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THE SECOND BOOKE 267
helping hand unto it Were it not a sottish arrogancie
that wee should thinke ourselves to be the
perfectest thing of this universe? Then sure there
is some better thing. And that is God. When you
see a rich and stately mansion house, although you
know not who is owner of it, yet will you not say that
it was built for rats. And this more than humane
frame and divine composition, which we see, of heavens
pallace, must we not deeme it to be the mansion of
some Lord greater than our selves ? Is not the highest
ever the most worthy? And we are seated in the
lowest place. Nothing that is without a soule and
void of reason is able to bring forth a living soule
capable of reason. The world doth bring us forth,
then the world hath both soule and reason. Eacli
part of us is lesse than our selves, we are part of the
world, then the world is stored with wisdome and with
reason, and that more plenteously than we are. It
is a goodly thing to have a great government. Then
the worlds government belongeth to some blessed and
happy nature. The Starres annoy us not, then the
Starres are full of goodnesse. We have need of
nourishment, then so have the Gods, and feed themselves
with the vapours arising here below. Worldly
goods are not goods unto God. Then are not they
goods unto us. To offend and to be offended are
equall witnesses of imbecilitie : Then it is folly to
feare God. God is good by his owne nature, man by
his industry: which is more ? Divine wisdome and
mans wisdome have no other distinction but that the
first is eternall. Now lastingnesse is an accession
unto wisdome. Therefore are we fellowes. We have
life, reason, and libertie, we esteeme goodnesse, charitie
and justice ; these qualities are then in him. In conclusion,
the building and destroying the conditions of
divinity are forged by man according to the relation
to himselfe. Oh what a patterne, and what a model!
Let us raise and let us amplifie humane qualities as
much as we please. Puffe-up thy selfe poore man,
yea swell and swell againe.