304 Ofthevanitieofpopularitie, xngna,n,.,- therforeone concludeth that he willHeuer indeuourto pleafe luipopuloplace- the vulgarpeople ;for chafe things (faith he) that I knoll; and te:nam Theego approue they allownot, and chafe thingswhich they allow,lknow. /ciaronprobat not.Whocan pleafe thepeople whom vertuepleafethF for their popular, qua probatpopulos fauourisgottenby wickedarts; andthey that lbill pleafe them, ego nefcio,&c. mtefl become likevnto them; neitherlbi/lthey appraise thee, vn- Senec.epif}.29 /de they acknowledge theefor oneoftheir companie.Now it is matter ofmuchgreater moment, what thoufeemefl to thyfelf, then what thou appearef! untoothers. Seeing then the multi- tude is for the moil part euill, and wee cannot pleafe euill men but by euill meanes, it followeth hereupon,that they who will be gracious with the vulgar crew, muli be vngra- si mulcirvha cious in themfelues, and they who will pleafe the wicked tuapiacuerit, route, mull difpleafe God, yea and themfelues toe, ifthey tibipiacerenon haue any graceor goodneffein them. And hence it is that poterit,Senec. our Sauiour Chrifl denounceth a woe againfl fuch as are Luke 6.2.6. pleafing to all. Woe be vistayou (faith he) when allmenffreake wellofyou; becaufe it is impoffible to haue the liking and approbation ofthe wicked,vnle{fe wee lofe the fauour of God,by ioyningwith themin their wicked courfes.An ex- amplewhereofwehaue in Herod,who affecting popularitie, did,togaine the fauour ofthepeople, puttodeath theApo- Afts tz.z.3.4, file fames,andwhen hefawthat it pleafed the ¡ewesheprocee- ded further,andapprehended `Peter,withapurpofe to bring him likewife to the (laughter. As alfoin the corruptGoner- nour Felix, who thoughbee knew Pauls innocencie,yet to Alit z4.23. get fauour ofthe Iewes he left him Rill in bonds. 4 Seii.9. And as this toomuch popularitie is a notable meanes to That popularity thrufl men headlong into wicked courfeo; fo oftentimes it That popular is the vaile and fhadow wherewithmen maske and hide all . muchnicked- manneroffinne, and a meanesby the furtherance whereof nef¡è. they inceurage themfelues to commit horrible crimes and outragious wickedneffe ; as murther,treaton, rebellion,par- ricide,and what not :an example whereofwe haue in Abfo- a.Satn.t 5 .2.3. lon,who ambitioufly affecting the kingdom,though it were with themurther ofhis moll Beare father, vfeth this popula- ritie,as the vaileofhis wickedneffe,andas the chiefmeanes ofaccomplifhinghis diuellifh purpofes.And the like is to be obferued
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=