National Republican., 1873-09-29
VERMONT AVE. CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

Are the Scriptures Inspired writIng.t
The Rev. o. A. Bartholomew preached In the
Nermont-Ayenue Christian church yesterday.
selecting for his text the following: "All scrip
ture Is given BY inspiration Of God."-II Timothy
lli:l6. The little word "is" Is written In itallc
resentatiye here, and on this account there are
those In all the churches perhaps who, while
Claiming TO believe that the scriptures In gen
We ases 5SsT penIy Is
alone for proof that all scripture Is given by in.
spifation OF God. Christ says to the Jews: "Had
for he wrote Of ms."-Prover6s, VAC. Now, IL i.
evident that Moses, who lived two thousand
years before Christ, could not have written III
nun. nun py % mere % human wisdom; therefore he must
books OF the Old Testament, hence they must be
inspired. Again, Jesus says: "All things must
pe fulfilled which are written In the law OF
Moses, and In the prophets, and In the psalms
concerning me."-Luke, xxiv:4s. In this classic
cation Jesus evidently Intends to embrace the
entire old Testament Thus he says the things
Testament must be fulnlled, which Indicates the
lnfallloilty and therefore the Inspiration, OF the
Sess TTnns e ns New Tss
ties and eyangelists the Holy Spirit, which. he
says, should guide them into all truth, should
bring 20 thelr remembrance all things that he
10 come. But this "a inspiration.
Thefe are those VINO admit the Inspiration OF
the thoughts Of the writers OF the scriptures,
but deny that their words were inspired. The
Apostle Paul, however, declares In favor OF YER
bal Inspiration. He says, In Cor. ii:l3: (Which
things, also, We speak, not In the words which
mans wisdom teacheth, hut which the Holy
Ghost teacheth." While I believe, as l have
shown the Word Of God to teach, that the ScTlp-
lures are AL inspired, from the beginning Of
Genesis 70 the last OF Revelations, still do not
believe that all parts OF the Bible enjoy the saHe
degree OF inspiration, nor do the facts OF the |
Bible demand any such uniformity. The history
OF the call and mission Of Noses, and OF the M,
grlmage OF the children OF Israel are matters Of
history which came under the personal obseTya-
tl0n OF the writer. Hence the only Inspiration
needed or enjoyed was that OF a general super. |
lntendence to prevent the writer from fOrgetfa- |
ness, ckaggeratlOn or preJudices. David, job |
Elihu, Solomon, and others seem al times TO be |
lifted up IN their thoughts far above ordinary
and being enabled to enter into me
moral grandeur Of their theories, convey the |
thoughts and purposes OF God. This Is usually
called spiritual elevation. But most of the
writers OF the scriptures were inspired In still
higher sense. That Ia, God In various modes re-
vealed his Will TO them concerning matters In
reference To which they must ever have remained
in ignorance without such special revelation,
, Moses wrote the account OF the creation more
lhan two thousand years after II occurred, and
yet 50 simple and fOTcible IL his account that we
almost thnk he must have been present; Indeed
ne gives us to understand In the twelfth chap
.eI OF Snmbers that God brought the creation
DeIoie MN as an apparltlOn or panorama and,
speaking TO HIN mouth TO mouth, explained its
various parts. In like manner, with equal plaln.
ness and TRUTH did he tell OF the anilCtions and
dispersion OF the jews two thousand years be-
Tore they came to pass. No human wisdom nor
wen divine snp0rntcndence or spiritual eleya.
Ion would have been sufficient 10 enable M ,ses
% accomplish thIs. Ills Inspiration In reference
o these things consisted In direct revelation
rom aod' Angels were sometimes employed by