No animal can move immediately any thing but the members of
its own body; and indeed, the equality of action and reaction
seems to be an universal law of nature: But your theory implies a
contradiction to this experience. These instances, with many
more, which it were easy to collect, (particularly the
supposition of a mind or system of thought that is eternal, or,
in other words, an animal ingenerable and immortal); these
instances, I say, may teach all of us sobriety in condemning each
other, and let us see, that as no system of this kind ought ever
to be received from a slight analogy, so neither ought any to be
rejected on account of a small incongruity. For that is an
inconvenience from which we can justly pronounce no one to be
exempted.
All religious systems, it is confessed, are subject to great
and insuperable difficulties. Each disputant triumphs in his
turn; while he carries on an offensive war, and exposes the
absurdities, barbarities, and pernicious tenets of his
antagonist. But all of them, on the whole, prepare a complete
triumph for the Sceptic; who tells them, that no system ought
ever to be embraced with regard to such subjects: For this plain
reason, that no absurdity ought ever to be assented to with
regard to any subject. A total suspense of judgement is here our
only reasonable resource. And if every attack, as is commonly
observed, and no defence, among Theologians, is successful; how
complete must be his victory, who remains always, with all
mankind, on the offensive, and has himself no fixed station or
abiding city, which he is ever, on any occasion, obliged to
defend?
* * * *
PART 9
But if so many difficulties attend the argument a
posteriori, said D/EMEA\, had we not better adhere to that simple
and sublime argument a priori, which, by offering to us
infallible demonstration, cuts off at once all doubt and
difficulty? By this argument, too, we may prove the infinity of
the Divine attributes, which, I am afraid, can never be
ascertained with certainty from any other topic.
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