The Breastplate of Faith and Love

Secondly,¹ if this be so that we are to be judged by our actions, then this will follow from it, that poor Christians are better taught than the greatest Clerks, they are better taught I say, because they do more, therefore indeed they know more; for all the knowledge we have, all the sincerity, whatsoever is right within us, if it be to be judged by the actions, then he that doth most he knows most; for no man knoweth more than he practiseth, because what knowledge soever a man hath that he practiseth not, mark it, it is a dead knowledge, it is an inefficacious knowledge. When things are dead and inefficacious, we say they are not; as leaven that doth not leaven the dough, it hath but the name of leaven and no more, the thing it self is wanting; it is not knowledge if it bring not forth practise. As we say of of drugs, they are not true when they do not work, but they are false and counterfeit. Every man is to be judged by what ⟨p. 198⟩he doth: Therefore I say those that do most, those are knowing men, Those that seem to know, as the Apostle saith, know nothing as they ought: a man may know much, a man may have a large extent of knowledge, yet this is true of him, if his life be barren, if he bring forth nothing into action all the while, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know, though he know much: On the other side, the other sort though their extent be never so small, yet what they know they know as they ought. Therefore when you look upon men in the world, when you would make a judgement of them, I say those that know most they are not the best, you must not put them in the highest degree, when you come to matters of religion, but men are to be judged by their actions; when men have knowledge only to know, as they have money to account with, and not to buy and sell with it, it is but dead, a man hath no good by it, that money makes him not the richer; so men that have knowledge only to know with, not to make them more useful in their lives, more serviceable to God, and profitable to man, it is unprofitable knowledge: therefore those are the wisest men, let them seem never such fools, though they are not able to speak so much as others, yet they know most that practise most. For there is that difference between art and wisdom;

Secondly,¹ if this be so that we are to be judged by our actions, then this will follow from it, that poore Christians are better taught than the greatest Clerkes, they are better taught I say, because they doe more, therefore indeede they know more; for all the knowledge wee have, all the sinceritie, whatsoever is right within us, if it be to be judged by the actions, then he that doth most hee knowes most; for no man knoweth more than hee practiseth, because what knowledge soever a man hath that hee practiseth not, marke it, it is a dead knowledge, it is an inefficacious knowledge. When things are dead and inefficacious, wee say they are not; as leaven that doth not leaven the dough, it hath but the name of leaven and no more, the thing it selfe is wanting; it is not knowledge if it bring not forth practise. As we say of of drugges, they are not true when they doe not worke, but they are false and counterfeit. Every man is to be judged by what