Richard Greenham matriculated as a sizar at Pembroke Hall in Cambridge in 1559. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1564 and a master’s degree in 1567. That same year he was elected a fellow. In 1570, he became a minister in the small farming village of Dry Drayton, five miles northwest of Cambridge. Upon his arrival, the congregation numbered thirty-one house­holds, with about 250 people.

In 1573, Greenham married Katherine Bownd, a physician’s widow, who brought four children with her into the marriage. At times Greenham seemed to have an antipathy toward marriage, seeing it almost as a last resort against fornication (‘Practical Divin­ity,’ pp. 77-79); on the other hand, his extensive pre­marital counseling sessions indicate a high regard for marriage.

Greenham had his work cut out for him at Dray­ton. The people had little understanding or even inter­est in Reformed piety and in the differences between Romanism and Protestantism. Greenham complained about those “profaning the holy exercises,” shortcom­ings in prayer and hearing the Word, superstition in the use of the sacraments, and Sabbath neglect (The Works of M. Richard Greenham, p. 54).

Greenham soon became known for devotion to God in his life, ministry, and writings. He was especially known for his defense of keeping the Sabbath holy. His treatise on the Sabbath was published posthu­mously in 1599, but it circulated in unpublished form while he was alive (Richard L. Greaves, “The Origins of English Sabbatarian Thought,” Sixteenth Century Jour­nal 12, no. 3 [1981]: 27).

Teaching was an important part of Greenham’s ministry. For two hours every Thursday and on Sun­days between the two services, he catechized his flock. He was convinced that teaching prepared the hearts of the people for public preaching, since they would not otherwise understand it clearly. He viewed the pur­pose of the catechist to make doctrine easy to under­stand, and the role of the pupil to internalize it through repetition. Greenham adapted the 1549 Prayer Book catechism to the needs of his own parishioners (Green­ham’s “A short form of Catechising” is published in ‘Practical Divinity,’ pp. 265–97). Following Luther rather than Calvin, Greenham placed the Decalogue first because he believed its principal purpose was to make sinners aware of their sinfulness to drive them to Christ. Although he followed Luther’s order, his content was much different. His catechism had many questions followed by very short answers.

Greenham was a tireless preacher. He preached six times each week: twice on Sunday and four early morning sessions during the week. To accomplish that, he rose every day at 4:00 a.m. He describes preaching as painful and fearful; he was so energetic in the pul­pit that he often drenched his shirt in sweat. Friends at times advised him to remain more calm.

Greenham was also a pioneer. First, he was the pio­neer of Reformed and Puritan casuistry. He became best known as a spiritual counselor dealing with afflicted consciences and answering people’s various questions. These discussions were collected in a group of writings known as “tabletalk” and published as Rylands English Manuscript 524 (republished in ‘Prac­tical Divinity,’ pp. 129–259). The writings address spir­itual and practical rather than doctrinal matters. John Primus writes that “Greenham’s style, when dealing with sinners, was honest confrontation tempered by gentleness” (Richard Greenham, p. 41).

He was a pioneer in establishing a rectory semi­nary. A goodly number of men trained for the ministry under him. Some of them, like Arthur Hildersham and Henry Smith, became well-known Puritan preachers and authors. As his lecture notes were copied and cir­culated widely by his students, his practical, winsome approach to theological study became highly respected in the early Puritan movement.

Greenham was also sensitive to the material con­cerns of the community. When food was scarce, he encouraged the rich to establish a community granary where poor people could buy grain at a reduced price. Greenham himself generously contributed to the effort. He was so open-handed in donating money wherever he went that sometimes he had to borrow money to fulfill his committed donations.

In 1591, Greenham moved to London. Before mov­ing there, however, he was influential in selecting Richard Warfield as his successor in Dry Drayton. Greenham’s parting words to Warfield were: “God bless you, and send you more fruit on your labors than I have had, for I perceive no good wrought by (my) min­istry on any but one family” (‘Practical Divinity,’ p. 23). Samuel Clarke reports that Greenham left because of “the untractableness and unteachableness of that people among whom he had taken such exceeding great pains.” History has shown, however, that though Greenham was discouraged by the lack of fruit on his ministry in Dry Drayton and no doubt hoped that he would be more useful in London, his Dry Drayton min­istry was far more successful than he made it out to be.

Greenham initially did not have a parish in London, but he eventually settled as lecturer in Christ Church Greyfriars, Newgate. By September of 1593, the black plague had erupted in the parish. Greenham preached a number of well-attended fast sermons, and continued to work among the people, preaching and visiting. Thomas Fuller thinks that he succumbed to the plague in 1594, but most modern scholars think it more probable that he died from a combination of various health problems which he had been battling for at least a decade.

Greenham’s legacy as a physician of souls contin­ued after his death. In 1599, Henry Holland likened him to Elijah, and said that for “practical divinity he was inferior to few or none in his time” (Works, 1605, p. 724). Thomas Fuller said that Greenham’s “master­piece was in comforting wounded consciences; many, who came to him with weeping eyes, went from him with cheerful souls” (The Church History of Britain, 1655, pp. 219-20). Joseph Hall called him “that saint of ours.” This impression of him continued, especially through his collected sayings, which have been said to resonate “with a truth and force that gave Greenham a place among English divines which was second to none” (‘Practical Divinity,’ pp. 35-36). His writings were often quoted by later Puritans, and Puritan diaries reveal that his Works were owned and read by many.

Here is a brief review of the books of Greenham’s writings that have been reprinted in recent decades:

‘Practical Divinity’: The Works and Life of Revd Richard Greenham (Ashgate; 410 pages; 1998). This book contains several important writings drawn from Greenham’s 1599 Works. It focuses particularly on Greenham’s earliest compositions, including his unfin­ished catechism, treatises on the Sabbath (abridged) and marriage, and advice on reading Scripture and educating children. This volume also includes “the say­ings of Richard Greenham,” which, modeled after Luther’s Table Talk, contain numerous paragraphs on various practical subjects that Greenham commented on from 1581 to 1584.

Nearly every one of Greenham’s treatises deserves mention, but we limit ourselves to commenting on “A Profitable Treatise, Containing a Direction for the read­ing and understanding of the holy Scriptures.” After establishing that the preaching and reading of God’s Word are inseparably joined together by God in the work of the believer’s salvation, Greenham focuses on our duty to read the Scriptures, gleaning support from Deuteronomy 6:6, 11:18, Nehemiah 8:8, Psalm 1:2, Acts 15:21, and 2 Peter 1:19. He suggests eight ways to read Scripture:

1. With diligence. We must be more diligent in reading the Scriptures than anything else — more than men dig for hidden treasure.
    
2. With wisdom. We must be wise in the choice of mat­ter, order, and time.
    
3. With preparation. In desiring to learn of God, we must approach Scripture with a reverential fear of God and His majesty, with faith in Christ, and with sincerity.
    
4. With meditation. “Meditation without reading is erro­neous, and reading without meditation is barren,” Greenham writes. “Meditation makes that which we have read to be our own.”
    
5. With conference. This means godly conversation with ministers or other believers. The godly must share with others what they learn from the Scriptures, not in a proud manner but with humility.
    
6. With faith. As Hebrews 4:2 says, faith is the key to profitable reception of the Word. Through reading the Word by faith, our faith will be refined.
    
7. With practice. Practice will “bring forth increase of faith and repentance,” Greenham writes. Practice is the best way to learn; the more we put the Word into practice in the daily obedience of faith, the more God will increase our gifts for His service and for addi­tional practice.
    
8. With prayer. Prayer is indispensable in the reading of Scripture. It must precede, accompany, and follow our reading. Prayer also necessarily involves thanks­giving: “If we be bound to praise God when he hath fed our bodies, how much more when he hath fed our souls?” Greenham asks.

In short, if the Bible is to get into us, we must get into it. To neglect the Word is to neglect the Lord, but those who read Scripture “as a love letter sent to you from God” will experience its warming and trans­forming power.

The Works of the Reverend and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, M. Richard Greenham (Da Capo Press; 500 pages; 1973). This book is a facsimile of the 1599 edition of Greenham’s works, published by Henry Holland. In addition to the titles listed in ‘Practical Divinity’ (see above), this work includes Greenham’s unabridged treatise on the Sabbath, one of the most profoundly influential early works supporting strict observance; sermons on murmuring, zeal, a good name, humility, repentance, and not quenching the Spirit; some medi­tations on Proverbs 4; and a treatise and several letters to the spiritually afflicted, for which he deservedly became famous.

These writings reveal the practical and experimen­tal divinity of early Puritanism. They show why Greenham was a respected figure, a model pastor, and an important casuist among the Elizabethan clergy.