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,…

and these men, though as yet they are not plunged in heresy, yet without the special grace of God preventing them, are in the high way as ready to be trained up to heresy, and thus being over wise and over just they cannot in truth rejoice in the cross of Christ. The unfaithful friends being both protestants ⟨p. 366⟩and professors, though they be no plain atheists▪ but give some countenance to the Gospel, do neither chiefly rejoice in Christ, nor truly sorrow for their sins, which notwithstanding are so great, as neither the virtue of Christ his death, nor the power of his resurrection appeareth in their lives, or in their deaths: and these men be either by degrees tending to profane atheism, or they are brought up to be superstitious Papists, and gross heretics. Contrary to all these professed enemies and not hearty friends are they, who so truly meditate on Christ his birth, death, and resurrection, as they chiefly mourning for their sins, think this the greatest knowledge to know Christ crucified, and count this their highest joy to rejoice in the cross of Christ: by which knowledge not of any spiritual and imagined Christ, by which joy not in ceremony or superstition they labour to crucify the world, not to forsake or utterly to neglect the necessary things of this life, they endeavour to restrain, not to destroy their flesh, & finally to become new creatures, and yet not here to live like Angels. Thus we see how requisite this treatise will be, both that we may be delivered from the Papists superstitions, from the monstrous conceits of Heretics, from the sinister meditation of unadvised persons, and the carnal consideration of worldly professors, as also by it to come to some sound fruit of Christ his death, and from the fruit feeling to engender faith, that from true faith may spring true love, and from our love may grow true practise.

and these men, though as yet they are not plunged in heresie, yet without the speciall grace of God preuenting them, are in the high way as readie to be trained vp to heresie, and thus being ouer wise and ouer iust they cannot in truth reioyce in the crosse of Christ. The vnfaithfull friends being both protestants ⟨p. 366⟩and professors, though they be no plaine atheists▪ but giue some countenance to the Gospell, do neither chiefely reioyce in Christ, nor truly sorrow for their sinnes, which notwithstanding are so great, as neither the vertue of Christ his death, nor the power of his resurrection appeareth in their liues, or in their deaths: and these men be either by degrees tending to prophane atheisme, or they are brought vp to be superstitious Papists, and grosse heretiques. Contrary to all these professed enemies and not heartie friends are they, who so truly meditate on Christ his birth, death, and resurrection, as they chiefely mourning for their sinnes, thinke this the greatest knowledge to know Christ crucified, and count this their highest ioy to reioyce in the crosse of Christ: by which knowledge not of any spirituall and imagined Christ, by which ioy not in ceremonie or superstition they labour to crucifie the world, not to forsake or vtterly to neglect the necessarie things of this life, they endeuour to restraine, not to destroy their flesh, & finally to become new creatures, and yet not here to liue lik Angels. Thus we see how requisite this treatise will be, both that we may be deliuered from the Papists superstitiōs, from the monstrous conceits of Heretikes, from the sinister meditation of vnaduised persons, and the carnall consideration of worldly professors, as also by it to come to some sound fruite of Christ his death, and from the fruite feeling to engender faith, that from true faith may spring true loue, and from our loue may grow true practise.