A02178:2270
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,…
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: revised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as love the truth, and desire to know the power of godliness. By H.H.The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.
London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for William Welby, 1612London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for VVilliam VVelby, 1612
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Did we believe that Satan could sit in our consciences, deluding judgement and understanding, and casting a mist on reason, would we •••t be more jealous of reason? would we not be more fearful of our selves? yes surely. Let us then consider, that besides our selves which were enough, Satan adds both corruption to judgement and affection. And herein specially Satan shows himself a subtle Apostate, in that he cares not whether we be sound in judgement and corrupt in life, or careful in life, and corrupted in Religion, so we may be one. Hereof it comes, that heretics are precise in life, and good Christians are so careless in conversation: so either he gathers false conclusions on good principles, or else glorious sequels of rotten premisses. To go back to the plain sense of these men, the meaning is not, that we fight not with flesh and blood at all, but we chiefly or only fight not with flesh and blood. The like speech is in the word, as, Thy name shall not be Jacob, but Israel, that is, Jacob only. Again, in the Epistle it is said, The word is not in word, but in power, that is, the Gospel is not chiefly in word, or only in the word. Again, Rom. 7. & Galat. 5. it is plain, we fight with flesh and blood. And John 15. we fight against the world. Wherefore seeing we fight not against our selves only, but against such adversaries as whet up our selves against our selves; and therefore we stand in need of all the armour that may be, which we shall see to be more requisite, if we consider that it were enough to fight with an adversary either strong or wise; but seeing we conflict with them, who for strength and subtlety too are equal with the good Angels. For their power these adversaries are called Powers, as Coloss. 2. Rom 8. So are the good Angels Powers, as Ephes. 2. Heb. 1. Herein the evil spirits differ from the heavenly spirits, in that these are from heaven, & for the good of the Church: those are governors of the world, that is, of the corrupt estate of the world; so that their whole power is against the children of the world. Satan may strike the children of the best, but slay them he can not. CHRIST calleth Satan the Prince of the world, and Paul calleth him the god of the world; Christ calleth him a strong armed soldier or giant: yet God be blessed all his strength is in the world.