The Institution of Christian Religion

If we grant that the beginning of motion belongeth to God, but that all things are either of themselves or by chance carried whether the inclination of nature driveth them, the mutual succeeding by turns of days & nights, of winter & summer, shall be the work of God, insomuch as he appointing to every one their duties hath set them a certain law, that is if they should alway keep one measure in equal proportion, as well the days that come after the nights, the months after months, & years after years. But when sometime immoderate heats with dryness do burn up all the grain, sometime unseasonable rains do mar the corn, when sudden harm cometh by hail & tempests: it shall not be the work of God, unless parhap it be because the clouds or fair weather or cold or heat have their beginning of the ⟨p. 59⟩meting of the planets or other natural causes. But by this mean is there no room left, nether for the fatherly favour nor for the judgements of God. If they say that God is beneficial enough to mankind because he poureth into the heaven & earth an ordinary power, whereby they do find him nourishment: it is to vain and profane an invention, as though the fruitfulness of one year were not the singular blessing of God, and dearth and famine were not his curse & vengeance? But because it were to long to gather together all the reasons that serve for this purpose, let the authority of God himself suffice us. In the law & in the Prophets he doth oftentimes pronounce, that so oft as he watereth the earth with dew & rain, he declareth his favour, & that when by his commandment the heaven is hardened like iron, when corn is consumed with blasting and other harms, when the fields are stricken with hail & tempests, it is a token of his certain & special vengeance. If we grant these things, then is it assured that there falleth not a drop of rain but by the certain commandment of God.¹ David praiseth the general Providence of God, that he giveth meat to the ravens birds ye call upon him: but when God himself threateneth famine to living creatures, doth he not sufficiently declare that he fedeth all living things sometime with scarce and sometime with more plenteful portion as he thinketh good?

If we graūt that ye beginning of motiō belōgeth to God, but that all things are either of thēselues or by chaūce caried whether ye inclination of nature driueth thē, ye mutual succeding by turnes of daies & nightes, of winter & sōmer, shalbe ye work of God, insomuch as he appointing to euery one their duties hath set thē a certaine law, yt is if they shoulde alway kepe one measure in egal proportiō, as wel ye dayes yt come after ye nightes, ye moneths after monethes, & yeres after yeres. But whē somtime immoderate hetes wt drynesse do burne vp al ye grain, somtime vnseasonable raines do mar ye corne, when sodein harme cōmeth by hayle & tempestes: yt shal not be ye worke of God, vnlesse parhap it be because the cloudes or faire wether or colde or heate haue their beginning of ye