A02178:2298
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.
In that he saith, he will not make mention of their names with his lips, he declareth his through hatred unto them, which the more evidently appeareth, in that he would not only not communicate with them in his goods, but also that he would not meddle with their ceremonies. Neither must we think that this was any peculiar thing unto David, but that it was common also to all the Israelites, as we may see Exod. 23. 13 ye shall make no mention of the name of other gods, neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth, and not to them alone, but to all Christians in like manner, as appeareth Zechar. 13. 2. And in that day, faith the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, yea and they shall be no m•re remembered. Besides, the law commandeth all avoiding of occasions of idolatry, Deut. 7 25. where are set down two reasons; the one, that we should not be snared with such occasions; the other, because it is an abomination to the Lord, wherein although somewhat be political, yet because whatsoever is impure is abominable to the Lord, and our nature is prone unto, and hardly kept from corrupt religion, we hating the impurity of the doctrine, ⟨p. 321⟩must also hate the impurity of the ceremonies. To the Law agreeth also the Prophet, as Isaiah 30. 22. where the Lord not only commandeth them to avoid all idolatry, but even the appurtenances thereof, Ye shall pollute the covering of the Images of silver, and the rich ornaments of the Images of gold, and cast them away as a menstruous cloth, and thou shalt say unto it get thee hence. This seemeth preciseness and puritanism to the world, which can be content to use things for form and fashion; but if we urge upon purity, we are counted precisians. Well if it be so, then David was a precisian. The holy ghost also exhorteth us also to abstain from all appearance of evil, 1. Thess. 5 22. 1. John 5. 21. Babes keep your selves from idols. And the Apostle Jude verse 23. willeth us even to hate the garment spotted by the flesh. True it is, that one may have a private use of the meat prepared for Images; but as it is an appurtenance of idolatry, it is to be avoided.