1What may now be thought of such, as having attained to a sufficient measure of knowledge, and are with that which they know of God, and of his kind dealing with them inwardly affected, and are thereupon moved to profess as much love as the Prophet here doth, but yet fail in performance, in practice? They walk not. Their apprehension, affection, profession are all in vain; except to be as so many evidences against them, to make them the more inexcusable, and to aggravate their judgement the more. I deny not, but that knowledge of God and of his favour towards us, a good liking thereof, and a cheerful acknowledgement and profession of what we know, are very needful and useful. For walking without knowledge must needs be preposterous and erroneous: without a good affection, hypocritical and vain: and without a free profession, too too timorous. So as these three are necessary, though not sufficient. Question may be made of the truth of them all, where they are not sealed and ratified by an answerable walking and practice. And adversaries of the truth will take the more occasion to slander the truth. Our adversaries do much urge against us and our profession that we walk not: that we practise not: and allege this against our profession, to impeach the integrity of our religion: which should make us more conscionable in showing forth our good works for ⟨p. 117⟩stopping of their mouths. Our doctrine is even in this point, as in others, sound and orthodox. In Schools, in Churches, by preaching, by printing we teach a necessity of walking, of practising, of doing good works, according to this rule of the Apostle, (Tit. 3. 14.) Let ours learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. 2And we acknowledge them to be so necessary, as without them we cannot be saved.
1What may now be thought of such, as having attained to a sufficient measure of knowledge, and are with that which they know of God, and of his kind dealing with them inwardly affected, and are thereupon moved to professe as much loue as the Prophet here doth, but yet faile in performance, in practice? They walke not. Their apprehension, affection, profession are all in vaine; except to be as so many evidences against them, to make them the more inexcusable, and to aggravate their judgement the more. I deny not, but that knowledge of God and of his favour towards us, a good liking thereof, and a cheerfull acknowledgement and profession of what we know, are very needfull and usefull. For walking without knowledge must needs be preposterous and erroneous: without a good affection, hypocriticall and vaine: and without a free profession, too too timorous. So as these three are necessary, though not sufficient. Question may be made of the truth of them all, where they are not sealed and ratified by an answerable walking and practice. And adversaries of the truth will take the more occasion to slander the truth. Our adversaries doe much urge against us and our profession that we walke not: that we practise not: and alleage this against our profession, to impeach the integrity of our religion: which should make us more conscionable in shewing forth our good workes for ⟨p. 117⟩stopping of their mouthes. Our doctrine is even in this point, as in others, sound and orthodoxe. In Schooles, in Churches, by preaching, by printing we teach a necessity of walking, of practising, of doing good works, according to this rule of the Apostle, (Tit. 3. 14.) Let ours learne to maintaine good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitfull. 2And we acknowledge them to be so necessary, as without them we cannot be saved.
- 1Reprehension of such as practise not what they know and like. Ne scientiam tibi satisfacer• putes, propterea adiecit qui ambulant. &c. Basil. in Psal. 117.
- 2Or• ut ad agenda bona op•ro s•s•inemus. N•q •nim a•••er salvari nos p•ssibil• est. Chrys. Hom 47. in Gen. 22
