Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the vanitie o t populariti e. 303 much more is it groffe and impious, to endeauour rather to- pleafe a multitude of wicked worldlings, then God him- Galathj,to. felfe ? and by winning theirfauours in that which is euill, to beare this teffimony founding in our cófciences, that we are not the feruants of Iefus Chriff ? Secondly, it may ferue to- weane vs from immoderate fccking ofthefc vulgar fiuors, if we do but confider that it is a matter of great difficulty,& al- moll impoffìbilitie to pleafe the multitude, and not to dif plcafe thole which are wife and vertuous ; for fuch difference 170 Igo piastre and contrariety there is betweene their iudgements,difpofi_ erifapientibue tions,& affá1ions, that that which the one ef}eemech,thc o- ditbltcere. Plu- chercontemneth which the one liketh the other loatheth tarch. deEdu- and that which they approuc and magniñe, thefeimproue cand.liber. and iullly condemne.If therfore we cannot pleafe both, who would not chufe to pleafe rather the better, then the greater part? who would much care lot their fauour and approbati on whom himfelfe neither fauoureth noralloweth?or great- ly delire to be liked ofthofe,whom he doch not like, nor vn- to whom he would be like ; negle&ing in the meane time, theloueandlikingofthe wife and vertuous, whom he in- wardlyreuerenceth and admireth, becaufe they are caner; matched withmultitude? To this purpofe one faith, that it Le a/hame fora man toa`feft the pleatnt of thole whom he would Pudendum eel placerovelle not imitate: foreit her they are not good;anelthen being euill, it gaps :olisirai - os no great matt erto be praifedefthem ;. or tl.4y are good, and tari, &c. Au- then we ought to imitate them: brat thofethat are good, aregood.guflin.lib.83. through their verrue, andvertue afi. teth not that which H in qua cap.36 the power of other men; and therefore he that insitateth theggod,' Totn.4. dotb not ambitiouflydefireanymans praife; and hethatsmita teth the is vn.vorthie ofpraife. But asit is hard to pleafe the multitude,. and to pleafe alto 4.Seci.8. thofewhich are wife and good: fo it is a matter of much. That iti.sim more difficultie,to haue their fauour and the loue.of God ;. poilible to pleafe becaufe the. vulgar multitude being infected with many b multitude ed. corruptions,affeéf thole chiefly who are like themfelues,and who are readie by euill arts to compaffe their fauour, and to lohn of a9.:. runne any wicked courfewhich may fit their phantafie, and pleafe their humour, for the obtaining of their loue. And therefore