Can you explain their operations, and
anatomise that fine internal structure on which they depend?
As much, at least, replied P/HILO\, as C/LEANTHES\ can
explain the operations of reason, or anatomise that internal
structure on which it depends. But without any such elaborate
disquisitions, when I see an animal, I infer, that it sprang from
generation; and that with as great certainty as you conclude a
house to have been reared by design. These words, generation,
reason, mark only certain powers and energies in nature, whose
effects are known, but whose essence is incomprehensible; and one
of these principles, more than the other, has no privilege for
being made a standard to the whole of nature.
In reality, D/EMEA\, it may reasonably be expected, that the
larger the views are which we take of things, the better will
they conduct us in our conclusions concerning such extraordinary
and such magnificent subjects. In this little corner of the world
alone, there are four principles, reason, instinct, generation,
vegetation, which are similar to each other, and are the causes
of similar effects. What a number of other principles may we
naturally suppose in the immense extent and variety of the
universe, could we travel from planet to planet, and from system
to system, in order to examine each part of this mighty fabric?
Any one of these four principles above mentioned, (and a hundred
others which lie open to our conjecture,) may afford us a theory
by which to judge of the origin of the world; and it is a
palpable and egregious partiality to confine our view entirely to
that principle by which our own minds operate.
Pages:
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104