A02178:4609
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.
by miracle the persons ⟨p. 772⟩of the Prophets were authorized (for without doing of miracles, they were accounted of as the sons of the Prophets, not as Prophets), by oracle their books were tried by offering them to the view of other of the Prophets, and of the Priests, who asking counsel of God for the warrant of them, were answered by oracle from God.
by miracle the persons ⟨p. 772⟩of the Prophets were authorized (for without doing of miracles, they were accounted of as the sonnes of the Prophets, not as Prophets), by oracle their bookes were tried by offering them to the view of other of the Prophets, and of the Priests, who asking counsell of God for the w•r•ant of them, were answered by oracle from God.
10 Another scruple is yet to be answered, whether the Prophets did speak these things being in themselves, or as rapt out of themselves. True it is, the Heathen Prophets did speak things to others only, the Prophets of God did otherwise, as they that were themselves ravished and affected with the things given out to others. The promises of God by1 them delivered, were as honey in their own mouths, so sweetly were they moved with them: the threatenings denounced abroad, left a sharp sting in their own bowels, and made themselves to tremble; the word of obedience taught to others, bound them as straightly, as if others had been the teachers of that word, and they to be taught by it. Seeing then this is the certainty and dignity of the writings of the Prophets, is it not strange that the Prophets, at whose doors and thresholds, stood Princes and Governors in times past to ask counsel, should now of every mean person be either wholly contemned, or recklessly received, when they are read or interpreted? Though the greater thing is to do, yet the first thing is to learn. For as hearing without doing addeth to our confusion, so doing without knowledge, is neither acceptable to God, nor profitable for us. Let us not therefore hear only or hear vanity, let us not hear the Preachers as we hear Minstrels, least that when we should be old men in knowledge, and children in malice, we become old men in malice, and remain as children in understanding.