A treatise of nature and grace to which is added, the author's idæa of providence, and his answers to several objections against the foregoing discourse / by the author of The search after truth ; translated from the last edition, enlarged by many explications.

Answer.

This Objection is surely the weakest in the World: For why is it the most plain contradiction in the World, that the same passage ought and ought not to be explained strictly, and according to the Letter, in divers respects? The Scripture tells us, that God makes the Lillies to grow, and clothes them. Why may not this, and many such like passages, be explained literally against the self-efficacy of Second Causes; and favourably, and not so as to exclude the necessary condition of these same Causes? God makes the Plants to grow; he forms the Children in the Mother's Womb, says the Scripture: The rigour of the Letter therefore signifies, that God doth this by his own proper ef∣ficacy; but it doth not exclude the Conditions which he hath prescribed unto himself that he may act after an uniform manner. God makes the Plants to increase by his own power; but it is in consequence of his Laws, by the heat of the Sun, and a great deal of Rain. This passage, and se∣veral such like, neither speak of natural Laws, nor the Sun, nor the Rain; but if they be rigorously interpreted, as if God made the Plants to grow by particular wills, and not in consequence of his Laws, a Man must renounce common sense, and

the Scripture it self, which in a thousand places speaks of Second Causes, as the ordinary means of Providence. It is objected, That we sind no pla∣ces of Scripture which prove, that God acts ordi∣narily in consequence of his Laws: and I am se∣riously blamed for producing no such Texts. But, it seemed to me, that I should have rendered my self ridiculous, should I have concern'd my self to shew that which no person doubts of: For sup∣posing only, that the Philosopher's Nature is but a Chymera, as I have often proved, there is no truth more confirmed in the Holy Scripture. For all those passages which seem to favour the efficacy of Second Causes, are certain proofs thereof. I have, if I am not deceived, demonstrated in the Ex∣plication of the Efficacy of Second Causes, that my Opinion perfectly well agrees with the Holy Scrip∣ture, and that it agrees much better with Religion, than that which the prejudices of the Senses, and Pagan Philosophy, has introduced into the World.