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,…

Neither must we think, that here is meant to go out of the world, to avoid the evil (for we live all under one Sun, which is above us, we tread all on one earth which is under us, we use all one water for our necessities, we have like callings with them, we join in the same towns with them, yea and often dwell in one house with them) but we must beware we have no fellowship with them in their sin, we must away with their devices to mistrust Gods mercy,¹ we must hate their imaginations, wherewith they displease God, we must not draw in their yoke with them.

Neither must we thinke, that here is meant to goe out of the world, to auoide the euill (for we liue all vnder one Sunne, which is aboue vs, we treade all on one earth which is vnder vs, we vse all one water for our necessities, wee haue like callings with them, wee ioyne in the same townes with them, yea and often dwell in one house with them) but we must beware wee haue no fellowship with them in their sinne, we must away with their deuices to mistrust Gods mercie,¹ wee must hate their imaginations, wherewith they displease God, we must not draw in their yoke with them.

1. 1No familiarity with the wicked.No familiaritie with the wicked.

If then thou hast a wicked father, or if thou hast a wicked son, or ungodly servant, or an evil companion, thou must not have familiarity, or draw in a line with them, thou must not be a fellow or a companion in sin with them, so shall we keep our selves unspotted. For as the evil men, if they purpose to be obstinate in sin, will take no profit by the company of the godly: so the good men, if they will fear and suspect the ungodliness of the wicked, and look unto their ways, shall by the Lord be preserved from their evil. For we see, that as the evil men are not the better for the godly, with whom they are joined in the same town or house with them, because they are so shy of goodness; so, if we be as shy of their wickedness, we shall be freed from much ungodliness. Wherefore we must not be like affected, we must not think as they think, speak as they speak, do as they do, nor use their calling as they do. Otherwise we see, that as the evil by the godly are bettered, so the good are made worse by the ungodly. Thus we have heard, that as the man of God in the first showed himself to have an hatred to the secret devices of mans imaginations: so in the second he setteth down a reason of the same, where we declared, that we could never be brought to the true hatred of evil inventions, until we be throughly persuaded of Gods providence; whereof when we be once truly persuaded, we shall not need to swerve this way or that way, because in all assaults we have a sufficient refuge in God.