1. When he sees such numbers of wicked in the world and so many of their impieties and how some glory in them, and sees the men go unpunished by God. 2. He confirms himself the more against divine providence when he sees plots, schemes and frauds succeed even against the devout, just and sincere, and injustice triumph over justice in the courts and in business. 3. He confirms himself especially on seeing the impious advanced to honors and becoming leaders in the state or in the church, abounding, too, in riches and living in luxury and magnificence, and on the other hand sees worshipers of God despised and poor. 4. He also confirms himself against divine providence when he reflects that wars are permitted and the slaughter of so many in them and the looting of so many cities, nations and families. 5. Furthermore, he reflects that victories are on the side of prudence and not always on the side of justice, and that it is immaterial whether a commander is upright or not. Besides many other things of the kind, all of which are permissions according to laws of divine providence. 238. The same natural man confirms himself against divine providence when he observes how religion is circumstanced in various nations. 1. Some are totally ignorant of God; some worship the sun and moon; others idols and monstrous graven images, dead men also. 2. He notes especially that the Mohammedan religion is accepted by so many empires and kingdoms. 3. He notes that the Christian religion is found only in a very small part of the habitable globe, called Europe, and is divided there. 4. Also that some in Christendom arrogate divine power to themselves, want to be worshiped as gods, and invoke the dead. 5. And there are those who place salvation in certain phrases which they are to think and speak and not at all in good works which they are to do; likewise there are few who live their religion. 6. Besides there are heretical ideas; these have been many and some exist today, like those of the Quakers, Moravians and Anabaptists, besides others. 7. Judaism also persists. As a result, one who denies divine providence concludes that religion in itself is nothing, but still is needed to serve as a restraint. 239. To these more arguments can be added today by which those who think interiorly in favor of nature and of human prudence alone can still further confirm themselves. For example: 1. All Christendom has acknowledged three Gods, not knowing that God is one in essence and in person and that He is the Lord. 2. It has not been known before this that there is a spiritual sense in each particular of the Word from which it derives its holiness. 3. Again, Christians have not known that to avoid evils as sins is the Christian religion itself. 4. It has also been unknown that the human being lives as such after death. For men may ask themselves and one another, "Why does divine providence, if it exists, reveal such things for the first time now?"