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,…

Yea let us draw an argument from the Anabaptists, and from the Family of love themselves; this is not fulfilled even in them. For are all of them Teachers▪ Indeed if they could do this, that were the way to convert all unto them: but they are not. For some, yea and the most of them are learners, & those men that seem to be teachers, are not yet according to this prophecy full of the Spirit. For the abundance of God his spirit maketh his people the bolder. Peter was not afraid of the whole Council: Steven made his persecutors and accusers ashamed, and the Apostles were always the first to answer for the defence of the doctrine. But it is thus with the Family of love? No surely. For come to the younger sort of them, then novices and learners, they will say openly somewhat, and will give some reason of their doctrine: but their Elders and illuminate men cannot be seen, they fly the light, and go into corners. Are these men full of the spirit, who so cowardly forsake the trial of their doctrine, and leave the poor people to stand to it, who are not so deep in their revelations, nor so well grounded in their mysteries of iniquity? Undoubtedly they are not: yea rather the elder heretic, the ranker knave, and he is called most notable, not which is most wise, but which is most subtle to deny a truth, and to set a face on a lie. Wherefore this is not fulfilled even among the Anabaptists and Family of love themselves. This thing then cannot literally be understood, they must needs confess that there is a borrowed speech in the verses following, where mention is made of blood, fire, and vapours of smoke: whereby is meant, that there shall be great troubles, heresies, and such like. And here the Heretics will grant a trope, though in the former they will not. God spake of the blessings of the new Testament after the manner of the old Testament,¹ because that was best known to the Jews. This deceived them, in that when they heard of the new Temple, they were zealous of the old Temple, and rejoiced in that Temple which Herod made, though it was nothing like that which Solomon made, and this deceiveth the Jews unto this day. The like error are the Papists in. For where the Scriptures say, that in the time of Christ there should be sweet incense offered in all places:

Yea let vs drawe an argument from the Anabaptists, and from the Familie of loue themselues; this is not fulfilled euen in them. For are all of them Teachers▪ Indeed if they could doe this, that were the way to conuert all vnto them: but they are not. For some, yea and the most of them are learners, & those men that seeme to be teachers, are not yet according to this prophecie full of the Spirit. For the abundance of God his spirit maketh his people the bolder. Peter was not afraid of the whole Councel: Steun made his persecutors and accusers ashamed, and the Apostles were alwaies the first to answere for the defence of the doctrine. But it is thus with the Familie of loue? No surely. For come to the younger sort of them, then nouices and learners, they will say openly somewhat, and will giue some reason of their doctrine: but their Elders and illuminate men cannot be seene, they flie the light, and goe into corners. Are these men full of the spirit, who so cowardly forsake the triall of their doctrine, and leaue the poore people to stand to it, who are not so deepe in their reuelations, nor so well grounded in their mysteries of iniquitie? Vndoubtedly they are not: yea rather the elder heretike, the ranker knaue, and he is called most notable, not which is most wise, but which is most subtile to denie a truth, and to set a face on a lie. Wherefore this is not fulfilled euen among the Anabaptists and Familie of loue themselues. This thing then cannot literally be vnderstood, they must needs confesse that there is a borrowed speech in the verses following, where mention is made of blood, fire, and vapours of smoake: whereby is meant, that there shall be great troubles, heresies, and such like. And here the Heretikes will graunt a trope, though in the former they will not. God spake of the blessings of the new Testament after the manner of the old Testament,