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,…

Again, he professeth, that the cause why he did not oppress nor injury others, was, not that he refrained for fear of men, but for fear of God. For saith he, If I have lift up mine head against the fatherless, &c. I think my shoulder bones would go out of their sockets, Gods judgements were fearful unto me, & I could not be delivered from his Highness, &c. And though he might by his great countenance which he did bear, have dealt roughly with men, and might have made afraid a great multitude; Yet (saith he) the most contemptible of the families did not fear me. Yea, though the men were far less then he, yet he could not hide his sin as Adam, he could not conceal his iniquity in his bosom.

Againe, he professeth, that the cause why he did not oppresse nor iniurie others, was, not that hee refrained for feare of men, but for feare of God. For saith he, If I haue lift vp mine head against the fatherlesse, &c. I thinke my shoulder bones would goe out of their sockets, Gods iudgements were fearfull vnto me, & I could not be deliuered from his Highnes, &c. And though he might by his great countenance which he did beare, haue dealt roughly with men, and might haue made afraide a great multitude; Yet (saith he) the most contemptible of the families did not feare me. Yea, though the men were farre lesse then hee, yet hee could not hide his sinne as Adam, he could not conceale his iniquitie in his bosome.

Whosoever then will be truly religious, and make a conscience of sin in sincerity, he must thus walk in the fear of God; and though he might so do, as no man could ever touch him for his outward conversation; though he did not run into the hand of the Magistrate; and no man though he would, could say, Black is his eye: he must submit himself to what peril soever, and overcome all fear of mans power, with fear of Gods punishments. And we must know, that if there be some sin in us, on which the civill law can take no hold; yet the fear of the law of God must be in stead unto us of all laws; knowing that though we escape the court of men, we cannot escape the judgements of God; who will judge us, not according to the law of man, but according to his own law. So that the children of God are so far off from flattering themselves in these sins, where mans laws fail,