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peace, who know a limit to their ambitious minds; that have learned to be contented with the appointments and bounds of Providence: that are not careful to be great; but, being great, are humble and do good. Such keep their wits with their confciences, and, with an even mind, can at all times measure the uneven world, reft fixed in the midst of all its uncertainties, and as becomes those who have an intereft in a better, in the good time and will of God, cheerfully leave this; when the ambitious, confcious of their evil practices, and weighed down to their graves with guilt, must go to a tribunál that they can neither awe nor bribe.

CHAP. IX.

8.1. The third evil effect of pride is love of bonour and refpect. Too many are guilty of it. §. 2. It had like to have coft Mordecai dear. Great mifchief has befallen nations on this account. §. 3. The world is out in the business of true honour, as well as in that of true fcience. §. 4. Reasons why the author, and the rest of the people he walks with, ufe not thefe fashions. §.5. The firft is, the fenfe they had in the hour of their conviction, of the unfuitableness of them to the Chriftian fpirit and practice, and that the root they came from was pride and felf-love. §. 6. Reproach could not move them from that

fenfe and practice accordingly. §. 7. They do it not to make fects, or for diftinction. §. 8. Nor yet to countenance formality, but paffively let drop vain customs, and fo are negative to forms. §. 9. Their behaviour is a test upon the world. §. 10. And this cross to the world a teft upon them. §. 11. The fecond reafon against them, is their emptiness. §. 12. Honour in fcripture, is not fo taken as it is in the world. It is ufed for obedience. §. 13. It is used for preferments. §. 14. A digreffion about folly in a feripture-fenfe. §. 15. Honour is used for reputation. §. 16 Honour is alfo attributed to functions and capacities, by way of esteem. §. 17. Honour is taken for help and countenance of inferiors. §. 18. Honour is used for fervice and efteem to all ftates and capacities: honorr all men. §. 19. Yet there is a limitation, in a fenfe, to the righteous, by the Pfalmift; to honour the godly, and contemn the wicked. § 20. Little of this honour found in the world's fashions. §. 21. The third reafon 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 reafon is, that if the fashions carried true honour in them, the debauched could honour men, which cannot be. § 24 The fifth reafon is, that then men of fpite, bypocrify, and revenge, could pay bonour, which is impoffible. §. 25. The fixth reafon is drawn from the antiquity of true honour. §. 26. The feventh reafon is from the rife of the vain bonour, and the teachers of it, wherein the clown, upon a comparison, excels the courtier for

a man of breeding. § 27. The eighth reafon againft thefe bonours is, that they may be had for money, which true honour cannot be. §. 28. The ninth and last reafon is, because the holy fcripture exprefsly forbids them to true Chriftians. §. 29. As in the cafe of Mordecai. §. 30. A paffage between a bishop and the author in this matter. §. 31. Likewife the cafe of Elihu in Job. §. 32 Alfo the doctrine of CHRIST 10 his difciples. §. 33. Paul againfi conforming to the world's fashions. §. 34. Peter against fashioning our felves according to the world's lufts. §. 35. James against refpect to perfons. §. 36. Yet Chriftians are civil and mannerly in a right way. §. 37 But unlike the world in the nature of it, and motives to it. §. 38. Teftimonies in favour of our diffent and practice.

§. I. THE third evil effect of pride, is an exceffive defire of perfonal honour and refpect.

Pride therefore loves power, that she might have homage, and that every one may give her honour, and fuch as are wanting in that, expofe themselves to her anger and revenge. And as pride, fo this evil effect, is more or lefs diffused through corrupt mankind; and has been the occafion of great animofity, and mischief in the world.

§. II. 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

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to Haman, who was a great favourite to king Ahafuerus. And the practice of the world, even in our own age, will tell us, that not ftriking a flag or fail, and not faluting certain ports or garrisons, yea, lefs things have given rife to mighty wars between ftates and kingdoms, to the expence of much treasure, but more blood. The like has followed about the precedency of princes, and their ambaffadors. Alfo the envy, quarrels, and mifchiefs, that have happened among private perfons, upon conceit that they have not been refpected to their degree or quality among men, with hat, knee, or title: to be fure duels and murders not a few. was once myself in France* fet upon about eleven at night, as I was walking to my lodging, by a person that way-laid me, with his naked fword in his hand, who demanded fatisfaction of me for taking no notice of him, at a time when he civilly faluted me with his hat; though the truth was, I faw him not when he did it. I will suppose he had killed me, for he made feveral paffes at me, or I, in my defence, had killed him, when I disarmed him, as the earl of Crawford's fervant faw, that was by; I afk any man of understanding or confcience, if the whole ceremony was worth the life of a man, confidering the dignity of the nature, and the importance of the life of man, both with refpect to God his Creator, himself, and the benefit of civil fociety?

§. III. But the truth is, the world, under its degeneracy from God, is as much out of the * Which was before I profeffed the communion I am now of

way as to true honour and refpect, as in other things; for mere fhews, and thofe vain ones, too, are much of the honour and respect that are expreffed in the world: that a man may fay concerning them, as the apoftle speaks of fcience, that is, they are honours, and refpects falfly fo called; having nothing of the nature of true honour and refpect in them but as degenerate men, loving to be honoured, first devised them, fo pride only loves and feeks 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 ties, much less infift upon them.

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very vani.

§. IV. And here give me leave to fet down the reasons more particularly, why I, and the people with whom I walk in religious fociety, have declined, as vain and foolish, feveral worldly customs and fashions of refpect, much in request at this time of day: and I beseech thee, reader, to lay afide all prejudice and fcorn, and with the meekness and inquiry of a fober and discreet mind, read and weigh what may be here alleged in our defence: and if we are miftaken, rather pity and inform, than defpife and abuse our fimplicity.

§. V. The first and most preffing motive upon our fpirits, to decline the practice of thefe prefent customs, pulling off the hat, bowing the body or knee, and giving people gaudy titles and epithets, in our falutations and addreffes, was, that favour, fight, and fenfe of God, by • John v. 44.

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