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Aeneas Gazaeus, only under the Name of Hercules, to advance whose Fame, every thing that was great and noble used to be related of him, as (a) Tacitus observes. Certainly nothing but the manifest Evidence of the History could compel Julian (who was as great an Enemy to the Jews as to the Christians) to confess (b) that there were some Men inspired by the Divine Spirit amongst the Jews, (c) and that Fire descended from Heaven, and consumed the Sacrifices of Moses and Elias. And here it is worthy of Ob-<70>servation, that there was not only very (d) severe Punishments threatned amongst the Hebrews, to any who should falsely assume the Gift of Prophecy; (e) but very many Kings, who by that means might have procured great Authority to themselves; and many learned men, (f) such as Esdras and others, dared not to assume this Honour to themselves; (g) nay, some Ages before Christ’s Time, no body dared to do it. Much
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less could so many thousand People be imposed upon, in avouching a constant and publick Miracle, I mean (a) <71> that of the Oracle, (b) which shined on the High Priest’s Breast, which is so firmly believed by all the Jews to have remained till the Destruction of the first Temple, that their Ancestors must of necessity be well assured of the Truth of it.
SECT. XVII. The same proved also from Predictions.
There is another Argument to prove the Providence of God, very like to this of Miracles, and no less powerful, drawn from the foretelling of future Events, which was very often and very expressly done amongst the Hebrews; such as the (c) Man’s being childless who should rebuild
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Jericho; the destroying the Altar of Bethel, by King Josiah by Name, (a) above three hundred Years be-<72>fore it came to pass; so also Isaiah foretold the (b) very Name and principal Acts of Cyrus; and Jeremiah the Event of the Siege of Jerusalem, after it was surrounded by the Chaldaeans; and Daniel (c) the Translation of the Empire from the Assyrians, to the Medes and Persians, and (d) from them to Alexander of Macedon, (e) whose Successors to part of his Kingdom should be the Posterity of Lagus and Seleucus, and what Evils the Hebrews should undergo from all these, particularly (f) the famous Antiochus, so very plainly, (g) that Porphyry, who compared the Graecian Histories extant in his Time with the Prophecies, could not make it out any other way, but by saying, that the Things ascribed to Daniel, were wrote after they came to pass; which is the same as if any one should deny that what is now extant under the Name of Virgil, and was always thought to be his, <73> was writ by him in Augustus’s Time. For there was never any more doubt amongst the Hebrews concerning the one, than there was amongst the Romans concerning the other. To all which may be added the many and express Oracles (h) amongst those
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of Mexico and Peru, which foretold the coming of the Spaniards into those Parts, and the Calamities that would follow.
(a) To this may be referred very many Dreams exactly agreeing with the Events, which both as to themselves and their Causes, were so utterly unknown to those that dreamed them, that they cannot without great Shamelessness be attributed to natural Causes; of which kind the best Writers afford us eminent Examples. (b) Tertullian has <74> made a Collection of them in his Book of the Soul; and (c) Ghosts have not only
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been seen, but also heard to speak, as we are told by those Historians who have been far from superstitious Credulity; and by Witnesses in our own Age, who lived in Sina, Mexico, and other Parts of America; neither ought we to pass by (a) that com-<75>mon Method of examining Persons Innocence by walking over red hot Plow-shares, viz. Fire Ordeal, mentioned in so many Histories of the German Nation, and in their very Laws.
SECT. XVIII. The Objection of Miracles not being seen now, answered.
Neither is there any Reason why any one should object against what has been said, because no such Miracles are now seen, nor no such Predictions heard. For it is sufficient to prove a Divine Providence, that there ever have been such. Which being once established, it will follow, that we ought to think God Almighty forbears them now, for as wise and prudent Reasons, as he before did them. Nor is it fit that the Laws given to the Universe for the natural Course of Things, and that what is future might be uncertain, should always, or without good Reason be suspended, but then only, when there was a sufficient Cause; as there was at that time when the Worship of the true God was banished almost out of the World,
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being confined only to a small Corner of it, viz. Judaea; and was to be defended from that Wickedness which surrounded it, by frequent Assistance. Or when the Christian Religion, con-<76>cerning which we shall afterwards particularly treat, was, by the Determination of God, to be spread all over the World.
SECT XIX. And of there being so much Wickedness.
Some Men are apt to doubt of a Divine Providence, because they see so much Wickedness practised, that the World is in a manner overwhelmed with it like a Deluge: Which they contend should be the Business of Divine Providence, if there were any, to hinder or suppress. But the Answer to such, is very easy. When God made Man a free agent, and at liberty to do well or ill, (reserving to himself alone a necessary and immutable Goodness) (a) it was not fit that he should put such a Restraint upon evil Actions, as was in-<77>consistent with this Liberty. But whatever Means of hindering them, were not repugnant to such Liberty; as establishing and promulging a Law, external and internal Warnings, together with Threatnings and Promises; none of these were neglected by God: Neither would he suffer the Effects of Wickedness to spread to the furthest;
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so that Government was never utterly subverted, nor the Knowledge of the Divine Laws entirely extinguished. And even those Crimes that were permitted, as we hinted before, were not without their Advantages, when made use of either to punish those who were equally wicked, or to chastise those who were slipt out of the way of Virtue, or else to procure some eminent Example of Patience and Constancy in those who had made a great Progress in Virtue. (a) Lastly, Even they themselves whose Crimes seemed to be overlooked for a time, were for the most part punished with a proportionable Punishment, that the Will of God might be executed against them, who acted contrary to his Will.
SECT. XX. And that so great, as to oppress good Men.
And if at any time Vice should go unpunished, or, which is wont to offend many weak Persons, some good Men, oppressed by the Fury of the Wicked, should not only lead a troublesome Life, but also undergo an infamous Death; we must not presently from hence conclude against a Divine Providence, which, as we have before ob-<78>served, is established by such strong Arguments; but rather, with the wisest Men, draw this following Inference:
SECT. XXI. This may be turned upon them, so as to prove that Souls survive Bodies.
That since God has a Regard to humane Actions, who is himself just; and yet these things