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

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.

49/150 (page 27)

$unto : Thus, (as ’tis call’d) the raining of blond (which is but water tinctur’d by the condition of the foyl whence it auifeth, or, rather, where it falls) ih :11 ftrongly follicite the fear of fomc great effufion of bloud in the ftate j the appearance of two Suns at once, ('which is but the figure and glory of the Sun drawn by its own beams upon adiipofed cloud) doth greatly encourage the phancy of two Compe¬ titors for Royalty in a Nation; fomc great Eclypie feems (toaloft imaginationj to hang the World with black againft the approaching furieralls of lome Great Perfon; the Carnal parting of the River Oufein Bedfordshire, feem’d (after the event) a prelage of thefuc- ceedingdivifion between the houfe of TorJi and Lancafter. Thefe and many more, where they meet with an imagination ftrong enough to fupply and relieve their weaknefs , fhall prove an event beyond Geometry, and the Reafons and experience of all men and times- 9. Humane Nature is greatly propenfe to entertain things vehement and. extraordinary with an Opinion of a more then ordinary facrednefs int and prefence of God with them. In the Old Teftament, things more vulgar and accommodate to a humane fize and meaiure, had the name of Man call’d upon them; thus We read of the Rod of a Man. i Sam.7.14. the cords of a Man t Hof. «. 4. the pen-of a Man. If. 8.1. that is gentle, andufuahon the other fide, things rare and which hardly admit their pattern, are attributed unto God, Horeb the Mount of God. Exoi.3. 1. the River of God. pf, 6$ 9. thetrees of God Pf. 104 ,i6> the fre of GodtJ ob, 1.6 - that is, great and extraordinary. Now the an¬ cient Hebrews (to whofelaw of fpeaking the HolyGhoft accom- modateshimfelf) in their enftomes andlanguage, feem to make the true ft report of the eafy lentiments of fimple Nature. Accordingly, thefe ftrange and prodigious alterations in Nature* appear to men, (becaufe not of familiar occurrences.) ftampt with fome Characters and touches of Divinity; and fo apt to raife a great opinion of themfelves in men, as if fent forth upon no lefs errand Pcjfimum then to call them to an expectation of fome ftrange work from omnium eft God. 4 y augurhm From what hath been hitherto difeourft, 5tis eafy to infer the fal- quod ex con_ lacie of that Firft Argument (againft us) taken from the common per- jenfucapitur, (wafions of men. Por it is a perfwafion very general indeed, but grow- in rebus intel- ing not from natural butcafual or abufive principles; And in iucha lettualibws, cafe, the more common and prevalent the perfwafion be, the more &c. nihil dangerous, becaufe it derives a great credit upon errour, and gives enimmulth it the colour of an Oracle. Vox populiisa fallacious topick to con- placet nifi, elude from, except the Opinion generally maintain’d crofstheeafe imagination and intereft of the World, and men Ulie Uriah carry the letters, (the nom feriati Principles^) which judge and condemn themfelves [as the common autintelle- notions concerning Good and evil, of the Exigence of a Deity, a Future ftumvulga- judgement, the Souls immortality,£A\] ’tis in this cafe a fign that the riumnotio- truth is feal’d upon the Natures of men, and rather lays hold of them; num nodis then they of it. * , ' aflringat. And this in anfwer to that firft objection, VeruT. Nov. Org.Aph, 77. SECT.$