Chap. z. PHILOSOPHY. 181

be true in fact, as it really is, the imputation must returnupon the asserter, that this does detract from the divinewisdom. Certainly we cannot pretend to know all theomniscient Creator’s purposes in making this world, andtherefore cannot undertake to determine how long he de-signed it should last. And it is sufficient, is it endurethe time intended by the author. The body of every ani-mal shews the unlimited wisdom of its author no less, nayin many respects more, than the larger frame of nature ;and yet we fee, they are all designed to last but a smallspace of time.

1 1 . There need nothing more be said of the primary pla-nets ; die motions of the secondary shall be next considered,

Chap. III.

Of the motion of the MOON and the otherSECONDARY PLANETS.

T HE excellency os this philosophy sufficiently appearsfrom its extending in the manner, which has been re-lated, to the minutest circumstances of the primary planetsmotions; which nevertheless bears no proportion to the vastsuccess of it in the motions of the secondary ; for it not onlyaccounts for all the irregularities, by which their motions wereknown to be disturbed, but has discovered others so complicat-ed, that astronomers were never able to distinguish them, andreduce them under proper heads; but these were only to be

sound