70 Of ciuilllbifedotaíe, CHAP. IX. Ofciteill andworldlywi/edome,and how farcefaorthtobeeaa_ braced,and in what refrcfls to be contemned. prat. ! _ _` Nd fomuchconcerning dittirte and fpirituall v /ciaiüro fe- wifedome: Ciuill and morall wifedome is a dome wed tithe ' common gift ofGods fpirit beftowed on caution:there tn:torequired, i man, whereby the vndcrftanding being in. that it txóy be E.lightened,hce is able to iudgeand difcerne, good andlaw- what is truth, and what falfehood, what good, and what Íaü- cull; in humane andworldly affaires,that being hereby gui- ded and direelcd, hee maydvifely anddifcteetly manage all his words andanions, efp'ecially in' th5fe buGneffeswhich more properly rcfpeéthis place and calling. And this wife- dome is init owns nature good, as being the gift ofGod, bellowed uponmankinde, to a good end, namely that hee may the better be inabled to performe all duties ofhisplace and calling. Andhowfoeuer it is not to be efieemedin corn. parifonofdiuine and fpirituall wifedome, yet ifwee com- pare it With any worldly and temporal! gifts ofGod, the higheft placeofexcellencic is due veto it : whereofit isthat x.King.z.9.:o. Salomonbeing put to his choice what hee would haue of God,asketh thiswifedome, that therebyhe might befined forhis kingly calling, and enabled to performe theduties ofgouernment; the which his with was approuedof.God, and accordingtohis delire this wifedome was grantedvnto him. But being confidered as it is in vsritis neithersbfo. lutely good orbad,but according to the vfe, good toritofe thatvfe itweil,and.euill vntò thofe whoabufe it vnto.euill. Now iavrefpeóofthe ve,ciuil policie and wifedotnisgood, lawful! and laudable, when it is vfcd with thcfe cautions: firft,when it is toyned with meeknes and hum-aide.Serond- ly,when it is tempered and moderated with Chrillian fim. plicitie and lnceritie, fo as wee may faywith the Apoffle, a.Cór.t.t z. ßxereioycing is this, the teflimoeie ofour confcience, that in fimplicitic andgodlypurenes,andnot in f eJhly tvifedome,we haue had A
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