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,…

that •s, the effect and fruit of true religion, which God requireth with the hearing of his word, is to visit the fatherless. And Isaiah. 58. 6. Is not this the fasting that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, &c. That is, is not this the fruit of fasting, which I have chosen? And so likewise is it meant of the Sabbath in the same place, the fruit and effect whereof is to rest from sin. But why then doth the holy Ghost rather name the effect than the means, the fruit than the cause? Even because though we have the means, and do not use them to effect, it were altogether unprofitable, as we see many carnal professors, who rest too long in the means, but make no conscience to show the effect of them. What then? Shall we so rest in the effects, as with the Heretics of our time we should contemn the means? Shall we not eat and drink, because we live not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the word of God? Shall we not build, because unless the Lord helpeth, the builder buildeth but in vain? Nay, as we confess, that the means without the effect are unprofitable: so we affirm, that to come to the effect we must carefully use the means. Wherefore because the cause not producing it effect is nothing worth, the effect is rather set down than the cause. Let not a man separate those things, which God hath joined together. If we rest in our Sacraments, as the Jews in their Circumcision, we shall never see the fruit of them. If we keep the Sabbath, if we use fasting, until our bodies be made most lithe, and labour not to become a new creature, all is in vain, we separate those things which God hath joined together, that is, the fruit ⟨p. 376⟩from the means. Again, if on the other side we think now we must obey and not hear the word, if it be all that God requireth to do good, and not to pray, or that we can believe enough without the help of the sacraments, we deceive our selves with a false imagination of righteousness, and we make as great divorcement on the other side of the means from the effect, as before we make a separation of the effect from the means. Ask now the Papists what is their rule, and they will show many means, as the rule of Hermits, of Dominican Friars, of their Franciscan Monks, of their Augustine Friars, and such like. Demand of them what rules they have of their effects;

that •s, the effect and fruite of true religion, which God requireth with the hearing of his word, is to visit the fatherlesse. And