God's providence

Cogen la yuca, que son vnas rayces, de que se haze el cazabe, pan ordinario en todas aquellas Costas del Brasil, y cabando en la tierra vnas cueuas, ó silos hondos, las sepultan en ellos, dexándolos muy bien tapados todo el tiempo que duren las crecientes, las quales pasadas, las sacan y benefician para su sustento, sin que por eso pierdan vn punto de su valor. Y si la naturaleza enseñó á la hormiga á guardar como en trojes en las entrañas de la tierra el grano, que ha de ser alimento suyo todo el año, qué mucho diese traça al Indio, por más bárbaro que sea, para prevenir su daño, y guardar su sustento; pues es cierto que la Diuina Prouidencia más cuida de los hombres que de los animales brutos.

They gather the yuca, which is a root. Cazabe is made from it, the everyday bread all along those coasts of Brazil. They dig deep holes or pits in the ground and bury the roots in them. They leave them well covered for as long as the floods last. When the water has gone, they take the roots out and prepare them to eat, and the roots have lost none of their value. Nature taught the ant to store the grain it will eat all year in the depths of the earth, as if in barns. So it is no wonder that nature gave the Indian, however barbarous, a way to prevent his loss and keep his food. For it is certain that Divine Providence cares more for human beings than for brute animals.

I chuse to Instance in the Infliction of Diseases, which I will attempt to prove are utterly unlawful to be inflicted by any who profess themselves Christians. Indeed where the Doctrines of Salvation are not known, and a regular Dependance upon Providence is postponed to the absurd belief of a Fatality; there it is no wonder to see Men give into impious or unreasonable Practices: But in a Country where better Principles are established, where God's Government of the World is for the most Part undisputed, and slavish implicit Belief happily superseded by rational Enquiries; in such a Place, methinks, Men cannot easily be reconciled to a Practice, which abuses their Understanding, as well as insults their Religion; and if the received Notions of God's Providence be just, has its Foundation in Ignorance, and must be maintained (if at all) by Presumption.

I choose to instance in the infliction of diseases, which I will attempt to prove are utterly unlawful to be inflicted by any who profess themselves Christians. Indeed where the doctrines of salvation are not known, and a regular dependence upon Providence is postponed to the absurd belief of a fatality, there it is no wonder to see men give into impious or unreasonable practices. But in a country where better principles are established, where God’s government of the world is for the most part undisputed, and slavish implicit belief happily superseded by rational inquiries, in such a place, methinks, men cannot easily be reconciled to a practice which abuses their understanding, as well as insults their religion. And if the received notions of God’s Providence be just, [the practice] has its foundation in ignorance, and must be maintained (if at all) by presumption.

Remembring then our Text, I shall not scruple to call that a Diabolical Operation, which usurps an Authority founded neither in the Laws of Nature or Religion, which tends in this Case to anticipate and banish Providence out of the World, and promotes the encrease of Vice and Immorality.

Remembering then our text, I shall not scruple to call that a diabolical operation which usurps an authority founded neither in the laws of nature or religion, which tends in this case to anticipate and banish Providence out of the world, and promotes the increase of vice and immorality.

2. The Good of Mankind, the seeking whereof is one of the Fundamental Laws of Nature, is, I know, pleaded in Defence of the Practice I contend against: But I must profess my self at a Loss, to find or understand, how that has been, or can be promoted hereby: For if by Good be meant the Preservation of Life, it is in the first Place a Question, Whether Life be a Good, or not? But if it be, the Preservation of it will be found as little beholden to this Practice, as any other Invention whatsoever. The confessed Miscarriages in this new Method, are more than have happened in the ordinary Way: And if this be our Case now, how much worse must it needs prove, if God for our Presumption, and contemptuous distrust of his good Providence, should suffer this Delusion to gain Ground, and these Physicians of no Value, these forgers of Lies, (as Job expresses it ) to obtain and grow into Credit among us: Such I fear they may be accounted, who so confidently tell us, what is impossible for them to know; namely, that they who undergo their Experiment, are for ever thereby secured from any future Danger and Infection: This is a bold Assertion indeed, and if such Experiment were lawful, and consistent with the Rules of Christian Practice, I could wish to God it were true also: But if neither of these be the Case, if the two Requisites, Prevention, and Lawfulness be wanting; I believe I may venture to affirm, that the most learned and judicious among the Professors of Physick will never give into so destructive a Scheme. And I hope the Time is coming, that these Venefici, these Spreaders of Infection, will be distinguished from those of the Faculty, who deserve Honour, and not permitted to mingle with them, as the Devil among the Sons of God, lest like the Disease-Giving Practitioner, the Harlot whom Solomon describes, they entice us, till a Dart strike through our Liver, and we haste to their Snare, not knowing that it is for our Life. Besides, I cannot apprehend how it conduces to the Preservation of Mankind, to force a dangerous Distemper upon them, which possibly may never happen unto them, and if it should, may probably be attended with very little, if any Inconvenience; and as before has been hinted, is no Sucurity against future Contagion. This is unequally to stake a Substance against a Shadow, to make Men run into a real Danger, lest they should happen to fall into an accidental One, and contributes no more to the Preservation of Mankind, than it would redound to the Honour of a well provided City, to invite the Enemy and surrender now, for fear lest sometime hence, they should possibly be surpris'd and taken.

2. The good of mankind, the seeking whereof is one of the fundamental laws of nature, is, I know, pleaded in defense of the practice I contend against. But I must profess myself at a loss to find or understand how that has been, or can be, promoted hereby. For if by good be meant the preservation of life, it is in the first place a question whether life be a good, or not. But if it be, the preservation of it will be found as little beholden to this practice as any other invention whatsoever. The confessed miscarriages in this new method are more than have happened in the ordinary way. And if this be our case now, how much worse must it needs prove, if God, for our presumption and contemptuous distrust of his good Providence, should suffer this delusion to gain ground, and these physicians of no value, these forgers of lies (as Job expresses it), to obtain and grow into credit among us! Such I fear they may be accounted who so confidently tell us what is impossible for them to know: namely, that they who undergo their experiment are forever thereby secured from any future danger and infection. This is a bold assertion indeed, and if such experiment were lawful, and consistent with the rules of Christian practice, I could wish to God it were true also. But if neither of these be the case, if the two requisites, prevention and lawfulness, be wanting, I believe I may venture to affirm that the most learned and judicious among the professors of physic will never give into so destructive a scheme. And I hope the time is coming that these venefici, these spreaders of infection, will be distinguished from those of the faculty who deserve honor, and not permitted to mingle with them, as the Devil among the sons of God, lest, like the disease-giving practitioner, the harlot whom Solomon describes, they entice us, till a dart strike through our liver, and we haste to their snare, not knowing that it is for our life. Besides, I cannot apprehend how it conduces to the preservation of mankind to force a dangerous distemper upon them which possibly may never happen unto them, and if it should, may probably be attended with very little, if any, inconvenience, and, as before has been hinted, is no security against future contagion. This is unequally to stake a substance against a shadow, to make men run into a real danger lest they should happen to fall into an accidental one, and contributes no more to the preservation of mankind than it would redound to the honor of a well-provided city to invite the enemy and surrender now, for fear lest sometime hence they should possibly be surprised and taken.

Let the Atheist then, and the Scoffer, the Heathen and Unbeliever, disclaim a Dependance upon Providence, dispute the Wisdom of God's Government, and deny Obedience to his Laws: Let them Inoculate, and be Inoculated, whose Hope is only in, and for this Life!

Let the atheist then, and the scoffer, the heathen and unbeliever, disclaim a dependence upon Providence, dispute the wisdom of God’s government, and deny obedience to his laws. Let them inoculate, and be inoculated, whose hope is only in, and for this life!

Baffled in every attempt to stop the ravages of this fever, I anticipated all the numerous and complicated distresses in our city, which pestilential diseases have so often produced in other countries. The fever had a malignity, and an obstinacy which I had never before observed in any disease, and it spread with a rapidity and mortality, far beyond what it did in the year 1762. Heaven alone bore witness to the anguish of my soul in this awful situation. But I did not abandon a hope that the disease might yet be cured. I had long believed that good was commensurate with evil, and that there does not exist a disease for which the goodness of Providence has not provided a remedy.

Baffled in every attempt to stop the ravages of this fever, I anticipated all the numerous and complicated distresses in our city, which pestilential diseases have so often produced in other countries. The fever had a malignity and an obstinacy which I had never before observed in any disease, and it spread with a rapidity and mortality far beyond what it did in the year 1762. Heaven alone bore witness to the anguish of my soul in this awful situation. But I did not abandon a hope that the disease might yet be cured. I had long believed that good was commensurate with evil, and that there does not exist a disease for which the goodness of Providence has not provided a remedy.