i8 7 o] CHRISTIANITY AND SUPERNATURAL 133 



infallibility of Scripture, without any theory of inspiration 

 in actu scribendi the complete proof of the normative 

 authority of the Bible. 



The doctrine of Holy Scripture, if developed from this 

 point of view, cannot be placed as the foundation of all 

 Christian belief. The belief in the normative authority 

 of Scripture is here developed not from grounds of pure 

 reason, but on grounds of faith on the assumption that 

 Christianity is really supernatural and possesses a real 

 revelation. But indeed I do not believe that any man 

 ever believed in Christ because he believed in the 

 authority of Scripture ; our belief in the authority of 

 Scripture much rather is derived from a belief in Christ. 

 It is the testimony of the Holy Spirit to which our 

 Protestant theology ultimately refers the authority of 

 Scripture. And what can this mean but that Scripture 

 is the medium through which we come face to face with the 

 divine revelation in Christ, and being thus brought under 

 the living influence of the Person are by the Holy Spirit 

 enabled rightly to apprehend Him as so presented to us, 

 and so of course to recognise the medium whereby alone 

 we can approach the historical Christ as really divine ? 



That this view of the function of the Bible is far more 

 true to Christian experience than that which seeks in 

 Scripture primarily a body of infallible truth seems 

 undeniable. &quot; I confidently appeal,&quot; says Rothe, &quot; to 

 the testimony of all really thoughtful readers of the 

 Bible, whose own experience will witness to them that 

 that which so peculiarly edifies them in their intercourse 

 with the Bible is far less the instructions and admonitions 

 that they draw from it than the purifying and quickening 

 influences of a holy world ruled by supernatural powers ; 

 yea, of the immediate nearness of God and Heaven itself 

 into which they find themselves raised as soon as they 

 cross the threshold of the wondrous book.&quot; 



On these grounds we would wholly exclude the doctrine 

 of the infallible inspiration of Scripture from the sphere 



