inaEUvity of Matter, &c. 173

long on one side of the fulcrum , or pointsupporting ; and scarce half a foot on the

other :

telligent Beings are to be instructed by the works of aninfinite Architect), and as absolutely necesiary, if wewould act rationally, as it is to ascribe what we formallyconceive to art and power- Would we know all the artand power of an omnipotent Creator ; or allow no powerand art beyond what we know ? Let any one answer thisat his leisure. We are but in our first stage of existence ;a fund of instruction is undoubtedly reserved for us tillhereafter. What else were philosophy worth, if not totrain us up in the knowledge of this Cause^ but to gra-tify an unmeaning curiosity, or be a mere pastime, orto make us despise others ? There cannot be proposedanother consistent end of it. Would we pursue theknowledge of mechanical causes in nature to help us toadmire the skill and art of chance , or the wisdom of ne-cessity ? I with men would think on this plain, shortquestion.

But to return, any one will fee that my design, orthe particular argument here, doth not lead me to espouseany hypothesis; but to strew in general that motive pow-er cannot be lodged in matter; nor therefore that thedirection of the force, nor the contrivance and designcan be imputed to it, or to any surd cause. The truemechanical solution of any phænomenon, whenever it isgiven, or by whomsoever it is discovered, will alwaysconfirm this. I have no occasion therefore to thrust my-self into the controversies of philosophers that are out ofWy road, unless they oppose this conclusion j in which*?se some better hand will certainly appear in such a cause.

In