Ofthe vanítieofworldly nobrlitie. 3 2$ abone the common fort, namely tholeheroicall vertues, and good parts, which firflenobled their anceflors. Neither is it birth and fucceflion alone that can make noble, foras the Heathen-man wellobferued,there is no King,who bath not Plato. defeended of feruants; no feruaut, which bath not had a King for his predecefí'or, long time hauing madeamixture ofallcfiates,ratfng fome from the dunghill, to the throne; and depofing others from great honours,to thelowell con- tempt andmofi abieCt difgrace. Againe, ifwee refpedl our commonmatter, we are all madeofthe fame earth and clay, and readie when God taketh away from vs the breath of life,tobecome al alike,and to turne into the fame principles whcreofweweremade. hfwe looke veto our pedegree, we haue the fame //dam,the fameNoah, for our common ance- .hors, neither did the Lord make oneman ofmoreprecious matter, to bee the rootc and firfi progenitour ofthe noble, and another'of baler mould, to bee the firü beginner ofthe poore and contemptible; but one and the fame Adam to be the father ofall. Finally,ifwe refpeël the foule,our moreex- cellent part,may we not allofay with the Prophet,Hauewee Malach..z.to. sot all alefather ? bath not one Godmade vo? and bath not the fame Creator breathed intovs the farne.breath oflife ?In all which refpe&s there is no fuperioritie,but wee are all alike thecreature's dfGód;inel,brethren one -to another. And as there is no difference betweene diuers,peeces of the fame lumpe ofclay, although the one bee contained in agolden, the other in a earthen difh; nor betweene two peeces of wood, of the fame tree, becaufe the onlip coucred with rags,and the other with cloath.ofgold ; fo there is no diffe- rence ofexcellencie,betweene the noble and ignoble, the King and therneanefi fubieel,iftheybee conßdered in this generalitie ofnature, though there bee no companionbe- tweene them in their worldly etlate. Wherein then loth theexccilencieand;fuperioritie ofthe noble confiil, aboue thole who areofmeane birth ? Surely, chiefly in this, that the Lord bath giuen vnto them the priuiledge of certaine heroicall vertues,excellent parts,a+rd gooddeferts, whereby theyare aduanced to honour andplaces ofdignitie. And therefore..
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