SERM. In which words, our bleffed SAVIOUR does from a CXIII. particular inftance take occafion to fettle a general

conclufion; namely, that religion doth mainly confift in practice, and that the knowledge of his doctrine, without the real effects of it upon our lives, will bring no man to heaven. In the beginning of this chapter our great LORD and master, to testify his love to his disciples, and to give them a lively instance and example of that great virtue of humility, is pleased to condefcend to a very low and mean office, fuch as was used to be performed by fervants to their masters, and not by the mafter to his fervants; namely, to wash their feet; and when he had done this, he asks them if they did understand the meaning of this ftrange action. "Know ye what I have "done unto you? ye call me mafter, and LORD, "and ye fay well, for fo I am: if I then your "LORD and mafter have washed your feet, ye also

ought to wash one anothers feet; for I have

given you an example, that ye fhould do as I have "done to you. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, the "fervant is not greater than the LORD, neither he "that is fent greater than he that fent him; if ye "know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." As if he had faid, this which I have now done, is eafy to be understood, and fo likewife are all those other chriftian graces and virtues, which I have heretofore by my doctrine and example recommended to you; but it is not enough to know these things, but ye muft likewife do them. The end and the life of all our knowledge in religion, is to put in practice what we know. It is neceflary indeed that we should know our duty; but knowledge alone will never bring us to that happiness, which religion defigns to

make

make us partakers of, if our knowledge have not its SER M. due and proper influence upon our lives. Nay, fo far will our knowledge be from making us happy, if it be feparated from the virtues of a good life, that it will prove one of the heavieft aggravations of our misery; and it is as if he had faid, “if ye know "these things, wo be unto you, if you do them "not."

From these words then, I fhall obferve thefe three things, which I fhall speak but briefly to.

First, that the knowledge of God's will, and our duty, is neceffary to the practice of it; "if ye know "these things;" which supposeth that we must know our duty, before we can do it.

Secondly, that the knowledge of our duty, and the practice of it, may be, and too often are, feparated. This likewise the text fuppofeth, that men may know their duty, and yet not do it; and that this is very frequent, which is the reason why our SAVIOUR gives this caution.

Thirdly, that the practice of religion, and the doing of what we know to be our duty, is the only way to happiness; "if ye know these things, hapέσ py are ye if ye do them." begin with the

First of these, namely, that the knowledge of GOD's will and our duty, is neceffary in order to the practice of it. The truth of this propofition is fo clear and evident at first view, that nothing can obfcure it, and bring it in question, but to endeavour to prove it; and therefore instead of spending time in that, I fhall take occafion from it, justly to reprove that prepofterous courfe which is taken, and openly avowed and juftified by fome, as the safest and best way to make men religious, and to bring them to happi

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SERM. happiness; namely, by taking away from them the CXIII. means of knowledge; as if the best way to bring men to do the will of GOD, were to keep men from knowing it. For what elfe can be the meaning of that maxim fo current in the church of Rome, "that ignorance is the mother of devotion?" or of that ftrange and injurious practice of theirs of locking up from the people that great store-house and treafury of divine knowledge," the holy fcriptures," in an unknown tongue?

I know very well, that in juftification of this hard ufage of their people, it is pr.tended that knowledge is apt to puff men up, to make them proud and contentious, refractory and difobedient, and heretical, and what not? and particularly, that the free and familiar ufe of the holy fcriptures permitted to the people, hath miniftred occafion to the people of falling into great and dangerous errors, and of making great difturbance and divifions among chriftians. For anfwer to this pretence, I defire thefe four or five things may be confidered.

First, that unless this be the natural and neceffary effect of knowledge in religion, and of the free ufe of the holy fcriptures, there is no force in this reafon; and if this be the proper and natural effect of this knowledge, then this reafon will reach a great way farther, than thofe who make use of it are willing it fhould.

Secondly, that this is not the natural and necef fary effect of knowledge in religion, but only accidental, and proceeding from mens abuse of it; for which the thing itfelf is not to be taken away.

Thirdly, that the proper and natural effects and confequences of ignorance, are equally pernicious,

and

and much more certain and unavoidable, than those SER M. which are accidentally occafioned by knowledge. CXIII.

Fourthly, that if this reafon be good, it is much ftronger for withholding the fcriptures from the priefts and the learned, than from the people.

Fifthly, that this danger was as great, and as well known in the apoftles time, and yet they took a quite contrary course.

First, I defire it may be confidered, that unless this be the natural and neceffary effect of knowledge in religion, and of the free ufe in the holy fcriptures, there is no force in this reafon; for that which is neceffary, or highly ufeful, ought not to be taken away, because it is liable to be perverted, and abused to ill purposes. If it ought, then not only knowledge in religion, but all other knowledge ought to be restrained and fuppreffed; for all knowledge is apt to puff up, and liable to be abused to many ill purposes. At this rate, light, and liberty, and reason, yea and life itself, ought all to be taken away, because they are all greatly abused by many men, to fome ill purposes or other, fo that unless thefe ill effects do naturally and neceffarily fpring from knowledge in religion, the objection from them is of no force; and if they do neceffarily flow from it, then this reafon will reach a great way farther than those that make use of it are willing it fhould; for if this be true, that the knowledge of religion, as it is revealed in the holy fcriptures, is of its own nature so pernicious, as to make men proud and contentious and heretical, and difobedient to authority, then the blame of all this would fall upon our bleffed SAVIOUR, for revealing fo pernicious a doctrine, and upon his apoftles for publifhing

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CXIII.

SERM. lifhing this doctrine in a known tongue to all mankind, and thereby laying the foundation of perpetual fchifms and herefies in the church.

Secondly, but this is not the natural and neceffary effect of knowledge in religion, but only accidental, and proceeding from mens abuse of it, for which the thing itself ought not to be taken away. And thus much certainly they will grant, because it cannot with any face be denied; and if fo, then the means of knowledge are not to be denied, but only men are to be cautioned not to pervert and abuse them. And if any man abuse the holy fcriptures to the patronizing of error or herefy, or to any other bad purpose, he does it at his peril, and must give an account to GoD for it, but ought not to be deprived of the means of knowledge, for fear he, should make an ill use of them. We must not hinder men from being christians, to preserve them from being heretics; and put out mens eyes for fear they should fome time or other take upon them to difpute their way with their guides.

I remember that St. Paul, 1 Cor. viii. 1. takes notice of this accidental inconvenience of knowledge, that it puleth up, and that this pride occafioned great contentions and divifions among them: but the remedy which he prefcribes against this mifchief of knowledge is not to withhold from men the means of it, and to celebrate the fervice of GOD, the prayers of the church, and the reading of the fcriptures in an unknown tongue, but quite contrary in chap. xiv. of that epiftle, he strictly enjoins that the fervice of Go in the church be fo performed, as may be for the edification of the people; which he fays cannot be, if it be celebrated in an

unknown