Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. I.

That much Religion is required to assist us in this probation.

THere is no Argument wherein Natural Reason hath more need of a Supernatural prompter, to help us to frame our conclusions, then in this of the miscar∣riage and frustration of pious and just designs, especially in publike causes: For God hath left us a convenient light, whereby to read the right of Causes, and our duties to them, which is our sincerest and most disinteressed Reason, judging by the known Laws of his Will: But to discern whether the Success or Defeature of any Cause concur most to the universal end of Gods Providence, this knowledge is seated in unaccessible light. We may read Gods present Will in Events, but not his consequent Order, which may require the demolishment of many particular goods, to build up the frame of the universal▪ therefore the present ruine of single pieces of Equity, doth not derogate any thing from the goodness of their Nature: Wherefore the right of Causes ought not to be sentenced by the irregularity of Suc∣cesses, which are always uniform to Gods universal de∣sign, though, disproportioned according to the model of our Reason.

Surely they who shall seek to penetrate the Divine Provi∣dence by the eye of Reason, so far as to make a draught of the reasons of all particular occurrences, in the variations of Events, make such an attempt, as one that should gaze upon the Sun to enjoy more light, then when he looked upon the Earth: For they who press into this light, shall quickly be oppressed by the same splendor they design for illumination: And yet the infirmity of man is subject to such a kinde of Temptation (viz.) To study even the decyphering of all Gods characters, in which his hand to the Creatures is very often sent. For the successes and prevalence of Injustice against Honesty and Vertue, may be aptly termed Gods ey∣phers, in which his hand is soon discerned, but not his sense: Nevertheless, we do familiarly take Events for the key of all the characters of Gods Providence, and presume to read many of his Secrets very confidently by this key of the pre∣sent form and figure of Events; Nay, our zeal is often so in∣genious in this art of decyphering, as it perswades us that we may even run and read the right of Causes by this light of Successes.

Insomuch as S. Pauls case in Malta is very familiar in the world; for while the Viper is hanging upon the Cause, and we are looking when it shall fall down and perish, then we make our Judgement to be Gods Sentence; and when the Viper is shaken into the fire, and that destroyed by us, which was expected as our destruction; when a cause recovers from this danger; then commonly that is cryed up for Gods Cause, which before passed for his Curse. This is a familiar conclu∣sion with such, who as we may say, know Gods Providence onely by fight, that is, by the external marks of Successes, and have no acquaintance with the nature and condition•• thereof.

Therefore as it is said of Philosophy, That a slight and superficial knowledge of it, may incline the minde of man to Atheism; for if our minde stay, and rest upon second causes which are next to our senses, this fixure of our

thoughts may keep our minde short of the Supreme cause; but if we make a farther advance and progression into the reason of Philosophy, it will lead the minde up to Religion, as it shews the congruous dependency and subordination of all causes to Divine Providence: So in the first rudiments of Religion, which present us with a superficial aspect of Gods Justice under the notion onely of rewarding and pu∣nishing: This first impression may move us to conclude of the quality of causes by Gods present declaration in their promotion, or their prejudice; but a judicious advance into the farther grounds of Religion, will carry us to a reverent suspense of our conclusions upon the present apparences of all Events, and apply us to the contemplation of Gods uni∣versal Providence, which the Psalmist calls Gods great abysse; which when it is the most stormy to our Reason, when it drowns and desolates in our apprehension the right and ju∣stice of Humane actions, even then it runs in the proper course of universal Justice and Equity. There is also a re∣gularity, even in the very wave it seems broken into, sub∣verting all Humane order, though the concertation of this method falls not within our capacity; for the Psalmist him∣self says, when the waves of this Ocean were gone over his head, Thy way is in the Sea, and thy pathes in many waters, and * 1.1 thy steps are not to be traced.

A profound immersion in Religion, covers our Reason with a reference to Gods universal Providence, in those cases which seem to be void of his particular justice, where∣as a looking upon Successes by the first glances of Religion, and discoursing on their Reasons by the flashy light of our private zeal to the Cause, may easily raise impertinent con∣clusions upon the present apparences; and such hasty judge∣ments are so little capable of giving rest to our mindes; as they must needs keep them in a continual vassellation, ac∣cording to the vicissitudes of contrary occurrences.

Wherefore, as meer eagerness and zeal to the mastery and prevalence of any Cause, ought not to be the motive of

electing our party (for in that affection there is always some obliquity from the straight love of Right••, and leaning to∣wards the conveniency, not an uprightness in our address to Justice) so the success of our election ought as little to raise or abate the zeal to our Cause; for by this varying of our measures, we seem to square our conformity to Gods me∣thod, as it answereth to the model of our Reason, by which we have framed conclusions upon our own suppositions of Equity: And this expectation of the Success of our Cause, comes nearer oftentimes to the flattering our own judge∣ment, then applauding the Divine order and disposition of Events.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 76. 20.