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,…

54 It is both the fault and the folly of many, that being rebuked of a sin like beasts¹ following the drover, or puppets following the play master say, they do but as others do, wherein they rather accuse themselves of a new folly, than excuse themselves of their old fault. For thinking they do well, because they do as others do; they strengthen rather than weaken the sin, by joining to sinners, and increasing the multitude of sinners in that kind; whereas on the contrary, if they for themselves would leave the sin, the number of offenders would grow the less, and then the number of well doers being greater than the number of evil doers, would make them ashamed of themselves, and though not for conscience sake, yet for shame, the sin would be the sooner left. In regard whereof a godly father hearing of an heresy like to spread in the Church, got as many to subscribe to the true part, as could be gotten, which he did for this cause, that the adversaries seeing a few holding with them, and many standing against them, might suspect their cause, and be the more ashamed of their defence. And experience proveth, that sin is like to die shortly, which is nourished of none, but starved of all, and that sin is like to prevail, which is entertained of the most, and withstood of the fewest: we must beware of following a multitude to sin.

54 It is both the fault and the folly of many, that being rebuked of a sinne like beasts¹ following the drouer, or puppits following the play maister say, they doe but as others doe, wherein they rather accuse themselues of a new folly, than excuse themselues of their old fault. For thinking they doe well, because they doe as others doe; they strengthen rather than weaken the sin, by ioyning to sinners, and increasing the multitude of sinners in that kinde; whereas on the contrarie, if they for themselues would leaue the sinne, the number of offenders would grow the lesse, and then the number of well doers being greater than the number of euill doers, would make them ashamed of themselues, and though not for conscience sake, yet for shame, the sinne would be the sooner left. In regard whereof a godly father hearing of an heresie like to spread in the Church, got as many to subscribe to the true part, as could be gotten, which he did for this cause, that the aduersaries seeing a few holding with them, and many standing against them, might suspect their cause, and be the more ashamed of their defence. And experience proueth, that sinne is like to die shortly, which is nourished of none, but starued of all, and that sinne is like to preuaile, which is entertained of the most, and withstood of the fewest: we must beware of following a multitude to sinne.