A02178:3512
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.
This would seem an hard doctrine to flesh and blood, and yet our Saviour Christ hath manifestly and plainly taught it us, Matth. 10. 37. and 16 14. Luke 14 26. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life, he cannot be my disciple: What? would he have us to cast off all natural affection? and so the Scripture should repugn; whereas it is set as a note of them that should come in the last perilous times, 2. Tim. 3. 3. That they should be void of natural love and affection: and might be contrary to that Exod. 20. Honour thy father and thy mother, &c. No, he meaneth nothing less; but he meaneth, that we should so be joined in natural love, as he speaketh of himself, Who is my mother? who is my brother? even he that heareth the word. So that though we be never so far asunder, we must love them that love God; and though that we be never so near, we must hate them that hate God: yea, and so far as our friends would pull us from God and from his truth, we must shake off all natural affections; not because they be joined to us in the flesh, but because by no means they will be joined with us in the spirit.
This would seeme an hard doctrine to flesh and blood, and yet our Sauiour Christ hath manifestly and plainly taught it vs, Matth. 10. 37. and 16 14. Luke 14 26. If amy man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his owne life, he cannot be my disciple: What? would he haue vs to cast off all naturall affection? and so the Scripture should repugne; whereas it is set as a note of them that should come in the last perillous times, 2. Tim. 3. 3. That they should be voide of naturall loue and affection: and might be contrarie to that Exod. 20. Honour thy father and thy mother, &c. No, he meaneth nothing lesse; but he meaneth, that we should so be ioyned in naturall loue, as he speaketh of himselfe, Who is my mother? who is my brother? euen he that heareth the word. So that though we be neuer so farre asunder, we must loue them that loue God; and though that we be neuer so neere, we must hate them that hate God: yea, and so farre as our friends would pull vs from God and from his truth, we must shake off all naturall affections; not because they be ioyned to vs in the flesh, but because by no meanes they will be ioyned with vs in the spirit.