nor how many, are slain, made widows and orphans, or lose their estates and livelihoods: what countries are ruined; what towns and cities spoiled; if by all these things the ambitious can but arrive at their ends? To go no farther back than sixty years, that little period of time will furnish us with many wars begun upon ill grounds, and ended in great desolation. Nay, the last twelve years of our time make as pregnant a demonstration, as we can furnish ourselves with from the records of any age. It is too tedious, nor is it my business to be particular: it has been often well observed by others, and is almost known to all; I mean the French, Spanish, German, English, and Dutch wars.

Sect. 8. But ambition does not only dwell in courts, and senates: it is too natural to every private breast to strain for power. We daily see how much men labour their utmost wit and interest to be great, to get higher places, or greater titles than they have, that they may look bigger, and be more acknowledged; take place of their former equals, and so equal those that were once their superiors; compel friends, and be revenged on enemies. This makes Christianity so little loved of worldly men, it's kingdom is not of this world and though they may speak it fair, it is the world they love; that without uncharitableness we may truly say, people profess Christianity, but they follow the world. They are not for seeking the kingdom of heaven first,* and the righteousness thereof, and to trust God with the rest; but for securing to themselves the wealth and glory of this world, and adjourning the care of salvation to a sick bed, and the extreme moments of life; if yet they believe a life to come.

Sect. 9. To conclude this head: great is their peace, who know a limit to their ambitious minds, that have learnt to be contented with the appointments and bounds of providence; that are not careful to be great, but be

e Matt. vi. 33.

ing great, are humble, and do good. Such keep their wits with their consciences, and with an even mind, can at all times measure the uneven world, rest fixed in the midst of all its uncertainties, and as becomes those who have an interest in a better, in the good time and will of God, cheerfully leave this; when the ambitious, conscious of their evil practices, and weighed down to their graves with guilt, must go to a tribunal, that they can neither awe nor bribe.

CHAP. IX.

SECT. 1. The third evil effect of pride, is love of honour and respect. Too many are guilty of it. 2. It had like to have cost Mordecai dear. Great mischief has befallen nations on this account. 3. The world is out in the business of true honour, as well as in that of true science. 4. Reasons why the author, ar d the rest of the people he walks with, use not these fashions. 5. The first is, the sense they had in the hour of their conviction, of the unsuitableness of them to the Christian spirit and practice, and that the root they came from was pride and self-love. 6. Reproach could not move them from that sense and practice accordingly. 7. They do it not to make sects, or for distinction. 8. Nor yet to countenance formality, but passively let drop vain customs, and so are negative to forms. 9. Their behaviour is a test upon the world. 10. And this cross to the world a test upon them. 11. The second reason against them is their emptiness. 12. Honour in scripture, is not so taken as it is in the world. It is used for obedience. 13. It is used for prefer

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ment. 14. A digression about folly in a scripture sense. Honour is used for reputation. 16. Honour is also attributed to functions and capacities, by way of esteem. 17. Honour is taken for help and countenance of inferiors. 18. Honour is used for service and esteem to all states and capacities; honour all men. 19. Yet there is a limitation in a sense to the righteous by the Psalmist; to honour the godly and contemn the wicked. 20. Little of this honour found in the world's fashions. 21. The third reason against them is, they mock and cheat people of the honour due to them. 22. The author and his friends are for true honour. 23. The fourth reason is, that if the fashions carried true honour in them, the debauched could honour men, which, cannot be. 24. The fifth reason is, that then men of spite, hypocrisy, and revenge, could pay honour, which is impossible. 25. The sixth reason is drawn from the antiquity of true honour. 26. The seventh reason is from the rise of the vain honour, and the teachers of it, wherein the clown, upon a comparison, excels the courtier for a man of breeding. 27. The eighth reason against these honours is, that they may be had for money, which true honour cannot be. 28. The ninth and last reason is, because the holy scripture expressly forbids them to true Christians. 29. As in the case of Mordecai. 30. A passage between a bishop and the author in this matter. 31. Likewise the case of Elihu in Job. 32. Also the doctrine of Christ to his disciples. 33. Paul against conforming to the world's fashions. 34. Peter against fashioning ourselves according to the world's lust. 35. James against respect to persons. 36. Yet Christians are civil and mannerly in a right way. 37. But unlike the world in the nature of it, and motives to it. 38. Testimonies in favour of our dissent and practice.

SECT. 1.. THE third evil effect of pride is, an excessive desire of personal honour and respect.

Pride therefore loves power, that she might have homage, and that every one may give her honour; and such as are wanting in that, expose themselves to her

anger and revenge. And as pride, so this evil effect, is more or less diffused through corrupt mankind; and has been the occasion of great animosity and mischief in the world.

Sect. 2. We have a pregnant instance in holy writ, what malice and revenge the stomach of proud man is capable of, when not gratified in this particular. It had almost cost Mordecai his neck, and the whole people of the Jews their lives, because he would not bow himself to Haman, who was a great favourite to king Ahasuerus. And the practice of the world, even in our own age, will tell us, that not striking a flag or sail; and not saluting certain ports or garrisons; yea, less things have given rise to mighty wars between states and kingdoms, to the expence of much treasure, but more blood. The like has followed about the precedency of princes, and their ambassadors. Also the envy, quarrels and mischiefs, that have happened among private persons, upon conceit that they have not been respected to their degree of quality among men, with hat, knee, or title to be sure duels and murders not a few. I was once myself in France * set upon about eleven at night, as I was walking to my lodging, by a person that way-laid me, with his naked sword in his hand, who demanded satisfaction of me, for taking no notice of him, at a time when he civilly saluted me with his hat; though the truth was, I saw him not when he did it. I will suppose he had killed me, for he made several passes at me, or I in my defence had killed him, when I disarmed him (as the earl of Crawford's servant saw, that was by) I ask any man of understanding or conscience, if the whole ceremony were worth the life of a man, considering the dignity of the nature, and the importance of the life of man, both with respect to God his Creator, himself, and the benefit of civil society?

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* Which was_before I professed the communion I am now of.

Sect. 3. But the truth is, the world, under its degeneracy from God, is as much out of the way, as to true honour and respect, as in other things: for mere shews, and those vain ones too, are much of the honour and respect that are expressed in the world: that a man may say concerning them as the apostle speaks of science, that is, they are honours and respects "falsely so called;" having nothing of the nature of true honour and respect in them; but as degenerate men, loving to be ho-noured, first devised them; so pride only loves and seeks them, and is affronted and angry for want of them. Did men know a true Christian state, and the honour that comes from above, which Jesus teaches, they would not covet these very vanities, much less insist upon them.

a

Sect. 4. And here give me leave to set down the reasons more particularly, why I, and the people with whom I walk in religious society, have declined as vain and foolish, several worldly customs and fashions of respect, much in request at this time of day and I beseech thee, reader, to lay aside all prejudice and scorn, and with the meekness and inquiry of a sober and discreet mind, read and weigh what may be here alleged in our defence: and if we are mistaken, rather pity and inform, than despise and abuse, our simplicity.

Sect. 5. The first and most pressing motive upon our spirits to decline the practice of these present customs of pulling off the hat, bowing the body or knee, and giving people gaudy titles and epithets, in our salutations and addresses, was, that savour, sight, and sense, that God, by his light and spirit, has given us of the Christian world's apostacy from God, and the cause and effects of that great and lamentable defection. In the discovery of which, the sense of our state came first before us, and we were made to see him whom we pierced, and to mourn for it. A day of humiliation overtook us, and we fainted to that pleasure and delight we once loved.

a John v. 44.