Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Reafcnsmowing vs to the contempt of worldly kynowfedge. at i mit any (inne, when hee Teeth thofe, who arc indeed with knowledge make no confcience ofit, becaufe bee thinketh with himfelf, that none is fo defperate to leap into the gulph ofperdition wittingly and willingly; and that if there were any danger in that he doth, he would not vpon knowledge, and, as it were, on fetpurpofe run into it. Finally,he fin neth again(lhimfelfe ,in making his condemnation moreinf },and his fault more vnexcufable; for if the finnesof the Gentiles Rom .r.zo. becamevnexcufabie, becaufe they were committed again(ì the light of nature ; then how much more are their finnes without excufe,who haue much more perfe6l knowledge of Gods will,as it is reuealed in the holy Scriptures? And thus doth this vain & idleknowlcdge hurt thole that §.Set7.8. haue it in this life: in the life to come,chcy (hail find it much ¡'.-fitfll morepernicious,Firfl,becaufeit Thal increafè their bits ofac- knewledaein- counr,when at Gods great audit.they (hal glue a beckoning, ere ónine a how they haue vfed and imploied that rich talent of know- ttetn of r ledge,whichGod vouchfafed to lend vnto them ; how much iudtment. they haue excelled thofe, who warted oftheir great meafttre, in true obedience,how much by it they haue glorified God, edified their brethren, and reformed their owne liues and conuerfations : for according to the meafure ofGods gifts muff our accounts be,and he that bath receiued the greate( portion,and bath either vnprofitablieburied ir, or abufed it vnto Cnne,the greater and more fcarefull !hall his condem- nation be.And this is the lal }and greate(l euil which our vn- fruitfull knowledge will bring vnto vs,namely,that as it ag. grauateth our finne, fo alto it will increafe ou: puni(hment; for as our Sauiour faith, theferasant that knoweth his ma. fiers Luke rz.gy, will and aoth it not,fiiall be beaten with many flripes. And hence it is, that he threatneth more heauie condemnation against Tyre and Sidon, then againfi Sodom &Gomorrah;becaufe the light of the Gofpel, and confirmed by admira- ble miracles,did much more clearely Thine vnto them, then Mar. i,.ii.z. vnto the other: and the Apofile Peter of irmeth,that it had bin better for them (againfi whom he inueigheth)not to haue bnowne the may ofrighteoufne fe, then after they halmknomneit, to turnefrom the holy commandementgiaen vnt o them. Seeing