Quest. 10. And I pray you tell me, Do you think that the works in which they differ from you are good or bad? Is it good or bad to hear Sermons and repeat them for the help of memory, to pray and praise God together, and to live in the Communion of Saints, which in your Creed you profess to believe. If you have the face to say this is evil or needless, you accuse God himself that hath so often commanded it. If it be evil, its long of God that so urgently requireth it, and not of them: But if you dare not say so, but confess it is good, why then do you not imitate them? What! will you forbear Good, because others do Evil? Will you sin against God in one kind, if they do so in another? We desire you not to join with them in evil? If they deceive, or lie, or oppress, do not you do so: But will you therefore refuse your duty to God; and therefore destroy your own souls? It is to God and not to them that your duty is necessary. Its God that commandeth it, and God you owe it to: And will you abuse God and rob him, because you have hard conceits of men? Will you abuse him, because you think they do? And who is it that will have the loss of this but your selves? The Lord hath witnessed that without holiness none shall see God, Heb. 12. 14. And will you neglect an holy life, and shut your selves out of heaven, and damn your own souls, because you think professors are bad? A wise course indeed. Starve your selves because professors wear clothes, and famish your selves because they use to eat. This is a wiser trick of the two, then to neglect or refuse an holy diligent life, because they use it.
Quest. 10. And I pray you tell me, Do you think that the works in which they differ from you are good or bad? Is it good or bad to hear Sermons and repeat them for the help of memory, to pray and praise God together, and to live in the Communion of Saints, which in your Creed you profess to believe. If you have the face to say this is evil or needless, you accuse God himself that hath so often commanded it. If it be evil, its long of God that so urgently requireth it, and not of them: But if you dare not say so, but confess it is good, why then do you not imitate them? What! will you forbear Good, because others do Evil? Will you sin against God in one kind, if they do so in another? We desire you not to joyn with them in evil? If they deceive, or lie, or oppress, do not you do so: But will you therefore refuse your duty to God; and therefore destroy your own souls? It is to God and not to them that your duty is necessary. Its God that commandeth it, and God you owe it to: And will you abuse God and rob him, because you have hard conceits of men? Will you abuse him, because you think they do? And who is it that will have the loss of this but your selves? The Lord hath witnessed that without holiness none shall see God, Heb. 12. 14. And will you neglect an holy life, and shut your selves out of heaven, and damn your own souls, because you think professors are bad? A wise course indeed. Starve your selves because professors wear cloathes, and famish your selves because they use to eat. This is a wiser trick of the two, then to neglect or refuse an holy diligent life, because they use it.
