The Subjective Theory of Inspiration [pp. 192-204]

THE PRINCET~ON RE VIEW.
It speaks as no other book speaks. Its language is, "Thus
saith the Lord:" hear and obey. This is true not only of prophetic revelations, but also of doctrines and precepts. Has any
believer, possessed of the common grace of the Holy Spirit, ever
claimed such authority? Or if he has made the claim, has it
ever been accorded to him?
III. We will now briefly consider the third form of this theory; viz., That is inspired which finds a man, or lays hold on his.
religious consciousness.
This may be denominated a proof of inspiration derived
from feeling, or from the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit.
This method of proof was proposed, in early times, for the purpose of determining the canonicity of such or such a book
placed among the antilegomena, or the authenticity of such or
such a doubtful passage. It was thought that a true believer
received, while reading the Holy Scriptures, an impression produced by the Holy Spirit which assured him of the divine
origin of the book, or of the passage in dispute.'
I. This argument is hypothetical and individual, and of no
value. It is fallacious; for applied to inspiration it constitutes
that form of the fallacy, petitio principii, which logicians call
"arguing in a circle." To prove the inspiration of the sacred
writer, or of any passage of Scripture, the reader must be inspired.
2. If we are to understand by "the religious consciousness"
that inward state of mind which enables us to apprehend truth,
and which is produced by whatever purifies and exalts our religious feelings, then the proof derived from it, in behalf of inspiration, is very vague. It does not relate particularly to any
doctrine, passage, or book of Scripture. It varies with the intensity of the religious consciousness. To-day it may be very
strong; to-morrow very weak.
A man who loses his religious consciousness and becomes a
reprobate could say, "The Scriptures are not inspired: my
present consciousness furnishes me no proof of it. It is true
that my past consciousness testified differently; but that is lost,
and with it the proof of the inspiration of the Bible; for that
1 Cell6rier, Manuel d'Hermeneutique Biblique, p. 273.
202