787    Then taking her
788Beginning as from another Principle, she thus
789discoursed.

Ph.     The Generation of all things,
790and every Progression of changeable Natures,
791and all things which are any way moved, receive
792their Causes, Order and Forms out of the
793Stability or Constancy of the Divine Mind.
794And this being placed in the Height of its own
795Purity or Simplicity, doth establish a manifold
796Mode or Way in doing things; which Mode
797or Manner of Proceeding, when Men behold
798it in the Purity of the Divine Understanding, is
799called Providence; but being apply'd and referr'd
800to that which it moveth, and of which
801it disposeth, it was called Fate or Destiny.
802And if any one shall throughly weigh in his
803Mind the Force and Energy of the one and of
804the other, he shall soon find them to be different
805things: For Providence is that Divine Reason
806settled in the chief Governour of the World,
807by which he disposeth all things; but Fate or

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808Destiny is a Disposition inherent in moveable
809Beings, by which Providence knits them together
810in their Orders. Providence embraces and
811comprehends all things, although divers, although
812infinite; but Fate orders and digests all
813single things into Motion, and distributeth them
814according to Place, Form and Time: So that
815the Explication of this temporal Order being
816joined or folded up, in regard to the Divine
817Mind, may be called Providence; and being
818unfolded and digested according to Time, and
819the other Circumstances, it may be called Fate.
820And although these things be different, yet one
821of them depends upon the other; for the Order
822of Fate proceeds from the pure Simplicity of
823Providence: For as the Artificer forming in his
824Mind the Shape of the thing which he is about
825to make, moves to effect his Work, and doth
826in process of time draw out that which before
827he had singly in his Imagination designed; so
828God by his Providence simply and firmly doth
829dispose the things which are to be done; and
830he doth in several Ways, and according to
831Time, administer by Fate those very things
832which he hath so disposed. So then, whether
833Fate be exercised and moved by some Divine
834Spirits which attend upon Providence, or by
835some Soul, or by the Ministry of the whole
836Body of Nature, or by the Celestial Motions of
837the Stars, or by Angelick Vertue, or by the manifold

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838Subtlety of Demons, whether good or
839bad, or if by any of these, or if by all of them
840the Series of Fate is woven: This certainly is
841manifest, that the immovable and simple way
842of doing things is Providence; and that the
843movable Contexture and temporal Order of
844those things which the Divine Purity fore-disposed
845and ordered to be done, is Fate. Hence
846it is that all things which are under the Dominion
847of Fate, are also subject to Providence,
848which commands even Fate it self. But some
849things which are placed under the Guidance and
850Protection of Providence, are wholly exempt
851from the Jurisdiction of Fate, and surmount
852the Series of it; and those are such things as are
853stably fixed near to the Divinity, and are above
854the Order of fatal Mobility. For even as amongst
855several Circles turning about the same
856Centre, that which is innermost approacheth
857most to the Simplicity of the middle Point, and
858is as it were a Centre, round which they may
859turn, to those placed without it; and that
860which is outermost, rolling in a greater Circuit,
861the further it departs from the middle Individuity
862of the Point, so much the more Space
863it doth fill; but yet if any thing should join and
864fasten it self to the Point, it is constrained to be
865immovable, and ceaseth to be dilated. By parity
866of Reason the further any thing departeth
867from the first Mind, that is from God, it is so

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868much the more embarassed, and faster bound
869in the Bonds of Destiny; and every thing is by
870so much the freer from Fate, by how much it
871approacheth nearer to the Centre of all things.
872And if it closely adheres to the Firmness of
873the supreme Mind, without moving, it goes
874beyond the Necessity and Power of Destiny.
875As Ratiocination then is to the Intellect, as that
876which is begotten is to that which hath a proper
877Being, as Time is to Eternity, as the Circle is
878to the Centre; so is the movable Order of Fate
879to the stable Simplicity of Providence. This
880Order moveth the Heavens and the Stars, tempereth
881the Elements, and maketh them agree
882amongst themselves, and by an alternative
883Change transforms them. It reneweth all
884things which are born, and which die by the
885like Progressions of Sexes and Seeds. This
886binds together the Actions and Fortunes of Men
887by an indissoluble Connection of Causes; which
888since they proceed from the Origine of immovable
889Providence, must also themselves necessarily
890be unchangeable: For so things are always
891best governed, if that pure Simplicity or Singleness,
892dwelling in the Divine Nature, may
893produce that unalterable Order of Causes; for
894this Order, by its own Unchangeableness and
895Constancy, may restrain those things which in
896their Nature are mutable, and which would
897otherwise rashly and irregularly float about.

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898Hence it is that although things may seem confused
899and disturbed to Men who cannot aright
900consider this Order, nevertheless the proper
901Manner and Course of every thing directs and
902disposeth to the true Good: For there is nothing
903done for the sake of Evil, no not by the
904most flagitious Wretches; who, as I have fully
905before demonstrated, are in their Researches
906after Good diverted by crooked Error, whilst
907the Order proceeding from the Centre of Sovereign
908Good doth not mislead any from its Principles.
909But thou mayst say, what greater Confusion
910can there be, that both prosperous and
911adverse things should by times happen to good
912Men, and that evil Men can enjoy what their
913Hearts can desire, and yet be afflicted too with
914things which they hate? Do People live now
915a-days so vertuously, and with so much Integrity,
916that those whom Men think good or bad,
917must necessarily be either? But in this the
918Judgments of Men disagree much: For those
919whom some judg worthy of a Reward, others
920think to deserve Punishment. But let us grant,
921that it is possible that some one may be able to
922distinguish betwixt the Good and the Bad; Is
923it possible therefore that he should look into the
924inward Temperament of the Mind, and pronounce
925of it as one may of the Body? But it is
926miraculous to him who knows it not, why
927sweet things should be agreeable to some Bodies,

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928and bitter to others; and why some sick
929People are eased by Lenitives, others are helped
930by sharper Medicines. But it is no wonder to
931the Physician, who knoweth the Measure and
932Temperament of Health and Sickness. But
933what other thing is it that makes the Mind
934healthful and strong than Goodness? And what
935is its Sickness but Vice? Who is the Preserver
936of Good, and the Driver away of Evil, other
937than God the great Ruler and Physician of the
938Mind? who, when he looks about him from
939the high Observatory of his Providence, sees
940and knows what is convenient for every one,
941and then accommodates him with the Convenience.
942Hence then proceeds that remarkable
943Miracle of Order of Destiny, since the all-knowing
944God doth that at which the Ignorant
945are astonished. But now that I may glance at
946a few things concerning the Depth of the Divine
947Knowledg, which humane Reason may
948comprehend, that Man whom thou believest to
949be most just, and the greatest Observer and
950Maintainer of Equity, of that Man, I say, the
951all-knowing Providence doth think otherwise.
952And my Familiar Lucan told us, that the
953vanquishing Cause was pleasing to the Gods,
954but the vanquish'd to Cato : Know this then,

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955that whatsoever thou seest done contrary to thy
956Hope or Expectation, that notwithstanding the
957Order of things is preserved right and entire;
958but to thy perverted Opinion it seemeth Confusion.
959But let us suppose that a Man may have
960behaved himself so well, that the Approbation
961of God and Man may both agree in him; but
962he is perhaps of a weak Courage: so that if any
963thing cross should befal him, he will forgo his
964Innocence, since with it he cannot retain his
965Fortune. The wise Dispensation of Providence
966then spareth him whom Adversity may
967make worse, lest he should be put to labour and
968travel, who is not able to undergo such Hardship,
969nor to bear Afflictions. Another Man is
970Master of all Vertues, is holy, and one who
971draws nigh to God: Providence judgeth it Injustice
972that that Man should be oppressed by
973any Adversity; so that it will not suffer him to
974labour even under any bodily Distemper: But
975as one more excellent than I said, GREEK
976OMITTED Vertues do build up the
977Body of the Holy Man . But it often comes to
978pass that good Men have the Government of

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979things committed to them, that the exuberant
980Improbity of ill Men may be repell'd and abated.
981To some, according to the Qualities of
982their Minds, he gives a kind of Mixture of
983Fortune, chequered with Good and Evil: Upon
984some he lays grievous heavy Crosses, lest
985they should grow luxurious by too long a
986Course of Felicity: Upon others he sometimes
987lays also heavy Crosses, that their Vertues may
988be confirmed by the Use and Exercise of Patience:
989Some fear more than they ought that
990thing which they can bear: Others despite more
991than they ought that which they cannot; and
992those, that by the Experiment they may come
993to the Knowledg of themselves, he sometimes
994afflicts. And many there are who have purchas'd
995a great Name in the World, at the Expence
996of a glorious Death. And some Men
997whose Courage hath not yielded to Torment,
998have given a noble Example to others, that
999Vertue is not to be overcome by Adversity.
1000And there is no doubt but that all these things
1001are done justly and in order, and for the Good
1002of those to whom they happen. It also proceeds
1003from the said Causes that sometimes Adversity,
1004sometimes Prosperity, comes to be the
1005Lot of ill Men. And it is the Wonder of
1006no Man, that flagitious Persons should be
1007afflicted, because they are always thought to
1008deserve what comes upon them; and that their

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1009Punishment doth deter others from such Aims,
1010and often work a Reformation in those on
1011whom they are inflicted: But the Prosperity of
1012such yields a great Argument to the Good, and
1013directs them what to judg of this kind of Happiness,
1014which they so often see to fall to the
1015share of the worst of Men. In which thing I
1016think often there is a Dispensation, because the
1017Nature of some Men may be so forward and
1018importunate, that Poverty, and the want of Necessaries,
1019would rather urge them to do ill.
1020But this Disease Providence doth cure by applying
1021the powerful Medicine of Money. One
1022Man finding his Conscience deeply spotted with
1023Crimes, and comparing himself and his Fortune,
1024fears perhaps that the Happiness which
1025he enjoyed by the Use of it, should be wholly
1026done away by its Loss; he will therefore change
1027his Manners, and whilst he fears to lose his
1028Estate he will leave his Impiety. Upon another
1029Happiness is conferr'd without Desert, and
1030that precipitates him into a merited Destruction.
1031To some there is a Power of Punishing granted,
1032that it may exercise the Vertues of the Good,
1033and may be Cause of Punishments and Torment
1034to the Evil. For as there is no Covenant or
1035Agreement betwixt the Vertuous and the
1036Wicked, so neither can wretched Men agree
1037amongst themselves. And why should they?
1038for they disagree amongst themselves by reason

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1039of their Vices, which rend and tear the Conscience;
1040and they often do those things, which
1041when they are over, they judg they ought not to
1042have done them. From whence Providence
1043hath often produced a signal Miracle, to wit,
1044that evil Men have oft made other ill Men
1045good: For when some of these find that they
1046have suffered an Injury from others of them
1047urged by the Hate of those that have offended
1048them, they have returned to the Ways of
1049Vertue, studying nothing more than to be unlike
1050to those Persons whom they hate. It is only
1051the great Power of God which can make
1052Evil turn to Good, when by using them agreeably
1053and conveniently he draws out of them
1054the Effect of some Good: For a certain Order
1055embraceth all Beings, so that whatsoever doth
1056depart from the Reason and Laws of that Order
1057which is assigned to it, yet it passeth into
1058and under the Laws of another Order; for nothing
1059is left in the Power of Chance or Uncertainty
1060in the Realm of Providence. GREEK
1061OMITTED It is hard for
1062me to express how God rules and disposeth all things
1063by his Providence . Nor is it lawful for a Man
1064(if he could) to comprehend all the Machines
1065and Movements of the Divine Work, even in
1066his Thought, much less to declare and describe
1067them in Words. Let it suffice to have seen only
1068this, that God, the Framer of all Natures,

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1069orders and disposeth every thing towards Good;
1070and whilst he endeavours to retain those things
1071which he hath made in his own Likeness, he
1072banisheth all Evil by the Course of Destiny,
1073without the Bounds of his Commonwealth.
1074Hence it is that if thou dost but regard the all-disposing
1075Providence, thou mayst easily see,
1076that there are not those Evils which Men believe
1077do abound upon the Face of the Earth.
1078But now I see that thou dost almost lie down
1079under the Weight and Prolixity of my Reasoning;
1080and that thou dost expect the Musick of
1081my Verse: receive then this Draught with which
1082when thou art refresh'd, thou mayst more strongly
1083proceed to other Matters which yet remain.