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,…

For woeful experience hath taught, that these foolish devices of men having but once crept over the threshold into the doors of the Church, did thrust out with the loathsomeness of their presence the holy ordinances of God, in that when men could not brook the crosses and afflictions which are incident to true Christians, they would invent for a further ease a cross of wood; and when they were weary of hearing their filthy sins laid open to bring them to Christ, they provided for that: & in stead of preaching they had Mass singing. Wherefore it may truly be said of superstitious ceremonies and Christian religion, as the Heathen man reporteth of the Hedgehog and the Satire, who entertaining the Hedgehog which he had found for his guest, was so pricked with his thorny bristles, as he was constrained to go out of his house. A very ill guest displacing his host, a perilous tenant dispossessing his landlord. Howbeit we know, that these superstitious worshippers pretended a very great devotion to Christ on their Passion Sunday in a solemn making of sepulchres, in chanting divers songs sometime in Pilates tune, sometime in Herod's tune, sometime in the Pharisees tune, and sometime in the Disciples tune: in all which the devil bereaved them of the pure use and due consideration of Christ crucified. And yet some of these would hate a Jew, some would spit at a Jew, some would weep to hear the name of Christ, and would pity his death. I am the longer in these things to make the judgements of God in them profitable instructions to us, by provoking men to thankfulness for their deliverance, if in truth they be delivered, that is, if they be not now as profane, as ever they were superstitious, not forsaking but changing the sin.

For wofull experience hath taught, that these foolish deuices of mē hauing but once crept ouer the threshold into the doores of the Church, did thrust out with the lorhsomnes of their presence the holie ordinances of God, in that when men could not brooke the crosses and afflictions which are incident to true Christians, they would inuent for a further ease a crosse of wood; and when they were wearie of hearing their filthy sinnes laid open to bring them to Christ, they prouided for that: & in stead of preaching they had Masse singing. Wherefore it may truly be said of superstitious ceremonies and Christian religion, as the Heathen man reporteth of the Hedgehog and the Satyre, who entertaining the Hedgehog which he had found for his guest, was so prickt with his thornie brissels, as he was constrained to goe out of his house. A very ill guest displacing his hoste, a perilous tenant dispossessing his landlord. Howbeit we know, that these superstitious worshippers pretended a very great deuotion to Christ on their Passion Sunday in a solemne making of sepulchers, in chaunting diuers songs sometime in Pilates tune, sometime in Herods tune, sometime in the Pharisies tune, and sometime in the Disciples tune: in all which the diuell bereaued them of the pure vse and due consideration of Christ crucified. And yet some of these would hate a Iew, some would spit at a Iew, some would weepe to heare the name of Christ, and would pitie his death. I am the longer in these things to make the iudgements of God in them profitable instructions to vs, by prouoking men to thankfulnes for their deliuerance, if in truth they be deliuered, that is, if they be not now as prophane, as euer they were superstitious, not forsaking but changing the sinne.