be Infinite, and most admirable. Infinite, I fay, not in refpect of the number of Objects, for fo, as I faid before, no Knowlege can be Infinite: but in respect of the Omnipotent and boundlefs Manner of actual comprehending thofe things with an infallible Fore-fight, which in refpect of God were contingent, their not Being being as poffible as their Being. And indeed this Fore-fight of future Contingents, is the true Character and Royal Prerogative of Divine Knowlege: and therefore in the 41 of Ifaiah, God upbraideth the Pagan Deities with this privilege peculiar to Himfelf, tho' juglingly pretended by them in their lying Oracles, verf. 21. The Lord biddeth them produce Gnatzumotheken, the strongest Arguments by which they could prove themfelves Gods; and in the next verfe he particularizeth, and thrice bids them tell, if they can, what shall happen in the times to come. It's worth the obferving, how that there was never any fort of Diviners Artificial, I speak not of Devils, Witches, Gypfies, and fuch palpable Impoftors, that undertook to fore-tel future Contingents: for if you prove those things which Aftrologers and Physiognomers undertake to Foretel, to be mere Contingent in refpect of the Horoscope or Complexion, and no way to depend on them as natural Caufes; you have proved their Arts to be but Impostures. How much then do our Oppofites difhonor God in this cafe, making the great Miracle of his Fore-fight of future Contingents to be as much as nothing? Seeing they fay, that albeit they are Contingent in refpect of us, yet they are Ne ceffary in refpect of him. When any Man hath anfwered any of these four Arguments, then will I change my Opinion. In the mean time I procede to the vindicating of it from fuch Exceptions and Objections, as our Enemies in this cafe make against it. The diffipating of thofe mifts wherewith they endevor to obfcure this Opinion, will

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not only clear the Truth of it, for belief; but also the Sense of it, for understanding.

First, they say, that while we avoid their Stoicism, as we term it, we fall into flat Epicurifm; for while we make so many things in the World to fall out according to the inconftant Bent of voluntary Agents, we deify Chance, and make Fortune a Goddess; we do in effect deny God's Providence, which they fay makes all things to come to pass according to a moft wife and conftant method.

I will be as forward as any Man to Anathematize him, whofoever he be, who holdeth any thing to fall out fortuitò in refpect of God: I will make it most evident, that our Opinion makes no Chance in refpect of God, and moft fweetly illuftrates God's Providence.

Firft, There is a vast difference between Contin

gency and Cafuality. Contingency is an equal Poffibility of being or not being: Cafuality is the coming to pafs of an Event ex improvifo, befide the fore-thought, as I may fay, of the thing. Now it is our affer tion, that many things fall out Contingently in refpect of God, because he impofed no Neceffity upon their Being, but left them to the Pleasure of the inferior Causes, that they might as well not have been, as been. But we fay withal, that nothing falleth out Accedentally or Casually in respect of God, because nothing cometh to pafs without his moft certain and unerring Fore-fight; he knowing from all Eternity what his Creatures would do, tho' he left it to their Pleasure to do what they lift.

In Events there is a great difference between Contingency and Cafuality of Events, in respect of Men; for most things we do, we do Contingently, we being not bound by any inevitable Neceffity to do them; yet as long as we do them upon certain perfwafive Reasons, for certain Ends, we do them not by Chance. The fame Events yet are not after the

fame

fame manner Contingent in refpect of God, as they are in respect of us; for he out of the Prerogative of his Deity fore-knoweth them, but we, by reafon of our Mortality, cannot have Infallible Forefight of them; and what Fore-fight we have, is in a very little distance.

And indeed, if this point be punctually canvafed, we shall perceive, that in that fame proportion we have any Knowlege of them, they are not Contingent but Neceffary: for every thing, fo far as it is in Existence, or in near Preparation for it, is Necessary.

Contingency is the Middle Point between Neceffity and Impoffibility of being; and therefore so much as any thing inclineth to Existence, it is Neceffary. The want or neglect of the Distinction between Contingency and Casualty, hath been a great Caufe of the Error we confute: for our Oppofites ftill taking fortuitò and contingenter for Synonyma, because they would. have nothing Cafual in refpect of God, therefore they would have every thing Neceffary; not difcerning the Middle Path which we walk in, be tween Epicurism and Stoicifm.

Concerning God's Providence we teach, that altho' according to that ordinary Courfe, which we call Nature, which he hath prefcribed for the Operation of his Creatures in the Decree of Creation, many things fall out according to the free Choice of voluntary Agents, no way by him Neceffitated; yet God is ftill bufy with a double Providence. The First is Univerfal; by this, whatfoever natural Agents do Contingently, He fore-feeth moft clearly, and ordereth it moft wifely, according to his Glory, the Prefervation of the Universe, and Good of his Creatures. The Second is Particular; by this he puts in oft-times a Miraculous Finger into fuch Contingent Bufinefs as refpects his Church, and oft-times fo worketh the heart of the voluntary Agent, that fomtimes he

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doth

doth that which, if he had been left alone to himfelf, he would not have done; and fomtimes is fecretly diverted from the doing of that, which o therwise he would moft willingly, and in all likeli hood, could moft easily have done.

And here our Oppofites may pleafe to observe, how our Opinion is fo far from denying particular Providence, that it only maintaineth a Providence properly termed Particular: for that Particular Providence which our Oppofites fo much talk of, if it be well looked into, will appear to be in no better Senfe Particular, than the Roman Church is Univerfal.

They fay, that there is not any numerical A& performed by any Creature, without an eternal Decree from God; this they call Particular Providence. Alas! this is the General which concerneth all the Actions performed by all things, or at least one mixt of General and Particular. As for example, because it raineth to day, God fo ordering that it should; is it any Sense to fay, this rain was by the Particular Providence of God, unless we efpied extraordinary matter in it? We therefore call that Univerfal Providence, whereby God directeth whatsoever his Creatures do, according to their natural Propenfions, for the Prefervation and Good of the Universe. We term that Particular or Special Providence, whereby God interpofing his extraordinary Power amongst the Contingent affairs of Common-wealths, or private Men, fomtimes by fenfible Miracles and Prodigies & fomtimes by his fecret Omnipotency, fenfible only in the Event, manifefteth his Mercy or Justice, to his own Glory, or good of his Church.

This is properly termed Special Providence, and in this Sense it is taken by La Vofino the Italian, in his Tract, De particulari Providentiâ; and by thofe who have wrote of that Subject. Well then,

I will now specify my Faith concerning God's Providence.

First, it is very probable, that petty trivial Matters, fuch as are Indifferent, not only in refpect of Themselves, but also of their Confequences, fall out altogether Contingently, without any Neceffitating Decree. These Matters of leffer moment are of three Sorts.

1. The Toys and trifling, Vanities of voluntary Agents, fuch as the Italians term Badalucii, or Ballocametti: What a company of Idle geftures and Sporting tricks ufe we every day, which doubtless for ought God hath Decreed we might have as cafily omitted?

2. The petty Confequences of the main Actions of natural Agents: for example, tho' the main drift and scope of the Operations of the Elements and Meteors be according to the Method Eternally prescribed them by God; yet fome Particular Events accompanying their Operations, fome Circumftances queftionlels were not prefixed by a Particular Decree; as now and then it happeneth to rain when the Sun fhineth, I cannot believe that there's any Special Decree concerning this.

Here I would have the Reader obferve how these Events are not fo properly called Contingent, as those other are; for they were fwayed by no Decree either General or Special, from the middle Point between Neceffity and Impoffibility of being.

But

thefe, tho they are. Contingent in respect of a Particular Decree, and may as well not be as be, for ought God hath Precifely determined concerning them; yet in refpect of the general Method prefixed to natural Agents, they do Neceffarily come to pass, because their main Office cannot be perform ed without these Circumstances and Confequences. The laft Sort are mixed of the two former, and include all fuch Events as refult from the ContinB b b 2

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