Ofthevaiitie ofworldlypower andautharitie, 3 r i pri.uiledges, and eternall áduancérnedt inGods>kingdome; letvsconfider that in refpe6t ofaheui, They areofüo :excel& lencieor profit;but contrariwifebeing abufed.through. our corruption; they are vfually the caufesboth offinne and pu- ni(hment. That there is nogreat excellencie in this po4eranzl,at+ §,Seci.2. thoritie,itappeareth; in thatod bellowethir asa.eonmimi That there irue G! gift bothvpon thegoodand Thebad ; yea commonly thof great excellency vnto whomhe vouchfafeth the leall,orno meafineofgrace, to worldly Po- are moll aduanced to thefe worldly dignities and prefer- tv.e/.. ; and thole which are aboue others inriched with ---virens et/uns earthly,glorie,are oftenpaired by,when asthere is choiceCO ma patella, be madeof fuch, as fhaif haue fpirituall and heauenly-Us.1 TConcoeunr. uancement : for fo the Apofile faith, that not many wife, not Lucan.lib-8. manymightie, notmany noble, are called, but Godchufeth the 2" arfal. foali/h things oftheworld, to confound thewife, andtheibeake things oftbeworld.to confoundthe mightie. And thuswereade that the firfl:nightie menon earth, were thofe wicked gi- ants, who were the iffue ofthat vnequall match,betweene Gen,6.4.. the fonnesof God, and daughters of men: and after the flood Nirnrodebegan fir(l to beet-nightie on the earth ; and Gen.ro.8;. like vnto thefe fucceeded many others,both, among the Heathen nations, and alfo Gods chofen people,who, the more mightie theywere in power andauthoritie,themore weake commonly theywere,in all grace and goodneffe. All which ferue as examples .ofthe Apofiles rule and obferua- tion,thatnot manymightieare ef-feolually called; and con - fequently that thereis no trueexcellencie ib greatneffe, Pee- ing iris fooften void ofgoodneffe,and.therefore thole who moilexcell in it arenegledled byGod,when as thofe which are weakeare called and chofen. And as there is no:caufeto glorie in greatnef%; inrefpe6 4,Sel. .. ofanyexcellencie there is init felfe.:fo neither in regard:ofThat worldy anygreat profit it bringeth vnto vs; feeing thismight and authoritieand authoritie doth not helpevs to the obtaining of the bell Powerdeth net things, which are tobee defred, nor to the preventingor artfrnstgio the efcapingofthegreateflevils, which are tobefhunned. We grace andvet.. cannot with all our might and authoritie command one ,ac. fanc`lifying
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