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 to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent: all my delight is in them. The Papists could abide no Saints, but them which are in heaven; which argueth that they live in a kingdom of darkness, and err not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God: for if they were but meanly conversant in the Scriptures, in the holy Epistles, they should find almost in every Epistle mention made of the Saints, who are thereunto called in Jesus Christ, through whom they are sanctified by the holy Ghost. And mark, he calleth them excellent. Some think rich men to be excellent, some think learned men to be excellent, some count men in authority so to be: but here we are taught that those men are excellent, which are sanctified with God his graces. True it is, that learning, wisdom, authority, honour, gold and credit, are the excellent gifts of God in their kind, and yet have they not true excellency in themselves: for they make not the possessors of themselves excellent, because the wicked may have them as well as the good: and these things we see for the most part are as they are that have them. For if the good man have them, he useth them reverently, moderately & thankfully, he applieth them •o good uses, and so maketh them serve to the furtherance of good purposes. Again, if an evil man have them, he unreverently usurpeth them, immoderately useth them, and unthankfully is puffed up with them, he turneth them to evil uses, and by them promoteth ill causes. Wherefore this excellency, which is the fruit of God his spirit, is in it self only good: and this indeed maketh men truly excellent. Some say the Prophet meaneth, that seeing he cannot do good to God, he will deserve well of his Saints: but this is but one part of his meaning: so that he meaneth this and somewhat more, that is, that he will delight in them and that not only to do them good, but also to receive good from them, as may appear by his terming of them excellent ones, such as are fit as well to do good, as to receive good from others. Wherefore the Apostle saith, Rom. 1. 12. that he desired to receive mutual comfort by them. Secondly, this appeareth by the opposition of the verse following, which is of the worship of God: and therefore it cannot be restrained to outward things. Again, in that verse he maketh mention of false worshippers, as here he nameth excellent ones:

But to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent: all my delight is in them. The Papists could abide no Saints, but them which are in heauen; which argueth that they liue in a kingdome of darknes, and erre not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God: for if they were but meanly conuersant in the Scriptures, in the holy Epistles, they should finde almost in euery Epistle mention made of the Saints, who are thereunto called in Iesus Christ, through whom they are sanctified by the holy Ghost. And marke, he calleth them excellent. Some thinke rich men to be excellent, some thinke learned men to be excellent, some count men in authoritie so to be: but here wee are taught that those men are excellent, which are sanctified with God his graces. True it is, that learning, wisedome, authoritie, honour, gold and credit, are the excellent gifts of God in their kinde, and yet haue they not true excellencie in themselues: for they make not the possessors of themselues excellent, because the wicked may haue them as well as the good: and these things we see for the most part are as they are that haue them. For if the good man haue them, he vseth them reuerentely, moderatly & thankfully, he applieth them o good vses, and so maketh them serue to the furtherance of good purposes. Againe, if an euill man haue them, he vnreuerently vsurpeth them, immoderatly vseth them, and vnthankfully is puffed vp with them, he turneth them to euill vses, and by them promoteth ill causes. Wherefore this excellencie, which is the fruite of God his spirit, is in it selfe only good: and this indeed maketh men truly excellent. Some say the Prophet meaneth, that seeing he cannot doe good to God, he will deserue well of his Saints: but this is but one part of his meaning: so that he meaneth this and somewhat more, that is, that he will delight in them and that not only to doe them good, but also to receiue good from them, as may appeare by his terming of them excellent ones, such as are fit as well to doe good, as to receiue good from others. Wherfore the Apostle saith,