fo many Climates and Soils there might at leaft one Tree have been found capable of exerting all that Fruitfulness to which its natural Structure had difpofed it. But this not being fo, any where, it must be owned, that the thing itself fhews, that those who deduce it from the Curfe of an angry GOD, as his Holy Word has taught us, do furnifh us with an Argument that gives the greatest Light to that which is, and would otherwife remain obfcure to every Body, tho' it should not be allowed to be true. However, that which can be by no means denied, is, that that Sentence which was pronounced in the beginning of the World, has been hitherto undeniably and inceffantly executed; and that fo illuftrious a Man, who had fo much Honour to lose, as the Writer of the Holy Scriptures, muft have had more than a humane Certainty of what was afterwards to happen in Nature, who durft, with fo much Affurance, foretell a thing that was likely to be oppofed by all Men of Judgment and Understanding, from the beginning of the World to this time: For 'tis beyond all doubt, that fo long as the World has lafted, every Man that has concerned himself in the leaft in the Business of Agriculture, has exerted his utmoft Diligence to find out Methods to increase the Fertility of all ufeful Plants, and to diminifh the fame in the hurtful ones. SECT. XXXV of Sea-Plants. Now it feems proper that fomething should be faid here about the Plants that grow at the Bottom of the Sea, of which they that would fee a brief Account, may find it in the Transactions of the French Academy for the Year 1700. where it I will will appear like fo many Wonders, to fee them fpringing out of fomething that has no resemblance of Roots, and in Places entirely unfruitful; forafmuch as being formed of a smooth, flat, roundifh Body, with Parts like Leaves, without any Appearance of Fibrous Roots, they adhere to Rocks, Stones and Shells, and other hard Bodies, thro' which there does not feem the leaft Sap to be conveyed for their Nourishment, Mr. Tournefort reckons up four feveral Kinds of this Sort of Plants in the abovemention'd Piace. Now that which is to our purpose in this Matter, is, that in order to convince those that deny the Divine Perfections, that Plants are neither produced by Chance, nor by any ignorant neceffary Caufes, the Great Creator thereof has been pleased to fhew hereby; Firft, That whereas all other Plants feem abfolutely to require to live in Air, his unlimited Power, which only operates according to the Council of his own good Pleasure, will not be bound by fuch Laws; caufing for that very End certain Plants to grow and live in the deepest Bottom of the Sea, where all others would certainly die. And, Secondly, to fhew, that mere Chance can have no place here, he has furnished them with all the Inftruments that are requifite for the Growth, Production, and farther Structure of a determinate Sea-Plant. The fame Proof has been likewife ufed above in the Comparison between Fishes and other Animals that live in the Air; and it appears from both, that this Wisdom is not confined either to Number, forafmuch as the Fifhes and Sea-Plants are innumerable; nor to Kind, fince there is fo great a variety of both; but that it does all things for its own Glory, and in Conformity to its own Pleasure. SECT. SECT. XXXVI. Convictions from all that has been faid above. Now to draw a Conclufion from all this, and to see what those Mathematicians, who ftand in the first Rank among the Enquirers into Nature, have thought upon thefe Matters, we cannot do better than to quote the Expreffions of Mr. Huigens in his Cofmotheoros, p. 18, and 19. No Body, I think, will deny that there is fomething greater and more wonderful in the Structure, Life, Manner of Growth, and Production of Plants and Animals, than of lifeless and infenfible Bodies; tho' thefe latter may be more remarkable for their Magnitude, fuch as Mountains, Rocks, Seas, and the like. Moreover, in both those kinds of Animate things, the Glory of the Divine Providence and Wifdom appears much more differently and eminently. For tho' a Difciple of Democritus, or of Cartefius, fhould perhaps fay, that in order to fhew how every thing that we fee both in Heaven and Earth has acquired its Existence, nothing more is necessary than Atoms or little Particles of Matter and Motion; yet he will in vain endeavour to apply the fame to Plants and Animals, nor be able to bring any thing probable from their firft Exiftence and Structure: Since it appears but too plainly, that fuch things can never proceed from a fimple and accidental Motion of Bodies, forafmuch as all things are found therein to be adapted to certain Ends and Purpofes, with the utmost Forefight and penetrating Knowledge of the Laws of Nature and Mathematicks; to fay nothing of the Wonders of their Production. I thought this Paffage, of which kind I could have produced many more from great and good Philofophers, very proper in this Place; First, Because an unhappy Atheift might learn from hence how vain that Expectation is wherewith many many of 'em are wont to flatter themselves, namely, that Men of the greateft Judgment have entertained the fame Sentiments with them: Since we here meet with fo famous a Naturalift, and one fo highly efteemed by the learned World, with whom few of thefe Infidels can have the Confidence to compare themselves, speaking after a manner entirely different from their ill grounded Opinions of the Divine Wifdom and Providence. Secondly, Becaufe what we have just now quoted Thews, with how much reafon Atheism ought to be fufpected by itself of Error and Falfity, fince we fee fuch great Mathematicians openly acknowledging that which an Infidel muft deny, if he would quiet his own Mind. Thirdly, Every one that has read this Book of Mr. Huigens, muft likewife own, that he does therein make a very careful Difference between what can be proved True, and that which is Uncertain, and can only pass for mere Conjecture: Since this great Mathematician exprefly declares, that he would not have feveral of the Opinions which he there proposes, to be received for more than Gueffes and Uncertainties. Now let an Atheift examine himself, whether he can by far alledge fo much Probability for his Sentiments, as is to be found in these Conjectures, and let him compare the one with the other. This worthy Author (that we may carry the Comparison yet farther) lays down in his Cofmotheoros fome fettled Mathematical Truths, and which Experience has render'd certain; and fhews how his Conjectures may be made to agree therewith: Now what has an Atheift ever done like this, who never could advance any other than his own fimple Notions for a Foundation to his Sentiments? |