Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

Thus, (good Brethren) humility preserveth the Church of God, humility upholdeth all good Common weals. Pride it is that scattereth the Church of God, pride overthroweth all good Common weals. There was yet never pride in any City without dissension, nor dissension that continued without destruction of the whole Common weal. Ye shall never read in any record, either of City, Kingdom, ⟨image 107⟩or Common weal, but that, if pride reigned therein, there consequently followed dissension, and of dissension ensued the overthrow of the same. In the City of Rome, which was called the Lady of the whole world, there were two that took upon them the governance of the Empire, Julius Caesar, and Pompey. Julius Caesar was a man of so haught courage, that he could abide no peer, Pompey was of such an high mind, that he could suffer no man to be his equal. And thus for dominion, strove these two together: and thus thorough their dissension, was not only the whole City, but the kingdom it self brought to destruction. The state of the Grecians, which then chiefly above other flourished, because it was divided, came to utter confusion. But what speak I of these? what speak I of Rome, and the state of the Grecians. Who is there that hath not heard of Jerusalem, Jerusalem I say, that great City, that same Town that God had chosen to him self, even that same Town wherein God would ⟨image 108⟩have his Temple erected, and his holy name honoured, after that the Rulers thereof began to be divided, after that the Magistrates fell to discord, and each man would be a Captain, and no man would be ruled: then came the enemies in, then was it besieged, then was the Mother for very famine constrained to eat her own child, then was it utterly destroyed, and no one stone left upon an other; and which was most miserable, there were slain in that City xj. hundred thousand people, and the very channels in the streets ran all with blood. Thus miserably was it overthrown, and in such wretched estate were the whole people thereof: and this only came to pass, thorough pride and dissension. And this was it that Isaiah long time before prophesied of, and said, Then shall the whole Country be scattered, ¹when the people once conspire against their Princes. And therefore also an old writer, Petrus Lilius saith, Discord is the only cause of the overthrow of Kingdoms;