with all their subtilty have not been able to reconcile, after puzzling about it above three thousand years. The doctrines that are in it ought also to be received, so far as they are conformable to those of the gospel; or, if you will, let us say, that the true meaning of the law is to be learned from Christ. No conclusion is to be drawn from those books that appear to be only pieces of wit and fancy, or wherein nothing but human is to be found, such as the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, &c. Lastly, we ought not to strain too far the sense of particular expressions, as do the Jews; because, if we except a very few places, the expressions are the same with those which the sacred writers were wont to make use of in explaining their other thoughts; that is to say, they have worded both the Jewish history, and the Revelations they had from Heaven, after their own ordinary manner of expressing themselves.

NOTE BY THE EDITOR.

By the inspiration of the scriptures is meant, either that they were miraculously suggested by God, or that they were written. under his miraculous superintendence. The main argument for the common notion of the inspiration of the books not prophetical, is to be found in the text, 2. Tim. iii. 16. thus rendered in the common version.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable, &c.

Before any thing can be inferred from this passage, it is necessary to determine the true meaning of the word mysugos, rendered, given by inspiration of God. If this term does not necessarily imply any thing miraculous, then the text affords no evidence in favour of the opinion which it is quoted to support.

The word occurs no where else in the Scriptures; and I have seen but one example produced of its use by any profane author.* As however we know the words of which it is compounded, and as analogous expressions are very common, there seems little difficulty in determining its meaning.

The force of the expression then, I believe, is precisely the same, as if the writings spoken of had been said to be composed μati Osov, by the spirit of God.† Now every one acquainted with the phraseology of the Scriptures, knows that many things are ascribed to the spirit, or the holy spirit, or the spirit of God, when no miraculous operation is supposed by the writer.The Spirit of God, is a term used in the Scriptures to denote (among other meanings) all influences upon, and communications to the human mind, which the writer refers to God as their author; whether they

* Phocylides, in the following line

Της δε θεοπνευς 8 σοφίης λογος εσιν αρίσος.

It is thus that the word is rendered by the Syriac translator: Omnis scriptura, quae per Spiritum scripta fuit.

are considered as proceeding from him directly or remotely; whether as miraculous, or as regulated by the ordinary laws of the physical and moral world; whether they are to be referred immediately to an act of his power; or are the immediate consequence and result of means, and motives, and the operation of other agents. The term is as often used to denote influences and communications not regarded as miraculous, as to denote those which are thus regarded. All the means and motives which God employs to bring men to goodness, are referred to the Spirit of God; and he who is affected by these means, and acts under the influence of these motives, is said to be actuated by the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God. Abundant evidence of what has just been stated may be found by consulting the lexicons and concordances of the Old and New Testaments, and especially Schleusner's article on the word in: a translation of which, by Mr. Buckminster, is contained in the first volume of the General Repository.

Having settled the sense of the term, Spirit of God, we may determine that of the word θεοπνευτος. This is to be understood in a similar latitude of signification. It is equivalent, as has been said, to the words, written by the Spirit of God; and these words denote nothing more than written under those influences which proceed from God, whether miraculous or not. The writings thus characterized, may have been the works of prophets, who received direct miraculous communications from God; or they may have been nothing more than the works of men, whose minds were acted upon by the motives which he presents, and who had that sense of religion and duty, which his dispensations to the Jewish nation were adapted to produce. In the present case the term is, I conceive, applied to writings of both these classes.

In the text in question, the rendering of the words, Tara ygaps, by the words, all scripture, is incorrect. They should be

translated every writing. Allowing the com