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,…

Besides, there is another evil more perilous than these. Through the close subtlety of Satan this mystery of iniquity is cunningly conveyed into the heads of the more learned sort, to discourse of certain places of the old Testament, which godly, learned, and ancient Fathers have construed of the resurrection, and are denied of these men. As these places, Job. 19. 25. 26. 27. and Esaj, 26 19. and Daniel, 12. 2. It may be, and I do think, their intent and purpose was not to misconstrue the places. Howbeit, it was Satan's policy to abuse the truth, and undermine our faith: it was the secret judgement of God to suffer Satan so far to buffet them. Wherefore that we may the better be armed against the day of trial, and¹ that we may stand strongly in the day of temptation, in our possession; we will by God his assistance, first set down those express testimonies in the word of God: whereby this doctrine is confirmed. Secondly, we will allege those reasons out of the Scriptures, which² imply this thing, though they do not plainly affirm it. Afterward we will unease the³ shifting visard of Heretics, whereby they would counsel men to some liking of their opinions.⁴ Wherefore, that we may the better answer the devil and his limbs, let us first consider of that translation of Enoch, Genes 5. 24. wherein the Fathers have observed a manifest testimony of the resurrection: with whom I agree in part, but not in general: because⁵ I dare not affirm with them, that the body of Enoch is in heaven, seeing as yet Christ alone is risen from the dead, and was made the first fruits of them that slept. And albeit that Enoch and Elijah did not fall asleep as did the other Fathers, yet because it is said,