Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

7. It is the duty of the godly to give God thanks for his saving Grace; for converting them, giving them the Holy Ghost, Justifying, Adopting them, &c. Must none perform this duty but they that have attained Assurance of their Conversion, Justification, Adoption, &c? Then it is not many that must perform it. But if others may and must do this, on the same ground they may and must perform the other. It is the duty of every child of God to pray and praise God in the relation of a child, in a special sense, and to call God Father in a special sense, and to plead those Promises with him that are the proper portion of his Children. And must all omit this that have no assurance or subjective Certainty? It it the duty of each member of the mystical body of Christ to love the Saints, and assist them as fellow-members: Must none do this, that is not certain of his own member-ship? If I should instance in all the particulars of Christian Duty that this case extendeth to, you would see that this your principle reduced to practice would make bu• unhappy work in the Church and would do much to the extirpation of a very great part (if not the far greatest) of the service of God.

8. In all such Cases our Actions must follow the smallest prevalent persuasions of our Judgement, though far short of full Assurance. If a true Believer do think himself to be such, he may profess himself such: When so far as he knoweth his own heart, he doth believe and repent, he may profess that he doth believe and repent, implying or expressing that he speaketh according to the knowledge he hath of his own heart. We are so strange to our selves, that if only Certainty must move us to Action, I think we should sleep out the most of our lives. He speaks sincerely that speaks according to his persuasion, and as he thinks, though he be not certain.

8. In all such Cases our Actions must follow the smallest prevalent perswasions of our Judgement, though far short of full Assurance. If a true Believer do think himself to be such, he may profess himself such: When so far as he knoweth his own heart, he doth believe and repent, he may profess that he doth believe and repent, implying or expressing that he speaketh according to the knowledge he hath of his own heart. We are so strange to our selves, that if only Certainty must move us to Action, I think we should sleep out the most of our lives. He speaks sincerely that speaks according to his perswasion, and as he thinks, though he be not certain.