INSPIRATION AND INFALLIBILITY.
By S. L. Bowman
THE claim of infallibility, as inherent in inspiration, is to be justified as belonging to the sacred writers while engaged in writing the holy Scriptures. This high characteristic is not to be held as determinable by arguments a priori, for the conviction must be warranted by a fair induction of all the facts involved as furnished by the Scriptures themselves. Infallibility must be found to be authoritatively asserted or authoritatively assumed, or both, in the contents of the sacred writings. This belief is further to be verified by a reasonable assurance that those who profess to speak or write in God's name profess to speak or write under the conscious information, direction, and personal guidance of the Spirit of God. That inspired men actually did teach fact, truth, and doctrine without error or omission, without defect or excess, is a view which, after jealous investigation, long since found acceptance and was settled in the conviction of the church as valid; and so now the logical requirement is in place, that proof to the contrary shall be made complete on the part of him who affirms the opposite proposition. The argument being thus presented, the validity of the claim will appear in scientific form, and the conclusion becomes irresistible and cannot with reason be challenged by the disbeliever. Thus infallibility will be found to inhere in, and to be inseparable from, supernatural inspiration. Infallibility is here employed in its exact sense, as expressing 'exemption from error; that which is an unfailing and indubitable evidence; a sure proof, not capable of error.' Thus it is applied to the sacred writers. The meaning of this application is, that certain men, by virtue of being supernaturally inspired, became thereby the agents of God for the infallible expression of his will toward mankind in such a sense that what they taught God taught. The only infallibility involved is the infallibility of God. Chosen men became only the subjects of infallible wisdom when he inspired them. Upon the human side, this infallibility was limited by the nature of man, but not so limited as to admit or imply fallibility in God. Infallibility, as it inheres in divine nature, is infinite in extent, and, accordingly, God always acts infallibly wherever he acts at all. He never errs. In the case of inspired men, it was God's own infallible power acting within and upon the powers of man, restricted by the domain of man's nature. This limitation does not, however, render nugatory the infallibility of God, since it furnishes a field for the exercise of God's inspirational and infallible energy. Within that limitation his infallibility was perfect. Under inspiration man's nature was responsive to the exercise of that power infallible, and was subject to its direction and guidance in expressing 'the mind of the Spirit.' Nevertheless, the infallible quality does not spring up within man as its source any more than does the sunshine. That, therefore, which calls in question the infallibility involved in the transactions supposed in inspiration, simply calls in question the infallibility of God, which inheres in his every action. Our Lord himself, the founder of his kingdom, chose and commissioned those who were to become its teachers in the church of God, whom he enjoined that they should tarry at Jerusalem for the divine charisma, to be 'baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence;' and that this blessed Spirit should be with the apostles as a divine presence, dwelling with them, and speaking in and through them, and for them. Jesus further provided and promised them that the Holy Spirit, whom he would send from the Father, should supernaturally teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever he said unto them; for this Holy Spirit was none other than the very Spirit of Truth.—S. L. Bowman, S. T. D., in the Methodist Review.