The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

Now let us come to the second reason, drawn (as we have showed) from the equity of the law, and contained in these words: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but ¹the seventh day, &c. This appeareth to be no hard law, nor burdensome, but easy, and such a one as all may yield unto it. For seeing the Lord hath given us six days for our calling, then let us not think it strange or straight, that he hath reserved and taken up the seventh day to himself: who, if he had commanded one day to work, and another to be bestowed in his worship, for the glorious profession of his Name, might justly have challenged it. This reason then is such, that for justice and equity cannot bu• provoke our obedience, and more forcibly chargeth us, if we be disobedient. This kind of argument is usual in the² book of God, as Genes▪ 3. 2. 3. where our mother Eve frameth this reason to the Serpent very well, had she stood to it: We eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middest of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, &c. Wherein, as she commendeth the mercy of God in giving them so largely the use of all the trees, excepted only one: so from the law of equity she exaggerateth their sin, if having so bountiful an use of many trees lawful, they should eat of the one tree that was forbidden. The same reason allegeth Joseph, to restrain his Mistress of her lewd and loth some purpose, Genes 39. 8 9. Behold (saith he) my Master knoweth not what he hath in the house with m• but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand, there is no man greater in his house then I: ••• there hath he kept any thing in his house, but only thee, because thou art his wise: how then can I d• this great wickedness▪ &c? In which place, as he on the one side commendeth his Masters liberalitie•: so on the other side he showeth, how his sin should even by the rule of justice be more heinous and horrible, if not contenting himself with his Masters courtesy, he should intrude himself into his own possession. Again, from hence Job reproveth his wife, and showeth her blasphemy,