The world, says he, resembles the works of
human contrivance; therefore its cause must also resemble that of
the other. Here we may remark, that the operation of one very
small part of nature, to wit man, upon another very small part,
to wit that inanimate matter lying within his reach, is the rule
by which C/LEANTHES\ judges of the origin of the whole; and he
measures objects, so widely disproportioned, by the same
individual standard. But to waive all objections drawn from this
topic, I affirm, that there are other parts of the universe
(besides the machines of human invention) which bear still a
greater resemblance to the fabric of the world, and which,
therefore, afford a better conjecture concerning the universal
origin of this system. These parts are animals and vegetables.
The world plainly resembles more an animal or a vegetable, than
it does a watch or a knitting-loom. Its cause, therefore, it is
more probable, resembles the cause of the former. The cause of
the former is generation or vegetation. The cause, therefore, of
the world, we may infer to be something similar or analogous to
generation or vegetation.
But how is it conceivable, said D/EMEA\, that the world can
arise from any thing similar to vegetation or generation?
Very easily, replied P/HILO\. In like manner as a tree sheds
its seed into the neighbouring fields, and produces other trees;
so the great vegetable, the world, or this planetary system,
produces within itself certain seeds, which, being scattered into
the surrounding chaos, vegetate into new worlds.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102