Health and
sickness, calm and tempest, with an infinite number of other
accidents, whose causes are unknown and variable, have a great
influence both on the fortunes of particular persons and on the
prosperity of public societies; and indeed all human life, in a
manner, depends on such accidents. A being, therefore, who knows
the secret springs of the universe, might easily, by particular
volitions, turn all these accidents to the good of mankind, and
render the whole world happy, without discovering himself in any
operation. A fleet, whose purposes were salutary to society,
might always meet with a fair wind. Good princes enjoy sound
health and long life. Persons born to power and authority, be
framed with good tempers and virtuous dispositions. A few such
events as these, regularly and wisely conducted, would change the
face of the world; and yet would no more seem to disturb the
course of nature, or confound human conduct, than the present
economy of things, where the causes are secret, and variable, and
compounded. Some small touches given to C/ALIGULA\'s brain in his
infancy, might have converted him into a T/RAJAN\. One wave, a
little higher than the rest, by burying C/AESAR\ and his fortune
in the bottom of the ocean, might have restored liberty to a
considerable part of mankind. There may, for aught we know, be
good reasons why Providence interposes not in this manner; but
they are unknown to us; and though the mere supposition, that
such reasons exist, may be sufficient to save the conclusion
concerning the Divine attributes, yet surely it can never be
sufficient to establish that conclusion.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142