To make a revolution
every day, is the nature of the sun, because of that necessary course
which God hath ordained it, from which it cannot swerve, by a faculty
from that voice which first did give it motion. Now this course of
nature God seldom alters or perverts, but like an excellent artist hath
so contrived His work, that with the selfsame instrument, without a new
creation, He may effect His obscurest designs. Thus He sweeteneth the
water with a wood, preserveth the creatures in the ark, which the blast
of His mouth might have as easily created; for God is like a skilful
geometrician, who when more easily, and with one stroke of his compass,
he might describe or divide a right line, had yet rather to do this in a
circle or longer way, according to the constituted and fore-laid
principles of his art: yet this rule of His He doth sometimes pervert, to
acquaint the world with His prerogative, lest the arrogancy of our reason
should question His power, and conclude He could not. And thus I call
the effects of nature the works of God, whose hand and instrument she
only is; and therefore to ascribe His actions unto her, is to devolve the
honour of the principal agent upon the instrument; which, if with reason
we may do, then let our hammers rise up and boast they have built our
houses, and our pens receive the honour of our writing.
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