A02178:3944
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.
11 Though good duties are to be done, yet every man is not fit to do every good duty, therefore let us see who is fit to execute this work of reprehension. The eye is a tender part, every finger must not be taking in it: for of an action without skill cometh an end without fruit. This duty doth not consist in readiness of utterance, nor in bitterness & stinging1 words, but in good sound judgement, which maketh a man fit. And to this are required three things, which answer to those in the bodily sight: first the clearness of the eye: secondly, the right situation of it: thirdly, not to be hindered without. By the eye, the mind, the seat of knowledge is understood: & here in they must be rich. It is promised, Esa. 64. that the people under the Gospel should excel in knowledge the Levites under the Law: and it may appear it was so in the Primitive Church, for they became most ready and familiar in the holy Scriptures: in so much that women began to grow so cunning, that there was a general prohibition that they should not speak in the Church. Daniels prophecy was, that in the later times men should run over books: and if we cannot so abound, yet must we get a through knowledge of things, against which we deal by reprehension. Christ finds the Pharisees often short, and blind, albeit they gloried of great knowledge, though the Phylacteries were broad, yet their heads were shallow. So it is also with us: there are many dim eyes which have need of that eye salve, Revel. 3. If any thing be ambiguous we cannot hit the joint to restore the member that is loosened, Gal. 6. 1. And so in our building, all will down in the tempest that we build with untempered mortar. Nothing can abide soundly in affection, that is not surely grounded in the judgement. That which Philip said to the Eunuch may here well be used, a little changing the word in the original: Doest thou know what thou doest condemn? And it is said well of Peter, that many speak evil2 of those things they know not: but they do as Balaam, fetch their divinations from others, and so cannot speak according to time, place & persons, but as they are then provided.