Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/80

38 with me a while on the wide Theatre of this Outward World, and diligently to attend to those many and most manifest marks and signs that I shall point him to in this outward frame of things, that naturally signifie unto us That there is a God.

And now, first, to begin with what is most general, I say that the Phænomena of Day and Night, Winter and Summer, Spring-time and Harvest, that the manner of rising and setting of the Sun, Moon and Stars, that all these are signs and tokens unto us that there is a God, that is, that things are so framed, that they naturally imply a Principle of Wisdome and Counsel in the Author of them. And if there be such an Author of external Nature, there is a God.

2. But here it will be reply'd, that mere Motion of the Universal Matter will at last necessarily grinde it self into those more rude and general Delineations of Nature that are observed in the Circuits of the Sun, Moon and Stars and the general consequences of them. But is the Mind of man grow so bold as to conceit any such thing, let him examine his Faculties what they naturally conceive of the Motion of Matter, And verily the great Master of this Mechanical Hypothesis does not suppose or admit of any Specificall difference in this Universal Matter, out of which this outward frame of the World should arise. Neither do I think that any man else will easily imagine but that all the Matter of the World is of one kind for its very Substance or Essence.

Now therefore I demand concerning this universal uniform Matter, whether naturally Motion or Rest belongs unto it. If Motion, it being acknowledg'd uniform, it must be alike moved in every part or particle imaginable of it. For this Motion being naturall and essentiall to the Matter, is alike every where in it, and therefore has loosened every Atome of it to the utmost capacity; so that every particle is alike, and moved alike. And therefore there being no prevalency at all in any one Atome above another in bignesse or Motion, it is manifest that this universall Matter, to whom Motion is so essentiall and intrinsecall, will be ineffectuall for the producing of any variety of appearances in Nature, and so no Suns, nor Stars, nor Earths, nor Vortices can ever arise out of this infinitely-thin and still Matter, which must thus eternally remain unperceptible to any of our Senses, were our Senses ten thousand millions of times more subtile then they are: Indeed there could not be any such thing as either Man or Sense in the world. But we see this Matter shews it self to us in abundance of varieties of appearance; therefore there must be another Principle besides the Matter, to order the Motion of it so as may make these varieties to appear: And what will that prove but a God?

3. But if you'l say that Motion is not of the nature of Matter (as indeed it is very hard to conceive it, the Matter supposed homogeneal) but that it is inert and stupid of it self; then it must be moved from some other, and thus of necessity we shall be cast upon a God, or at least a Spiritual Substance actuating the Matter; which the Atheists are as much afraid of, as children are of Spirits, or themselves of a God.

4. But men that are much degenerate know not the natural Emanations of their own Minds, but think of all things confusedly, and