A02178:3137
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,…
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: revised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as love the truth, and desire to know the power of godliness. By H.H.The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.
London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for William Welby, 1612London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for VVilliam VVelby, 1612
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
What is the reason why we refuse to sin? is it not because we think thus with our selves; What shall I do this thing? Shall I commit this fact? It is a beastly thing; it is a dangerous attempt. For there are some which will mislike to have themselves misled with the temptations of murder, of stealing, or adultery, and yet will let pass quietly in them roving imaginations, and idle cogitations. We see in many after their fall repentance cometh:1 for if in judgement we could before sin prevailed, discern the corruption of reason deceiving and leading captive our affections, as we do after we have sinned, we should not so soon be deluded. For we see it commonly cometh to pass, that we repent us, and mislike our selves for some foregoing evil: we say, Oh what a fool was I, that could not consider of this? where was my wit? how was I besotted? Convince a natural man of2 his reason, and he will be ashamed of his purpose, but so long as he hath reason on his side, he will not yield an inch. Why cometh it to pass, that there are almost no Heretics converted, and so many profane professors converted? but because the sin of these men is the sin of affection; the sin of the other is the sin of reason and judgement. Peter of whom we read in the Gospel, did not so much sin of affection, as in reason▪ For being put in mind of Christ his afflictions, how he should go up to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, and consulting with reason, thought it a very strange thing, and not agreeing to equity, that such a Prophet and mirror of the world, and that he that had done so many good things, and had wrought so many miracles, in that country, never doing any harm to any man, should suffer of such men. Wherefore when as our Saviour Christ saw Peter given so much to natural reason, in that he cried Master save thy self, he checked him saying: Come behind me Satan: thou savourest not of things which are of God, but of flesh and blood. Upon which occasion least the other Disciples also should have presumed, our3 Saviour Christ gave this general doctrine, that if any would become his Disciples, they should take up their cross and follow him. As also that none could follow him in truth, unless they denied themselves: