A compleat history of the canon and writers, of the books of the Old and New Testament, by way of dissertation, with useful remarks on that subject ... by L.E. Du Pin ... ; done into English from the French original.

SECT. VII. The Second Question concerning the Inspiration of the Sacred Books. After what manner God has Inspir'd the Sacred Penmen with the things they have written.

THE Second Question which may be raised, is, about the manner wherein God In∣spir'd the Authors (who wrote those Books) with the things that are contain'd in them. Whether he Inspir'd into them all the Articles immediately and particularly, so that they had no freedom of acting according to their own Understandings; or whe∣ther he made use of them by directing and rectifying them, that they might not fall in∣to any Error. There are four sorts of things contain'd in the Holy Scripture: Matters of Fact, Doctrinal Points, Moral Precepts, and Prophecies.

Some Authors pretend, That they are only the Law, the Prophecies, and the My∣steries, which were immediately reveal'd to the Sacred Writers, and that the Histories and Moral Exhortations which the Authors knew of themselves, were not dictated nor inspir'd by the Holy Ghost. This is the Opinion of Cornelius à Lapide in his Com∣mentary on the 2d Epistle to Timothy.

Observe, (says this Jesuit) That the Holy Ghost did not dictate after the same manner all that is contain'd in the Holy Scripture. For he reveal'd and dictated verbatim the Law and the Prophecies to Moses and the Prophets; but as for the Histories and Moral Exhortations, which the Holy Penmen had seen or heard of, it was not necessary that they should be Inspir'd into them by the Holy Ghost, since they knew them of themselves. 'Tis thus, St. John, C. 19. v. 35. says, That he wrote what he had seen; and St. Luke, in the beginning of his Gospel, says, That he wrote what he had heard and receiv'd by Tradition from the Apostles.

It may be alledg'd for the Confirmation of this Opinion, That is was needless that Per∣sons who knew a thing by having heard or seen it evidently, should be Inspir'd in order to write it: That those who copied or abridg'd the Ancient Records, had no need of the Assistance of the Holy Ghost for doing it. Now there are a great many Books of the Old Testament which are no more than Abridgments of other larger Re∣cords. The Gospels are only the Relation of the Actions and Discourses of Jesus Christ, related by those who had heard them themselves, as St. Luke testifies in the be∣ginning of his Gospel.

Other Authors carry the Point farther, and say, That the Prophecies themselves were not Inspir'd into the Prophets at the time when they wrote them; but that they only recollected such things as they had seen or heard whilst asleep or awake. Nay, it often fell out, that what the Prophets said naturally and with Inspiration, was a real Prophecy, tho' in a different Sense than that wherein the Prophet took it. There are Instances of this in the Psalms, and the very same thing is observ'd in the Gospel, of Caiaphas, who being High-Priest, Prophesied contrary to his Intention, by pronoun∣cing concerning Jesus Christ, That it was expdeient that one Man should die for the People; which had a quite different meaning in his Mouth, from that which the Evangelist gives it, and which the Holy Ghost, who made use of him, intended it.

'Tis easie to solve all these Difficulties by explaining what is meant by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost. For if we take this Phrase for a new Revelation of a thing that was not known before to the Understanding, we might truly say, That most of the Histo∣ries related in the Books of the Holy Scripture, by those who saw, read or heard of

them, are not Inspir'd according to this Sense; no more are the Moral Precepts which were known to the Authors by the Light of Nature or by Instruction, nor even the Prophecies which the Prophets had receiv'd before they wrote them, and of which they only give an Historical Relation. In this Sense there are none Inspir'd, but such Truths as were reveal'd to the Prophets and Sacred Writers in the very moment when they compos'd them. But 'tis not in this Sense, That the Word INSPIRATION ought to be taken, when we treat concerning all the Sacred Books; It ought only to be understood of a particular direction and assistance of the Holy Ghost, which guides the Mind of him who writes, so that he does not suffer him to be deceived. For this purpose, two things are requisite: First, That the Will be rightly inclin'd, and that he who writes, wills constantly to speak the Truth, and will not tell a Lye, that is, not advance a Fal∣sity which he knows to be so. Secondly, That his Understanding be clear, so that he cannot be mistaken in taking a Falshood for a Truth. The Holy Ghost has wrought these two things in the Sacred Writers. He has Inspir'd into them a firm, steady and infallible Will to speak the Truth, and has fill'd their Understandings with so much Light, that they cannot be deceiv'd in relating things which they already know. This is a very clear Notion of Inspiration, and which is sufficient to establish the Infal∣lible and Soveraign Authority of the Holy Scripture. 'Tis not only, as some would have it, Pius Animi motus, A mere pious Motion of the Soul, like to that of other Wri∣ters: But 'tis an especial Assistance of the Holy Ghost, which renders them Infalli∣ble, and takes away all doubt or scruple of the Truth of those things which they have written.