Thus  far  a  conclusion  has  slowly  grown  upon  the
Christian  mind — among  ourselves  at  least ;  but  the  ax-
iom   has   a  furtlier  appHc.ition,   which    still    awaits   the


262  THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE

assent  and  approval  of  the  same  Christian  mind.  The
perplexities  of  the  present  time,  regarding  the  authority
and  the  constitution  of  the  Inspired  Scriptures,  are  the
indications  of  an  unsettled  or  undetermined  belief  on
this  ground.  Tlie  assailants  of  the  i^roper  insj^iration  of
the  Scriptures  think  themselves  strong  in  their  position,
and  reckon  themselves  sure  of  a  triumph,  not  distant :
— they  beheve  they  shall  so  make  good  their  array  of
Bible-faults  as  shall  compel  their  perplexed  opponents
to  acknowledge  an  overthrow,  and  so  to  leave  the  Bible
to  its  fate.  This  overweening  and  unwise  confidence  is
indeed  a  demonstration  of  the  vanity  and  the  presump-
tion of  those  who  entertain  it,  and  of  their  own  want
of  (or  loss  of)  those  greater  qualities  of  mind  which
should  have  secured  them  against  so  slender  an  infatu-
ation.
