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,…

5 The discipline which Christ hath instituted is committed to the Church. Behold, and hear a miracle, heaven placed under the earth: where as in all other things heaven is above earth, God made heaven and earth; Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven: so now with David we must say, What is man that thou art so mindful of him? not only to give him the rule of earth, but even of heaven, yea of Angels, yea of God himself: so that now God cannot loose them whom the Church hath bound: so that although he doth many things without us, yet when we have done this, he doth not otherwise, &c. Else there are many bound in heaven, which are not bound in earth, especially in these days when the leaves are fallen from the tree, the beauty is gone, and the discipline is taken away: yet the Angels have chains though we cannot see them: so that they watch over the wicked to bind them, and to cast them into hell. Thus we see the high dignity of the Church, and yet this is not given to every one, but to the Church, who though they be base, and contemptible, yet the Lord committed unto them the apple of his eye. In the Epistle to the Hebr. he saith, That the earth the air, & the heaven are not worthy to give them breath, he hath made the Angels to be their servants, to them he hath given such authority. And no marvel, for he hath made them more excellent than the Angels, he hath made them the body of his Son, yea and the friends of his own self. To them he committed his treasures. And what be his treasures? Surely when David cometh to value it, he saith, that it is better than gold, yea than much gold, than much find gold, than all precious stones. Yea and that¹ he might leave nothing out, he saith, it is better than all things else. Yea the Kings of the earth do, and ought to fetch the law at the hands of the Levites, although they now being corrupted, seek counsellors like unto Ahithophel. Thus we see how the Lord esteemed his Church, whom he maketh thus his treasurer. We know that Kings make great account of those men, whom they make their Lord Chancellors.

5 The discipline which Christ hath instituted is cōmitted to the Church. Behold, and heare a miracle, heauen placed vnder the earth: where as in all other things heauen is aboue earth, God made heauen and earth; Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heauen: so now with Dauid we must say, What is man that thou art so mindfull of him? not onely to giue him the rule of earth, but euen of heauen, yea of Angels, yea of God himselfe: so that now God cannot loose them whom the Church hath bound: so that although he doth many things without vs, yet when we haue done this, he doth not otherwise, &c. Else there are many bound in heauen, which are not bound in earth, especially in these daies when the leaues are fallen from the tree, the beautie is gone, and the discipline is taken away: yet the Angels haue chaines though we cannot see them: so that they watch ouer the wicked to bind them, and to cast them into hell. Thus we see the high dignitie of the Church, and yet this is not giuen to euery one, but to the Church, who though they be base, and contemptible, yet the Lord cōmitted vnto them the apple of his eye. In the Epistle to the Hebr. he saith, That the earth the ayre, & the heauen are not worthie to giue them breath, he hath made the Angels to be their seruants, to them he hath giuen such authoritie. And no marueile, for he hath made them more excellent than the Angels, he hath made them the bodie of his Sonne, yea and the friends of his owne selfe. To them he committed his treasures. And what be his treasures? Surely when Dauid commeth to value it, he saith, that it is better than gold, yea than much gold, than much finde gold, than all pretious stones. Yea and that