and to the same, must every unordained Event be left, over which there is nothing but mere Prescience. The other thing, which constrains my Belief, is, That the holy Scripture, from whence we must take our truest Measures, expressly, emphatically ⟨p. 64⟩own such a Preordination of the Event; not to insist on that Counsel of Ahitophel, which yet observably hits the Mark, only as God will have it, to chastise David in the Concubines, but not to destroy him in the pursuit; I shall instance in others; God turned his heart to hate his people, Psal. 105.25. God put it into their hearts to give their kingdom unto the Beast, Rev. 17.17. It was of the Lord to harden their hearts, Josh. 11.20. The cause was from the Lord, that Rehoboam hearkened not, 1 Kings 12.15. Touching Absalom's Incest, God saith, I will do it, 2 Sam. 12.12. Touching the lying Spirit, he saith, Go, and thou shalt prevail, 1 Kings 22.22. Antiochus tears and blasphemes like a Devil, but that which was determined was done, Dan. 11.36. The Jews crucify the Lord of Glory, but God's hand and God's counsel had determined it, Act. 4.28. In such pregnant Scriptures can there be any thing less than a determining Providence, or what other interpretation is tolerable? May we interpret such emphatical places only of a nude Permission, which leaves the Event pendulous and incertain? It cannot be;1 the very Jesuit Ruiz will here confess, Dei voluntate, decreto, consilio, ⟨p. 65⟩definitione fieri peccatorum actiones significat Scriptura: But, which is more valuable than Ruiz, the Sensus fidelium (which is one of the best Interpreters of Scripture) runs this way: It was not you that sent me, saith Joseph: The Lord hath taken away, saith Job: The Lord hath said, Curse, saith David: Thou hast ordained them for judgment, saith Habakkuk of the Chaldees: Still they look up to the hand of Providence in such Events. And in truth, what else can they do in such cases? May they fear, trust in, or depend on Man? He is but a Creature, and there is a Curse in it: Shall they fear, trust in, or depend upon God? A God he is, but such Events fall not under his Providence. In a word; These things give me such satisfaction in this Point, that if Humane Reason could object what I could not answer, I should yet adhere to the Truth, saying with St. Austin, Petrus negat, Latro credit, O altitudo! quaeris tu rationem, ego expavescam altitudinem;
and to the same, must every unordained Event be left, over which there is nothing but meer Prescience. The other thing, which constrains my Belief, is, That the holy Scripture, from whence we must take our truest Measures, expresly, emphatically ⟨p. 64⟩own such a Preordination of the Event; not to insist on that Counsel of Ahitophel, which yet observably hits the Mark, only as God will have it, to chastise David in the Concubines, but not to destroy him in the pursuit; I shall instance in others; God turned his heart to hate his people, Psal. 105.25. God put it into their hearts to give their kingdom unto the Beast, Rev. 17.17. It was of the Lord to harden their hearts, Josh. 11.20. The cause was from the Lord, that Rehoboam hearkened not, 1 Kings 12.15. Touching Absolon's Incest, God saith, I will do it, 2 Sam. 12.12. Touching the lying Spirit, he saith, Go, and thou shalt prevail, 1 Kings 22.22. Antiochus tears and blasphemes like a Devil, but that which was determined was done, Dan. 11.36. The Jews crucisie the Lord of Glory, but God's hand and God's counsel had determined it, Act. 4.28. In such pregnant Scriptures can there be any thing less than a determining Providence, or what other interpretation is tolerable? May we interpret such emphatical places only of a nude Permission, which leaves the Event pendulous and incertain? It cannot be;1 the very Jesuite Ruiz will here confess, Dei voluntate, decreto, consilio, ⟨p. 65⟩definitione fieri peccatorum actiones significat Scriptura: But, which is more valuable than Ruiz, the Sensus fidelium (which is one of the best Interpreters of Scripture) runs this way: It was not you that sent me, saith Joseph: The Lord hath taken away, saith Job: The Lord hath said, Curse, saith David: Thou hast ordained them for judgment, saith Habbakkuk of the Chaldees: Still they look up to the hand of Providence in such Events. And in truth, what else can they do in such cases? May they fear, trust in, or depend on Man? He is but a Creature, and there is a Curse in it: Shall they fear, trust in, or depend upon God? A God he is, but such Events fall not under his Providence. In a word; These things give me such satisfaction in this Point, that if Humane Reason could object what I could not answer, I should yet adhere to the Truth, saying with St. Austin, Petrus negat, Latro credit, O altitudo! quaeris tu rationem, ego expavescam altitudinem;
- 1De Scient. 219.
