Three forts of the fecondSunday inLent. Ser. t4. ambition. 229 Poffumus. Saint BernardPets down three forts of Ambition : The one, Modeftandbafbfull; which vfeth it'sdiligences, but withal', fuch asare lawfull andhoneft : For it is a lawfullthing to pretendhonour,though not to pretend it, be thegreater vertue. The other,Arrogant and infolent, Iooking for kneeling andadoration. The third, Mad and furious, thatwill downe with all that ftands in it's way; and hale Honour bythe lockes, andwithhis poinyard in hishand feeke to force her. SaintCyprian in anEpiftleof his,preacheththe felfe famedoëtrine. Ofthefe threeforts of Ambition, the firfl is themoft tollerable,andthe leaftfcandalous: The third is cruell : The fecond, which inCourt is the moftcommon, is molt bafe and vile ; howbeit (according toSaint Bernard) it is Viciummagnatum, A vice that fllowesyourgrcateft and graueft Councellours, andyour principali Prelats, not your meaner andordinarie perlons. It is a fecret Poyfon whichpier- ceth to theheart of this myfticall bodie of the Church : For this name Efay gines to the Clergie , Thewhole Headisficke,and thewholeHeart afaint. Andfince that the Deuill tooke that Rate vponhim, as to fay to.our Sauiour,Kneele down and worfhip mce; he bath taken fuch courage to himfelfe, that there is not any enterprife, be it neuer fo difficult, which he darethnot to vndertake. Saint Cyprian tells vs, InfineSacerdotum .4mbitio dormit, fi4b"vmbra recubat infecreto calamifefefraudulenter occaltat, .dmbitionfeepes intheborne of the Priefls, it lies lurking men amongfl the holieft of them. And thofe (as Saint t lmbralee faith) whom Couetoufneffe could notmake toyeeld , nor theFlefh ouercome ; the çhafteft,the freeft handed, Ehebounrifulleft in their almes-deeds,Ambitionbath made to lie fiat at her foot. Inaword, Rarusefl,quem nos,proflernatam6itio. Whence it is to benoted , That they beeinghonourable and graue perfons whom Ambition leads alongin triumph, fhemakes thembafe and vile : For fir brings thefmen to thame,and through theirtoo muchpfteeme ofhonour,come tobe theleffe efteemed. videomundushominibuschase eft, vtfibi viltterint,The world ió f deeretomen,thatthey arehafe intheir ewne eyes. Saint v9ugufline faith, That thegenii offeredourSauiour all the'Kingdomesoftheworld,ifhewould but fall downe andworfhip him. Theambitious manwill fow himfelfe, as it were , to thegrcitind,& fuffer himfelfe to be trampled& trodon,& that not for a world, butfoithebafeft things that the-World affoordeth. This mother &her twofns didadoreour Saúiour Chrift forimaginarie honours, andnotfor any refpc& to the,p;rfotiadored, (for much morewas due vetohim)but forcircum- ftances fo fbanieftill and fovile,that theywell &failed a 2'efitie. :When - baesdnezargaile&Mimand, Thatall fhotild fall flat to the ground,and worfhip his Image, Saint Chryflume faith, That theirproftratingof themfeluesvpon the earthwas excufed,for that the ádòratioriÖf theirbodies was thefallingoftheir foules ; not.anely becaufe they didadore :a pieceofwood;which wasnot God ; but becaufe theydid adoretheir privateintereftand fauour. So in this cafe that we haue nowhahand, themother andher fonnes adored not Chrift as hee was thrift, but forthe good they hoped frómChrif} : andthisadorationofthebo- die, did difcouerthebafeneffe of their foulesthoughts: . Bef ides allthere mifchiefes , which accgmpanieAmbition, it turnes itto bee it?sowners torment.: ItistheCrofie(as Saint BernardAith) that martyrs him, 4mbiti447,nbiFofivsmCr *4,. Saint inthrofe,omnes torgtoesiotnnibuspfaces:.$bfàlon V was Efv. s Ambition' theoryascon;, norreli;on
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