again is it héerby concluded that we are of one minde with the Stoikes for that some of them haue confessed that by the name of fate they vnderstand God him self and the will of God In which sence Aristotle aswell in other places as in his booke de Mundo saith that the only high God is called by diuers and sundry names by reason of the diuers and sundry effectes which he woorketh and amongst other names he attributeth vnto him also the titles of anankes eimarmenes pepromenes adrasteias c that is to say of necessitie fate or desteny veÌ„geance or reuengement c. And Seneca in his booke of Epistles 18 out of Cleanthes the Stoike reciteth these verses O Mighty Father ruler of the Skye Lead and conduct me whither that thou please No cause of stay shall let me but that I will thee obay beholde I come with ease But put the case I were vnwilling yet I follow must although it greeue me sore And beeing euill I must not stick nor let to doo the thing that lawfull was before Euen for the good t' accomplish euermore The fates doo lead the willing wight alwaies Th' unwilling eke they drawe to all assaies Where in the last woordes as S. Augustine interpreteth them Seneca most euidently calleth by the name of Fates that which in the first verse he had tearmed the will of the almighty Father The same Seneca in his 3. book de Beneficijs speaking of God This same saith he meaning God if thou shalt call him fate or desteny thou shalt not doo amisse For fate is nothing els then an inwrapped course of causes and he is the first cause of all thinges of whom the residue depend Albeit therfore the Stoikes haue in this wise transferred the name of Fate vnto God him selfe yet that it is neither fitly doon nor after that manner that we place prouidence in God it is prooued euen by their owne assertions as they that doo seperate their connexed or fatall causes farre off from God besides that they deuise many other thinges touching Fate which to applye vnto God were hainous wickednes Heerby therfore it plainely appeereth that the Stoikes doctrine of Fate can by no meanes be compared with the Euâ—â—gelicall doctrine of Gods prouidence We will adde a further matter that enen the very name of Fate is to be shut out from amongst us heerafter if we couet to retaine our religion in her naturall puritie For seeing that as oft as the name of Fate is heard many absurdities doo foorthwith seaze vpon the mindes of all that heare it and such as are clean contrary to the principles of true Diuinitie doubtlesse we are of that minde that the same can in no wise be admitted into our congregations without great feare of dangerous infection let it be reicited amongst those prophane and baine ianglinges which the Apostle 1. Timoth. 6. willeth to be auoided as also we see the holy Fathers especiallye Augustine carefally to haue shunned it Let vs imprint in our minds the saying of the same Augustine against them which out of the place of Iohn 8 No man could lay hands on him because his hower was not yet come would thervpon inferre that the Lord Christ was vnder Fate or desteny If thine hart saith he were not fond thou wouldst not beleeue Fate And that which Nasianzen in his oration touching the care of the poore saith That their happe is miserable and their deuises frustrate that will take vpon them to teach chaunce or Fortune or Fate And thus much hitherto touching Fate Further the place admonisheth vs to shew that neither chaunce nor fortune hath any place where the force of Gods prouidence is in some sorte weighed and considered There is no néede heere of any long disputation specially sith none haue ouer much laboured to oppose or admixe fortune or chaunce with the diuine prouidence of God It is apparant enough that the thinges falling out by fortune and chaunce are saide to be those that doo somtimes happen accidentlye and besides mans expectation which otherwise neuer or very seldome are woont to come to passe And that which after this sorte happeneth vnto a man that may deliberate and deal by aduice they will haue it saide properly to be Fortuitum or a thing happening by fortune as if a man digging in the feelde to set or sowe findeth a treasure and that which happeneth to some other thing voide of reason they ascribe to chaunce as if a stone falling from the house top killeth a Dog that passeth by Wherfore curious men haue endeuoured to searche and séeke whence these thinges should come and why they should rather be thus then otherwise when yet there is no doubt but they might haue happened otherwise and when they could not finde what causes to alleadge in such euentes they being ouercome with admiration iudged that it must of necessitie he some diuine matter and that called they fortune or chaunce by little and little also making it a Goddesse by whose beck and will the greatest part of mens affaires might be guided and gouerned Wherupon also we reade that she was woorshipped and honoured with diuine honors like vnto the other Gods and the matter came to this point that whatsoeuer prosperitie or aduersitie befell men ascribed it only and alone to fortune yea and it grew to be an vsuall speech that then any thing was to fall out either well or ill when it pleased Fortune so to haue it Hence sprung those speeches If Fortune list and pleased be I shall attaine to hye degree c. But we beeing taught out of the holy Scriptures touching the Prouidence of God and knowing that by it euen the least and vilest thinges that be are dispensed accomplished doo ascride nothing at all either to chaunce or fortune nay we are of this minde that there is not so much as any chaunce or fortune but doo attribute all thinges vniuersallye whither they be ioyous or greeuous vnto God him selfe who adorneth whome he will with benefites and to whom he will sendeth contrarye calameties Of all which thinges whilest he hath the true and certaine causes in a readines and the maner of woorking by them it is enough and sufficient neither for that we are ignorant of the causes or of the meanes ought any thing in them to be accoumpted Fortuntum or falling out by fortune or chaunce Heerupon we sée in the Scriptures that al things both good and had which may happen are propounded and set foorth by the names of Gods blessings and cursinges and likewise of promises and threatninges to the intent verily we might deerely learne that no such matter is to be ascribed vnto fortune whither we list to call it good or euill but all thinges to God alone who saith expressely by his Prophet that it is he that created good end euil that maketh light and darkenes c. There might I graunt many thinges which happen so vpon the sodaine and
A speciall Treatise of Gods Prouidence and of comforts against all kinde of crosses calamities to be fetched from the same With an exposition of the 107. Psalme Heerunto is added an appendix of certaine Sermons Questions conteining sweet comfortable doctrine as they were vttered and disputed ad Clerum in Cambridge By P. Baro. D. in Diui. Englished by I. L. Vicar of Wethers-fielde ¶ Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe MVNIFICENTIA GEORGIVE D.G. MAG BR FRET â—â—â— REX F.D. REGIA 1715. REuerendo in Christo Parri D. Joanni Mullinsaeo SS Theologiae D. professorinec non Archidiacono Londinensi dignissimo Joannes Ludham in perpetuam grati obseruantissimique animi memoriam hanc suam qualemcunque opellam dicat consecratque Ad Lectorem Decasticon I In wisdomes Schoole who so dooth take delight O Of sacred lore to taste and feede his fill H Him I account the only happy wight N None like to him let men say what they will L Loe then the way who so that list to walke VVnto the hauen of happines I say D Driue no delay spend not thy time in talke H Hast forward fast heere wisdom sage doth stay A Attend vnto her sacred lore diuine M Mark that and then thou shalt be blest in fine I. L. A Treatise OF THE PROVIdence of God And of comfortes against all kinde of dangers to be fetched from the same With an Exposition of the Psalme after the Hebrewes 107 ¶ That effectuall consolations may be deriued and drawen onely from Diuinitie and especiallye from the knowledge of Gods Prouidence Chap. 1. GLorious doubtles and which may vehementlye moue the mindes of all men is the promise and warrant of humane Philosophie for by it they say men are perfected and brought to the knowledge of the soueraigne trueth by it men are taught how to frame best their manners conuersation by it mens mindes are armed against all assaultes of fortune either subtilly fawning or enuiously insulting finally by it is shewed a way wherby a man may attaine vnto happy life and immortality But it we weigh the matter indifferently we shall finde that onely from our Diuinitie all these thinges may exactly be perfourmed For why eche one perceiueth that naturall men by whom all those thinges are gathered together that are set to sale vnder the name of Philosophie doo all erre and faile in many thinges but vnto God who hath written and put foorth deuine matters as onely best knowen to him selfe no such thing may possiblye be ascribed Wherby it commeth to passe that in the writinges of the Philosophers wherein they labour to set out the trueth a man may finde euery where mixte opinions very absurd and contrary one to another wher upon ariseth greater doubtfulnes then certaintie A witnes heereof I haue that notable Philosopher M. Vario who hath left in writing that as touching the endes of good and euill there were extant at once two hundreth fourescore and eight sundry sects and opinions But when they would frame and order a Cittie a familie or the manners of euery priuate man good God what colde stuffe and oftentimes how yll agreeing together haue they broached and put foorth To say nothing that by some haue béene propounded such thinges to be brought into Common-weales the Communion of Socrates and Plato amongst other thinges is well knowne as from the which all men endued with any common sence of nature doo worthily flie and abhorre But if at any time they couet to comfort a man stricken with aduersitie euen heere also they go very confusedlye to woorke whilest some of theÌ„ labour to remoue the very name of calamitie as though it were a thing not to be accompted off wil some men to imagine I cannot tel what senselesnes or want of greef clean contrary to manifest experience other some againe set before men eyes painted in colours after a sorte a certain image of fortitude such as neuer was nor neuer shal be and yet in the meane time they are neuer able to driue away care feare and the sence of sorrow and gréefe from their mindes Now as touching the blessed life after this painefull and troublesome life to be looked for iudge yee whether any thing certaine be by them brought and alleadged of whome the greatest part count those thinges for fables and trifles to be laughed at which are brothed and set foorth of men like to themselues concerning the rewardes of good men and punishmentes of the euill calling euen into question whither there be any life at all remaining in the soule or no. But truely Diuinitie is such a thing as may fully satiffie the mindes desirous of true wisdome of all these thinges This in a few sacred bookes for so are they called not without a cause comprehendeth cléerely and without any error what-soeuer is necessarye to make perfit and bring the whole man to true happines In these bookes is the knowledge of the first and soueraigne trueth which is God him selfe and whose only woord is the trueth so much as is expedient to be knowen of men in this life plainely and substantially opened In these the short tables of the lawes doo declare and set foorth all the whole rule of good liuing and the same in all respectes so absolute and answerable to Gods will that the prince of Prophets Moses most iustly gloried that there was neuer any people or nation that had their Common weale so wiselye ordered and established whither we consider the rites appertaining to religion or the iudiciall forme of lawes or the manner of contractes and bargaines and other thinges of like sort néedfull and necessary for the common vse of mans life as had the people of the Jewes taught and instructed in all thinges by God himselfe In these are expressed and set foorth most perfit and present remedies which auaile not onely to the easing and helping of outward euils but also to the pacifying and appeasing of mens consciences which béeing stricken with the feare of Gods most seuere iudgement should otherwise be driuen into desperation of which matter Philosophie hath touched no one iot or title To be short in these onlye bookes hath God him self declared which cannot be deceiued what a happy and blessed life is in what pointes it consisteth where when by what meanes and to what manner of persons it belongeth So as he that wil bestow any diligence at all in learning of these bookes by the guiding of the holy Ghost that man whosoeuer he be shall well perceiue and see these thinges to be true as we haue saide For-so-much therfore as Diuinitie sheweth her selfe a very excellent Mistresse in all these thinges and perfourmeth so much in deed as any man can possibly desire yet in comfortes and consolations to be fitly ministred against all gréefes and calamities that can happen she is beyond all measure rich and bountifull euen the mighty Apostle Paule himselfe bearing record who doubted not to say that whatsoeuer things are written
vnderstanding euen vnto these earthlye thinges héere belowe and he proueth it by a similitude taken of the beauty of leaues and flowers all which thinges as vile and most quickly perrishing cannot saith he retaine the most comely features of their formes and fashions vnlesse they were there formed and made where that incomprehensible and vnchangeable beautye hauing all thinges abideth and continueth This the Lord Iesus sheweth there where he saith Consider the lillies of the feeld how they grow they labour not neither doo they spinne and yet I say vnto you that euen Salomon in all his royaltie was not clothed like one of these Wherfore if god so clothe the grasse of the feeld which though it stand to day is to morrow cast into the furnasse shall he not doo much more vnto you O yee of little faith which woordes of Augustins we thought good euen for this cause to note that also by the testimonie of Plotinus the Platonicall philosopher they might be conuinced whosoeuer they be that doo hardly admitte particular prouidence That therfore which this Gentile could finde the meanes to drawe not only out of the puddels of his maister Plato in which the selfesame confession touching particular prouidence is found very cléerely expressed and chéefely in his book of Lawes the 10. againe in his Epinonio that is to say an appendix of lawes whence vndoubtedly euen Proclus also drew his opinion in all respectes like and semblable in the books which he wrote of prouidence but also out of the fountaines of holye Scripture as of whome the fame goeth by the report of Theodoretus that he was sometime an hearer of our olde father Origen in the schoole of Alexandria and tasted the secret misteries of our learning that I say which this Gentile hath put in writing as touching Gods prouidence let vs not be ashamed to imbrace but rather let vs be ashamed on the other side if we be slack to follow and endeuer to that knowledg vnto which he easily mounted and ascended It would be conueniēt by examples drawen out of the bookes of holy Scripture to haue this thing confirmed more at large to witte that the Lord woorketh vpon men and vpon all thinges created by his determinate counsell present administration but these things for this time I suppose to be sufficient The obiections against particular prouidence confuted where also is entreated of fortune fate destinie end or haphazard Chap. 4. BVt now let vs sée what it is that stayeth some men or what they are able at length to pretend wherby they should not with vs graunt this particular prouidence where through as well all the counsailes studies enterprises and actions of men are ruled and gouerned as also the powers and operations of inferiour creatures ordered and directed And it is to be thought they are moued most cheefely with these reasons First that seemeth by this assertion of particular prouidence that the freedome of mans wil is vtterly subuerted and man made like vnto a sencelesse block that cannot doo any thing of him selfe no not so much as moue but whither the Lord driueth him 2 Where if so great weaknes and imbecilitie of man be graunted and on the other side so great power and authoritie of prouidence as to woorke and doo all thinges it appeereth now that sinne also if any be committed by man must be imputed to God him selfe which truely once to conceiue in the minde were a hainous offence 3 By this meanes are excluded vniuersally all second causes wherof notwithstanding that some regard is to be had there is no man but willingly graunteth Moreouer there arise also other waightye questions and very troublesome doubts For by establishing of this particular prouidence there séemeth againe to be induced and established the Stoikes fate or desteny further that all casuall thinges are ouerthrowne and such as by an vsuall custome are saide to happen by chaunce againe that contingens or haphazard is taken away in defence notwithstanding wherof there be excellent diuines that do yet at this day labour with great consent For these causes I suppose and the same doubtlesse not slender but meruailous perplexed it appéerethe that a number are moued to yéeld vnto those that allowe only vniuersall prouidence which it seemeth expedient to defend least they should be inforced to graunt so many inconueniences absurdities as we haue now rehearsed It shall therfore be our part and duety if at least we couet to haue speciall or particular prouidence remaine safe and inuiolate to entreat of al these thinges and so farre foorth as we may and necessitie shall require declare that those thinges hurt either not at all or els not so much as some doo suppose Wherfore as touching that first reasons concerning the libertie of our will we will conclude the matter in a short summe As oft as there is any question made of the power of our will they are wont so to distinguish mens actions that some are said to be of thinges spirituall and internall which namely belong to God and his Kingdome and to the saluation of soules and some of thinges earthly or externall which doo appertaine to the common course of this life and without the which the same can by no meanes be passed ouer To be wort some haue appointed meane or middle actions In euery of these what man is able to doo we will bréefly consider Therfore in spirituall or internall actions which are occupied about the knowledge of God and of his will towardes vs also about the ordering of our life aunswerable to suche knowledge there is no man but confesseth that man is able to doo nothing by his owne naturall strength but if so be he doo any thing in this behalfe that it ought to be ascribed to the holy Ghoste who in the regenerate woorketh effectualy by enclining gouerning and directing their mindes and willes vnto those thinges that may be pleasing and acceptable vnto God This doctrin is throughly and euery where approoued in the holy Scriptures Hiere 21. I know Lord that it is not in man to guide his owne way nor in the sonne of man to direct his steepes Hiere 30. I will dispose him and he shall come vnto me for who is he that hath made his harte so willinge that he can come vnto me saith the Lord. Psal 36. It is the Lord that must direct the steppes of man Psal 119. Incline my hart vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnes Turne awaye mine eyes least they beholde vanitie c. Many thinges to the same effecte are further noted in the said Psalme Iohn 3. A man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from Heauen Iohn 6. No man commeth to me except my Father drawe him Iohn 15. without me ye can doo nothing 1. Corinth 2. The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God 2. Corinth 3. We are not able of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues
vnlooked for be saide after a sort to fal out by Fortune in respect of vs and after a certaine manner of speaking from which it must be abandoned the fond imagination touching any such seuerall power of Fortune as giueth and bestoweth all thinges vpon whome she will but yet in respect of God we hath as it is euident prest and ready causes of all things that come to passe nothing can be said to happen by Chance or Fortune Yea and to say the very trueth neither ought we in respect of our selues to graunt any thing vnto Fortune â—ith of what things soeuer come to pas our minde albeit it perceiueth not the outward causes and which we vsually terme next or neerest yet hath it at all times in a readines and vnderstandeth the principall woorking cause to witte the prouidence and good will of God For this is a most certaine role to answere directly vnto euery question touching the causes of those thinges that are seene to come to passe namely that they are all wrought and accomplished by Gods good will prouidence Whither belonge those godly wishes and desires of the Saintes in thinges doutfull and to come The Lords will be done likewise in consideration of thinges doon and past So hath it pleased the Lord his will be fulfilled And to this effect Augustine de Ciuitate Dei lib. 5. chapter 9. saith That the causes which are called fortnitae that is casuall or working by fortune are not altogither none at all but such as lye hid in secret and therfore to be ascribed to the will of God But it shal not be amisse to illustrate and set foorth the matter with some examples And first touching Chance Is it not a thing likely to be doon by chance that a Ramme being caught by the hornes stack fast in the bryers when Abraham was about to offer by his sonne in sacrifise But Abraham had said before that The Lord would prouide him a sacrifise being assured by faith that the Lord wold do whatsoeuer was expedient and the same Ramme became there a figure of Christ Gen. 22. Again that the Casket wherin Moses was put should slote néere to the place where Pharaohs daughter was gone downe to wash her selfe appéereth to haue hapned by chance but for what great and weighty causes the Lord disposed it so to come to passe al the holy books of the Bible do most plentifully witnes Exod. 2. Further we would say that it was by chance that the iron of the Are wherwith one of the schollers of Elizeus hewed timber fell into the water but therby tooke the Prophet occasion to woorke a miracle wherby he testified his incomparable faith to God-ward and his louâ— toward his neighbour 2 Kings 6. To be short it may séeme to come by chance that a Viper creeping out of the fire caught Paule by the haÌ„d at Melita but that thing was the cause foorth with why the barberous people magnified the Apostle as a God acknowledged him to be most déer vnto god Act. 28. We might adioyâ—â— yet moe examples but that we haue to speak in like maner touching the euents of Fortune Wherin I pray you dooth it seeme that any thing may more iustly appéere to be forcuitum or hapning by fortune then in lottes and yet the Scripture dooth apparantlye teach that while The lotte is cast into the lap the whole disposition therof coÌ„meth of the Lord Pro. 16. And by this meanes the Lord him-selfe ordering the lotte was Saule found out to be anointed with oyle and so to be declared King 1. Sam. 10. Ionathan was founde to haue tasted honye 1. Sam. 14. Ionas was bewrayed for that refusing the charge enioyned him of the Lord he fled an other way Ionas 1. Mathias was called to the office of Apostle Act 1. May it not be thought also worthily to fall out by Fortune that Rebecca rather then any other should giue drinck to the vnknowne seruant of Abraham afterward adde that she would in like manner draw water for his Camelles But surely the Lord wold haue these thinges to be for a signe wherby the seruant might knowe what manner of one she was that his Masters sonne should espouse Gen 24 would not all men likewise say that Fortune hare a great stroake when Dauid being thrise pursued of Saule with a speare or Iauelin to haue thrust him through escaped yet safe and sound But we must mark how oft it is mentioned there that the Lord was with Dauid and that Dauid gaue thanks to God alone for his deliuerance 1 Sam. 18.19 And who wold not iudge Absolons fortune to be strange and meruailous who whilest he rode vpon a mule in great haste was caught by the haire of the head and hanged vpon the bough of an Oake where also being thrust through by Ioab he was foorth-with slaine outrightes of his seruants and cast into a pitte in the wood and without all honour couered with a heape of stones But there in that place the Lorde himselfe is saide to haue compassed about the men that lifted vp their hand against the king and to haue iudged for Dauid 2 Sam. 18. Therfore to conclude what things soeuer do happen so vpon the sodaine and vnlooked for that there appéere no causes why they should so come to passe when yet they might fall out otherwise must be referred to the will prouidence of God as vnto the chéefe and principall cause But if thou wilt still tearme them Fortuita or falling foorth by fortune after the vsuall manner and custome of speaking yet must thou néedes graunt this that except the Lord him selfe doo dispose and direct them they can neuer come to passe nor attaine to any perfection And whilste thou doost this thou thy selfe by rendring some cause and the same certain of the fact doost now plainely subuert the nature of Fortune sith verily there can fall out nothing by Fortune but wherof the cause is vnknowen Therefore whosoeuer iudgeth aright touching Gods prouidence he perceiueth ful wel that Fortune or chaunce is nothing As also the Stoikes in like maner who contended that all thinges came to passe by Fate or Destiny are reported wisely to haue taken away Fortune and Chaunce from whose sentence or iudgement the Satyricall Poet cryeth out Thy Godhead failes if wisdome once take place but Fortune we Doo thee a Goddes make and eke in heauen doo harbour thee Signifying that Fortune was so highlyâ— estéemed and exalted onely and alone by the foolish perswasion of men Wherfore to th' end the studious may learn to obserue how they may speake truelye and without offence touching thinges happening by Fortune as they vse to call them I will adde touching that matter the woordes of S. Augustine out of his first booke and first Chapter of Retractions In my bookes against the Academiks saith he it greeueth me that I haue so often vsed the name of Fortune Albeit my meaning was not to haue any goddesse
be inhabited wher before were waters againe the waters haue ouerslowed possessed all things where before were habitable cuntries it is no hard matter to proue out of the Philosophers Historians and Poets Our Tertullian in his Apologeticus and Booke De Pallâ—o hath many things agreeable to this present place Rhodos and Delos two Ilandes in the sea came sodeinly forth to light To the Cyclads were adioyned Ilands by little and little now some and then some Homer in his book 4. of Odyssea recordeth that from the Iland Pharos into Egipt was the distance of a night and daies sayling all which space is now annexed to the firme land Touching which thing also Pomponius Mela writeth in his book 2. and Lucan in his book 10. If we may credit Herodotus the Sea sometimes from aboue Memphis to the mountaines of Ethiopia went all oouer The same testifieth that it flowed verye nigh to the Temple of Diana of Ephesus On the other side whatsoeuer is between the towne Rhegium and Cicelie that was once champeon ground now it is a great and large Sea many Authors witnessing the same as namly Tertullian in his Apologeticus Solinus Iustine in his booke 4 Virgill in his booke 3. of Eneidos Sylius Italicus booke 14. Philo in his booke De Mundo writeth that the thrée cities Egira Bura and Helice were by the violent rage of the Sea swallowed vp Yea and the Iland Atlas as Plato mentioneth in his Timeo with a certaine portion of Asia and Aphrica through Earthquakes and strange floods continnuing by the space of fower and twentye howres sanke sodeinly downe and was ouerwhelmed of the sea Which sea by that misfortune became verye rough and dangerous and in no wise afterward passable or saileable By these things we may easilye vnderstand that such not able and memorable alterations as are héere spoken off doo not seldome times come to passe And there are fiue metonymies or denominations when as to signifie barrennes he putteth the desert a thirsty place the dry land and salte licour For in such places nothing is wont to growe Where the fresh water runneth not nor the raine conueniently moâ—â—ieneth there doubtles is neither sowing nor reaping as in fandy places on the shore and on the tops of hils is to be séene Likewise where the earth is salt and brackish or Salte is digged there dooth not lightlye growe any thing Phynie in his booke 31. chapt 7. saith that all and euery place wherein salte is found is barren and bringeth forth nothing Whither it séemeth to belong that Iudges 9. Abimilech when he had subuerted the citie Sichem did sowe salt there signifying that he would make that place from thence-foorth vtterlye barren and void of habitation To the like effect there is extant a threatning in Ieremy 17. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his hart from the Lord. For he shal be like the heath in the wildernes and shal not see when any good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernes in a salte land and not inhabited Blessed be the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For he shal be as a tree that is planted by the water which spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer c. In these woords of the Prophet thou seest in like manner fertilitie to be signified by wateringes and moystures as also in this place are put floods water springs pooles of waters For the wickednes of them that dwell therin The cause why such alterations are bâ—ought vpon lands as also vpon the soile and vpon the Sea The Lord saith he dooth it purposing to punish by bis iustice the sinnes of the inbabitants And so commonly commeth it to passe where a Cuntry is fruitfull and plentifull in all things there the inhabitantes for the most part through the plenty of things fall to idlenes from idlenes to wantonnes and the vices that flowe from thence Which when it commeth to passe the Lord being prouoked to wrath sendeth barrennes and many other aduersities till as by little and little they either repent or els are vtterly destroyed Such alteratioÌ„s of cuntries cities commonweales we may sée dayly Examples we haue at this day most cheefly in Italy which is a most happy and fruitfull cuntrye but with how great calameties haue we seene it battered and shaken though it hath not béen vtterly ouerwhelmed with waters And heer fall to the ground the causes of alterations which the Philosphers are wont to bring and alleadge saying that through a certaine necessitie and force of the superior bodies gouerning these inferior things hoere belowe the lands and â—eas 〈◊〉 keepâ— this order of nature that bâ—acertain interchangeable course and compasse they are 〈◊〉 while better another while worsse euen like as we see man also to be dealt withal who first of all in his infancy and childe hoâ—de is weake and without strength but afterward growing in yeeres he gathereth strength and commeth at length by little and little to great perfections but then again when age commeth on he droupeth and decayeth Thus I say they suppose the case to stand generrally with waters and lands through a certaine force 〈◊〉 power of the superior bodies ruling al interior things and of this opinion was aswell Aristotle in his Metcorologiks as also Strabo in his book 17. and other moe disputing of these matters But in this place it is expresselye saide that al these thinges are wrought by the Lord himselfe and euen then verily when it pleaseth him to reuenge the sinnes of men the inhabitants or otherwise to declare sâ—t forâ—h his iustice power and goodnes Therfore whether such changes and alterations doo fall out sodeinly or slowly and more leisurely whither by hidden causes or by open and manifest as if earthquakes inundations of waters or such like means goe before it behouâ—th not to determine by and by that they come to passe by a certaine entercourse of thinges or contingently but by the determinate will and purpose of the Lord which yet notwithstanding men cannot alwaies perceiue and sée Wherfore we learne againe héer very cleerly that all things which happen in this worlde are ordered and disposed by Gods prouidences and that crosses are sent for the sinnes of men and benefites giuen fréely through the onelye mercy and goodnes of God againe that God will alwaies illustrate set foorth his iustice power and goodnes And al these things ought we in the like euents whilest namely through tempests through caterpillers and other vermin destroying the fruites we haue a barren yeers and scarfety of victuals or are in danger through infection or distressed by any other meanes not much vnlike to turn them â—o our comfort and consolation And there he placeth the hungrie The second example prouing Gods goodnes and prouidence to be preeminent and to beare swaye in all things drawen from the alterations and sondrye successes