| An Alphabetical Analysis Volume 10 - Practical Truth - Page 232 of 277 INDEX | |
This has now been done, and the process adopted comes under the heading
of equivocal names. Because the Hebrew word Rephaim contains the same root
letters as the Hebrew word for 'Healer', a whole nation, together with its
pedigree, is blotted out. According to this teaching the 'Giants' never
existed, they were but 'healers'. If the reader will imagine some person of
foreign extraction endeavouring to reason about the name 'Ham', and thereby
disposing of a whole section of the human race because that same word has, in
spelling, an equivocal affinity with 'bacon', he will be able to appreciate
this treatment of the subject at its true value!
Sometimes a word is used metaphorically, 'as when we speak of a
brilliant light, and a brilliant achievement':
'One of the commonest forms of fallacious reasoning arising from
ambiguity is that of arguing from a metaphorical expression as if it
were literal'.
One of the most awful examples of this false reasoning is, of course,
the use made by the Church of Rome of the Saviour's words, 'This is My body';
the metaphor is taken as a literal statement.
We trust enough has been said to cause the reader to exercise care in
the use of doctrinal terms, and those who have the time and inclination would
be well repaid if they collected lists of terms from the Scriptures for each
of the divisions suggested in this article.
The Constitution of an Assertion
We have sought to show the importance that attaches to the correct
naming of objects and ideas; and we now extend our study to consider the
nature of an assertion:
'Logic is the theory of proof, but proof supposes something provable,
which must be a proposition or assertion; since nothing but a
proposition can be an object of belief, or therefore of proof. A
proposition is discourse which affirms or denies something of some
other thing. This is one step: there must, it seems, be two things
concerned in every act of belief'.
The reader may perhaps appreciate this statement better after
considering an example. Suppose, for instance, we have the word 'Scripture'
or 'sin' or 'sacrifice'. The word, standing alone, does not assert or deny
anything; but if I say, 'Scripture is true' or 'Scripture is false', or even
'Scripture exists', I have made a proposition which is capable of proof,
faith or rejection:
'There must, it seems, be two things concerned in every act of belief.
But what are these things? They can be no other than those signified
by the two names, which being joined together by a copula (is or are)
constitute the proposition. If, therefore, we knew what all names
signify, we should know everything which, in the existing state of
human knowledge, is capable either of being made a subject of
affirmation or denial'.
To the student of Scripture these are weighty words. We have a
revelation from God, and we entertain no doubts concerning the truth and
accuracy of every part of its teaching. What an incentive to study the Word