A discourse concerning prodigies: wherein the vanity of presages by them is reprehended. And their true and proper ends asserted and vindicated / By John Spencer, B.D.

  • John Spencer
Date:
1663
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse concerning prodigies: wherein the vanity of presages by them is reprehended. And their true and proper ends asserted and vindicated / By John Spencer, B.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    129/150 (page 107)
    / The CONTENTS. \ CHAP. I. Concerning the fever ml hinds of Prodigies. GReat wonders of divine efficiency alone: thefe divided into Ordinary and extraordinary. The hinds of the former toucht upon: wonders extraor¬ dinary (comprised under the general name of Prodigies) divided into Signal and Penal, The ufe of that phrafe ex- cufed • Prodigies Signal, Natural 3 Preternaturals Supernatural,what. The Prodigie’s related in the Ethnic£ Sto- ries} excluded this number3 and why. Prodigies Penal defcrib’d. pag.i. CHAP. II. Concerning Prodigies Signal, Natural. ~ S E C T. I. Reafons to prove Prodigies natu¬ ral, no figns of a future judgement. j.'-r-'He firfi Argument tu\en from 1 their doubt full and uncertain in¬ dication • that proved from the confef- fions of their abicft cxpcjitours • from their different cxpofltions in all times, Thuanus- The interpreters of them banijht the Jewiffi common-wealth of eld upon this account,proved from Philo. The Argument further urg’d from TLil¬ ly. Gods figns, exprefs i theufelcfnefs of thofe which are not. 2. From a confideration of the times when moft attended to; Great regard to be had to the times when any laws or ufages firfl commenc'd, with the rca- fon thereof, noted from 1^. James. The times when prodigies were firft and moft attended to, noted especially for grofs ignorance in matters c/Religion anti Philofophy. Some obfervations upon the remaining Rcgifters of fuch accidents h^ept among the Heathens, re-» ftor’d by Lycofthenes. The times re¬ markable alfo for the publicff fears and diftratfions happening in them, Livy. Seneca, why fuch occurrences moft heed¬ ed in fuch times. 3. From the Natural and neccJJ'ary caufes of thefe things. More of N ature obfervable in a Prodigy, then common occurrences, 4. From the Nature and temper of the Occonomy we are now under. Pag. y. S E CT. II. Some Particular Prodigies prov* d no figns of enfuing Evils. COmets commonly thought prefages of evils, and why. A difference be¬ tween comets and fome luminous bodies in the Heavens like them? Prov’d not to be ligna operantia of any evils in Earth. The difficulty of determining the fpecific\N ature of a Comet, prov’d no incenft exhalation by 4 Confiderations : further evinc’d no effedtive caufe of evil 3 from the dimenfton and the ac- \nowled’d altitude thereof. Three Ar¬ guments to prove them not to be Signa indicantiao/ any evils. The difficulty of reprehending any err our which hot- tomes in phancy and imagination. The Omiffion