MR. MAURICE ON INSPIRATION.
To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."
SIR,—You describe me in the last Spectator as saying that I find the same ambiguities in the new declaration of Faith as in the Scripture itself on the subject of Inspiration and the Word of God. I find no ambiguities in the Scriptures on either subject. I find all those various uses of the expression " Word of God " which the " Hertfordshire Incumbent," in an admirable letter to the Times, has shown to be accepted by our Articles. But these diverse applications of the phrase are, it seems to me, all consistent with each other, because they all imply the highest meaning of it. The divine living Word is speaking through the lips of men and by the acts of men. If He did not, the word of the Gospel could have no power of entering any human hearts, the Bible would be a collectiou of dead letters.
The ambiguity begins when divines try to separate these mean- ings, to break the link between them, to establish that one of them
which concerns the Scriptures into the absolute meaning. When
this attempt is made there must be confusion, there must be pre- varication. There will always be a feeling after that higher mean- ing which has been cat off " as not belonging to the context." The Bible becomes a word without the word. It is altogether a divine speech, only there is no Speaker. It is against this attempt that I protest. I believe it will issue in the greatest contempt of the Scriptures, in the most entire withering of their power over the hearts and consciences of men. How mighty that power is I feel and confess the more I read them. God speaks to me in them. God has spoken to all the nations of Christendom in them. When they are reduced to a set of texts their history vanishes, their life vanishes. Alen worship them, tremble before them, wish to be rid of them. They cease to bring any message from God ; they cease to hold any communion with the human spirit. So about inspiration. I find no am- biguities in the Scripture treatment of the subject. The Spirit bloweth where it listeth. He is given to Prophets and Apostles for the work which they have to do. Ile opens men's minds and hearts to discover the truths they are craving for and have need to know. He delivers men from the evil spirits of malice, hatred, superstition, division. The modern notion of inspiration refuses to let the Spirit blow where He listeth. It determines His operations. It makes the prayers and conflicts of Prophets and Apostles which the Bible speaks of—which have been the great witnesses of its truth and power to hundreds of thousands—the great secret of its consolation—into unrealities. We dare not think that their con- troversies about God's judgments actually passed in their minds. We dare not read the book as it stands. We must mangle it, must put another than its simple sense into it, because it is all inspired, because :every word of it is the Word of God.
I should not have troubled you with these explanations for my own sake. How much or little one is misunderstood is of almost no importance ; but I could not willingly confuse any one else about
questions so sacred.—Yours faithfully, F. D. MAURICE.
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