Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 523

Chap.

II]

§ 82.

THE INSTRUMENTS OF INSPIRATION

499

such as the tabernacle, together with all the things that belonged to the sacred cultus the memorial stones in Jordan the the boards which Isaiah put up in the market-place scrolls of the law and Tephilloth, and even the iron pan of With all these things and phenomena, common in Ezekiel. either because God atthemselves, the " sign " originates or because they derive them, to significance definite taches a ;

;

;

;

that significance from history or from attending circumstances. And it is not so much these things themselves, but much more the significance, original or given to them, which,

understood by faith or indicated by a special inworking of the Holy Spirit, rendered service as an instrument to reveal and to inspire the thought of God. This applied in still stronger measure to those extraordinary phenomena and events which are called "wonders" (n2'lS3), or, in narrower sense, are spoken of as wonderful The root from which these spring works (Niphleoth). has been spoken of in connection with our study of the special principium, and the effort to explain them subjectively may be said to have been abandoned. If it is entirely true that they mostly fell to the share of believers, and that unbelievers sometimes did not see what believers saw very clearly,

this affords not

the least ground to subjectivize Holy Script-

the miracles as such, after the intention of the ure.

Together with those single wonders, which one ob-

served and another not, there are a number of others, which revealed themselves with an overwhelming impression to all Just remember the exodus from Egypt that were present. and the miracles in the wilderness. Again, it may not be forgotten that the simple presence of a fact is not enough to cause it to be perceived. As often as our mind is abstracted,

and our attention refuses its action, it occurs that something Of is said or done in our presence which escapes our notice. All these medithis, therefore, nothing more need be said. tation-theories have had their day, and nothing remains except the absolute denial of the miracle on one hand, and on the other hand the frank confession of its reality. Meanwhile, in the matter of inspiration,

we

are less concerned about

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