e enter not here, however, into the question whether such a view
of inspiration is better or worse than another. We are simply anxious
to correct a fallacy which has, judging from what we have recently read,
operated rather extensively. Inspiration may be verbal, or the contrary;
but, whether one or the other, he who takes the affirmative or negative
of that question may still consistently contend that it may still be
plenary. The question of the inspiration of the whole or the inspiration
of a part, is widely different from that as to the suggestion of the
words or the suggestion of the thoughts. But these questions we leave to
professed theologians. We merely enter our protest against a prevailing
fallacy.

____

Nor will the theory of what some call the 'intuitional consciousness
avail us here. It is true, as they assert, that the constitution of
human nature is such that, before its actual development, it has a
capacity of developing to certain effects only,--just as the flower
in the germ, as it expands to the sun, will have certain colours and a
certain fragrance, and no other;--all which, indeed, though not very new
or profound, is very important. But it is not so dear that it will give
us any help on the present occasion. We have an original susceptibility
of music, of beauty, of religion, it is said. Granted; but as the actual
development of this susceptibility exhibits all the diversities between
Handel's notions of harmony and those of an American Indian--between
Raphael's notions of beauty and those of a Hottentot--between St. Paul's
notions of a God and those of a New Zealander--it would appear that
the education of this susceptibility is at least as important as the
susceptibility itself, if not more so; for without the susceptibility
itself, we should simply have no notion of music, beauty, or religion;
and between such negation and that notion of all these which New
Zealanders and Hottentots possess, not a few of our species would
probably prefer the former. It is in vain then to tell us to look into
the 'depths of our own nature' (as some vaguely say), and to judge
thence what, in a professed revelation, is suitable to us, or worthy of
our acceptance and rejection respectively. This criterion is, as we
see by the utterly different judgments formed by different classes of
Rationalists as to the how much they shall receive of the revelation
they might generally admit, a very shifting one--a measure whi