inundations, droughts, and the various accidents, which so often
render useless all his labours. In a word, we see man continually
occupied in guarding against the ill offices of that Providence,
which is supposed to be attentive to his happiness.

A bigot admired divine Providence for wisely ordering rivers to
pass through those places, where men have built large cities.
Is not this man's reasoning as rational, as that of many learned
men, who incessantly talk of _final causes_, or who pretend that
they clearly perceive the beneficent views of God in the formation
of all things?


53. Do we see then, that Providence so very sensibly manifests
herself in the preservation of those admirable works, which we
attribute to her? If it is she, who governs the world, we find
her as active in destroying, as in forming; in exterminating, as
in producing. Does she not every moment destroy, by thousands,
the very men, to whose preservation and welfare we suppose her
continually attentive? Every moment she loses sight of her
beloved creature. Sometimes she shakes his dwelling, sometimes
she annihilates his harvests, sometimes she inundates his fields,
sometimes she desolates them by a burning drought. She arms all
nature against man. She arms man himself against his own species,
and commonly terminates his existence in anguish. Is this then
what is called preserving the universe?

If we could view, without prejudice, the equivocal conduct of Providence
towards the human race and all sensible beings, we should find, that
far from resembling a tender and careful mother, she resembles rather