Orthodoxy: Its Truths And Errors

by James Freeman Clarke

Gaussen's only argument on this point is, “that it is the writing which is said to be inspired, and writing must be in words; hence the inspiration must be verbal.” To this we must reply, that inspired writing can only mean what is written by inspired men. The writing itself cannot be inspired. This argument is too flimsy to be dwelt upon.

But further still. There is another argument which lies against every attempt to prove plenary inspiration out of the Scripture. Every such attempt is necessarily reasoning in a circle. Gaussen and Kirk have labored earnestly to reply to this argument, but in vain. The answer they make is, “We are not reasoning with Infidels, but with Christians. We address men who respect the Scriptures, and who admit their truth. The Scriptures are inspired, we affirm, because, being authentic and true, they declare themselves inspired; and the Scriptures are plenarily inspired, because, being inspired, they say that they are so totally, and without any exception.”

But we answer Messrs. Gaussen and Kirk thus: “You are indeed reasoning with Christians, not with Deists; but you are reasoning with Christians who do not believe that every passage of Scripture is infallibly inspired. To prove your doctrine from any particular passages or verbal expressions, you must prove that those particular passages and expressions are not themselves errors. You yourselves assert that this cannot be done, except we believe these passages to be infallibly inspired. Therefore you must assume infallible inspiration in order to prove infallible inspiration. In other words, you beg the question instead of arguing it.”

In this vicious circle the advocates of a verbal inspiration of infallibility are necessarily imprisoned whenever they attempt to [pg 453] argue from the words of Scripture. They contend that one must believe their theory in order to be sure that any passage is absolutely true, and then they quote passages to prove their theory, as if they were absolutely true.

Argument III. The theory of plenary inspiration is simple, precise, intelligible, and easy to be applied.

We admit this to be true. It has this merit in common with the opposite theory of no inspiration. Both are simple, precise, and very easy of application. But simplicity is not always a sign of truth. The facts of nature and life are more apt to be complex than simple. Theories distinguished by their simplicity most commonly ignore or omit a part of the facts. Simplistic theories are generally one-sided and partial. Materialism, Atheism, Idealism, Fatalism, are all very simple theories, and explain all difficulties with a marvellous rapidity. This makes them, at first, attractive to the intellect, which always loves clear and distinct views; but afterwards, when it is seen that they obtain clearness by means of shallowness they are found unsatisfactory.

Argument IV. The quotations from the Old Testament, by Jesus and his apostles, show that they regarded its language as infallibly inspired.

This argument, upon which great stress is laid, both by Prof. Gaussen and Dr. Kirk, though plausible at first sight, becomes wholly untenable on examination.

Thus, in the temptation of Jesus, in his reply to the tempter, he says, “Thou shalt not live by bread alone;” the whole force of the argument depending on the single word alone.

Replying to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, he says, “Have ye not read that God says, I am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Then the whole stress of the argument rests on the use of the verb in the present tense, “I am.”