ARGUMENT. GOD'S WORD is in the Bible, but all that is in the Bible is not God's Word. The Bible may be inspired without being infallible. The history of the canon of Scripture is then reviewed, and the theory of infallibility shown to be of modern origin. The fear of inquiry is then discussed, and the folly of teaching children views which we no longer hold ourselves is condemned. Objections to these new views are answered by a reply to another question-'What is the Bible?' The 'All or Nothing' theory is then exposed. What is true is to be believed-the relative nature of Bible truth appears in the varying standards of morality and in the different conceptions of God which are to be found in the Bible. The Bible is to be tested by itself. It appeals to the moral sense. What is historically true in it must be found out by historical criticism; what is morally true by the moral sense. A few examples of Bible testing are then given; the value of the Bible is thus placed upon a sure foundation. The Seventh Discourse deals with the meaning of the word 'Doctrine,' as it occurs in the New Testament. Its inseparable connection with Practice is dwelt upon. The distinction between head-belief and heart-belief is pointed out. The value of a true head-belief is shown, but the power of the heart is declared frequently to counteract the opinions of the head. Auricular confession is cited as a case in point, and a few simple rules for the regulation of belief are suggested. Sirth Discourse. ON THE ESSENCE OF THE BIBLE. DELIVERED MAY 9, 1870. E are told that the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. W The Word of God may be sharp, but if our ears are not sharp, that is, attentive, or rather attuned to it, we shall not hear it. Perhaps we may listen to the best of our ability, and even then hear the Word but very imperfectly. A blear-eyed man may try his best to see, and after all see nothing but 'men as trees, walking.' No doubt, in past ages, men have conscientiously listened for the utterances of the still small voice. They have heard imperfectly; they have received erroneous impressions, and often when the impression was correct, it has been but imperfectly conveyed to others. The writers of the Bible were but men, and although in many cases they were highly inspired men, yet they were not any the more infallible for that. The Bible is not all God's book, nor the only Book of God. God has many books. To some extent the sacred books of all nations are His. To a very great extent the sacred books of the Jews are His. He has this blessed Book, which is chiefly a collection of Jewish records, which we call God's Book emphatically; not because it is free from human error, for it was compiled by human instruments, but because, on the whole, it contains more about God than any other book we have, it is therefore rightly called God's Book; and it is sometimes called God's Word, although it would be more accurate to say that God's Word is contained in the Bible, than that everything contained in the Bible is God's Word. 48. I am earnestly desirous to explain this morning what I conceive to be the real, the priceless value of the Bible. And I do this all the more willingly because there are a variety of unfounded, but popular opinions about the infallibility and verbal inspiration of the Bible, which have done more injury to the Bible than all the scoffs of the infidel: verily the Bible has been wounded in the house of its friends. The Bible as a book, is not infallible. The sentences of the Bible are not verbally inspired. If you hold any such theories you will have to surrender them before the searching lights of modern criticism. The Reformation is accountable for the survival and popularity of this doctrine of verbal inspiration, alias infallibility,-a doctrine which would have certainly expired along with |