Radicalism: When Reform Becomes Revolution: The Preface to Hooker's Laws: A Modernization

by Richard Hooker

People will often be persuaded by a credible man, but when two, three, or four good men agree about something, the issue is thought to be beyond debate, and thus often they are all led astray, either by all erring in judgment at the same point, or by too credulously deferring to the testimony of one. Even if ten people offer the same testimony, if it turns out that their knowledge comes from only one of them, then we should treat their testimony as if there had only been one of them.

Such is our human tendency, that whenever we admire somebody for their achievements in great things, it is hard to persuade us that they err in anything.

In virtually every profession, this has given the opinions of a few undue influence, so that Luther can do no wrong in the eyes of the Germans, and Calvin none in the eyes of many of the Reformed churches. We see, however, that God presents many models of virtue in Scripture, yet none of them is totally without sin, in order that to Him alone we might say, “Thou only art holy, thou only art just.” Thus it is not up to us whether God in His wisdom might permit some worthy vessels of His glory to be blemished with the stain of human frailty so that we would not esteem anyone more than he deserves.