"
A God so careful as to make provision even for the unmistakable
signing of bank checks and deeds was a deity truly after the
heart of eighteenth century Anglicanism.
I subjoin, omitting the capitals, Derham's "Vindication of God by
the Institution of Hills and Valleys," and Wolff's altogether
culinary account of the institution of Water:--
"The uses," says Wolff, "which water serves in human life are
plain to see and need not be described at length. Water is a
universal drink of man and beasts. Even though men have made
themselves drinks that are artificial, they could not do this
without water. Beer is brewed of water and malt, and it is the
water in it which quenches thirst. Wine is prepared from grapes,
which could never have grown without the help of water; and the
same is true of those drinks which in England and other places
they produce from fruit. . . . Therefore since God so planned the
world that men and beasts should live upon it and find there
everything required for their necessity and convenience, he also
made water as one means whereby to make the earth into so
excellent a dwelling.
Pages:
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857