Eccles. iii. 1, 19, 20. Joseph. Antiq. l. 3. c. 9. de Bello, l. 2. c. 12. p. 788.PROVIDENCE. ‘Tis a Tenet of the Christian and Jewish Religion, That God disposes and governs every Thing by his Providence; That this Providence is Eternal and Infinite; That it extends over all Things, even to the Hairs of our Heads, to the most minute Animals or Herbs of the Field. The Atheists, whose Sentiments are produced by Solomon, in his Book of Ecclesiastes, and the Sadducees who arose afterwards, deny’d this Providence: They maintain’d, That nothing happen’d to us, either by the Power of Fate, or by the Will of God; That God is incapable of doing or committing Evil; That we are the only Causes of our own Happiness or Misfortune, according to the good or ill Choice we make, in the Use of our Liberty.
See Basnage’s Hist. of the Jews, t. 4. l. 6. c. 13. Paris Edit.But these Notions are rejected by the generality of the Jews; tho’ they are not agreed among themselves, in the manner of explaining the Effects of Providence. Maimonides seems to think, That Providence does not act in the Moving of a Leaf, or in the Production of a Worm; but that whatever relates to the Production of Animals, or other Things of less Importance, is perform’d by Chance. Moreover, the generality of the Jews hold, That Mankind enjoys a perfect Liberty as to Good or Evil; and that whatever happens to him, is as a Recompence for his good Actions, and as a Punishment for his bad ones.
Eccles. v. 7.“ Say not before the Angel, There is “ no Providence; lest God should be provoked against you, and destroy all the “ Works of your Hands.” Thus speaks Solomon, in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Take care how you deny in secret the Being of Providence; your Angel will be a Witness of your most secret Thoughts, and God will punish you in his Anger. The Hebrew expresses this; Say not, before the Angel, It is a Fault of Ignorance: Why should you expose your self to the Anger of the Lord by your Words, and lose all the Labour of your Hands?