The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XIII. That a difference of the parts of the Creation is necessary; and that a propensity to Good and Evil, springs from the will of men: and therefore, that the Judgment [of God] is necessary, and agreeable to Reason.

BUt now, some persons do boldly and incon∣siderately presume, to find fault with God a 1.1 even in this matter. What was his meaning [say they,] that he has not framed the nature of things, one and the same; but has commanded, that even most things should be produced different, and there∣fore should be endued with a nature and disposition that are contrary▪ Whence springs a diversity of the Morals and Wills of us men. It had perad∣venture been better, both as to what respects an obedience to the Commands of God, and as to an accurate * 1.2 Contempla∣tion of Him, and in refe∣rence to a confirmation b 1.3 of the Faith of every parti∣cular person; that all men had been endued with one and the same disposition. But [we answer,] 'tis al∣together ridiculous to de∣sire, that all men should be of one and the same hu∣mour and disposition: [and 'tis absurd] not to consider and remark this, that the c 1.4 constitution of the whole world is not the same, with that of those things which are in the world: or this, that Natural things are not of the same substance with those that are Moral: Or Lastly this, that the Af∣fections of the Body are not the same with those of the Mind. d 1.5 For, [the ratio∣nal Soul does far ex∣cel] this whole world; and is so much more blessed than Creatures that are earthly and lyable to Corruption, by how much it is nobler and more divine: neither is man∣kind void of the divine good∣ness. Nevertheless, all men are not promiscuously and without any thing of dif∣ference [partakers of the Divine Goodness:] but those only, who have search't into the Divine Nature, and who have proposed to themselves this, as their chief purpose of Life and primary Study, the knowledge namely of things Divine.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I had ra∣ther write, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, even in this matter; as I found it men∣ded in the margin of Moraeus's Book. And so 'tis written in the Fuketian Copy. Vales.
• * 1.2

  Knowledge, or, Comprehen∣sion.
• b 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It must, I suppose, be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of the faith of every particular person. Vales.
• c 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I had rather make it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; which we have exprest in our Ver∣sion. Vales.
• d 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. After these, there are ma∣ny words wanting, as 'tis appa∣rent from the Contents of the Chapter. We chose to get out any sense from a corrupt and im∣perfect place, rather than with Christophorson to expunge the whole passage. S^r Henry Savil, in his Copy, has also expunged this whole period, as far as those words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. Neither is mankind, &c. Indeed, in the Fuketian Copy that whole period is wanting. Vales.