The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-02-25

A person thus actuated either in
his writings or words is properly in
spired and whatever he writes, or
says under such circumstances, must
be infallible, or true because, being
under the immediate influence or
guidance Of God, he can not be liable
to error or deception. But the per-
son SO actuated or influenced must
necessarily lose his own free agency;
because he thereby becomes an in
strument which God makes use of,
under whose direction he acts, for
otherwise he would not be infallible.
Therefore, when ! speak of the infal-
libility Of any book or writing, !
mean thereby that its author was
under the circumstances afore-men-
toned at the time Of writing; for if
he was not under those circumstan-
ces, then can not his writings be in
fallible, because he, like other free
agents, must be liable to deception,
and may mistake things concerning
which he writes, or may impose up
on others. Not one of the authors Of
the four gospels claims in his writ
ings that he was thus irresistably
influenced, and if they do not inform
US of the fact, what right have we to
suppose that they were so, and claim
them to be infallible? That not ev-
cry word could be dictated by God is
plain from the contradictions they
contain, and if only some part or
parts of these writings should be
thought infallible, such difficulties
must necessarily arise in settling
what part is so, and what part is not
so, that it would be impossible to
come to any tolerable agreement
concerning it. And / am sure that
nothing less than an inspired person
could make the discrimination; for
otherwise there would be as many
different opinions as persons en-
ployed in the selection, and we
should hear one person give as fall
lible what another asserted to be in.
falliblc.
Secondly-The evidence next to
that which the writer himself has,
is, when God is pleased to impress
on, or influence the mind of a person
by irresistably forcing him, by some
supernatural means, to believe such
and such writings to be inspired. 1t
is very certain that God may do this,
but it is question if he ever did; for
no person did ever pretend to these
supernatural Examinations, without
being suspected by the more cool
and sedate; and all pretending to
such gift never met with any cred
it from the more discerning, who
generally ascribe it to a distempered
Imagination. However, they, like
the writer, may very consistently
believe such writings to be infallible.
But, then, neither the writer nor the
person so influenced can be any evil.
dence to me, unless l attain to the
certainty of it by the same super
natural means.
Thirdly-Immediate tradition from
the inspired writer. This can not
be, to me, anything but mere human
fallible tradition; for if person,
whether really or pretendedly in
spired, publishes book or writing,
and declares that it contains doc
trines dictated by God to himself,
his evidence to me is at least but hui
man evidence, and therefore uncer-
tain and precarious, for if l believe
it written by inspiration, it is self
authority, which is both human and
fallible. (Joe Smiths or Brigham
Young's claims to inspiration, for
instance, rest but on their own evi.
dence.) This being the case, how,
or in what manner shall be able to
distinguish the truly inspired writer
from the impostor, who should pre-.
tend to the like privilege? And if
we take the writer's words in all
cases, or give heed to their own tes-
timony, we shall be liable to be de-
ceived and imposed upon by every
pretender to revelation; and the
want of a certain criterion, l appre-
bend, was the occasion that in the
first ages Of the church so many diff
ferent gospels appeared, which by