The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Argum. 3. Argum. 4.
Argum. 3 THis appeareth likewiſe by the orderly government of all things in the world, viz. Families and private Houſes, Towns and Incorporations, Cities, Countries, Kingdomes and Commonwealths, wherein ſome govern, and others are governed. A Kingdome or Commonwealth is a lawfull government of many Families, and of thoſe things which unto them in common belongeth, with a puiſſant Soveraignty; ſo is a Family the right government of many perſons, and of ſuch things as are unto them proper, under the rule and command of one and the ſame Head of the Family, Bodin. de Repub. l. 1. c. 2.as a famous Lawyer and States-man hath well noted. Now this could not be without a divine Providence, ſo ordering and diſpoſing matters, over-ruling mens minds, ſetting and keeping ſome in Authority to rule, and others in awe and ſubjection to be ruled. This ſome of the Heathen by the Moon-light of nature have been able to diſcern and confeſs, that Commonwealths were governed much more by a divine hand and aſſiſtance, Deorum ope & auxilio, multo magìs quam hominum ope & conſilio Reſpublicae gubernantur. Cicero pro Rabirio.than by the endeavours, labours, and counſels of men: therefore even ſome of them held that man an Atheiſt, that ſhould deny Providence, as well as deny a Deity.—Now this is a moſt certain truth; for in all States there be ſome looſe lewd fellows, that had rather all to go at ſix and ſevens, as they ſay, viz. in a confuſed courſe and diſorderly faſhion, than ſubmit themſelves to live in a well-ſetled and eſtabliſhed Government; and yet even theſe the Providence of God ſo repreſſeth, as that either for ſhame or fear, or ſome other thing, they ordinarily break not out to be extraordinarily and notoriouſly outragious. In a word! it is he that preſerveth Rulers and Governours, and putteth it into their heads and hearts to make good Laws, and take order that they may be kept being made, as he tells us, Prov. 8.15. By me Kings raign, and Princes decree juſtice. God ſets his eternall Law before their eyes, as being of principall force and moment, to breed in religious minds a high eſtimation thereof; and there can be no doubt (as a learned man hath obſerved) but that Laws apparently good, Hooker. Eccleſiaſt. polit. l. 1.are (as it were) things copied out of the very tables of that high everlaſting Law: not as if men did behold that Book, and accordingly frame their Laws, but becauſe it worketh in them, diſcovering and (as it were) reading it ſelf to the world by them, when the Laws which they make are juſt and righteous.
Furthermore, the Providence of God is evident, by the long continuance of this or that very form of Government through many ages: as of a Monarchy with the Aſſyrians and Aegyptians, with England and France, &c. of an Ariſtocracy with the Venetians, and the like. For though mans wiſdome and policy have ſome ſtroke in point of Government; yet notwithſtanding if we conſider the multitudes of wicked men, and the miſchiefs that may proceed from without, and what mutabilities are incident to humane affairs, it might ſeem impoſſible that any State ſhould ſo long ſubſiſt, were it not upheld by a divine power and Providence. Which is alſo further manifeſt, where it pleaſeth God to change the form of a Government; for even to thoſe men whom he maketh uſe of as inſtruments for the effecting of that matter, thoſe things which mans wiſdome is not able to fathom, do ſucceed more beyond their deſires and wiſhes, than the diverſity of humane caſualties ordinarily doth permit: the great correſpondence of events, and concurrence of things to a certain end, is an Argument that there is an all-guiding Providence. Now as a Ship though never ſo well built and tackled, cannot long brook the Sea without a skilfull Pilot; no more could the world it ſelf, nor any form of Government in it long continue, unleſs it were guided, maintained, and governed by the great Creatour of all things.
Argum. 4 Every mans conſcience evinceth and plainly proveth this point: eſpecially if a man be guilty of any notorious ſin, which none but God and himſelf knoweth of, his conſcience will many times gripe and pinch him, with the conſideration of the fear of Gods vengeance for it. Paul tells us that the very Gentiles had their conſciences accuſing or excuſing them, according as they had done either good or evil, Rom. 2.15. So Suetonius writeth of Caligula, that monſter of men,Sueton. in Calig. Plures ſunt quos timor corrigit, quàm quos amor dirigit. Aug. that when it thundered or lightened, he would get himſelf into ſome Cellar or deep Vault, thinking (it ſeemeth) to hide himſelf from the vengeance of God, which (his guilty conſcience told him) did purſue him. Now if mans own conſcience accuſe him, ſhall not God much more, who is greater than it, and made it? conſcience condemneth many men not only in reſpect of ſome particular actions that have been done by them, as David in the matter of Ʋriah, and numbering of the people, and Peter about the deniall of his Maſter, which made him weep bitterly; but ſometimes it doth condemn a man in reſpect of his generall eſtate; it may condemn him in reſpect of his finall and eternall eſtate, whereupon followeth a dreadfull expectation of judgement, Heb. 10.27. as when a Malefactour is arraigned and condemned, he then expecteth the day of execution.
Sometimes alſo fear hath forced prayers from Infidels in time of their diſtreſs, and thereby have they acknowledged a divine Providence governing all things. So we read of thoſe heatheniſh Mariners, Jon. 1. when there was a great tempeſt in the Sea, they were afraid, and cryed every man to his God: The Mariners under a falſe Religion underſtood that ſomething was to be feared, …autae ſub errore religionis, intellexerunt aliquid eſſe verendum. Hieron. Divinum aliquod & ſingulare judicium. Tremell. in Jon. 1. Peſſimus in dubiis augur timor. Petrarc. de remed. utr. ſort. Lyra ex Rab. …olom.ſaith Hierom. Thus the Athenians in time of a great plague, (as ſome Authors tell us) ſet up an Altar with this Inſcription, ignoto Dee, to the unknown God, Act. 17.23. and Tremellius ſaith of theſe Mariners here, that they knew it to be ſome divine and ſingular judgement, becauſe it was ſo ſuddain and violent; therefore they fear and fall to their prayers. So Ovid in the like caſe, and in the like danger; Dii maris & Coeli, quid enim niſi vota ſuperſunt? Ovid. Fear makes men formall, and do ſome outward devotions; and even naturall and ſervile fear may ſometimes ſerve as an Aul, Needle, or Briſtle to bring in filiall fear. An Angel with a drawn Sword maketh even Balaams Aſs to ſtartle; and this ſtrange tempeſt maketh theſe rude fellows full of devotion. Theſe Infidels were of divers Nations, and divers Religions, as Lyra noteth out of the Rabbins, becauſe they call every man …pon the God of his Countrey.