Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/362

 182 bear all sort of Liberty which has a Tendency to the contrary. And by holding to this Conduct, I shall be Happy of Course; As that Burgher must needs be who is always plodding for the Benefit of his Corporation, and perfectly satisfied with that Interest and Station the Government shall assign him.

VII. Whatever lies within the Compass of the Universe, must of necessity Corrupt and Decay ; By Corruption I mean only Alteration. Now if this be an Evil, 'tis a necessary one; by consequence the Whole of Nature must be in a bad Condition, by having the parts so slenderly put together, and so very much dispos'd to Moulder, and drop in peices. And if the Case stands thus, Nature must either design unkindness to her self, by making the Parts of her own Body subject to an unavoidable Misfortune, or else she hudled up Things in the Dark, without foreseeing what would become of them. But both these suppositions are highly improbable. Now if any Man has a mind to leave Nature, or the First Cause, out of the Scheme, and affirm that Things follow the Make, and Tendency of their Constitution; He that affirms this, does but expose himself, by granting in the first place, that the Parts of the Universe are made for Alteration. Rh