Introdu&. 'Godspróvidence overMäíe: Eháp.. iq Gód that even themwhich havedenied this truth by their lives Godbath confuted by their ftrangeand remarkable ends, fo that fome of them have been forced to confers him at their death. As Pherecydes the Syrian, being in his jollityat abanquet with his Friends, andboafting that he had live&long and yet had never facrificed toany God; within a fhort timeafter miferably ended his dayes, devoured by lice. So Diagoras 4th,,,. the Phiiofopher, (who for his impietywas calledAtheos theAtheift ) was the ruineof his Country Melas by the Athenians, for maintaining this wicked Opinion. And futianXutrdp the Apoftata being overcome by the Perfrans, and wounded todeath withan arrow, plucked it our, and his blood iffued forth, dyingmiferably, 'was forced to confefs, that he was overcome byhis hand againft whom he had formerly written Blafphe. mous Books, and fpokenAtheiftically : yet dying raid, Galilee. Lucian fat the$aida'sï firft aChriftian, and afterwardsa blafphemoüsApoftata) keeping aKennel of. Hounds for his recreation, (hut them up, and went abroad to Supper, whereheuttered many Blafphemies againft God : and at his return, meeting his Dogs mad, diedmiferably, being torn inpieces by them. Apioir (againft whom yofephiù wrote) fco1 ng at the Old Tef}ament, and efpecially againft Circumcifion, wasatthe fame time ftpicken by God, and in the fameplace with an Ulcer, and was trade a fpedacle for all fuch as in after time (hould followhis example. And Iaftly (to omitothers) ,IWtehlavel rotted in the Prifon at Florence, as the Italian Hiftories teftifie. Thefeand many other Atheifts, though they denyed God in their life time, yet at their death were forced to acknowledge and confefs him. And therefore as it was written upon Zenacheribs Tomb, tiers. meteí,v a,A. tss, he that beholds me, let him be Religious, and acknowledge Gods hand. So maywe fay, .+,4rs.rde:osa, àLo,äe sm look upon thefe men and their end, and learn to ftand inawe of God. CHAP., VIL The fourthAep, That Cod hath a Providence over Man. Reafo,#t againft Divine Provi. dente, Anfwered : Why Godpermits evil : general Reafonsfor a Providence, particular Reafons from all forts of Creatures. That fecund caufes worknot, nor produce their efeElsof themfelves without God. That Gods Providence reached; to particulars. That . God is tobefought, and that berewards them thatfeekehlm. Gods CareofMankind: THe next Elation is. That Godhath a careofMen, to reward the good. Forit is not futficient to know God in his Effence only : but in his Providence alto. For as to deny that God is, is Atheifm, fo the doubting of his Providenceand Care over the Creatures is Semi-Atheifrn. Nay if we look at the moral effelh which theper.. fwafìon of a Deitywoks among men, it is all one to deny his Providence, and to de- ny that he is. And this was the Epicures error, who though they were forcedby rea fon to know that there was a Gods yet they held, That Godhad no careof Man. Now of Gods Providence thereare four Opinions. t, That Godhath no entereourfe withman, but hath drawn the Heavens as à Curtainbetween him and-us, that we fhould not know or fee, what he doth, nor he what wedo. a., That there is a Providence, but that itextendeth body to general things, and ,o is ageneral Providence, felting in order Tecond caufes; but reacheth not to every particular individual things. 3. Another opinion granteth aProvidence as well of particulars; as generals, but that it is idle, as a fpeEtator only, that beholds di enad upon aRage, and neither re- wardeth nor punifheth. 4. The laft is that as he hath Providence over both forts, aswell particularas ge- neral, fo he doth not only behold, but reward the good, and punifli theevil. And this is the truth, which Chriftians hold. The chief Reafons which they ufe toalledg in maintaining that there is noProvi. dence at all, are chiefly three, r. The Adverfity of the good, and the prófperity of the wicked, For fay they, /ì iftbi
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=