriptures has, I think, these them were partly, and some were two recommendations; that there almost entirely, human compo is no part of scripture which does sitions: it supposes the writers of not fall under one or other of the both Testaments to have profaneforegoing heads; and that the dif-ly mixed their own productions ferent degrees of the agency of with the dictates of the Spirit, and the Divine Spirit on the minds of to have passed the unhallowed

compound on the world as genu-||infallible direction of the Spirit. ine. In fact, by denying that It is the last opinion which they were constantly under in-appears to be most conformable fallible guidance, it leaves us ut- to truth, and it may be supterly at a loss to know when we ported by the following reasonshould or should not believe ing. them. If they could blend their Every man, who hath attendown stories with the revelations ed to the operations of his own made to them, how can I be cer- mind, knows that we think in tain that they have not, on some words, or that, when we form a occasions, published, in the name train or combination of ideas, we of God, sentiments of their own, clothe them with words; and that to which they were desirous to the ideas which are not thus gain credit and authority? Who clothed are indistinct and conwill assure me of their perfect fused. Let a man try to think fidelity in drawing a line of dis-upon any subject, moral or retinction between the divine and ligious, without the aid of lanthe human parts of their writings? guage, and he will either experiThe denial of the plenary inspi-ence a total cessation of thought, ration of the scriptures tends to or, as this seems impossible, at unsettle the foundations of our least while we are awake, he will faith, involves us in doubt and per-feel himself constrained, notwithplexity, and leaves us no other standing his utmost endeavours, to method of ascertaining how much have recourse to words as the inwe should believe, but an appeal strument of his mental operations. to reason. But when reason is As a great part of the scriptures invested with the authority of a was suggested or revealed to the judge, not only is revelation dis-writers; as the thoughts or sentihonoured, and its author insulted, ments, which were perfectly new but the end for which it was given to them, were conveyed into their is completely defeated. minds by the Spirit, it is plain

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A question of very great that they must have been accomimportance demands our atten-panied with words proper to extion, while we are endeavouring press them; and, consequently, to settle, with precision, the no- that the words were dictated by tion of the inspiration of the the same influences on the mind. scriptures it relates to the words which communicated the ideas. in which the sacred writers have The ideas could not have come expressed their ideas. Some think, without the words, because withthat in the choice of words they out them they could not have were left to their own discretion, been conceived. A notion of the and that the language is human, form and qualities of a material though the matter be divine; object may be produced by subwhile others believe, that in their jecting it to our senses; but there expressions, as well as in their is no conceivable method of maksentiments, they were under the ing us acquainted with new ab

stract truths, or with things which the Spirit of their Father should do not lie within the sphere of speak in them,' Matt. x, 19, 20. sensation, but by conveying to Luke xii, 11, 12. a promise which the mind, in some way or other, cannot be reasonably understood the words significant of them. to signify less than that both In all those passages of scripture, words and sentiment should be therefore, which were written by dictated to them, it is fully as revelation, it is manifest that the credible that they would be aswords were inspired; and this issisted in the same manner when still more evident with respect to they wrote, especially as the rethose passages which the writers cord was to last through all ages, themselves did not understand. and to be a rule of faith to all No man could write an intelli-the nations of the earth. Paul gible discourse on a subject which affirms, that he and the other he does not understand, unless he apostles spoke not in the words were furnished with the words as which man's wisdom teacheth, the Holy Ghost well as the sentiments; and that but which the penmen of the scriptures taught,' 1st Cor. ii, 13. and this did not always understand what general assertion may be applied they wrote, might be safely to the writings as well as to Besides, every inferred from the comparative their sermons. darkness of the dispensation under person who hath reflected upon which some of them lived; and the subject is aware of the imis intimated by Peter, when he portance of a proper selection of says, that the prophets inquired words in expressing our sentiand searched diligently what, and ments; and knows how easy it is what manner of time the spirit of for a heedless or unskilful person Christ which was in them did sig-not only to injure the beauty and nify, when it testified beforehand weaken the efficacy of a discourse the sufferings of Christ, and the by the impropriety of his langlory that should follow,' 1st Pet.guage, but, by substituting one word for another, to which it "In other passages of scrip- seems to be equivalent, to alter ture, those not excepted in which the meaning, and perhaps render the writers relate such things as it totally different. If, then, the had fallen within the compass of sacred writers had not been ditheir own knowledge, we will be rected in the choice of words, disposed to believe that the words how could we have been assured are inspired, if we calmly and that those which they have choseriously weigh the following con-sen were the most proper? Is it siderations. If Christ promised not possible, nay, is it not certain, to his disciples, that, when they that they would have sometimes were brought before kings and expressed themselves inaccurately, governors for his sake, 'It should as many of them were illiterate; be given them in that same hour and by consequence would have what they should speak, and that obscured and misrepresented the

i, 10, 11.

truth? In this case, how could that inspiration, even in its higher our faith have securely rested on degrees, deprived those who were their testimony? Would not the the subjects of it of the use of suspicion of error in their writings their faculties. They were, inhave rendered it necessary, before deed, the organs of the Spirit; we received them, to try them by but they were conscious, intellithe standard of reason? and would gent organs. They were dependnot the authority and the designent, but distinct agents; and the of revelation have thus been over-operation of their mental powers, thrown? We must conclude, though elevated and directed by therefore, that the words of scrip- superior influence, was analogous ture are from God, as well as the to their ordinary mode of promatter; or we shall charge him cedure. It is easy, therefore, to with a want of wisdom in trans-conceive that the style of the mitting his truths through a chan-writers of the scriptures should nel by which they might have differ, just as it would have difbeen, and most probably have been, fered if they had not been inpolluted. spired. A perfect uniformity of

"To the inspiration of the style could not have taken place, words, the difference in the style unless they had all been inspired of the sacred writers seems to be in the same degree, and by inspian objection; because, if the Ho-ration their faculties had been ly Ghost were the author of the completely suspended; so that diwords, the style might be expected vine truths were conveyed by to be uniformly the same. But them in the same passive manner in answer to the objection it may in which a pipe affords a passage be observed, that the Divine Spi- to water, or a trumpet to the rit, whose operations are various, breath." See Dick's Essay on the might act differently on different Inspiration of the Scriptures; persons, according to the natural Hawker on Plenary Inspiration; turn of their minds. He might Appendix to 3d vol. of Doddridge's enable one man, for instance, to Expositor; Calamy and Bennet on write more sublimely than ano-Inspiration; Dr. Stennett on the ther, because he was naturally of Authority and Use of Scripture; a more exalted genius than the Parry's Inquiry into the Nature and other, and the subject assigned to Extent of the Inspiration of the him demanded more elevated lan- Apostles; Brown's Nat. and Rev. guage; or he might produce a Relig. p. 78; and art. CHRISdifference in the style of the same TIANITY and SCRIPTURE, in this man, by raising, at one time, his work. faculties above their ordinary state; INSTINCT, that power which. and by leaving them, at another, acts on and impels any creature to to act according to their native any particular manner of conduct, energy under his inspection and not by a view of the beneficial con-control. We should not suppose sequences, but merely from a strong

impulse supposed necessary in its in which it leads us is, upon the effects, and to be given them to whole, the freest from dangers, Prov. iii, 21, &c.-2. It is un'supply the place of reason. INSTITUTE, INSTITUTION, questionably the most honourable; an established custom or law; a for integrity is the foundation of precept, maxim, or principle. In-all that is high in character among stitutions may be considered as po-mankind, Prov. iv, 8.-3. It is the sitive, moral, and human. 1. Those most conducive to felicity, Phil. iv, are called positive institutions or 6, 7. Prov. iii, 17.-4. Such a chaprecepts which are not founded racter can look forward to eternity upon any reasons known to those without dismay, Rom. ii, 7. to whom they are given, or disco- INTEMPERANCE, excess in verable by them, but which are eating or drinking. This is the observed merely because some su-general idea of it; but we may perior has commanded them.-2. observe, that whatever indulgence Moral are those, the reasons of undermines the health, impairs which we see, and the duties of the senses, inflames the passions, which arise out of the nature clouds and sullies the reason, perof the case itself, prior to ex-verts the judgment, enslaves the ternal command.- 3. Human, will, or in any way disorders or are generally applied to those debilitates the faculties, may be inventions of men, or means of ranked under this vice. See article honouring God, which are not TEMPERANCE.

appointed by him, and which are INTERCESSION OF CHRIST numerous in the church of Rome, is his interposing for sinners by virand too many of them in Pro-tue of the satisfaction he made to testant churches. Butler's Analogy, Divine justice. 1. As to the fact itp. 214; Doddridge's Lec. lec. 158;self, it is evident, from many places Robinson's Claude, 217, vol. i, and of scripture, that Christ pleads 258, vol. ii; Burrough's two Dis. with God in favour of his people, on Positive Institutions; Bp. Hoad-Rom. viii, 34. Heb. vii, 25. 1st ley's Plain Account, p. 3. John ii, 1.-2. As to the manner of INTEGRITY, purity of mind, it; the appearance of the highfree from any undue bias or prin-priest among the Jews, in the preciple, Prov. xi, 3. Many hold, that sence of God, on the day of atonea certain artful sagacity, founded ment, when he offered before himupon knowledge of the world, is the blood of the sin-offering, is at the best conductor of every one large referred to by St. Paul, as ilwho would be a successful adven-lustrating the intercession of Christ, turer in life, and that a strict at- Heb. ix, 11, 14, 22, 26. Heb. x, tention to integrity would lead 19, 21. Christ appears before God them into danger and distress; but, with his own body; but whether in answer to this, it is justly ob-he intercedes vocally or not, can-served, . That the guidance of not be known; though it is most integrity is the safest under which probable, I think, that he does not: we can be placed; that the road however, it is certain that he does