t as worms live within us. Therefore we do not belong to
the system of stars, sun, and earth, but to God only; for in respect
to them which seek only to amplify themselves, we are born and live by
chance; but in respect to God, whose instruments we are, we are formed
by prescience and design, and for a high end. Therefore we are bound to
no father but God, and receive all things from Him. They hold as beyond
question the immortality of souls, and that these associate with good
angels after death, or with bad angels, according as they have likened
themselves in this life to either. For all things seek their like. They
differ little from us as to places of reward and punishment. They are in
doubt whether there are other worlds beyond ours, and account it madness
to say there is nothing. Nonentity is incompatible with the infinite
entity of God. They lay down two principles of metaphysics, entity which
is the highest God, and nothingness which is the defect of entity. Evil
and sin come of the propensity to nothingness; the sin having its cause
not efficient, but in deficiency. Deficiency is, they say, of power,
wisdom, or will. Sin they place in the last of these three, because he
who knows and has the power to do good is bound also to have the will,
for will arises out of them. They worship God in trinity, saying God is
the Supreme Power, whence proceeds the highest Wisdom, which is the same
with God, and from these comes Love, which is both power and wisdom; but
they do not distinguish persons by name, as in our Christian law, which
has not been revealed to them. This religion, when its abuses have been
removed, will be the future mistress of the world, as great theologians
teach and hope. Therefore Spain found the New World (though its first
discoverer, Columbus, greatest of heroes, was a Genoese), that all
nations should be gathered under one law. We know not what we do, but
God knows, whose instruments we are. They sought new regions for lust of
gold and riches, but God works to a higher end. The sun strives to burn
up the earth, not to produce plants and men, but God guides the battle
to great issues. His the praise, to Him the glory!

G.M. Oh, if you knew what our astrologers say of the coming age, and of
our age, that has in it more history within 100 years than all the world
had in 4,000 years before! of the wonderful inventions of printing and
guns, and the use of the magnet, and how it all comes of Mercury, Mars