Wesley Corpus

The exceptions are exceeding few, whether among the learned or unlearned. High and low, cobblers, tinkers, hackney-coachmen, men and maid servants, soldiers, sailors, tradesmen of all ranks, Lawyers, Physicians, Gentlemen, Lords, are as ignorant of the Creator of the world as Maho metans or Pagans. They look up to that “brave o'er-hanged firmament, fretted with golden fires;” they see the moon walking in brightness, the sum on his meridian throne; they look round on the various furniture of the earth, herbs, flowers, trees, in all their beauty; and coolly ascribe all to nature, without having any idea affixed to the word. Should you seriously ask them, What is nature? they know not how to answer. Perhaps they will say, “Why, it is the course of things, that always was and always will be.” Always was Then you assert that the present course of things was from eternity. If so, the world is eternal; either then there are two eternals, or there is no God | 13. So much the good people of England in general know of God their Creator ! And high and low, from the meanest peasant to the gayest butterfly at court, know just as much of God their Governor. They know not, they do not in the least suspect, that he governs the world he has made; that he is the supreme and absolute Disposer of all things both in heaven and earth. A poor Heathen (though a Consul, a Prime Minister) knew Deorum providentid cuncta geri; that “the providence of God directs all things.” Providence What is that? Do you know anything about it? “Yes, I do; I never denied a general Providence.” A general Providence/ What do you mean? What is a general that includes no particulars? What is a whole that does not contain any parts? It is a self-contradiction, it is arrant nonsense. Either, therefore, allow a particular providence, or do not pretend to believe any providence at all.