blish the authorized version of the Bible. It can
hardly be considered possible that those who believed in the reality of a
recorded revelation, and valued it, would not take care to hand it down
in a correct form to others; and, although incorrect, mutilated, and
interpolated copies, might, in some instances, be made by other persons,
it does not seem likely that these would prevail to such an extent, as to
prevent the true record from maintaining its ground. Such dishonest
copies would hardly be made at all, till considerable interest had been
manifested in the revelation; and _then_ any variations from the correct
copies would scarcely pass without challenge, and correction.

It appears then, that, as the ordinary mode of recording, copying, and
translating important communications are usually found sufficiently
adequate for their several purposes, such methods might be employed with
success in regard to a revelation: and it also seems probable that God
would not interfere with such methods more than was absolutely necessary
for the purpose He had in view. If we suppose that God exercised,
throughout the whole process of transmission, that controlling power to
which reference has been made; then there would be a correct record in
each age. That God should exercise that power to such an extent as to
prevent every possibility of error, in the transmission of the record, or
of mistake as to its meaning in the minds of those who read it, would be
contrary to the analogy of His dealings with us in other things. We
possess faculties, by the due exercise of which we are enabled to arrive
at a sufficiently accurate knowledge of those things which are essential
to our wellbeing, but we are not, by infallible guidance, preserved from
error. If we were, our responsibility would to a great extent cease.
All that can be reasonably expected, in the case under consideration, is
that the record should be transmitted with such exactness, as that an
honest inquirer should be able to ascertain its authenticity, and
understand its meaning, so far as God designed that he should know it.
We say--so far as God designed that he should know it,--because it is
quite conceivable that there might be mysteries in a revelation, the
meaning of which would not be made clear till the time determined
beforehand by God should arrive.

* * * * *

5. To enter into a full examination, as to what would constitute
s