ABSTRACT
The whole amount of influence, which ministers of the Gospel exert upon the community, cannot be ascertained. It is natural for man to speak the truth; it is equally natural to believe what others say. The principle of veracity is met and answered by the principle of faith; and as the veracity of man is found to be imperfect, so his faith in testimony must be correspondently modified. The theologian must also discriminate between the authority of the mass of believers and the authority of a few leading minds. The theologian must also scrutinize the degree of authority that belongs to each particular speculation of the masters in doctrine. The theologian should pursue an eclectic course in regard to the opinions of his predecessors. It is a proverb, one man can do but few things well; and scarcely any man is an authority in more than one department.
