290 The foul necejfarily livings

pear to us men, easier to preserve a thing inthe same state, and with the same qualities,be they what they will, than by an uninter-rupted application of power, to effect an in-desinent change of state and properties in it.What is it but an arbitrary and unsupportedassertion, when the Sceptic affirms that thspresent constitution of body is the only onethat could be; the only one which an infi-nitely wife Cause could contrive, or an infi*nitely powerful one execute ? He hath n°knowledge of this part of nature, beyond sfew observations of matters of fact, gleanedup from the constitution that now obtains-Nor can he retort this argument, by fayingwe cannot shew that infinite Power canthis. Let him consider that it is an easything to argue on the side of infinite Powersand how unwisely he takes the other side ofthe question; and defends the living powersof dead matter. As hath been observed be-fore, the present constitution of our bodiesseems both more operofe and costly > in refpe#of pains and of materials, as designed t°strew us the pgrfections of the Author of st*Now if the present œconomy were anti-quated and laid aside, and another law ob*