Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

3 t 8 Of the vanitie ofworld power andauthoritie. wing their dependancie vpon God, they begin to waxproud of chemlelues, and thinking it too bale to fullaine the place ofGods deputies, they afpirethemfeluesvoto the fupreame foueraignetie, and rebellioufly affeëi diuine honors. So Ne- bwehadxezer being by his greatncspuffed vp with pride, for - gate himfelfe to be a man, and wouldneeds haue his image worlhipped by all his people; and this was vfuall among the Heathen Potentates, who ambitioufly defired to be deified, and to haue theirfiatues and images ereaed, voto which di. nine worfhip was to be imparted. And thus i"zziah, howfo. s.C4rron.xó.t 6 euer he was a Prince of the better fort, yet when hee grew mightie, it is laid ofhim, that his heart was lift vp to his de- flru&ion. And as it maketh men proud in relpe& of God ; fo in refpeEl ofinen,moll infolent, difdainfull and tyrannicall. Renè potentiam It is true indeed, that thofe who vfe their authoritie well,do exocet qul ¡cit keepe an humble mind in an high eflate,like the Sun, which Far sllam ¡spor the higher it is,theleffeit feemeth,and do not fo much looke eulpase:igi, & at their Iùperioritieofflate and order, as at the equalitie of frit coin ilia c.e- their naturall condition ; and confidering that all by nature tents aquabtate are canal! and that it is finne which maketh this difference componi. Greg. Moral. hb.z6. offuperioritie.and inferioritie betweene them,therfore they cap.19. aduance their power to beare fway ouer their vices rather then ouer theirperfons,and whilefi they rememberthat they punifh finne, they do not forget that it is punifhed in their brethren. Nether do they (as one faith) dig much reioyce to Grcg.Moral. rule ouer men, as that theymay profit themby their gouern_ iib.xr, cap. rt. nient, knowing that the ancient Patriarks were not fo much Kings ouermen, as Pa (tors ouer fheepe,andthat when God Paid to Noah and his fonnes increafe and multiplie, and fill the earth, adding that their feare and dread fhould be ouer the beafis, fowles and fifties, lice doth not fay alto that it should be ouermen, bccaufe mans terrour fhould be ouer beat's and not ouer men. Although indeed holy gouernours delire to be feared of their fubieóis; but it is when as they fee that they do not feare God, that at leali they may be re- firained from finne by this feare ofman,who do not fland in awc ofGods judgements : and therefore they are not proud of this feare, in which they team not theirowne glorie, but the