The arraignment of pride, or, Pride set forth, with the causes, kinds, and several branches of it: the odiousness and greatness of the sin of pride: the prognosticks of it, together with the cure of it: as also a large description of the excellency and usefulness of the grace of humility: divided into chapters and sections. / By W. Gearing minister of the word at Lymington in Hantshire.

TO THE Right Worshipful RICHARD LVCY OF CHARLECOT in the County of WARWICK, Esq; and to the Religious Lady ELIZABETH LƲCY his Wife.

Right Worshipful,

DIvers Nations and great Cap∣tains have born divers En∣signs in their wars: the Egyptians in the City Helio∣polis carried an Ox, in Mem∣phis a Bull, in Arcine a Cro∣codile: The Persians in their first Standard had the picture of the Sun, which they call Mithra; in the second Fire, which they call Grimasdes, in the third a golden spread-eagle: The Romans when their Empire grew great and strong, had five principal Standards; in the first and chief before the Legion was an Eagle, in the second a Wolfe, in the third a Minotaur, in the fourth a Horse, in the fifth a Boar: The Cymbrians

carried into the field a brazen Bull: Julius Cae∣sar bare an Elephant: Porus King of India had the picture of Hercules: The Germans carried the picture of lightning; the old Brittains used to paint their faces to seem terrible to their ene∣mies: but now-adaies every man bears the ensign of Pride: the world is a sea of monsters, a Pa∣geant of fond delights, a feigned Comedy, a de∣lectable Phrenzy, a Cage of gaudy birds, a The∣atre of guilded fooleries and painted vanities. Pride is an hook whereby the spiritual Leviathan draws multitudes of men to destruction: Pride rides on horse-back cum purpuratâ & phlerataâ veste, while many of the poor and needy members of Christ, even Orphans, Widows, Fatherless and Friendless are fleeced to the bare bones; Some are grown great, and are very proud of their greatness, giving honour to none but the God Mauzzim, like Thules that proud King of Egypt, who (having enlarged his bounds to the sea, and called it Thule, an Island after his own name) asked where there were any King or God more potent then he; yet even these men while they hold the liberty of others in their hand, are lan∣guishing in the bondage of their own ambitions; others abounding with wealth and riches (whose eyes are dazled, whose hearts are bewitched with the glory and sweetness of these outward things) are puft up with secure presumption, Pride com∣passing them about as a chain, who like the Scy∣thian Griffons keep great heaps of gold and silver, and yet enjoy it not. Some have said that Pride was born at the Court; but I am

sure it was bred in every ones heart: some look very big for having a great feather in their cap; some for a gay coat or gaudy suit which they have gotten upon their backs; but if there be any glory in these, it is to be given to the Bird, to the Silk-worm, to the Stuffe, to the Clothier, to the Taylor: others have lofty looks because of their long locks, or because they have got a set of borrowed and powdered hair, an argument of the weakeness of those heads that wear it, to be proud of a mendicated execrement. Such as these take more pains to cherish the ornament of their face then of their conversation, and had as rather see the Commonwealth in confusion, as their Perri∣wig in the least disorder: Some would be cryed up for compleat persons for their beauty, neat garb, skill in singing and dauncing, their fine complements and courtings, quaint discourses and artificial behaviour: others would be mag∣nified for their great wit and little learning, and will have their own opinion in every thing, en∣grossing all the talk to themselves whereever they come, and if any weak person be overcome by them, they will speak Tragically upon every thing in Controversie, and by making themselves prodigal of that which they have not, they will needs be Judges of that whereof they are uncapable: how many are there daily to be seen, who rely upon the only Mercury of their wit, and overflowing in the loose∣ness of their own opinions, they are as unstable in their manners as in their imagina∣tions,

and while they think to elevate themselves beyond the vulgar in the search and science of the most excellent things, they are drowned in the misprision and ignorance of themselves.

But of what a base spirit is man to think to add to his worth by such toyes as these are, no one of them making him better, but many times worse, then before? good spirits cannot long be in love with such fooleries; he that loadeth himself with Pearls will never trouble himself with Cockle∣shels; such trifles are vain and foolish, having no vertue, but in the bud, nor goodness, but in the blossome, which oftentimes comes to nothing: the excellency of true ver∣tue consisteth not in setting up, or set∣ting off our selves, for it matters not where we be, so we be in rule and order. Naturalists say of true Balm, that it is tried and known by dropping it into water; for if it sink down to the bottom, it is held and taken to be the most excellent: So to know a man to be truly excellent, truly wise, truly generous, noble, learned, we must see whether his vertues tend to the bot∣tom, that is to humility and lowli∣ness; for if they swim on the top and be set to shew, they may be termed vertues and graces, but falsly so called: he that gathereth vertues to∣gether without humility, is like a man that carrieth dust into a rufling wind, saith one of the Antients: It is said that the Walnut-tree

is very hurtful to the Vine in the field where it is planted, for it sucks out the nourishment of the earth, not leaving enough for the Vine; and the leaves of it are so thick, that they make a dark shade, drawing Passengers to it, who to beat down the fruit, tread down and spoil the Vine: of this nature are all worldly vanities to the soul, wherein foolish men pride themselves; while the thoughts run out after them, a mans whole time is taken up with them, many strong temptations assault him, and his heart is trodden down and spoiled: In brief, Pride banisheth heavenly love and the fear of God out of the heart, en∣feebleth the spirit, and blemisheth a mans repu∣tation, and though it be the sport of the world, yet is it the bane of the heart: Pride is a fornace, whose mouth is self-conceitedness, the flame va∣nity, the sparkles contemptuous words, the smoak an evil name, the ashes misery, and the end shame: but on the contrary; they that write of husbandry tell us, that if one write any word upon a sound Almond, and put it into its shell, binding it well, and setting it into the earth, all the fruit of that tree will grow with that word imprinted in it: So also whosoever hath humi∣lity in his heart, shall have it also grow up with him in his outward actions; and as the life springs from the heart, the Almond from the kernel, it will bring forth all the actions that are the fruits thereof with humility stampt upon it, which will be seen in a mans eyes, lips, vestures, gestures, and in all his carriage.

And now (right worshipful) I bring to you a

few clusters (though not in a Lordly dish) which I gathered in the time of a great sickness, when God shut me up from the publick exercise of my Ministry for divers moneths together: Pardon I beseech you my boldness in adventuring thus far upon so slender a knowledge, and less de∣serts: the good report that you have for your humble conversation, and the great respect that you shew to the godly and learned Ministry, when multitudes of men requite their labours with intolerable contempt, hath encouraged me to pre∣sent you with this little Treatise, the design whereof is to set forth the nature, the original, the several branches, the greatness and deformi∣ty of the hemlock of Pride, with salves to cure this fretting leprosie, and to display and advance that contrary and most excellent grace of humili∣ty, a garment which the greatest man and the best Christian need not dis∣dain to wear, a dish that should never be wanting at your tables, which (like the Mulberry) will prove both food and Physick for your souls: God hath advanced you in the world above many others; but yet humility will raise you higher, setting you neer to the most high: Its no great matter for a man to be humble in a mean and low estate; but it is a great and rare grace to see humility in men of honour and greatness: Be pleased I pray you to accept of this small pre∣sent, a better then such as this is, being past my power to bestow; and for greater gifts you need

not any: my building (to the view whereof I take the boldness to invite you) is not great, and therefore my entry into it must not be over-spa∣tious. The Lord replenish you more and more with this soul-adorning grace of humility, which hath a wonderful aptness to receive a Sea of graces and heavenly blessings from the over∣flowing fountain and Father of mercies; so prayeth

Your Worships in the Lord to be commanded, W. G.

From my study in Lyming∣ton, Jan. 1. 1659/60.

Notes

• Suidas.
• Difficile est ut non sit superbus qui dives est. August. Serm. 31.
• Psal. 73.6.
• Genimian. lib. 4. cap. 9.
• Quod vo∣lumus san∣ctum est. August.
• Quod in corporibus tu∣mor, hoc in animabus superbia est. Sicut enim illic quod immodice tur∣get, sanum non esse, ita & tumidos carere sani∣tate dicimus. Chrysest. homil. 17. in 1. Tim.
• Ut in area extollitur palea super granum, non quod sit dignior, sed quod sit levior, & cum sit levior, altiorem ob∣tinet locum; sic in hac vita superbus fertur su∣per humilem, non ob me∣ritum & veram virtu∣tem, sed ob vanitatem & falsam de se opinio∣nem; & cum sit parvi momenti, se aliis ante∣ponit, à quibus virtute superatur. Hect. Pin∣tus in Ezek.
• Qui sine humilitate virtutes congregat, qua∣si in ventum pulverem portat. Greg. homil. 6.
• Nihil excelsius humili∣tate, quae tanquam su∣perior nescit extolli. Ambros. sup. Luc. 7.
• Non magnum est humi∣lem esse in abjectione, magna prorsus & rara virtus humilitas hono∣rata. Bern. sup. mis∣sus est.