“The body of Scripture is a doctrine sufficient to live well.
It comprehends many holy sciences, whereof one is principal; others are handmaids or retainers.
The principal science is theology.
Theology is the science of living blessedly forever.
Blessed life arises from the knowledge of God:
“This is life eternal, that they know thee to be the only very God, and whom thou hast sent, Christ Jesus” (John 17:3). “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant”—viz., Christ—“justify many” (Isa. 53:11).
And therefore it arises likewise from the knowledge of ourselves, because we know God by looking into ourselves.
Theology has two parts: the first, of God; the second, of His works.”
-William Perkins, “A Golden Chain,” The Works of William Perkins, Volume 6, ed. Joel R. Beeke, Greg A. Salazar, and Derek W. H. Thomas (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2018), 6: 11.
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