Hugo Grotius · 17 of 132

SECT. XII. This is further proved by the preservation of empires.

THE preservation of commonwealths hath been acknowledged, both by philosophers and historians, to be no mean argument for the Divine Providence over human affairs. First, in general; because wherever good order in government and obedience hath been once admitted, it has been always retained; and in particular, certain forms of government have continued for many ages; as that of kings among the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Franks; and that of aristocracy among the Venetians. Now, though human wisdom may go a good way towards this, yet, if it be duly considered what a multitude of wicked men there are, how many external evils, how liable things are in their own nature to change; we can hardly imagine any government should subsist so long without the peculiar care of the Deity. And this is more visible where it has pleased God to change a government: for all things (even those which do not depend upon human prudence) succeed beyond their wish (which they do not ordinarily in the variety of human events) to those whom God has appointed instruments for this purpose, as it were, destined by him; (suppose Cyrus, Alexander, Cæsar the dictator, the Cingi amongst the Tartars, Namcaa amongst the Chinese): which wonderful agreeableness of events, and all conspiring to a certain end, is a manifest indication of a provident direction. For though a man may now and then throw a particular cast on a die by chance; yet, if he should do it a hundred times together, every body would conclude there was some art in it.