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, with permitting the world to offer on the one side preferment, or if that serve not, on the other side imprisonments, he suffereth Satan either to illude them with fair promises, or to terrify them with fearful threatenings: and giveth leave to the flesh, to assault them with delights, or to oppress them with calamities, that he may in truth prove their constancy, whether they have so chosen, as they will not repent them, or whether their choice be as sure as free. For many if they might be basted with glory and estimation, and might maintain still their credit, & wallow in wealth, would not care greatly to serve God; but without this resolute purpose, we shall surely find, that when trouble cometh we would shrink away. Wherefore the Lord trieth his in the furnace of affliction, and in the floods of temptations he gageth them, to try their hearts, to find their faith, to scour them from the dross of infidelity, the dross of security, the dross of hypocrisy; as the furnace is not only for the trial of gold, but after the trial had, to purge it throughly from corruption.

Again, with permitting the world to offer on the one side preferment, or if that serue not, on the other side imprisonments, he suffereth Sathan either to illude them with faire promises, or to terrifie them with fearefull threatnings: and giueth leaue to the flesh, to assault them with delights, or to oppresse them with calamities, that he may in truth proue their constancy, whether they haue so chosen, as they will not repent them, or whether their choise be as sure as free. For many if they might be basted with glory and estimation, and might maintain still their credit, & wallow in wealth, would not care greatly to serue God; but without this resolute purpose, we shall surely find, that when trouble cōmeth we would shrinke away. Wherefore the Lord trieth his in the furnace of affliction, and in the floods of temptations he gageth them, to trie their hearts, to find their faith, to scoure them from the drosse of infidelitie, the drosse of securitie, the drosse of hypocrisie; as the furnace is not only for the triall of gold, but after the trial had, to purge it throughly frō corruption.

Indeed so long as we are led with the cord of our natural corruptions, there is no conflict, the flesh rebelleth not against the spirit: but when our judgements are heavenly, and our affections spiritual, fighting with carnal reason and earthly cogitations, then is the main battle. When Satan seeth a man given to the world, and as long as he is in a mammering, he striveth not with him, but when he seeth himself forsaken and defied, and that Christ Jesus a stronger than he hath made an entrance into the house, then he rageth, then he useth his cunning, all his shifts, and summoneth a Parliament of seven devils more, who come all together to the casting out of Christ, to the discouraging of the man newly called, and to make a reentry into his old possession. Thus then we shall see, he is a roaring lion, and that our fight is not only with worldly powers, but also with spiritual enemies in heavenly things. So long as we follow the guise & fashion of this world, and frame our selves to live after it, we shall be at league with them, and they will be at peace with us: if we follow heresies, heretics will not speak ill of us; if we like idolatry, idolaters will be acquainted with us; if we will walk carefully our selves, and will not rebuke the sins of the world, or desire the dreams of heresies, happily we shall pass scot-free; but when we hate the world, the world will hate us, because though we be in the world, we are not of the world,