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,…

so likewise in that great day of reckoning and audit of Angels, those stewards will be found damnable, and judged unworthy to have had access to the Lord his treasury, who having received of God singular graces, and plentiful gifts for the building up of his Church, and distributing things necessary to the Saints in due season, have notwithstanding enriched themselves alone, and impoverished their fellow servants, unto whose use, and for whose good such rich revenues of God his graces and gifts were committed to their fidelity.

so likewise in that great day of reckoning and audite of Angels, those stewards will bee found damnable, and iudged vnworthie to haue had accesse to the Lord his treasurie, who hauing receiued of God singular graces, and plentifull gifts for the building vp of his Church, and distributing things necessarie to the Saints in due season, haue notwithstanding enriched themselues alone, and impouerished their fellow seruants, vnto whose vse, and for whose good such rich reuenewes of God his graces and gifts were committed to their fidelitie.

It followeth in the Psalm, The sorrows of them that offer to another God shall be multiplied: their offering of blood I will not offer, neither make mention of their names with my lips. Here the man of God declareth himself to be no lukewarm professor, and therefore as in the third verse he showeth the profession of his faith concerning the communion of Saints, so in the fourth verse be protesteth his hatred to the false worshippers, and he teacheth that none can truly love the Saints, but he must also hate the wicked. God cannot abide to be worshipped in part, or by mixture of religion, as though the Ark and Dagon, God and Mammon, Christ and Belial should be joined in worship together. Many are not so fully contented with the Saints, as that they are throughly discontented with the wicked, who so long as they see matters of civill authority and good order have success, can love the word to serve time and season, whose liking of it is so small, that when other religion cometh, they find not themselves much discontented. But we must learn so to believe in the true religion, as our faith may draw out of us an unchangeable love, and this true love must be free from all appearance of idolatry, and contrary religion whatsoever. If ever this doctrine was necessary, it is now most needful, sith true religion so decayeth, false religion so aboundeth, heathenish profaneness so groweth; all which no doubt arise o so little esteeming, and small liking of the truth. For whereof first did spring heathenishness? Even from hence, men were contented that every nation should worship as they listed and liked whereupon they did grow to have both their country gods, and household gods; for we read that the Senate of the Romans would receive Christ as their God, yet so, as they would also maintain their own gods. Not much unlike is our family of love, and common sort of Protestants, both which can easily tolerate any kind of religion, come what profession come will. Wherefore we may see how this Psalm fitly may be used, when we will accuse our selves of want of love to the Saints, or when we will accuse our selves of wat of hatred to idolaters, seeing the spirit of the man of God so earnest, and our selves so cold herein.