Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

330 Of the vanitie of worldly nobilitie. therefore thole Nobles who are deflitute of there vertues and good parts,and defiled and imbaced with all manner of fnne and vice, haue in them no fparke of true nobilitie,be. ing deprived and deaitute of this formall difference; nor yet any right of füperiorityover their brethren fromnature, but only bane an hereditarie Ihadow thereof; and that only by vertue of tyrannical! cuflome, or atleali ciuill and poli- tike order. §.Se8.5. Let no man therefore boati himfelfe of hisfarre fetchtpe- That there is no d e ree,vnlelfe he can roue allo a fucceffion ofvertues and oil e wh any good parts.For the further he deriueth it,the neerer he co- worldly nobili- meth to Adam, in whom there is not fo much calk of glo- tie. tying for his aduancement,as of fhaming for his finne and downfall. And if hee that afcendeth thus farre,would rife one degree higher,heeIhould finde his next anceflor to be the dull and clay,in which there would bee more reafon of humiliation,then ofpride in the next defcent,feeing he may Iob 57.54. iuflly fay with lob to cerruptton,thou art my father,and to the lborme, thou art my mother, and my filler. Let him not bee proud of his large reuenewes left vnto him by his anceflors, if he bedifnherited of the riches of their heroical! graces; nor yet vaunt himfelfe of their greatnes, being quite defli- tute of their goodneffe; let him not glorie in the fhadow of honourable titles,being abandoned ofthe fdbllanceof their inward vertues, and their outward well deferuing; let not their varietie of armes,and rich coates puffe them vp, feeing there were gotten by others,and fbould if they had their de- fens beloftbyl em ,it being a matter ofgreatequity,y vice Rz4igenusie. Ihouldl ofe, that which venue hathwonne .Finally,letthem etat rum alie- know that boafling themfelues in their emptie and worth- nalaudat.Se leflenobilitie, they doe herein commend others, and not farenn Here. themfelues; and like beggerly make-Ihifts, become proud of borrowed appareil; fhewing plainly that there is nothing worth praife in themfelues, feeing they chiefly Rand vpon borrowed titles, and vaunt of the vertues and well defer - uingsof other men. §.8e11.6. Againe,the worthlefnes of this worldly nobilitie hereby That God re- appeareth, in that God infinite in all wifedome, and true iudgement,