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,…

2 There be some of this sect that will yield unto men their bodies to do with them what they will, but their souls they say are for the Lord. And why not their bodies for him also? they have an inward and a dark kind of godliness, that so think it enough to make the night, or a corner of their chamber a witness of their religion; which kind of men are to give an account for detracting from the Lord his worship. Others there are, and they will go to the congregation, but it is when the chain of idleness & other business is grown so long that they may go with some case. Some will come to the Church more often: but when the judgements of God are denounced, they say they shall not come near them, Deut. 29. 19. we are delivered though we have committed all these abominations. We have all uncircumcised ears, and naturally we have a praeputium before our •ares, and they that are skilful in Anatomy know that there is as it were a hammer at the •are, which will open wide when we hear vanity, but it is fast shut when the Lord speaketh unto us. It is a common disease in others to seek after variety, and so after vanity, and so nature desireth an infinitum. And these men either hunt after words, which may cause them to err from the word of truth, or else they say they hear such cold & uncomfortable sermons, as they cannot away with. If good gifts be joined with the preaching of the word, and we hear the word with the gifts, it is a question whether we hear for the words sake, or for the gifts sake: but if the word come without such glorious gifts, a man may stir up himself sufficiently thereby. And when it doth come to pass, that such unsavoury liquors be drawn out of musty vessels, we must be driven to this consideration, that God for our dullness hath shut up the mouths of his Preachers, and hath denied the power and purity of preaching unto us, and that our dead and deaf ears are the cause that the Lord tieth up the strings of our Preachers tongues▪ Neither is this to smooth or sooth up any one in negligent using of their gifts, for the Lord will have his gifts used; and a candle put under a bushel is not of the Lord his setting, it is the devils doing when our gifts are suppressed.

2 There bee some of this sect that will yeeld vnto men their bodies to doe with them what they will, but their soules they say are for the Lord. And why not their bodies for him also? they haue an inward and a darke kinde of godlines, that so thinke it enough to make the night, or a corner of their chamber a witnesse of their religion; which kinde of men are to giue an account for detracting from the Lord his worship. Others there are, and they will goe to the congregation, but it is when the chaine of idlenes & other busines is growne so long that they may goe with some case. Some will come to the Church more often: but when the iudgements of God are denounced, they say they shal not come neere them,