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,…

Wherefore we must beware of the doctrine of heretics, imagining great things of perfection, as also of the profaneness of hypocrites and dissembling professors; we must neither be too righteous, nor too sinful, neither too wise, nor too foolish, neither to look for Christ alone to be without us, neither to imagine any spiritual Christ to be within us, neither with proud heretics must we please our selves with any indwelling righteousness, neither must we rest in Christ without new birth, as the drowsy Protestants: for if thou liest in sin, thou art not in Christ, because old things are gone, and new things have succeeded their place. It is marvellous that the wretched heretics cannot see their imperfections, when they still hunger, and eat, thirst, and drink, sometimes subject to sickness, sometime needing marriage, and dying as well as other men; all which things should be laid from them if they were perfectly in•••sted in Christ, and already had entered into the kingdom of glory, where we shall neither need to eat, to drink, to sleep, where we shall neither marry, nor give in marriage, there dwelleth incorruption, and immortality. No more than are they perfect in this life, than they need not these outward things, and still they shall show themselves unperfect, whilst they shall show themselves to stand in need of them. We then groan here under infirmity, & hope for our perfection in the life to come; and this is the excellency of Christiana. But where is this wisdom, where is this faith in Christ his righteousness, where is this new heart, new mind, and new affections? where be these new bodies, where is this bold courage in persecution, and comfortable looking for Jesus Christ to come a Redeemer, so that with a joyful heart we can think of our resurrection? Alas we are as yet but chickens, we are but as children, we are but as babes in Christ, and tender novices, yet clea•ing to the cradle, ⟨p. 374⟩and sticking to our swaddling bands, and well are we if we so be, and labour still to grow on.

Wherfore we must beware of the doctrine of heretikes, imagining great things of perfection, as also of the prophanenes of hypocrites and dissembling professors; we must neither be too righteous, nor too sinfull, neither too wise, nor too foolish, neither to looke for Christ alone to be without vs, neither to imagine any spirituall Christ to be within vs, neither with proud heretikes must wee please our selues with any indwelling righteousnes, neither must we rest in Christ without new birth, as the drousie Protestants: for if thou liest in sinne, thou art not in Christ, because old things are gone, and new things haue succeeded their place. It is maruellous that the wretched heretikes cannot see their imperfections, when they still hunger, and eate, thirst, and drinke, sometimes subiect to sicknes, sometime needing marriage, and dying as well as other men; all which things should be laid from them if they were perfitly insted in Christ, and alreadie had entred into the kingdome of glorie, where wee shall neither neede to eate, to drinke, to sleepe, where we shall neither marrie, nor giue in marriage, there dwelleth incorruption, and immortalitie. No more than are they perfit in this life, than they neede not these outward things, and still they shall shew themselues vnperfit, whilest they shall shew themselues to stand in neede of them. We then grone here vnder infirmitie, & hope for our perfection in the life to come; and this is the excellencie of Christiana. But where is this wisedome, where is this faith in Christ his righteousnes, where is this new heart, new minde, and new affections? where be these new bodies, where is this bold courage in persecution, and comfortable looking for Iesus Christ to come a Redeemer, so that with a ioyfull heart we can thinke of our resurrection? Alas we are as yet but chickens, we are but as children, we are but as babes in Christ, and tender nouices, yet cleaing to the cradle,