The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…

Now these two Cities were begun in Cain and Abel: Cain a Citizen of the world, Abel a Citizen of God. Their names signify their natures: Cain signifies a profession, and he built a City: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation, then the children of light. Iniqui mentem in amore praesentis vita figunt. Wicked men set ¹their whole delight in this present world. What moved Cain to this? Not to be defended against wild beasts, which Plato says first moved men to build Cities; for then Abel would have builded so well as Cain. nor because man is animal social, a sociable creature; which Aristotle makes a special motive hereof: for then the righteous would also have builded. But because Cain was a fugitive, he builded for a protection against Gods curse; especially because he had no expectation of a better City. Unlike to Abraham, who ^glooked for a City that hath a foundation, whose builder and maker is God. The Greeks say, that Cecropolis built by Cecrops, the Egyptians that Thebes, the Argives that Argos, was the first City. But it is manifest, that this City built by Cain was the first. He called the name of this City Enoch, but Enoch in the ⟨p. 22⟩righteous line is the seventh; ^hEnoch the seventh from Adam. So the wicked dedicate worldly possessions in the first place, the righteous in the last. Cain and Enoch had their possession and dedication here. But Abel signifies mourning, and he built no City. Our possession is in heaven, this City of God, invisible to the eye, incredible to the faith of the world, but infallible to all believers.

Now these two Cities were begun in Cain and Abel: Cain a Citizen of the world, Abel a Citizen of God. Their names signifie their natures: Cain signifies a profession, and he built a Citie: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation, then the children of light. Iniqui mentem in amore praesentis vita figunt. Wicked men set ¹their whole delight in this present world. What moued Cain to this? Not to be defended against wilde beasts, which Plato sayes first moued men to build Cities; for then Abel would haue builded so well as Cain. nor because man is animal sociale, a sociable creature; which Aristotle makes a special motiue hereof: for then the righteous would also haue builded. But because Cain was a fugitiue, he builded for a protection against Gods curse; especially because he had no expectation of a better City. Vnlike to Abraham, who