Imatges de pàgina
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De San&tâ Virginitate. Cap.

43.

Addrefs of the Gentleman. But is he the lefs Proud for that? No, but if you will believe St. Austin, rather the more, who tells us, that the counterfeiting of Humility is the greater Pride. Simulatio Humilitatis major fuperbia eft. However 'tis certain that it is the greater Vice, fince a counterfeited Humility has all the evil of Pride, befides the addition of Hypocrify, which makes it worse than Pride, which is plain and undifguifed.

43. What has been here obferv'd concerning the uncertainty and fallacioufnefs of the Signes of Humility, may also in fome meafure be applied to the Signes of Pride, whose Effects may alfo proceed from other Caufes, and fo not be certain and unquestionable Signes of it. Only with this difference, that Pride being a thing fo generally hateful and misbecoming, 'tis not to be fuppofed that Men will be fo apt to imitate it, as they are to imitate or act the fo much more agreeable and becoming part of Humility, and consequently they will not fo often do thofe things that belong to Pride, or are natural Indications of it, from other Causes, as they will do those things that belong to Humility from other Causes. By which means it comes to pass, that the Signes of Pride are more certain and conclufive than the Signes of Humility, this being a thing that every body is

fond

fond of, and fo difpofed to counterfeit, whereas hardly any body can be fuppofed defignedly to counterfeit Pride, though by the ayre of their Countenance, the make of their Body, the manner of their Movement, or by the fingularity of their Temper or Humour they may be fo unhappy as to have fome of the natural Appearances of it upon them. But yet these Appearances, as proceeding from other Causes, are no fure Signes of Pride. We commonly fay that fuch a one looks like a Rogue. And yet we do not think that reafon enough to Indict him for one, because 'tis poffible that an Honest Man may have such a look. And fo in the present Cafe. And accordingly 'tis a thing of frequent experience, that fome Men whom at a distance, and by what we could obferve of their Manner and outward Appearance, we took for Proud Men, we find afterwards upon a nearer view, and a more intimate acquaintance with them, to be very remote from that Character, and perhaps to have more of the true Spirit of Chriftian Humility, than fome others who have carried a more promifing fhew of it.

44. We may make a Practical improvement of this Confideration, which is this, that fince there is so much uncertainty in these Signes, we may hence firft obferve how hard and difficult a thing it is to judge of Humility or Pride, or to know when Men are either HumU 2

ble

ble or Proud by what appears to us of them, the Signes and Appearances of both (but efpecially of the former) being fo very doubtful and fallacious. For it is here very often as in Perspective, where Bodies are represented as varioully rifing or fubfiding, elevated or depreffed upon a plain surface, where there are really no fuch Elevations or Depreffions. And fo Men have oftentimes the Tokens and Appearances of Pride or Humility, when really they are not fo inwardly affected as they outwardly appear. And therefore it must needs be very difficult by what appears to judge what really is. But then Secondly we may hence further observe, how flow and cautious we should be in paffing Sentence, where there is fo much danger of being deceived. We should not therefore make any great hafte to judge by these Signes,either as to our own Humility, or as to other Men's Pride. Not as to our own Humility, left we be too favourable and indulgent to our felves. Not as to other Men's Pride, left we be overhard and fevere in our Cenfures of them. But as to our felves, we can hardly be too fevere. And here the best rule of Prudence I think will be, when we find a Sign of Humility to fufpect it falfe, and when we find a Sign of Pride, to examine whether it be

not true.

СНАР.

CHAP. VII.

The Sinfulness, Odioufnefs, and Folly of Pride. With fome reflections upon the Pride of the prefent Age.

I.

WE

E have hitherto dwelt upon the Confideration of Humility, and have found a very peaceful and pleasant dwelling in the low Valleys of it. Let us now turn our Eye from the Valley towards the Hill, not that we can hope to advantage our felves by the New Profpect, but only the better to indear and recommend the Old. I need not stay fo long upon this part as otherwise I should, having already laid the grounds of all that can, or at least that need be faid upon it. And truly, unless the Subject were more agreeable and entertaining, 'tis no great matter whether I do or no. 'Tis true indeed, Men have a Natural Curiosity for Monsters, but Pride is too common a one to be much stared at.

2. By the Sinfulness of Pride, I mean here the Comparative Sinfulness of it, (in like proportion as was obferv'd concerning the Excellency of Humility) that which makes it fo very Evil and Sinful as it is. Now this is V 3

not

not the Authority that forbids it, for fo all Sins are equal, as being forbidden by the fame Authority and Tranfgreffions of the fame Law, but the inward Reason and Nature of the thing. The Sinfulness then of Pride, as that of all other Sins, is its being against reason, or which comes much to the fame thing, the oppofition that it naturally carries to the true good and intereft of Man, that being the reason why it fhould not be, as alfo of the Law that forbids it. So in general,

3. But more particularly, the Sinfulness of Pride is that it offends againft, and contradicts, the whole reafon of Humility. What that is we have already fhewn at large, and by doing so, have in great measure prevented what would have fallen in to be faid here, fince whatever makes for the reafonableness of Humility, is at the same time a direct Argument against Pride. And therefore fince Humility appears to be fo reafonable, fo excellent, and fo abfolutely neceffary a Vertue as we have fhewn it to be, it must, and cannot but be obferv'd to follow, that Pride which is fo directly contrary to all this, must needs carry the fame degree and proportion in Wickedness as the other does in Goodness, and fo be as great a Vice as the

the other is a Vertue.

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4. But to open this a little more particularly. Pride is first of all a very uncreaturely

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