Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

7. Our work must be managed with great humility; we must carry our selves meekly and condescendingly to all; and so teach others, as to be as ready to learn of any that can teach us, and so both Teach and learn at once; Not proudly venting our own conceits, and disdaining all that any way contradict them, as if we had attained to the top of knowledge, and we were destinated for the chair, and other men to set at our feet: Not like them that Gregory M. mentioneth in Moral. l. 24. par. 5. c. 12. In quorum verbis proditur, quod cum docent, quasi in quodam sibi videntur summitatis culmine residere, mosque quos docent, ut longe infrase positos, velut in imo respiciunt, quibus non consulendo loqui, sed vix dominando dignantur. Pride is a vice that ill beseems them that must lead men in such an humble way to heaven. ⟨p. 126⟩And let them take heed, lest when they have brought others thither, the gate should prove too strait for themselves. For (as Hugo saith) Superbia in coelo nata est, sed velut immemor qua via inde c•cidit, istuc postearedire non potuit. God that thrust out a proud Angel, will not entertain there a proud Preacher, while such. Me thinks we should remember at least the title of a Minister, which though the Popish Priests disdain, yet so do not we. It is indeed this Pride at the root that feedeth all the rest of our sins: Hence is the envy, the contention, and unpeaceableness of Ministers, and hence the stops in all reformation; all would lead, and few will follow or concur; yea hence are the Schisms and Apostasies, as hence have been former persecutions, and arrogant usurpations and impositions: As Gregor. M. saith, in Mor. Latet plernmque superbia, & castitas innotescit, atque ideo tentata diu castitas, circa finem vitae perditur; quia cooperta superbia usque ad finem, in correctaretinetur. And the same may be said of other vices, which oft revive when they seemed dead, because Pride was unmortified, which virtually contains them all. Hence also is the non-proficiency of too many Ministers, because they are too proud to learn; unless it be as Hieroms adversaries, publice detrahentes, legentes in angulis; and scarcely will they stoop to that. But I may say of Ministers as Augustine to Hierom, even of the Aged of them, Etsi senes magis decet docere quam discere; magis tamen decet discere quam ignorare; Humility would teach them another lesson;

7. Our work must be managed with great humility; we must carry our selves meekly and condescendingly to all; and so teach others, as to be as ready to learn of any that can teach us, and so both Teach and learn at once; Not proudly venting our own conceits, and disdaining all that any way contradict them, as if we had attained to the top of knowledge, and we were destinated for the chair, and other men to set at our feet: Not like them that Gregory M. mentioneth in Moral. l. 24. par. 5. c. 12. In quorum verbis proditur, quod cum docent, quasi in quodam sibi videntur summitatis culmine residere, osque quos docent, ut longe infrase positos, velut in imo respiciunt, quibus non consulendo loqui, sed vix dominando dignantur. Pride is a vice that ill beseems them that must lead men in such an humble way to heaven.