CHAP. IV.

In which we shall examine the Arguments that prove the Existence of God.

WE

E have thought this Preliminary Difcourfe by fo much the more ufeful, as the Illusions we have reafon to fear in treating of Matters of Religion are entertained unawares, when we don't fufpect them, and infenfibly leading us into incredulity, form as it were a double Bulwark in our Understanding, against which the Solidity and force of Arguments are generally ineffectual.

But having laid down the principal Caufes of our Errors, 'tis a Matter ftill of much greater importance, to mention alfo those of Truth, of which there are Four different Kinds: Nature, which is the United Body of all visible Creatures: Society, which is a Multitude of Men united under the form of Government: The Heart of Man, which is a little World, containing as many Wonders in it as the greater: And lastly, Religion, which convinces us better than any other Object, of the Existence of God, as it will appear by the fequel of this Work.

To convince us of the being of a Supream Wif dom, we need but open our Eyes, and look over the Wonders of Nature: For although the corfideration of the Heavens and the Stars, and of ir Beauty and their Light, their Vastness and ortions, their perpetual Motion, and those derful Revolutions which render them fo juft conftant in their different Variations, fhould

not

not convince us of this truth, yet we fhould find the plain Marks of it in the Waves, and on the Sea-Shore, in the Plants, and in the production of Herbs and Fruits, and in the diverfity and inftinct of Animals, in the ftruature of our Body, and the Lineaments of our Faces.

And indeed, as all the Men who have informed me that there is such a City as Rome, could not combine together to impofe upon my Credulity; fo it is impoffible, that all the parts of Nature, fhould confpire to deceive me, by fhewing me the Characters of a pretended Wisdom which does not really exist.

It is certain alfo, that this latter Argument, has in some respect, the advantage over the former, in as much as all Men have in themselves the Principles of Error and Impofture, whereas the parts of Nature are free from any fuch Defects; and fo the general Testimony of Men is lefs infallible than the general Testimony of the parts of the Universe, if I may be allowed to use this Expreffion, to fignifie that perfect agreement of all the works of Nature, which feems contrived on purpose to fet before our Eyes the Wif dom of their Maker.

We need then but only confider, whether we can upon due reflection, forbear acknowledg ing those Characters of Wisdom in Nature, which we think we have obferved there. Wisdom every one knows, imports Two things, viz. A Design and the Choice of certain Means conducing to that Design. We only therefore defire to know whether you can obferve any De fign in the Works of the Universe, or whether you perceive any Caufe acting there for fome

C 2

end,

end, which furely is not very difficult to find out: For certainly we must be void of all Reafon, if we doubt whether our Eyes were made to fee, our Ears to hear, our Nose to fmell, our Voice to make our felves understood by one another, our Feet to walk, the Soles of our Feet flat, to enable us to keep upright; our Heart to make or receive the Blood, our Veins to contain it, our Spirits to put it in motion, our Arteries to beat and drive the Blood to the Veins, our Nerves to receive the Spirits; and when we fee that our Eyes are not placed in our Feet, from whence they could not perceive any Objects, that our Mouth hath a Communication with our Stomach, without which, we should be utterly deprived of Nourishment, how can we believe that all this was fo framed, without any manner of Design?

And this Wisdom is every where perceived all over the Universe, whether we examine any single Body, or contemplate the whole Mafs of ail Corporeal Beings: For do but confider Light, the noblest and most beautiful of all the parts of the Universe, and we shall find 'tis not without fome reason that it is united into certain Globes which continually diffufe it, without ever being exhausted; that these Globes are placed at fo juft and proportionate a distance from the Earth, an They always feem in a perpetual a magina tack

whether it be a real or ier meets with the least Obt to stop it.

lower, and confider the feve

ings even to us, the

Stars; it bears

uitfulness of

the

the Earth, and the abundance for Farvels it conveyeth Sounds to our Ears, and Coors to our Eyes; it caufes or LegiraoL a de Motion of our Lungs, the force and agration of Flame, the Vegetation of Plants, an de Lé Animals.

Confider farther bow this Ar and snk Lee unite with the Organs of Humans Bums: for without the Eye of Men, Luz k DE LA and without Light, the Ew of Marks out Kina ness: Observe thofe admirable Dependences whicE are the Causes that the Heavens row or feen s rowl in the vaft wide face of the word, procuring the welfare of an A, who a moter as he seems to be in the corner of a Clone, which is it felf but a Point in comparition of oner parts of the Universe, ecoys all thee wonderful Works, whose greatnels is to diproportioned to his own, and poffefes whatever the Heavens and the Stars feem to have of mot worth and value.

Who has taught the Ar, the Wad, the Rew and other Meteors to contribute to the fruitánůnefs of the Earth? Why doth the See in order to it, impart his Heat and Light, the Stars their Influences, the Sea its Clouds, the Aur its Dew and Coolness, and each Seafon the Temperature of its different Qualities? What makes the dry and barren Earth, the Mother of fo many Vege tables ío wonderful in their Vertues and Froductions; and of fo many excellent Trees and exquisite Fruits? Why must thofe Fruits needs be of a Temper proper to be changed into the substance of Animals, and to preserve their Lives ? How comes it to pass that those Animals are informed by Hunger and Thirst, when 'tis time to C 3

take

take fuch Food as is appointed for their Suftenance? And how is it on the contrary, that they are taught by the repugnance of their Appetites, and fullness of Stomach, when they have taken what is fufficient for the good of their Nature, and this by a Law which cannot be violated but by fuch Diseases as diforder the Natural Oeconomie of their Primitive Temper?

To what purpose were all the Fruits of the Earth, if there were not Animals to be nourish'd by them? And what would thofe Animals do, without the Fruits of the Earth? How fhould the different fpecies of Animals be preserved without that paffionate Inclination the Male has for the Female? And what would that Inclination fignifie, if it did not ferve for the propagation of Animals? Why does Nature in Places where no Corn grows, produce Cocoes to fupply the want thereof, thofe wonderful Trees whofe Pith is Bread, whofe Juice is Wine, and the Down wherewith their Leaves are covered, Cotton to cloath Men withal? Why in the Ifle of Fiero, where there is neither Spring nor River for the Inhabitants to drink of, is there a Tree perpetually covered with a Cloud, which makes Water diftil from its Branches? Nature forming a miraculous Spring in the Air, to fupply the defects of the Earth; fo that all the Beasts and Inhabitants of that land, have abundantly enough from thence wherewith to quench their Thirst.

In fpight of all our Endeavours to the contrary, we cannot but freely acknowledge the parts of Nature are not thus lin ther without fome Defign. The Ear. not be fituated as it is, nor the Sun al enlighten the Two Hemifpheres with fo