I do not pretend that thefe Arguments are "Demonstrations, of which the Nature of this thing is not capable: But they are fuch ftrong Probabilities, as ought to prevai with all thofe, who are not able to produce greater Probabilitics to the contrary.

As for that other Opinion, concerning Epicurus his Atoms, it is fo extravagant and irrational, and hath been fo abundantly confuted by others, that I cannot think it expedient to spend any time in the difcufling of it.

III. Arg.

3.

F

CHAP. VI.

From the admirable Contri

vance of Natural Things.

ROM that excellent Contrivance which there is in all natural Things. Both with respect to that Elegance and Beauty which they have in themfelves feparately confidered, and that regular Order and Subferviency wherein they stand towards one another; together with the exact fitness and propriety, for the feveral purposes for which they are defigned. From all which it may be inferred, that thefe are the Productions of fome Wife Agent.

The moft fagacious Man is not able to find out any blot or error in this great Volume of the World, as if any thing in it had been an imperfect Effay at the firft, fuch as afterwards ftood in need of mending: But all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation.

Tully doth frequently infift upon this, as De divithe most natural refult from that beauty and natione, régularity to be obferved in the Univerfe. lib. 2. Effe præftantem aliquam, æternamq; naturam & eam fufpiciendam adorandamq; hominum generi, pulchritudo mundi ordoq; rerior cœe

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besti

leftium cogit confiteri. "The great Elegance "and order of things in the World, is abun

dantly enough to evince the Neceffity of "fuch an eternal and excellent Being, to "whom we owe Adoration. And in anoTeNatur. ther place, quid poteft effe tam apertum, tamDeor. lib, que perfpicuum, cum cœlum fufpeximus, cœleftiaq; contemplati fumus, quâm aliquod effe Numen præftantiffima mentis, quo bec regantur. "What can be more obvious than "to infer a fupreme Deity, from that order "and government we may behold amongst "the heavenly Bodies?

The feveral viciffitudes of Night and Day, Winter and Summer, the production of Minerals, the growth of Plants, the generation of Animals according to their feveral Species; with the Law of Natural Instinct, whereby every thing is inclined and enabled, for its own prefervation; The gathering of the Inhabitants of the Earth into Nations, under diftinct Policies and Governments; thofe Advantages which each of them have of mutual Commerce, for fupplying the Wants of each other, are fo many diftinct Arguments to the fame purpose,

I cannot here omit the Obfervations which have been made in thefe latter Times, fince we have had the Use and Improvement of the Microfcope, concerning that great difference which by the help of that, doth appear betwixt natural and artificial Things, What

ever is Natural doth by that appear adorned with all imaginable Elegance and Beauty. There are such inimitable Gildings and Embroideries in the smallest Seeds of Plants, but especially in the parts of Animals, in the Head or Eye of a fmall Fly: Such accurate Order and Symetry in the Frame of the most minute Creatures, a Lowfe or a Mite; as no `Man were able to conceive without seeing of them. Whereas the most curious Works of Art, the sharpeft fineft Needle, doth appear as a blunt rough Bar of Iron coming from the Furnace or the Forge. The most accurate Engravings or Emboffments, feem fuch rude bungling deformed Works, sa if they had been done with a Mattock or a Trovel. So vaft a difference is there betwixt the Skill of Nature, and the rudeness and imperfection of Art.

And for fuch kind of Bodies, as we are able to judge of by our naked Eyes, that excellent contriyance which there is in the feveral parts of them; their being fo commodiously adapted to their proper uses, may be another Argument to this purpose. As particularly thofe in Humane Bodies, upon confideration of which, Galen himself, no great Friend to Religion, could not but acknowledge a Deity. In his Book de Formatione Fætus, he takes notice, that there are in' a Humane Body above 600 feveral Muscles, and there are at least ten feveral Intentions, or due

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duc Qualifications, to be obferved in each of thefe; proper figure, juft magnitude, right difpofition of its feveral ends, upper and lower Pofition of the whole, the infertion of its proper Nerycs, Veins, and Arteries, which are cach of them to be duly placed; fo that about the Mufcles alone, no lefs than 6000 feveral ends or aims are to be attended to. The Bones are reckon❜d to be 284; the diftin&t Scopes or Intentions in cach of thefe, are above Forty,in all about 100000. And thus is it in fome proportion with all the other parts, the Skin, Ligaments, Veffels, Glandules, Humours; But more efpecially with the feveral Members of the Body, which do in regard of the great variety and multitude of thofe feveral intentions required to them, very much exceed the Homogeneous Parts. And the failing in any one of thefe, would cause an irregularity in the Body, and in many of them, fuch as would be very notorious.

And thus likewife is it in proportion with all other kinds of Beings; Minerals, Vegetables: But efpecially with fuch as are Senfitive, Infects, Fishes, Birds, Beafts; And in thefe yet more efpecially, for thofe Organs and Faculties that concern Senfation: But most of all, for that kind of Frame which relates to our Understanding Power, whereby we are able to correct the Errors of our Senfes and Imaginations, to call before us things paft and future, and to behold things that are invifible to Senfe. Now