was its political disruption from France. When bilingualism be. came general in Wales, Welsh would have to depend on national sentiment and tradition alone, and the danger would be that the bilingualism of the next generation would give birth to mono-lingualism in its grand-children or great grand-children. What hope was there in that case that Welsh would be preserved in spite of the general tendency? He held that general tendencies were not cast iron rules. A tendency was something that could be fought and struggled against and could be conquered. Man's will was stronger than all the tendencies and all natural forces on the face of the earth, and if the Welsh were bent on preserving their tongue it was more than possible that they would do so. (Cheers.) He thought there were elements in the case of Wales which would be likely to prove exceptional. In the first place Welsh was the language of the past literature of Wales and of the literature of its people at the present day--(cheers) -and he could find no example of a dying language whose literature was flourishing. Secondly, Welsh had a strong hold on the hearts of the Welsh people as the language of their religion. (Cheers.) The Cymro had a deep conviction that the Welsh was a better language for religious purposes than the English, that it was more spiritual, and more eloquent, and better adapted to express the intensest feeling of their innermost nature. (Cheers.) And, again, Welsh was the language of the Nonconformists in a nation of Nonconformists. Welsh was strongest where dissent was strongest, and the natural result would be to make every little chapel in the length and breadth of the Principality a home and a point around which enthusiasm for everything Welsh would centre. (Cheers.)

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Lastly they should not forget the enormous strength of the national movement in favor of the language. (Cheers.) This movement laid great importance on the preservation of Welsh, whilst no such movement in Celtic races had identified itself so closely with the preservation of its mother tongue. Wales had only two enemies to fear, on the one side "Dic Shon Dafydd," and on the other the narrow bigotry of the exclusive patriot. In concluding Mr. Darlington said the future of their language depended upon the great number of sensible people between the extremes; and to those who take a higher view of life, to those who believe there are some beautiful and lovely things in nature which cannot be bought for money, and are convinced that a nation's traditions and memories of the past are among the most precious of all things, to these she spoke audibly enough. Every Welshman could with reason, pride himself in the history of a language which extended back century before century until she was lost in the mists of the world's morning and had been delivered as a priceless heritage from generation to generation in an uninterrupted succession. (Cheers.) The least that could be expected from those who loved their mother tongue would be to take care lest their generation be the first to break the golden chain, and to place an everlasting chasm between the has been and the will be. If the day should come when the last Welsh sermon had been delivered from their pulpits, when the Hymns and melodies formerly sang on the hills of Wales were silent and forgotten, when the glorious old tongue would no more be lisped by little children on the hearths at home, it would not have been the work of foreigners, not the effect of some inevitable circumstance, but the work of Wales herself;

with her own hands would she tear off the crown she had hitherto so nobly worn to be thrown in the dust. He hoped to God that that dark day would never dawn on Wales But if it came the responsibility would be the responsibility of Wales itself, and the loss the loss of the world. (Loud cheers.)

INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

BY REV. T. T. DAVIES, RICHVILLE, N. Y.

The advance of scientific know ledge," says Prof, Dawson, "of his torical, geographical and archæological discovery: the establishment of the science of textual criticism, the labor and concentrated attention bes. towed upon Biblical literature-these and other causes have almost metamorphosed Bible study, so that the commentators of half a century ago have become in some respects antiquated, and problems press upon the reverent student of to-day, of which our fathers knew, and might be content to know little or nothing." Things that were considered by our fathers sacred, and looked upon with traditional reverence have been by modern critics "weighed in the balance and found wanting." It must be admitted that such criticism has already done much good in separating the wheat of truth from the chaff of error and superstition, but while admitting this, it must be acknowledged that it has been instrumental in doing some harm, in shaking the faith of many in some of the essential truths of religion. To avoid this, Dr. Driver, who is one of the higher critics, suggested that the present theological discussions should be carried on in Latin, so that those who compose our ordinary congregations should know and hear nothing about them. On the one hand this would be wise, as it would be a preventive from disturb.

ing the simple faith of the Christian who believes his Bible with the same firmness as in his own existence-who derives comfort from its teachings and promises, and who reads it reverently to find the way to heaven. Why disturb and shake the faith of such a one ? But on the other hand it is far from being wise, neither is it right to keep men in darkness and ignorance concerning the teaching of the Bible. "If wrong ideas have been cherished, if its authority and divine origin can be disproved on reasonable grounds, in the name of truth and humanity let its name be denounced and its errors be exposed. Let the most searching test be applied to it. and let the light be welcomed from any source, so as to ascertain the exact truth. If the Bible be not the inspired word of God, as it has been maintained by the Jewish and the Christian Church for many centuries, let the truth be known though the heavens fall. But to return to our theme, "The Inspiration of the Bible."

I. The Bible claims for itself inspiration. Glancing over the pages of this book we see that it claims for itself that which is claimed by no other book. It claims that its messages came directly from God, and recorded by men who were endowed with supernatural power. All its messages are prefaced with "Thus saith the Lord,'l "the word of the Lord came," "the Lord speaks by his servant," "Then," said Jeremiah, "the Lord put forth his hand and touched my my mouth, and the Lord said unto me, 'Behold I have put my words in thy mouth."" In Isaiah the writings of the Old Testament are called "the book of the Lord." Not only it claims that the whole message came from God, but that it was also transmitted by men who were divinely inspired to perform the task. "All Scrip

ture," says Paul, while referring to the Old Testament, "is given by inspiration of God," The Savior in his public discourses again and again confirmed the divine origin and authority of the Old Testament. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me" "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them, in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." The writings of the New Testament claim the same superiority, referring to these St. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians: "Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth," and he affirms of the Thessalonians that "they received the word, not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God," and furthermore the apostles were promised by the Lord. a special endowment of the spirit to direet them what and how to teach and write. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation claims to be inspired:

Is THIS CLAIM FULLY ATTESTED? What it affirms concerning itself cannot be taken as conclusive vidence of its inspiration, and to allow the plaintiff, judge and jury to meet in the same person is not fair and reasonable. Are the claims of the Bible attested by facts and evidences? The answer is in the affirmitive. Its claims are confirmed:

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ing its equal, nor worthy of comparison. As the heaven is higher than the earth, so God's thoughts as revealed in the Bible are higher than man's thoughts. Peter's speech in the court of the high priest betrayed him, and the careful study of the contents of this volume betrays its super-human origin. Reville, an advocate of French Rationalism in one of his essays says: "That one day the question was started in an assembly, what book a man condemned to a lifelong imprisonment, and to whom but ene would be allowed-had better choose to take into the cell with him? The company consisted of catholics, protestants, philosophers and even materialists, but all agreed that his choice would fall only on the Bible." There are so many things recorded and connected with this book which are unaccountable unless they are ascribed to inspiration. Among the things we may mention:

THE UNITY OF ITS TEACHING. Of this book it is ascertained that it was written by forty different authors, in three different languages, by men from every rank in life, kings and artisans, priests and shepherds, prophets and taxgatherers, apostles and evangelists are among its writers. Written in different countries, during a period of more than fifteen hundred years, yet the same central truths pervade all it pages and unity and harmony characterize all its teachings. Like the red thread, which runs through all the rope which belongs to the British government, so there is one thread of universal truth running through the sixty-six books of scripture-uniting them in perfect harmony. the writers inculcate the same principle, teach the same ethics, enforce the same laws throughout the entire book. Their doctrines, like the colors of the rainbow, beautifully blend together. This unity must be ascrib

All

ed to God's spirit, in an especial manner, superintending and directing the holy men of old what and how to write. The Bible's claim to inspiration is attested also:

BY ITS PROPHECIES. The predictions made in the volume concerning Babylon, Nineveh; Egypt, Tyre and Jeru salem, and how they have mostly been fulfilled, as the histories of these cities show. And the many prophesies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, and their complete fulfillment in His birth, life, and death and resurrection, offer strong evidence in favor of the belief that God, who alone can see the end from the beginning, must have communicated his thoughts to man. The Bible's inspiration is confirmed: BY ITS MIRACLES. How many of these were performed in confirmation of divine truth. It is true that infidel and rationalistic writers deny the miraclous in the Bible as well as elsewhere. The late Renan in his life of Christ said, "miracles are impossible," but to prove his assertion it would be necessary to invalidate the history in which the miracles are recordedthis, however, he failed to do-and so the miracles stand llke impregnable rocks in the midst of the hurricane and storm, attesting to the divine origin of the Bible. "The man who proclaims that miracles are impossible," says Rousseau, "is not fit to be reasoned with, he should be sent to the lock-up." It is the finger of God," exclaimed the magicians in Egypt, when Moses brought lice upon the land. What but the finger of God comes to view, when reading in the Bible, the story of the blind man, having his eyes opened by applying clay and spittle, and the dead having brought to life again by the word of Christ. This is the finger of God, confirming the divine message of His Son. The Bible's inspiration is at tested:

BY THE SUBLIME TRUTHS WHICH ARE REVEALED IN IT. These are such that unaided human reason could never have discovered. The truth concern. ing God, man, the soul, immortality, a judgement to come and a future world. In vain we look into heathen literature for the lofty truths which are taught in this volume. Its inspiration is attested:

BY ITS INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD. Its words are spirit and life, it regenerates society and uplifts humanity to God. It has done more to enlighten men and give them an extended intellectual horizon than anything else in the world. "More potent than armies, grasping the farthest bounds of civilization, more effectual than navies, overshadowing the oceans of the earth; wherever the gospel scheme has been proclaimed and scattered, there light and there civilization have begun." Under its benignant influence the moral wilderness is changed into a fruitful garden, and the solitary place is brought to blossom as the rose. "The orator," says Robertson of Brighton, "holds a thousand men for half an hour breathless-a thousand men as one, listening to his single word. But this word of God has held a thousand nations for thrice a thousand years spellbound-held them in an abiding power-even the universality of its truth; and we feel it to be no more a collection of books but the book." Thus the Bible claims inspiration and this claim is fully at tested by its contents, its inherent excellence, its revelation and its great influence for good on the human race.

II. WHAT IS INSPIRATION? To give a definite answer to this question is impossible, because it is a question on which theologians are disagreed. The present controversy must cease before we can theorize much on the doctrine of inspiration. Pagans have had their inspired writers and speak.

ers, and their ideas of inspiration perhaps have affected in some degree the forms which the Christian doctrine have assumed, yet the word conveyed one idea to the pagan and another to the Christian. To the former it meant the passive state to which the inspired man was thrown a state of ecstacy-to the latter it meant the revelation which the inspired man committed to writing; the one laid stress on the state, the other on the result. But what does inspiration imply? The word itself implies the breathing of God upon, or into the minds of his servants. Through the divine influence that was imparted to the writers of of the Bible they were taught what and how to speak and write. To this influence must be ascribed the superiority of their writings over all that was written by others, Dr. Driver defines inspiration thus "An influence which gave to those who received it, a unique and extraordinary spiritual insight, enabling them thereby without superseding or suppressing the human faculties, but rather using them as its instrument, to declare in different degrees, and in accordance with the needs or circumstances of particular ages or particular occasions the mind and purpose of God." spiration, according to Dr. Brigg's theory, appears in the giving of certain concepts, and that the embodiment of these concepts in human speech is simply the act of the man who received them." Conservative theologians, however, do not agree with the views taken by the higher critics, and therefore their definitions are somewhat different. What does inspiration imply?

In

IT IMPLIES THAT THE DIVINE REVELATION WAS NOT MECHANICAL. Some have taken this extreme view of the doctrine, holding that every word syllable, letter and vowel point of scripture had been divinely and supernat

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urally imparted, that the authors of the various books, known and unknown, had no share in their composition. Accepting this view, we cannot account for the variety of style which characterizes the writings of the Bible? Every writer impressed his own individuality on his production. Moses, Isaiah and Paul were inspired, but they greatly differ in their style of composition and in their manner of presenting the divine message. Were inspiration verbal the Bible would be uniform from Genesis to Revelation.

Inspiration implies that it did not of necessity extend to matters which the writers could have discovered by their own unaided reason.

Inspiration does not necessarily imply that it is infallible in things which are trivial and of no importance. If we maintain, as some do, that inspiration extends to all the contents of the several books, whether religious, scientific, historical, or geographical, it is difficult to explain, on reasonable grounds, the minor discrepancies, which are found in Scripture. safest way is to admit the possibility of trivial mistakes in historical and geographical statements, while denying any error in matters of faith and morals.

The

Inspiration does not imply that all the writers were inspired to the same degree.

Inspiration implies that the divine revelation has been transmitted without error. These writers were divinely empowered, divinely guided in their work-so the Bible contains a true record of the revelation given by God to man.

Inspiration implies that the Bible. is the infallible rule of faith and duty. The inspired Scripture contains all the duties concerning ourselves. It settles all questions in faith and morals-an infallible authority, and able to make one wise unto salvation.