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,…

But let us weigh these things more particularly,¹ and let us know that the first step to a good name, is the careful and continual avoidance of evil, both outward and inward. In outward and gross evils we must first beware of all evil generally: which thing if we be not careful to do, then will our good name be soon impaired. Secondly, we must narrowly look unto some special sins, whereunto our nature is most inclinable and subject: For as one dead fly corrupteth a whole box of ointment, though it be most precious; so some one sin doth often crack the credit of a man, though otherwise he have been very well reported of. And if it behooveth every man thus nearly to look to his ways, then much more is it needful that every^{2 3}child of God should so do. For the world, through the hatred it beareth to them, dealeth with them as it dealeth with witches & Physicians. The witch though she fail in twenty things, yet if she do some one thing aright, though it be but small, the world loveth⁴ and commendeth her for a good and wise woman. But the Physician, if he work six⁵ hundred cures, yet if through the waywardness of his patient, or for the punishment of his patients sin he fail but in one, that one fail doth more turn to his discredit, than his manifold goodly and notable cures do get him praise. In this manner doth the world deal with men, if a worldly man have but an outward gift of strength, of speech, or of comeliness, he shall be greatly praised and counted a goodly man, though he be an Idolater, or a profane person, and though he swim and flow over in all manner of vices But let the child of God be truly zealous in true religion, let him be honest and holy in conversation, yet if there be but one infirmity in him, or if he have through weakness fallen⁶ once into some one sin, that one infirmity against which he striveth, or that one sin for which he is grieved, shall drown all the graces of God in him be they never so great, and the world will account him a most wicked man. Seeing then this is the enmity of the world against Gods people, how warily ought they to walk in so crooked and froward a generation?