, , .... . . .. ... Againfi Principalities. 5 SECT. Ent how comes Satan to this Principality? 254. Not lawfully,though he can thew a faire claim. As, AHfit Firft, he obtained it byConquefl, as he won his crown ; fo he weares it by power and policy. But conqueft is a crack't title. A thief is not the honefter, becaufe able to force the traveller to deliver his purfe ; and a thiefon the throne is no better then a private one on the road, or Pyrate in a Pinnace, as he boldly told Alexander. Neither doth that prove good with procefle oftime, which was evil at firft : Satan indeed bath kept poffef- fion long, but a thiefwill be fo as long, as he keeps his ftollen goods; He ftole the heart of Adam fromGod at firft, and cloth no better to this day. Chrifls Conqueff is good, becaufe the groundof the war righteous ,to recover what was his own,which Satan cannot fay of themeaneft creature, "Tii my own. Secondly, Satan may lay claim to his Principality by Eleeti- on ; 'Tis true became in by a wile, but now he is a Princec- left, by theunanimous voiceof corrupt nature Ye are of pier father the devil, faith Chrift, and his lulls ye will do. But this alfo bath a flaw in it, for man by law of Creation is Gods fub- je&, and cannot give away Gods right; by fin he lofeth his right in God, as a Protthour ; but God lofeth not his right as a So. veraign. Sin difabled man to keep Gods Law, but it doth not enfranchife ordif-oblige him that he need not keep it. Thirdly, Satan may claim a deedof gift fromGod himfelf, as he was bold to do to Chrift himfelf upon this ground, perfwa- dinghim to worfhip him as the Prince of the world, Lake 4. 5, 6. He /hewed onto him all the Kingdomes of the world, laying, All this will Igive thee, for that is deliveredunto me, and to whom- toever I will Igive it. Where there was a truth, though he fpake more then the truth, (as he cannot (peak truth, but togain credit to Tome lie at the end of it.) God indeed bathdelivered in a fenfe this world to him,but not in his fenfe todo what he will with it, nor by anyapprobatory a&given him a Pattent to vouch him his vice-Roy, not Satan by the grace ofGod, butby theper- miifion of God Prince of the world. Bb But
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