"He said that they had 'heard strange things to-day. If they are true,
we have no foundation underneath our feet. Every man's moral sentiments,
it seems, are to be his guide. Where, then, is our common appeal? For
his part he believed that if God be our heavenly Father, he has given
his children an authentic book, a writing, for their guide, unless he
prefers to speak personally with them, or with their representatives.
When he ceased to speak by the prophets, he spoke to us by his Son; and
now that his Son is ascended, I believe,' said he, 'that inspired men
are appointed to guide us, and seeing that they cannot reach all by
their living voice, I believe that the evangelists and apostles are to
furnish us with writings which shall be inspired disclosures of God's
will and our duty. The Old Testament is as truly God's word as ever;
Christ declared that not one jot or tittle should pass from it, till all
be fulfilled. Some of it is fulfilled, in him, the end of the types;
parts of it refer to local and temporary things; all which is not local
and temporary is still binding upon us. At least, the spirit of its laws
is benevolent and wise. Damascus and its scenes are too fresh in the
memories of the brethren to need that I should argue the inspiration of
the Apostle to the Gentiles.
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