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.

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