e moral and religious truth with authority.'

This is tolerable.

Another writer says, 'It is a miraculous influence, by which men are
enabled to receive and communicate divine truth.'

This too is tolerable, notwithstanding the word miraculous.

Another writer says, 'There has been a great diversity of opinions among
the best men of all ages, as to the nature and extent of Bible
inspiration.'

He might have added, that these opinions have generally been nothing
more than opinions,--mere fancies, theories, framed without regard to
facts.

Another writer says, 'It should be remembered, that the inspiration
which breathes through the Book is not of a scientific, critical, or
historical character, but exclusively religious.'

He means, that while inspiration makes the Bible all that is desirable
as a teacher on religious matters, it does not, on other subjects, raise
it above the views of the ages and places in which it was written. For
he adds, 'The sacred record is not in every respect faultless. It is not
free from literary, typographical, and other defects. Nature herself,
where no one can deny the finger of God, has imperfections. The Book
presents the same characteristics as the best and highest of God's other
gifts, namely, not the outward symmetry of a finite and mechanical
perfection, but the inward, elastic, and reproductive power of a divine
life!'

The meaning of this latter vague and wordy sentence seems to be, that
the inspiration of the Bible is such as to make it a powerful means of
producing spiritual life,--real religion; but not such as to preserve it
from little ordinary human errors and imperfections.

This writer represents Dr. Stowe as saying, 'Inspiration, according to
the Bible, is just that measure of extraordinary Divine influence
afforded to the sacred speakers and writers, which was necessary to
secure the purpose intended, and no more.'

This too we can accept. It does not authorize us to expect of the Bible,
or require us to prove with regard to it, any thing more, than that it
is adapted to be the religious and moral instructor of mankind.

This same writer represents Dr. Robinson as saying, 'Whenever, and as
far as, divine assistance was necessary, it was always afforded.' This
too is tolerable.

One writer says, 'Divine inspiration cannot be claimed for the
transcribers or translators of the original Scriptures.'

We think it can. We see no reason to doubt, but that many of