Last of all by the Prouidence of God the Ayre is so preserued that although all liuing creatures haue breathed it so many thousand yeares yet is it not consumed or lesse then it was at the beginning In the Earth VVHose diuers forme for God hath not made it altogether plaine neither steepe nor rough altogether but hath diuided it into hilles plaine fields and thick woods maketh it pleasant to behold and doth delight through her varietie Secondly the commoditie is great whilest the hills being drained by the valleis do minister safer passage in Winter and yeeld reliefe vnto cattell Againe the plain fields in Sommer are more pleasant to both purposes Thirdly as the hilles mountaines doo yeeld matter for Carpenters and other Artificers to worke vpon So the plaine fields doo minister plentie of Corne wherof they stand in need wherin the Prouidence of God is declared to the mutuall helpe and releeuing one of another Lastly as God by his Prouidence hath enriched the Earth so doth he preserue and encrease the same that notwithstanding men haue reaped thereout great and infinite treasures yet is not the store consumed in so many thousand yeares In Riuers WHich by the onely Prouidence of God doo ebbe and flowe In Fountaines and Springs WHich by the same Prouidence doo oftentimes breake out in the top of very high mountaines whereas naturally they are carried downward and by sinking of deepe pits wee are compelled to drawe vp the water to our vse Secondly hee doth not onely by his Prouidence carrie the waters contrary to their nature vp to the top of mountains but causeth thē also to hang in the midst of the Ayre without any stay Thirdly wheras naturally water is cold hee doth warme it in the bowells of the Earth without fire to the great profit and commoditie of all men as may be seen in the hotte Springs Of the which hot Springs or Bathes there are of diuerse kindes and operations viz. Some are good to loosen and mollifie the sinowes which are stiff throgh cold Othersome doo binde againe those which are loose make them strong Againe other are good to cut away fleame Some doo purge melancholy Othersome do dry vp sores biles c. All which diuersities declare the Prouidence of God to the comfort reliefe of vs vnthankfull creatures The absurditie and impietie of their opinion whith deny the Prouidence of God IF God hath no care of those things he hath created it is eyther because he is not able or for that he will not To say say God is not able who by his onely word hath created the whole world all that therein is in an order and beautie so wonderfull and vnspeakeable beside the impietie it is an ouer great absurditie considering that it is infinitely more easie to preserue them being made then to create them when they were not and to make them of nothing Againe to thinke that God doth hate his worke through enuie or disdain those things which hee hath in such an vnspeakable excellencie created as that in the written veritie with a great liking he said They were all good it is an absurd and blasphemous impietie for no such wickednesse can come neare vnto God who is altogether good and goodnesse it selfe Againe for what cause should God enuie the world whether for the greatnesse thereof or for the beautie God being vncreated and infinite who neuer had beginning shall haue no ende comprehending all things is limitted and comprehended himselfe of nothing in whose hand are all the endes of the worlde who measureth the heauens with his spanne and the whole earth with his fist how can he enuie the greatnes of the world which being compared to him is not an handfull As for the beautie thereof seeing it hath both that his whole beeing of God there is no cause of enuie but rather great cause for God to glorie in the excellencie of his creatures For if the most enuious man doth not hate the house and building which hee hath made because it doth excell in beautie but rather dooth greatly boast and is proud of the same Much lesse ought we to thinke that God in whom there is no enuie or wickednesse can enuie the excellencie of his creation The Prouidence of God in the Seas FIrst in that God created therein and doth preserue for the vse of man infinit store of diuerse kindes of fishes Secondly by his onely Prouidēce it is kept within his bounds and dare not passe his prescribed limits as may appeare by the waues of the Sea which beeing carried with violence against the sand on the shore do retire again as it were repenting their fact in presuming so boldly and are afraid of their prefixed bounds Thirdly the Sea is as it were a mediator to knit together in friendship Countries that are farre distant one from an other for God hath not giuen to any one countrie all things necessary but hath as it were diuided his benefites to the intent that one Countrie standing in need of an other they should all liue together in mutuall amitie and friendship Wherefore the Sea serueth to the easier transporting of that which we can spare and to bring in such commodities as wee doo want which by cart and horses cannot be done so speedily and with so great ease for the burden of one Ship will scarce be carried vpō a thousand horses or Camels backes Fourthly least men should be ouertoyled with long and tedious trauell God hath placed diuers Ilands in the middest of the Sea to be as it were Innes to rest their wearied bodies and Markets to prouide such necessaries as they shall need A briefe collection of his arguments declaring the Prouidence of God through all the parts of the earth FIrst the great benefites which wee receiue by the Sea the Earth the Aire Sun do plainly declare the fatherly Prouidence of God towards mankind Secondly it doth appeare in that wonderfull construction of the heauens which hang ouer our heads Thirdly in the tribute that the Earth other parts of the world do pay yearly daily to man for God hath made them as it were seruants to man The Sun to giue light to warme and to ripen the fruites of the Earth The Moone to shine in the night season The Starres to guide vs in the darke to declare the course of times and to direct those which saile on the sea The Aire being drawne in of men dooth refresh the naturall heate within The Raine doth nourish and make the fruite to growe The Frost first doth staie the plants and other fruites of the Earth that they doo not spring forth before their time and doth driue the naturall heate vnto the roote Secōdly it killeth wormes which are hurtfull to the fruites And lastly it doth yeeld vnto vs great store of fowle A demonstration of the Prouidence in the framing of the Bodie of man WHere first of all God hauing giuē a mouth
THE MIRROR of Diuine Prouidence Containing a collection of Theoret his arguments declaring the Prouidence of God to appeare notably both in the heauens and in the earth and in all things therein contained Taken out of his workes De Prouidentia Printed at London by T.C. for Iohn Smithick and are to be sold at his shop in S. Dunstons Churchyard in Fleetstreet 1602. To the Reader THe copie of this collection hauing long since lyen by mee I haue now thought good to publish as a worke well worthy to be read and pervsed of all sorts of people at this time wherein Atheisme like an ill weed is growne to such height as it seemeth to ouershadow the plants of true Religiō while men attributing to Nature what belongs properly to the Creator of Nature do both depriue God of his glory and also discouer their impiety to the danger of their owne soules and the hurt of others The matter was originally handled by Theodoret an auncient and learned Father of the Church in tenne Sermons treating of Prouidence the substance whereof hath bene extracted and digested into Method by a learned Diuine now deceased who made this Collection following Read it with aduise and if thou doost beleeue the Diuine Prouidence as thou oughtest the meditation thereof may bee sweet comfortable vnto thee if otherwise thou doubt or denie it the consideration therof may strike thee with shame and terror and haply reclaime thee from so absurd and impious an opinion which effect I do heartily wish that it may worke in thee I. C. THE MIRROR of Diuine Prouidence Causes why he defendeth the Prouidence of God against the blasphemous mouthes that denie the same THe childrē defend their Parents Reasons why Seruaunts their Maisters Citizens theyr Cities The gard their Prince Much more ought Christians to defend Gods cause For God is nearer vnto vs then our Fathers Reasons of the Conclusion by whose benefite they be made parents He is better then our maisters whose rule is by nature not by the calamitie of the seruants He is stronger then any wall of brasse as he whom no time can weare away nor force impaire Hee is more princely then any king whose rule is perpetuall and ouer all The Prouidence of God is prooued in the Heauens FIrst Nature in that the heauens being of a passible corruptible nature notwithstanding continue vntil this day whole and perfit in an vniform order Order Motion or motiō without interruption by the onely word of the Creator Secondly they being so neare the Sunne Moone and Starres which by nature be fierie for all that are neither melted dried nor set on fire after so many thousand yeares It is proued also in the Sunne THe Sunne contrary to nature for that all fire is carried vpward doth cast downe his beames and heate towardes the earth Likewise the water being by nature fluxible and heauie is carried vpward and hangeth in the aire without any staie Secondly the Sunne is ordained to giue light to all creatures Thirdly The vse of the Sunne it serues for the distinction of time for the Sunne by rising and setting doth distinguish the day frō the night which is the measure of all time The Night is as necessarie as the day FIrst by the night the light beeing interrupted the day is made more pleasant in his second comming Secondly the bodies beeing wearied with the day labour and by sleepe bed and rest well refreshed are made apt again to the next dayes labour Thirdly it giueth to the wilde beasts a free and safe opportunitie to seeke their pray Fourthly and last of all the daies thereby being measured it is consequently the true measure of all time The proofe of the conclusion for by the night daies are measured by dayes the weekes by weekes the moneths by moneths the yeares And so it is the measure of all time Againe the Prouidence is prooued by the foure parts of the yeare IN that God hath not ioyned the Winter and Sommer together which are extreames but hath placed betweene them the Spring and Autumne as meanes to qualifie their extremities to the comfort and preseruation of all creatures for in comming by litle and litle as by degrees from the extremitie of cold to the extremitie of heat we are both in lesse daunger receiue the more pleasure for the sudden and ouer great alteration from one extreame to an other is very hurtfull vnto nature Secondly as these foure parts of the yeare are prouidently disposed so are they all necessary The Winter to sowe the Spring to growe the Sommer to ripen the Autumne to reape and gather in Last of all he gathereth the Prouidence by the Starres also FOr the Starres beside their light are ordained as guides to direct Marriners sayling vpon the seas where there is no tracke of Horse Moyle wheele or wayfairing man A demonstration of the Prouidence by the Aire Earth Sea Riuers and Fountaines By the Aire FIrst whereas it is by nature fluxible hath need of something to containe it God hath so placed it betweene heauen and earth as between two most strōg walles that it cannot break forth but is kept in to the preseruation of al liuing creatures by the breathing wherof all that haue sence do liue Secondly being moued with the watry clouds it doth moisten the Earth Thirdly it is as it were a chariot to bring the light of the Sunne vnto our eyes Fourthly beeing placed between the Sunne and the Earth it doth with his naturall moisture and coldnesse so temper the drinesse and heate of the Sunne that wee receiue his light without griefe or hurt vnto vs. And least we should imagine the Aire to be the chiefe cause of this so great benefite God hath appointed the Sunne likewise to temper the extremitie thereof for were it not that the Sun with his beames did warme the Ayre we were not able to abide the extremitie of his colde as we may perceiue by the winter when the Sunne goeth further from vs. Fiftly heereby is the Prouidence declared for that the Ayre and Sunne beeing in their owne natures hurtfull the one through the extremitie of his cold the other by reason of his extreame heat are by the only prouidence of God so aptly disposed that they turne to our great commoditie and pleasure Sixtly neither in the Sunne Ayre nor any one of the Elements seuerally nor yet in them all ioyntly dooth the life of creatures or the encrease of the Earth consist For when the Ayre is most temperate and the Earth watred with seasonable showers the Sunne likewise vseth a moderation and the windes do blowe most mildely yea although the Husbandman plow neuer so skilfully and sow in good measure and time yet doth not the Earth alwaies yeeld her looked for fruit liberally neither is mankind alwaies free from sicknesse diseases Whereby God sheweth all things to bee ruled by his Prouidence and not by Nature
belly shoulders hands necke and the head Againe this bone beeing hard and full of knobs is not placed in the forepart of the body least it should hinder or hurt the necessarie extension of the belly stomacke and lunges when they receiue in meate or breath but in the hinder part as it were a prop or stay Thirdly it is not one whole bone but consists of many ioynts that with the more ease a man might turne and winde his body euery way Lastly it is by the Prouidence of God fedde with certaine marrow comming from the braine The necke may wel be likened to the cesterne in a Conduit in the sides whereof many holes are stricken whereby the water that was brought thither in a great pipe is sent forth to diuers places Likewise the necke reaching downe to the mouth of the stomacke doth send the meate and drinke into the belly It hath besides the windpipe which reacheth from the lunges to the top of the throate there are veines also and arteries in it which carrie bloud and spirit vp to feede the braine The braine also dooth send downe the marrow through the necke into the backe bone thorough certaine bones adioyning vnto it wih which marrowe the bones are nourished and wherof the sinewes spring which binde the ioynts together and the muscles take their motiue power The head and braine THe head is placed vpon the height of the body as it were a Castle vpon the toppe of a great hill wherein the braine mans especiall treasure is kept as in a very strong hold The skull is as it were an helmet compassing the braine defending it from outwarde force which otherwise would soone receiue great hurt Againe least the braine which is soft and tender should be hurt with the hard stiffe bones God hath enclosed with two coates of skin whereof one which is next the braine and dooth enclose it is very thinne and soft the other is a more stiffe and tough skin being placed betwixt the brain and the skull neither ouer-hard for hurting the braine nor yet ouer-thin least the skull through his hardnesse should hurt or fret it The Eyes THe Eyes are placed in the Head as watchmen in the top of a Tower and to the intent they should watch on both sides God hath set there not one alone but two eyes one towards the right hand the other to the left Againe for that they watching for the safegard of the whole bodie had need of some bulwarke to defend them God hath placed the browes hanging ouer them that both they serue for a defeÌ„ce and are a meanes to make vs seÌ„e the further off Thirdly the browes seruing for a pendant house to cast off the wet God hath set fine haires in the vtter parte thereof which enclining towards the temples do receiue the swette falling from the forhead and carry it from the Eyes as hurtful vnto theÌ„ downe by the vtter side of the face Fourthly for that these watchmen had need of harnis and weapons God hath also armed them with their lids and certain haires in them as it were speares to keep out litle gnats moates dust and such like which would otherwise flie into the eyes and hurt them Fiftly these haires be not crooked as the other vpoÌ„ the brows least they should runne into the eyes and hurt them neither doo they runne straight downeward for so would one ruffle weare another through the often closing and twinckling of the eye-lids but they are set somewhat a slope and runne outward so that they neither hinder one an other in the shutting and serue for the better defence of the Eyes Lastly all things in the eye are wonderfull and â—et out the great Prouidence of God viz. The smalnesse of the sight the garland about it much like the Rainbow of diuers colours the circle like â—nto horne the christall spheare and glassie humour about it his â—ouble coate one coloured like 〈◊〉 grapes the other in forme like aâ—â—shers net his seate full of kernells his nutriment which is bought from the braine in a very thinne vessell and the cleansing of it in expelling the superfluous humours at the corners of the Eye The Blood THe meat being receiued into the Belly this Iuice is first assi miled to the Belly and made white then being sent vp to the liuer it is there turned into blood afterward part of it being sent vp to the braine it is made white againe and is turned some into bones and othersome into tough and hard sinewes The sence of Smelling and his instrument THe sence of Smelling doon discerne betwixt sauours dâ—lighting in that which is pleasaâ—â— and repelling that which is vnsauory as a thing hurtful to nature Likewise through that instumeÌ„t is the head purged of certain excrements For the head being placed in the highest part of the bodie all the vapours doo ascend vp thither which being hurtfull to the brain are expelled thorow certaine spungie holes and pipes And that these moist clammie excrements may with more ease and speed be carried away God hath appointed 2. waies to purge them that is through the roofe of the mouth and the nostrils The sence of Hearing THis sence doth discerne betweene sounds delighting in a pleasant harmony and loathing the contrary By the means wherof also wee attaine to the knowledge of the liberall Sciences and of the will of God The Hands and Armes THey are neither longer nor shotter then is needfull but are of a iust length and framed to the performing of those workes wherevnto they were ordained The Arme is diuided into three parts whereof one part is ioyned to the shoulder another to the elbow and the third to the wrest The Fingers THe Fingers consist of three ioynts or peeces the extremities whereof are some hollow denting inward other some are round like vnto a spheare the which round endes beeing as it were grafted in the hollow ends they are bounde together with strong sinowes and by the helpe of certaine muscles they are moued where also least their hardnes should hinder the closing of the Fingers God hath couered them with a thin and soft skin or coate The Nayles THe nailes seruing for to keep the ends of the fingers from hurt are made thin and light for hurting the soft flesh that is vnder them broad that they might the better helpe and sustaine the fingers being pressed with any burthen Thirdly they are as it were round which force is strongest for defence and shall least hurt with pressing the fleshe vnder it The Feete THe Feet are not made round like an hoofe nor hard but soft and stretched out in length wherby and through the flexible composition of the toes man is able to stand the more sure and moue with the more ease The great vse of the Hands MAn only hath Hands wherwith he doth plough sowe plant reape thresh gather in c. with infinit workes moe seruing both to pleasure and necessitie