mid-1800's Baptist book on inspiration

Alexander Carson (1776-1844/6) is perhaps best known for his book entitled Baptism: Its Mode and Subjects. That book has been reprinted many times.

Alexander Carson also wrote a book entitled The Inspiration of the Scriptures that was in defense of the Bible doctrine of inspiration. That book was reprinted in New York in 1853, and perhaps other times. Its text is available online at books.google

Here are a few statements from that book.

Alexander Carson wrote: "The honor of revelation, the comfort and edification of the believer, and the truth of the express statements of the Scriptures themselves, demand our belief that the Bible as originally given, is DIVINE IN EVERY WORD" (p. 5).

Alexander Carson wrote: "No uninspired translation can have the same authority of the inspired original" (p. 123).

Carson asked: "Where is the man that has ever raised translations to such a rank?" (p. 123).

Carson wrote: "The inferiority of the authority of translations to the inspired original, is a fact that all must equally admit" (p. 123).

Carson wrote: "But while all must admit that uninspired translations have an authority inferior to that of the inspired original, no sound critic can question the adequacy of translation for all essential purposes to the unlearned" (pp. 123-124).

Carson wrote: "We may indeed believe the inspiration of the original, and deny the inspiration of every translation that exists; but our denying of the latter is not influenced by our belief of the former" (p. 136).

Carson wrote: "The question of the inspiration of the original, is not affected by the inspiration or non-inspiration of any translation" (p. 136).

Carson wrote: "We may indeed have an inspired thought in uninspired words, as in translations of the Scriptures, but that we have the inspired thought, cannot be known on the highest evidence, but by knowing the inspired words" (p. 122).