Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

3 28 Of the vanitie of rnorldly nobilitie. which wherefoeuer it is found, is to be reverenced and re; fpecìed with double honor, both for the greatneffe which they haue from their ancef ors, and for the goodneffe which Is in themfelúes; yea and fo much more for this then for the other, as goodneffe excelleth greatnes, in the iudgement of 1t?inimè dens eft who arefeafoned with true wifdome. Neither is this true acceptorperfs. nobilitie much relpeékd and valued amonnf } all good men nàru n;nt cto only ,but it is afro moll acceptable vnto God ; for howfoeuer ¡amen ñ b i the Lord is no refpe6ierofperfons, but regard ethvertuein plus ',facet : an the begger, as well as in the King; yet he more refpe6feth fine rinia play and rewardeth the venuesand good parts which he findcth claret t &c. in true nobilirie, then in the common fort; partly becaufe Berard.adi_ they moreglorifie him, and do more good to his Church, Sophia being more exemp,arie,.drawing on their inferiours to their imitation; and partly becaufe they haue fironger tentations to draw them alide out of their courlè ofgoodnes: and ther- forc whenthey continue in the right way, and after a more dangerous conflia, obtaine a more glorious vié}orie then private men, it is nomaruaile ifrhey haue a greater reward, and richer crowne allotted unto them. 4.Seçi.4. The other kind of nobility is worldly and imperfeé}, when That rvarldly as men are enobled only for the vertuesand deferts of their nobilirie¡sof ancef }ors, having no worth or good parts in themfelues, no wortboreX_ ,wherein they do in an degree resemble their predeceffors; ieüencie. but retaining only their name, titles, armes and honors, do wholly degenerate from them in their venues and good qualities. The which nobilitie, howfoeuer it.rnaketh a glo- rious fhew in the world, yet is it in truth bale and contemp- tible,as being no true nobilitie, but a baflardly and degene- rate offpring, or but as a dead truncke,which retain ch fome outward forme or fhape, but wanteth vertue and goodnefle which is the foule thereof, whereby it f a uld halm it chicle effence and being, without which it fòone rotteth and pe- rifheth. And this is that worldly, maimed, and lame nobili- tie, which is to benegle6led and contemned: firf},becaufeit is ofno worth or excellencie veto any, being fevered from teue venue and godlineffe, in that they have loft the chicle andformall difference, whereby they were firfl aduanced aboue