IT is infallibly safe, because no man has ever been able to show any evil consequences that could possibly follow the believer, upon any hypothesis. No man of any reason has ever doubted the safety of relying upon the Bible, if it be true. But we go beyond this, and declare, without hesitation, that if it were possible for it to prove untrue, it is infallibly safe to believe and rely upon it. Its moral precepts, to say the least, are good as any on earth. Its requirements in all our present relations are competent to make us as good and happy as we are capable of being in this life. And, certainly, if it could possibly prove untrue, the belief of it could not endanger our happiness in the life to come. Beyond all controversy, he who believes and practices the Bible, attains to the highest perfection and happiness of which his being is capable in this life, and stands as good a chance for happiness in the life to come as he who rejects it. And if, in the end, the whole could be shown to be a mistake, no man living can show that the believer in the Bible can possibly be in danger, in this world or in the world to come. No evil consequences can possibly follow the believer, in any event. It is strange, if that which is infallibly safe, should not prove true.
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.