They are perfect enough; but they are very imperfect.
And Moses, and the Prophets, and the Apostles, are perfect enough; but
they are all imperfect. The Bible is perfect enough; but it is,
according to the ordinary meaning of the word, still imperfect.
We do not need perfection, we do not need infallibility, in anything;
and we have it not. Imperfection is better, and that we have in
everything.
And all this is in keeping with God's doings in other cases, 'The
inspiration of the Holy One giveth man understanding;' but does not make
his mind infallible. Christians 'have an unction, an inspiration, from
the Holy One, and know all things:' and yet they do not know all things;
but only those things which pertain to God and Christ: and even their
knowledge of these is acquired not all at once, or without the use of
means; but by degrees only, and by the faithful use of their natural
powers.
The Apostles were not machines. Their inspiration did not take away
their liberty, or suspend the use of their natural powers. Nor did it
teach them natural science, or history; or lift them above ordinary,
innocent errors. Nor did it cause them to learn all Christian truth at
once. They gained their knowledge by degrees. Some imagine, that the
moment the Apostles received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they
were perfect and infallible; whereas it took them nearly ten years to
learn that they were to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.
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