mate Bodies; as the artificial Pofition of many Myriads of Valves, all fo fituate as to give a free paffage to the Blood and other Humors in their due Chanels and Courses, but not permit them to regurgitate and disturb the great Circulation and Oeconomy of Life; as the Spiral, and not Annulary, Fibres of the Inteftines for the better Exercise of their Functions; as the provident furnishing of Temporary parts for the Fatus during the time of geftation, which are afterwards laid afide; as the strange fagacity of little Infects in choosing fit Places for the Exclufion of their Eggs, and for the provifion of proper food, when the young ones are hatcht and need it; as the ardent so or natural Affection in those Animals, whofe off fpring cannot at first procure their own fuftenance, but must infallibly perifh, if not fed by the Parents; as the untaught Instincts and Impresses upon every fpecies, directing them without imitation or deliberation to the ready knowledge of proper food, to one and the best way of their preservation and defence, and to the neverfailing propagation of their own kind: what-ever Confiderations of this nature you propose to this Atheift, as indeed fuch Inftances are innumerable, all evidently setting forth the Almighty's Wisdom and Goodness to such as are able to judge, and will judge impartially; he hath this one fubterfuge from them u all, all, That theie things are mistaken for tokens of Skill and Contrivance, though they be but neceffary Confequences of the prefent Existence of those Creatures. For he that supposeth any Animals to subsist, doth by that very fuppofition allow them every Member and Faculty that are necessary to fubfiftence; fuch as are those we have just now enumerated. And therefore, unless we can prove à priori and independent of this Usefulness, now that Things are once supposed to have exifted and propagated; That among almost infinite Trials and Effays at the beginning of things, among millions of monftrous Shapes and imperfect Formations, a few fuch Animals, as now exist, could not possibly be produ ced; these -After-Confiderations are of very little moment because if fuch Animals could in that way possibly be formed, as might live and move and propagate their Beings; all this admired and applauded Usefulness of their several Fabricks is but a neceffary condition and confequence of their Exiftence and Propagation. : This is the laft pretence and fophiftry of the Atheists against the Propofition in my Text, That we received our Life and Being from a Divine Wisdom and Power. And as they cannot justly accuse me of any ways concealing or balking their grand Objection: fo I believe thefe following Con fiderations fiderations will give them no reason to boast, That it cannot receive a juft and fatisfactory Anfwer. (1) First therefore, we affirm that we can prove and have done it already by arguments à priori (which is the challenge of the Atheists) that these Animals, that now exift, could not possibly have been formed at first by millions of trials. For fince they allow by their very Hypothefis (and without standing to that Courtefie we have proved it before) that there can be no cafual or fpontaneous Motion of the Particles of Matter: it will follow tum tellus tenta crea cret. 5. that every single Monster among so many supposed Myriads must have been mechanically and neceffa. Multaque rily formed according to the known Laws of Moti- etiam Poron, and the temperament and quality of the Matter resu that it was made of. Which is fufficient to evince, that no fuch Monsters were or could have been formed. For to denominate them even Monfters; they must have had some rude kind of Organical Bodies; fome Stamina of Life, though never fo clumsy; fome Syftem of Parts compounded of Solids and Liquids, that executed, though but bunglingly, their peculiar Motions and Functions. But we have lately shewn it impossible for Nature unassisted to conftitute fuch Bodies, whofe ftructure is against the Law of Specifick Gravity. So that she could U 2 not not make the least endeavour towards the producing of a Monster; or of any thing that hath more Vital and Organical Parts, than we find in a Rock of Marble or a Fountain of Water. And again, though we fhould not contend with them about their Monsters and Abortions; yet fince they suppose even the perfect Animals, that are still in being, to have been formed mechanically among the reft; and only add some millions of Monsters to the reckoning; they are liable to all the Difficulties in the former Explication, and are exprefly refuted through the whole preceding Sermon: where it is abundantly shown, that a Spontaneous Production is against the Catholick Laws of Motion, and a gainst Matter of Fact; a thing without Example, not only in Man and the nobler Animals, but in the Smalleft of Infects and the Vileft of Weeds: though the Fertility of the Earth cannot be said to have been impaired fince the beginning of the World. (2) Secondly, we may observe that this Evafion of the Atheist is fitted only to elude such Arguments of Divine Wisdom, as are taken from things Neceffary to the confervation of the Animal, as the Faculties of Sight and Motion and Nutrition, and the like; because fuch Usefulness is indeed included in a general Suppofition of the Exi ftence ftence of that Animal: but it miferably fails him against other Reasons from fuch Members and Powers of the Body, as are not necessary absolutely to Living and Propagating, but only much conduce to our better Subfiftence and happier Condition. So the most obvious Contemplation of the frame of our Bodies; as that we all have double Sensories, two Eyes, two Ears, two Noftrils, is an effectual Confutation of this Atheistical Sophifm. For a double Organ of these Senses is not at all comprehended in the Notion of bare Exiftence: one of them being fufficient to have preferved Life, and kept up the Species; as common Experience is a witness. Nay even the very Nails of our Fingers are an infallible Token of Defign and Contrivance: for they are useful and convenient to give strength and firmness to those Parts in the various Functions they are put to; and to defend the numerous Nerves and Tendons that are under them, which have a moft exquifite fenfe of Pain, and without that native Armour would continually be exposed to it: and yet who will fay, that Nails are absolutely necessary to Humane Life, and are concluded in the Suppofition of Simple Exiftence? It is manifeft therefore, that there was a Contrivance and Forefight of the Usefulness of Nails antecedent to their Formation. For the old ftale pretence |