vngodly so riches is not euill in the heart sanctified Goods then with godlinesse is no hindrance to sincerenesse but mistrustfulnes with much or little riches breeds neither soundnesse nor sincerenes A second vse is that such people as in their owne knowledge and consciences perceiue their Pastors to be faithfull and freest off couetousnesse these should giue great credit to their doctrines for sincerenes In the eleuenth of the Acts it is recorded that when the Church vnderstood that a great number at Antiochia beleeued and turned vnto the Lord they sent Barnabas vnto them who when hee was come and had seene the grace of God in the sincerenesse of his heart he was glad saith the text and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord Where the holy Ghost sheweth that his so holy exhortation had a great and a blessed effect for much people ioyned themselues vnto the Lord. And what was the cause that should moue this people thus to ioyne vnto the Lord it is there noted that he was a good man and full of the holy Act. 11. 24 Ghost As if hee should say his goodnesse and sincerenesse was of great force to moue them to turne vnto the Lord. So we reade of Herod though otherwise a proud Prince and prophane yet when hee heard Iohn Baptist hee did many things Mark 6. 20. 21. and heard him gladly And what was the cause that should moue him hereunto the holie Ghost noteth the cause that it was Iohus sincerenesse For Herod feared Iohn knowing that hee was a iust man and an holy and reuerenced him so that those that will not reuerence their sincere Preacher are more prosane then wicked Herod was And yet behold the proteruitie of these times wherein all for the most part hate to be reproued because they haue no hearts to be reformed who like the peruerse Galathians count him Gal. 4. 16. their enemie that tels thē the truth The reason whereof our Sauiour yeelds namely that hee that euill Ioh. 3. 20. doth hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deedes should bee reproued So that the most profound are esteemed the most profane euen monstrous persons Zach. 3. 8. as signes and wonders Isai 8. 18. the most conscionable thought to bee most contentious Ierem. 15. 20. But what doth this bewray but that the whole body is dangerously sicke and out of order euen as a man in a feuer whē the gall hath dispersed it selfe ouer the stomacke findes no good taste or relish of the best meates and as the sluggish sleeper in the lethergie holds him his greatest foe that is his best friend in awaking him so it fareth with those poore soules that are most sicke with sinne they would goe to perdition in peace and cannot abide to be roused out of their sinnes Therefore wee haue great cause to pray with Dauid to establish vs with right and free spirits that being spirituall we may be able to discerne all things as they are we may loue soundly them that deale sincerely and haue them in 1. Thes 5. 13. singular regard for their workes sake Finally seeing that couetousnes is so great so grosse and so generall a sinne let euery man betimes examine his own soule whether it haue taken any hold in his heart for assure our selues their liues are miserable and their ends damnable as Phil. 3. 19 S. Paul saith that liue and dye in this sinne And therefore seeing the danger is so great and yet the sinne so common neede haue we euerie one of vs to pray to God with Dauid to encline our hearts vnto his Psal 119. 36. testimonies and not to couetousnes Which that wee may doe wee must labour to get that blessed gift of contentatiō that the holy Ghost Heb. 13. 5 exhorteth vnto saying Let not your conuersation be in couetousnes but be content with that you haue for hee hath said I wil not faile thee nor forsake thee A notable example of this vertue we haue in the Apostle Paul who had learned in whatsoeuer state hee was therewith to be content Phil. 4. 11. 12. and therefore he saith I can be abased and I can abound euerie where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and to haue want This which Paul practised is soone said but not so soone done That wee therefore may after his example be content in euery state of life and shunne this foule sinne of couetousnesse let vs consider of these preseruatiues First set before our eyes the commandement of God that saith Thou shalt not couet not thy neighbours house only but not any thing that is his For looke what is sinne to take in the sight of man is sinne to wish in the eyes of God but in mans sight it is sin to take any thing that is thy neighbours for it is against the law of nature that wils thee to doe as thou wouldest bee done vnto and against the law of iustice that commandeth to giue euery man his due Therefore saith God thou shalt not couet any thing that is thy neighbours be it neuer so little it is too much to couet and though hee can spare it God will not spare thee for wishing it and though it bee not much wherein thou offend'st yet the Maiestie of God is great whom herein thou offend'st therefore thou seest there is no warrant at al to couet Againe consider that though a man haue that which hee doth couet yet it cannot profit him vnlesse God blesse it The Israelites saith Dauid coueted flesh for their lusts and God gaue them their desire with their desire he gaue them flesh but hee sent leannesse withall Psal 106. 15 into their soules so many are sicke with Ahabs disease proposing to themselues if I had such a dwelling then I should haue content if such a liuing thē I should haue no want But consider I pray you may not this be a fond and false perswasion may not God crosse thee in thy wished-for dwelling with vnwished for diseases in thy body and with torturing horrour in thy conscience and then thy dwelling will not delight thee and thy couering will not content thee And as for riches thou maist drinke in gold with Balthazar and see with him Dan. 5. thy doome and downfull grauen in the walles of thy palaces that may more quaile thee then thy gold and wine can comfort thee Therefore Dauids counsell is worthy Psal 62. 10. 11. where he aduiseth saying If riches encrease set not thine heart vpon them Why for three reasons first for God spake once or twice and I heard it that power belongeth to God As if hee should say Nothing hath any power to do a man good but only God Secondly to thee O Lord belongeth mercie noting that nothing procureth pitie and mercie but onely God and that a man is loued and kindly entreated it is
who no doubt at first was a man of many good parts he forsooke all to follow his master Christ preached the Gospell and wrought miracles as well as any of the rest but once inamoured with the flowring white-thorne of riches and eagerly catching after it his heart was pricked with the thorn that lay hid in these flowers in such sort as that it swelled and festred in him vnto death bringing him vnto a most fearfull and dolefull downefall at the last And good reason for the couetous man is vniust against God against man against himselfe against his wealth Against God for hee doubteth and denieth his prouidence and preferreth earthly trash to God that should be his heauenly treasure Against man his neighbour in keeping all vnto himselfe whereas God hath made him but a steward not a Lord thereof to dispense vnto others Yea he doth not onely keepe his owne from him but by force as a Lion and by fraud as a Fox he wringeth and wresteth his neighbours wealth to himselfe and therefore Syrake calleth the defrauder Ecclus 11. 32. Iam. 5. 4. of the poore a man of blood And S. Iames willeth such cruell cormorants to weep and howle for the hire of the labourers crieth against them c. He is vniust against himselfe for he doth euen sell himselfe to the diuell for wicked gaine and like a sumpter horse beareth burthens to the diuell all his life time that in the end of his daies hee may bee thrust into the dirty stable of hell with a gald backe and a wounded conscience Whereupon Syracides saith well There is nothing worse â—â—â—lus 10. 9. then a couetous man why art thou proud O earth and ashes there is not a more wicked thing then to loue money for such an one would euen sell his soule and for his life euery one is compelled to put out his owne bowels agreeing with which is Salomon He that is greedie Pro. 1. 1â— of gaine would take away the life of the owner thereof and by a consequent his owne too who must go for a recompence of his neighbors life Finally hee is vniust against his wealth for hee hideth it and depriues it of the end wherfore it was ordained suffereth it to corrupt and his garments to be motheaten as Saint Iames saith and therfore no maruell if the wrath of God come vpon such And thus much for the foulnesse of this sinne of couetousnesse Now I descend to the fourth circumstance of my diuision which is that no Minister ouercome with this sinne can deale sincerely My reasons are these First euery Minister is or should be the messenger of the Lord of hosts This heauenly Master and earthly Mammon cannot be serued of one and the same seruant together saith our Sauiour for they are Mat. 6. 24. contrary one to the other therefore that Minister that is ouercome with couetousnesse is fallen from Christ as was seene in Iudas cannot be faithfull vnto him Againe Mat. 13. 2. the deceitfulnesse of riches and the cares of this world choke the word saith Christ Hence I thus reason where the word is choked there the conscience is clogged where the conscience is clogged the heart is corrupted where the heart is corrupted that man is not sincere therfore the couetous Preacher is an vnsincere Preacher For euen as all beasts that go with their breasts on the ground were accounted abominable by the law of Moses so are euit 11. 42. all those bee they Ministers or others whose hearts are as it were soddered vnto the earth And here hence is it that the diuell vsed this as the last but not as the least engine to foyle Christ himselfe in tempting him saying All this will I giue thee thinking with the Poet Auri sacra fames quid non which certainly preuaileth much where grace gardeth not Therefore wee reade Reuel 12. 4. That the diuell the great Dragon drew the third part of the starres of heauen with his taile and cast them to the earth and no maruell if hee thus striue to preuaile for if he once corrupt the shepheards it is an easie matter to consume the sheepe It is not therfore without good cause that our Apostle doth so much striue heere to cleare himselfe of all coloured couetousnesse for hâ—d he been couetous he could not be sincere for couetousnesse and corruption are alwaies companions as was seene in Balaam who louing the wages of vnrighteousnesse as Peter stiles 2. Pet. 2. 15. it though he protested that if Balak would giue him his house filled Numb 22. 18. with gold and siluer yet hee could not nor would not speake more or lesse then the Lord commanded him yet for the loue of that wicked gaine he not only went though first forbidden of the Lord and after gaue wicked counsell to Balake as Iosephus reports for his gaine Ioseph Josephus Flauius Antiquit. Iudaic. lib. 4. cap. 6. The vse therfore of this doctrine is first to teach vs who are like to proue sincere Preachers and who not The Scribes and Pharisies saith Christ deuoured widowes houses vnder a pretence of long prayer these Pharisies haue their followers the Papists who through couetousnesse make merchandise of all that they doe They sell the vse of time of meates and of mariages they sel their Masses and their prayers and their pardons and purgatorie and heauen it selfe they make mony of Peter and of Paul of the Apostles and of Martyrs and of Christ himselfe These no doubt are they of whom Saint Peter speaketh through couetousnesse shall they with fained words make merchandise of 2. Pet. 2. 3. you and therefore these men cannot in their doctrines bee sincere Come we vnto others that through desire of greatnesse count gaine to bee godlinesse ioyning house vnto house and Church vnto Church if these should appeale with our Apostle to Gods record I feare mee they would make their faults broad to their consciences And certainly doubt is to be taken of such mens sincerenes for how shall they teach others to bee sincere that are not sincere themselues Yet heere wee must take heede that wee doe not count al to be couetous that abouÌ„d in the vse of earthly riches for it is not the hauing of riches but the trusting in riches that makes one couetous as our Sauiour expounds Mark 1 â— Ecclus 13. 25. it Therfore saith Syrach Riches are good to him that hath no sinne Else we shall condemne holy Abraham Iob Dauid Salomon and such like who were marueilous rich and nothing the worse for their riches whereas retchlesse carelesnesse and profuse prodigalnes is a sin against nature for hee that shall not in an vpright and holy manner prouide for his owne is worse then an infidell Tim 5. yet we must not so trust in riches as that without these we mistrust Gods prouidence and promises As pouertie therefore is euill in cclus 13 25. the mouth of the
with which is the Latine word Adulari deriued by the Grammarians from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth seruile or base for so are all flatterers becomming mercenarie Iude ver 16. slaues hauing mens persons in admiration because of aduantage So that flatterie is when any one regardeth or extolleth others for such things as they are not to be regarded or extolled for and that to this end that he may obtaine some such thing as he leaudly and vnlawfully desireth to get at their hands In which kinde of dealing there lie lurking two horrible vices the one that hee doth falsly and fainedly either praise or thinke or doe such things as he thinketh will bee pleasing to others so that therein hee is a dissembler and slauish The other vice is that he doth not this either for the glory of God or the good of the partie praised but to currie fauour to himselfe and to seeke his owne aduantage and this is seruile also and for this cause flatterers are compared to dogs which fawne to be fed as may bee seene in Tertullus the false fawning Orator who to wrong innocent Paul spared not Act. 24. 2. to extoll vniust Felix And in the men of Tire who to purchase their owne peace forbare not against God and conscience to aduance godlesse Herod to bee as God which their doubling and daubing how it discouered them to bee base and seruile all men may iudge The parts of this false flatterie are two aut exim loquendo discernitur aut tacendo by speaking or by concealing it is discerned By speaking as when they so seeke to please them that they hope to bee graced by as that they speake any thing that will humour them as the 400. false prophets that were fat fed at Iezabels table when they perceiued that Ahab their King was disposed to make warre against Ramoth Gilead they framing themselues to feed his fancie faid Goe vp for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King Like as the flatterers of Herod did before spoken of who perceiuing the pride of Herod a man that desired so much to bee great that hee shewed himselfe to be an angelicall diuell they spake to him like the diuell to Heuah Ye shall be as Gods Vox dei non hominis the voice of God and not of man As the Pope's shauelings now call their horrid Father Papa noster deus the Pope our God Whereas had they any grace they would say in effect as faithfull Michaiah said to Ahab If thou goe 1. King 22. 17. vp thou shalt not prosper bi tt all Israel shall be as sheepe without a sheepheard c. And as Phosion a Captaine notably answered his King Antipater who reqniring of him a thing vnreasonable I would Sir do for your seruice all that is reasonable said he but you cannot haue me both a friend and a flatterer And as Agamemnon said in like case to Menelaus being requested to ioyne with him in a thing vnhonest My wits I would enioy with thee but mad with thee I would not be The other part of flattering is by concealing when as a man remembring the Heathens Maxime Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit that is Flatterie gets friends and plaine dealing fōes is afraid to reprooue such faults as by his place he is bound to doe but either by silence soweth pillowes vnder great mens arme-holes as Ezekiel saith Ezec. 13. 18. or by his daubing healeth their hurts with sweete words saying Peace peace when there is no peace Iere. 6 14 as Ieremy reproueth these like Satan beguile with vnfaithfulnes and like Iudas desire to please with killing kisses whereas had they any faith charitie or conscience they would with bold Paul tell reproueable Gal. 2. 11. Peter that he is to be blamed and with discreet Nathan discouer Sam. 12 7. to recouerable Dauid that hee had sinned and with vndaunted Elias auow that to taunting King Ahabs 1. King 18 18. face that by him and his base Baalim all Israel was troubled And these are the kinds of flatterie Now followeth the third part of my diuision and that is how dangerous flatterie is It is so dangerous as that Antisthenes said fitly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. It is farre better to fall into the hands of Rauens then of flatterers for Rauens deuour but the bodies of dead men and these many times euill men for it is oftentimes a iudgement of God to be denied buriall as was seene in Iehoiakim that was Ier. 22. 19. buried as an Asse is buried that is was drawen and cast without the gates of Ierusalem but flatterers oftentimes corrupt and defile the mindes of liuing and good men as may bee seene in Caius Caligula who was for a certaine time a good Prince but the flatterers which hee had about him by their immeasurable praises made him become as saith Suetonius a monster of men assuming on him not only the name of great Caesar but of Iupiter and of the great God himselfe for seeing himself so much adored of these sycophants he fell perswaded that no man durst euer enterprise any thing against him and so committed hee a thousand cruelties and strange and horrible wickednesses spending his time and power in all excesse wantonnesse and riotousnesse wherein hee neuer ceased to wallow and tumble himselfe till he was suddenly massacred and slaine The like you haue heard of the flatterers of Abab and of Herod who 1. King 12 Acts 12. brought them to their fearefull ruines and destructions And therefore one saith of flatterers about great men that they are worse thē the dogs about Lazarus for these dogs licked Lazarus his sores for his good but flatterers licke the sores of great ones for their hurt for if they perceiue any vices in thē which are their soule-sores presently they extoll these vices with the names of vertues neere in alliance with these vices as their crueltie they call magnanimitie their prodigalitie liberalitie their luxurie humanitie their couetousnes good husbandry their pride cleanlinesse reuenge manlinesse and drunkennesse kindnesse and such like So that well doth the Philosopher cōpare a flatterer for his imitating to an Ape that will doe any thing for his counterseiting to a false iemme or pretious stone that seems and is not for his deceiuing to a shadow that appeares and is not for his biting to a viper that woundeth deadly for his killing vnto poyson that destroyeth speedily All which dangers of flatterers well perceiued Dioclesian who aduanced from a low estate to bee Emperour of Rome and feeling himselfe not able to endure those Syren songs of flatterers willingly forsooke all his imperiall dignities to liue againe in a priuate life which he did for aboue tenne yeeres space and neuer repented him whilest he was a priuate man that he had dispoyled himselfe of the Empire for as Flauius Vopiscus reporteth of him in the life of Aurelian hee would often confesse
loue of honour and greedie desire of glory Whence I thinke I may thus define Ambition viz. Ambition is a base sinne whereby a man is so carried away with an inordinate desire of his owne praise and honour that whether he deserue it or no he regards it more then Gods glory or his neighbours good Which definition being compared with her parts or causes will I gesse appeare to be an absolute definition her parts I make to bee her Kinde and Difference her kind is that it is a sinne or base sinne her difference from other sinnes is that it makes a man sicke with selfe loue For the kinde that it is a base sinne I proue by reasons natural politick and diuine Naturall reason proues it For whereas man by nature is a sociable creature of the same matter and mould forme and fashion with others therfore should affect and delight in with others the Ambitious mā is so takē vp with self-loue with a desire of his own praise preferment that he becomes a Timon a Misanthropos a despiser and hater of all others in respect of himselfe Tullij offic lib. 3. Whereupon Heathen Tullie could say by the light of nature that in a free City nothing can bee imagined more foule or mōstrous then the ambitious desire of preferments To which accordeth diuine Ierome saying Vilium est hominum alios viles facere qui suo merito placere non potest placere velle aliorum comparatione that is it is the property of vile and base men to disgrace others to be graced themselues as all ambitious men seeke to doe and hauing no merit of his owne by comparison to seeke to be accounted of by others Secondly that this is a base sin crossing pollicy I proue for it seeks the downfall of all humane society For wheras one striues to be aboue another there is nothing but enuie and destruction of one against another Epist 2. Lib. 12. whereupon Seneca saith well Take heed of Ambition it is a vaine swelling and turbulent euill that hath none end and vexeth himselfe as much to see another before him as himselfe to bee behind another so that it is carried with a double enuie vides autem quám miser si is cui inuidetur inuidet behold then saith hee how miserable the Ambitious man is if hee enuic him that is enuied by him which thing Prou. 13. 10. made wise Salomon to affirme that only by pride doth man stir vp contention but with the well aduised is wisdome Diuine reason proues ambition to be a base sinne for whereas God hath reserued these three things to himselfe viz. Vengeance Iudgement and Honour the diuell by this sinne of Ambition striuing to bee equall with God of an Angell of light became a spirit of darkenesse whereupon Basilius magnus calles it the diuels disease because it makes men like the diuell for the ambitious man hath no beleefe as our Sauiour saith How can yee beleeue Ioh. 5. 44. that receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth of God alone So that you see proued by reasons naturall ciuill and diuine this genus or kind of my definition that Ambition is a base sinne The difference of this sin from others is that this sinne makes one to be sicke of selfe-loue euen with an inordinate desire of his owne praise and honour so that as Icarus hee would mount aboue the mountaines for whereas the couetous man desireth riches and the flarterer bellie-cheere and maintenance the Ambitious man aimes onely at honours so that hee regards not friend brother nor father but with Absolon will seeke his fathers head to haue his crowne Hence we may descend to consider the causes both efficient materiall formall and finall of this soule sinne the opening of which will make vs further and fuller to behold the vglinesse of this base monster The efficient cause of Ambition is ignorance for howsoeuer some thinke that pride was the cause of the fall of men and Angels though it be not denied but that pride was in this sinne yet the breeder of this pride was follie which made them proud therefore Iob saith God found follie in the Angels so that ignorance being the mother of follie is the first cause of the pride and Ambition of Angels and men and good reason for no man knowing God or himselfe as he ought can be proud so that one may be bold to say to the Ambitious That folly was his mother and shame will be his daughter The materiall cause of Ambition is vaine praise and honour which so bewitcheth the heart of the foolish as that their whole man is set vpon it as S. Bernard in lib. 3. de consideratione affirmeth saying O ambitio ambientium crux quomodo omnes torques omnibus places nil acerbius cruciat nil molestius inquietat nil tamen apud miseros mortales crebrius negotijs eius that is O Ambition the crosse of the ambitious how dost thou torment all and yet please all nothing doth more cruelly crucifie nothing doth more trouble somly vex men and yet nothing is more common with miserable mortall men then her affaires Act. 12 23. We may see that Herod Agrippa to win honour of men vsurped to himselfe the honour of God for it God made him more base then a worme The formall cause thereof is an ouer greedy and inordinate desire of honour such as was seene in Iulius Caesar who being ambitious of a Monarchie shamed not to vtter the words of Euripides Sipeierandum est regnandi causa peierandum est as if he should say Sweare and forsweare for a Kingdome for the getting of honors forget God kindred and conscience so that the end of Ambition is also to preferre his owne honors before Gods glory or neighbors good as was seene in Herod but specially in Ieroboam Act. 12. who to vphold his owne honour set vp Idols in Bethel and Dan fearing lest if his subiects should goe vp to Ierusalem to the place of Gods worship the hearts of the people should turne againe vnto 1. King 12. 27. the Lord and to Rehoboam King of Iuda and so he preferred his owne honour to the honour of God and the saluation of his people so horrid and horrible is this sin of Ambition whose kind is as you haue heard a base sinne whose property is too great a desire of honour follie is her mother and shame her daughter her matter honour and forme too great a desire thereof and her end brings contempt of God man to commend her selfe Thus we reade that Abimelecke slue Iudg. 9. 5. Matth. 2. 2. Sam. 15 his owne brethren Herod killed his owne sonne Absolon would haue slaine his owne father for a kingdome and for honour Let vs therefore in the second place consider the parts and litter of this monster for this cur'st mother wants not her accursed daughters I will therefore obserue
for her parts these foure viz. Self-loue Forgetfulnesse A singular opinion and Furie For the first that Selfe-loue is Ambitions daughter or at least her sister will easily appeare for a mans seeking for honor at length brings him to bee so greatly in loue therewith as that in comparison thereof he despiseth al others as Saint Paul Gal. 4. 17 speaketh of the false teachers They would exclude you meaning from vs that yee might altogether loue them So there are too many amongst vs in these daies that perceiuing Satans kingdome to begin to be weakened and the Dagon of superstition to begin to fall downe by the faithfull labours of their brethren yet because this was not done by them and their aduice that they might haue the praise and honour thereof therefore meerely through selfe-loue they set themselues against these good proceedings and by these meanes vphold still Antichrists kingdome and so become authours of diuision and confusion as S. Iude saith these are makers of sects whom Saint Paul V. 19. 1. Tim. 4 2. and 4. therefore tearmes louers of themselues and louers of pleasure more then louers of God This is one Cub of this cursed litter A second Cub is Forgetfulnesse for a mans ouer-weening desire of getting honours to himselfe makes him vtterly forgetfull of God of himselfe of others for euen as the stomacke ouer-stuft with winde is apt to receiue no nourishing meate vntill it haue vent for that winde so the Ambitious man being ouer-stuft with pride hath no roome in his heart all this while for the knowledge of God himselfe or other which knowledge of God c. if it had once entred into his heart it would presently make him to fall from his pride for it would tel him that God cannot endure the children of pride as Iob saith and that God resisteth Iob 41. 25 the proud but giueth grace to the humble and meeke as Iames saith Iam. 4. 6. therefore that pride goeth before destruction and a high mind before Pro. 16. 10. the fall as Salomon saith Also that the pride of man shall bring him low Pro. 29. 23. but the humble in spirit shall enioy glory as he elsewhere saith So that it is not without good cause affirmed that è coelo descendit Nosce teipsum i. It is a speciall gift from heauen for a man to know himself Whence I conclude that where Ambition is there ignorance of God and himself is The third Cub of this litter is a singular opinion of himselfe which makes the ambitious man say to his brethren in comparison of himself Stand there or sit heere vnder my Iam. 2. 3. footstoole as Iames reporteth To which height of pride that proud Prelate and Antichrist of Rome by his ambition hath aspired making Emperours his stirrop-holders and Kings as did Adonibezek Iudg. 1. 7. his footstoole of such S. Ierome saith Isti tantam sibi assumunt authoritatem vt siuè dextra docent siuè sinistra siuè bona siuè mala nolint discipulos ratione discutere These assume to themselues saith Ierome so great authoritie that whether they teach truth or falsehood good or euill their hearers may not enquire into it by reason And of such the Prophet Habakuk speaketh the proud man is as he that transgresseth Hab. 2. 5. by wine therefore shall hee not endure The fourth Whelp of this litter is Fury as Salomon saith Only by pride doth man make contention as may Pro. 13. 10 be seene in Nebuchadnezzar who in his ambitious humour was pleased to haue his image to be set vp and adored who hearing that Sadrak Meshak and Abednego would not feede his proud fancie and approoue of his profane pride brake out into furie and rage saying What disorder c. and when they vtterly refused to adore his image then was Nebuchadnezzar full of rage saith Dan. 3. 19 the text So that the ambitious man is for his furie like a mad man and therefore not worthie to bee counted a man Thus you see the parts of Ambition how deformed they are Now I will descend to the third part of my diuision to shew how foule this sinne is and it is so soule a sinne as that Timon makes this sinne as the Apostle doth couetousnesse to bee the roote of all euill S. Basil calles it the Diuels disease because it first diseased diuell and man for Lucifer and Adams ambition to bee as high as God made them to be inferiour to all other creatures Whereupon Syrak saith That it is the originall Ecclus 10. 14. of sinne and hee that hath it shall poure out abomination and at length be ouerthrowne Therefore S. Bernard termes Ambition a subtill euill a secret poyson an hidden plague the mistris of deceit the mother of hypocrisie the father of forgetfulnesse the originall of vices the food of faults the rust of vertues the moth of holinesse the blinder of the heart making diseases out of remedies and begetting faintnesse out of medicines And to this end S. Basil alleaging Christs saying of thē that giue fast and pray to bee seene of men that they haue their reward willeth all men to take heed of Ambition which is saith he the sweete spoyler of all spirituall gifts the delightsome enemie of our soules the moth of al vertues and the most pleasant betrayer of all happinesse All which wee may see most fully verified in Iulian the Apostata of whō the penners of the Tripertite Historie write at large in the sixth booke thereof shewing that Iulian at the first being an Emperour of many good parts after that the Syren songs of flatterers had blowne vp his heart with Ambition he was so violently carried away with the desire of glorie and honour that hee vaunted that hee would match Alexander the Great yea hee was so besotted with that humour as that hee fained that Alexanders soule was fleeted into his bodie and perceiuing the multitude to hate the Christians hee set himselfe against them to winne popular applause vaunting that he would pull down Christ the Galileian from heauen and so held on till God from heauen caused a dart to stab him to the heart So that you may see in Iulian the viue picture of Ambition and withall a president in him of Gods fierce wrath against this base sinne bringing him to a most shameful fearful end destruction Al which being so apparēt together with the crueltie that the ambitious practise not sparing friend brother or father as you haue heard you perceiue the foulnes and ouglinesse of this sinne which being so manifestly proued I come to the fourth part of my diuision that is that the Ambitious Minister cannot be sincere My reasons to proue this are these three viz. First euery ambitious man is an hypocrite for he doth al to be seene of men where hypocrisie is there can be no sincerenes as our Sauiour proues at large Matth. 23. therefore a Minister ambitious cannot