Two Treatises Comforting an Afflicted Conscience, Dedication – To the reader 2
TVVO TREATIses of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written by M. Richard Greenham, with certaine Epistles of the same argument.
Heereunto are added two Sermons, with certaine graue and wise counsells and answeres of the same Author and argument.
Imprinted at London by Richard Bradocke, for Robert Dexter, and are to be solde at the signe of the Brasen Serpent in Paules Churchyard, 1598.
To the right worshipfull S. Drue Drurie Knight. H. C. wisheth increase of all heauenlie vertues.
IT hath been the cōtinual practise (Right worshipfull) of the most faithfull stewards & dispencers of the misteries of God; not only to spende the time of their pilgrimage, inplanting and watering those partes of Gods vineyarde, wherewithall it hath pleased him to charge them for the present, but also (as much as in them lay) to helpe, and set forward the growth of them, euen vntounto the day of their perfection. Amongst many other, our present author M. Richard Greenham, may bet set with the forwardest in this ranke. A man, into whose praises if I should enter, I should eyther be iniurious to his desert, or tedious, especially vntounto you, in whose memory he doth yet most liuely remaine. But amongst many excellent gifts which were so plentyfully powred out vponupon this man of God, not any one did more shine either to the glory of God, or his cōmendation amōgst men, then that especial gift he had to the raising vp of the cōsciences of those who frō …he sense of their infirmitieswere discouraged & cast down. And left this extraordinary gift, should with his d…cease die in the graue with him, he left in writing vntounto vsus, among many things somthing also of that argument, which after his death, with more speed then diligēce was sent vntounto the presse. The same now being brought vntounto me to be prepared for the second impression; the cōmon good of those, who frō these holy labours might raise vntounto them selues a souerayne cōfort for their oppressed consciences; as also the reuerent regard I had vntounto the blessed memory of the deceased Author, incouraged, or rather inforced me to looke more carefully vntounto it, and finding the former edition very defectiue, to indeauour the correction of it, which is thus as you see obtained, & the volume thus far increased by such written coppies of the like argumēt, as were ministred vntounto me. All which, I am imboldened to present vntounto your W. fauour & protection; partly for the vnfained louelove you bare vntounto the roote frō whence they sprang, & partly also for that interest you had in them by the former dedication. May it please your worship therfore to accept thē, as the poore remainder of that hope, which in the Authors life time promised more vntounto vsus, then the Lorde hath thougt vsus worthy to enioy. Thus cōmending your W. and yours to the tuition of the almighty, I humbly take my leaue.
Your worships in all duty to commande. H. C.
To the Reader.
OVR life, saith the Apostle, is a warfare, & eueryevery day we are more or lesse to incoūter with our aduersary. And therfore is the Church of God vpō earth called Militant, because the mēbers therof are prest soldgiers, stā ding continually vponupon their garde, knowinge, that their enemy is an olde wily Serpent, and a fierce rauenous Lion, cōtinually seeking whom he may deuoure. But amongst many snares he hath laide to intrappe the soule of man, eyther presuming too much of himselfe, or derogating too much from the graces of the spiritt in him, this is not the meanest, that he laboureth, to deuide the kingdome against it selfe, and to vse men as his instrumentes for their owne destruction. For well he knowes, that where cumming in his owne likenes, he should seeme odious and be valiently resisted; there, masked vnderunder a vayle of humilitie, he may more secretly incroch vpō the fearful spirit; & if the Lord doth not put the bitt into his mouth, to curbe him with, he may at length display his banners in the heart. But we hauehave a valiant leader, let vsus sticke vntounto him, euen Iesus Christ the righteous, who is a Serpent also lift vp in the wildernes to cure all whose hearts are scorched with the venemous heat of the firie serpent; who is a Lion of the Tribe of Iuda, … …mightie prince, and the king of peace, who shall subdue all thinges vnderunder him that he may be all in all. I might here enter into a large discourse, but in this argumēt this present booke is so copious, as I doubt (gentle Reader) whether thou shalt finde any want; much lesse of that which I am able to afforde thee. OnelyOnly it had beene to be wished the Author of these Treatises, had himselfe suruiued to the publishing of them, that the same might hauehave come more full & perfect into thy handes. But since it hath pleased the Lord, for cause best knowne vntounto himselfe, to bereaue his Church in this land, of so excellēt a piller, there remaneth nothing for vsus, but to submit ourselues vntounto his prouidence, & to take vp that cōplaint of Elisha for Elias, when he was takē frō him into heauen. My Father, my Father, the Charet of Israell & the horsemen therof. But to returne vntounto our selues, thou art to be intreated, courteous reader, to take in good part these few things at this time, & to make thine vse of them, till some other (the only true coppies wherof are yet in the hands of his friends) may be obtained of them. Amongst which there are many things of diuers argumēts worthy thy knowledge, & of good profit vntounto the direction of a Christian life; Of which I hauehave thought good to set down vntounto thee a briefe catolog, that thou maist know: that as our Authors labours in the ministery of the gospell, were exceeding great in that part of the Church which was cōmitted vntounto him, so as he might, he was not vnmindfull of posterity, but carefull to leaue a remembrance of himselfe in some profitable instructions for those that should come after. Farewell.
Thine in the Lord. H. C.
1 A large Treatise of the Sabboth.
2 A Catechisme.
3 A Treatise of contract
4 Of the resurrection of the dead▪
5 Of the last iudgement.
6 Of zeale.
7 Of humlity and honour▪
8 Of anger.
9 Of murmuring.
10 Of a good name.
11 Of lying.
12 Of the necessity of the word preached.
13 Of keeping the heart aboue all thinges.
14 Of the kingdome of heauen compared vntounto a pearle.
15 Of the comming of the holy Ghost.
16 Of reioycing in the Crosse of Christ.
17 A great number of graue and wise counsels and answers, gathered by Master Iohn Hopkins and others that attended him for that purpose.
An Epigrame to the Reader.
THE thirstie soule, that fainteth in the way,
Or hunger-bit for heauenly foode doth long:
The wearied Hart, that panteth all she way
Oppressed with feares, & home-bread griefs among;
The blinded eye, that hunt's the shining ray,
Or minde enthralde, through Satans wily wrong:
Let hither fare for comfort in their neede;
For smothered flames a greater fire will breede.
Here siluer streames shall quench thy boyling heat,
And hony dewes thy hungrie stomacke fill,
Heere sweete Repose with Comfort shall intreate
Thy wounded breast to cure with busy skill,
Hence fetch thy ransome howsoeuer great,
A mine of treasures are in this faire hill;
From whose hye top thy scaled eies may see
A glorious light that shall enlighten thee.
The streames are bloud, the dew is bread frō heauē
The Rest and Comfort are coelestiall ioyes;
The ransome from the crosse was freely giuen,
The light is faith, which darknes all destroyes.
THrise happy man that guides his steps so euen,
As his pure light no gloomy darke annoyes.
His ransom'd soule aeternall ioyes shall win
When timelye death shall blessed life begin.
H. C.