But neither will this fhift ferve the turn; because no Man can give any rational Account, how 'tis poffible that fuch a general Flood fhould come, by any natural means. And if it be fupernatural; That grants the Thing I am proving, namely such a Supreme Being as can alter the courfe of Nature. But let it be fuppofed natural; How comes it to pafs that fo much as one Family doth efcape? Such kind of Deluges, as muft prevent the over-stocking of the World, must be neceffary once every ten or twenty thousand Years. And there must have happen'd many Millions of them from all Eternity. And who fhall take care for the adjudging of them to their proper Season? or for preventing the total deftruction of Mankind? Though we fhould grant this poffible Casualty, yet he who can believe that to be a probable Casualty which hath never come to pass in an eternal Duration, muft not pretend to be an Enemy to Credulity. By what hath been said it may appear, that there is a very great advantage in the Proofs for this Opinion, concerning the Beginning of the World, above the other for the Eternity of it. Now for the Difficulties on each fide: Those relating to the Eternity of the World, have been already difcuffed, in the Proofs I have lately infifted upon. And as for the Opinion, concerning the Creation of it, the chief Difficulty which Ariftotle doth mention, is from that Principle of his, Ex nihilo nihil fit, which is generally acknowledged to be true concerning natural Generations, but must not neceffarily be extended to fupernatural Productions. It is one of the natural Notions belonging to the Supreme Being, to conceive of him that he is Omnipotent. And it is very reasonable for us to believe, that our finite Understandings cannot comprehend the utmost extent of Omnipotence. And though the making of fomething out of nothing doth argue an inconceivable Power,yet there is no contradiction in it. And if fuch things must be denied which our Reason cannot comprehend, we must then deny that any thing can be Self-exiftent; which yet is and must be supposed, on both fides; It being altogether as difficult for us to conceive, how any thing should be of it felf, as how any thing should be made of nothing, So that this difficulty is not fufficient to overthrow this Opinion, and withal it doth extend equally to both fides. So then if it do appear, that betwixt these two Opinions the leaft and feweft Difficulties do lie on that fide which hath the plainest and strongest Proofs: There is no question to be made, which way every impartial Man will determine his Opinion. I do not pretend that thefe Arguments are Demonftrations, of which the Nature of this thing is not capable: But they are fuch ftrong Probabilities, as ought to prevail with all thofe, who are not able to produce greater Probabilities to the contrary. As for that other Opinion, concerning Epicurus his Atoms, it is fo extravagant and irrational, and hath been fo abundantly confuted by others, that I cannot think it expedient to spend any time in the discussing of it. CHA P. CHAP. VI. III. Arg. From the admirable Contri- 3. FR ROM that excellent Contrivance which there is in all natural Things: Both with respect to that Elegance and Beauty which they have in themselves feparately confidered, and that regular Order and Subferviency wherein they ftand towards one another; together with the exact fitness and propriety, for the feveral purposes for which they are defigned. From all which it may be inferred, that thefe are the Productions of fome Wife Agent. The most fagacious Man is not able to find out any blot or error in this great Volume of the World, as if any thing in it had been an imperfect Effay at the firft, fuch as afterwards stood in need of mending: But all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation. lib. 2. Tully doth frequently infift upon this, as De divithe most natural refult from that beauty and natione, regularity to be observed in the Universe. Effe praftantem aliquam,æternamq; naturam &eam fufpiciendam adorandamq; hominum generi, pulchritudo mundi ordoq; rerum cœ F 3 leftium leftium cogit confiteri. "The great Elegance "and order of things in the World, is abun"dantly enough to evince the Neceffity of "fuch an eternal and excellent Being, to "whom we owe Adoration. And in another place, quid poteft effe tam apertum, tamDe Natur. que perfpicuum, cum cælum fufpeximus, cœDeor. lib. leftiaque contemplati fumus, quàm aliquod effe Numen praftantiffima mentis, quo bac regantur, "What can be more obvious "than to infer a fupreme Deity, from that "order and government we may behold amongst the heavenly Bodies? 66 The feveral viciffitudes of Night and Day, Winter and Summer, the production of Minerals, the growth of Plants, the generation of Animals according to their several Species; with the Law of Natural Inftinct, whereby every thing is inclined and enabled for its own preservation: The gathering of the Inhabitants of the Earth into Nations, under diftinct Policies and Governments; thofe Advantages which each of them have of mutual Commerce, for fupplying the Wants of each other, are so many distinct Arguments to the fame purpose. I cannot here omit the Obfervations which have been made in these latter Times, fince we have had the Ufe and Improvement of the Microscope, concerning that great difference which by the help of that doth appear betwixt natural and artificial Things. What |