What to? Uniformity of
opinion? No. Uniformity of worship? No. Uniformity of life? No.
Uniformity of feeling, of affection, of effort? No. It does not even
require uniformity in those matters. It supposes diversity. It asks only
for sincerity, honesty, fidelity. But it is an infallible guide to all
truth and duty, you say. Has it guided you to all truth and duty? No.
Whom _has_ it guided to those blessed results? You cannot say.
But it is an infallible guide to all that truth which is necessary to a
man's salvation, you say. But there is no particular amount of truth
that _is_ necessary to a man's salvation. The amount of truth necessary
to a man's salvation differs according to his powers and privileges.
That which is necessary to my salvation may not be necessary to the
salvation of a Pagan. It is sincerity in the search of truth, and
fidelity in reducing it to practice, which is necessary to a man's
salvation, and not the acquisition of some particular quantity of truth.
The Bible is an infallible guide. To whom? To the Catholics? No. To the
Unitarians? No. To the Quakers? No. To the Church of England people? No.
To Methodists and Calvinists? No.
That the Bible is a trusty guide enough, I have no doubt, if we will
faithfully and prayerfully follow it; but to talk as if it would guide
every one infallibly to exactly the same views, or to the fulness of all
truth, is not wise.
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