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the procreated body, than we can refer the internal conformation of an acorn to the intelligence of the oak from which it dropped, or the structure of the watch to the intelligence of the watch which produced it; there being no difference, as far as argument is concerned between an intelligence which is not exerted, and an intelligence which does not exist.

CHAP.

CHAPTER V.

APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT CONTINUED.

EVERY obfervation which was made, in our first chapter, concerning the watch, may be repeated with strict propriety concerning the eye; concerning animals; concerning plants; concerning, indeed, all the organized parts of the works of nature.

As,

I. When we are enquiring fimply after the existence of an intelligent Creator, imperfection, inaccuracy, liability to diforder, occafional irregularities, may fubfift, in a confiderable degree, without inducing any doubt into the queftion: just as a watch may frequently go wrong, feldom perhaps exactly right, may be faulty in fome parts, defective in fome, without the smallest ground of fufpicion from thence arifing, that it was not a watch; not made; or not made for the purpose ascribed to it. When faults are pointed out, and when a question is started concerning the skill of the artift, or the dexterity with which the work is

executed,

executed, then indeed, in order to defend these qualities from accufation, we must be able, either to expose some intractableness and imperfection in the materials, or point out fome invincible difficulty in the execution, into which imperfection and difficulty the matter of complaint may be resolved; or, if we cannot do this, we must adduce such specimens of confummate art and contrivance proceeding from the fame hand, as may convince the enquirer, of the existence, in the cafe before him, of impediments like thofe which we have mentioned, although, what from the nature of the cafe is very likely to happen, they be unknown and unperceived by him. This we muft do in order to vindicate the artift's skill, or, at least, the perfection of it: as we must alfo judge of his intention, and of the provifions employed in fulfilling that intention; not from an inftance in which they fail, but from the great plurality of instances in which they fucceed. But, after all, these are different queftions from the question of the artist's exiftence; or, which is the fame, whether the thing before us be a work of art or not: and the questions ought always to be kept separate in the mind. So likewife it is in the works of

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nature.

nature. Irregularities and imperfections are of little or no weight in the confideration, when that confideration relates fimply to the existence of a Creator. When the argument respects his attributes, they are of weight; but are then to be taken in conjunction (the attention is not to reft upon them, but they are to be taken in conjunction) with the unexceptionable evidences which we poffefs, of fkill, power, and benevolence, difplayed in other inftances; which evidences may, in ftrength, number, and variety be fuch, and may fo overpower apparent blemishes, as to induce us, upon the most reasonable ground, to believe, that these last ought to be referred to fome caufe, though we be ignorant of it, other than defect of knowledge or of benevolence in the author.

II. There may be alfo parts of plants and animals, as there were fuppofed to be of the watch, of which, in fome inftances, the operation, in others, the ufe is unknown. These form different cafes; for the operation may be unknown, yet the ufe be certain. Thus it is with the lungs of animals. It does not, I think, appear, that we are acquainted with the action of the air upon the blood, or in what manner that action is communicated by the

lungs;

lungs; yet we find that a very short suspension of their office destroys the life of the animal. In this cafe, therefore, we may be said to know the ufe, nay we experience the neceffity, of the organ, though we be ignorant of its operation. Nearly the fame thing may be observed of what is called the lymphatic fyftem. We fuffer grievous inconveniences from its diforder, without being informed of the office which it fuftains in the economy of our bodies. There may poffibly also be some few examples of the fecond clafs, in which not only the operation is unknown, but in which experiments may feem to prove that the part is not neceffary; or may leave a doubt, how far it is even useful to the plant or animal in which it is found. This is faid to be the cafe with the spleen; which has been extracted from dogs, without any fenfible injury to their vital functions. Inftances of the former kind, namely, in which we cannot explain the operation, may be numerous; for they will be fo in proportion to our ignorance. They will be more or fewer to different perfons, and in different stages of fcience. Every improvement of knowledge diminishes their number. There

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