Nature, we find, even
from our limited experience, possesses an infinite number of
springs and principles, which incessantly discover themselves on
every change of her position and situation. And what new and
unknown principles would actuate her in so new and unknown a
situation as that of the formation of a universe, we cannot,
without the utmost temerity, pretend to determine.
A very small part of this great system, during a very short
time, is very imperfectly discovered to us; and do we thence
pronounce decisively concerning the origin of the whole?
Admirable conclusion! Stone, wood, brick, iron, brass, have
not, at this time, in this minute globe of earth, an order or
arrangement without human art and contrivance; therefore the
universe could not originally attain its order and arrangement,
without something similar to human art. But is a part of nature a
rule for another part very wide of the former? Is it a rule for
the whole? Is a very small part a rule for the universe? Is
nature in one situation, a certain rule for nature in another
situation vastly different from the former?
And can you blame me, C/LEANTHES\, if I here imitate the
prudent reserve of S/IMONIDES\, who, according to the noted
story,18 being asked by H/IERO\, What God was? desired a day to
think of it, and then two days more; and after that manner
continually prolonged the term, without ever bringing in his
definition or description? Could you even blame me, if I had
answered at first, that I did not know, and was sensible that
this subject lay vastly beyond the reach of my faculties? You
might cry out sceptic and railler, as much as you pleased: but
having found, in so many other subjects much more familiar, the
imperfections and even contradictions of human reason, I never
should expect any success from its feeble conjectures, in a
subject so sublime, and so remote from the sphere of our
observation.
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