BUT may not public opinion, or even the Church, decide wrong? It may, and, no doubt, does sometimes. So may any court, man can establish; and it may turn out that the world may become so bad, or the church may become so perverted or corrupted, that a man can not get a fair decision. Still, it is the best that can be done, for us all to be free alike, before the court of public opinion, and the church, and if we should get a wrong decision here, the last or final appeal is to the court of heaven, to the judgment of the Great Day. But in a country like this, where a man has been among a people all his life; been an upright and true man; conducted himself with consistency and propriety; there must be something very singular in his course, and peculiar indeed, if he can not get a fair hearing and decision from public opinion, or from the church. There must be something very peculiar in his course to unsettle their confidence; to start doubts in their minds in reference to his soundness; to fill the public mind with distrust. There must be something not straightforward.
A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin Franklin
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About This Book
A curated anthology of sermons, debates, tracts, and miscellaneous religious writings arranged by subject and indexed for quick reference. Selections treat biblical authority, church order and practices (such as baptism and communion), pastoral responsibilities and preaching, moral exhortation, repentance and salvation, missionary effort, and reflections on life’s brevity. Short homiletic pieces blend doctrinal argument with practical counsel and urgent appeals for immediate personal and communal reform, offering guidance for Christian conduct and for those engaged in ministry or church renewal.