4. No one then is so perfect in this life, as to be free from ignorance. Nor, secondly, from mistake, which indeed is almost an unavoidable consequence of it; seeing those who _know but in part_, are ever liable to err, touching the things which they know not. ’Tis true, the children of God do not mistake, as to the things essential to salvation. They do not _put darkness for light, or light for darkness_, neither _seek death in the error of their life_. For they are _taught of God_, and the way which he teaches them, the way of holiness is so plain, that _the wayfaring man, tho’ a fool, need not err therein_. But in things unessential to salvation, they do err, and that frequently. The best and wisest of men are frequently mistaken, even with regard to facts: believing those things not to have been, which really were, or those to have been done, which were not. Or suppose they are not mistaken as to the fact itself, they may be, with regard to its circumstances; believing them, or many of them, to have been quite different, from what in truth they were. And hence cannot but arise many farther mistakes. Hence they may believe either past or present actions, which were, or are evil, to be good; and such as were, or are good to be evil. Hence also they may judge, not according to truth, with regard to the characters of men: and that not only by supposing good men to be better, or wicked men to be worse than they are; but by believing them to have been, or to be good men, who were, or are very wicked: or, perhaps, those to have been, or to be wicked men, who were, or are holy and unreprovable.
5. Nay, with regard to the holy scriptures themselves, as careful as they are to avoid it, the best of men are liable to mistake, and do mistake day by day: especially, with respect to those parts thereof, which less immediately relate to practice. Hence even the children of God are not agreed, as to the interpretation of many places in holy writ: nor is their difference of opinion any proof that they are not the children of God on either side. But it is a proof, that we are no more to expect any living man, to be _infallible_ than to be _omniscient_.
6. If it be objected to what has been observed under this and the preceding head, that St. _John_ speaking to his brethren in the faith, says, _Ye have an unction from the holy one, and know all things_, 1 John ii. 20. The answer is plain, “Ye know all things that are needful for your soul’s health.” That the apostle never designed to extend this farther, that he could not speak it in an absolute sense, is clear first from hence, that otherwise he would describe the disciple as _above his master_; seeing Christ himself, as man, knew not all things.――_Of that hour_, saith he, _knoweth no man, no not the Son, but the Father only_. It is clear, secondly, from the apostle’s own words that follow, _These things have I written unto you concerning them that deceive you_: as well as from his frequently repeated caution, _Let no man deceive you_; which had been altogether needless, had not those very persons, who had that unction from the Holy One been liable not to ignorance only; but to mistake also.
7. Even Christians therefore are not _so_ perfect, as to be free either from ignorance or error. We may, thirdly, add: nor from infirmities. Only let us take care to understand this word aright. Only let us not give that soft title to known sins, as the manner of some is. So, one man tells us, “Every man has his infirmity, and mine is drunkenness:” another has the infirmity of uncleanness; another that of taking God’s holy name in vain. And yet another has the infirmity of calling his brother, _Thou fool_, or returning _railing for railing_. It is plain, that all you who thus speak, if ye repent not, shall with your infirmities, go quick into hell. But I mean hereby, not only those which are properly termed _bodily infirmities_, but all those inward or outward imperfections, which are not of a moral nature. Such are weakness or slowness of understanding, dullness or confusedness of apprehension, incoherency of thought, irregular quickness or heaviness of imagination. Such (to mention no more of this kind) is the want of a ready or retentive memory. Such in another kind are, those which are commonly in some measure consequent upon these: namely, slowness of speech, impropriety of language, ungracefulness of pronunciation: to which one might add a thousand nameless defects, either in conversation or behaviour. These are the infirmities which are found in the best of men, in a larger or smaller proportion. And from these none can hope to be perfectly freed, till the spirit returns to God that gave it.