The Exiftence of G 0 D. 11 ercile. Forthisrearon he rays, thatbydefcribing the ufe ofthe pans, he compos'd a~ erne Hymninpraireofthe wifeMaker.. . . . . . ~ \V hat knowledge is requil!te to defcnbe aB that IS wonderf?l m 1t? The contempering the differing humours in jufl: weight and meafure, the mv•olable corr~fpond ence eftablilht between all the parts of the performance of natural, v1tal, and antmal operarions? To touch upon a few things. The Stomach that by an unknown virtue prepares r:· e nouriflum nr, the Heart and Liver, the two Seas of Bl?Od ; . the one more grofs, the other more refin'd and fpjrituous; the Veins and Artenes the1r infeparable companions that diffufe themfelves into innumerable rivolets, and convey the blood and rpirits of Life . the Nerves, the fecret channels) that from the Brain derive the fpirits ofienfe .:lnd motion; rheMufdes t~atgive ir_vario~s motions ; the Adhy parts ?f differe_nt filh- {t.:mce and quality accordmg to rhe1r ~anous Offices_; theMembrans m that dlVerfity, fome finer fome thicker weav'd accordmgto t he quahty of the part they cover; the inward Far r'hat preferves the warm Bowels from drying up; the Marrow wherewith t11e infl:ruments of motion are oiled and made nimble and expedite ; the Bones that fupporl the Buildiug offuch different foyms, proportions, , qualities, and fo fitly joyn'd: Thefe are a full conviCtion that a Divme Mmd contnv d 1t, a D1vme Hard made and fa- !bion'd it. I will more particularly confider the curious fabrick of the E~e and Hand.. The Eye is a work of fuch incomparable A~tl~ce, that '~hoev er un~erfl~nds.tt, harh a fuffiCtent proof of His Skill that form'd it. ThJS IS moO: evrdent by drlfelbng Jt, and reprefenting the tarts feparatc one from another, and after reumtmg them, and thereby difcovering the Caulesof the whole Compofure, and of the Offices proper to every part. That that may beunderfl:ood without feeing it, is, that there is no member in the whole Body compos'd ofmore parts, nor more different, nor ordered with more exaCt wifdom between themfelves in one frame. Their fituation is fo regular and neceffary, that :if any of them be never ro little dirplac't, the Eye is no more an Eye. It includes three Humours that are tranrparent, and of different thicknefs, the one refembling Water, the other Glafs, the od1er Chryftal, and from them borrow their na~es : To vary the place, the difl:ance, the lefs or greater tlucknefs, the figure tllat tS pe~ltar to each of them, would render the Eye altogether ufelefs for feemg: For the refracbons of the light that enters t hrough the Pupil wr;mld be d1fordered; a~d the rays ~or be united in": Point, to paint in the Retina, the Images of VIilble obJe8:S, wh1ch 1s the lafl: dtfpofitlon from whence the all: of feeing follows. Several Tunicles in~olve it, one of which is perforated (as • much as the little Circle in the middle that is called the Pupil) to give open palfage to the images flowing from their Objects. The Murcles by their agency raife or cafl: down, turn or fix it. The Nerves fafl:en'd to the Brain, convey a fupply of rpirits for the fight and tranfmit the reprerentation of all vil!bie objects without conful!on to the internai fenfes. If we conl!der the Hand by the moO: exact rule of proportion, 'ris evident that its Cubfiance and lbape are moO: conducive to beauty and fervice. If the Fingers were not divided, and feparately moveable, but joyn'd together with one continued skin, how uncomely, how unufeful would it be? Of an hundred effects, ninety would be loft. All that require variety of motion, fubtilty of art, or fl:rength, could not be perform'd. But th<: Fingers being.di:joyned, . 'tis fit to. do whatever the mind del!gns, or neceffity reqrnres. Itworksmtrrely, or m parts; 1tbrandilhes a Sword, or manages a Pen· firikes on the Anvil with a Hammer, or ufesa delicate File; rows in the Water, or t~uches a Lute. 'Tis fit for all things, adapting it felf to the greatefl: and leaft: All which advan- . taRes the * Philofopher exprelfeswith admirable brevit_y, In divijione mamu comprmendi fo- :::,~ ~'f';}"' c~lta< eft, in Com_poftiom dividendi non ejfct. Suppof~ the Fingers. \~ere of equal length and ji"~ ~- 7~u; b1gnefs, great mconvemenceswouldfollow. And m th1sthe D1vme Wifdom is eminent 'vm-1-~,,:,~ that what at firft fight reems to be .of no con[equence, yet is abfolutely necelfary, not only ~;'~~;,Jff, for all the regular, but for moO: works of the Hand. If the Fingers were extended to 1"r"•~,.; thefame meafure, it were .able to do nothing but what the four Jo?gefr can. And how un· ip;:,tsi7'f:(U comely would fuch a figur d Hand appear? When that beauty JS loft, that rprings from .,~, ;.,., varie'f i'_l things.ali.ke. Befides, ho~ unprofitable a part were. the Hand if the Fingers i..',-:':':.,\'/i. had wrthm onemure bone, not f!exrbleto grafpas occal!on requrres? Or if a f!efhly fub- Hb. 4 • d< '"" ftanceonly,howweakand unapt for fervice? What fl:rength or firmnefs for labour ? Even Anim•l. "P. theNails are not fuperfluous; befides their gracefulnefs, they give force and fenfe to the 10 ' points of the Fingers. If one be loO:, the feeling in that extream part is very much Ief- - fen'd, that is fo necelfaryfor the difcerning of things. To there I lhall add two oth<:r confiderations that difcover perfeCt Wifdom in the framing theHumane Body. C o t . lts
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