of our selves and of the best works which we can do whether before regeneration or after so our Saviour albeit he seeme universally to forbid all care of minding temporall contentments yet in deed and reall meaning forbids us onely to place any part of our hopes or confidence in our owne endeavours He doth not simply forbid all care of things temporall but so farre onely as it is an hindrance to our care and watchfulnesse for trying and tasting the goodnesse of God or as it weakens our relyance upon his fatherly providence If we be watchfull in prayer and frequent in meditations upon Gods goodnesse already experienced our care of heavenly things and estimate of Gods goodnesse will better teach every one of us in his severall calling the right limitation of his domestique cares than any generall rule which can be gathered from the nature quality or quantity of cares For conclusion he which forbids us to take care for the morrow commands us to pray this day for to morrowes bread that is to pray every day for the good successe or blessings of the dayes following with all attention and watchfulnesse 4 Another fundamentall duty and one of the most formall effects of faith as it respects this Article is that of the Preacher Ecclesiastes the 12. vers 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth But why is this duty in particular prest upon youth Because the prints of Gods creative power are then most fresh in our nature and might transmit a fairer copy or truer estimate of the Creators goodnesse unto old age than old age can take any so young men by often reflecting upon the present comforts of health and strength upon the activity of body the quicknesse of sense and spirit would ingrosse them deeply in their memories Youth then is the fittest season for estimating the benefits of Creation and old age the choicest time for surveying our unthankfulnesse to our Creator If the former contentments of youth with the comforts which accompany our best thoughts and actions were truly calculated in our fresh and choicest daies and rightly waighed upon their proper center our thankfulnesse would reciprocate upon the Fountaine from which they flow and be returned to their doner in a measure equiponderant to their waight upon our soules And nothing but want of thankfulnesse in such as have tasted the ordinary benefits of Creation can hinder the descent of Gods choice of blessings in great abundance Would we but sequester that delight which we take in health and strength from our selves and surrender it wholly into his hands that gave it he is still ready to renew and better our present and former estate Did we empty our hearts of pride of selfe-delight or complacency by powring forth such joyfull thanks giving as the Psalmist doth It is he that hath made us and not wee our selves â—t is he that gives us all those good things wherein we joy we did not receive them from our friends or parents wee cannot take them to our selves the same Lord as the Psalmist elsewhere avoucheth would give us our hearts desire even fill our hearts with joy and gladnesse which shall never saile or decrease This is his sole and proper gift for though we could take unto our selves all the temporary contentments of transitory pleasures which either our hearts could wish or our inventions calculate yet should wee not have our hearts desire so long as we fixe our delight either in the things enjoyed or in the enjoying of them and not in the Lord which gave them unto us and us power to enjoy them From thus delighting in the Lord or from rendring according to the benefits bestowed upon us the generall withdrawments are but two First an over prizing of such externalls as procure or increase our contentments Secondly an ouervaluing the feare or dread of mens persons or other externalls which seeme to menace disgrace vexation or torment unto us if we should doe as in our calmest thoughts we often desire to doe The sinister sway of both temptations or withdrawments from the duties commended unto us cannot be otherwise counterpoized than by taking the last branch of this Article into deepe and serious consideration The last branch was that God doth nor onely make and preserve us but doth withall perpetually order direct and governe both us and all the externalls which we love or feare by his all-seeing ever-working Decree or Counsell If our soules or senses have for once or twice beene overjoyed with the possession of any externalls or instrumentall causes of contentment let us call to minde that as the Almighty Creator gives both us and them their being so hee likewise stints and limits as well their operations as our capacities to receive their impressions at his pleasure The same externalls which formerly wrought our comfort or contentments may procure our griefe and misery by too much or unseasonable familiarity with them or fruition of them If in feare or dread of evill menaced by man or represented to us by fire by sword or other unruly instruments of wrath or vengeance wee cannot hope that the Almighty Creator will by miracle abate their strength or inhibit the exercise of their native qualities or dispositions as he did in Daniel and the three childrens cases yet unlesse our faith in the last branch of this Article faile it will confirme us in this resolution that he can and will so contrive the concurrence of hurtfull agents as they shall become instruments of greater good to such as love him and in temptations adhere unto him The rule or Maxime is universally true No agent or instrument whether of temporall harme or comfort whether of joy or griefe can worke any other wayes or any further than he by his Eternall Decree or Providence hath appointed it for the present to worke And in that promise made unto us by our Apostle That hee will not suffer us to bee tempted above our strength it is included that he will so restraine or abate the force and efficacy of all second causes as they shall not conquer our patience or quell the comfort of our unwounded conscience CHAP. 12. Though nothing can fall out otherwise then God hath decreed yet God hath decreed that many things may fall out otherwise than they doe 1 MEn otherwise of light and vaine behaviour gaine oftentimes respect amongst the multitude by pretended descent from worthy Families with whom their names have some alliance so doe inconsiderate positions or conclusions dangerously erronious many times get more esteeme among the Learned than ordinary truths doe as being mistaken for the true and naturall off-springs of undoubted Maximes There is no Christian but thinkes himselfe bound upon his allegiance to submit his assent unto the former Principle It is impossible that any thing should be which God hath decreed not to be or any thing which is should otherwise bee than God hath decreed it should be And many which
either not to seeke his adversary any where or not to incounter him wheresoever he found him counselled Darius to expect him in the plaine of Assyria whither he assured him that hee would shortly come though to the great disadvantage of the Grecians But that advantage which Alexander scorned to seeke the Lord mighty in battaile vouchsafed to give him as Alexander himselfe freely acknowledged after he knew where Darius his army was encamped Although hee could hardly be brought to beleeve that Darius had left his station and marched toward Cilicia untill his Scouts brought him certaine word that he had his adversary in his hands so it would but please him to put them forth whilest time served to take him But the Historians censure of Darius his fatall miscariage will give the ingenuous Reader better satisfaction then any discourse can be made upon it To excuse his folly in not hearkning to Amyntas which had beene too grosse if it had been meerly naturall he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which the Translator misinterprets when he saith Ac fortasse Deus illum eo loci adduxit The Authors words import thus much in English Assuredly some divine misfortune led him into that place in which his horsemen his chiefest trust would doe him no service wherein nor multitude of men nor store of munition could advantage him being so straitned that he could not make any true representation of the gaudinesse or goodlinesse of his army It was a place so fit as Alexanders Counsell of Warre could not have made choise of a fitter for delivering vp the Scepter of Persia into his hands 5 Alexanders sollicitous though superstitious care to render thankes or supplications for good successe unto the reputed Gods of every place where he touched in this expedition is to me a sufficient testimony or assured signe that he had taken certaine notice of some peculiar divine instinct impelling him to undertake it And not knowing from what speciall God this instinct or impulsion came he tendred his service unto all he knew Iosephus his narration of his devotion at Ierusalem and great respect of Gods High Priest there sutes well with his usuall demeanour towards other Gods related by this Heathen Writer and is not improbable from his princely kindnesse unto the Iewes to whom he allotted free habitation in the City called by his owne name Vide Dion 6 Many particulars not impertinent to this discourse I leave to the ingenuous Readers observation that shall be pleased to peruse Diodorus Siculus Arianus or Quintus Curtius These present rightly applyed may asswage that declamatory humour of some pedantick politicks which would have Alexanders strange successe to be the naturall issue of Macedonian valour and Asiatick effeminatenesse Such collections might bee tollerated in a young Student appointed to make a theame or declamation in praise of masculine or frugall spirits or in dispraise of feminine luxury Howbeit these politick conjectures are rather imperfect than altogether untrue whether the Authors of them did apprehend so much or no I know not but certaine it is their opinion supposeth a Divine truth which they expresse not It is not improbable in true Divinity that the Persians were plagued as for many other sinnes so in speciall for their riot luxury and that God to give them notice hereof did make speciall choise of the Macedonian to bee his scourge a people remarkable in those dayes for austerity of life and masculine behaviour For so it is usuall with the just Lord to upbraid those whom he severely punisheth for some predomiant vice with some contrary vertue in them by whom he punisheth as elsewhere is exemplified more at large out of Salvianus But unlesse the Lord had otherwayes disposed of time and place the Persian horses were not so effeminate or cowardly but they might easily have put the Macedonian pikes to flight or trampled the footmen under their feet as Darius Courtiers proudly bragged before their encounter But pride goes before destruction and God for this â—â—â—â—on brought them into those straits wherein they might perceive and see the truth of what his Prophet had said An horse is but a vaine thing neither shall hee deliver anâ— by his great strength Psal 33. 17. And againe Woe to them that goe downe to Aegypt for helpe and stay on horses and trust in charets because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong but they looke not unto the holy One of Israel neither seeke the Lord Isaiah 31. ver 1. I should think my selfe infideli deteriorem worse then the Heathen Writer if I did not derive Alexanders victory over Darius from the divine decree The time appointed to use his words was now come that the Macedonian should take the Empire of Asia from the Persians as the Persians had taken it from the Medes and the Medes from the Assyrians Now who is it that can appoint the times but hee which sitteth above the circles of the heavens and moveth all things being himselfe immovable CHAP. 26. Of the erection of the Chaldean Empire and of the sudden destruction of it by the Persian with the remarkable documents of Gods speciall providence in raysing up the Persian by the ruine of the Chaldean Monarchy 1 THe weapons of war wouÌ„d more or lesse according to their skill or strength that weild theÌ„ So is the whole strength of warre it selfe so is the might and policie of every Kingdome more or lesse successefull to friends or hurtfull to foes according to the proportion which it holds with his will or purpose who is enstyled the Lord of hosts the Lord mighty in battaile Vnlesse the Grecians had beene generally lyable to the Aegyptians censure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Grecians are alwayes children in true antiquity Aristotle might have informed himselfe and his followers that the Assyrians and other inhabitants of the southerne coasts of Asia had sometimes beene a people so fierce and terrible in war that Alexander attended with the whole strength of Macedon would have beene but as a flock of Sheepe or an herd of Goats to an host of Wolves or Lyons Whilest Tiglath Pelezer Senacherib and other Kings of Assyria were Hammers in the hand of God who could resist them The strength of these Assyrians was so great that the Prophet foresaw the sudden advancement of the Chaldeans to the like or greater height or strength would hardly be beleeved by neighbour Nations Iew or Gentiles untill they felt it to their smart Behold ye among the Heathen and regard and wonder marvellously for I will worke a worke in your dayes which ye will not beleeve though it be told you For loe I raise up the Chaldeans that bitter and hasty nation which shall march through the bredth of the Land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs They are terrible and dreadfull their judgement and their dignity shall proceed of themselves Their horses also are swifter
But what ever Philosophers may dispute one way or other concerning the proper subject of light diffused or participated or concerning the identifie or multiplication of it in bodies not lucent in themselves but enlightned the dependance of borrowed or participated light upon the fountaine of light whence it is borrowed is the most perfect Embleme which the eye of man can behold of that dependance which all things numerable that are or can be have on the incomprehensible Essence or inexhaustible fountaine of Beeing Whether light participated or diffused have any true inherence or no in bodies enlightned or whether it be present with them or in them ad modum spiritalium after such a manner as spirits are in sublunary bodies or with them this is certaine that light participated is not deduced or drawne out of any matter praeexistent or out of any positive qualitie inherent it is produced out of darknes or want of light And herein it is the true Embleme of created Entities which were not made of any entities praeexistent but of nothing As light participated or diffused hath no permanent root in bodies enlightned So things created have not their root of beeing in any maetter praeexistent nor hath the prime matter of which things generated are made any root precedent out of which it groweth Such being as it hath it hath intirely by its perpetuall dependance upon beeing it selfe The most excellent numerable beeing that can be imagined is more truely participated or borrowed from beeing it selfe than the light of the Moone or Sarres than the light in the ayre water or yce is from the body of the Sunne And albeit the formes or perfect bodies which by operation of efficients naturall respectively result or are produced out of the matter have a being distinct from the matter out of which they are made or produced yet even these have the same immediate dependency upon the incomprehensible Essence or inexhaustible fountaine of Beeing which the prime matter hath As the resplendencie or irradiation of coloured glasses be they yellow greene or azure have the same immediate dependance upon the light of the Sunne which the light diffused throughout the heavens water ayre or pure glasses hath unlesse the Sun send forth his beames upon them these colours have no resplendencie they cannot affect the sense of sight Nor can any created Agent albeit endowed with qualities operative more forcible and permanent than any coloured glasses can bee produce any reall effect without the cooperation or coagencie of the incomprehensible Essence or inexhaustible fountaine of Beeing As impossible it is that any agent should move or be moved otherwise than by the vertue of his Almighty power as that it should have beeing or existence extra infinitum esse without his infinite Beeing or immensitie or that the continuance of it in such being should not be comprehended in his infinite and interminable duration which wee call Eternitie Againe as light borrowed or diffused throughout this inferiour world hath a beeing in its kinde distinct from that light which is permanently seated in the fountaine of light on which notwithstanding all borrowed light absolutely depends as being eminently contained in it so every numerable beeing or part of this world the Sunne the Moone the Starres the Elements mixt bodies vegetables man and beast have their proper kinde of Beeing distinct each from other and distinct againe from the incomprehensible fountaine of beeing on which notwithstanding all of them have more immediate more essentiall dependance than either the lights or different shapes in a glasse have on the Sunne which gives the light or on the bodies which they represent And in this incomprehensible fountaine of beeing all things not onely which are but which possibly may bee are more eminently contained than the least-sparkles or portions of borrowed light which appeare in broken glasses are in the body of the Sunne 4 In this point onely or in this especially is the production of light in this inferiour world by the Sunne unlike the Creation of all things by the Almighty Father of lights in that the Sunne produceth light or resplendency without any free choice or intelligence but by a necessitie of nature that is it so produceth light as it hath no power not to produce it So doth not the Almighty Father eyther create the things that are or preserve them in their estate of beeing or cooperate with them in the production of such effects as they in their severall kindes and rankes are truly said to produce For albeit the Almighty Father bee more immutable than the Sunne yet is hee immutably free For freedome of will by which creatures rationall exceede all creatures meerly naturall or capable of no better endowment then sense being a true and reall branch of beeing a perfection of the most perfect creatures must be as truely and really though in an eminent manner contained in the Maker of all things as any other branch of numerable beeing is Now the object of this freedome of will in the Omnipotent Maker is not onely the Creation or not creation of things that are or may bee not the preservation or destruction of things created or of the severall endowments or qualifications but part of this object of divine freedome is the enabling or inhibiting of all his creatures to exercise those qualities or faculties which are to them most naturall and in their kinde most powerfull Albeit Nebuchadnezzar had power to make the flames of intēded persecution much hotter than any ordinary fire though other Tyrants might have power to make the like againe much hotter than hee did or to environ Gods Saints with the fire of Hell yet if the Almighty Creator withdraw the influence of his power from such fire or flames they can have no more power to burne or scorch his Servants than they have to coole them although we suppose their nature and qualities to be preserved still entire by the same power by which they were created For as but now was said the inhibition or enabling of naturall qualities or faculties to exercise their native force is as truely the object of divine freedome as the preservation or destruction of the Agents themselves with their qualities or endowments is For the same reason the Sunne was no way wounded in his substance nor hurt nor tainted in its influence or other qualitie when by the divine power which is immutably and perpetually free it was inhibited in its course or motion 5 That the Almightie Creator neyther in our time nor in the times long before us hath laid any such restraint upon the Sunne that it should not move or upon the fire that it should not burne is not from any restraint which hee hath laid upon his power by his eternall decree but from his immutable and eternall freedome Wee may not say that he cannot for the times present or which are to come lay the like inhibition upon the Sunne upon the fire or upon other
souldiers that they were not able to stand before the multitude of their furious enemies in the third encounter And to try them the fourth time they had no courage The stumpe of that arrow which Detricus carried in his forehead to Rome in witnesse that he had confronted his enemies and was not wounded in the backe did pierce the hearts of some and daunt the spirits of other Romans And the fresh bleeding experiments of these Hunnes incredible fury might well occasion that generation and their children to flatter their cowardly fancies with forged tales as if it were no disparagement to the Romans though as yet in highest esteeme for valour amongst the sonnes of men to bee outdared by an inchanted generation of infernall monsters borne of witches and begot by Devils For such legends of these Hunnes originall have gone for currant amongst good writers and are not altogether out of date in some places unto this present day But the Romanes did want a Marius Sylla or Camillus to be their Dictator in these times Detricus was no Iulius or Germanicus what the best of these could haue done or durst haue attempted had they been living then is more then the spirit of any now living can divine hee that had made these in their times valorous had now decreed the beggerly Hunnes should bee victorious and there is neither counsell nor might against the Lord. 7 Or if this bee not canonicall scripture with politician let us examine whether the evidence of truth manifested in the historicall narrations whereon Machiavel comments have not extorted as much from him in a manner against his will and contrary to his purposed conclusions as the author of truth in this point hath taught vs. Hee saith Machiavel that wil compare the Romans wise carriage of state-businesses for many yeares together with their ill managing of matters wheÌ„ they were invaded by the Gauls shal find them so different as that the latter grosse error may seem to haue bin committed by another people not by the same So stangely doth Fortune so he now accords in termes with Livie whom herein he contradicted before blind the judgements of men when it is her pleasure not to have her power controuled whose authority is so great that neither they which are commonly exposed to danger deserve much blame nor they much praise which enjoy perpetuall felicity Fates may so strongly draw both parties this way or that way as the policie of the one shall not be able to prevent the evils which happen nor the others vertue be sufficient to bring forth good successe In fine taking Fortune and Fates for terms equivalent throughout his whole Discourse hee concludes for Plutarch That the greatnesse of the Romane Empire was decreed by Fate and with reference to this end as Rome could not in her growing age be overthrowne so it was expedient that she should often be oppressed and afflicted that her Statesmen might become more wary and wise for procuring that greatnesse which Fates had decreed to accomplish by them Wherefore that all these might take place the Fates which as he grants use meanes convenient for effecting their purpose had put Camillus to exile not to death suffered the City to bee taken by the Gaules but not the Capitoll and that the Citie might be taken with lesse adoe they had likewise ordained that the greatest part of the Romane army being discomfited by the Gaules should not retire to Rome but flye to Veios To knit up all as he speakes in a bundell it was the ordinance of Fates that the Romanes should for this turne use neither their wonted wit nor discretion for averting the evills which befell them and yet have all things made ready to their hands for defending the Capitoll and recovering of the City By the forecast of Fates not of the Romanes it was that exiled Camillus who was no way guilty of the wrongs which the Senate had done unto the Gaules no way obnoxious unto them but free from all obligements should bee at Ardea with one army and expected at Veios by another that they might with joynt forces assault the Gaules when they least expected and so recover the City 8 Had Machiavel told us what hee meant by Fates or Fortune wee might either quickly agree with him or easily confute him as disagreeing most from himselfe whatsoever hee meant by them it had beene a point of honesty in him to have craved pardon of Plutarch for contradicting him in the former discourse seeing hee borroweth Plutarchs owne language in this Comment of Romes surprizall by the Gauls If Machiavel by Fate or Fortune understand some branch of Gods decree or providence mentem teneat linguam corrigat For though he comment upon a Heathen writer it would no way misbeseeme him sometime so to speak as men might suspect him to be a Christian But not to question in what signification he used the words Fates or Fortune the reall attributes which he gives to Fate or Fortune cannot belong to any power in heaven or earth save onely to the onely wise invisible GOD for who can blinde the mindes of men of such politicke wiseâ—men as the Romanes were save onely hee who made our soules and giveth wisdome to whom he pleaseth who can make choise of excellent spirits for managing humane affaires present or entertaine occasions offered for great atchievances who againe can deprive such men men so qualified as Machiavel would have them of life depose them from their dignities or so abate their strength as they shall not bee able to make resistance when evills are determined That power onely can doe all these which knoweth all things worketh all things determines all things ruleth all things Yet all these attributes here specified hath Machiavel bestowed on Fate Either was this man stricken with heathenish blindnesse for detaining the truth in unrighteousnesse or else in seeing thus farre into events in his judgement Fatall hee might have seene Gods providence ruling in them and disposing of all humane affaires whatsoever The like contemplation of fatall or fortunate events led Commineus a man aswell seen in matters of state as Machiavel was unto a distinct view of Divine Prouidence as shall be shewed heareafter Whatsoever effect these observations wrought in Machiavel the perusall of them will lift up the Christian Readers heart to sing with Daniel Blessed bee the name of God for ever and ever for wisedome and might are his Hee changeth the times and seasons he giveth wisdome unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding 9 But though wee could make this or the like orthodoxall construction of Machiavels meaning in this discourse though fate and fortune in his language were the same that Gods providence is in ours Yet the use which hee makes of this his doctrine would neither be consonant to his owne principles elsewhere delivered not to the eternall truth Hoc unum pronunciabo de fortunae viribus fati