J. C. Ryle: We corrupt the Word of God most dangerously, when we throw any doubt on the plenary inspiration of any part of Holy Scripture. This is not merely corrupting the cup, but the whole fountain. This is not merely corrupting the bucket of living water, which we profess to present to our people, but poisoning the whole well. Once wrong on this point, the whole substance of our religion is in danger. It is a flaw in the foundation. It is a worm at the root of our theology. Once allow this worm to gnaw the root, and we must not be surprised if the branches, the leaves, and the fruit, little by little decay. The whole subject of inspiration, I am well aware, is surrounded with difficulty. All I would say is, that, in my humble judgment, notwithstanding some difficulties which we may not be able now to solve, the only safe and tenable ground to maintain is this, "” that every chapter, and every verse, and every word in the Bible has been "˜given by inspiration of God.´ We should never desert a great principle in theology any more than in science, because of apparent difficulties which we are not able at present to remove. J. C. Ryle, Warnings to the Churches (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 1992), p. 31.
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