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,…

As for the erroneous heretics, not to speak of all, let us add somewhat of the most pestilent family of love, who shoot as much too short at this prick, as the other shoot too far. For in speaking of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, these men as fools flying one extremity, run post-hast into the contrary extremity: and therefore these wretches imagining to themselves a spiritual Christ, are as much to be maliced, as the Papists are to be pitied. For after Popery yet some cause was given of rejoicing, in that the truth of the history was left unto us; but these fellows under a colour of not being ceremonial, but altogether desiring to be spiritual, take away all from us, and yet most deceitfully will seem to grant all. If ye demand any thing of Christ his birth, they will grant it; if ye ask whether he was borne of the seed of David, and of the Virgin Mary, they will confess it, but as understanding it after this allegory, for that Mary, as they say, signifieth doctrine, David the beloved service: so that this is their judgement of Christ his birth, that he was borne of the doctrine of the service of love. In like manner they will grant the resurrection of Christ his death and his burial, but in this sense, that Christ suffereth in our suffocated nature, and is crucified, when sin dieth in us, and when they suffer for the doctrine of love, and that after they have suffered and begin to be illuminated, then Christ riseth again in them, and lastly, when the light of nature getteth some clearer light of judgement, then Christ is ready to come to judgement. Thus a number having refused the Antichristian Pope, are fallen into the hands of Antichristian Atheists, and having eschewed the dregs of popery, they have wallowed most filthily in the mire of here sie. And thus much of the professed enemies. Now of the not hearted friends, whereof the one sort is not well advised, the other are not very faithful friends. The unadvised friends under a pretence of knowing nothing but Christ, condemn all humane learning, arts, and sciences, all manual professions:

As for the erroneous heretiques, not to speake of all, let vs adde somewhat of the most pestilent family of loue, who shoote as much too short at this pricke, as the other shoote too farre. For in speaking of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, these men as fooles flying one extremitie, runne post-hast into the contrary extremitie: and therefore these wretches imagining to themselues a spirituall Christ, are as much to be maliced, as the Papists are to be pittied. For after Poperie yet some cause was giuen of reioycing, in that the truth of the historie was left vnto vs; but these fellowes vnder a colour of not being ceremoniall, but altogether desiring to be spirituall, take away all from vs, and yet most deceitfully will seeme to graunt all. If ye demaund any thing of Christ his birth, they will graunt it; if ye aske whether he was borne of the seed of Dauid, and of the Virgin Mary, they will confesse it, but as vnderstanding it after this allegorie, for that Mary, as they say, signifieth doctrine, Dauid the beloued seruice: so that this is their iudgement of Christ his birth, that he was borne of the doctrine of the seruice of loue. In like manner they will graunt the resurrection of Christ his death and his buriall, but in this sense, that Christ suffereth in our suffocated nature, and is crucified, when sinne dieth in vs, and when they suffer for the doctrine of loue, and that after they haue suffered and begin to be illuminated, then Christ riseth againe in them, and lastly, when the light of nature getteth some clearer light of iudgement, then Christ is readie to come to iudgement. Thus a number hauing refused the Antichristian Pope, are fallen into the hands of Antichristian Atheists, and hauing eschued the dregs of poperie, they haue wallowed most filthily in the mire of here sie. And thus much of the professed enemies. Now of the not hearted friends, whereof the one sort is not well aduised, the other are not very faithfull friends. The vnaduised friends vnder a pretence of knowing nothing but Christ, condemne all humane learning, arts, and sciences, all manuall professions: