A25470:903
The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved
The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers, September 1661.
London: printed for Joshua Kirton and Nathaniel Webb, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. In all those things wherein men are unequal, the inequality is not sixth and constant, but mutable and by turns. All things that belong to us are either the endowments of the mind, the accidents of the body, or the circumstances of our outward estate; Now those that are most unequal in any of these, may be equal, or the inequality may turn and be as much on the other side. A disease may ruin the most happy and excellent memory, and make a man forget his own name; a little knock on any side of the head, may level the highest understanding with the meanest; beauty, health and strength may be blasted by a disease, or a thousand other accidents; Riches, and Honour, and Reputation are the most slippery and brittle things that belong to us, and when these are gone, friends will fall off, like leaves in Autumn. Now why should I despise another man, when I may be as silly as he; or bear down another by my strength, when I may be as weak as he; or insult over another's poor and low condition, when a day may level me with his meanness, and raise him to be as great and rich as I am?
3. In all those things wherein men are unequal, the inequality is not fixt and constant, but mutable and by turns. All things that belong to us are either the endowments of the mind, the accidents of the body, or the circumstances of our outward estate; Now those that are most unequal in any of these, may bee equal, or the inequality may turn and bee as much on the other side. A disease may ruine the most happy and excellent memory, and make a man forget his own name; a little knock on any side of the head, may level the highest understanding with the meanest; beauty, health and strength may bee blasted by a disease, or a thousand other accidents; Riches, and Honour, and Reputation are the most slippery and brittle things that belong to us, and when these are gone, friends will fall off, like leaves in Autumn. Now why should I despise another man, when I may be as silly as hee; or bear down another by my strength, when I may be as weak as hee; or insult over anothers poor and low condition, when a day may level mee with his meanness, and raise him to be as great and rich as I am?