The Exiftence of G 0 D. CHAP. IV. The vani0' of Epicurus's Opinion of .the Worlds original difcover'd, from the vijible order in aU the parts of It. Chance produces no regular ejfefJs. The conftant natural courfe of things in the World proves that 'tu not fram~d nor condu8ed by uncertain Chance. The World WIZ6 not caufe.d by the necef!i0' of Nature. In the fearch of C~u[es the ~ind 'cannot refl tiU it comes to the ji.rft. Second Caufes are fofta.m d and. d~re.Bed m aU their workings by thejirft. The Creator, though mvijible m hu Ej/ence, u llijible in hu Effe8s. BEfore I proceed to the other Head of Arguments, I will briefly !bow the vanity ofthofe Opinions that attnbute the produll:ion of the World to Chance, or to the foie neceili• ty ofNarure. 'Twas the extravagant fancy ?f Democritu!',. and Epicur111 after him, _that the original of theWorld was from the fornutous encoumnng of Aroms, that were m perpetual motion ]n an immenfe fpace, ti11 at Jafr a fufficieot number met in fuch a conjunC[ion as form'd it in this order. 'Tis fl:rangeto amazement, how fo wild an Opinion, never to be reconcil ed with Reafon, could find entertainment. Yet he left a numerous School, many followers tenacious of his Dol.l:rine, the heirs of his Frenzy. 'Tis very ealie to !hew the vanity of this conceir, that fuppofes all, and proves nothing. That thefe particles of matter ibould thus meet together, 'tis necelfary they move : r---A-r'l Chap. 4· ~ Now from whence ~s the ~rinciple of their motion, from an interpal form, or an external ir~7~: 'a~o"'fo~ Agent? If they will be mge~uous an~ !peak true, theymuft a~fwer ~h?s, from whence ''""'"'•""'n! foever they have it, they have tt: For tf they dtd not move, the1r Opm10n cannot pro- qtu. materia fit ceed a [tep further. But fuppoGng th~ir motion to be natural, what powerful ~au~e made !ffi~~~~::dt~ them reil? How are they fo firmly umted? Have they Hooks that fallen, or BJtdhme, or "m 'l'.••i,fil Pitch, or any G_lutin~ms ~atter, tha~ by touching they _cleave fo fafr together? They '!'f:e;tr:n:ff:: mufr grant fomethmg llke th1s, other~1fe they cannot umte and compound, and then the ria diffrrummi !f~~~~~ ~ft!~;0~e~~J;~~~~~~e:~~1~~~~, y~~~~~;~::a~et~~~~~~r~o~r~:~d fd~a~~ ~T':!/~:t mafs of Sand, in which the feveral grains touch witbeut firm union. So that 'ris very rldlt.. Tu!. de .vident whether we fuppofe Motion or Reil to be originally in the Nature of Matter, fio.lib••• there muft be a powerful Efficient to caufe the contrary. Belides, by what art did fo many meet and no more, and of fuch a figure and no other, and in that 11 jull order as to IISif•?f"'"'' form the World, a work fo cxafr that by the mofl: exqullite skill it cannot be made better? dif:J;; t:ffinr Add further; how could thefe minute Bodies without fenfe, by motion produce it? This ' ' ' ' "" pot,ft is to affert that a Caure may atl: above the degree of its power. ~~~'t;;;;~~I}- Can we then rational ly conceive that aconfufed rout ofAtoms ofdiversNatures,and fame nifiratio; Lad:, fo difl:ant from others, ibould meet in fuch a fortunate manner, as to form an intire World, fo vaft in the bignefs, fo diftinl.l: in the order, fo united in the great diverlities of natures, fo regular in the variety of changes, fo beautiful in the whole compofure, d10ugh it were granted, that they did move, and that one of their poffible conjunctions in forne part ofEternity were that we fee at prefent? Could fuch allril.t confederacy ofthe parts ofthe Univetl:e refult from an accidental agreement ofcontrary principles ? Tis fo evident by the univerful experience ofMen, that regular Effel.l:s are caufed by the skill ofa deligning Agent, that works for an end, that upon the light ofany fuch effel.ts, there is not the leall {b.,. of a fufpicion in the mind, that it proceeded from blind and counfellefs Chance. If we ibould hear one make a plea fat a Caufe, with fuch powerful Reafons and Eloquence as are moll proper to convince and perfwade his Judges to decide it for him, can we doubt whetheu be nnderftands what be fpeaks, or caufually moves the organs of fpeech? And yetJ[ hedJdmavethembyChance, one of thecafual mouonsequally poffible with any other, would be that he perform' d: at prefent. If a thoufand brafs Whee.Js were. thrown on a heap, would fix or eight meet fo fitly, as by their conjunl.l:ion to organize a Clock, that ibould dillinguilh the hours? Or, is a skilfuL Hand requilite to joyn them, and direl.l: thm motion? And did the Planets, thofe vaft bodies,byChance' afcend to the upper part ot the Werld, andjeyuin that order astQmeafure.the time e:tal.lly for fo many .Pall: A~h;
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