A02178:4502
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.
12 With what provision the mighty of the world build their castles, and with what consultations the Kings of the Nations proclaim wars; with the same provision, & with the1 same consultation, and with no less, should we take the calling of the Ministry upon us, which is a masonry, and a warfare both at one time, as master Beza well noteth, Ephes. 6. 2. continually like the builders under Nehemiah, holding the trowel in one hand, and the sword in the other: The ground-work hereof, flesh and blood hath taught us, and set it down for a corner stone in all serious consultations, that whatsoever is, must be set down once for all, even for all the life long, never to be called back again; That same had need be well breathed upon, and be long in setting down. And this is not only heathen wisdom,2 but Solomons wisdom, a man filled with understanding, even one of his Aphorisms, Prou. 25. Prepare thy work without, and make ready all things in the field, &. But behold a3 greater then Solomon. Luc. 14. before whom all heathens wisdom, all mans wisdom is foolishness, yea brutishness, even Christ Jesus the only wise God, who not in generality, but in this particular case of the ministry strictly chargeth and commandeth us, that not the best of us all be so hardy, as to lift up an Axe, or to stretch a line over his building before we have been at Ephrata, and in the woods, to see that our provision be great enough, before we have set down, and as it were (kept straight Audite with our selves) and cast all our Reckonings over again, and be sure we have sufficient to lay the last stone, as we lay the first. If we do not thus, charges will arise more then we think, and we shall not be able to hold out to the end. And if we be not, why then all that behold us, all the world, all the Angels in heaven, CHRIST himself, shall laugh us to scorn, Christ himself shall have us in derision, this fellow must needs be building, &c.