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,…

CHAP. IIII. Who be swine, and who be dogs.

CHAP. IIII. Who be swine, and who be dogges.

BY nature we are all swine, and dogs, for that we follow our own uncleanness, but especially, we that were Gentiles: for in that respect Christ calleth so the Canaanitish woman, making the Jews whom he called children in a privilege above us: but since the wall is pulled down. Beside our natural condition we are all vessels of wrath, followers of our own gorge, until that strong & strange change be come upon us, Isaiah 11. when of dogs we become lambs, of uncleanness we become clean. Howbeit, the Scripture doth not so understand us to be dogs; but such are meant by our Saviour Christ to be dogs and hogs, who having the continual means either break into the contempt of the things themselves, or fall to an open despite and violence against the Ministers that bring them. Whether it be then that we turn again to our own righteousness, and to seek justification by the law, in which respect Paul calleth them dogs, and concision; or whether being raised in the blood of Christ, we do not only slip, but plunge our selves into the gulf of sin again; in this respect we may be called swine and dogs. For we see this is the estate of the dog, that continuing and carrying in himself the torment of his own body, and bearing the burden of pain in his bowels, he for a while casteth it out, and being discharged of it, he after chargeth himself with it again; so they that carry a fire of grief in their own bosoms, even a confidence of their own righteousness, if having for their comfort cast it off, resume it, are well compared to dogs. Such are our papists, heretics, and familists. The nature of the swine is, that being clean, she retireth to her filthiness: so they on the other side who by the water and fire of the spirit have been so cleansed, that there hath appeared an open and a sensible change among them, if after they fall greedily to their former vanity, they are as swine. And so both the falling away from true religion, and the revolting to the former corruptions of life, the malicious refusing, or brutish persecuting of the word, or Ministers thereof, come within the compass of these creatures. And so long as such sins be used, so long must we cease giving precious things, until place again be given for the footing of the Lord.