HOW MANY THINGS DO WE CALL MIRACULOUS. 442 Who knows if life been't that which we call death, And now without some appearance. For why do we from this instant derive the title of being, which is but a flash in the infinite course of an eternal night, and so short an interruption of our perpetual and natural condition? Death possessing all that past before, and all the future of this moment, and also a good part of the moment it self. Others swear there is no motion at all, as the followers of Melissus, and that nothing stirs. For if there be but one, neither can that shperical motion be of any use to him, nor the motion from one place to another, as Plato proves. That there is neither generation nor corruption in nature. Protagoras says, that there is nothing in nature but doubt: that a man may equally dispute of all things; and even of this, whether a man can equally dispute of all things: Mansiphanes, that of things which seem to be, nothing is more than it is not. That there is nothing certain, but incertainty. Parmenides, that of that which seems, there is no one thing in general. That there is but one thing. Zeno, that one same is not; and that there is nothing. If there were one thing, it would either be in another, or in it self. If it be in another, they are two: if it be in itself, they are yet two; the comprehending, and the comprehended. According to these doctrines the nature of things, is no other than a shadow, either false or vain. This way of speaking in a Christian man, has ever seem'd to me very indiscreet and irreverent. "God cannot dye; God cannot contradict himself; God cannot do this, or that." I do not like to have the divine power so limited by the laws of mens mouths. And the appearance which presents it self to us in those propositions, ought to be more religiously and reverently expressed. Our speaking has it's failings and defects, as well as all the rest. Grammar is that which creates most disturbance in the world. Our suits only spring from the debate of the interpretation of laws: and most wars proceed from the inability of ministers, clearly to express the conventions and treaties of amity of princes. How many quarrels, and of how great importance, has the doubt of the meaning of this syllable hoc created in the world? Let us take the clearest conclusion that logick it self presents us with. If you say it is fair, and that you say true, it is then fair weather. not this a very certain form of speaking? And yet it will deceive us that it will do so, let us follow the example. If you say you lye, and that you say true, then you do lye. The art, the reason and force of the conclusion of this, are the same with the other, and yet we are gravelled. The Pyrrhonian Philosophers, I discern, cannot express their general conception in any kind of speaking for the world requires a new language on purpose. Ours is all form'd of affirmative propositions, which are totally antartick to them. Insomuch that when they say I doubt, they are presently taken by the throat, to make them confess, that at least they know, and are assur'd that they do doubt. By which means they have been compelled to shelter themselves under this medicinal comparison, without which, their humour would be inexplicable. When they pronounce, I know not: or, I doubt; they say,that this proposition carries off it self with the rest, no more, nor less than rhubarb, that drives out the ill humours, and carries itself off with them. This fancy will be more certainly Is : 444 MEN SEEK TO REDUCE GOD TO THEIR OWN MEASURE. understood by interrogation: what do I know? (as I bear it in the emblem of a balance.) See what use they make of this irreverent way of speaking. In the present disputes about our religion, if you press the adversaries to it too hard, they will roundly tell you, that is not in the power of God, to make it so, that his body should be in paradise and upon earth, and in several places at once. And see what advantage the old scoffer makes of this? "At least," says he, "it is no little consolation to man, to see that God cannot do all things: for he cannot kill himself, though he would; which is the greatest privilege we have in our condition: he cannot make mortals immortal, nor revive the dead: nor make it so, that he who has lived, has not; nor that he, who has had honours, has not had them, having no other right to the past, than that of oblivion." And that the comparison of a man to God may yet be made out by pleasant examples, "he cannot order it so," he says, "that twice ten shall not be twenty." This is what he says, and what a Christian ought to take heed shall not escape his lips. Whereas on the contrary, it seems as if all men studied this impudent kind of blasphemous language, to reduce God to their own measure. cras vel atra Nube polum pater occupato, Vel sole puro, non tamen irritum Quod fugiens semel hora vexit.-Hor. Car. l. 3. Ode. 29. To morrow, let it shine or rain, Yet cannot this the past make vain : Nor uncreate and render void, That which was yesterday enjoy'd.-Lord Fanshaw. When we say, that the infinity of ages, as well past as to come, are but one instant with God: that his bounty, wisdom, and power are the same with his essence: our mouths speak it, but our understandings apprehend it not. And yet such is our vain opinion of our selves, that we must make the divinity to pass through our sieve: and from thence proceed all the dreams and errors with which the world abounds, whilst we reduce and weigh in our balance a thing so far above our poize. "Mirum quo procedat improbitas cordis humani, parvulo aliquo invitata successu."-Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. "Tis a wonder to what the wickedness of man's heart will proceed, if elevated with the least success." How magisterially and insolently does Epicurus reprove the stoicks from maintaining that the truly good and happy being appertain'd only to God, and that the wise man had nothing but a shadow and resemblance of it? How temerariously have they bound God by destiny (a thing, that, by my consent, none that bears the name of a 66 66 Christian shall ever do again) and both Thales, Plato, and Pythagoras, have enslav'd him to necessity. This arrogancy of attempting to discover God with our weak eyes, has been the cause that an eminent person of our nation, has attributed to the divinity a corporal form; and is the reason of what happens amongst us every day, of attributing to God important events, by a particular assignation: because they sway with us, they conclude that they also sway with him, and that he has a more intent and vigilant regard to them than to others of less Magna dii curant, parva negligunt." moment, or of ordinary course. -Cicero.de. Nat. Deor. lib. 3. "The gods are concerned at great matters, "Neither but slight the small." Observe his example, he will clear this to you by his reason: nec in regnis quidem reges omnia curant." indeed do kings in their administration take notice of all the least concerns." As if to that king of kings it were more and less to subvert a kingdom, or to move the leaf of a tree or as if his providence acted after another manner in enclining the event of a battle, than in the leap of a flea. The hand of his government is laid upon everything after the same manner, with the same power and order: our interest does nothing towards it; our inclinations and measures sway nothing with him. “Deus ita artifex magnus in magnis, ut minor non sit in parvis." "God is so great an artificer in great things, that he is no less in the least." Our arrogancy sets this blasphemous comparison ever before us. Because our employments are a burthen to us, Strato has courteously been pleased to exempt the gods from all offices, as He makes nature produce and support all things; their priests are. and with her weights and motions makes up the several parts of the world; discharging human nature from the awe of divine judgments 66 Quod beatum, æternumque sit, id nec habere negotii quicquam, nec exhibere alteri."-Cicero. de Nat. Deor. lib. 1. "What is blessed and eternal, has neither any business it self, nor gives any to another." Nature will that in like things there should be a like relation. The infinite number of mortals, therefore, concludes a like number of immortals; the infinite things that kill and destroy, presuppose as many that preserve and profit. As the souls of the gods without tongue, eyes, or ear, do every one of them feel amongst themselves what the other feel, and judge our thoughts. So the souls of men, when at liberty, and loosed from the body, either by sleep, or some extasie, divine, foretel and see things, which whilst joyn'd to the body they could not see. "Men (says St. Paul) professing themselves to be wise, :hey became fools; and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God, into an image made like corruptible man."-Rom. 1. v. 22, 23. Do but take notice of the jugling in the ancient deifications. After the great and stately pomp of the funeral, so soon as the fire began to mount to the top of the pyramid, and to catch hold of the hearse where the body lay, they at the same time turn'd out an eagle, which flying upward, 446 WE ARE NOT THE MOST PERFECT THING OF THE UNIVERSE. signified that the soul went into paradise. We have yet a thousand medals, and particularly of that vertuous Fostina, where this eagle is represented carrying these deified souls with their heels upwards, towards heaven. 'Tis pity that we should fool our selves with our own fopperies and inventions, Quod finxere timent.-Lucan. l. 1. 66 Like children who are frighted with the same face of their play-fellow, that they themselves had smear'd and smutted. Quasi quicquam infelicius sit homine, cui sua figmenta dominantur." "As if anything could be more unhappy than man, who is insulted over by his own imagination.” 'Tis far from honouring who made us, to honour him that we have made. Augustus had more temples than Jupiter, serv'd with as much religion, and belief of miracles: the Thracians, in return of the benefits they had receiv'd from Agesilaus, coming to bring him word, that they had canoniz'd him: "has your nation," said he to them, "that power to make gods of whom they please? pray first deifie some are amongst your selves, and when I shall see what advantage he has by it, I will thank you for your offer." Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a flea, and yet he will be making gods by dozens. Hear what Trismegistus says in praise of our sufficiency; "of all the wonderful things, it surmounts all wonder, that man could find out the divine nature, and make it.” And take here the arguments of the school of philosophy it self. Nosse cui divos, et cœli numina, soli To whom to know the deities of heav'n, Or know he knows them not, alone 'tis given. If there is a god, he is a living creature; if he be a living creature, he has some sense; and if he has sense, he is subject to corruption. If he be without a body, he is without a soul, and consequently without action : and if he has a body, it is perishable. Is not here a triumph? We are incapable of having made the world; there must then be some more excellent nature, that has put a hand to the work. It were a foolish and ridiculous arrogance, to esteem our selves the most perfect thing of the universe. There must then be something that is better and more perfect, and that must be God. When you see a stately and stupendous edifice, though you do not know who is the owner of it, you would yet conclude, it was not built for rats. And this divine structure that we behold of the celestial palace, have we not reason to believe that it is the residence of some possessor, who is much greater than we? Is not the most supreme always the most worthy? And we are subjected to him. Nothing without a soul, and without reason, can produce a living creature capable of reason. The world produces us, the world then has |