Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the vanitie of worldlykingdomes. 3 55 domes, euen when they are well gouerned, there are innu- kingdomes ab,r merable others which do accompany them when they are a- fed, are theeau. bufed:vntowhich abufeman through naturall corruption is fes ofmany fins. mot+ prone ; for this highefi worldly profperity puffing men vp with pride, doth make men forgetful! ofGod, negligent in all good duties,and to contemne all vertue,as befitting ra- ther private men then themfelues, who are fo powerful!, po- ton ie- tent and glorious, that they need not the helpe of venue to ta, Hana /unr, commend them :or if at all it be of any vfe, they thinke that qua¿Jurar,eges only a colour or fhadow ofvertue pray fettle the turne, to rani. Senec. in grace them to the deceiued eyes of the common people, Thyeffe. though they haue no fubffance thereof,but arc vtterly defli- ÿolet ea éla tute of it in deed and truth. And as this greatneffe ofeftate voles um vfnally hindereth men in the eourfe of vertue, fo doth it as ma poteRas non commonly call them headlong into all manes of fin; as con- coeunr. Lucan. tempt ofreligion, prophanenes, and vtter negle61 ofall holy libS duties, pride, infolencie, cruelty, oppreffion, vnbrideled re- uenge,and the reft,making euery thing lawful which liketh, and to feeme good in their iudgement, which they haue an appetite veto in their look and vnlimitted affections? But efpecially through their tranfcendent and ouertopping power they are prone to the finnes of iniuftice, oppreffìon, wrongs and iniuties, as the Lord defcribeth their manners 1.Sam.8.1 r. and courfe of carriage, when he woulddifcourage his peo- 12.13. ple fromaffe&ing the;;. gouernment; of which fins few Ru- Iers can with good Samuel and Mores acquirethemfclues,and 1 Sam.12.3. plead not guiltie,ifthe Lord fhould fummon them to judge- ment. Now what are kingdomes to be efteemcd if they be Remera iuRisia void ofiuftice, and full ofwrong, cruelty and oppreffion?regnafuntmag- Surely(as one faith)where this facred iufhce is not admitted nalatrocinio: great kingdomes are but great theeueries and as the wife v "de Socrates rideGat, & cau- Philofopheraccounted them, great monarches are but great tamquareuti theeues,ifthey rule by iniuftice and cruel! tyranny.Finally,of refÿandcl at,vi- whatworthorprofitare the royalties ofa kingdome, ifru-deomagnostit- ling inferiours, theybecome flaues to their owne vices, and p cium dosi ¡ . whilef} they command others, are themfelues at the corn- cere parkas. mand of their bafeaffeótions and corrupt pallions? For when Auguit.Scrm. this royalty and feruitude ofvice areioyned together, it ma- 31. Tom.to. A a keti