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wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and

wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and

wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and

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<strong>and</strong>Chip. III. Inflrument <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Deity. 151<strong>of</strong> fiibje^ing him to follicitous incumberment, <strong>and</strong> for that caule wouldhave God ro contribute nothing more to <strong>the</strong> mundane fyftem <strong>and</strong> oeconomy,than only <strong>the</strong> firfl: imprefling <strong>of</strong> a certain quantity <strong>of</strong> motion upon <strong>the</strong>matter, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> after-conferving <strong>of</strong> it, according to fome general laws<strong>the</strong>fe men (I fay) feem not very well to underfl<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>mfelves in th<strong>is</strong>. Foras much as <strong>the</strong>y miift <strong>of</strong> necefllty, ei<strong>the</strong>r fupp<strong>of</strong>e <strong>the</strong>fe <strong>the</strong>ir laws <strong>of</strong> motionto execute <strong>the</strong>mfelves, or elfe be forced perpetu<strong>all</strong>y to concern <strong>the</strong> Deity in<strong>the</strong> immediate motion <strong>of</strong> every atom <strong>of</strong> matter throughout <strong>the</strong> univerfe, inorder to <strong>the</strong> execution <strong>and</strong> obfervation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. The former <strong>of</strong> whichbeing a thing plainly abfurd <strong>and</strong> ridiculous, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> latter that, which <strong>the</strong>fephil<strong>of</strong>ophers <strong>the</strong>mfelves are extremely abhorrent from, we cannot make anyo<strong>the</strong>r conclufion than th<strong>is</strong>, that <strong>the</strong>y do but unfkilfuily <strong>and</strong> unawares eftablifhthat very thing, which in words <strong>the</strong>y opp<strong>of</strong>e •, that <strong>the</strong>ir laws <strong>of</strong>nature concerning motion are re<strong>all</strong>y nothing elfe, but a plaftick nature,afting upon <strong>the</strong> matter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole corporeal univerfe, both maintaining<strong>the</strong> fame quantity <strong>of</strong> motion always in it, <strong>and</strong> alfo difpenfing it (by tranfferringit out <strong>of</strong> one body into ano<strong>the</strong>r) according to fuch laws, fit<strong>all</strong>y imprefTcdupon it. Now if <strong>the</strong>re be a pl<strong>all</strong>ick nature, that governs <strong>the</strong> motion<strong>of</strong> matter every where, according to laws, <strong>the</strong>re can be no reafon given,why <strong>the</strong> fame might not alio extend far<strong>the</strong>r to <strong>the</strong> regular difpoial <strong>of</strong> thatmatter, in <strong>the</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> plants, <strong>and</strong> animals, <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r things, in orderto that apt coherent frame <strong>and</strong> harmony <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole univerfe.6. And as th<strong>is</strong> plaftick nature <strong>is</strong> a thing, which feems to be in itfelf m<strong>of</strong>treafonable, fo hath it alfo had <strong>the</strong> fuffrage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> beft phil<strong>of</strong>ophers in <strong>all</strong>ages. For firft, it <strong>is</strong> well known, that Arijlotle concerns himfelf in nothingmore zealoufly than th<strong>is</strong>, that mundane things are not efFefted merely by<strong>the</strong> necefTary <strong>and</strong> unguided motion <strong>of</strong> matter, or by fortuitous mechanifm»but bv fuch a nature as afts regularly <strong>and</strong> artifici<strong>all</strong>y for ends ; yet fo asthat th<strong>is</strong> nature <strong>is</strong> not <strong>the</strong> higheft principle nei<strong>the</strong>r, or <strong>the</strong> fupreme Numen,but fubordinate to a perfedt mind or intellcdl ; he affirming, that vvq afnov kJ

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