ly the privilege of being a blind, wretched, divided,
miserable people, unable to fortify yourselves against any error, and
allowing yourselves to be distracted by the advocate of any doctrine.
You were like a flock of helpless sheep scattered by wolves.

9. "But now you have been turned from that manifold idolatry to the
one true worship and have been enlightened by God's Word. More than
that, in Christ have been bestowed upon you great and glorious
gifts--discerning of the Scriptures, diversities of tongues, power to
work miracles--things impossible to the world. It is unmistakably
evident that you embrace the true God, who does not, like dumb idols,
leave you to wander in the error of your own speculations,
uncounseled by the Word; a living God, who speaks to you that you may
know what to expect from him, and works among you publicly and
visibly.

"Therefore, it is not for you to make divisions among yourselves
after the manner of the heathen as you see in the great Babel
confusion and divisions of the world, where no one agrees with
another, where one runs to this his idol and another to that, each
claiming superiority for his own. Knowing that you all embrace the
one true God and his Word, you are to hold together in one faith and
one mind, not disagreeing among yourselves as if you had a variety of
gods, of faiths, of baptisms, spirits and salvations."

CAVILERS THEMSELVES LED ASTRAY.

10. Paul speaks with particular plainness to the fault-finding and
insolent cavilers against Christians and to other factious leaders
when he says, "Ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye
might be led." This class peremptorily judge and criticise the life
and doctrine of the Church because they see therein a measure of
defects, and even some divisions and disagreements; notwithstanding
the fact is plainly evident to them that the Church possesses the
Word of God in purity, a knowledge of Christ, an illumined
understanding of God's will and his grace, and true comfort for all
distress of conscience, and that, in addition to all these, the Holy
Spirit manifestly operates with them. At the same time, these same
uncalled-for and self-constituted critics would never have been able
to say anything about the Christian religion had they not witnessed
that religion in the little company of Christians who have the Word
of God and the Spirit's gifts.

11. These fault-finders were individuals who, undoubtedly to a
greater