Eighteen hundred years after he wrote, men insist that they know more about St. Paul's inspirations than he did himself. Against his modest, cautious discriminations, our doctors set up their theory of the Bible, clothe all his utterances with the divine authority, and honor him with an infallibility which he explicitly disclaims. The New Testament writers use language which seems, to our theory-spectacled eyes, to ascribe an infallible inspiration to the Old Testament books. But the words have no such weight. The Epistle to the Hebrews opens with the words: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," etc.[6] The author of the Second Epistle of Peter writes: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."[7] Such passages as these command the instant assent of all who reverence an ethical and spiritual inspiration in the prophets, and a real revelation through them, and they command no other belief. In the first Epistle General of Peter we read: "Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what time or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them."[8] Any idea of a progressive revelation implies that there was a light coming on into the world, which to them of olden time showed dimly a mystery into which they strove to look further. A vision of ideal goodness rose before them. It rested above the ideal Israel, chosen and called of God for a holy work. It shadowed that righteous servant of God with sorrow. The lot of the elect one was to be suffering. Thus the world was to be saved to God. This the great Prophet of the Exile saw. Christ's coming filled out this mystic vision, and it is fairly translated into the terms the Epistle uses. The prophets were, in such lofty visionings, under an influence beyond their consciousness. "The passive master lent his hand To the vast soul that o'er him planned." All other passages claimed in support of the notion of an infallible Bible fail on the witness-stand. There is positively nothing in the New Testament which lends a reasonable countenance to such an amazing theory. Even the stock argument, used when all other quotations failed, disappears in the honesty of the Revised New Testament. People who know no Greek see now that Paul did not write "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God"; but "Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."[9]