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,…

We hold then certain general rules of the power, providence, and wisdom of God, of our redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ, of our effectual sanctification, of the forgiveness of our sins, of the hope of the glorious resurrection and of a better life, of obedience, prayer, discipline, and holy conversation in despite of all heretics, against which though they dispute, declaim, rail, and write, we will never leese the hold. Secondly, which is a thing unto these men unacquainted, we use to mark the scope and drift of the writer, we compare the things that go before, with the things that follow after, we confer one place with another, the old Testament with the new, the allegories with the plain speeches: we see a perfect harmony in the scriptures, we refuse all dissenting and disagreeing doctrine to the scriptures; all which neither Turk, Papist, nor Familist will do; and therefore we have the trueth in these last days, which neither Mahomet, Bishop of Rome, nor H. N have: and therefore we will not be judged by their revelations, traditions, and dreams, but by the scriptures, whereby we judge them: and in this sense we say the last days, or fullness of time, because we have the trueth. But yet the villanoust wretches which heap up to the brim the measure of their sins, will not also stick to say with us, that these are the last days, that is, as they interpret it, who so cometh into the house of love and is illuminated, is now risen again, and hath heard the last trump, and is become of an Angelical nature, needing no eating, drinking, or marrying, after the manner of men: and these are our ranging rogues, who will tie themselves to no calling, but live as they think in the resurrection. See how needful it is to understand this phrase aright of the last days. We call not them the last days, in respect that no further time shall be, but in respect hereof that these days shall not be ended until Christ come, and give up the kingdom to God the Father: and as these last days were begun at his first coming in humility in the flesh, so they shall end at his last coming in glory to judgement.

We hold then certaine generall rules of the power, prouidence, and wisedome of God, of our redemption and saluation by Iesus Christ, of our effectuall sanctification, of the forgiuenes of our sinnes, of the hope of the glorious resurrection and of a better life, of obedience, prayer, discipline, and holy conuersation in despite of all heretikes, against which though they dispute, declame, raile, and write, wee will neuer leese the hold. Secondly, which is a thing vnto these men vnacquainted, we vse to marke the scope and drift of the writer, we compare the things that goe before, with the things that follow after, wee conferre one place with another, the olde Testament with the new, the allegories with the plaine speeches: we see a perfit harmonie in the scriptures, wee refuse all dissenting and disagreeing doctrine to the scriptures; all which neither Turke, Papist, nor Familist will doe; and therefore we haue the trueth in these last dayes, which neither Mahomet, Bishop of Rome, nor H. N haue: and therefore we will not be iudged by their reuelations, traditions, and dreames, but by the scriptures, whereby we iudge them: and in this sense we say the last dayes, or fulnes of time, because we haue the trueth. But yet the villanoust wretches which heape vp to the brimme the measure of their sins, will not also stick to say with vs, that these are the last dayes, that is, as they interpret it, who so cōmeth into the house of loue and is illuminated, is now risen againe, and hath heard the last trumpe, and is become of an Angelicall nature, needing no eating, drinking, or marrying, after the manner of men: and these are our ranging rogues, who will tye themselues to no calling, but liue as they thinke in the resurrection. See how needefull it is to vnderstand this phrase aright of the last dayes. We call not them the last dayes, in respect that no further time shall be, but in respect hereof that these dayes shall not be ended vntill Christ come, and giue vp the kingdome to God the Father: and as these last dayes were begun at his first comming in humilitie in the fleshe, so they shall ende at his last comming in glorie to iudgement.