A learned treatise of the plague

There remaineth one Argument taken from Experience, which in show seemeth very strong, yet is it of no force to take away Infection, I mean to prove the Plague not to be infectious. If, say they, the Plague come of Natural causes, or of some certain Constellation, or of corrupt Air, then should all they doubtless be infected which dwell under the same Constellation, or breath in the same corrupt Air; which is found to be false; for even reason it self doth prove the falsehood of this Argument: For who is so unskilful that knoweth not, that one and the same Cause doth not always operate alike, much less equally; nay, that the effects are divers, according unto the diversity▪ of the matter it worketh upon? one and the self-same North-wind doth not equally annoy men with Cold; every man therefore seeth how weak this reason is. But let us grant, that in some place every man of himself is apt to receive the corrupt air, yet may many things happen why the same effect in all would not follow; as for example, one man taketh a Preservative medicine, another doth not; one forthwith useth a good medicine, another very late, or never. Lastly, that which is the principal point is to be considered; That Almighty God doth govern Natural causes and their effects, as it pleaseth him; So that hence it cometh to pass, that Infection toucheth not every one which is in danger of it, as it is written Psal. 91. 6. Neither yet is it deadly unto every one that it hath infected; like as Poison also drunken is not, as it is written Mark 16. 18. Therefore this Argument also is not of force to prove there is no infection in the Plague, because that many which keep company with those that are sick of the Plague are not taken; and contrariwise, they that are absent are infected: As if the poison of a Viper were not deadly, because that Paul being bitten of one felt no harm at all, Acts 28. 5. And thus far concerning Infection.

There remaineth one Argument taken from Experience, which in shew seemeth very strong, yet is it of no force to take away Infection, I mean to prove the Plague not to be infectious. If, say they, the Plague come of Natural causes, or of some certain Constellation, or of corrupt Air, then should all they doubtless be infected which dwell under the same Constellation, or breath in the same corrupt Air; which is found to be false; for even reason it self doth prove the falshood of this Argument: For who is so unskilfull that knoweth not, that one and the same Cause doth not always operate alike, much less equally; nay, that the effects are divers, according unto the diversity of the matter it worketh upon? one and the self-same North-winde doth not equally annoy men with Cold; every man therefore seeth how weak this reason is. But let us grant, that in some place every man of himself is apt to receive the corrupt air, yet may many things happen why the same effect in all would not follow; as for example, one man taketh a Preservative medicine, another doth not; one forthwith useth a good medicine, another very late, or never. Lastly, that which is the principal point is to be considered; That Almighty God doth govern Natural causes and their effects, as it pleaseth him; So that hence it cometh to pass, that Infection toucheth not every one which is in danger of it, as it is written