Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/177

 and Stockins, and Pyes and Peels and Ovens, have been together with all Eternity: whenas it is manifest there ought to be an orderly intervall of time before these things can be, wherein must precede the killing of Oxen and flaying of them, as also of Sheep, tanning, spinning, cutting, and many more such like circumstances. So that it is enormously ridiculous to say that Mankind might have been at once from all Eternity, unless the Omnipotency of a God, who can doe whatever we can imagine and more, should by his unresistible Fiat cause such a thing in a moment so soon as himself was, which was ever, and he was never to seek for either power or skill.

But that the fluid and blind matter of it self should have been thus raised up from all Eternity into such compleat Species of things, is very groundless and irrational. I say, that there ever should be such a thing as this in the world, a man at once existing of himself in this corporeal frame that we see, who notwithstanding did afterwards dye like other mortals, is a Fable above all Poetical Figments whatsoever, and more incredible then the fondest Legend that any Religion ever offered to the Atheists belief.

7. Others therefore deserting this way of Evasion betake themselves to another, which, though it seem more plausible at first view, is fully as frivolous. They say, "That all the Species of things, Man himself not excepted, came first out of the Earth by the omnifarious attempt of the particles of the Matter upon one another, which at last light on so lucky a construction and fabrick of the Bodies of Creatures as we see; and that having an infinite series of time to try all tricks in, they would of necessity at last come to this they are.

But I answer, that these particles might commit infinite Tautologies in their strokes and motions, and that therefore there was no such necessity at all of falling into those forms and shapes that appear in the world.

Again, there is that excellent contrivance in the Body, suppose, of a Man, as I have heretofore instanced, that it cannot but be the effect of very accurate Knowledge and Counsel.

And lastly, this concourse of Atoms, they being left without a guide, it is a miracle above all apprehension, that they should produce no inept Species of things, such as should of their own nature have but three Legs, and one Eye, or but one Eare, rows of Teeth along the Vertebræ of their Backs, and the like, as I have above intimated; these Ineptitudes being more easie to hit upon then such accurate and irreprehensible frames of Creatures.

8. But to elude the force of this Argument against the fortuitous concourse of Atoms, they'l excogitate this mad evasion; "That Nature did indeed at first bring forth such ill-favoured and ill-appointed Monsters, as well as those that are of a more exquisite frame; but those that were more perfect fell upon those other and kill'd them and devoured them, they being not so well provided of either limbs or senses as the other, and so were never able to hop fast enough from them, or maturely to discover the approaching dangers that ever & anon were coming upon them. But this unjust and audacious calumny