Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

70 Of ciuilllbifedotaíe, CHAP. IX. Ofciteill and worldlywi/edome,and how farcefaorthtobeeaa_ braced,and in what ref rcfls to be contemned. prat. ! _ _` Nd fo much concerning dittirte and fpirituall v /ciaiüro fe- wifedome: Ciuill and morall wifedome is a dome wed tithe ' common gift of Gods fpirit beftowed on caution :there tn:torequired, i man, whereby the vndcrftanding being in. that it txóy be E.lightened,hce is able to iudge and difcerne, good and law- what is truth, and what falfehood, what good, and what Íaü- cull; in humane and worldly affaires,that being hereby gui- ded and direelcd, hee may dvifely and difcteetly manage all his words and anions, efp'ecially in' th5fe buGneffeswhich more properly rcfpeéthis place and calling. And this wife- dome is in it owns nature good, as being the gift of God, bellowed upon mankinde, to a good end, namely that hee may the better be inabled to performe all duties ofhisplace and calling. And howfoeuer it is not to be efieemed in corn. parifon of diuine and fpirituall wifedome, yet if wee com- pare it With any worldly and temporal! gifts ofGod, the higheft place ofexcellencic is due veto it : whereofit isthat x.King.z.9.:o. Salomon being put to his choice what hee would haue of God,asketh thiswifedome, that thereby he might be fined for his kingly calling, and enabled to performe the duties ofgouernment; the which his with was approuedof.God, and accordingto his 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 who abufe 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 fay with the Apoffle, a.Cór.t.t z. ßxe reioycing is this, the teflimoeie of our confcience, that in fimplicitic andgodly purenes,and not in f eJhly tvi fedome,we haue had A