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 ' ' ' ' " ' III ^i— 1^. p p , I 
 
 ENQUIRY 
 
 INTO THE 
 
 Caufe and Origin 
 
 O F 
 
 V 
 
 In which the Principal Phenomena of Nature 
 are explained according to the true Principles 
 of Philofophy •, more particularly in Anfwer 
 to Mr. Bayle and other Defenders of the anti- 
 ent MaiikhAan Scheme of two independent 
 Principles. 
 
 Being the Subftance of Eight S e r. m o n s 
 Preached at the Parifh-Church of St. Mary le 
 Bow J in the Year 1 7 1 9, at the Ledure founded 
 by the Honourable P.0iS£RrJ50rL£, Efqj 
 
 By JOHN'CLJRKE. D. D. 
 
 Chnplain in Ordinary to His Majefty. 
 
 Ifaiah xlv. 7. / for?n the Light ^ avd create Dark- 
 7iefs : T make Fcace^ and create Evil: I the Lord 
 4o all thefe thhigs. 
 
 Londo?!^ Printed for James Kmapton, at 
 \.\\Q Crown in St FaiiVs Church- Yard. 172c. 
 
X. Aug. Jbt CoJ*: JttL ^ M.i-i CaL Zt 
 
TO THE 
 
 Right Honourable 
 
 I C H A R D. 
 
 Earl of Burlington: 
 
 The Right Reverend Fathers in God, 
 
 Charles, Jiord Bt/hop of Koiwich, 
 Edmund. Lprd Bt/hop of Lincoln^ 
 Samuel, Lprd B^jhop of Carlile^ 
 
 And 
 White, Lord Bifiop of Peterborough, 
 
 TKXJS TEES 
 
 Appointed by the Moft Reverend Father in 
 God, Thomas, late Lorcl Archbifhop of 
 Canterkiiy^ the laft furviying Truftee 
 Named 
 
 By The Homo a p. able 
 
 Robert Boyle, Efq; 
 
 This Difcourfe is moft 
 humbly dedicatee], 
 
THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 H E Foundation 
 of all Religion 
 both Natural and 
 
 I Revealed^ being 
 
 laid in ibefe two Things^ that 
 God is^ and that He is the 
 Rewarder of them that di]i- 
 gently leek him ; it becomes 
 every One who has any Regard 
 for his prefent and future tiaf- 
 finefs^ to endeavour after the 
 clearefl Evidence^ and highefl 
 ConviBion pojjible^ offuchfub" 
 A 5 flantial 
 
The Preface. 
 jlantial^ and important Truths ^ 
 Noip there are only tivo Ways 
 by which we can he fatisjied in 
 fhefe Particulars-^ And they are^ 
 either an Examination of the 
 Works of the Creation^ or elfe 
 an extraordinary Manifejlation 
 of the Will of God from Hea- 
 ven. By the former of thefe^ 
 we come to the Knowledge 
 of the Exiflence and Wifdom 
 and Goodnefs of That Being 
 who is the Caufe offuch won- 
 derful and furpri^ing Effe&s ; 
 and by the latter we are affured 
 of the final Juflice and Equity 
 of all his Difpenfations and 
 Proceedings towards his Crea^ 
 tures. It is the frH of thefe 
 only^ that the followitig Dif 
 
 courfe 
 
The Preface.' 
 
 courfe relates to; viz. to 'vindi- 
 cate the Works of the Creation 
 in thofe Particulars^ which 
 have been thought beneath the 
 Skill of an infinitely wife 
 and good Being. Though A- 
 theijiical Men have not been 
 able to (how wherein Such Ar- 
 guments are defe&ive^ as have 
 been urged to 'prove from a 
 NecefJityofNature^ that an in- 
 finitely Wife and Good Being 
 mufl exifl ; yet they have imagi- 
 ned from the ohfervation ofFaBs^ 
 that the contrary may be made 
 appear y in that there are fome 
 Parts of the Creation which 
 are fo irregular and imperfeUy 
 as not to he reconcile able with 
 the Notion we have of fo per- 
 A 4 feet 
 
The Preface. 
 
 fe^ and excellent a Caufe ; and 
 confequently that thefe two 
 thingrare inconjijient with each 
 other, I have endeavoured to 
 make appear the Weaknefs and 
 Folly of Thefe Men ; by 
 jloowing that the principal In- 
 fames alleged by them^ prove 
 the direB contrary to what they 
 are alleged for ; and that it is 
 wholly owing to their Ignorance 
 of the Ends and Ufes of thofe 
 Things^ that they have raifed 
 fnch Objections again^ them. 
 For upon the mofl exact Inqui- 
 Yj^ according to the niceH Oh. 
 fervation^ and flrictejl Rules of 
 Reafoning ; every Particular^ 
 which we have any Means of 
 knowing the Circumjlances of is 
 
 demonUra-' 
 
The Prefnce, 
 
 demonjlrahly made the mofi 
 ufefitl and ferviceahle ^ that the 
 Nature of the Thing is capable 
 of'^ And we ought by Parity of 
 Keafon to conclude the fame of 
 thofe Things^ ivhich we have 
 not had Offortunity or Meam 
 of coming to fo thorough a 
 Knowledge of The farther we 
 carry our Improvement^ the 
 more univerfal does this Argu- 
 gument appear ^ till at lati it 
 muji coincide with the other 
 Method of Arguing from the 
 necejfary Perfections and At^ 
 tributes of the Deity ; fo that 
 they mutually ^rengthen and 
 confirm each other. Thefe are 
 fufficient to convince any fin-^ 
 cere and unprejudiced Verfon^fo 
 
 far 
 
The Pfefacd 
 
 far ay Religion and Vertue is 
 concerned'^ Bntagainji Obflind^ 
 cy and Vice^ there is no Reme^ 
 dy of this Kind. 
 
 The 
 
•f«{r$$««'^'«$^{r$«{r^'{:«{:4^$«4''{:«^V¥v^ 
 
 THE 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 HE Ivtroduction coicervhig the 
 prefevt State of Tbivgs. Page i 
 The ISJ'tiovs which the aiitievt Hea- 
 then Phibjophers had oj the Coji' 
 W_^^^^ Jlitvticn of the World 7 
 
 The Notion which the avtient Magians had of 
 two independent Principles^ the One the Catije 
 of all Good, and the Other the Caife of all 
 Evil. 1 5 
 
 The Notion of the Manichsans, concernijig 
 two 01 iginal PriJiciples. 1 6 
 
 The modern Notion of Mr. Bayle. 18 
 
 The natural hffects of thefe Notions conjidered. 
 
 24 
 The Dignity and l^eight of this Subject. 27 
 
 y^hat Kiridof Aigwnents are to be expected up- 
 on fuch a Subject. 3 l 
 
 The 
 
The CONTENTS. 
 
 The IVeahieJs of the Epicurean Argmnenii 
 
 flmrvn. 9 9 
 
 7he Jfeahwfs of the modern Ohjectiovs Jlwwn, 
 
 The JV'eakmfs of the Hypothejis of two original 
 Principles of Good and Evil. 5 1 
 
 The Jbjitrdity of two Original indepejtdent Princi" 
 pies, made appear. 55 
 
 The Ideas of two fuch Principles, contradictory 
 to e.ich other. 58 
 
 The Difficiilty of judging of the Goodnefs of the 
 
 , Syjlem of the World. ^o 
 
 The true Method of judging of the Goodnefs of 
 fuch aSyflem. 66 
 
 The true Notion of Evil, fated. 70 
 
 ' Cojicerning the Evil of Imperfettion. 74 
 
 Tfhereiri the Evil of hipcrfection confijls. 85 
 
 The Imperfection of the material Part of the 
 Creation iri 'iiensral, confdered. 87 
 
 The Imperfection of the particular ^lalities of 
 Matter. 89 
 
 The Imperfection of thofe Lav>s of Motion which 
 Matter isfiihject to. 90 
 
 The PhAnomena of the material World in general 
 accounted for. 9 1 
 
 The Phdimmena of the planetary Syjlem in particu- 
 lar^ accounted for. 94 
 
 ThePhdnojnena of ihe Earth s Motioji accounted 
 
 The Ph&nomenct of the Planets Motiojis accounted 
 
 fi^'- 97 
 
 The whole Syfievi confdered by the fame Rules. 
 
 102 
 Th^ 
 
The CONTENTS. 
 
 The particular Law examined^ by which the Pla- 
 
 7ietary Syjlem is governed. ic8 
 
 All the Evili that arife from heitce^^JIwwv toheoji- 
 
 ly 7mtmalI?nperfeBio7is. 1 20 
 
 jyheiice the Irregidarities of any Fart of this 
 
 S)J}em proceed. 127 
 
 Theje L regularities Jlmwn to he the Hffect of foms 
 
 paiticidar Lawsnf Motio7i. 129 
 
 Thefe Irregularities caji 710 Reflection on the Good 
 
 of the If hole. 134 
 
 Oh]ettio7is concerving the Earth a7tfwend. 139 
 With Regard to the i7hviimate Part of it. ibid 
 Jfith Regard to the aim?iate Part of it. 1 4 1 
 
 The origiiml Co7iliitution oj Things iiponthe Earth 
 
 explained. 14^ 
 
 Thepai ticjdar Larps they arefubje^ to. 1 50 
 
 The pri7icipal E7tds and Ufes which thefe Lawn 
 
 ferve for^ fpecifyed. 156 
 
 Thefe aford particular Anfwersto the forementi" 
 
 oned OhjeBions. 158 
 
 The Objection concerning the unequal Divifon of 
 
 Land a7jd Ifater, anfwered. 160 
 
 The Objection concer7ii7ig the IneqHaliiy of the 
 
 Earths Surface, anfwered. 166 
 
 The Obje8ion concerning Heaths a7td Deferts &c. 
 
 anfwered. 171 
 
 Ohjectio7i5 relating to the Air, co7ifidered. 174 
 The Nature of Air, and the Laws which it is 
 
 fiihject to, explained. 180 
 
 The particular Ufes of this Elc?nent fl)own. 183 
 The natural Effect of its being fiibject to the 
 
 for eme^ttioned Laws > 188 
 
 T7;s 
 
The CONTENTS. 
 
 The Ohjectmn concervivg Storms ajtd Earthquakes 
 &c. afiftpered. 190 
 
 The Objection cortcermug Plapies and Famhies 
 aJifwered. 1 98 
 
 OheBions agahtft the Produce of the Eaith, con- 
 .jideied. 202 
 
 • The general Amplication of the foregoing Part'icu^ 
 lars. 207 
 
 y The true Ground and Occafon of all the f>rejnen- 
 cjied Obje&ions^ enquired into. 228 
 
 OhjeUions agairjl the anijnal tart of the Creati- 
 on confidered. 2 ;? 3 
 y Ifljence it is that Mm mid ther Animals are 
 fubjectto Peath. 242 
 Whence it is that they are liable to fo many Dif- 
 eafes. 248 
 Whejice Monjlers and deformed Creatures proceed. 
 
 «r . . - . ^^^ 
 
 ft hence*it is that they are liable to Pain, Difeafet 
 
 &c. ^ 254 
 
 Tlje State of anijnal Creatures with Refpect to 
 
 each other confidered, with the Objections 
 
 agaivji it. 264 
 
 If hat Right Man has over inferiour Creatures, 
 
 conjidered. <i66 
 
 The FleJI) nffome Animals is in itfelf proper Food 
 
 fo Others. 270 
 
 The Right which Man has over ijiferiour Jni- 
 
 vials, extends not to any Abufe.'^ 272 
 
 Such Creatures were originally made fubject to 
 
 Death. l-ji 
 
 'Tis the Circumjiances of Death ^ that aggravates 
 
 the Evil of it. 282 
 
The CONTENTS. 
 
 Tlje State of fuch Anlmah is upon the If^hole 
 
 bettered, by behtg Food for Men. 284 
 
 T))e State of fuch Ammals, at the worji^ better 
 
 than that nfmany other Creatures, 286 
 
 By Animals living upon one another^ there is the 
 
 more Good upon the Whole. 289 
 
 The permitting fuch Creatures to increafe, wouli 
 
 he of veryill Cojifeqiience. 292 
 
 The general Application of the Whole, 2 9 J 
 
 ?4 
 
 "Page 
 
 15 
 
 23 
 
 90 
 
 3^ 
 
 117 
 
 17? 
 179 
 
 249 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Line Real 
 
 — II C^.xlv.vffr. 5,tf. 
 
 — 17 him 
 
 — 10 things 
 
 in the Margin.- -Duties 
 
 — 29 ; — Plants 
 
 — 3 in theMargin. propius 
 
 — 4 ' dele^ of 
 — • I naturally 
 
 — J — the feyeral 
 
^fiif^feJ^4i^2^fe^tt^ai^t%«^siSiay^8^8^e^fi^ 
 
 Advertifement. 
 
 THE Truth of the Chriftlan Reli- 
 gion. In Six Books, by Hugo 
 Grot'ms, Correded and illuftrated with 
 Notes, by Mr. Le Clerc, To which is 
 added a Seventh Book concerning this 
 Queftion, PVhat Chrljlian Church we ought 
 to join our felves to •, by the faid Mr. Le 
 Clerc. The Second Edition^ with Additi- 
 cfis. Done into EngliJJj by Joh?i Clarke^ 
 D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His 
 
 Vrintedfor James Knapton, at the Crown 
 in St Paul'j Cburch'Tard. 
 
 f ■^5»5^^5?^^v^^?''^5^K?^5^^f^ J?J5«^?^^ 
 
[I] 
 
 AN 
 
 ENQUIRY 
 
 INTO THE 
 
 CAUSE and ORIGIN 
 
 OF * 
 
 EVIL. 
 
 HAT is the * Caufe 
 and Original of E^il 
 is a very important and 
 very ancient Qiieftion; 
 Every Man's own Experience of 
 what befals himfelf in this prefent 
 State, and a fmall Obfervation of 
 the Condition of others, fuffici- 
 cntly teaches him how imperfed 
 B T'htms 
 
 
 ^m>\ 
 
 
 Kv 
 
 1 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 The Jrr 
 trodiidhn 
 coiicei n- 
 hig the 
 prejcttt 
 State of 
 TJjhiga. 
 * T» 0j3 
 
 Kctyj. M^X. 
 Tyiim Dtf- 
 fcrt. 25. 
 
An Enquiry into the 
 
 things are, and what Diforder 
 and Confufon they are liable to. 
 The natural Faculties and Powers 
 of Men, either with regard to 
 their Minds or their Bodies, are 
 at befl; very weak and infirm. Their 
 Underfbndirigs aie capable .of 
 comprehending but a few Truths, 
 their judgment is very unfettled, 
 and their Pradlice confequent there- 
 upon irregular and uncertain. And 
 fvith refped: tcv, their Bodies, the 
 Materials of which they are com- 
 pofed, the Manner in which they 
 are framed, and the Laws they 
 are fubjed: to^ render them very 
 frail and brittle, but of a few Years 
 Duration at longeft, and fubjed: to 
 Diffolution much fooner. And 
 the fame may be affirmed of the 
 Things without us, the whole ma" 
 terial World. The prefent Confti- 
 tution of it IS fuch as makes it lia- 
 ble to perpetual Changes and Alte- 
 rations, 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 3 
 
 iations, which caufe great D//- 
 wder and Irregularity. This is 
 what we obferve in the Things 
 themfelves confidered fingly : But 
 if we apply them to each other, 
 and fee their mutual Influences and 
 EfFeds , the JDiforder will appear 
 ftill the greater. From the find: 
 Union of Soul and Body, the fpi- 
 ritual and rational Part, with the 
 material and fenfitive, arifes that 
 Difcord defcribed by St. Pauly 
 Rom. 71 23, But I fee (or I ex- 
 perience ) another Lazo in my 
 JVlembers warring againfi the 
 haw of my Mmd, and bringing 
 me into Captivity to the Law of 
 Sin which is in my iVLemhers, 
 Thus the Dictates of Reafon and 
 Confcience draw Men one way, 
 and the Suggeftions of Senfe and 
 Paffion entice them another. From 
 the various external Objeds which 
 the World affords^ all which are 
 B 2 ac- 
 
An Enquiry into tbd 
 
 accommodated to the Bodily Sert- 
 fes^ and make iuch deep Imprcfli* 
 ons on the Mind, and often inter- 
 fere v/ith what calm and impartial 
 Reafon direds ; a rile alfo many 
 Negleifs and Ahufes. Thefe St. 
 John comprehends under the Lujl 
 of the Fie/hy and the Luft of the 
 Eyesi and the Pride ofLifcy zvhich 
 is all that is in the [Vorld^ i John 
 a. 1 6. To thefe we may aidd the 
 many ndtural Evils which Men 
 are fubjed to^ and which are en- 
 tirely out of their Power, fuch as 
 Sicknefsy Pain, and Deathy either 
 arifing from within themfelves, or 
 being eaufed from without by 
 Storms i by Pefitlencesy hj faijage 
 CreatureSy and the hke. And to 
 compleat the whole, we may take 
 in the moral E'Viis which proceed 
 from the Abufes of Men. Under 
 which are comprehended all Kinds 
 of Sin and Wickednefsy which is 
 
 elo- 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. $ 
 
 eloquently defcribed by the Pro- 
 phet Da'vid, and from him by 
 St. Panl^ Rom. 3. 10, 18. T'here 
 is none righteous, 720 not one 'y there 
 is none that underHandeth, there 
 is none that feeketh after Cod, they 
 are all gone out of the zvay, they 
 are together become unproftaMey 
 there is none that doeth good, no 
 not one ; their Throat is an open 
 {^epulchre^ zvith their Tongues they 
 have ifed Deceit, the Poifon of 
 Afps is under their Lips; zvhofe 
 Aiouth is full of Curfing and Bit- 
 ternefs, their Feet are fwift to fhed 
 Blood ; Deflrudion and Mtfery 
 are in their IVaySy and the Way 
 of Peace have they not knoivn^ 
 there is no Fear of God before their 
 Eyes. 
 
 Such a Kind of Survey as thisj^^^ '^'7- 
 of the Condition and Circumftan-j^^^j „j 
 ces of Things, hath led Men to cn-fvch Cov 
 quire into the Caufe and ^^^^^^JL^T- 
 
6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 of them : Which has produced dif- 
 ferent Effeds, according to their 
 refpeftive Inclinations or Views. 
 Upon Pious and fmcere Men have been 
 ^Feifoits. ^^^V J^iuch fhock'd and difturb-- 
 ed with fuch Obfervations, and 
 have been fometimes driven to 
 complain of the Difpenfations of 
 Providence. Thus Kin^ 'Da^vid 
 ftys, ffal 75.16. JVhen he thought 
 to know thisy tt was too painful for. 
 him. And thus the Prophet 7^/^^'- 
 my complains of God Almighty's 
 Dealings with Men, ch, 12. ij, i. 
 R'tghteom art thoHy O Lord^ ivhen 
 I plead with thee^ yet let me talk 
 with thee of thy Judgments : zuhere- 
 fore doth the Way of the Wkked 
 profper ? Wherefore are all they 
 ' happy that deat ^ery treacheroujly? 
 tjwz^jg'On the other hand, wicked and 
 Ftn^cm i^T^ligJo^^s Men have taken occafi- 
 on from hence abfolutely to deny 
 the Providence ot God, that he at 
 ' all 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 7 
 
 all created the World, and all 
 Things in it, at the beginning ; or 
 that he has fince had any Hand or 
 Share in the Government of itv^^^^P^' 
 This was the Notion of the Ept-^j)r^on. 
 fureans of old, as ap- 
 pears frcm the Ac- '*'■ Neqnaquam nobis dl- 
 
 count /.^mn^ nim- jsiaturam mmidi, qa-^ 
 jfelf gives of them : tanta eft pradita cul- 
 
 The Syfkm of the > ^^^v ,., 
 Ir/orld, lays he, could 
 not pojfMj he the Bfeii of a Di- 
 <uine Fpzver, h-caufe it is fo very 
 faulty. And the Inftance he gives 
 of its Faultinefs is e cceli rationthm, 
 from Aitronomy, or the Conjftitu- 
 tion of the Heavens; that the Jn- 
 clination of the Ecliptick to the 
 Equator 'is fuch, as renders the 
 areateft Part of the Earth uninha- 
 bitable both to Men and other 
 Creatures ; the Heat in the torrid, 
 and the Cold m the frigid Zones, 
 being fo exceffive great, that they 
 B 4 can- 
 
8 An Enquiry into the 
 
 cannot fubfift under it. This is 
 his principal Argument. To which 
 he adds the Ufelefnefs of a great 
 Part of the Earth to Mankind, by 
 reafon of the many Seas and Rocks 
 and barren Heaths, and the Diffi- 
 culty of the other Parts yielding 
 Fruit, without steat Labour in til- 
 hng and manuring it ; and after 
 all, its Liablenefs to have them de- 
 flroyed by Storms and Tempefts, 
 or by wild Beafts and Animals. In 
 a word, their Method of arguing 
 I {hall give you in 
 "^ Dr CitciwoYtVs intel- the Words of a learn" 
 
 ledual Syftem , p. 78. i Waiter thus *Thp 
 and LaUantim de Ira ^ Wnuer tnus. 1 ne 
 
 Z^^i, cap. 13. Uoptck of E'vils m 
 
 general is inJiJled up^ 
 on hy them (the Epicurean j^theijis) 
 after this manner, The fuppofed 
 Deity and Maker of the iVorld 
 zoos either willing to ahlifh all 
 E'Vtlsy but not able ; or he zvas able, 
 l?m not willing ; or thirdly, he zvas 
 
 neither 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 
 
 neither willing nor able; or elfiy 
 laftly, he was both able and wil- 
 ling ; Thu Utter ts the only thim 
 that anfiiers fully to the Notion 
 of a God. jSfozu that the fupjTofed 
 Creator of all things zvas not thus 
 both able and willing to aboltfh all 
 Evilsy is plainy becaufe then there 
 zvould have been no E'vils at all 
 left ; zvherefore fnce there is fuch a 
 Deluge of E'Vils overjlozuing all^ 
 it muft needs be that either he was 
 willing, and not able, to remove 
 theryiy and then he zvas impotent ; 
 or elfe he zvas able, and not wil- 
 ling, and then he zvas envious; or 
 Uflly, he was neither able nor wil- 
 ling, and then he zvas both impo- 
 tent and envious. This was their 
 Method of arguins: concerning: 
 natural Evils , iuch as Patn and 
 trouble, and the like ; And their 
 Objecftion about moral Evils was 
 much the fame, vi^* That if the 
 
 Divine 
 
JO -^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Divine Providence concerned it 
 felf at all in the World, it would 
 appear in Human Affairs, in pro? 
 tediing the Innocent and Virtuous, 
 and in dilcouraging the Prophane 
 and Wicked ; but they obierved 
 th^t all Tubings cmm alike to ally 
 that there ivfs one E'vent to the 
 '£ii(/hteoP^ and to the IVtcked, to 
 the Goody and to the Cleany and 
 to tl)€ Vndeauy to him that facri- 
 pcethy and to him that facrijjceth 
 not \ as is the Goody fo is the Sin- 
 ner y and he that fv:earethy as he 
 V'' ^r'that feareth an Oathy Eccl. o. 2. 
 ths Sto- Thus the prophane DionypuSy not' 
 ti.k ani^ witliftandinp; his open Contempt, 
 hfoj)hers.<^^d ridiculuig ot ail Kcligion, and 
 
 every facred Thing, 
 "^ }imc nee Qlyvipim * yet lived free from 
 
 iitl nee J^fcidapL mi' Divire Vengeance, 
 
 fero diuturnoque raor- and died peaceably 
 
 bo tabefcentem intere- • i ■ r>^j a^J 
 
 mn, verum in fuo le- ^^ . ^'^ ^^^- ^nd 
 
 ttulo mortuus in Tym- Vtogenes the Cynick, 
 
 tho* 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 1 1 
 
 tho' himfelf acknow- 
 ledged the Being and panidis rogum illatu? 
 
 Providence of God, ^ft. eamcme poteftatem 
 
 * quam ipie per fcelus 
 
 yet was tore d to con- nadus erat,quafi juftam 
 
 fefs, upon feeing the ^ legitimam h^redita* 
 
 ^ \ r rf tis loco tradidit. Czcer^ 
 
 Prolperity ot Harpa- de Nat, Deor, Lib. 5. 
 
 luSy a famous Robber § 35- 
 and Pirate in tlioie 
 Times , who committed many- 
 great and notorious WickednelTes, 
 that he did Tefiimonium dicere 
 contra DeoSj bear Teftimony a- 
 gainft the Gods. This Argument 
 IS at large fet forth 
 
 by the^cademick m nl.f'sTaTe. ''""'' 
 "* ^ul/y y where by a 
 long Indufiion of particular Inflan- 
 ces ot very great and enormous 
 
 wickedneffes commit- , ^ .-. j 
 
 , t Sentit domus uni- 
 ted by Men in T pri- ufcujufque , fentk fo- 
 vate and in publick, rum, fentit cuna,^cam- 
 11 ^ n pus, locii, pro\ancis, 
 he endeavours to Ihew, ut quemadmodum ratj- 
 that it had been bet- one rede fiat. He rati- 
 ter for Mankind if °"^ P^^cetur, &c. I^.?. 
 
 thev 
 
1^ All Enquiry into the 
 
 they had had no Reafon at all gi- 
 ven them, than fuch a Share of it 
 as they have, which they fo per- 
 petually abufej and confequently 
 that God did not herein confuk 
 the Good and Benefit of Men, and 
 therefore they are not under the 
 Direcflion of his Providence. 
 Poetical And as the Philofophers a- 
 j^pr^jtrw- ^^ n ^j^g Heathen reafoned in 
 
 txtium of t> T 
 
 ii^/^7«^.this manner concerning the pre- 
 fent State of Things, lo likewife 
 was it the Subjed: Matter of the 
 Poets, who entertained their Rea- 
 ders and Hearers with hvely Re- 
 prefentations of the many Evils 
 and Misfortunes that 
 
 * ub. nit. Iliad. Aoio] jS Mankind were fub- 
 
 Ath »v«. ject to. Thus^Homer 
 
 reprefents Jupiter as 
 having two Hogfheads fet before 
 him, the one filled with djil, the 
 other with good Things, a Mix- 
 ture of which he dilpenfes a- 
 
 mongfl: 
 
Cdufe and Origin of Evil. 1 1 
 
 liiongft Mankind, rometimes ta- 
 king out E^il> and iometimes 
 Good* And this Topick has fup- 
 plied the Tragsedians with Plenty 
 of Inftances to exercife their In- 
 ventions, and to divert their Audi^ 
 tors. After this manner have A- 
 theiftical Men treated this Subjed: 
 of the Original of E^JtL fo as to 
 colleft from the Obfervation of 
 Fads, either that there was no 
 God at all, by whom all Things 
 were at firft created ; or at leaft 
 that they are not at prefent under 
 his Divine Care and Infpedion. 
 
 There are others who have^'^^ -^'''- 
 been more modefl in handling ^jf,^ J^-^ 
 this Subjed : Who, whatever the^«/ Ma- 
 natural Confequence of their Solu-^^^"^* 
 tions may be, have not fo bare- 
 facedly attack'd the Wifdom of 
 Divine Providence. AndThefe are 
 they who have admitted Two fiifi: 
 Prmciples or Caufes of all Things; 
 
 the 
 
j^ An Enquiry into the 
 
 the one the Original from whence 
 every thing that is good proceeds, 
 and the other the Original from 
 whence all E'vil fprings. This 
 was the principal Dodrme of the 
 ancient MdgianSy of the Religion 
 of the Meaes and PerfanSy efla- 
 blilhed for many Ages in the Eaft- 
 ern Countries before the Reign of 
 Darius y A fhort Ac- 
 
 ^DrB-zVe^rw, Scrip- coUnt of which a 
 ture Connexion, Vol. 1. \ j * a ^L 
 
 p. 169. Fol. Edit. le^^ined ^Author gives 
 
 us in the following 
 Words; They held the being of 
 two jirft Caufesy the firfi Lights 
 or the good Cody zvho zvas the 
 Author of all Good \ and the 
 other Darknefsy or the evil God^ 
 ivho zvas the Author of all Evil ; 
 and that of the Mixture of thefe 
 tzvOy as they were in a continual 
 Struggle zvtth each other , all 
 T^hings zvere made. And to this 
 the following Words of the Pro^- 
 
 phet 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. i 5 
 
 phet Ifaiah feem to relate, being 
 ipoken by him to Cyrus King oii* 
 Perfla^ and therefore probably- 
 had reference to this Sed: of the 
 PerjianSy who then held hi^t 
 and Darknefs, Good and Ei;i/> 
 to be the Supreme Beings^ with-^ 
 out acknowledging the one only 
 true God, who is the iole and 
 original Author and Caufe of all 
 Things. Verfe 5, 6, / am the 
 Lordy and there is none elfe, there 
 is no God hefide me : J girded 
 theey tho thou haft not known me^ 
 that they may know from the ri-* 
 fmg of the Sun, and from the 
 IVefti that there is none beftde me : 
 I am the Lordy and there is none 
 elfey I form the Light and create 
 Darknefsy J make Teace and cre- 
 ate E'vil, J the Lord do all thefc 
 Things, Thefe firft Caufes or 
 Principles of Good and Evil were 
 by the Perjians called Oromafdes 
 
 and 
 
'i6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 and Arimanius ; by the Egyptians, 
 
 Ojiris and Tyfhon ; by the Chat-' 
 
 id^anSy good and bad Planets ; by 
 
 the GrmanSt Jupter and Tluto ; 
 
 ^nd the good Principle was alio 
 
 called Cody and the bad Principle 
 
 TheUa^ffj^ Devil, as Plutarch informs us. 
 
 l^ottmu And "^ in the early 
 
 ''In the Third Cemry. Ages of Chriftianity 
 
 we find this fame 
 Opinion brought out of ^Perjia by 
 one Manes a Perjian, who intro- 
 duced it into the Chriftian Religi- 
 on, and formed the SecS of the Ma- 
 nich^ans : Of whorti 
 J- as-w^*?*, >5 iihj) 4^- -(- Eufebim gives this 
 ^^pTTrtAo/ ct7rscrC»?Kq«i/ ri- Ihort Account : That 
 7uV*f. iM, 4 T^ffZr ott) ^ ^^ ^vented jalje and 
 
 (x'o^fctio, «>* ic JS5 75 /xav^/- patched up out of an 
 
 vsroxAoTf «f 2T/^Ku£;^To- innntte Number of 
 
 7»<rJ^2 -f 4i/crwyVoty >K^- Old €xttf7mi hed Hd' 
 
 <rHA«./4^'«j >^?y6i^>»f %^r rejtesyzvmch he brought 
 
 Z:^"^"'^ ""'' fr^^ Pe^fia i^fo thts 
 
 T^rt 
 
Ca^ife and Origin of EviL 1 7 
 
 ^art of the World, and fj^^read the 
 deadly Foifon of the?7i a tout ; fro'/n 
 zvhom the impom I^ame or Se^ 
 of the Manicliseaas is deri'vedy and 
 ftiU remains amongft 
 mam. To this, * So- . * ?" f^'^^^^''^ "^ 7- 
 crates the Hidorian ^^/(^i^ou^ '::re.'inyctyz^, .Tl'^ 
 adas the Opinion it 'rovt^e^-vy^ a? >y 5/7.x2d\>cAH5, 
 lelr : He attempted, e^.v, 0ihUv 5, r ciyct(i'jj. 
 lays he, to introduce a. 17. 
 the Opimon of Empe- 
 docles and Pythagoras wto the 
 Chriftian Religion ; he ajfcrted 
 that there w^ two Naturesy as 
 Empedocles alfo did, the one good, 
 and the other evil ; the evil he cal- 
 led Difcord, and the good Friend- 
 fhip. This Sed was at firfl fettled 
 iti many Provinces, fpread it fclf 
 very much, and continued a long 
 Time ; (fee Bayle under the Word 
 Manich^ans ;J> inlomuch that in 
 the 7th Century, under the Name 
 of '^l^aultcians (fee B^jle under 
 C the 
 
1 8 An Eiiquiry into the 
 
 the Word FauliciamO fro"^ one 
 PaulyV^ho became their Head,it had 
 over-run the whole Roman Em- 
 pire; and no lels than looooo of 
 them were maffacred in Thrace 
 rjj r and Bulgaria ; which yet did not 
 Notion extmguiin them, but m 1 ime their 
 revived Abfurditics were fo srofs that it 
 
 hy Mr. , . -D • 1 L 
 
 Bayle. came to nothmg. but it has been 
 
 lately revived by a 
 
 ^ Mr Bayle. See his * learned Perfon, who 
 Didionary, under the j ^ i i 
 
 Word Maniche^ns. pretends to have clear- 
 
 ed It of all thofe Ab* 
 furdities, and affirms that there is 
 no other way of accounting for the 
 prefent Matters of Fad , and that 
 the Phenomena of Nature cannot be 
 explained by any other Hypothe- 
 fis. He endeavours to illuftrate 
 his DocSrine in a feigned Difpute 
 between Zoroafier and Meltffus: 
 The former defends the two Princi* 
 pies of the ManichAans, and the 
 latter the one Principle, ^y/^. God, 
 
 to 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 19 
 
 to be the Caufe and Author of all 
 Things. Their ridiculous Inven- 
 tions of a long War between the 
 two Principles> and the Fights and 
 Priloners which the JVLanichaans 
 fpeak of, he wholly gives up, as 
 too abfurd to be defended* For, 
 as himfelf fays, * in > 
 order to render the .^f^^^tf^^ 
 
 HypOthcpS the leJS /rorJ Manicheens. Pour 
 
 offenfi^e , the lonz T- '^ ['" Hypothefe 
 
 Mr "^ r J ^ towns choquante, (5..^ . 
 
 IVar between the two 
 Principles, which the Manichaeans 
 ffeak ofy might be deniedy as alfo 
 their Battels and Prifoners re- 
 \eded ; So that the whole might, be 
 reduced to the certain Knowledge 
 the two principles have ; that one 
 could never obtain of the other 
 but fuch and fuch Conditions ; 
 And thus an eternal Agreement 
 might have been made upon thiJ 
 Foot. After this Prefaice, he ftatcs 
 the Phsenomena in the following 
 G 2. manner :■ 
 
2C ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 manner : * Mati^ fays 
 ^ Bayic ibid. L'hom- he, is wicked and nti' 
 
 ttm^ur&T^''''^^' ^'^PPy- T^^'^ '"^'U one 
 
 knows by what he ex-- 
 '"^ periences within himfelf^ and by that 
 Commerce he is obliged to ha^e with 
 his hieighbours. Fi've or Six Tears 
 Objer'vation is fufficient fully to con- 
 *vtnce any one of the Truth of this ; 
 but they who life longer ^ and are 
 engaged in Worldly Affairs^ know it 
 jliil more clearly » Lrafels afford 
 perpetual Lectures upon this Subjedi j 
 Which pjew e^ve^^y where Monuments 
 of Mens Misfortunes and Wicked^ 
 neJTes , a^ appears by the many ^ri- 
 fonSy Hofpitals^ Gibbets and Beg- 
 oars. Here we fee the Ruins of a 
 flouripjivg City^ in another Place the 
 Ruins are hardly to be found, 
 
 jam fcges cfl ubi Troja fuit, 
 refecandaque falce; 
 
 Luxuriat Phrygio fanguine pin- 
 
 gnis humus. 
 
 0-jid. Ipiji. fen. adVlyff. 
 
 Read 
 
Caiife and Origm of Evil % i 
 
 Kead the following excellent Words 
 taken out of a Letter written to Ci- 
 cero. **Ex Ada rediens, Cuiji ab 
 ^* yEgina Megaram veiius naviga- 
 ** rem, cocpi regiones circum cuxa 
 *' profpicere : Pofl _me erat ^gina, 
 *' ante Megara, dextra Piraeeus, fini- 
 ** ftra Gorinthus; quiie oppida,quo- 
 "'dam tempore florentiffima f uerunt, 
 ** nunc proftrata o^ diruta ante ocu- 
 '* los jacent. Sitlpitijps ad Ciceronem,' 
 Men of Learning, without going out 
 of their Studies y are the proper Per- 
 hns to acquire the clear ejl Knoivledge 
 hereof, becaufc in reading Ihjiory they 
 have a full Vi:iv of all Ages and all 
 Places in the World. And Hiftory^ 
 properly fpeaking, is little elfe but an 
 Account of the Crimes and Misfor- 
 tunes of Mankind. On the other 
 hand it is obferzed^ that thefe two 
 E'z/ilsy the one moral ^ and the other 
 natural^ do not take up the whole of 
 lliftcry p there are e!z/ery where fome 
 C 3 Jhings 
 
52 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Thwgs that are natttrally and mo^ 
 
 rally good^ fome Examples of Virtue 
 
 and Happinefs. And thk makes the 
 
 ' T)ifficHlty. Were there none but e'vil 
 
 and unhappy Men^ there would be 
 
 no need of an Hypothefis of two Frin- 
 
 eiples : it k the M'txtttre of Happi- 
 
 nefs and Virtue with Miferyand Vice^ 
 
 that mahs it requifite. Here he 
 
 lays the Strefs of the 
 
 ^ Si rhomme eft I'ou- whole Matter "i^Whenc^ 
 vraee d'un feul princi- - -, ^i ^ n/r - r f 
 
 pefouverainementbon, ^^ '^ ^^'^^ ^^^ '^ >^- 
 
 ^c.Eaylcibid, je£i to Tain and Mi- 
 
 fery^ if Man be the 
 Werkmanfhip of one only Beings fo^ 
 'vereignly goody holy and powerful? 
 Can he It expo fed to ^Difeafes^ Heat 
 and Cold, Hunger and Thirfty Pain 
 and Grief P Can he have fo many 
 rjil Inclinations ? Can he commit fo 
 many Crimes? Can So'vereign Holi- 
 ness produce a criminal Creature ? 
 Can So'vereign Goodness produce an 
 unhappy Creature ? Would not So've- 
 
 reign 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEvlL l^ 
 
 feign bowery joined with infinite 
 Coodnefs^ fnrnijh his oxrn Workman- 
 fhip plentifully with good Things^ 
 and fecure it from e'z^ery thing that 
 tnight he offenfi'vc and ^jexatiom? 
 And again a little 
 further, * 7/ Man * Que fl I'homme e- 
 
 Wre the Workmanfhip t9itrcuvraged'nnPrin- 
 
 1 n cipe innniment bon & 
 
 of a rnnaple znpnite- faint, il auroit etc crec, 
 
 ly good and holy^ he ^^* 
 pjould not only hwz/e 
 been created without any aSiualEfvil^ 
 but alfo without any Inclination to 
 E*z^il^ Jince that Inclination is fuch 
 a Defeci as could not hazfe fuch a 
 principle for its Caufe, Thus we find 
 his ftating the Gaie, and affirming 
 concerning it, that there is no poi- 
 fible way of folving rhefe Appear- 
 ances, but by having recourfe 
 to two necef&ry , independent , 
 eternal Principles , ^ ^^^ ^^^^ p^.„,jp„ 
 direcSly oppoiite to las du chaos, &:c. JSaj/? 
 each other ^ t '^ho ^^''^• 
 
 C 4 at . 
 
:f4 ^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 4t jirfl put a continual Stop io each 
 others Defigns , but at la/i being 
 
 ■ fpeary of this Confujion^ they came to 
 an j!^greement\ each of them yielded 
 fomething^ each of them had a Share 
 in tue FroduBion of Adan^ and in 
 the Larps of the ^nion of the Soul-^ 
 the good Principle obtained thoje 
 }vhich procure to Man a thoitfand 
 Fleafures ^ and consented to thofe 
 which expofe him to a thousand Sor- 
 rows ; and if it conjcnted that mO' 
 rjl Good jJjoiild be infnitely iejs in 
 Addfihnd than moral E'z^il^ ii re^ 
 paired the Damage in Jmne other 
 Kind of Creatures ^ rvherein Vice 
 ihonld be much lefs than Virtue, If 
 . many Men in this Life ha-z^e more 
 Mijery than Happinefs^ this is re- 
 fompenfed in another State j what 
 they ha%;e not in a Human ^hape^ 
 Jhk^\thej fjall recQ'ver under a?/ other, 
 '-''V/-'- Tluis we fee prophane and 
 y^./7/(^_atneiiric:ii Men m every Age em- 
 li^^(^^:' ploying 
 
Caufe and Origin of Ez^iL 7$ 
 
 ploying all their Wit and Inventi- 
 pn to find out Hypothefes, in or- 
 der to fubvert all Religion, and 
 to encourage Men to go on in the 
 Pracflice or Iniquity. For to this 
 End all their Difcourles manifeft- 
 ly tend ; either to deftroy the very 
 Exiftence of God, to deny his Pror 
 vidence and Government over the 
 World, or to introduce a Plurali- 
 ty of Gods, whereby all rehgious 
 Worfhip is confounded; or elfe to 
 make God the Author and imme- 
 diate Caufe of all Evil and Wic- 
 kednefs, and confequently Men 
 to be mere Machines, not acfling 
 ot thcmfelves, but only being aft- 
 ed upon, fo that they cannot be 
 accountable for what they do or 
 leave undone: Which defhoys the 
 eflential and eternal Difference of 
 Good and Evil, Virtue and Vice, 
 and takes away the Foundation of 
 Rewards and Fumfliments. ^hefe, 
 
 I iay. 
 
2(5 An Enquiry into the 
 
 I fay, are unavoidable Confeqiien- 
 ces of fuch Hypothefes^ and they 
 are fuch as the Authors themfelves 
 law,and were not afhamed to own.- 
 Thus the forecited 
 t Nous n'avons au- Perfon affirms, that f 
 
 cune Id^e diftinae qui ^^^ /^^^^ ^ ^^a^^ 
 puille nous laire com- J 
 
 prendre, &c. Bayk ibil Idea that Can make 
 
 PM under jt and that a 
 Being (fuch as Man is) zvhich 
 does not exist of it felf, can ne- 
 njerthelefs aH of it felf Zoioafter 
 therefore zvtU fay, that the Free- 
 zvtli which TV as given to JVLan^ is 
 mt able adually to determine it 
 felf, finct it exifls continually and 
 totally iy the Jilion of God. What 
 is this but to affirm that Man has 
 no Free-iviU, is no Agent at all, but 
 js wholly p^/^-t;^, and a^ed upon by 
 the Supreme Being, who does eve- 
 ry thing in him, and that therefore 
 Man can no more properly be faid 
 to be at Liberty than a Watch or 
 
 a Clock I 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil, 2 J 
 
 a Clock ? Thus ingenious Men 
 make HypOthefes^ in oider to ac- 
 count for Difficulties ; which in- 
 ftead of explaining thofe Difficul- 
 ties, overthrow the mod plain and 
 certain Truths in the World. 
 They take Principles for granted, 
 which neither themfelves can 
 prove^ nor ought others to allow ; 
 and then draw fuch Conclufions 
 from them^as contradicft eveiy ones 
 own Experience. In Enquiries of 
 this Nature we ought to confider, 
 
 Firft, The Dignity and V^d^tThe Dig- 
 of the Subjed ; what Kind of kr-'p/J^ 
 guments and Proofs may be ex-o/ thh 
 peded, and the Manner in which '^"^^^^• 
 it ou^ht to be treated. Mens 
 Reafon and Underflanding w^s gi- 
 ven them on purpofe that they 
 might ufe them in the Search af- 
 ter Truth, and the whole Creati- 
 on is a proper Objed: for them to 
 exercife thofe Powers and Facul. 
 
 ties 
 
^8 An Enquiry into the 
 
 ties upon. But that which relates 
 more immediately to the Happi- 
 ncls of Mankind, which teaches 
 him what fort of a Creature he is, 
 wherein his greatefl Perfedtion 
 confifis, what his proper Bufmels 
 and Employment ought to be, and 
 what his final Hopes and Expedla- 
 nons, this fliould be then- pnnct- 
 pal Enquiry, and they fliould en- 
 deavour to gain the greateft Satis- 
 LiCtion in it. The Queftion now 
 . befoje us takes in all thefc Parti- 
 culars, and is of the highed Im- 
 portance and Copcern ; for if we 
 conceive our felves to be in a na- 
 tural and moral State of E^iU and 
 know not what to afcribe it to, nei- 
 ther how we came into it, nor 
 ivhich way to cicape out of it, we 
 fhall be very much perplexed and 
 confounded. Henpe have arifen 
 the extravagant Opinions of FatCy 
 as if everv thinti exifled neceffari- 
 
Caufe and Origin ofE^jit. 39 
 
 ly in the Manner it does, thro' an e'- 
 ternal Succeflion of Ages, without 
 any Caufe or Reafon : And of 
 Chance, as if the whole Syilem of 
 the Univerfe fell into that Order 
 in which we now fee it, by a fortui- 
 tous Gorcourfe of Atoms : With 
 numberleis other incoherent Noti- 
 ons. Hence alfo have arifen the 
 grofleft Superflition, and moft ab- 
 lurd Worfhip of dead Heroes and 
 Kings, and of mere Names and 
 Modes or partial Confiderations of 
 the Deity,which have been appoint- 
 ed by Tyrannical Governours, to 
 keep the Ignorant in awe, and to 
 ferve Worldly Purpofes. And from 
 hence Men have been led into all 
 Kind of Wickednels and Immora- 
 hty, having no Senfe of the Au- 
 thority of a Deity, no Kemorfe of 
 Conicience, nor any other Obliga- 
 tion to the Pradice of Virtue and 
 Honefty. As therefore we have 
 
 any 
 
^O An Eitquiry into the 
 
 any Regard for the Honour of 
 God, that, as St. Paul fays, Kom. 
 5. 4. he may he mfiified in his 
 \lVorksi as well as) his Sayings, 
 and may overcome vohen he is 
 judged \ As we have anyEfteem for 
 Virtue dnd Truth, which are eter- 
 nal and immutable, and which are 
 founded in the Nature and Reaforl 
 of Things; And as we have any 
 Value for our own felves^ and that 
 Happinefs we are capable of en- 
 joying : We ought diligently to 
 ' fearch into the Caufe and Foun- 
 dation of all the Eijils incident 
 to Mankind y that we may be 
 able to form a true judgment of 
 ihem, that we may know what a 
 Hand we have in bringing them 
 upon our felves, and confequent- 
 ly how we ought to aft under 
 them, 
 
 Sccondlyi 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. 5 r 
 
 Secondly^ In fuch Enqtiiry we '^^:>ai 
 ought to confider what Kind off;;ii£ 
 Arguments or Proofs are to be ex-^'^ to be 
 peded. For thefe are always pro "^Sc//^ 
 portioned to the Nature of the Subjea, 
 SubjecS.In fome Things they are 
 Demonftrations, and in others they 
 are only greater or lefs Degrees of 
 Probability. Of Demonfirations 
 there are two forts; Demonlkati- 
 ons a priori, when we argue from 
 the Caufe to the Effed ; and a 
 fofierioriy when we argue from 
 the Effed to the Caule. Thus -"•' 
 when we argue from the Idea's we 
 have of Immenfity, Eternity, ne- 
 cefTary Exiftence, and the like, 
 that fuch Perfedions can refide 
 but in one Beings and thence con- 
 clude that there can be but one 
 Supreme God, who is the Caufe 
 and Author of all Things, and 
 that therefore it is contradidory to 
 this to fuppofe that there can be 
 
 two 
 
^2 An Enquiry into the 
 
 two neceffary independent Princi- 
 ples^ the one the Caufe of all the 
 Goodi and the other the Caufe of 
 all the Ehjil that is in the World ; 
 this is an Argument a 'priori. 
 Again, when the ManichMns and 
 Paulkians yiiom. what they obferve 
 in Things and Fads, from the 
 many natural E'vils which they 
 fee in the World, and the many 
 moral Wickedneffes which a:re 
 committed by Men ; conclude 
 that there Inuft be two diffe- 
 rent Caufes or Principles froiti 
 whence each of thefe pro- 
 ceed 'y this is arguing a pofie- 
 ^ \. r^ r, riori. Accordingr to 
 
 ^ Amli en conlul- i r ^ r 
 
 tant ces id^es, on ne ^^^ tormer Way or 
 
 trouve rien de plus ab- Reafoninff, the foTC- 
 furde que rHypothefe ... .- j * i j 
 
 des deivi principes eter- n^entioncd Author a1- 
 nels,&independahsrun lovvs the Defenders 
 
 puiiTe arreter les def- of all Things tO have 
 
 feinsderautre.5.j/.f^. ^j^^ Advantage, and 
 
 * thaP 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEviL 55 
 
 that nothing can he more ah- 
 furdy if we conftdt our own mo ft 
 clear and difiinU Ideas, than the 
 Hjfothejis of two eternal Prmci- 
 ptesy independent on one another^ 
 whereof one has no Goodnefs, and 
 puts a Stop to the Defigns of the 
 other. But this feems to be fa id 
 becaiife he thinks fuch Ideas are 
 only mere Imaginations of the 
 Mind, and have nothing zvithout 
 to anfwer to them ; and that there- 
 fore the certaineft Way is to argue a 
 poflerioriy by explaining the Phaeno- 
 mena, and giving an Account of the 
 Matters of Fad, which he affirms 
 the admitting of tzvo Principles 
 does, and therefore * 
 he has hit the Mark "^ J^ regagne done 
 and his Method of j:^^^";^^" J'l' "^ 
 
 . / lurpallez nans la beaute 
 
 arguing exceeds the desidets,8cc- BayUibid, 
 other notwithftandtng 
 the Beauty of Ideas and Rea- 
 fons. Yet the Idea's of Neceffity, ' 
 D Unity, 
 
J4 ^f^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Unity, Immenlity, and the like, ar€f 
 as clear and diftind, and theExill* 
 ence of a Being to whom they be- 
 long does as unavoidably follow, 
 and we are as certain of it, as of our 
 own Exiftence, and of any thing 
 without us anfwering to thole Im- 
 preilions we ftel within us, and as 
 we are ot thofe Fads which he calls 
 Phsenomena. So that the Reafon- 
 ing a priori is in it felt as ftrong 
 and conclufive as that a pojteriori, 
 and they have a ftrid Connexion 
 with each other; for by the Ob- 
 ^fervation of the Fads we get an 
 Idea of the Caufe, and from the 
 Nature of the Caufe we judge 
 concern in or the Fads. 
 jiertr' Laflljy The Manner of treating 
 which this Subjed, ought to be fuch as 
 '.^% ^ttlie Dignity of It requires. mP 
 
 jea ought ^ ^ c^ - ^r 111 
 
 to be dom^ as our baviour lays, zvtU U 
 
 treated. ^ jM;&^ of her Children. Such 
 Luk.vii.A-^ / J . , , , • 
 
 V.20. Ferlons only who have a Love 
 
 and 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil i ^ 
 
 ^nd Concern for Truth ^ and 
 are diligent and earneft m the 
 Purfuit of it, are able to find 
 it out, and to vindicate it. Pre- 
 judice and PafTion blind the Un- 
 derftanding, and vicious and cor- 
 rupt Habits difable the Powers and 
 Faculties of the Mind ; fo that it 
 can no more judge of Truth than 
 a vitiated Eye can judge of Go- 
 lours, or than Colours can be diitin- 
 guiflied through a falfe Medium. 
 Truth is unalterable, and the Ways 
 of finding it out certain ; it is not 
 to be made and unmade at Plea- 
 fure, or diverfified according to 
 the various Humours and Fancies 
 of Men ; it is univerfal, and all of 
 a Piece. It is therefore our Part 
 to enquire into the Truth and 
 Reafon of Things with Sincerity 
 and Integrity^ to lay the Founda- 
 tion in what we are fure cannot 
 deceive us ; in the effential Difte- 
 D % rcnce 
 
^,(5 An Enquiry into the 
 
 reiice betwixt Virtue and Vice^r 
 Right and Wrong,Good and Evil ; 
 in which we can no more be im- 
 pofed upon, than Light can be 
 made appear to us as Daiknefs, 
 or Bitter and Sv/eet have the fame 
 Tafle. And whatfoever we build 
 upon this Foundation, w^ill be as 
 firm and unfliaken by all the At- 
 tacks of vicious and prophane 
 Men, as a Houfe. built upon a 
 Rock is by Storms and Tempefts. 
 MJ}ahs Had thefe Rules been oblerved, 
 omgto ftiere would have been no occafion 
 obfervi7ig(or: inventing abfurd Hypothefes 
 thejeDii-^o explain any of the Pha^nomena 
 of Nature. As H^ruth may be,^ 
 left to the flrifleft and moft im- 
 partial Enquiry, without any Dan- 
 ger of its being or appeanm like 
 faljhoodi fo the Syftem of the 
 World may be very fafely com- 
 mitted to the cloiell and moft cu- 
 rious Examination of the niceft 
 
 En- 
 
Caufe and Origin of EviL 1 1 
 
 Enquirer, aflifted by all the Helps 
 of Art and Nature j without fear- 
 ing that any Part of it lliould be 
 below the Workmanfhip of its 
 Creator , or cafl any unworthy 
 Reflexion upon him. Er'ror 
 and Irregularity only, are a- 
 fliamed to appear in the Light, 
 and muft be fupported by Art 
 and Human Contrivances. Here 
 there is many times need of Dark- 
 nefs^ or of a falfe Light ; thefe 
 muft be fupported by Power or 
 Intereft, and the like, to gain them 
 Reputation ; But the Works of 
 the Creation want no fuch mean 
 Artifices to recommend them to 
 the Efteem and Admiration of all 
 that behold them. Nothing more 
 is required, but to judge of them 
 by the unerring Rules of Reaion 
 and Knowledge ; and the nearer 
 they are viewed, the more exadly 
 they are compared together, fo 
 D 5 much 
 
1 8 ^rt Enquiry into the 
 
 much the more beautiful do they 
 appear, and more nicely adjufted 
 to each other. In any other Me- 
 thod than this, they may feem dif- 
 ordered and confufed; In the fame 
 manner as in Human Arts and 
 Sciences ; to a Perfon who has no 
 Skill in Building, who underflands 
 not the Rules of Architedure, the 
 moft regular and well contrived 
 Edifice may feem difproportionate, 
 and without any Beauty ; And by 
 that Ear which has no Relifh of 
 Mufick, the moft perfed Concord 
 and Harmony may not be diftin- 
 guifhed. There are therefore fome 
 ^.'firft and general Principles in eve- 
 ry Art and Science, which it is ne- 
 ceffary for thofe to underftand, who 
 would improve them(elves in the 
 Knowledge of them, or who would 
 judge of the Skill of others ; and if 
 they aremiftakenin/^/j^, or if they 
 apply the Rules of one Science to 
 
 another^ 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. ^o 
 
 another, to which they do not be- 
 long, the Faults they nnjuftly call 
 upon it will return upon them- 
 fclves. Thus likewife there are 
 general Lazvs, by which the Sy- 
 item of the World is governed, 
 which it is neceflary for every one 
 to understand, who would judge 
 ot the Order and Regularity of it; 
 and from Mens Ignorance in,or Mit 
 application of thefey have arifen all 
 thofe Objedions which they them- 
 felves have thought fo flrono;, and 
 which they have endeavoured to 
 anfwer in a different Way. 
 
 This was the Cafe of the £pi.The^ve.^k' 
 cureans, as is manirelt by the in- the Epi- 
 fiances rhey gave. Their principal ^«''^^« 
 Objedion of the Obhquity of the 
 Ecliptick to the Eqtutory whereby 
 the torrid Zone is rendred too hot, 
 and the frigid Zone too cold for 
 Men to inhabit; was owing to their 
 Ignorance of thofe Places and their 
 D 4 Inha- 
 
4o An Enquiry into the 
 
 Inhabitants. Modern Difcoveries 
 in Geograpliy fully anfwer this 
 Objedion, by fhewing the Faifls 
 to be falfe. 1 be Heat is not fo ex- 
 ceflive, even under the Ltne^ but 
 it can be very well born; nay, it 
 is fo tempered with continual 
 Wind and Rain, as render it very 
 agreeable. Befides, the Sun*s Mo- 
 tion in the Ecltpick (which near 
 the 'Ecjuator makes the greateft 
 Angle with it) is then fo quick, 
 compared with what it is in the 
 Tropicks, that it is not full Two 
 Months in moving Tiventy of the 
 Seven and Forty Degrees of De- 
 cimation .; fo that it is but a very 
 little while vertical ; and, which 
 flill diminilhes its Heat, 'tis never 
 more than Twelve Hours above 
 the Horizon : And we have In- 
 llances of Perfons who have lived 
 to as great an Age, as Men in cooU 
 er Climates, So hkewife the great- 
 
 er 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, 41 
 
 er Part of the frigid Zone is found 
 to be habitable by Jldeny and the 
 Produce of thofe Places furniflics 
 both them and the Animals there, 
 with Fences againft the Extremity 
 of the Gold. And if the Epicureans 
 had confidered the Effeds of the 
 Pofition of thefe Two Circles in 
 any other Obliquity, they would 
 have found much greater Incon- 
 veniences arifing from the unequal 
 Diitribution of Light and Dark- 
 nels, Heat and Cold ; which in the 
 prefent Situation are equally diflri- 
 buted upon the whole. Had the 
 Obliquity been much more than 
 it is now, the torrid Zone would 
 have increafed proportionably; and 
 then the Heat and Drought might 
 have been too great for Plants and 
 Animals • under the Line ; and 
 whilft the Sun approached one 
 Pole , thofe Parts towards the 
 other Pole would have been left in 
 
 much 
 
An Enquiry into the 
 
 mucli greater Darktiefs, and long- 
 er Cold than now : And had the 
 Obliquity been much lefs , the 
 Heat would have been too near 
 an Equality, lo as to have deflroy- 
 ed the agreeable Seafons of Spring 
 and Summer, Autumn and Win- 
 ter.. If therefore we take in the 
 whole Globe of Earth, and con- 
 fider it in its prefent State , we 
 fhall find that the Light and Heat 
 is the moft equally difpenfed that 
 it could be. The Inflances of 
 the Ufelefnefs of a great Part 
 of the Earth , as Seas , Rocks, 
 Heaths , and the like ; are all 
 fuch as fhow only the Ignorance 
 of the Objeftors in thofe Mat- 
 ters : As is plain by the late Difco- 
 veries in Navigation and Philo- 
 fophy, and fhall be particular- 
 ly made appear in its proper Place. 
 At pre(ent this is fufficient to fhew 
 how weakly they argued againft 
 
 the 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, 45 
 
 the Maker and Governor of the 
 World ; by firft fuppofmg thofe -' 
 Things to be e'vil or ujelefsy which 
 are of the greateft Benefit to Man- 
 kind in many lefpeds, that they 
 were wholly ignorant of, and then 
 unjuftly inferring from thence that 
 they could not be created by a 
 wife and good Being. The very 
 Foundation of their Argument is 
 falfe, and therefore what they con- 
 clude from it mufl necelTarily be 
 fo too ; Till Men know the Nature 
 of the Thing, the feveral Ways it 
 may be applied, and all the Ends 
 and Purpofes it may ferve, it is 
 unreafonable to pronounce con- 
 cerning it whether it be good or 
 evtly and it is much more unrea- 
 fonable after a groundlefs Deter- 
 mination to refled; on the Author 
 of it. Upon a nicer Enquiry luch 
 Suppofitions are found to be falfe, 
 and the Reflcdions turn to the 
 
 Shame 
 
44 ^'^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Shame and Confufion of thofe 
 who make them. 
 Thewea\. Thus it is With the Epcurem 
 the mo- Atheifls of old ; and thus it is hke- 
 deryi Oh' .j^\{q with thofe who in later Ages 
 iu,iom. ^^^^ followed their Example. It 
 
 is reported of a * cer- 
 
 "^ Alphovfus X. King ^^in King, who from 
 
 of Leon and Caplc his sreat Skill m Aftro- 
 
 nomy was ftiled the 
 JVife and the Afirologery that he 
 fhouid prophanely fay, Jf he had 
 been zvtth the Creator zohen he 
 made the World, he could have 
 taught hi^n how to ha've made it 
 better. This Saying of his, was 
 wholly owing to his Ignorance of 
 the true Syftem of the World; and 
 has been fully anfwered fince even 
 to a Demonftration. The appa- 
 rent Motions and Bigneffes of the 
 Planets are very different from the 
 true ones. Upon the former the 
 ancient Aftronomers built their 
 
 Syftems, 
 
Catife and Origin of Evil. 45: 
 
 Syftems, which are fo perplexed 
 and confufed that they are fcarce 
 intelligible. They obferved the 
 Planets to be fometimes nearer,* 
 and fometimes further off ; to 
 have different Thafes ; to be fome- 
 times progreffve, fometimes y?^/^/- 
 ondrjy and fometimes retrograde. 
 To folve thefe, and fuch like Ap- 
 pearances, they invented various 
 Hypothefes. According to fomCy 
 the Earth was the Center ; and the 
 Sun and Planets, together with all 
 the fixed Stars, revolved about it 
 every Day ; And others would 
 have forne of the Planets move 
 about the Sun, which fhould carry 
 them along with it about the 
 Earth. To account for all thefe 
 feeming Irregularities, they were 
 forced to have recourfe to Excen^ 
 tries, EpicjcleSy and Epicycles up- 
 on Epicjcles, and the like; and 
 with regard to thefe it was without 
 
 all 
 
j^6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 all doubt^ that the forementioned 
 Aftronomer fpake ; And had theji 
 been the true Syftemof the World, 
 •it would have been extremely dif- 
 ficult to have fliew^n the Wiidom 
 or Contrivance of it^ For accord- 
 ing to them^ there is no proportion 
 obfcrved^ no Adjuflment of the 
 Magnitude and Diftance of the 
 tefpeflive Bodies, nor any re- 
 gular Curzfes in which they are mo-» 
 ved 5 but the great Bodies move 
 about the lefferones with the fame 
 IndiflFerenee ^sThefe would do about 
 Them. But this is fo far from being 
 the Truth, that^ as the Prophet elo- 
 quently gxpreffes it, Jfaiah 40. 'v. 
 12. God hath meafured the Waters 
 in the HoUow of his Hand^ and 
 hath meted out Heaz>en with a Span^ 
 and comprehended the 3)hH of the 
 Earth in a Jldeafuret and weighed 
 the Mountains in Scales^ and the 
 Hills in a Balance. The Diftances 
 
 of 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, ^j 
 
 of all the heavenly Bodies froiri 
 their refpeBi^/e Centers of Gravi- 
 ty, about which any particular 
 Number of them move, and from 
 the common Center of Gravity of 
 them alJ^ are moft exa<&Iy in recipro- 
 cal Proportion to the OHantity of 
 Matter contained in each of them ; 
 whence they are in perfcft Equili- 
 brium ; and confequently by the 
 mere Continuance of the general 
 Laws of Nature^* when once put 
 in Motion^ they will revolve in 
 regular Figures about their com^ 
 mon Center of Gravity and about 
 each other. From hence arife their 
 different Appearances znd feeming 
 Irregularities ; when at the fame 
 Time they go on uniformly in 
 their dated Courfe. Thus^ when 
 any i:^lanet fiems to be ftatioftary 
 or retrogade^ it does in reality pro- 
 ceed on in its Orbit ^ and it is ow- 
 ing to our Pofition only^ that it 
 
 appears 
 
■48 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 appears otherwife. As fliall be ful- 
 ly explained when we come to 
 confider the real Motions of 
 them, and the Laws by w^hich 
 they are governed. There was 
 therefore no need of thofe fore- 
 mentioned Inventions to explain 
 the Phaenomena of Nature. And 
 ^ thofe Perfons who complained of 
 the Laws of the Creation, com- 
 plained only of Laws of their own 
 making, which are no where to be 
 found in Nature j and the Abfur^ 
 dity of which, they muft anfwer 
 for themfelves. 
 V'tth^e- And the fame will be found to 
 
 the mo' ^^ ^^^^ likewife of the moral 
 ral World^ the feveral Parts of which 
 JforU. ^j.^ ^g exaftly adjufted and pro- 
 portioned to each other as thofe of 
 the natural World. Truth is as 
 agreeable to the Underftanding, as 
 Light is to the Eye ; and Vertne is 
 as beautiful to the Mind^ as any 
 
 material 
 
Cctufe and Origin of Evil. 49 
 
 fnat<srml Ob)e£i is to the Sight, 
 And every Senfe belonging to the 
 Body^ has alfo its proper OljeSy 
 which is duly calculated to ity 
 and in a right Application of 
 which, conlifts its greateft Enjoy- 
 ment. If therefore we diligently ex- 
 amine into the Nature of the 
 I\/[ind and of the Body^ the feve- 
 ral Faculty's and Powers of each 
 of them, their Difpolitions and 
 Inclinations^ what the proper Ob- 
 jefts of them are^ in what Manner 
 they are to be applyed^ and what is 
 the Rule and Meafure of Aftion; 
 we fiiall find this alfo is a very 
 regular and well-contrived Syftem^ 
 and that there is no more Need of 
 the Hypothefes and Fifiions of 
 Jearned Men to account for the 
 Irregular it ies and 7noral Ez^ils 
 of Mankind^ than there was of 
 Excentrickf and Epicycles to explain 
 the i\dotions of the heavenly Bo- 
 
 E dies. 
 
50 An Enquiry into the 
 
 diej?. Such Bypothefes for the 
 iiiofi pare dilhonoiir the Creati- 
 on; but a ftrici Enquiry into the 
 Laws of it, always fiiews the 
 Wiidom of the Creator more and 
 more. We need not therefore to 
 fear but in this Refpeft alfo God 
 will julVilie himfelf^ and that the 
 Wickedncfs which is committed 
 amongft Men can be no Way 
 charged upen Him. And thus the 
 , Prophet Ifaiah affirms in Oppofiti- 
 on to fuch Hypothefes, that 
 God alone is the Original and 
 Author of all things^ and that 
 He will vindicate Himfelf in 
 the Creation and Government of 
 them; ch, XLV. 'v, 7. 1 form the 
 Light^ and create Darknefs^ I 
 mah Teace and create Ei/ii^ I the 
 Lord do all theje Things, And 
 Fro'v, 1 6. *v. 4. The Lord hath 
 made all Things for himfelf ^ (or 
 as it fliould have been rendred^ 
 
 hath 
 
Caufe and Origin of EziL 51 
 
 hath fuited Things to lach other^) 
 yea even the Wicked for the Day of 
 Eml-^ that is^ God hath made all 
 Things correjfondifig to one mo- 
 ther^ hath exaftly fitted and pro- 
 portioned them, yea even the Pu- 
 nifliment of evil Men according 
 to their Deferts. 
 
 But before I come to explain T'/j^ 
 this in Particulars, it will be ne- t r 
 
 ^ . 7ieJsof 
 
 ceffary to confider That antientfk^- 
 Hypothefis lately revived^ of two P^^Hl^ 
 Original Principles j the one the ,^f„^/ 
 Author of all £«z;/7^ and the orher Pthtci- 
 the Author of all Good-^ and to^^^^' 
 fliow that notwithftanding the 
 boafted Excellency of it^ it is a 
 very abfurd and contradiftory Sup- 
 pofition^ fuch as cannot exift in 
 Nature, and will by no Means iol ve 
 the prefent Ph3enomena. And this 
 I fhall do by examining 
 
 E 2 Firfl^ 
 
52 An Fnquiry into the 
 
 Ftrjiy What Sort of an Idea 
 Tha:t is, of an infinite,indepcndenr, 
 neceffary evil Being. And then, JV- 
 Condljyl fliall make itappear, that the 
 , very Suppofition of the Exiflence 
 offuch a Being,isan exprefs anddi- 
 red: Contradiction to the Exigence 
 of an infinite,independent, neceffa- 
 rily Good Being : And that there- 
 fore we are as certain that this is not 
 a true Accotmt of the Original of 
 Things, as we are of the com^ 
 mon Principles of all Knowledge : 
 And that not * to al- 
 
 ^ As Mr. Baile does 'o^^' of arguing thus 
 
 in the forccited Place, from the mofl fiinple 
 in thefe Word^ • Lcs j i t j ' c 
 
 Idc^cs les plus ftres ct ^'^^^ ^^^ar Idea s ot our 
 
 les plus claires dc V Minds, is to deny 
 
 ?}'% Tf^R^^} the eternal and necei- 
 D. lary Relations of 
 
 Things, even the 
 fame in Etlect as to fay there is 
 no Difference betwixt a Square and 
 
 a Cwcle 
 
Cdufe and Origin of Evil, 53 
 
 a Circle^ betwixt twice two and fe- 
 ven. ^' ^rAc '"^^Utt/'. 
 
 If an f'T/v/ principle he allow- The Ab- 
 ed at all, It mufl exift of it fcl{{l[^^^^^^^^^ 
 abfokitcly independent of theghtaih:- 
 (food T^rmciple ; becaufe 'tis fnp-^fP^'^' 
 
 rill i 1 "^"^ 
 
 poled that they are equal, and p^Va- 
 fliare alike in the Government o^P^^^- 
 the World; and becaufe, if the 
 one were fuperiour to the other, 
 it would certainly prevail, and not 
 iuffer T^hat other to aft in dired: 
 Oppofition to it. Wherefore the 
 Defenders of this Scheme are lo 
 far confident with themlelves as 
 to allert, that the evil Principle 
 is infinite and independent, and m 
 every thmg oppoles the Dcligus 
 of the ffood Principle : But they 
 do not define their Terms, nor 
 tell us what Sort of an Idea That of 
 infinite E'Vtl is, nor how it can be 
 applyed to inch a Being. All 
 Evil fuppojCes Vnderjiandin^ ?nd 
 
 E 3 Fozver 
 
5' 4 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Tower and Liberty of adling ; be- 
 caiife it is the Gonfequence or Ef- 
 fed, either of the Negle£i or A- 
 bufe of one or more of thefe. 
 For in the Imprfe£iion or iVant 
 of them it cannot be fuppofed by 
 thcfe Men to confifl ; becaufe an 
 Underftanding infinitely trnprfe£ti 
 or an infinite Want oiVnder/land- 
 m^, is no ^Jnderftanding at all : 
 And the lame may be affirmed of 
 Toiver and Liberty and the like. 
 Their fiifl Principle therefore muft 
 be endued with infinite Knowledge 
 and Power, and with pejfed Li- 
 hcrty of adling ; and how does 
 * this agree to the Notion any one 
 has of an infinite evtl Being ? 
 Can Knoidedge and Tower and 
 Liberty in any Propriety ot Speech 
 be called evil, much lets the high- 
 eil Degree and moll univerfal 
 Extent of them ? V/ith Kefped to 
 thcfe therefore abfolutely confidered, 
 
 fuch 
 
Caufe and Origin of EviL ^tf 
 
 fucli a Being cannot be ftyled evily 
 becaufe He is endued with fucli 
 Powers and Faculties as are not 
 evil in themfelvcs. It remains 
 therefore that the evil mufl con- 
 fift in the jibufe or Mtfafflicatioji 
 of thefe Powers and Faculties ; 
 either in not krjozvim what is fit- * 
 telt and bell to be done ^ or elfe 
 in not being able to do that which 
 Wiidom direfts ; or elfe in having 
 lome T'emptation or Interefi to 
 the contrary. For thefe are the on- 
 ly ^Caules of any ^Being's ad:ing 
 contrary to what is jufl and right. 
 Let us try to apply theie to the 
 luppofed infinitely evil Principle^ 
 and fee how well they will agree 
 with it. Can we imaoin that in- 
 imite Knowledge can be impofed 
 upon or deceived ? that it fhould 
 not be intimately acquainted with 
 the Nature and Keafon of Things, 
 their eflential Differences, what the 
 
 E 4 Con- 
 
5 5 ^J^i Enquiry into the 
 
 Confequences and EffecSs of ttie di- 
 verie Application of them will be^ 
 what they are in different Ciicum- 
 ftances capable of, and what are the 
 properMeanstoobtaintherefpecfl:ive 
 Ends? So that in thisParticular there 
 is no room ior E'Vtl ; for Knowledg^p 
 and wifdomarethe mof} perted: and 
 compleat in fiich a Being. If to this 
 wc add infinite Power-the Objed of 
 which, is every Thing that is pof- 
 fibleto be done, and which cannot 
 be refifted nor controuled by any 
 Force whatfoever ; it cannot be, but 
 that the Being in whom thefe refide, 
 muft exercife this Power accordin2 
 to the unerring Rules of that perfecS 
 Knowledge He is endued with. 
 
 Again, with Regard to Licert^, 
 there can be nothing from within 
 or from without^ to induce fuch a 
 Being to adl contrary to Goodnels 
 and Truth ; no evil Diipofition 
 or Inclination ; becaufe the necet- 
 
 fary 
 
Cmfe and Origin of Evil. 57 
 
 fary RcTiilt of Iiis own Perfedi- 
 ons is infinite Happinefs to him- 
 felf, a perfed: ReUttude ot Will, 
 and conlequently no Motive either 
 to make any Creatures that are 
 evily or to pommit any Ea)il to- 
 wards them ; neither can he have ^ 
 any Temptation from other Beings 
 to' do E'vili becaufe all fuch 
 Temptations manifeilly arife from 
 JVeaknefs or Det^ravationy which 
 are contradiflory to All-fufficiency. 
 Whether therefore we confider 
 the Jirfi Principle with Regard to 
 its natural or moral Powers, the 
 Abiurdity of its bein^ infinitely 
 Evil evidently appears : it is at 
 firft Sight a conhifed Jumble of 
 Ideas, an abfurd Mixture of Per- 
 fedions and Imperfedions, of 
 Powers and Wants, of Excellencies 
 and Depravations, all in one Sub- 
 jed; and which, confidered fingly, 
 are abfolutely inconfiflent with 
 and contradiClory to each other. 
 
 Bill 
 
■58 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Ue Ideas But that which fhows the Al^- 
 jlJ^^ furdity of this Hypothefis ftill fur. 
 Privci- ther, is the utter Impoffibility of 
 l^^^j^^"." conceiving two necelTary indepen- 
 rytoeachdtnt Bcings at all ; it i-s an exprefs 
 other. Contradidion in the very Terras, 
 and the Ideas deftroy each other. 
 The Idea which every one has of 
 JSIecefjity is a plain, fimplc, uni- 
 form Idea, which fuppofes Uni- 
 ty, Immenfity, Eternity and the 
 hke : And if we attempt any Way 
 to diverfify it, to make any 
 Change or Alteration in it, if we 
 try to multiply it or to confine it 
 to any particular Time or Place, 
 it immediately vaniflies. Thus 
 for Initance^ to fuppofe two ne- 
 ceffary independent Beings, is 
 to fuppofe neither of them to be 
 neceffary ; becaufe either of them 
 being abfolutcly independent on 
 the other, might have exifted 
 without that other^ and confer 
 
 quendy 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 59 
 
 quently we can conceive either of 
 them to be abfent, which is di* 
 redly contrary to the firfl: Suppofi- 
 tion of its being necefTarily exift- 
 ing. So alfo with Regard to the 
 eflential Properties of fuch a Be- 
 ing, for Inftance Immenjlty 9 the 
 neceffary exifling Being muft be 
 every zvhere ; and the very fuppo- 
 fing Him to be abfent from any 
 one Place, deftroys his neceffarily 
 exifling at all. For if we can con- 
 ceive Him not to be, in any par- 
 ticular Place ; we can as well con- 
 ceive Him not to be in any other 
 particular Place ; or in any Place at 
 all. And the fame holds true with 
 Refped to Duration: Whatever 
 can be fuppofed not to exift at a- 
 ny one Time, may as well be fup- 
 pofed not to exift at any other 
 Time, and by the fame Reafon 
 jiot to exift at ally which is a 
 
 flat 
 
66 An Enquiry into the 
 
 flat Contradidion to the Idea of 
 
 neceflary Exiftence. There can 
 
 therefore be but pne fiifl Princi- 
 
 fie, the Original and Caufc of all 
 
 Things that are, a Self-exiltent 
 
 Being, who is eternal, immenfe, 
 
 all-wiieand alUpowerful, infinitey 
 
 good and happy. As has been at 
 
 large, and in every Parucular, 
 
 demonftrated by others in the 
 
 Courfeof thefe Leclures. 
 
 7U Dif- The whole Sy ftem of the World 
 
 ;ZlUl was at fiifl created, and is flill zp- 
 
 of the verned by this being, who is every 
 
 ^^//"^•'^ where prefent, fees the Nature and 
 
 Of the n' r 11 
 
 SyftemofEn^ncQ oi all Things, knows 
 *^r J. their Powers and Faculties, and 
 what Ends and Purpofes they will 
 bed ferve. So that if we would 
 . judge aright concerning any Part 
 of the Creation, we ought to do 
 it by fuch Rules as are confiftent 
 with the known and certain Per- 
 fedions of the Deity ; And fince 
 
 it 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 6t 
 
 it is demonflrable that it is the Ef- 
 fe(3: of Wifdom and Goodnefs, 
 we fhould endeavour to reconcile 
 it to them. Thus in the prefenc 
 Inquiry concerning the original of 
 E'vi^, we ought nrft to confider 
 what it is we caW EviL which per- 
 haps may be very improperly fo 
 called ; Whether it does not arife 
 from the Impertedion of our own 
 Underftandings, who prefume to 
 condemn what we have not a per- 
 fect Knowledge of. In the ordi^ 
 nary Works of humane Art and 
 Contrivance, we fee how difficult 
 it is to account for any particular 
 Part of it, without knowing the 
 whole Compofition of it. As in a 
 Clock or a Watch; He who fhould 
 go about to condemn the Shape or 
 Ufe of any particular Wheel, the 
 Situation or Defign of which was 
 not at all underllood by Him ; 
 it would but difcover his own Ig- 
 norance, 
 
62 ' \/in Enquiry into the 
 
 norance, and not at all refle<!l upon 
 the Workman. We need not 
 therefore be furprifed, if in our 
 Survey of the Univerfe, we be of- 
 ttn at a Lofs how to account for 
 many things that we obferve there. 
 Many Parts of it are wholy out 
 of our Reach ; as may juftly be 
 inferred from the Multitude of fix- 
 ed Stars perpetually difcovered by 
 Telefcopes, as they are improved in 
 Goodnefs. Other Parts we know 
 very little more of than their bare 
 Exiftence ; as, of the neareft of 
 thofe Stars, that they are fixed 
 and luminous Bodies. Other Parts, 
 as they approach nearer to us, 
 we know lomething more of ; and 
 by Obfervation and Analogy, 
 judge them to be of the fame Spe- 
 cies with this Earth which we inha- 
 bit. Such are the Planets, But a- 
 mongft thefe is a very numerous 
 Syftem of Comets, the Nature 
 
 atid 
 
Caufe arid Origin of Evil. 6^ 
 
 and U(e of which we are ia 
 a great Meafure ignorant of. 
 And of thofe Parts which are 
 nearcft of all to us, even our 
 own Globe, how little is it 
 that we know of it? We live 
 upon the Superficies, and canaot 
 tell what is contained within the 
 Bowels of it, for many thou (and 
 Miles ; Nay even upon this Super- 
 ficies, there are whole Species of 
 Creatures, which it will be difficult 
 to us to determine what Purpofes 
 they lerve. And we find by the 
 Improvements of Microfcopes, 
 that Nature knows no End in 
 Smallnefs as well as in Greatnefs^ 
 from the Multitude of minute Ani- 
 mals which every where appear. 
 To be able therefore to pronounce 
 peremptorily concerning luch a 
 Syftem as this, requires to be eve- 
 ry where prefent in it^ to be able 
 to underftand and conned: every 
 
 Part 
 
6^ A^t Enquiry into the 
 
 Part of it, and to fee the Fitnefs 
 and j^djuflment of the whole : 
 Which thewileil and moft fagaci- 
 ous of Men are fo far from being= 
 able to do, that we can fcarce 
 conceive it of any created Being 
 of the higheft Kank or Station. 
 A3:s y.v. i;. i8. Knoivn unto 
 Cod Alone feem all his Works ^ in 
 This Scnfe, to be from the Begin-, 
 ning of the World to the End- 
 thereof. But though we cannot 
 underfhnd the whole of the Crea- 
 tion of God, yet this does not 
 hinder, but we may underftand a 
 great deal of it ; enough to ferve 
 *^all the Purpofes of this prefent 
 Life ; enough for us to judge iii 
 general of the Power and Wildom 
 and Goodnefs of the Maker and 
 Governour of it ; and what our 
 Demeanour towards Him and to-» 
 wards one another oupht to be^ 
 By that httle which we do know* 
 
 we 
 
Canfe and Crigin of Evil. 6j 
 
 we ought to determin econcern- 
 in2 other Thinsis which we are not 
 fo certain of, and have not the 
 Means of being acquainted with ; 
 and not immediately to condemn 
 them as ufelefs or evil becaufe we 
 are ignorant of the Good or Ser- 
 vice that they do This is the Me- 
 thod we take in judging of human 
 Arts and Compofitions ; and lo 
 ought we to do in the Works of 
 Nature.Upon the firft Examination 
 of the Stradlureof the Bodies of 
 Men and Animals, there were ma- 
 ny Parts, which to the curious ap- 
 peared inconvenient or ufelefs i 
 but afterwards upon flrider En^ 
 quiry, or upon depriving theiii 
 of thofe Parts, they were found . 
 to be of great Service ; And 
 continual Improvements of the 
 fame Kind have demonflrated ^he 
 Animal Body to be fo far from 
 being /// contrived, that it is the 
 
 F moft 
 
66 An Ejtquiry into the 
 
 moft furprifingly curious and ex-* 
 ad. 
 TJjetrue In thc fame Method ouaht we to 
 
 Method • r ■ r J 
 
 of judg- g^' ^^ lorming our Judgment con- 
 hg of the ctxmn^^ all other parts of the Creati- 
 <^oodnefiQ^^ They appear atfirfl Sight to be 
 Syflem good and ufcful in fome Refpeds ; 
 i^ir ij and in thole refpeds wherein they 
 appear otherwile, we ihouid iui- 
 pend our Thoughts till we have 
 Searched more narrowly into them. 
 There is Room for perpetual Stu- 
 dy, and new Scenes of Knowledge 
 <;ontinualIy open to us. if there- 
 fore we would acquit our felves as 
 fincere and impartial Enquirers af- 
 ter Truth;, and exped to find any 
 Satisfadion in what we do ; we 
 muft be content with that Meafure 
 of Underftanding which God has 
 given us, and apply it in fuch a 
 Manner as He intended ; and not 
 blame either it or the Objeiis of 
 it, any more^than we do our Eyes^ 
 
 becaufe 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 67 
 
 becaufe we cannot diftindly fee 
 what is in every one of the Pla- 
 nets ; or thofe Planets, becaufe 
 they are fo far removed from 
 us. 
 
 This Method we naturally pro- 
 ceed in, with Refpeft to the com-^ 
 mon Arts and Sciences amongft 
 Men. We judge of the Know- - 
 ledge and Skill of the Workman 
 by his Performances 5 or by what 
 we experienceof his Skill, we judge 
 what is likely to be the Effed of 
 it : And thefe mutually affift each 
 other. So likewile in the Syftem 
 of the World, or the whole 
 Frame of Nature ; we know that 
 a Being infinitely wife, all-power^ 
 ful and good, cannot be the Au- 
 thor of any Thing, but what is 
 Worthy of thofe Perfedlions to 
 create. And confequently, fmce 
 every Thing that is^ was made by 
 Him, it muft be ruerj Goody 
 
 F a that 
 
68 ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 that is, fit for that End and Pur-*- 
 pofe, for which it was defigned. 
 Again^ on the other Hand ; From 
 obferving the Goodnefs and Excel- 
 lency of feme Parts of the Crea- 
 tion, which are fo obvious that 
 we cannot help feeing them, we 
 come to form a general Judgment 
 of the Wtfdom and Goodnefs of 
 the Creator in other Things, the 
 immediate Ufe or Benefit of 
 which to the whole, is not fo ma- 
 nifeft. Each of thefey are alTifling 
 to the other y and will at laft prove 
 coincident. It is therefore a very 
 
 food Argument a priori y the 
 brce of which no Fatalift can a- 
 void ; that as fure as we are of in- 
 finite Intelligence, Power and 
 Goodnefs, and that the Llniverfe 
 could not be the Eiffed of mere 
 Chance or NecefTity, (all which 
 have been fully and clearly demon- 
 ftrated by Others in the Courfe of 
 
 thefe 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 6p 
 
 thefe Ledui'es i^fodire arc we that 
 every Thing created by fuch a 
 Being, muft be worthy of thole 
 Perfeftions ; and that all Argu* 
 ments to the contrary, drawn from 
 the feeming E'vH or Irregularity 
 of fome Parts confidered fingly or 
 with fome private View, are onr 
 ly Arguments ad Ignorantiam, 
 This may be a general Satisfaftion ; 
 and we muft in many Things be 
 forced to acquiefce in it, unleft 
 we could hope to have Under- 
 ftanding enough to comprehend 
 at once all the Parts of the Uni- 
 verfe, and fee the End for which 
 they were intended, and the ex-i?" , 
 act Smprviency or every one orty,7/o 
 them to it. , -^^^^^ 
 
 But this hinders not, but that^;o„j^,^^j 
 under this general Apprehenfionp^'f^*^"- 
 we may with Modefty and ^igj^^reht- 
 good Intention enquire into thef^ '^^ 
 
 Works of the Creation, ''^^'^cfk!'^ 
 F 5 throughly 
 
'JO -An Enquiry into the 
 
 throughly examine and confidcr 
 thole Parts of it efpccially, which 
 f,em to call: a Shadow upon the 
 Luftre of the whole^ and to eclipfe 
 the Beauty of it. And by fo do- 
 ings we fliall jfind that fuch En- 
 quiries will either vindicate 
 the Laws of the Creation^ or 
 elfe convince us that the Defe6l 
 lies in Our Underftandings^ and 
 not in the Nature or Conftitution 
 of the Things themfelyes. Where- 
 fore before we can pronounce con- 
 cerning any Things that it is really 
 TL<vil ; we ought to confider what 
 it is we mean by E<vil^ and where- 
 in it confifts. 
 What h E'vil is a relative Term^ and ei- 
 majit by ther regards the Eeirtg it felf^ 
 which is fo ftyled^ or it refers to 
 fome other Bemgs with whom it is 
 ponnefted, or elfe it relpefls the 
 Anthor by whom it is made. With 
 
 Jlegar4 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 71 
 
 Regard to the Being 
 
 it leJf, * there is a * ^*^^ '^x^» ^ 'f^ 
 
 private Z^/e or Good^ t.;^^^!^.^;. .VO^^t,.©- 
 lome Efid or Aim to i(pU^aiV}»m. Arijiot, Eth. 
 be ferved by it ^ f^^ ;«Pmdp;». ^ 
 
 which it is naturally 
 and originally conftituted ; to- 
 wards which^ it regularly moves ; 
 and to promote which^ its Powers 
 or Faculties mofl: eafily tend. If 
 there be any Thing in fuch a Be- 
 ing which is not conducive to 
 this Etidj but^ on the contrary, 
 hinders the attaining of it \ that is, 
 if the Conftitution of it be di- 
 fturbed^ or the Powers and Fa- 
 culties of it not permitted to ex^ 
 ert themfclves and produce their 
 genuine Effeds ; fuch a Being is 
 fo far ill to its Self, is in an unnatu- 
 ral and uneafv State. And becaufe 
 there is no fuch Thing as any fi- 
 nite Being cxifting alone and /We- 
 pendent of all others, but there 
 F 4 is 
 
'J 2 "^ ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 is a Connection and Relation 
 which they have to each others 
 whereby a Syflem is compofed, 
 l^hich has a general End or Good 
 to which every one of the Parts 
 has a natural Tendency in its pro- 
 per Place: Whatever Being difturbs 
 the Order and Harmony of fuch 
 a Syftem, That Being is e^H with 
 Relpeft to othersy is ill afFeftcd 
 and injurious to them. With Re- 
 gard to the Author and Contriver 
 of fuch a Syflem, it cannot be 
 ftyled e'vil in any other Senfe, than 
 as it is unworthy of fuch an Au- 
 thor^ below the Wifdom and 
 Goodnefs of fuch a Being to cre- 
 ate it : For the Syftem is fuppofcd 
 to be as compleat as in the Na- 
 ture of Things it can be, and to 
 have no Reference to any Thing 
 elfe ; and there is really no fuch 
 Thing as Emil at all;, abflra^tly 
 confidcred. Having thus deter- 
 mined 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 73 
 
 mined what is meant by Evil ; all 
 the Evils that are, may be diftin- jiUt^lo 
 guiflied into thefe three Sorts t 
 "^ FirBy All Wants and Imprfec* 
 tions in our felves, or the Things 
 about us, the either not having, 
 or not having to that Degree 
 which other Beings have, certain 
 Powers, Faculties and Excellen- 
 cies j or elfe the IVeaknefs of thoft 
 Laws by which the material World 
 is at prefent governed, compared 
 with more perfeii ones of which 
 it is capable. 7^ . 
 
 Secondly. All natural Evils, 
 fuch as DifeafeSy Pain, Deaths 
 and the like ; which Men and all 
 other Creatures are incident to ; ^^^ ' 
 And all kind of Diforders and Ir- 
 regularities in the Things without 
 us, as Storms, Tempefts, Earth- 
 quakes, CJ'c. And 
 
 Thirdljy 
 
74 ^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Thirdly, Moral EnjtU or all. 
 thole Sins and Prices which we 
 fee committed by Men every Day, 
 and which render them fo cor* 
 rupt and.miferable. A^^^rrc . 
 
 Thefe Particulars take in the 
 whole of what can in Any fenfe 
 be called E'vH y and comprehend 
 all the Ohjcd^wns that have been 
 at any Time made againfl the 
 Conftitution and Government of 
 the World. 
 Of the 1. //r/?» I Ihallconfider thofe /F'^/^^X. 
 Wr- ^^^ Imperfections which we ex- 
 pSion. perience within our Selves, compa- 
 red with Other Beings of fuperi^ 
 our Rank, who either have Powers 
 and Facidties which we have not ; 
 or elfe have thole that are in com- 
 mon with us, to a much greater 
 Degree and Perfed:ion : And alfo 
 the IVeaknefs of thofe Laws^ by 
 which the material World is at 
 prefent governed, compared with 
 
 more 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 75 
 
 more perfeif ones which it is ca- 
 pable of. And I fhall fliow that 
 there is no juft Ground of^Com-f 
 plaint in thele Refpeds. 
 
 Before- we can form any Judg-^-^^^^ 
 ment of the Terfedion or Imper- iJfgTh 
 feciion of any Part of the Creation, requijits 
 whether animate or inanimate \^^J}^^^ 
 we muft underftand what Powers im^r- 
 and Faculties it is endued with,/eSfo?j. 
 what Laws it is fubjed: to, and what 
 is the EfFed of the right Ufe or 
 i\pplication of them ; For without 
 fuch Knowledge we can have no 
 juft Idea of the Being it felf, of 
 what Ufe it is in the World, nor 
 wherein the good or t'vii of it 
 confifts. Thus for Inftance, who- 
 ever would pretend to judge of the 
 Excellency of the planetary Syflemt 
 ought to have a particular Know- 
 ledge of the Conftitution and 
 Laws or it ; the Bignels, Diftancc 
 and Situation of thofe Bodies, 
 
 with 
 
7 5 An Enqmry into the 
 
 with Refpcd: to one another ; the 
 Laws of Motion, and the Curves 
 in whi(?h they are direded : From 
 a due comparing of- all which to- 
 gether^ it will be manifeft whe- 
 ther there be any Uniformity, 
 Proportion or Order, obferved 
 amongft them or not. And the 
 fame holds true in any One of 
 thofe Bodies, fuppofe this Earth : 
 We muft be acquainted with its 
 Dif lance from the Sun, the Obli- 
 quity of its Axis to the Plain of 
 the Ecliptick, the Properties of 
 the annual Orb in which it moves, 
 and its Rotation about its own Ax- 
 is, in Order to fee the Contrivance 
 of it, by which are produced the fe- 
 veral Climates, and the Succeflion 
 of Day and Night, Summer and Win- 
 ter, Seed-time and Harveft. And fo 
 likewife muft we proceed in the 
 Goniideration of the particular 
 Parts of it^ as the Mountains, Seas, 
 v Dcftrts 
 
Cdiife and Ortghi ofEvit. 77 
 
 t>efarts and the like, or of any of 
 the Inhabitants of them. Of thefe 
 latter, Man is the principal : Who 
 as He IS compofed of Soul ^nd 
 Body^ the One Immaterial^ endu- 
 ed with T^hought, '2^afony Liber- 
 ty and the like ; the other Matert- 
 aly endued with different Powers 
 and Organs of Senfe ; fo it is abfb- 
 lutely necefTary to have a diftindl 
 Knowledge of the Nature and Ex- 
 tent of thefe, and their mutual In- 
 fluence on each other, before we 
 can tell wherein the Perfe6iion of 
 Man confifts, or wherein he may be 
 faid to be defeHi've, 
 
 It is therefore in thefe kind of The tme 
 Inquiries, as it is in Mat hem a- ^J^^'^,^ 
 
 • J T'l TIT r of Juch 
 
 ticks. There are two Ways or com- j^^^^n^V^. 
 ing at the Truth, the one Synthe- 
 tick, and the other Analytick. 
 To this latter Method we owe all - 
 the Improvements that have been 
 made in natural Philofophy of late 
 
 Years, 
 
7 8 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Years, which will fuinifh us with 
 Anfwers to every material Objed:i- 
 on that has been made againft 
 the Syftem of the World. This 
 Analyttck Method confifts in ma-- 
 king a great Number of Experi- 
 ments and Obfervations, fufficient 
 to mable us to draw (ome general 
 Conclufion from them. Thus in 
 the forementioncd Inftances, by a 
 large Indudion of Particulars we 
 may proceed from * 
 ^Hac^««7v/Hcebit, Compounds to the 
 ex rebus compolltis ra- fimple Ingredients of 
 tiocinatione colligere / / i ^^^/:/l. 
 
 Simplices^exmotibus, ^'^^^^ ^^U ^^nm , 
 vires moventes •, & in jroW' COnjiderlYlO' tm 
 
 SfSca^ullK! ^arUcuUr Monons. 
 
 ticularibus generales; tO tm pndwg OUt thc 
 donee ad generaliffimas /T^^^^j ^^^^ ^ye nC- 
 tandem lit deventum, ^ 
 
 Neiit, Optices, Edit. Sec, cejjarj to generate 
 -P'4T3* them':, and in qene* 
 
 rat, from Effeifs 
 zve maj go to Caufes ; and the 
 more umijerfal the Effeiis are. 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil yp 
 
 fo much the more uni'verfal muft 
 the Caufe bey till at laji it ends 
 in the m of general that can be. It 
 is very tiue, that this is not a ftrid: 
 Demonflratton of the general 
 Conclufion ; becaufe That can be 
 had no other Way than by trying 
 all the Experiments that can pofli- 
 bly be made eVery where, which 
 is infinite and cndlefs ; but it is 
 the beft that the Nature of the 
 Thing is capable of, and ought to 
 be fatistacSory, if there be no one 
 Initance found to the contrary. 
 Thus by continual Experience and 
 Obfervation we find all the Parts 
 of Matter we are converfant with, 
 to be extendedy moveable and im^ 
 penetrable. And thefe being obvi- 
 ous Properties, and no fingle Ob- 
 jeftion againit them ; we juflly 
 conclude that this may be affirm- 
 ed of all the Parts of which the 
 . whole Earth is compofed ; and 
 
 from 
 
So An Etiqnirj into the 
 
 from thence by Analogy conclucfe 
 the fame of the heavenly Bodies^ 
 and of all Matter in general. And 
 fo likewife concerning any f articu- 
 lar Larp of Motion that Matter 
 is fubjefl; to : There are number- 
 lefs Experiments which convince 
 us that Bodies are heai^y, or tend 
 toward? each other with a certain 
 determinate Force. This iufficient- 
 ly appears from the different 
 Weight of fuch Bodies : And there 
 being no Inftance to the contrary 
 in fo often repeated Tryals^ we 
 reafonably infer that this is true 
 in all other Places of the Earth 
 as well as here. And becaufe it is 
 found to be in a certain proportion 
 to the Diflance and Quant ity of 
 Matter^ we apply it alfo to the 
 heavenly Bodies, and lay it down 
 as a general Law, that All Bodies 
 whatloever grazfitate towards each 
 other. This is the only Method 
 
 we 
 
Caiife and Origin of Evil 8 1 
 
 we Iiave of coming to the 
 Knowledge of the Nature and 
 Conftiturion of Things, by 
 Keafons a pojfenorh and Ct-^ 
 fervations of the Efieds, in 
 Order to find put fome fimple 
 and nniverlal Caufes or Laws ; 
 and then by Arguments a pri^ 
 oriy or from inch known and 
 eftabliflied CauleSj to collect 
 particular Effeds in fuch Cafes 
 where we have no Means or 
 Opportunity of making the Ex- 
 periments<< 
 
 And this is very different frortithe Dif- 
 the Method of the Epicureans^fT'-^, 
 
 • I ,._, * y^ betwixt 
 
 and Tertpateticks : The jormtrthhMs' 
 of which endeavoured to explain ^^^'^'^j!^ 
 the Syltem ot Nature by Hypotm-themitl' 
 fes which were only Fidicns of ^^'^ ^^^" 
 
 T • »*• 1 111 T- lofoVh£l?4 
 
 their own Mmd, and had no boun- 
 
 dation in the Nature cf Things 
 
 nor were of any Ufe in, nor could. 
 
 , thfey be proved by experimental 
 
 G Philo- 
 
82 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Philofophy ; The latter attempted 
 to folve the fame Pha^nomena, by 
 afcribing to every Species oi 
 Things, fome fpecifck or occult 
 Qualities^ upon which the Adi- 
 ons of all Bodies depended^ in a 
 ]\/Ianner wholly unknown to them. 
 And if any one asked whence any 
 particular Efteds proceeded, as 
 luppofe, what is the Caufe of 
 Gravitation or Electricity ; it was 
 thought a fufficient Aniwer to fay, 
 that it arofe from the JSlature of 
 the Body i or horn a particular §}jM^ 
 litj that lay hid in it, without fo 
 much as attempting to explain what 
 that Jslature and Gluality was. 
 This is indeed to put Mames in^ 
 ftead of T^htnqs, and to amufe 
 Mankind with a Shadow of Know* 
 ledge, which leads them into Ob- 
 fcurity and Error, inilead of Light 
 and Truth. Whereas on the con- 
 trary, if from the Phenomena we 
 
 arc 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 8^ 
 
 Are able to derive lome few genC' . 
 ral Laws or Principles, which are 
 not hidden and occult, but mani- ^**^ 
 feft and obvious ClualitieSiCthough 
 perhaps the Caufcs of fuch Qua- 
 lities may be wholy unknown;) and 
 from thefe Principles endeavour to 
 explain the AcSions and Properties 
 o( corporeanhin^s : This is to go 
 in a rational Way, and is the only 
 one that can give us any tjue Satis- 
 faction, and by which we can make 
 any real Improvement in explain- 
 ing the Wildomof the Creation, 
 Having premifed this in general, 
 to fhow what Method we ought to 
 proceed in^ and what is reafona- 
 ble to be expeded in Enquiries of 
 this Nature : 
 
 I come now to confider particu- f^jereh 
 Jarly wherein the E'vil o£ In^pr-^finwlr- 
 fe£tion confitts ; and That in the iol-fe^hn 
 lowma, Kefpeds. Ftrft^ with Re-''*' 
 gard to corporeal Thii;igs and the 
 G 2 Laivs 
 
84 ^^ Enquiry into the' 
 
 Latvs they are fubjed to. Secondly^ 
 with Regard to animal Creatures ' 
 and the Poivers they are endued 
 with'. And ^hirdiyy with Regard 
 to Aieny and the Faculties peciiU- 
 ar to Them. Stridly and proper- 
 ly fpeaking, there can be no fnch 
 Thing as PerfeHion any where but 
 in Gody who is' immenfe, eternal, 
 omnipotent, a^Uwife and good. All 
 other Beings, of how high a Rank 
 or Station fo ever, are but depen- 
 dant and hmited Beings ; They 
 owe their Original and all that they 
 pofTefs^j to the fupreme Being > 
 who as He o-ave them it out of 
 his own Will and good Pleafure, 
 fo He can deprive them of it a- 
 gain when He fees fit. When*^ 
 ever therefore v/e fpeak of Perjec- 
 tton and ImferfeBwn with RefpecS . 
 to finite and created Beings, we 
 mean only in a relati've Senfe, com- 
 pared one with another : So that 
 
 th© 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil %S 
 
 the EiJtl of Impcrfe^ion is not 
 properly any E'Vil at all, but 
 the necejfary Confequence of being 
 jinite and dependant. And the 
 Obje(n:ion holds equally againft 
 all created Beings whatfoever ; it not 
 being polTible to iuppofc any Be- 
 ings, of how hicrh a Rank foever, 
 but there may be conceived Others 
 (till higher, vvithRefpeft to whom 
 they may be more imPerfe^ : So 
 that either there ought to have been 
 no created Beings at all, or eife 
 the Evil of Jmperfedfion will una- 
 voidably follow. And hence arifes 
 the diftertnt Stare and Condition 
 of all Created Beings. God AL 
 mighty is infinitely Happy in the 
 Enjoyment oi his own unfpeaka- 
 ble Pcrfedions ; nothing can add 
 "^o, or diminifh from his Happi- 
 ne(s ; fo that with Refped to 
 that, it is all one whether any o- 
 iher Beings had exilled or no; T'hey 
 G 3 car^ 
 
8^ An Enquiry into the 
 
 can contribute nothing towards it ; 
 it is of his good Pleafure only, 
 that they are and were created. 
 The whole o( thif therefore, muft 
 be refolved into the divine Will. 
 Infinite Underftanding kmzvs all 
 the 'Things that are poffible to be 
 done, all the infinite Variety of 
 Creatures that can be made, what 
 they are capable of and fubjefl 
 to. Omnipotence can do all that 
 can be done, can create any or 
 all, at any Time and in any 
 place, ot thofe Variety of Crea- 
 tures. And infinite Wifdom can 
 judge of the Kind, of the Num- 
 ber, of the Time, Place^ Durati- 
 on and ail other Circumftances re- 
 lating to them. With Rcfpefi to 
 the iupreme Being therefore, we 
 may concerning Thefe affiim with 
 Mofes^ Gen, I. that tchold they 
 are all very (jood^ that is^ fitted 
 
 for 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 87 
 
 for thofe Ends and Purpofcs intend- 
 ed by the Creator. 
 
 Thus^ to begin with the inferior r/;^/;«- 
 Part of the Creation. Let us con- P^^fectz- 
 fider the Nature of material Things^ ^^^^^^.^^^^ 
 and the Laxps they are capable p^?tr/ 
 of. Space is infinite and bound- ^^'^^/^^ 
 lels, and coniequcntiy can contain^^^y^/. 
 Variety of all Kinds of Beings , 
 A^atter is finite and limited^ and 
 there is a greater Quantity of it 
 in fome Places than in others of 
 the fame Dimenfions^ as is evident 
 from their different Weight ; 
 Whence it follows that Space is ne- 
 ceffary^ in the fame Manner as 
 Time or Duration is neceffary ; And 
 the very Suppofition of its Ab- 
 fence is a Ccntradiftion ; For let 
 any one fix in his Mind a p^rticu^ 
 lar Part of Space, fuppofe a Cu- 
 bick Foot, and then try to ima- 
 gine its Abfcnce. This will be 
 a Cubick Foot of Nothing , which 
 
 G ^ is 
 
88 An Enquiry into the 
 
 js an exprefs ContradiSion^ be- 
 Cdufe nothing has no Properties^ 
 and confequently no Dimcnfions. 
 Wherefore there mufi: ncceffarily 
 be fome Suhjeti aftually exifting 
 without us, to which thele Relati- 
 ons belong. But this cannot be af- 
 firmed of jMatter : For as That is 
 adually abfcnt from fome Places^ 
 ^0 it might have been abfent from 
 all ; Its Exiftance therefore is not 
 ncceffary^ but depends upon the 
 Will of the Supreme Being. And 
 the fame may be faid alfo of its 
 Quantity ; As it does not fill all 
 Space, it might have been more or 
 le[s\ and there can be no other Rea- 
 fon afligned for this determinate 
 Meafure of it^ but only the mere 
 Will of him that created ic The 
 , Exifiance of only this particular 
 Qiiantity of Matter, cannot be 
 called E^il\ Becaufe it is not at 
 all inconfiftent with the Notions 
 
Canfe and Origin of FviL 89 
 
 we have of infinite Power and 
 Wifdonij to create any of all the 
 pofTible Things that are the Ob- 
 jeds of {kxcXi rower and U^ifdom , 
 and becaufe there is no Objedion 
 againfl this particular Qiiantity, 
 but what will hold ec[ually againfl 
 any other Quantity. 
 
 After fuch Creation, the nextThelm^ 
 Thing to be confidered is ^^^Inaflhe 
 fozvers or Qualities o( (uch Jidat- particu. 
 ter. It is in It felf merely paffive, \Z ^T 
 that IS, nidifterent either as to Matter, 
 Red or Motion : It will continue 
 in either of thofe States, by recei- 
 ving Motion in Proportion to the 
 Force that imprciTes it, and refill: 
 as much as it is refifted. This 
 Principle fuppofes nothing but 
 Exifiance ^ Nothing more is requi- 
 red than the preferving it in Being, . 
 and it is a neceflary Gonfequence. 
 But by this pafjlve Principle alone, 
 Bodies could never have been put , 
 
 intcf 
 
po An Enquiry into the 
 
 into Motion : Some a£H^e Prinpir 
 pie was neceflary in Order to begin 
 fuch Motion : And if the Quanti- 
 ty of it varies, or the J^etermtnar 
 tion of it be altered, Inch aHl'Ve 
 fprificiple is neceflary in Order to 
 effed: thofe Changes. Hence it 
 follows, that as Matter is capable 
 of MotioUy and there are infinite 
 De^^rees o( Velocity, and infinitely 
 various Determinations of fuch 
 Velocity, in every Aloment of 
 Time and every Point of Space ; 
 it muft be fubjecl: to have any 
 particular Laws impreffed upon 
 it, according to the Will of Him 
 who governs it ; None of which 
 • Lazvs can properly be ftyled E'VtL 
 The hn- but in their own Natur-e perfeflly 
 
 thofe So likewile when we comider 
 
 l^^^^of 2^atter^ not as one uniform Sub- 
 whkh ftancCy whofe Parts are necefl^anly 
 Mrt^frfs connefted with each other ; but 
 to. ^^ 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil pi 
 
 as confiding of an infinite Numr 
 ber of Particles, which are all di- 
 flind: Subflances, and adually fe? 
 parated and independant of each 
 other ; It is manifeft, that fuch 
 Particles, may be of very different 
 Q^agmtudes and Shapes ; their 
 Order and Pofition may alfo be as 
 different ; The neceflary Relult of 
 which, will be various Compofiti- 
 ons, arifing from fuch Textures : 
 Every Om of which Gompofiti- 
 ons was originally intended by 
 Him who formed it, and confe- 
 quently is merely arbitrary, and to 
 be refolved into his Will. 
 
 Thefe and fuch like Gonfidera- iy^wce 
 tioiis will help us to account for^^^^^'^* 
 the Appearances or the material of the 
 World; and convince us that t\io{c^natenal 
 Things which have been thought ^^^^^^^g. 
 /// or Irregular in it, are fuch Im-wralac" 
 ■pcrfe^ions only, as are effentiallyj-^"'^^^^ 
 in the JSlaturc of the Things 
 
 them- 
 
pZ ^ Jn Enqituy into the 
 
 tliemfelves, and the neceffary Re- 
 iult of thofe Laws thev are fub- 
 jecS to : As will be evident fiom a 
 particular View of them. Sfac^ 
 is infinite and boundlefs, capable 
 of receiving numberlefs Sjftems of 
 all poffible Kinds ', But whether all 
 iuch are adually created or no, 
 we know not ; Great Variety we 
 have Reafon to think there are, 
 from the Analogy of the fixed 
 Stars to the Sun, of which we fee 
 no End : And they fhining by 
 their own Light, and being at 
 fuch vaft Diltances from each 
 other, feem to be Centers about 
 which planetary Bodies revolve, 
 whofe reflected Light is too faint 
 to reach our Eye. About thcfe 
 therefore we have veiy little more 
 than Con jefture ; But concerning 
 this Syftem in which we bear a 
 part, we have Means of knowing 
 enough to judge of the Excellen- 
 cy 
 
Caufe ami Oright of EziL ^ 5 
 
 cyand Perfedion of it. That deter-* 
 minate Gluantity of Sfacc which 
 the heavenly Bodies pcffefs, as alio 
 That detcrminate^i^;7f/M' oiAUt- 
 ter of which they are conipofed ; 
 the J)injifwn of it into fuch a par- 
 ticular J\[umhcr of Bodies> the 
 placing them at fuch DiflanccSf 
 and the inrprcffing fuch Laws of 
 Motion upon them ; are originally 
 themanifeftEffed oi Choice and not 
 oi Neeesjity'i For ^W admits of no 
 Variation ; and in the Nature of 
 the Things themfelves, there can 
 be no Reafon of preferring one 
 to the other. But as the iupreme 
 Being has an abfolute Right to 
 create all Sorts of Creatures, and 
 propofes fuch a particular End of 
 Pcrfe^ion in each of them : If e- - 
 very Thing be the moft condu- 
 cive poflible to Thaty 'tis very un- 
 reafonable to call it illy when it is 
 the natural and genuine EfFed of 
 
 thoffi 
 
94 -^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 thofe Laws which the Things are 
 fubjecfl to. 
 Aniof Thus it appears by Obfervation, 
 Itelary' ^hat there are but JfX Planets be- 
 Sypem zwlonging to this Sun ; Againft which 
 farticu- Number there can be no Objefti- 
 on made, but what will affed any 
 other Number, it being merely 
 indifferent in it Self ; And perhaps 
 in other Syltems there are different 
 Numbers, and fo there may have 
 been or may yet be in tku. By 
 Obfervation hkewife it appears 
 whsLt particular Laws of Motion 
 thefe Bodies are fubjed to ) That 
 they not only move about the Sun^ 
 but that their periodical Times 
 are in a ^fefoiut-alterate Proportion 
 of their Dijiances ; that is, the 
 Squares of their periodical Times 
 are as the Cubes of their Diflances^ 
 This Proportion is the neceffary 
 Refult of that Lawoi Gravity, to 
 which the material Syfiem is at 
 
 prefent 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil ^^ 
 
 prefent Subjeft ; Which Law is e- ^ 
 vidently not ejjential to Matter,, 
 but originally is the mere Effeft 
 of Choice ; which poflibly extends 
 not to other Syftems, and may 
 not for ever be the Rule in this. 
 And there can be no Complaint 
 made of it, but would have been 
 made for the fame Reafon againft 
 any other. So likewife if we fup- 
 pofe any of the Circumftances of 
 this Syftem different, the Effcfts 
 will be different likewife ; and a 
 new Appearance of Things will 
 follow^ which in a comparative 
 Scnfe only may be called better or 
 VPorfe. 
 
 Thus, to inftance in one Particu-7/;gpj[,^- 
 lar, «z//%. our Earth ; The moftnar'*«'^«^«« 
 tural and fimple Motion, is that oi2i^-^^Jy^ 
 ftreight Line ^ To produce any ccr- Aotm 
 tain invariable Decree of which /'i'^;"^^' 
 notnmg more is requilite than one 
 fingle proportionate Imprefllon^ 
 
 and 
 
g6 Ah Enquiry into tPJe 
 
 and in this State it Would by the 
 mere Laws of Nature continue 
 for ever. But in Order to any 
 compound Motion, as That in eve- 
 ry Cur^ve is ^ 'tis neceflary that in 
 every ^oint of Space^ and every 
 Aloment of Time, a new Dirc£ii- 
 on fliould be given to it^ by a con- 
 tinually repeated Imprcflion : Ac- 
 cording to the F(?rr^ of which, com- 
 pared with the Projcftile Motion 
 and the Direftion^ will the Kind 
 of the Curve be. If the projeSile Dc- 
 termination^ or Direftion of the 
 Tangent, be perpendicular to the 
 Diftance from the Center or the 
 Radius ; and the Velocity be fuch^ as 
 that the Force with which the Bo- 
 dy would fly off in a ftreightLine^ 
 be equal to that Force with which 
 it tends to the Center, it would 
 revolve about that Center in an 
 cxafl: Circle ; But if the Pofition 
 of the Tangent be oblique to the 
 
 Kaains 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, gj 
 
 ^admSy it will move in fome 
 other CurvCy according to the De- 
 gree of fuch OUicjuttyy and the 
 Velocity given to the projcded 
 Body. And hence it is, that the 
 Earth moves about the Sun in an 
 Elliffsy of which the Sun is the 
 Focus ; The necelTary Confequence 
 of which is, that the Areas de- 
 fcribed by it are exaflly proportio- 
 ned to the TTimes ; that the Velo- 
 fitjy with which it moves, is great- 
 er in fome Part of its Orbit than 
 in others, according as the Force 
 with which it tends to the Sun, con- 
 fpires with, or retards the projeiflle 
 Force ; and that one Half of the 
 Year is by feveral Days longer 
 than the other. 
 
 The fame may be applyed toallr/;ePW 
 the other PlamtSy and the Irrem'^'r^^^^'' 
 larittes of them will be found to Flanets 
 arife from this Principle : In order^^''^^'^'" 
 tor them to partake ot the Lighted for, 
 
 H and 
 
p8 An Efiquiry hito the 
 
 and Heat of cKe Sun, it was necefla- 
 ry that they fhould revolve about it, 
 at fuch particular Diibnces, and 
 in fuch determinate periodical Re- 
 volutions, as are adjufied to their 
 refpedive Denfities ; and which 
 upon the whole, is mod conducive 
 to obtain the defigned End and 
 EffecS. It appears by Obfervati- 
 on, that they all defcribe Ellipfes 
 about the Sun, as the common 
 Focus of all their Orbs ; the na- 
 tural and neceffary Effeft of 
 which is^ that T'hey like wife in 
 the fame Manner as the Earth, de- 
 fcribe Areas exadly proportioned to 
 the Times, and movefwifter when 
 they are nearer the Sun, than 
 when they are farther of 5 and 
 that their Year, or periodical Re- 
 volution is divided into two une- 
 qual Parts, as ours is. All which 
 arife from the fame Principle, 
 hamely the Degree of projcdile 
 
 Force 
 
Cauje and Origin ofEviL 99 
 
 Force at fiifi: imprelTed upon them; 
 and the particular Determination, 
 or Inclination of the Tangent tothe 
 Radius or Dillance from the Cen- 
 ter ; compared with the Force of 
 Gravitation or Tendency towards 
 fiich Center. None of Thefe c^n 
 he ftyled E'vil or Irregular when 
 confidered fingly ; and when com- 
 pared together, they are only re- 
 latively lo ; as in the Nature and 
 Reafon of Things, fome muft be 
 more excellent, have more uleful 
 Properties, and ferve better Purpo- 
 fes than others. There are vari- 
 ous Figures in which Bodies are 
 capable of moving ; and abflrad:- 
 !y confidered, there can be no 
 Reafon why one fhould be prefer- 
 red to another. Thus a Circle, an 
 Ellipfis, a Parabola, (^c, are in 
 themfelves equally good, though 
 they have different Properties ; and 
 it feems much more agreeable, 
 
 H 1 that », 
 
loo ^^i Enquiry into the 
 
 that the infinite Wifdom and Pow"- 
 er of the Creator to whom they 
 are all alike poffible, fhould be 
 difplayed in making all the Vari- 
 ety that can be ; than that He 
 fliould be confined to fome few 
 Particulars excluhve of the Reft. 
 And this is confirmed by Experi- 
 ence in the Works of the Creati- 
 on. The Planets do all adually 
 m^ove about the Sun in Elhpfes, 
 and the Comets in Ellipfes fo very 
 large, that their Curvatures are in- 
 fenfibly different from thofe of 
 Parabola's : And there are Inftan- 
 ces in Nature where Bodies are ex- 
 adly moved in Parabola's and Hy- 
 porbola's, as in Projeftiles^ and 
 the Afcent of Fluids. And what 
 other Curves, or different Species 
 cf thefcy may be applyed to other 
 Syftems, we do not certainly know ; 
 But there is juft Ground to think, 
 ^..that there is infinite Variety, be^ 
 
 caufe 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. loi 
 
 caiiie the Degrees of projedlile 
 Force are infimre ; the Determina- 
 tion of it, with Refped: to the Ra- 
 dius is infinitely different, accord- 
 ing to the Angle it makes; and the 
 Force of Gravitation may alfo de- 
 creafe in any Proportion of Di- 
 ftance ; The Reiult of which, will 
 be fo many different Curves, all 
 equally harmonious in their proper 
 Places. Thus we fee the Motion 
 oi: every one of the heavenly Bo- 
 dies Gonfiderd feparately, is exaQ:- 
 ly regular and uniform about the 
 Sun, preferved by that fmgle Prin- 
 ciple of Gravitation, which hin- 
 ders them more or lefs every Mo- 
 ment from flying: oft in ftrei^ht 
 Lines. In the iame Manner as 
 we fee by Experience, that if two 
 homogeneous Bodies ot different 
 Magnitudes be connefted together 
 by a T^hread or JVire, ^nd a Center 
 \)i: found by dividing the Diffance 
 H '. in 
 
lOl An Enquiry into the 
 
 in reciprocal Proportion to their 
 Magnitudes ; when they are once 
 put in Motion, they will for ever 
 revolve about that Center, unlefs 
 hindred by fome external Force. 
 And the fame Reafon holds, 
 whatever Sort of Matter it be, 
 or how much foever we increafe 
 the Diftance or Qiiantity of it ; 
 So that if this be applyed to the 
 Sun and any of the Planets, it ap- 
 pears upon Calculation to be the 
 very fame in Them like wife. 
 Thefame Having thus confidered the fe- 
 
 mhe ^^^'^' ^^^^^ °f ^^"'^^ Syftem fingly, 
 Tphole and the Laws they are governed 
 ^"^' by ; let us now put them together, 
 and examine what is the Reiult oi 
 fucha Compofition. It is evident 
 that the Sun was created to com- 
 municate Light and Heat. Each 
 ok which decreafmg in a certain 
 Proportion, q;i^, as the Squares 
 oi the Diftances increafe ; they 
 
 can.' 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 105 
 
 can be of Ufe to other Bodies^ to 
 a determinate DiCance only^ and 
 in Proportion to their rcfpcftive 
 Denhties : And hence it is that -^ 
 their Number is limited^ and 
 that they extend but to a certain 
 Diifiance. A Luminous and Hot Bo- 
 dy^ difi^ifes its Light and Heat 
 iiniformly all round : The mod 
 convenient Place for it therefore 
 is the Center; 'And thejc being 
 Qiialicies peculiar to the Sun^ it 
 is for this Reaton made the Cen^ 
 ter of the planetary Syftcm ; every 
 part of which^ as it depends up- 
 on the Influence of theSun^ fo it is 
 proportion'd to it in every Refpefl:. 
 Thefe two Properties^ as they are 
 the moft ufcful^ fo they are the 
 mort: univerfal f, For fome degree 
 of Heat i? neccllary to all kinds of 
 Vegetation and Animal Motion ; 
 No Planets or living Creatures 
 could be at all produced or fubfiil: 
 H 4 with- 
 
IC4 -^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 without it. And without Light^ 
 both rational and irrational Crea- 
 tures would be in utter Confuli- 
 on^ not knowing which w^ay to 
 direci: themfelves^ but would per- 
 petually interfere with each other. 
 It is neceilary therefore that every 
 one of the heavenly Bodies fliould 
 be adjufted to the Sun, both as 
 to their Denfity, Diftance^ Quan- 
 tity of Matter, and the like; 
 that they may all rec^eive from it the 
 greatcft Benefit they are capable 
 of. And thus upon ftrift Enqui- 
 ry they appear to be ; The Hear^ 
 (and Light which is proportionable 
 to the Heat) proceeding from the 
 Sun^ is as rhe Denfity of its Rays^ 
 rhat is^ (if the Sun beconfidered as a 
 Point, as it may very well be 
 compared with the whole Syftem^ 
 'tis reciprocally as the Squares of 
 the Di fiances : So that were we 
 tvric: as far rem<:)ved from the Sun 
 
 as 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 105 
 
 as we now are^ we fhould have 
 but a fourth part of the Light and 
 Heat we now enjoy : And were 
 we four times as far^ we fhould 
 have but a fixteetitb part fo much. 
 But it is neceffary alfo to take in 
 the Denfity of the Bodies to 
 be heated : Bccaufe two Bo^ 
 dies of unequal Denfities^ fuch as 
 Lead and IVood^ will not be equal- 
 ly heated at the fame Difiance. 
 Wherefore (Ince all the Planets 
 could not revolve about the 
 Sun at the fame Difiance^ their ' 
 Denfities muft be, ceteris paribus^ 
 greater or lefs at different Diftan- 
 ces. And thus upon examination 
 we obferve them to be : Jupiter 
 is more denfe than Saturn^ and the 
 Earth more denfe than Jupiter ; 
 and Mercury probably is much 
 more denfe than any of them ; 
 (though we have as yet no certain 
 Means of finding out his Denfity :) 
 
 For 
 
Io6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 For it appears upon Computation 
 
 "^j that were ourEarth 
 
 ^ Aqua note, fi r removed frnm 
 
 Terra locaretur in Orbe ^S lar removea irom 
 
 Saturni, rigefceret, fi the Sun as SaturtJ ^ 
 
 m Orbe Mercurii in ^[^^ ^^j-^^ ^.q^jj ^^ 
 
 vapores itatim abiret. ., , . 
 
 ]Sewt. ibil ^^i turned inio Ice ^ 
 
 and were it as near 
 
 the Sun as Mercury^ it would boil 
 
 all away Into Vapours. I fay^ this 
 
 . Proportion of the Denfities to . the 
 
 Diftances, is only ceteris paribus , 
 
 becaufe this Rule does not hold 
 
 in the Imallcr Bodies (luch as the 
 
 Moon^) which are more denfe 
 
 than the larger, ior another Rea- 
 
 fon-j-^ «z/zx. that the 
 
 t Denfiores itaqj funt Force of Gravitation 
 
 Planets qui fant mino- ^ ^^cir feveral Su- 
 
 res, ceteris paribus. *■ r ' ■ i 
 
 Sic enim Vis gravitatis perhcies might ap- 
 
 in corum Superficiebus, proach nearer to an E- 
 
 ad sequalitatem magis 
 
 accedit. Sed & denfio- quality. In 
 
 general 
 
 res funt Planetas, cste- therefore the Planets 
 itinnw''^"'frv°" are placed atfuchdif- 
 
 Jipropiores; ut Jupiter r -i-v-n 
 
 Satuino, & Terra Jove. lerent Diltances irom 
 
 the 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil T07 
 
 the Sun, that each of J,n diverts utlque Df- 
 
 , • L^ • itantnsa lolecollocau" 
 
 them might enjoy a ^i erant Planed, ut 
 
 proportionable Quan- quilibet pro gradu Den- 
 
 tlty Ot 4-lght ana majore vel minore fm. 
 Heat, according to eretur. Newt. Frincip. 
 
 the Dep-ree of rheir l^j!: ^''' \'^- W. B-.p. 
 
 r CY- T-v r • VUl. Carol 4. 
 
 refpective Denlities. . 
 The Planet Mercury^ 
 which is fo much nearer to the 
 Sun than we^ is in a due Propor- 
 tion fo much denfer ; and the Pla- 
 net Saturn, which is fo much far-' 
 ther remote, is alfo proportiona- 
 bly rarer. And by this Means 
 Light and Heat are the moft ufe- 
 fully difFufed throughout the 
 whole Syftem. Had it been o- 
 therwife, thole who are nearefl 
 the Sun, would have been deftroy- 
 ed by exceffive Heat; and thofe 
 which are mofl remote, by extreme 
 Cold ; whereas They all now en-^ 
 joy a due Temperature fuited to 
 their rclpefti ve Ufes, 
 ^ An4 - 
 
'lo8 An Enquiry into the 
 
 7hep.tr' And this naturally leads us to 
 
 ticular i i t • • i 
 
 Lcnpby ei^quire what that Law in particular 
 which is, by which the Planets are thus ad? 
 mir j"^^<^> ^"^ what the Confetjuence 
 Syiiemis of it is. And this can be known 
 governed. Q^\y j^y Obfervation and Experi- 
 ence of the Fad:s. There are in- 
 nuiTierable Laws in the Nature and 
 Keafon of Things, arifing from 
 different Suppofitions of feveral 
 Degrees of Velocity, Centripetal 
 Force and the like, every one of 
 which are equally theObjecfl of the 
 great Creator's fower ; And it can 
 be refolded only into his IVtfdom 
 and IVtll-i which particular onei out 
 of the infinite Variety, fhall be 
 obferved in any Syflem ; Which 
 ^when it is once determined, What- 
 ever is the natural Refult of that, 
 ou^ht to be elteemed the mofl 
 perfedf and compleat in its Kind ; 
 And whatever Defeiis there may 
 feem to be, which unavoidably 
 
 flow 
 
Catife and Origin of Evil, 105 
 
 flow from hence, they cannot pro- - 
 perly be flyled E'vil in them (elves, 
 but 'only comparatively leis goody^ 
 and fuch as cannot be prevented 
 or remedied but by changing the 
 Nature of the Things themfelves, 
 and giving new Laws to them. 
 Thus That Law of Motion which 
 obtains amoneft all the great Bo- 
 dies throughout this Syftem, is 
 what Aftronomers call a fcfoitii- 
 alterate Proportion of their perio- 
 dical Times to their Diftances; 
 that is, the Sciuares of their peri- 
 odical Times are as the Cubes of 
 their Diftances. This Laio is ne- 
 ceffary under the prefent Circum- 
 ftances of the Creation, to pre- 
 ferve that Order and Harmony 
 which is now eftablifhed in it ; But 
 originally it might have beenother- 
 wiie, and it is now wholly owing to 
 that univerfal Principle of Gravi- 
 cation^ which in all Bodies is in 
 
 Proportion 
 
i 10 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Proportion to the Quantity of 
 Matter contained in them, and 
 decreafes as the Square of the Di- 
 fiance increafes. 
 This Law This Property is noWayeffen- 
 rmght 0' ^i^\ j-Q Matter ; becaufe we can 
 have been conceive Matter to be abfolutely at 
 diprent reft, and therefore indifferent to, and 
 ^^^tztzV capable of all Kinds of Motion 
 ^low* arid particular Determinations of 
 it ; but it appears to be univer- 
 fally imprefTed upon Matter, and 
 to extend it felf from the greateft 
 Bodies to the moft minute Particles 
 cf which they are compofed. 
 And if we fuppofe any Alteration 
 here, the whole Frame of Nature is 
 immediately changed. Thus if 
 the Force of Gravitation in the 
 feveral Planets towards the Sun, 
 . had been greater or lefs according 
 to the fimple direft Proportion of 
 their Diftances; they would all 
 have revolved about the Sun, in 
 
 the 
 
Cdufe and Origin of EziL III 
 
 the fame Time : So that their 
 Years would have been of the 
 fame Length in the nearefl Planets, 
 as in the faitheft of. If the 
 Force of Gravitation, inflead of 
 decreafmg as the Squares of the 
 Diftance increafe, (as it does now,) 
 had decreafed fimply as the Di- 
 ftance increafed, then the periodical 
 Revokitions ot them would have 
 been greater or leffer exacHy in 
 Proportion to their refpeftive Di- 
 f lances direS:Iy. Any of thefe 
 Laws might have been originally 
 impreffed on this Syftem, or they 
 may adually be fo on others ; and 
 the Refult would have been 
 only different Appearances^ and 
 different Efteds from what we 
 experience now: But abflrad:- 
 ly confidered, they had been equal- 
 ly ^(?(?^', and, with Keiped to the 
 infinite Creator of all Things, 
 equally the Objed of his WiWom 
 
 and 
 
i 12 ^n Enquiry into thu 
 
 and Power. Though thus much 
 muftbe faid inFavour of die prefent 
 Law, that thereby the Planets are 
 retained in regular Curves ; where- 
 as if we fuppofe Gravity to be in 
 a reciprocal Proportion of the Di- 
 fiance on the one Hand, or in a 
 triplicate Proportion of the Diftance 
 diredlly^ on the other Hand ; there 
 are no re2;ular Curves at all, that 
 we know of, in which they could 
 move: Which perhaps may beaRea- 
 fon why no fuch Forces fhould be 
 impreffed. There are other Laws 
 which are equally poffible, but 
 which by the great Inconvenience 
 which would immediately follow, 
 feem not at all probable to be put in 
 Execution ; except it be to brino- 
 about fome remarkable Changes 
 or Events. Thus if the gravitating 
 Force had decreafed, as the Cubes 
 of the Diftance increafe, and 
 not as the Squares ; the Planets 
 
 would 
 
Caufe dnd Origin of Evil 1 1 3 
 
 would all have moved in fpiral 
 Lines,and(according to the Diredi- 
 on of the projedile Force, ^iz^. the 
 Inclination of the Tangent to the 
 Radius or Diflance from the Sun,) 
 would immediately have ran into 
 or off from the Sun, and have been 
 deftroyed by exceffive Cold or 
 Heat. I have inflanced in thefe 
 Proportions fo particularly, becaufe 
 they are abfolutely necefTary to be 
 known, in Order to give us a true 
 Notion of the prefent Syftem of 
 the World ; to fliow the Wifdom 
 and Contrivance of its excellent 
 ArchiteS: ; and the Weaknefs and 
 Folly of thofe who pretend to 
 find Irregularities in it. 
 
 Every fmgle Circumftance is j,. ^ . 
 evidently the Effed: o( Choice, ^tnd the J^lii 
 not of Chance or Necejjky. As ^/J^-'^^'^^ 
 Space is infinite. That Part which jsiecepy 
 comprehends this Syftem, might o^CZ-Mwcr^ 
 nave been much greater or lefs, 
 
 I accord* 
 
1 14 -An Enquiry into the 
 
 according to the mere Will oi Him 
 .who preicnbcd it ; And as the 
 Qjianttty and Kind and Divtfion 
 oi the /W^/(fr contained in it^ is alio 
 equally arbitrary, Tlceje alio might 
 have been entirely different accord- 
 ing to His good Pleaiure ; And fo 
 hkewife miciht the Laws of Moti- 
 on, by which they are every one 
 direded. The whole Compofiti- 
 on therefore is iuch, as the great 
 Creator intended it fhould be ; 
 who propofing a certain End by it, 
 adjufled all the original Forces, fo 
 as bed to attain that End : And 
 having determined the T^ime of its 
 Continuance, and the Mutations it 
 fhould undergo, ordered the whole 
 Connexion accordingly. What this 
 ^' c^eneial End is, 'tis impoffible 
 for us to find out, or for our nar- 
 rowCapacities fully to comprehend J 
 the Extent of the whole material 
 World being fo 'very g^reat, and 
 the Parts lo numerous and fo 
 
 Ihidly 
 
Caufe and Origm of Evil. 1 15 
 
 flfifily conneded together. And 
 the lame may be affirmed of ma- 
 ny of thofe Parts, and the (everal 
 Ufes and Purpofes for which They 
 are intended. But this hinders not, 
 but that we may find out fome of 
 thefe particular Uies, and approach 
 nearer and nearer to the generalEnd, ' 
 by repeated Obfervation and Im- 
 provement. Thus by the Analogy 
 there is betwixt the Planets and our 
 Earth, <viZj. that They alio are dark 
 Bodies revolving about the Sun 
 pretty near in the Plain of the 
 Ecliptick ; that their Axes are 
 inclined to this Plain ; and that 
 they turn about fuch Axes ; It is 
 very natural to colled, that They 
 alfo are inhabited by fevcral Spe- 
 cies ' of Animals^ who ftand in 
 Need of Li2;ht and Pleat, and the 
 hke. For by this Means, They 
 muft in the Gourfe of Things 
 have, tike us, a regular Succeflion 
 or Wmter and Summer, Day and 
 
 I z Night, 
 
il6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Niglit; and muft alfo have different 
 Climates. The Comets feem to be 
 the moil: extraordinary Appearances 
 ixx Nature, and to have been as yet 
 leafl accounted for ; having been 
 thought very irregular and lubjecffc 
 to no certain Laws. But from la- 
 ter Obfervations and more ftrid: 
 Enquiry, even Thefe alfo are 
 found to move in very regular 
 Curves, and to be fituated in the 
 beft Pofition with Refpetft to each 
 other ; and to be of coniiderable 
 Ufe. They appear to be very 
 numerous; Which Confideration a- 
 lone is fufhcient to fu^scft to us, 
 that there mufi be great Occafion 
 for them in fuch a Syftem as this. 
 They are a Kind of Planets, being 
 large and denfe Bodies, with very 
 grofs Atmofpheres, and are capa- 
 ble of emitting great Quantities of 
 Vapours, as appears from the Big- 
 nefs and Length of their Tails ; 
 And they revolve about the Sun 
 
 Hi 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 117 
 
 in very large Ellipfes, of which the 
 Sun is one of the Focas's. From 
 all which we may colled: fome of 
 their principal LIfes alfo. The 
 Body of the Sim mufi: neceffarily 
 be diminifhed by that vaft Quanti- 
 ty of Light that is perpetually e- 
 mitted from it, and therefore in 
 Time will decay and ftand in • 
 need of a Supply of frelh Mate- 
 rials for Fewel. Thefe may be 
 had from Comets ; For by 
 Obfervation we find that They 
 lometimes approach very near the 
 Body of the Sun, and confequendy 
 miift at laft fall into 
 It ; * For by Keafon 
 oi their prodigious 
 Swiftnefs at that 
 Time, and the Den- 
 fity of the Sun's At- 
 mofphere, their Mo- 
 tion muft be fome- 
 what refiftod ^'ud 
 I 1 
 
 ^ Propter fummain 
 Velocitatem in Vicinia 
 ilia, & Denfltatem ali- 
 quam Atmofphsras So- 
 ils, Reliftentiam non 
 nullam fentire debuit, 
 & aliquantumret irdari, 
 & proprius ad Solem 
 accedere : & fingalis re- 
 volutionibus acpsdendo 
 ad Solem, incidet i$ 
 
 retard- 
 
'aiS An Enquiry into the 
 
 tandrm in corpus Solis. retarded ; So that 
 
 nearer and nearer till 
 they run into it. This 
 may alio be promo- 
 
 t Sed&in Aphelio, ^gj ^y the f Gravita- 
 
 ubi tsrciliuTiemavetnr, , J ^ ^ 
 
 aliquando per Attradi- tation oi: othcrL-omets, 
 
 ontm aliomm Cometa- ^j^gn they are in A- 
 
 rum retaraari poteit, , ,. .-^ r t-i 
 
 & fubinde in Solem in- phelio ; bccauie They 
 
 cidere. Newt. ibid. move flowefl in that 
 
 Part of their Orbit, and 
 confequently will be retarded by 
 fuch Attraclion, and an Alteration 
 be produced in the Figure of then 
 Orbs. But before they come toThis, 
 there are very good Reafons to 
 think that they are of great Benefit 
 to the Planets. Exoerieiice fliows 
 us that the Water in the Sea con- 
 tinually decreafes, and the dry 
 Ground continually increafes ; 
 the great Quantity of Vapours 
 which are exhaled from thence, 
 being^ converted into Nourifbment 
 
 tor 
 
Caiife and Origin of EviL 
 
 for a!J Kind of Vegetables, which 
 when they come to putrify^ are in 
 good Meafure turned into dry 
 ]£arth ; io that by this Means a 
 great Part of the Liquid is deftroy- 
 ed : All which Defeats are pro- 
 bably iupplycd from the Tails of 
 Comets ; For Thefe confilling 
 chiefly of fuch Vapours, and 
 Iprcadingthemfelves to an immenfe 
 Diftance through the Heavenly 
 Spaces, jj may fall 
 by their own Gravity 
 into the Atmolperes 
 of the Planets, and 
 there be condenfcd, 
 and turned into Wa. 
 ter and other Subltan- 
 ces. To this we 
 may add, | that 
 the finefi: and molt 
 ipirituous Part of our 
 Air, which is the 
 mofl fubtilc, and the 
 
 I A 
 
 119 
 
 11 Vapores autem qui 
 ex •-- caudis Cometa- 
 riim oriuntur, incidere 
 poUiint per gravitatem 
 fuam in Atmofpheras 
 Planetarum, & ibi con- 
 denfari, 8c convert! in 
 aqnam ScSpiritus humi- 
 dos &c. Newt. ibid. 
 
 t Porro fiifpicor il- 
 ium, qui Aeris ncftri 
 pars minima eft, fed 
 fubtilisfima & optima, 
 Sc ad rcrum omnium 
 vitam rcqniritur, ex 
 Cometispracipue veni- 
 re. Ne:vt. ibid. 
 
 beft, 
 
120 An Enquiry into the 
 
 beft, and is neceffary to preferve 
 Life in every Thing ; may with 
 good Reafon, be tliought to pro- 
 ceed chiefly from the Comets. 
 , .And from all Thefe things put toge- 
 ther it is manifcft why the Comets 
 are not, like thePlanets, confined to 
 the Zodiac, but cut the Echptick 
 at all Angles, and move freely 
 through every Part of the Hea- 
 vens, 'VtZj, That when they are 
 at the greateft Diilance from the 
 Sun, and move moft Ilowly, they 
 might alfo beat the greateft Di- 
 llance from each other^ and fo di- 
 fturb one another as little as is 
 poiTible by their mutual Attraction. 
 AllB- In this RefpecS then, there is no 
 ^]./rg Other JE'^il but what the natural 
 from Imperfedions of material Things, 
 hence, ^^ j j^^ Qualities they are capable 
 
 are only r r i • ^ i i 
 
 mtiiral of, iubjed; them to. And it is as 
 
 Imperfec- ynreafonable to find fault with the 
 
 Materials themfelves, or the Difpo- 
 
 fition 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 1 2 1 
 
 fition of tlieni ; as it is to com- 
 plain of an Archited:, who de- 
 liens to build a Houle for a him- 
 died Years ; that the Materials 
 and Gontiivance is flich^ as will 
 not lafl a thoiifand. What St. 
 Peter fays of T^tme with Refpedl 
 to the fupreme Being, a Epift. Ch* 
 5. ver. 8 . that one Day is zvtth the 
 Lordy as a thouCand Tears ^ and a 
 thousand Tears as one Day , may 
 equally be affirmed ot Extenlion 
 or Motion, and any Powers or 
 Qualities of created Beings. The 
 largefl Space that we can conceive, 
 bears no more Proportion to Im- 
 menfity, than any limited Time 
 does to Eternity ; And there is no -• 
 Velocity fo fwift, no Qualities of 
 Matter fo intenfe^ but they are ca- 
 pable of being ftill increafed in- 
 finitely, according to the Power 
 and Will of Him who is the ori- 
 ginal Author of them. It is tv'u 
 
 dent 
 
122 An Enquiry into the 
 
 dent therefore, that as God is pre? 
 fent every where^ as a living, ad- 
 ive, intelhgent and free Being, 
 that endureth from everlalling to 
 everlafting, he mufl propofe to 
 hitnfelf fome £!';^^ in the Creation, 
 to which all the Parts muft be re- 
 gularly fubfervient, and endued 
 with luch Powers and QuaUties as 
 are moft conducive towards the 
 Attainment of it. But zvhat that 
 lE.nd is upon the Whole, how exr 
 tenfive the whole Creation is^ of 
 what Duration paft or to come, 
 or what Alterations it has or votll 
 undergo ; is impoffible for our 
 fliallow Underftandm^s to find 
 out ; The utmoft we can do, is 
 to obferve the exad Harmony of 
 that Part which is within our 
 Reach, and to judge of the Wifdom 
 and Knowledge of the Creator m 
 general by this particular Inftance 
 of his Workmanihip. This is the 
 
 mod 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 1 2 5 
 
 moft obvious Way of Rcafoning ; 
 and thus, as St. Paul tells us, 
 Rom. 1 . 19. T'W zuhich may 
 be known of God is manifefi un- 
 to Qy^feny for He hath Jhezved it 
 unto them> God is in his own 
 Nature invifible ; no Man hath 
 feen, nor can fee him ; But He 
 may be made known to our Un- 
 deiltandings, fo tar as they are ca- 
 pable of apprehending him, by 
 obferving the Excellency of his 
 Works, and from thence colleft- 
 ing the Goodnefs of their Author : 
 And thus the in'vifible Things of 
 God from the Creation oftheWorld 
 are clearly feen, being underftood 
 by the Thm^s that are made, even 
 his eternal Foziw and Godhead, v. 
 20. This is very doquently exprefs- 
 ed by the Royal Prophet, Ffal. 1 9. 
 'ver. I, i,&c,The Hea^vens declare 
 the Ghrj of Cody and the Firma- 
 ment fneweth his handy tVork^Vay 
 unto Day uttereth Speech, and 
 
 Ntght, 
 
124 -^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Ni^ht unto Night Jheioeth Know- 
 Udge : Inhere is neither Speech nor 
 Language nor any Voice heard 
 amongft them\ jet their Line 
 (viz. ^Proportion ^) is gone out thro* 
 all the Earth, and their Sound 
 (viz. Harmony,') to the End of the 
 World. That is, whoever takes a 
 View of the glorious Fabrick of 
 the Heavens, and fees the Number 
 of the Stars placed therein ; can- 
 not but be led immediately to ad- 
 mire the Greatnefs and Power of 
 Him who created them : And he 
 'who goes fo far as to examine 
 their Motions and Order and the 
 like ; will reap from thence the 
 mofl deiirable Knowledge. For 
 every Day and Night by their re- 
 gular SucceiTion^ befpeaks as plain- 
 ly, as inanimate Things can fpeak, 
 the Wifdom of him who moves 
 them : And their Proportion is fo 
 exad and univerfal, io plain and 
 manitcft, that no Nation, Lan- 
 
 guage, 
 
Cai^fe and Origin of Evil. 115 
 
 guage, or Capacity, can pofTibly 
 infome Degree orother efcape the 
 Obfervation of them. This Har- 
 mony and Proportion was particu- 
 larly Specified by the famous Hea-"^ Ma- 
 then Philofopher * Pythagoras,'{]!^]ll 
 and called the Harmony of theinSom. 
 Spheres, fo often mentioned by^^^P- 
 antient Writers. 
 
 And had the Epicurean Atheifls Thh 
 of old, or the forementioned W'^^" 
 modern Aftronomer duly examinedyj,j-c;^,^^ 
 thefe Things, they would not^'ovfuta- 
 havefo rafhly pronounced concern- ^^'^2-^^ 
 ing the Fault me fs of the Creati- 
 on ; They would have leen on the 
 foregoing Principles,that what up- 
 on their Hypothefes is fo irregu- 
 lar and uncertain, is in Reality mod 
 uniform and determinate ; and 
 that all their Complaints are found- 
 ed upon their Ignorance of the 
 true Syftem of the World, and the 
 not diftinguifhing betwixt the true 
 and apparent Motion of the hea- 
 venly 
 
to6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 venly Bodies. For if the feveral 
 Planets revolve about the Sun 
 at different Diftances, and with 
 different Velocities, and are illu- 
 minated by it ; it muft from thence 
 neceflarily follow, that to thofe 
 Perfons who inhabit one of the 
 middle Onesj as we on the Earth 
 do, the Others muft be fome 
 times nearer and fometimes far^ 
 ther offy and have different ^- 
 pearances according to their re* 
 ipeftive Pojition- Thofe that 
 are betwixt us and the Sun, muft 
 have all the Phafes w4iich the 
 Moon has, as the enlightened Part 
 is turned to or from us ; and Thofe 
 which are more remote, muft ap> 
 pear fometimes bigger and fome- 
 times lefs^ muft feem to go for- 
 wards in fome Part of: their Orbs, 
 and to Ihndjiill or go backwards 
 in other Parts, according to the 
 Difference or Equality of their Ve- 
 locity. All thefe Irregularities are 
 
 onhf 
 
Cdnfe and Origia of Evil, 127 
 
 only relative, and iuch as could 
 not poffibly be avoided upon the 
 prelcnt Confhtution of Things. 
 And if we iuppofe the original 
 Difpofition of them to have been 
 different from what it is now, and 
 other powers and Qiialities im- 
 prelTed on them ; there would 
 then arife only different Appear- 
 ances and other Kinds of Irrcgu- 
 larity • So that the Variety being 
 infinite^ it muft depend entirely 
 on the Will of the Creator which 
 of them fliall afiually exift, they > 
 being all equally good with Re- 
 fped to Him. 
 
 Having thus examined the na- ■^%e}we 
 tural ImperfeHiom which are inhcE^t^e hre- 
 rent in the greater Bodies of this^"^'^^^^->'^ 
 Syitem compared with each other, p^jt 0/ 
 let us come now to a particular Ex- ^^" ^r 
 amination or tiie leveral Parrs or;^^^^^^ 
 pur own Earth and what bel ngs 
 to it^ fo far as they afted: us ; 1 hat 
 Ive may fee whence all thofe natt^- 
 
 rd 
 
12 8 An Ehqitiry into the 
 
 ral Evils arife, which both Mail- 
 kind and all other Creatures are 
 fubjed: to. And here it will be 
 • more difficult to account for the 
 great Variety of Phsenomena ; 
 becaufe the heavenly Bodies are 
 very large and vifible; their Diftan- 
 ces fuch as are eafy to be obfer- 
 ved ; and their Revolutions afford 
 fufficient Time for taking Notice 
 of them. But Thefe are much 
 more complex : They depend up- 
 on the particular Gonftitution of 
 Parts fo fmall, that they are abfo- 
 lutely invifiblenot only to the naked 
 Eye, but even however aflifled by 
 Art 3 nay fome are utterly impofli- 
 ble to be feen at all, (fuch as the 
 Rays of Light, becaufe they are 
 themfelves the JVLeans of feeins 
 allObjefts;) Wherefore it is very 
 hard to find out their different 
 Shapes and Magnitudes, the Pofi- 
 tion they are placed in with Re- 
 
 fpedl 
 
Cailfe and Origin $f Evil. 120 
 
 Refpedl to each otlier^ the origi- 
 nal Forces impreffed upon them, 
 and the Laws they are governed 
 by, confeqitent thereon. Yet fuch 
 Improvements have been lately 
 made in natural Knowledge, as are 
 not only fufficient to convince us 
 in the general, that all thefe are ex- 
 actly proportioned to each other ; 
 but enable us by repeated Experi- 
 ments to affign the very LazvS by 
 which they are regulated, fo that 
 we can determine what the Ef- 
 fect will be, and confequehtly 
 what would arife from any Altera^ 
 tion of them. 
 
 Some of the principal of thti^cThefe al- 
 Laws It will be neceffary to enquire-^ i^^"^^ 
 into, in Order to fee wherein the jome par-- 
 Good or £^/7, the Perfection or^j^"^^^ _ 
 JmferfeSion of that T^hmg oi'MoTiol 
 Being confifis, which is governed 
 by them. Thus the feveral Parts of 
 the Earth are compacted together 
 
 K in 
 
13 An Rnc[uiry into the 
 
 in the Form of a Globe, by tlie 
 Law of Gra'Vitatwn of all thofe 
 Parts towards the Center ; All 
 Kinds of Plants are generated and 
 increafe by the Law of Vegetation ; 
 Interiour Animals, fuch as Beads 
 and Birds, are governed by In- 
 ftindt ; And jMe;?, which are the 
 higheli: Order of Beings here, have 
 befide thefe the Law of "^R^afon to 
 dired their Adions. Thefe are fo 
 many diftind Principles,accommo-^ 
 dated to the Nature of thofe Be- 
 ings in which they inhere ; Ac- 
 aording to the Kind and Degree 
 of which, they are more or lefs 
 perfeft ; and according to the dif- 
 ferent Compofition of them, does 
 the one prevail over the other. 
 And by diftindly confidering the 
 refpeftive Ends or Vfes they natu- 
 rally ferve, the Jmperfeffior^s and 
 u^bujes they are neceffarily liable 
 to, and hov/ snnch the one is com- 
 
 penfatedf 
 
Cdofe and Origin of Evil, i ] 
 
 fcnfated by the other^ we fliall be 
 able to form a true Notion oi Good 
 and EfH^ and to fee from whence 
 each of them arife. As to the Body 
 of the Earth m general^ with whicii 
 we ought to conneft theMoon^ its 
 near Neighbour and conftant At- 
 tendant^ They are the greateft 
 Coniirmation that can be^ of the 
 forementioned Law of Gravitati- 
 on ; for by this jlngle Principle 
 every the mod minute Irregula- 
 rity in them i^ accounted for. It 
 IS obvious to any one who conft^ 
 ders the Moons Pofition with Re- 
 fpefl: to the Sun and Earthy that it 
 mufi: be very dlfpercntly afFeSed 
 by thcm^and its Courfe perpetual)]/ 
 inrerrupted : And its Motion is 
 frill more complicate, becaufe its ^ 
 Plain is different from that of the 
 Ecliptick^ (as it was neceifary it 
 fliou Id bey n Order to prevent much 
 greater Irregularities^ fuch as con- 
 
 K 2 ftant 
 
1^2 An Enquiry into the 
 
 flant monthly total Eclipfcs and 
 the like, if the Moon and the Earth 
 had moved in the fame Plain ;) Yet 
 fo well known is the Caufe of its 
 Motion^ that though it conti> 
 nually alters its Courfe^ yet its 
 Place may be exafily determined 
 for any particular Tim,€ ta come. 
 And as the Moons Motion in its 
 Orb is thus exactly ftated^ fo like- 
 wife the Figure of its Body^ and 
 the Situation of it with Regard to 
 ns^ is owing to the fame Caufe : 
 For as the Force of Gravitation 
 is greater or lefs, in the forementi- 
 oned Proportion to the Diftance ;, 
 it muft of Neceffity bc^ that That 
 Part of the Moons Body which is 
 neareft to the Earthy mufi: be more 
 ftrongly aitracied than that which 
 is fartheft of: And confequently 
 if it were a Fluid, or if it be not 
 one continued Body, but the Parts 
 difiinft from each other ^ the 
 Force by which they would tend 
 
 to^ 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil, 155 
 
 ^o their own Center and make an 
 exaft Globe, is diminiilied on one 
 Side and incrcafcd on the other ; 
 fo that it mutt become oblong^and 
 have its longer Axis pointing to- 
 wards thcEarth ; And it' we fuppofe 
 it to revolve about its other Axis, 
 the fame Face muft always be turn- 
 ed towards us ; for it would not reft 
 in any other Pofition^ but be per- 
 petually iibrating^to and fro^ till it 
 came to this Situation. So like- 
 wife with Regard to the Earth and 
 its Revolution about the Sun^ no- 
 thing more is requifite to folve 
 all the various Phaenomena^ but this 
 fingle Things that the Axis about 
 which it turns every Day^be incli- 
 ned to the Plain of the Ecliptick in 
 an Angle equal to the Complement 
 of the Suns Declination, and that it 
 Iceep the fameParallelifm continu- 
 ally ("that is, move always parallel 
 to an Axis pafling through the Cen- 
 ter of tlie nhigmts Orbis and incli- 
 
 K 3 ned 
 
f^^ An Enquiry into the 
 
 ncd to the Plain of it al-vays with 
 the fame Angle.) Hence niu ft arife 
 the perpetual Succcfiion of Day anc} 
 Nighty and the Increafe and Dc- 
 creafe of them ; and hence muft 
 proceed different Seafons of the 
 Year, spring and Summer, Autumn 
 and Winter. To this Caufe are ow- 
 ing the various Climates of the fe- 
 veral Parts of the World^ the ex- 
 treme Heat in fome^ and the ex- 
 ceillve Coldnefs in others ; And to 
 this Caufe like wife is owing the une- 
 qual Approach and Return of the 
 Sun from one Tropick to tlie other. 
 'Xhcfe /;- Thus wc have feen the Origin 
 fegiilari- ^f evcry Irregularity that appears 
 noRefiec-''^^ the greater Bodies of this Syi- 
 t'lonon teii], and may fay with the wife 
 %'^,r^Sonk ^/r^J.; Eccle?. 39. i (5. 
 ^rhole. That all the Works of the Lord 
 are exceeding good^ and ivhatfoez'er 
 He commafjdeth pjall he accoh'/pll/h- 
 ed in due Seafor?^ and none nuy fay^ 
 '^h^t is this ? wherefore is that P 
 
 ' For 
 
Caufe and irgin of Evil. 15^ 
 
 For at Ttme convenient they fhali 
 
 all he fought out Ail the IVorks 
 
 jof the Lord are good, and he zvill 
 give every needful Thing in due 
 Seafon;fo that a Man cannot faj^ 
 this is zvorfe than thatt for in 
 T^tme they fall all be well appro- 
 ved. It is only our Ignorance or 
 partial Gonfideration of the Works 
 of Namre, that makes us think we 
 fee great Faults in them ; But if 
 we examine more clofely into 
 them, or if we try to mend them, 
 it prefently appears that the Mis- 
 take is in our felves. Thus it has 
 been thought, that if the Earth and 
 Planets moved about the Sun as a 
 Center, in cxad Circles, theSydem 
 would be move beautiful and uni- 
 form than it is now : But this is a 
 very great Error ; for though the 
 SyRem might.be efteemed better in 
 that particular Refped, yet fome- 
 thing much worfe than the prefent 
 
 K 4 fmall 
 
1^6 An Enquiry into the. 
 
 foiall Irregularities would arife, 
 *vtZj, that the Syftem would not 
 be governed by one dated certain 
 Law, as it is now ; but Forces muft 
 be continually added or diminiftied, 
 in Order to ejffecl fuch an Hy pothe- 
 fis. For fuppofing the Planets did 
 move originally in Circles (as poC- 
 fibly they did) according to the pre- 
 sent Laws ; yet fhll then" Vejccities 
 mull have been different ; and con- 
 fequently they muft have overtaken 
 each other ; And then the mutualAc- 
 tions o£ Comets and Planets upon 
 one another muft neceffarily have 
 altered the Figures of then- Orbs, 
 and created thofe httle Irregularities 
 "^Kewt. which are fcarce worth Notice, * as 
 ^^i!^j* is obfervable in Jupiter and Saturn 
 Lib. III. near their Conjundlion . Therefore 
 ' " ' .- in the prefent State there is the leaft 
 Inconvenience that the Nature of 
 Things will admit: Knd That is a- 
 bundantly comperfared by the fu- 
 / ' pcriour 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 137 
 
 periour Convenience. Thus the 
 Inequahty of the Earth's Velocity 
 and Diftance from the Sun, makes 
 no lenfible Difference from what it 
 would be, if it moved in a per-^ 
 fed: Circle, as to the Benefit we 
 receive from its Light and Heat. 
 Eight Days bear but a fmall Pro- 
 portion to half the Year^ and the 
 Excentricity is but as near feventeen 
 to a thouiand, which can produce 
 but very little Effed. And the 
 fame may be apply ed to all the o- 
 thcr Parts of the Syftem. They 
 ferve the End tor which they were 
 appointed, in the bed Manner pof- 
 fible upon the Whole ; and they 
 are all lo ftridly conneded, that if 
 we try to vary or diftuib them., 
 the Confequence tends to con^- 
 found all the Frame of Nature. 
 So that notv/ithflanding the Ob-^ 
 jedion of Atheifts in this particu- 
 lar, v/e may affirrrj with the Roy- 
 al 
 
1^8 ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 al Pfalmift, ^hat Cod ap- 
 pointed the Moon for Seafons^ 
 and the Sun knoweth his oovn^r 
 downy Pfal. 104. ver, 19. That as 
 He has made the heavenly Bodies 
 to have a mutual Influence upon 
 each other, lo He has determined 
 the particular Courfeand Order of 
 thciii, which they never in the leaft 
 deviate from.And the Words of Job 
 upon the like Occaiion will well be- 
 come fuch Objedlors, Ch.^o, ^er.^, 
 'Behold, I am 'viUyivhat pall I an- 
 fiver thee ? I will lay my Hand up- 
 on my Mouth. Once have Ifpoken, 
 but I will not anfzver ; yea tw'ice, 
 but I will proceed no further, Asd 
 that this will be the Cafe with Re- 
 lation to the Government of the 
 World in Thofe Particulars which 
 more nearly relate to us, the E'Vil 
 of which is fo greatly complained 
 of; will appear by the like Examij 
 nation of them. 
 
 JLet 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, I ^ ^ 
 
 Let us therefore confider the fe. Objecti- 
 
 ons COJl" 
 
 yeral Parts of which our own^,,.„ 
 
 cenmig 
 
 Earth is compofed^ and the yi^u-EanK 
 ner we are afteSed by them ; that 
 wc may lee whence all thofe natu- 
 ral Evils arife, which both Man- 
 kind and other Creatures are lub- 
 jed to. Upon a particular Enu- 
 meration of the Works of the 
 Creation m the ift. Ch. of Genefisy 
 they are pronounced very (wody 
 and fuch as are worthy of God to 
 be the Author and Framer of ; Yet 
 there is icarce any one of them, but 
 in lome Refpefi or other has afFordr 
 ed Matter of Complaint, and been 
 thought by Some an Objedlion a- 
 gainlt the Wifdom and Goodnefs 
 ot the Creator. 
 
 The dividing the Light ixoxnirithRf^ 
 the Darknefs, ver. 4. in the^f?^^ . 
 
 I ffjg 271Cl'>tl' 
 
 Manner it now is, has been objed-^^ieP^r^ 
 ed againft, as very unequal with''/^*^* 
 I.<.cfped to the feveral Parts of the 
 ' • Earth ; 
 
140 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Earth. Likewife the gathering toge- 
 ther of the Waters unto one Place 
 that the dry Land might appear, 
 which caufed the Earth cind Sea; 
 is alio attended with many Incon- 
 *venien€€S ; For fuch is the Pro- 
 portion, and Divifion of them, 
 that the Quantity of Water is fo 
 very great in fome Parts, as to 
 form large Seas and Lakes, and 
 none at ail in other Parts ; by 
 which Means vad Trad:s of Land 
 become barren Deferts. The Qua'- 
 hty of the Water is alfo obje&d a- 
 gainft_j 'viZj. its Saltnefs, by which 
 it is rendred unfit for Drink, and 
 for many other Uies of frefli Wa- 
 t€r: And, which is (lill worfe, 'tis 
 liable to produce Deluges, by 
 which whole Countries are over- 
 flowed and defl-royed. The Air 
 alfo, with which the Earth is fur- 
 rounded, and which is fo abfolute- 
 ly ncceilary to Life, that no Kind 
 
 of 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. lAi 
 
 cf Animals> nor even Plants can be 
 at all preferved without it ; is fub- 
 jed: to perpetual Storms and Tem- 
 pefts, Thundrjngs and Light- 
 nings ; The Effeds of which are 
 often fatal to Men and other Crea- 
 tures. And it is many Times fo in- 
 fefted and corrupt, ai to caufe 
 Plagues and Famines, by which 
 whole Cities and Countries are de- 
 populated and made deiolate. 
 The Grafs, Herbs and Trees yield- 
 ing Seed and Fruit after their 
 Kmd, 'ver, 1 1^ have alfo 
 their Objedions ; Many of them 
 are noxious and poifonous, and 
 others of them are faid to be a 
 Curie rather than a Bleffino;, ch, 5- 
 "ver. 17. Ctirfcd is the Ground 
 for thy Sake — "Thorns and Tktfiles 
 fall It bring forth unto thee. 
 
 And as the Inanimate Part oP^^thRe- 
 the Creation, is thus liable to DiWiUj^i. 
 order and Irregularity • The y^»/-?«^t^P^'t 
 
 matc"^''' 
 
1^2 An Enquiry into the 
 
 mate and Rational Part is fubjea 
 to much greater Evils and Incon- 
 veniences. The various Kind ot 
 Fifli with which the Seas and Ri- 
 vers are filled ; The different Sorts 
 of Birds that flj'' in the Air ; And 
 the Fowls, Beafts, and creeping 
 Things that move on the Surface 
 of the Earth 5 Thefe are a Prey 
 to each other. The weakeft and 
 moft defencelefs are Food for the 
 ftrongefi: ; who are provided with 
 natural Weapons to take and de- 
 vour them : And many of themi 
 are hurtful and fome poifonous to 
 Mankind. But the greateft of all 
 ' E'vHs are thofe that Man is fubje£t 
 to. Though He was created in the 
 Image of Cody that is, made Lord 
 and Governour of this low^er 
 World ; yet He was formed out 
 of the Dnfl of the Ground, and 
 had the Breath of Life breathed 
 into his Noftrils, ivherehy he be^ 
 
 came 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evit. 14^ 
 
 came a livinz SouU Cb. a. v. 7. 
 This Compofition renders Him li- 
 able to numberlefs Accidents and 
 Calamities. That Body which is 
 made of Dufl^ muft be liable to 
 be refolved into Duft a^ain : And 
 there are Variety or Means by 
 which this may be effedied. And 
 as He becomes living and fenfible, 
 by the Breath of Life ; fo muft 
 He be obnoxious to Pain, Difea- 
 fes and Death ; In the Sweat of 
 thy Face JImU thou eat Bread, till 
 thou return unto the Ground out 
 of which thou zvaji taken, Ch. 3. 
 ^er. 19. Thele are Calamities 
 which Mankind are fubjedl to, in 
 common with all other animal 
 Creatures ; But they are endued 
 moreover with Reaion and Liber- 
 ty, from which a rife ft ill greater ' 
 'B^ils than any of the forementi- 
 oned ones, ijiz^. all Kinds of Im- 
 moiality and Wickednefs ; which 
 
 have 
 
1^4 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 have brought greater Calamities* 
 and Defolation upon them, than 
 all the natural Caufes put together ; 
 A large Catalogue of which, St. 
 Paul gives us in the ifl. Ch. of 
 the Rom, This is the Divifion of 
 the feveral Parts of this lower 
 World, in the original Formation 
 of it, according to the Days in 
 which they were created : And 
 notwitliftanding the forementioned 
 Objedions, they sre fingly at the 
 Conclufion of every Days Work 
 pronounced good ; and Cod faw 
 that they zvere good„ By w^bich 
 5>»ri ' muft be meant^that they are fuch as 
 are agreeable to the Wifdom and 
 Goodnefs of God to tnake ; That 
 they are as perfeft as th^ Nature 
 of Things will allow them to be ; 
 And that, whatever Defers ol' 
 Abufes they are fubjed: to, are up- 
 on the whole fufficiently compenfa- 
 ted by that general Fitnefs they 
 
 have 
 
Caitfe and Origin of Evil. 1 45 
 
 have to obtain the End propofed 
 by them. This will more plainly 
 appear, by confidering the ieveral 
 Parts of the Earth, and the Inha- 
 bitants belonging to them ; the 
 Materials, of which they are com- 
 pofed ; and the Laws they are 
 iubjedl to ; From whence arife 
 all thofe Enjils of Impertedionj^ 
 which I propofed to account for. 
 By Analogy, we might juftly con- ' 
 elude, from what has been Ihown 
 concerning the exaft Harmony and 
 regular Motions of the greater Bo- 
 dies of this Syftem \ that the fe- 
 veral Parts, of which thefe Bodies 
 themfelves are compofed, are alfo 
 ivi.h Reipedto each other adjuft- 
 ed molt nicely, and made fubjecS 
 to fuch Laws, as are proper for the 
 LIfes designed by them ; And that 
 all their Irregularities, are only 
 feemingly and comparatively fuch, 
 and the natural EfFe(Ss ot thofe 
 
 L Powers 
 
\a6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Powers and Qiialities with which 
 they are endued. This is a very 
 natural and eafy Inference ; And 
 , the modern Improvements in Phi- 
 lofophy have rendred it not only 
 conjeftural, but certain ; For by 
 numberlefs Experiments, and a 
 diligent Examination of the 
 Nature of Things, they feem to 
 have been compofed in the follow- 
 ing Manner. 
 Theori' That the ^reat Greatour of all 
 P'^r™"g^ propofed certain Ends by 
 ofThmgseveiy Thing that He has made, 
 ^*^f is evident to the moft common 
 Obfervation ; For no Man can re- 
 ally be fo void of Reafon, as to 
 think that his Eye was not made 
 to fee with, or his Ear to hear 
 with ; or that the Objeds of Sight 
 or Hearing are not nicely calcula- 
 ted to refled the Rays of Light, 
 and to excite Vibrations in the 
 Air, in a due Manner and juft Pro- 
 portion, 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil J 47 
 
 portioriy fo as beft to attain to thofe 
 Ends propofed. And the fame 
 may be affirmed of every Particu- 
 lar throughout the whole Creation* 
 Whence it feems highly probable, 
 * That God Almioh- 
 ty at the Beginning, ^Quibus quident re*- 
 
 rrnfprl irifl- fnrh ;» ^"s omnibuS bene per- 
 cieated juit^ luch a ^p^^j^ ^ confideratis, 
 
 Chmntity ot Matter, illud mihi videtur de- 
 
 as IS proportioned to n;qi^efimillimuir,_ven/ 
 
 the Sface in which it mayimum, inprindpio 
 
 was to move ; That ^^^""^ " ^^'-i^rtam ita 
 
 the Original Particles 
 
 of this Matter are 
 
 folidy im^metrahUy 
 
 and very UJting ; 
 
 That they are of a 
 
 particular Figure and que infuper propdetati 
 
 Bipnefs, and endu- ^"'' 5^^"® """^^^? ^ 
 P . A .1 quantitate pro ratione 
 
 ed with particular fpatii in quo futurum e- 
 
 Laws of Motion^ ratutmoverentur-, quo 
 
 T7 ^-i - ■* pf^ncnt ad eos fines, ad 
 
 Ji^rom the various qurs fonr.^ta' fuerant, 
 
 Texture and CompO- ^'P''ii«e ded-^ri. Newt, 
 
 fitwn of which, a- J^^:^'^' ^^''' ^''' ^'^^ 
 L 3 rife 
 
 fnrmafle, ut primigcni^ 
 ejus particul^, e quibus 
 deinceps oritura eflet 
 corporea omnis natura, 
 folida' ' fTent, firms, du- 
 ra, impen^trabiles , 8c 
 mobiles :i iis ma^nitu- 
 dinibus 8c figuris, iif- 
 
148 An Enquiry into the 
 
 rife thofe different Sorts of Bodies 
 of which this World is conftituted. 
 The Variety oi^hefe is infinite,and 
 the poffible Varieties of them are all 
 equally the Objeft of infinite Pow- 
 er. It belono-s therefore to Wifdom 
 and Knowledge to determine zvhich 
 fhall adually cxift, and zvhich will 
 beft ferve the Ends and Purpofes of 
 the Creator. And to Us they can 
 only be known by Experience and 
 Obfervation. From whence we 
 collecfl j that the original Parti- 
 cles of Matter are perfedly folid, 
 without any Interdices or Pores 
 (which all con>pound Bodies have, 
 whofe Parts touch one another in 
 but very few Points, and which 
 bear but a fmall Proportion to that 
 Space which they poffefs, as ap- 
 pears by their different Denfities ;) 
 the original Particles, I fay^ are fo 
 hard as not to be worn or diminifh- 
 ed, and are not capable of being 
 
 broken 
 
Cditfc and Origin of Evil 1 49 
 
 broken into flill fmaller Pieces by 
 any Force how great foever in Na- 
 ture ; Becaufe, if we /uppofe 
 Thefe to undergo any Alteration, 
 the whole Nature of Things> 
 which depends entirely upon them, 
 would immediately be changed, 
 and quite different ones arife. Thus, ' 
 
 if we conceive the Earth or Watery 
 as it now is, to be formed of fuch 
 Particles as are before defcribed, and 
 that the Differences in thofe Bodies 
 are ovving wholly to the different 
 Texture and Gompofition of fuch 
 Particles ; \i thefehthy any Means 
 leffened or put into new Figures,the 
 Refult mull unavoidably be ano- 
 ther Sort of Earth and Water from 
 what we now behold^ and fuch as 
 perhaps does or may exift in other 
 Parts of the Univerle. As to the par- • 
 ticular Fioures and Bi^nefs of thefe 
 Parcicles, it is not poffible for us to 
 know them : They are fo fmall that 
 L 3 no 
 
%^o An Enquiry into the 
 
 no Improvements of Art cm 
 reach to the Diicovery of them : 
 But feme grcneral Laws which 
 tl:€y are lubj d to, we can by Ob- 
 fervarion arrive at ; and Thefe 
 dilcover to us the wonderful Con- 
 trivance of their various Ccmpofiti- 
 ons, and will help us to account 
 for the Irregularities and Imper- 
 feflions which are objeded againft 
 them. 
 IheTaV' Xhe principal of thefe Laws 
 Lam ^^^ Gravitation, Coh^fan, and 
 they are Fcrmcntation I By which Words 
 fubjeaed ^g j^ ^^^ m^2iVi to explain the 
 
 Cat4fes, but only to fignify particu- 
 lar Kinds of- Motions or T'enden- 
 cieSywh^tevexCaufes they are owing 
 to. * Thus as by 
 y^ t Hanc vocexn attva- Gravitation is meant 
 
 mom ita hie accipi ve- ^j^^^. cj-^^^^^cy which 
 
 folummodo vim ali- all Bodies have mutu- 
 
 quamfignificareintelli- ^]] ^^^ equally to- 
 
 gatur, qua corpora ad -^ , it j 
 
 fe mutuD tendaut 5 cui-; wards each other, and 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 
 
 is always exadly pre 
 portionable 
 
 1 ?I 
 
 to the 
 Quantity of Matter 
 contained in them ; 
 So by Cohizjion is 
 meant another Sort of 
 II T^endency (which is- 
 vafHy fuperiour to 
 
 cunque demum caufe 
 attribuenda lit ilia vis. 
 Newt. O^tic, pa^, 380. 
 
 11 Qui autem iftlufmo- 
 di prsdurffi particulze, 
 adpofita folummodo in- 
 
 a certam Di- 
 or perhaps 
 each other in 
 Points, are 
 
 that of Gravity ) ter fe, feque invicem in 
 
 whereby the fmalkr 
 Parts of all (olid Bo- 
 dies, when they come 
 within 
 fiance, 
 touch 
 iome 
 
 rtrongly united 
 ther 3 The particular 
 Manner or Degree of which, is 
 very hard to find out ; becaufe the 
 Diflance is fo very fmall before 
 they begin to aft upon each other, 
 that v.re cannot well afTign any fro- 
 L 4 portion 
 
 toge- 
 
 perpaucis tantum punc- 
 tis contingentes, cohs- 
 refcere queant ^ idque 
 tanta vi , quanta experi- 
 entia novimus •, utique, 
 nifi caufa fit aliqua qus 
 efficiat ut es ad fe invi- 
 cem attrahantiir vel ap- 
 primantur , concipi vix 
 poteft. Newt. Opt. ibid. 
 
1^2 An Enquiry into the 
 
 portion of it. And by 
 
 ^^ Nam particular e ** Fermentation is 
 
 corporibus excufe per ^^^^^ ^j^^^ contrary 
 
 calorem vel rermej'itati- ^ . , , . . 
 
 onem, fimulac e fphsra TT en den Cy \wh'\C^ iS in 
 
 mtraaionis corporis fui ^\^q Particles of fluid 
 evalermt, recedunt de- ,. , , 
 
 inceps zc ab illo & a fe Bodies to recede and 
 
 invicem magna cum %ai fly off from each O- 
 rurlumque accedere fu- ^i ^ .1 ^ • -r^^ 
 
 giunt. Newt, ibil p.g, ^^er^ With certain De- 
 402. grees of Velocity not 
 
 yet exadlly determi- 
 ned ; though by its regular Effeds, 
 in emitting, refe^fing, and mfle^- 
 m^*the Rays of Light, and in 
 the producing of jitr and Vd- 
 pours, it appears that the Caufe 
 of Thefe muft be reo^ular and afi 
 uniformly. Thefe and fuch like 
 particular Kinds of Motion im- 
 prefled on the original Particles 
 of Matter, are the univerial Laws 
 of Nature, by which every Thing 
 fs formed, and by which alone the 
 preient Phoenomena can be e>i- 
 plained; Aud they are derived 
 • from 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 155 
 
 from certain Principles really ad- 
 ing upon them according to the 
 foiementioned Rules. For all 
 that fuch Particles are capable of 
 in themfelves, is only mere Paffive- 
 nefs; and therefore the various De- 
 grees and Determinations of Mo- 
 tion, mud be owing to fome adive 
 Caufe continually exercifing certain 
 Forces upon them ; which Forces 
 are of different Degrees^ and ap- 
 plyed in a dt^erent, though al- 
 ways regular and uniform Manner ; 
 and therefore ought to be diflin- 
 guiflied from each other. 
 
 That there fliould be only three or Vjefe 
 four fuch univerl^l Principles, from {•^^ r 
 whence the whole Phenomena 01 choke. 
 Nature arife, and upon which all 
 the Properties and Adlions ot corpo- 
 real Things depend, can be afcribed 
 only to the mere Will of Him 
 who created them. They might 
 have been more or fewer in Num- 
 ber : 
 
1 5'4 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 ber ; They might have been dif- 
 ferent in Kind or Degree : For, ab- 
 flradly confidered, there is no End 
 of the Variety^ and in infinite 
 Space there is Room for the Exer- 
 cife of them all Thofe that we 
 experience here, are fuch as in the 
 general are admirably well fuited 
 to the Purpofes for which they are 
 appointed ; and if at anyTime they 
 fail of attaining Them, it is only 
 through fuch ImperfeHion as in the 
 Nature of Things they muft be 
 fubjed to, and which could not be 
 prevented or avoided but by 
 changing their original Properties. 
 'Aidap' Thus by the forementioned 
 jorvery Principle of Gravitation, all the 
 goodEvds'Psirts of the Earth tend towards 
 andUfes.^^^ Center; The natural Gonfe. 
 
 quence of which is, that the 
 whole Earth, is compared into 
 the Form of a Globe, the lighter 
 Parts giving Way to the heavier 
 
 till 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil 155 
 
 till they are all exadly ballanced. 
 And fhis is the moft convenient 
 Form, for turning about its own 
 Axis ; that every Part might have 
 its Proportion of the Sun's Light 
 and Heat ; And this affords alio the 
 largeft and moft regular Surface /^ ^y 
 for Inhabitants. But this ¥oim jjratmn 
 muft neceffarily be a little altered ^/-P^w- 
 by the Earth's diurnal Rotation IfoTtbe 
 for thereby the Parts of the E^nhfame 
 about the Equator moving fo much ^"y- 
 fwifterthan thofe towards the Poles, brations 
 muft by their Endeavour to fly^/^<?^' 
 off in ftreight Lines, diminifh the dulum 
 Force of Gravity, and confe-^^ ^M'^ 
 quently thofe Parts muft be high- ^hkb 
 er ; and fo by * Experience they ^''^ «^^»' 
 
 quato}\ require hmer time than in thofe mar the Poles I 
 wherefore the Spaces which heavy Bodies by falling defcribe 
 in a given time by the accelerative Force of Gravitation, 
 are greater as they approach nearer the Poles , and con^ 
 feqiiently the Force of Gravity is greater in thofe Pla- 
 ces, and for that Reafm they are nearer the Center of 
 l^he Earth. 
 
 are 
 
j<^ An Enquiry into the 
 
 are found to bc^ the difference 
 being about thirty one Miles. And 
 if it was not thus, the Sea would 
 fink at the Poles^ and rife at the 
 Equator and overflow all the Pla- 
 ces about it. By this Force alfo^ 
 Things are retained upon the Su- 
 perficies of the Earthy and all 
 Kinds of Animals are capable of 
 moving upon it, and all Bodies ac- 
 quire great Motion by falling. 
 The pin- ^J ^^^ Principle of Coh^fior^^ 
 cipal of which is fo much ftronger than 
 IJ-^^ " that of Gra'vity^ the original Par- 
 ticles of Matter are united toge- 
 ther^ fo as by their various Tex- 
 ture and Compofuion to form 
 thofe different fort^ of Bodies 
 which we obferve in Nature, the 
 fcveral Kinds of Solids and Flu- 
 ids ; To enumerate the Particulars 
 of which^ would be to inffance in 
 all the Works of the Creation. 
 Some of the principal we fhall 
 
 have 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 1 5 y 
 
 have occafion to conlidcr^ both as 
 to the End ih^y ierve^ and the /r- 
 regularitjes they are capable of; from 
 whence we may judge of the reft 
 the whole being uniform and ana- 
 logous. ^ So likewife by the Prin- 
 ciple of Fermentation^ Heat and 
 Life are prefer ved and maintain- 
 ed ; the Sun in felt is nourilhed and 
 chcriflied hereby, which affords 
 fnch Plenty of Light and Warmth 
 to all the P^rts of this Syfiem. 
 All Generation and Vegetation of 
 Plants and Animals is owing to 
 this \ the Juices in the one^ and 
 the Blood in the othcr^ is kept 
 in perpetual Heat and Motion 
 thereby. So that were it not for 
 thcfe Principles of Motion^ the 
 whole material World would 
 quickly become a mere pafllvc 
 Lump of ufclefs Matter; the Earth 
 and Planets would be involved 
 in evcrlafting Cold and Dark- 
 
 ncfs\ 
 
158 An Enquiry into the 
 
 nefs, and all the Species of Crea- 
 tures in the Univerfe would imme- 
 diately die. 
 Tbefeaf- Having thus briefly defcribed 
 tmio'^^^ Nature and EfFeft of the chief 
 thsfore-oi thofc Laws by which Things 
 mention' afg ^^ prefent regulated , By a 
 tzo7w/^^ particular Application of them^ we 
 fhall be able to aniwer the fore- 
 mentioned Objections againft the 
 Excellency and Perfeflion of the 
 prefent State of the Creation^ and^ 
 notwithftanding fuch fmall Irre- 
 gularities^ to fay with the Royal 
 Pfalmiftj ^faL 104. ^z^, 2^^ Sec, 
 Lord ^ horv manifold are thy 
 Works ^ in Wifdoni haft thou made 
 them alL 1 he Earth is full of thy 
 Riches ; fo is the great and wide 
 Sea, wherein are things creeping in^ 
 numerable^ both fmall and great 
 Beafts. For if it appears upon 
 the whole^ that tbere is a particu- 
 lar End propofed by God Almigh- 
 ty 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. I5p 
 
 ty in the Creation ; that the fe* 
 veral Parts of it are endued *vith 
 fuch Powers and Qualities as are 
 mofi: conducive to th^it End] and 
 that every natural E^z^il or IrregU" 
 larity is {uch only as in the Courfe 
 of things could not be prevented 
 but by deftroying alfo that Prin- 
 ciple from whence every thing 
 that is good and regular proceeds : 
 If this I fay^ be evident, all fuch 
 ObjeSions muft immediately va- 
 nifli, and we may pronounce with 
 J\4ofes in the t ch.ofGen. that e^ery 
 thing which God has made^ is very 
 good, though comparatively fpeak- 
 mgfome things are much more per- 
 feft than others. And that this is 
 the prefent Cafe^ is what I /hall 
 endeavour to ihow in the principal 
 Inftances alledged ; and give fuch - 
 particular Anfwers^ as the modern 
 Improvements in natural Know- 
 ledge furnifli us with , and I fhall 
 
 follow 
 
i6o An Enquiry into the 
 
 follow the Order obfcrved in 
 this Chapter. 
 
 The unequal divifion of Day 
 and Nighty Light and Darknefs, 
 and the Ufes thereof^ have been 
 already confidered. 
 The Oh' The next thing is the Separation 
 jeBionof^^ the Water and the Land, which 
 qual i;i- diftinguilhes the Globe into two 
 wjioiiof Parts^ the one called E^r^/j^ and the 
 jf^f^y other &eas. The Defign and End 
 confider- of this is obvious, 'vi'x*. for theCon- 
 venience of thole feveral Species 
 of Creatures which were to inha- 
 bit each of them. The Earth is 
 accommodated with every thing 
 neccffary to maintain Men and 
 Beafts^ and the Sea with every- 
 thing neceffary to preferve Fiflies^ 
 The Proportion of thefc to each 
 other, is what has been objefted 
 againfl:^ but without the leaft 
 foundation of Reafon or Experi^ 
 
 ence 
 
'Cdiife and Origin of Evil. i6l 
 
 J)crience '*; for it ap- 
 pears from Obfervati- ,- t^T ^''''''^'''^' 
 
 r tjonem leir« hnjus oni- 
 
 on, tliat the Seas are nino requiruntur, idqiie 
 
 ilO biaaer than is re- o.tex lisptrcaloremSo- 
 t^C) lis vapoies copiole latis 
 <]Ulllte to prelerve cxcitentur, qui vel in 
 the prefent ConfHtu- nubes coacli decidant in 
 ■*■ £• L rr L pluvns, & terrain om- 
 tion or the iiartn. i^^^^ ^^ procreaticnem 
 
 Water h neceffary to- vegetabilum irrigent 
 
 J ^1 o ^ r ^c nutriant ^ vel in tri- 
 
 wards the Support ot g^^-^ niontium vertici- 
 
 all Kinds of Plants and bus condenfati (ut ali- 
 
 . • 1 ►T-i , qui cum ratione Philc- 
 
 Annuals ; They can /ophantur) decurrant in 
 
 neither be produced Pontes & Fhiminao 
 
 nor preferved with- I^''r.t.Fnndg.mt. &c. 
 
 i p. 479. 
 
 but it, and therefore 
 it ought to be diilributed to every 
 tart of the Earth ; as it is ac- 
 cordingly done from the Seas, as 
 a Trealure and Magazine. The 
 Sun by its Heat caufes the 
 Water, which is impregnated 
 with nutncious Particles, to rife 
 up into Vapours in fo great 
 a Quantity, as to form them- 
 
 M felve^ 
 
l62 An Enquiry into the 
 
 felves into tViick Clouds, which 
 being carried about by the 
 Wind, are difperfed and fall down 
 in Rain, which moiftens the 
 Ground and renders it truitful. 
 Or elfe thefe Vapours are conden- 
 fed by the Cold on the Tops of 
 high Mountains, and by that 
 Means produce Fountains^ which 
 gather as they run along, till they 
 become Rivers affording Plenty of 
 Water for all the Ufes of Life. 
 And as there is this Reafon in Na- 
 ture for fo great a Qiiantity, fo 
 is there alio as good a Reafon 
 for that particular Quality 
 of it, its Sdtnefs. Frefh Water 
 muft be in continual and quick 
 Motion to keep it from putrity- 
 ing and iiinkino; ; But the Chan- 
 nels of the Ocean are fo large, as 
 to render them uncapable of a 
 fwift Current, fo that it can have 
 no more Motion than is given it 
 
 by 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. l6^ 
 
 by the Winds^ tlie Reciprocation 
 of the Tides, and the Revolution 
 of the Earth about its own Axis. 
 But theie are not fuiScient, as ap- 
 pears from hence; that if it be calm 
 but three or four Days, the Water 
 in theCceancorrupts and breeds Ani- 
 mals, which ftink andinfefl the Air. 
 To compenfate this want of Motion 
 therefore the Water was made Salt, 
 which produces the fame Effed: as 
 violent Motion would do, and is 
 feparated from it when it is exha- 
 led into Vapours, By this fingle 
 inftance we lee what a wrong Tudg- 
 ment Men are apt to make when 
 they view Things in one Light 
 only, or make undue Compari- 
 fons of them, and thence proceed 
 to find fault with and condemn 
 them. The feveral ElJils and Jn- • 
 conveniences which arife from this 
 particular Conftitution of Sea 
 and Land, are ftich only as are 
 M 2 th^ 
 
1^4 -^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 the unavoidable Confequences of 
 thofe Laws by which each of them 
 is governed, and are the feweft 
 that in the Nature of Things can 
 be, when they are adjufted in the 
 beft Manner pofTible. To take 
 . therefore one finale Part, and to 
 imagine it might have been better 
 in fome Refpeds than it is, with- 
 out conneding the Whole, and lee- 
 iag what Ules it may beft ferve 
 with Regard to thati is a very un- 
 fair and partial Way oi: arguing. 
 To make the Objedion good, it 
 ought to be fhown, how the ori- 
 ginal Difpofition and Order of 
 the Parts, could have been better in 
 all Refpeds, to ferve that End 
 which they are manifeftly intend- 
 ed for. But we are io far from 
 being able to do that, that if we 
 try but to alter any one of them 
 in Gluantitjy Qj^^litj'y or Place, 
 we immediately lee the Abfurdity 
 
 of 
 
Caiife and Origin of Evil. 1 6^ 
 
 of it. Thus, bad the Qjiantity of 
 Water in the Sea been lefs than it 
 is, it would not have been fuffici- 
 ent to afford Kain for the whole 
 Earth ^ For there are at prefent 
 larsie TraCh of Land, which feem 
 to be barren and defolate for Want 
 of Moifkire. And were the Quan- 
 tity much^r^^to than it is, pro- 
 bably there would be as great a 
 Part of the Earth rendred ufelefs 
 on the other Hand through the 
 Abundance of it. And the 
 fame may be affirmed of the o^ 
 ther Circumftances of it. It was 
 not intended for Drink either for 
 Men or other Animals who live 
 on the Earth, theRivcrs being fufti- 
 cient for that Purpofe ; and it is ve- 
 ry proper Drink for thofe Crea- 
 tures that live in the Sea ; Its Salt- 
 nefs therefore is no juft Objeftion 
 againft it ; And the Inundations 
 that arc caufed by it, if it be con- 
 M 3 fidered 
 
l66 An Enquiry into the 
 
 fidered how feldom they happen, 
 what a Complication of Caufes 
 they are owing to; fuch as the low 
 Situation of fome particular Coun- 
 tries, Vv^hofe Defenfes are only ar- 
 tificial and WTak ; the incidental 
 high Winds ; Spring-Tides, Sea- 
 fon of the Year, and many other 
 Circumftances all confpiring toge- 
 ther ; confidering alfo what Reme- 
 dies there are in Nature to prevent 
 or provide againft them ; Thele 
 will not hinder us from thinking, 
 l^hat God has efiabliflxd his Decree 
 upon the Sea^ and fet B^rs and 
 T)oorSy and faidy Hitherto Jhalt 
 thou come^ hut no further ; and 
 here [hall thy proud Waives te 
 Jtayedy Job 38. ^er. 10, 11. &c* 
 
 jectionoj 
 
 thehw jedion drawn from the Inequality 
 quality of ^£ the Earth's Surface, confiftins; 
 
 the ^ ^ 
 
 Earth's of Mountains, Vallies and Plains, 
 Surface, cvery one of which have their 
 
 covfdcr- '' . T 
 
 ed, J^^onr 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. i6j 
 
 Inconveniences ; but much great- 
 er would follow, if it were other- 
 wife. This Ingequality is in itfelf 
 very inconfiderable, though it ap- 
 pears to us very great; for the high- 
 eft Mountains bear but a very 
 fmall Proportion to the Earth's 
 Diameter, by v^hich they ought to 
 be eftimatcd. And if we fuppofe 
 this Irregularity removed, and that 
 the Superficies of the Earth were 
 exadly Even and level ; the Gon- 
 lequence would be, that the Wa- 
 ter which is lightefl, would diffufe 
 itfelf every where uniformly and 
 caufe an univerfal Deluge. An 
 Inequality therefore was abfolute- 
 ly neceffary, to feparate the Land 
 from the Water, and to keep the 
 Rivers in perpetual Motion : Be- 
 fides, the great Ufe of Mountains 
 was before hinted, viz^, to colled: 
 Vapours and condenle them into 
 Springs ; For the Tops of very 
 
 M 4 high 
 
1.68 An Enquiry into the 
 
 high Monntains are obferved to be 
 
 perpetually involved in Clouds, 
 
 and to be covered very deep with 
 
 Snow, and to be extreme cold ; 
 
 All which, caufe that great Number 
 
 of * Springs and Ri- 
 
 "^ Et nunc ficca, pii- vulets which are eve- 
 us ceieberrima fontibus, „ i ^ r j • ^l 
 
 lue. LviL Metam. Lib. ^J ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ i^ ^1^^ 
 
 h. ver.2iS. Sides of fuch Moun^ 
 
 tains. To which 
 may be added, that the choiceft 
 Fruits grovv on the Sides of Moun- 
 tains, which being obhcjue are moft 
 expofed to the Heat of the Sun ; 
 And in the Bowels of them are 
 contained the mod ufeful Minerals. 
 Some of thefe Mountains are in- 
 deed very dangerous and deftrud:- 
 ive, fuch as the feveral burning 
 Mountains which many Times o- 
 veripread the neigbouring Countiy 
 with Fire and Afhes : The Caule 
 of which is to be afcribed to the 
 forernentioned Principle of Ferr 
 
 mentation^ 
 
Cnufe and Origin of Evil. i69 
 
 mentation^ and is the natural Re- 
 fult of it. And were this removed, 
 a much greater Evil wopid una- 
 voidably follow ; for it is obfer- 
 ved that thofe Parts of the Earth 
 abound very much with Sulphur^ 
 and Salts, and Minerals, all w^hich 
 are abfolutely necelTary towards 
 the Fertility of the Earth, and to 
 Vegetation and Life in Plants and 
 Animals; ForThefe, by mixing to- 
 gether, firfl grow warm, as we fee 
 in Baths ; and in other Places be- 
 come extreme hot, and at lail 
 take Fire ; and by their fadden 
 Expanfion in the Caverns of the 
 Earth, either caufe Earthquakes by 
 tearing it in Pieces, or elfe force 
 their way out of one particular PaC- 
 fage, and fo form burning Moun- 
 tains, And this feems to be the Ori- 
 ginal of "them, and That Method 
 by which, in the prefent Courfe of 
 Things, fiich fermenting Particles 
 
 are 
 
I yo An Enquiry into the 
 
 are diflipated throughout the Air 
 and Earth, in Order to produce the 
 EfFtds defigned by them. For 
 moft very high Mountains are ob- 
 ferved to have Afhes on or near the 
 Top of them; which looks as if they 
 were generated this Way. If there^ 
 fore we confider of what vaft and 
 univerfal Ufe the Materials are 
 which fpring from this Fountain, 
 we fhall be fo far from thinking 
 them evily or intended to be mtf- 
 chievoHS to Mankind or other 
 Creatures, that on the contrary, 
 fuch Evil is only partial and acci- 
 dental, and the lead that in the 
 Nature of the Thing can be ; and 
 the Good and Benefit on the other 
 Hand, the greateft and moft uni^ 
 verfal : In the fame Manner as Heat 
 and Light, are the moft univerfal- 
 ly beneficial to the World ; yet 
 too great a Quantity or Intenfenefs 
 . of either of them^ is as mifchie- 
 
 vous 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. ijl 
 
 vous and deftrudive to all Crea- 
 tures ; Notwithftanding which, it 
 was neceffary that fuch a Quantity 
 or Intenfenefs fhould be in fome 
 Places : So thefe fermenting Ma- 
 terials are very ufeful : And it is as 
 weak an Objeftion againft this Ufe- 
 fulnefs, that where a large Supply 
 of them is colleded together, 
 they muft by the fame Principle 
 be hable to exert a proportionably 
 violent Force, attended with as 
 violent Efteds. 
 
 The remaining Part of thisOb-?"^^^^- 
 jedion, relates to barren Heath s'^owc7r?f^ 
 and large Defarts ; fome of which hg 
 are uninhabited, and others feem^^^^^g_ 
 by their Sandmefs and Want cf/nts&c. 
 Water, to be utterly uncapable oP^^-/'"^^'- 
 any Inhabitants, at leafl of Men, 
 Thefe feem to arife partly from-^ 
 the voluntarily Negled of Men 
 and partly from the Imperfedion 
 of the prefent State of Things. 
 
 From 
 
jys An Enqmry into the 
 
 From the Carelefsnefs of Men, in 
 negled"ing to cultivate and improve 
 fhem : For it feldom happens, e- 
 ven in thofe places, but that there 
 are different Sorts of Earthy not fo 
 far diflant from ea(ph other, but that 
 by Art and Induftry, they may be 
 mixed together in fuch a Manner 
 as to become fertile ; Whereas on 
 the contrary. Men have not only 
 jieglefted to make fuch Improve- 
 ment, but by Luxury and Wars 
 and the like , have depopula- 
 ted u^hole Countries, and rendred 
 even Tkofe barren and unfruitful 
 which Naaire had made rich and 
 plenteous. That part which arifes 
 from the Im^crfeHion of the pre- 
 fent Courfe of Things is, that ori- 
 ginally thefe very Places, which are 
 now fode folate, might poffibly be 
 furniflied with allManner of Plenty, 
 and yet be naturally reduced to their 
 prefcnt State. For JMoijlure 
 
 is 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. i y > 
 
 IS abfolutely ncceflary to the pro- 
 ducing and incrcafing of all Kinds 
 of Vegetables^ which^ upon their 
 Diflolution^ IS in great Part elf 
 converted into dry Earth ; fall pu- 
 trified Liquors affording fome 
 Sort of Muddinefs.) Whence it 
 follows^ that in this whole Globe 
 of Earthy the Moifture mufl: con- 
 tinually decreafe^ and the dry 
 Ground increafe ^ And unlefs there 
 be a Supply from fome otherCaufe, 
 it muft in Time totally fail. It 
 is not therefore Matter of Won- 
 der, if irom all thefe Caufes put 
 together, upon View of the feve- 
 ral Countries of the World, compa- 
 red with each other and with them- 
 felves at diiiant Times ; it appears 
 that one is fo much more fertile 
 and plentiful than another ^thzt that 
 which was once a Garden^ fhould 
 become a Wildcrnefs ; and where 
 formerly a populous and potent 
 
 Nation 
 
1 74 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Nation dwelt, we now behold no- 
 thing but Sand and Defart. Thefe 
 ' are fuch natural E<vils, as the Con- 
 fiitution of the Surface of the 
 Earth unavoidably renders it fub- 
 jefl: to. 
 Ohjecti- And if we proceed from hence 
 onsreh- ^^ j.j^^ ^j^. ^jj.j^ which the Earth is 
 
 the Air incoiiipaffed^ we fliall find^that //j/j- 
 eovjider- ^Jfo [j^j jfj^ Inconveniences and Ir- 
 regularities. From hence come 
 Storms and Tempefts^ Thun- 
 drings and Lightnings,which often- 
 times deftroy Men and Beafts^ and 
 blaft the Fruits of the Earth. 
 And from fome Corruption or In- 
 feftion of//7iy, arife Peftilences and 
 Famines, by which whole Cities 
 and Countries are depopulated and 
 made defolace. And here alio 
 we ought to confider, what is the 
 natural Refult of the Conftitution 
 of the Air ; How univerfaily be- 
 neficial it is ; Whether fuch Phe- 
 nomena 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. i-j^ 
 
 nomcna do not proceed from fome 
 particular Circumftanccs of it ; 
 Whether They alfo may not be of 
 fome life ^ Or whether the prevent- 
 ing them would not be of worfe 
 Confequencc ^ And how much of 
 this Inconvenience may be owing to 
 Mens NegleB or Abnje, The general 
 C onftitution of the Air,Cas appears 
 by numberlefsExperiments) is fuch, 
 as arifes from a Property or particu- 
 lar Motion of its Particles, direct- 
 ly contrary to that of Gravitation 
 orCohasflon.For by thefc latterPow- 
 ers^ they have a Ten- 
 dency towards each "^ ^"^ /^"^ '""^f^ 
 - •' , contradtio & expanlio, 
 
 other 5 but by that aninio fane concipi vix 
 
 "^ Sprinpinefs or Poteft, fi particuk aeris 
 
 1-1 A- • -I 1*1 fineantur elafticse Straw 
 
 Elafticity with which ^^^ vel viminum len- 
 
 they are endued^ torum intra fe in circu- 
 they have a Tenden- ^% intortorum inftar 
 
 Cy to recede from ne, nifi ita fi vm repel- 
 
 cach other and to i^^^^tem hahent, quaa fe 
 
 J ; r 1 mutuo fueiant. Newt.' 
 
 expand themlelvcs o^tic pag%oz, 
 
 into a Space many 
 
 hundred 
 
1 7^ An Enquiry into the 
 
 hundred thoufand Times bigger 
 tlian they pofTefTed when in the 
 Form of a condenfed Body. This 
 is very evident to Thofe who are 
 acquainted with the Method of 
 working by Algebra, where the ne- 
 c^ative Quantities begin as the po- 
 jitive ones end ; So here, where 
 the Force ot AttraBion cea fes, 
 the contrary Force of repelling or 
 receding begins. And it may alio not 
 unfittly be illuitrated by the Moti- 
 on of the heavenly Bodies about 
 ihe Sun : For in that Part of their 
 Orb in which the projedile Force 
 cbhfpires with that of Gravitation, 
 they tend towards the Sun ^ and in 
 the other Fart where T^hefe are con- 
 trary to each other, they recede from 
 it ; And if we fuppofe their Or- 
 bits changed from Ellipfes to Hy- 
 perbola's, the Centripetal will be 
 converted into a Centrifugal Force. 
 In like Manner it appears in the 
 
 fmali 
 
Caiife and Origin of Evil 177 
 
 fmall Particles of Mattter, that at 
 one Difbnce they adl on one ano- 
 ther by the Law of Gravitation ; 
 at another Diftance> by the Law 
 ot Coh^fiony ' (which may alfo be 
 called a particular Attradion, when 
 they come to be within each others 
 Spheres;) and by that of Repuljion 
 or flying from one another, when 
 by Fermentation or Heat fuch 
 Particles are emitted from folid Bo- 
 dies. Thefe are no Hypothefes or 
 Fidions, invented to folve thePhse- 
 nomena of Nature, but they are 
 real Laws of Motion, by which 
 material Bodies are governed; and 
 they are as nicely and exacSIy ob- 
 ferved in the moft minute Particles 
 with Kegard to each other, as they 
 are in the greater Bodies of the U- 
 niverfc. Thefe Particles compofe a 
 Syflem ;and approach to,and recede 
 from each other in regular Curves ^ 
 as is mofl evident in Experi- 
 N meats 
 
1 78 An Enquiry into the 
 
 ments of Rays of Light, which are 
 refleded and infledcd by Bodies, 
 and tranfmitted through them> in 
 as uniform Curves as thofe in 
 which the Planets move about the 
 Sun. The fame be may affirmed al- 
 fo of Air and Vapours ; as is clear 
 from the Manner of the Produdi- 
 on of them, *viz^* by Heat and 
 Fermentation ; t For 
 the Particles are by 
 this Means forced off 
 from Bodies with 
 great Violence ; and 
 confequently as foon 
 as they are beyond the 
 Sphere of Adiivity of 
 the attradive Body, 
 they fly off,both from 
 It, and from each other, with a pro- 
 portionable Velocity. And as all the 
 Irregularities of the £;reater Bodies 
 of the Univerfe were either <vt\uab 
 or optical^ or elfe (uch as were na- 
 tural 
 
 + Nam particulse e 
 corporibus excufije per 
 calorem vel fermentati- 
 onem, limul ac e fphsra 
 ^ittradionis corporis fiii 
 evafcrint; recedunt deiu- 
 ceps Sc ab illo 5c a fe 
 invicem magna cum vi, 
 rurfiimque accedere fu- 
 giuiit, Neirt. Optic, pag, 
 402. 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil lyg 
 
 tnrally efFecSed by thofe Powers 
 which were originally imprefled 
 on them^ or by the Interpolition 
 of other Bodies, which a little di- 
 Ihirbed them; So here likewife the 
 prefent Irregularities of the Air a- 
 rife from the fame Principle, and, 
 fo far as we have Means of coming 
 to the Knowledge of the particu- 
 lar Circumftances of it, we can ac- 
 count for the Event. 
 
 Thus, it is objeded againfl: our ohj^Si- 
 Air, That it is fubjecfl to frequent ^^'^?^'- 
 Storms and Hurricanes of Wmd, f^'/j^f,.^ 
 to Thundrings, and Lightnings, 
 which are often deftrucSive both 
 to Men and other Animals, and by 
 which the Fruits of the Earth are 
 blafted ; And it is many Times fo 
 infectious and corrupt, as to caufe 
 Plagues and Famines, by v/hich 
 whole Cities and Countries are 
 depopulated and laid wafte. 
 
 N 1 .In 
 
i8o An Enquiry into the 
 
 Tue Ki- l^ Order to account for the 
 ^A^ravi Origin of thele Evils and Calami- 
 thcL.nvs iiQs^ it will be neceflary here alfo 
 n lijiib-^.^ enquire into the Nature and 
 Conltitution or the Air, io far as 
 we have Means of coming to the 
 Knowledge of it ; that we may be 
 abJe to judge of its Powers and Ef- 
 feSs. and to fee how much is owing 
 to the Laws it is fubjcfl: to, and how 
 <much is to be afcribed to the Neg- 
 leftor Carelefsnefs, of Men. That 
 -., Air is not by any Means to be ren- 
 dred vifible, is evident from hence > 
 that when it i^ never fo much 
 condenfedby artificially thruftinga 
 very great quantity into a fmall 
 Space^ there appears not the leaft 
 difference in the Tranfparency. 
 We cannot therefore by Sight 
 come to the knowledge of its Laws^ 
 as we do of the great and vifible 
 Bodies^ But there are numberlefs 
 Experiments by which the gene- 
 ral 
 
Caafe and Ongin of Evil. 1 8 1 
 
 ral Nature of it is made nianifcft^ 
 and which vn\\ account for the 
 principal Effccls of it. The pccn- - 
 liar and diftinguidiing Property of 
 Air^ is its Elafiicity or Sprwginefs ^ 
 that Power by which the Parts en- 
 deavour to recede from one ano^ 
 ther^ and to expand themfelves all 
 roundj fo as to poifefs any given 
 Space ; the Degree of which is 
 found by the force that is required 
 to comprefs it^ Aftion and Readi- 
 on being always equal to each o- 
 ther. This alfo is a certain and 
 pofitive Law, by vvhich thefe 
 minute, and to us invifibie Parti- 
 cles of the Air^ are as regularly 
 governed as the heavenly Bodies 
 themfelves. And by confidering 
 what theConfequence of fuch a par- 
 ticular Motion is^ we (liall lee the 
 vaft life and Benefit of it^ and 
 what Impcrfcflions and Difad^'an- 
 pges itmiifi: be liable to. Though 
 N 5 this 
 
182 An Enquiry into the 
 
 this Springinefs be the peculiar 
 Quality which belongs to it as v^/r, 
 yet is it alfo fubjed: to that univer- 
 fal Law of Gravitation, which be- 
 longs to all material Things under 
 every Form and Conftitution, and 
 ^tis no Way inccnfiflent with it; this 
 latter always refpedmg the Cen- 
 ter of the Earth, and the other re- 
 fpeding only the Particles them- 
 lelves. And to the Compofition 
 , of thefe two Motions, is owing 
 that particular Denfity of the Air 
 here near the Surface of the Earthy 
 which is necefTary for the Subfift- 
 ence of Men and all other Ani- 
 mals. Were its Particles void of 
 Gravitation, they would immedi- 
 ately fly off, with a Velocity equal 
 to their Compre{rion,and be entire- 
 ly diffipated ; And were they void 
 of Elafticity they W' ould fubfide to 
 the Surface of the Earth ; But the 
 Qiiantity of the Air being exadly 
 
 adjufted 
 
Caufc and Origin ofEviL 183 
 
 adjufted to this expanding^ Force^ 
 fo that the incumbent Weight 
 might comprefs it to a due Denfi- 
 ty^thjs renders it fit for all the Pur- 
 pofes for which it was intended. 
 That this is the general Gonftitu- 
 tion of the Air, is confirmed by- 
 undeniable Experiments ; which 
 accurately meafure its particular 
 different Denfity, in different Pla- 
 ces ; and demonftrate, that about 
 the height of feven Miles from the 
 Earth, it is four times thinner than 
 upon its Superficies ; and at the 
 height of thirty-five Miles, it is a- 
 bove a thoufand times more rare 
 than with us. Which plainly dis- 
 covers the particular ^fes of this 
 Element, 
 
 Thus, by the fmallnefs of itsThepar- 
 Particles and their regular Diftance ^^^^"^'^^ 
 from each other, the Air is ^^^~ Jji^^^l^ 
 dred a tranfparent Medium ; which jwa-r. 
 it was very neceffary it fliould be, 
 N 4 that 
 
184 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 that Objeds might become vifible ; 
 Otheiwife the Faculty of Seeing in 
 all Kinds of Animals had been whol- 
 ly loft ; They would have been in 
 mter Darknefs, and been liable to 
 rufli continually againft each other, 
 when they moved out of their 
 Places. By the Elafiicitj or Sprin- 
 ffinefs of thefe Particles, whereby 
 they endeavour to recede from each 
 other all Ways ; the Air is rendred 
 the moft proper Medium for all 
 Creatures to move moft freely 
 in : For by this Means it is not 
 ' only jluidy that is^ will very eafi- 
 ly yield to any Force, and by fuch 
 yielding,have its Parts freely moved 
 amongft one another ; but by its 
 Readion, the incumbent Weight, 
 ("which is very great, fufficient to 
 comprefs the Bodies and Veffels 
 of all Animals, fo as no Juices 
 could circulate in them, ) is fo far 
 
 taken 
 
Cnufe and Orrgin of Evil i 85 
 
 taken off, that tliey can, with hf- 
 tle Kefiflance, move iwift enough 
 for all the Purpofes of Life. From 
 the fame Principle arifes Soundy 
 which is nothing elle but the Et- 
 fed: of different Vibrations of the 
 Air, ftriking upon the Organs of 
 Hearing : Which affords not only 
 the pleafurc of Mnfick, but is the 
 great Infhumcnt of conveying 
 Mens Thoughts to each other. 
 To this alio is owing That other 
 Kind of Motion which we call 
 Wind ; which is fo neceffary to- 
 wards the duly tempering and 
 mixing the Particles interfperfed in 
 the Air; alio for conveying the 
 Clouds from one place to another, 
 and for cooling the Air in the hot- 
 ter Ghmates of the Earth. To 
 which v/e may add its artificial 
 Ufes and Improvements by Men ; 
 as in the Art of Navigation^ by 
 
 which 
 
1 86 An Enquiry into the 
 
 which we are acquainted and traf- 
 fick with the molt diftant Nations. 
 Alfo the feveral Sorts of Mills and 
 the like, which diminifh very much 
 that Labour which muft otherwife 
 come upon Men and other Ani- 
 mals. But the principal Ufe of 
 all, is Refpiration, which is ab- 
 folutely neceffary to the prefer- 
 vation of Life both Animal and 
 Vegetati'vey For the Particles of 
 Air infinuate themfelves not only 
 into the VefTels, but alfo mix with 
 the [uices contained in them, in all 
 living Things ; Whence through its 
 equal preffure on every fide, the 
 diftradile Veflels are capable of 
 being contracted and dilated with 
 great Eafe by the ^ital Power, fo 
 as to infpire and expire a fufficient 
 Qtiantity of Air to carry on the 
 Circulation. That this Air is im- 
 prcEgnated with acid Particles, or 
 abounds with acid Vapours, is evi- 
 
 ^ dent 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 187 
 
 dent from experience : The Na- 
 ture ofwhichParticles, or the Laws 
 they are fiibjed: to, we judge by the 
 EfFeft. Thus that they are the Caufe 
 of Fermentation-, is evident from 
 hence, that fome Metals^^fuch as Iron 
 and Copper,when they are expofed 
 in the Air, immediately contrad: a 
 Ruft ; and that a common Fire is ve- 
 ry much increafed by blowing, or 
 mixing a great Quantity of Air 
 with it. From whence it follows 
 that thefe Particles mull be pretty 
 grofs, and endued with a very ftrong 
 attradive Force, when they come 
 near one another ; By which Force, 
 when they rufli together in any 
 Fluid, they agitate the parts of it, 
 which caufes Heat ; or feparate 
 them with great Violence from 
 each other, in which confifts Ver* 
 mentation. And thus the Pulfe 
 of the Hearty and the Circulation 
 of Juices, is prefer ved by Refpi- 
 
 ration; 
 
1 88 An Enquiry into the 
 
 ration ; For^ upon dilating the 
 Lungs^ a great Quantity of Air is 
 received in^which carries along with 
 it thofe nitrous acid Particles with 
 which it abounds \ which being thus 
 conveyed into the fmall diftended 
 Veflels^mix with the Fluids containr 
 jed mtiiQm^znA^y fermenting there^ 
 caufe fuch a gentle Heat and Moti- 
 on as is neceffary to preferveLife. 
 Tl}e m- Thcfe are the principal Laws by 
 ^"^^^0^' which this Medium is governed ; 
 its being which it was neceffary to mention 
 'theff ^^P^i'ticularly, in Order to account 
 JLam. for thofe Irregularities which by 
 this Means it muft be continually 
 liable to^and which^compared witl^ 
 the genera! ^fefulmfs of it, wilf 
 be found to be no juft Objedion 
 againft it. That * 
 ^ Si eodem teiripore tbe Air is fupplyed 
 confideremusquammul- vvith nitrous and ful- 
 tum lit Sulphuris intra » ii • i 
 
 Terrain, ^quamcalidse phureous Particles 
 
 fint partes irJeriores from the internal 
 
 Part§ 
 
Ccwfe and Origin of Evil. 189 
 
 Parts of the Earth, is Terra •, Fontefque fer 
 
 . I .£• r vidos contemTnemurj 
 
 evident, it we conll- Montefque ardentes, 
 
 der what a vafl: Quan- MephitefquefubterTer- 
 
 rity of_ Them i, con- ^res'^IX^iS; 
 
 tamed in its Bowels* Comfcationes Metalli- 
 
 which difcover them- f ^ Terrs motus, Ex- 
 
 ^1 ' t r 1 nalationes altuolas et 
 
 lelves in the ieveral fuffocantes, Ventorum 
 
 burning Mountains turbines, immanefque 
 
 u ^ J r cr «»: Aqux marina in Cx- 
 
 m hot and fuffocating ^^i ufque elatos & 
 
 Exhalations, fome of contortos Vortices ^ uti- 
 Which are eafily in- ^"^ intelligere poteri- 
 
 iiammablej and alio j,ag. 384. 
 in hot Fountains and 
 the Hke. Thefe Caverns are the 
 Magazines of fuch Particles, as 
 the Sea is of the Water , and they 
 are conveyed from Them all over 
 the Surface of the Earth, much in 
 the fame Manner as Water is ; For 
 upon their mixing with Mineral?, 
 a Firmentation is immediately raif- 
 ed, which diffipates them fo that 
 they are exhaled along with the 
 watry Vapours^ and driven by the 
 
 Wind 
 
loo ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Wind from one Place to another^ 
 till the whole Atmofphere is im- 
 pregnated, with them. And as in 
 the Inftauce of the Sea^ fo great a 
 Quantity of Water, which yet is 
 ablolutely neceffary to furnifli the 
 Earth with Rain and Rivers^ muii 
 fometimes be fubjeft^ by the Laws 
 of it, to overflow its Banks^ and 
 focaufe Innundations andDeluacs^ 
 by which particular Countries are 
 injured * So here alfo^ under fome 
 . Circumllances^ th^tc Fermentations ^ 
 which in the general are no more 
 than is requifitc to fill the Air fuf- 
 ficiently for the Purpofes of Life^ 
 mufl: caufe great Mifchief in certain 
 Places. 
 Ihe Oh' Thus^ the internal Parts of the 
 jectmn Earth being the only proper Place 
 concern- £^j. containing fo large a Store of 
 Stonm Sulphur and Nitre and Minerals 
 ^"^ , as is required for fo many thou- 
 
 Earth- r 1 ^r i • ■- i • • 
 
 quakci ^^i^<^ Years as this Earth m its pre- 
 &c. crjr fent 
 
 fdered. 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. ipi 
 
 fcnt State has, and may yet conti- 
 nue ; it muft ncceffarily be^ that 
 when this Fermentation is made in 
 fuch fubteiraneous Caverns as are 
 not wide enough for the Particles 
 to expand themfelves in, or have 
 no open Paffage to rufh out at, 
 they will, by the iorementioned 
 Law, (hake the Earth to a confi- 
 derable Difiance^ tear thofe Ca- 
 verns to Peices, ^nd, according to 
 the Depth of fuch Caverns or 
 Quantity of Materials contained 
 in them, remove large Pieces of 
 the Surface of the Earth from one 
 Place to another , in the fame 
 Manner, though to a much higher 
 Degree^ than artificial Explotions 
 made underground ; the Effcfl: of 
 which is very fenfible to a great 
 Diftance. If it happens that thefe 
 Fermentations 2ire inl?laccs under the 
 Sca,theVVater mixing withihefcMa- 
 terials increafcs their Force^ and is 
 
 thereby 
 
ICJ2 An Enquiry into the 
 
 thereby thrown back with great 
 Violence •, fo as to feemto ri(e up 
 into the Cloudsand fall down again, 
 iometimes in very large Drops, 
 and fometimes in whole Spouts^ 
 which are lufficient to drown all 
 that is near them. If the Fermen- 
 tation be not fo violent^ but fuch 
 only as raifes large Vapours or 
 Steam's, which can find their Way 
 through fmall occult Palfages of 
 the Earth ^ Jhefe^ near its Surface^ 
 by their continual Expirations are 
 at firft theCaufe of gentle Winds ; 
 And thefe afterwards by their con- 
 tinual Increafe become perhaps 
 Storms and Whirlwinds and Tcm- 
 pefts^ which many Times deftroy 
 the Fruits^ tear up the Trees^ and 
 overthrow the Houfes ; .. But if 
 they be fiill more gentle, there be- 
 ing always fome fulphureous Exha- 
 lations, efpecially if the Earth be 
 dry, they then afcend along with 
 
 the 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. i pj 
 
 the lighter Vapours into the upper 
 Region of the Air, where when a 
 large Quantity of them is gathered 
 together, thcj ferment with the acid 
 Nitre, and taking Fire, and explo- 
 ding, caufeThiunder and Lightning 
 and other Meteor^. This, as far as 
 can be gathered from Experience 
 and Oblervation of the Works of 
 Nature, is the Origin and Gaufe of 
 thoie Jm^erjcBtons and 'E'vilsy 
 which the prcfent Conflitution of 
 the Air, and the Laws of Motion 
 ohferved by thofe Particles mixed 
 with it, unavoidably fubjed: it to. 
 They are the natural and genuine 
 Efieds, of the Regulation it is un- 
 der ; and without altering the pri- 
 mary Laws of it, (that is, m.aking 
 it fomething elfe than what it is, 
 or changing it into another Form \ 
 the Reiult of which, would be on- 
 ly to render it liable to E^Hs of 
 another Kind, againfl which the 
 
 O fame 
 
 y 
 
Ip4 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 fame Objedions would equally lie;) 
 or in a fupernatural Manner hin- 
 dring it from producing fuch Ef- 
 feds, it is impoffible to prevent 
 them. And if we add to this, that 
 • thefe Epulis are the fewefl that in the 
 Nature of Things could be, with- 
 out hindring a much greater 
 Good 'y that they are in the moft 
 convenient Parts, and the moll 
 guarded againft doing Mifchief^ 
 that could be ; and that there are 
 alfo good Ufes to be made of them ; 
 we fball have no Reafon to com- 
 plain of, or find fault with them. 
 Were the Quantity of Sulphur 
 and Nitre much diminiflied^ there 
 would not be fufhcient to fill the 
 Region of the Air for the Purpo- 
 fes of Vegetation and Life ; but 
 the Ground would grow barren, 
 and the Plants and Animals would 
 waft and die : And if there were 
 a much greater Quantity^ the con- 
 trary 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil 19J 
 
 trary Efied would happen ; The 
 Earth would be too hr, the Plants 
 would grow too grofs, and the 
 Animals would be fufFocated and 
 choaked. The Temperature is 
 therefore as exad: as it could be, 
 all Circumftances confidered ; and 
 the imall Inconveniences are no- 
 thing, conipared with the general 
 Good, Thofe Vapours which 
 caufeThunder and Lightning^are by 
 their Levity conveyed to the high- 
 efl" and moft remote Parts of the 
 Atmofphere ; where, their Explo- 
 fion being capable of Any Direc- 
 tion, itfeldom comes perpendicular 
 on the Earth, and more feldom 
 reaches it, by Keafon of the great- 
 er Dwiifity of the Air near its Sur- 
 face : And were thefe Vapours 
 not to be difchar^ed in this Man- 
 ner, the Air would be fo filled with 
 them, as to be more permcious 
 to Men and all other Creatures : . 
 
 O 2 They 
 
p6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 They are therefore of very great 
 %Jfe towards purging and purifying 
 the Air from noxious Steams and 
 Exhalations, and the hke. The fame 
 may be faid alfo of Storms and 
 Hurricanes of Wind : The Cafe 
 . of the Air, is much the fame as 
 that of the Sea ; If the Water 
 flagnates but a few Days, it cor- 
 rupts and ftinks; Sohkewife if the 
 Air ftagnatcs^ it corrupts and be- 
 comes unwholefome^ in a Ihort 
 Time ; So that it was neceffary 
 there fhouid be Storms of Wind 
 to agitate its Particles, and to give 
 them a due mixture. So likewife 
 concerning Vulcano's and the like ; 
 They are of Ufe to generate 
 Mountains and Iflands, and to en- 
 rich the Countries round about 
 them ; For we obferve them to be 
 generally in the moft fertile Places, 
 the Materials with which they 
 abound being proper for this Pur- 
 
 pofe. 
 
Caiife dnd Origin of Evil i p 7 
 
 pofe. Thus we fee that thcfe hn- 
 perfections and E^ilsy which this 
 Part of the Creation is by the ge- 
 neral Laws of Nature fubjecS to, 
 is by no Means inconfiftent with 
 what Mofes pronounces concern^ 
 ing all the Parts of it ; T^hat be 
 hold they are very good. And 
 therefore in Scripture thefe very 
 Things are often in particular 
 mentioned, not as unworthy of the 
 Perfedions of God ; but as Ma- 
 nifeftations of his Glory and Ex^ 
 cellency : According to that of the 
 Royal Pfalmift; jVhatfoever the 
 Lord pleafedy that did he in 
 Heaven and in the Earthy in the , 
 Seas and all deep places. He cauf- 
 eth the Vapours to afcend from 
 the Ends of the Earth ; He ma- 
 keth Lightnings for the Rain ; He 
 bringeth the wind out of his Trea- 
 furies, Pf. 135, ver. 6^ 7. There- 
 fore praife the Lord, for the Lord 
 O 3 is 
 
I^S An Enquiry into the 
 
 is good : Sing Traifes unto His 
 
 ISlame, for it is ^leafanty ver. 3. 
 
 And again, Pf. 29. ver. 3, 4. 
 
 It is the Lord that commandeth 
 
 the Waters 'y tt is the oloriom 
 
 God that maketh the Thunder ; it 
 
 is the Lord that ruleth the Sea, the 
 
 Voice of the Lord is mighty in 
 
 Operation, the Voice of the Lord 
 
 is a glorious Voice. 
 
 The Ob' The remainino; Part of theOb- 
 
 concern- JcCtion IS, that this Air IS many 
 
 "'.? Times fo corrupted and infedioas, 
 
 a7tdKi- ^^ ^^ caufe Plagues and Famines, 
 
 Tfihies, by which whole Countries have in 
 
 ^7 " g^^^^ Meafure been depopulated 
 
 and deflroyed. Thefe may be 
 
 ' partly afcribed to the natural 7?^- 
 
 f erf e^ ions of Things, and partly 
 
 to the voluntary Negled of Men. 
 
 It was before obferved, that a due 
 
 Temperature of the Air is necef- 
 
 fary to the Vegetation ot Plants 
 
 and Refpiration of Animals; 
 
 whence 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEviL ig^ 
 
 whence it follows, that ijE this Tem- 
 perature be difturbed any Way, 
 lome proportionable Inconvenience 
 mufi: arife. If the Air abounds with 
 too many nitrous and fulphurous 
 Particles, the Gonfequence is, that 
 the Fermentation will be alfo too 
 great, fo as to accelerate the Juices 
 and diftend the VelTels more than 
 is proper for the Nourifliment ei- 
 ther ot Plants or Animals ; or if 
 it be flill more violent, it may 
 break Them in Pieces. Or on the 
 other Hand, the Air may want a 
 fufficient Quantity of fuch Parti- 
 cles, and then the Fermentation may 
 not be great enough to promote a 
 due Circulation of thofejuices ;but 
 the Motion may grow languid, or 
 at lad the Juices may quite ilagnate. 
 In either of whichCafes,Difea(es and 
 Death will unavoidably follow. And 
 thefe Evils come to pafs naturally, 
 according to the forementioned 
 O 4 Laws 3 
 
20O Jlh Enquiry into the 
 
 Laws : For at the firft Eruptiori 
 of fuch Vapours, the adjacent 
 Places mufl needs be too plentiful- 
 ly ftosed with them, fo as by their 
 exceflive Heat and Intenfenefs to 
 deftroy the Produds of the Earth ; 
 and afterwards by continually de- 
 creafing, and in the End being 
 wholly fpent, the very fame Places 
 may become barren and defolate. 
 But this may be aferibed likewife 
 in fome Meafure to the voluntary 
 Nealedof Merf : The Earth beina 
 created principally for the Habita- 
 tion of Man, there is a very ftrift 
 Connexion and Proportion betwixt 
 Them, in Order to render the Earth 
 the moftufefuland ferviceable: And 
 an Excefs on eitherHandjWs:^. when 
 there is too many or too few In- 
 habitants, may produce the Ef- 
 fecfts here complained of. In barren 
 and defert Countries, where the 
 Ground is uncultivated,and theWa- 
 
 ters 
 
 ">n. 
 
Cdufe and Origin of Evil. 26 i 
 
 ters permitted to ftagnatc, and where 
 very large Woods which the Wind 
 car not penetrate^ make the Air to 
 flagnate alfo ; the Earth fends forth 
 noxious Steams and corrupted Va- 
 pours, which being carried along by 
 the Wind, infeft the nei^hbourin^^ 
 Nations. And in very populous, and - 
 clofe«built Cities, the contrary Efted: 
 is produced, for Want of a due Cir- 
 culation of AJr, and for Want of its 
 being proportionably impregnated 
 v^'ithfermentingV michs. Whence 
 it is obferved that fuch Diftemp- 
 ers are for the moft Part generated, 
 in one or other of thefe extremely 
 different Places. Thefe are the 
 principal Caufes of the forementi- 
 oned E'vilSy which this Medium 
 of the Air is fubjcd to ; and from 
 the Compofition and Variety of 
 them, arife different Sorts and De- 
 grees, which muft be accounted 
 tot by particular Obfervation and 
 
 Expe- 
 
i02 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Experience ; it being impofTible 
 tor us othetwiie to find out the 
 Ingredients of which fuch Mix- 
 tures are compounded, the Cafes 
 being almoft infinite. But the U- 
 niformity we every where fee in 
 Nature, is a fufficient Reafon to 
 afcribe the fame Kind of Ejffeds, 
 to the fame general Caufe. 
 -^, . . Havinor thus confidered the Na- 
 
 Ubejcti' 1 rr ^ r ^ 
 
 oma- ture and Eneas or the Air, I come 
 
 gakflthe^Q^ to the next Part of the Crea- 
 
 of the tion according to the Divifion of 
 
 Earth JlfofeSy Gen. i, ^uiZs, the Herbs 
 
 UJ' "' and Plants with which the Surface 
 
 of the Earth abounds ; Of thefe 
 
 it is faid, 'ver. i 2, T'hat the Earth 
 
 brought forth Grafs and Herb 
 
 yielding Seed after his Kmd^ and 
 
 the Tree yielding Fruity zvhofe 
 
 Seed was in itfelf after hts Kma ; 
 
 and God faiv that it was good. 
 
 To which it is objeded ; that 
 
 many of Thefe are noxiom and 
 
 pifonom 
 
Ca^fe and Origin of Evil. 20^ 
 
 poifonous to Men and other Crea- 
 tures, and others of them are faid 
 to be a Curfe rather than a Bkffing, 
 Ch. 5. ver. 17. Curfed is the 
 Ground for thy Sake ; — Thorns 
 and Thifiles jl)all it bring forth 
 unto thee. That the principal of 
 Thefcy fnch as the different Sorts 
 of Corn and other Grain, were 
 chiefly defigned for the Ufe and 
 Benefit of Men, is evident, in 
 that they are the moft agreeable 
 Food for them : But as the All- 
 wife Creator thought fit to make 
 Variety of Other inferior Crea- 
 tures, it was neceflary that They 
 alfo fhould be fupphed with fuch 
 Kind of Suftenance as was proper 
 for them. Wherefore, as the 
 Koyal Pfalmift exprefTes it, P/^ 
 104. ver. 14. He caufeth the 
 Grafs to grow for the Cattle, and 
 Herb for the Service of JVLeny 
 that He may bring forth Food out 
 
doA Ah Enquiry into the 
 
 vf the Earthy and Wine that 
 waketh glad the Heart of Man^ 
 and Oyt to make his Face to (htne, 
 and Bread zvhich (irengthmth 
 Mans Heart. The natural Gon- 
 fequence of which, is ; that as 
 every Species of Creatures has its 
 proper Food, is endued with pecu- 
 liar Degrees of Sight or Tafte or 
 Smell, in Order to diftinguifli it 
 from all others ; as they have their 
 Mouths andTeeth framedfo asmoft 
 eafily to take the Food and render 
 it fit for the Stomach , and fuch 
 Juices in the Stomach as will beft 
 digeft it into Nourifhment ; It 
 muft, I fay, from hence follow in 
 the Courfe of Things, that any 
 DefeCl, or Mifapplication, or Su- 
 perabundance ol Thefe, muft be 
 injurious or noxious , whenever 
 it happens; which yet catts no 
 Reflexion upon the general Cood. 
 And hence it is, that what is Food 
 
 and 
 
Caiife and Origin of Evil, oo^ 
 
 and preferves Life in one Animal, 
 may be Poifon and Death to ano- 
 ther ; becaufe its Stomach may 
 not be at all able to digeft it ; or 
 it may do it in fuch a Manner, as 
 to caufe a Fermentation too ftrong 
 or too weak for the VefTels in 
 which the Juices are contained ; 
 The feveral Degrees, or different 
 Varieties of which, caufe greater 
 or lefs Diforders and Irregularities. 
 There is no Fault or DefeCl in the 
 'J hingsthemlelves5 They are the 
 moll ufeful that they were capable 
 of being made ; And 'tis merely the Vn 
 Names we give to them, on the 
 Account of thofe difao-reeable Ef- 
 reds they produce when out of 
 their natural State^ that makes 
 them feem to be evil, when the 
 contrary ought to be affirmed of 
 them, and often is fo in another 
 View. Thus the fame Plant which ^ 
 in fome Refpeds and under fome 
 
 Circum- 
 
206 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Circumftances is fliled poifonouft 
 is in other Refpeds and under 
 other Circumftances very excellent 
 and ufcful : It is perhaps a Reme- 
 dy for many Diftempers, or, ac- 
 cording as the Body is difpofed, 
 perhaps a proper Diet. Before 
 ,, we peremptorily pronounce con- 
 cerning the good or e%^ll of fuch 
 Products of the Earth, we ought 
 to find what are the Ends and 
 Ufes of them ; for till this be 
 done, we cannot truly determine 
 about them. Now in thofe that 
 we do know, they appear fuffici- 
 ently to anfwer the Defign of the 
 great Creatour, and are therefore 
 food. And as the other may do 
 io too, for ought we know ; nay 
 from the Analogy of Things and 
 their proceeding from the fame 
 Original, they cannot but do 
 fo 5 they are not only, not E'ViL 
 but Good likewife. And what is 
 
 faid 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 2 07 
 
 faid of the Grou ids being curfed 
 and bringing forth Thorns and 
 Thiflles, is no Objeftion againft 
 this general Truth: For thofe 
 Words feem only to be com^ ; ctt. * 
 parativcly fpoken ; and relate to 
 the Garden of Eden^ out of 
 which our firfl Parents were remo- 
 ved for their Tranfgrefllon, and on 
 whofe Account that pleafant Place 
 was levelled with the common 
 Earth, and brought forth Thorns 
 and Thirties^ inftead of thofe choice 
 Fruits it was repleniflied with 
 before ; And therefore with Re- 
 gard to Them it is faid to bccnrfeJ^^ 
 that is^ lefs blejjed ; for Thorns 
 and Thiftles have their Ufcs in 
 bringing forth Food for Birds and 
 the like. And in this Senfe blef- 
 fwg and curfwg^ lo'ving and hati/7grhegene- 
 are frequently ufed in ^Scripture, ral Ap- 
 Thus we have gone through^|j^f" 
 the inanimate Part of the QxcM- foregoing 
 
 Particw 
 
 on 
 
2q8 An Enquiry into the 
 
 on^ and have diftinftly coniidered 
 the principal Inftances which have 
 been thought inoft liable to Ob- 
 jection ; and have given fuch 
 Anfwcrs to Them^ as the Nature 
 of the Things afforded. It is iin- 
 poffible to take in every Particular 
 under all its Variety of Circunii 
 fiances^ becaufe they are innume- 
 rable ; But as the fame Reafon holds 
 ibr ajlj it is eafy to apply the ge- 
 neral Rule. That every Thing 
 which exifts, was created for fome 
 ^nd and T'nrpofe ^ That it is regu- 
 lated by fome Larv Or endued with 
 fome Faculty in its own Nature mod 
 proper and conducive to attain 
 That particular Efjd and Purpoje ; 
 This we come to the Knowledge 
 pf^ by Experience and Obfervati- 
 on and by an Induftion of Particu- 
 lars : For this is the only Way we 
 can arrive at any Knowledge of 
 fhisKind^, «^i%, io make Obfer- 
 
 vatioa 
 
Ciiufe and Origin of Evil 209 
 
 vation in all the Inftanccs where 
 we have Means of doing \t^ and, 
 where the Analogy is the fame, 
 to apply it to thofe Things that 
 we cannot come at j and then by 
 abftrafting, form a general Rule 
 a priori^ from which we may fafe- 
 ly argue afterwards. Thus^ that 
 all Bodies gra'vitate towards each 
 other^ We find by Experience, in all 
 Inftances that We have had any Op- 
 portunity of trying; From whence 
 we make no Scruple to affirm, that 
 if any different Sorts of Bodies 
 which v/e had never feen_, were 
 brought from other Countries or 
 out of the Bowels of the Earth ; 
 I fay^ we iliould not fcruple to af- 
 firm^ that Ihefe alfo were heu'vy 
 in Proportion to the Quantity of 
 Matter contained in them : And fo 
 we may proceed till we have made 
 it a general Law of Nature ; after 
 which we may argue a priori^ and 
 
 P venture 
 
2IO ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 venture to determine what parti- 
 cular Effefis will be produced by 
 a Syftem of Bodies afting upon 
 one another in this Manner. So 
 likewife^ that thofe Things which 
 we at'e more immediately conver- 
 fant with^ and have Opportunities 
 of knowing the Circumftances 
 and Condition of ^ have their pe- 
 culiar Ends and Z)fes\ is too obvi- 
 ous to be doubted by any ferious 
 Perfon. As^ that the Eye was 
 made to fee with, and the Ear to 
 hear with ; That Corn was made 
 to grow for the Service of Man 
 in furnifliing him with Bread the 
 Staff of Life, and Grafs in the 
 fame Manner for Food for the 
 Cattle : That other Things which 
 at firft were thought to be wholly 
 ufelefs, have by Experience been 
 found^ upon removing them out of 
 their Places, to be very neceflary ; 
 and thofe with which they were 
 
 invifibly 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 2 1 1 
 
 invifibly conneScd^ to fuffer by 
 it ; and others which were thought 
 really injurious, have upon more 
 ftria Obfervation and Inquiry^ 
 been found to be very beneficial 
 and ferviceable ^ as Seas, Moun- 
 tains, Vulcanoes and the like. We 
 may reafonably from hence con- 
 clude alfo that e'uery Thing has 
 its proper life, and is therefore 
 good in the Place originally intend- 
 ed for it. Wherefore fince we 
 can find no Inftance to the contra- 
 ry, in thofe Things that we have 
 Means of coming to the Know- 
 ledge of, which appear to be the beji 
 that it is poflible for us to conceive, 
 in their feveral Degrees and Or- 
 ders ; And fince, where we have not 
 fuch Opportunities of Knowledge^ 
 WT may jullly infer the fame, be- 
 caufe the whole Syftem of Nature is 
 uniform, and the further we enquire 
 into it, the Beauty and Order of 
 
 r 2 ic 
 
212 An Enquiry into the 
 
 it appears more and more ; This 
 ought to be fatisfaftory^ unlefs it 
 could be made appear that any 
 Part of the Creation is in every 
 Refpefl: ufekj's ; which it is impof- 
 
 ^fible to do, becaufe we cannot 
 tell all the Ways that it may be 
 applyed_j and fuch Ignorance is no 
 Argument againft the Excellency 
 of the Thing. And this is the 
 only Way we can have of judg- 
 ing of the Works of the Creati- 
 on_j which are fo numerous^ have 
 fo ftrifl: a Connexion with each 
 other, and are capable of fo 
 much Variation. And as we have 
 jufl: Reafon to think, that every 
 even the moft minute Thing in the 
 Creation J was made for fome 
 End or ^fe^ tho' very different in 
 Degree, which renders them to- 
 ter or worfe relatively, but upon the 
 
 ' whole^ and in their proper Places, 
 they are all equally good'y So is it like- 
 wife 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 1 1 ^ 
 
 yvife evident that rhey are fubje^ 
 /to fuch Laivs^ or endued with 
 fuch Powers and Properties^ as are 
 mod conducive to attain thofe 
 Ends. This is demonftrable not 
 only of the greater Bodies of the 
 Univerfe, but alfo of Thofe which 
 iecm to us the moft inconfidcrable : 
 The meaneft Weed that grows in 
 the moft barren Field^ if viewed 
 in a Microfcope, affords fujflicient 
 Matter of Admiration j to fee 
 the Texture of its fmalleft Par- 
 ticles, and the nice Adjuftment of 
 all its Fibres and Veffels, in Order 
 to bring it to a State of Maturity. 
 And the fame may be affirmed of 
 the Icaft Grain ot' Sandj and of 
 the ftill fmaller Patticles of Mat- 
 ter which are to us utterly invifi- 
 blc ; as is evident from the Effefis. 
 The different Rays of Light, could 
 not excite in us different Colours ^ 
 j^or the different Vibrations of Ai\\ 
 
 P 5 raile 
 
2 14 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 raife in us as different Sounds, in 
 the mofl exad: Proportion ; if the 
 component Particles of the Bodies 
 from whence they proceed, and 
 the Medium through which they 
 pafs, and the Organ of Senfation 
 which receives them^ were not all 
 regulated and connefled, in the 
 mofl; exad: Manner poffible. So 
 that what our Saviour fays in this 
 Cafe, is literally true, ^Luke i a. 
 ver. 28. ^hat Cod cloaths the 
 Grafs of the Field ; that a Bird 
 falls not to the Ground without 
 Him ; and that the "very Hairs 
 of our Head are all numbred ; 
 That is, They are all of them 
 under the DircSion of Him, who 
 governs them by the wifefl: and 
 beft Laws which the Nature of the 
 Things are capable of And this 
 leads us to the Cat/fe and Origin 
 of all thofe natural E<vils which 
 have been before mentioned, 'viz^. 
 
 that 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 2i5 
 
 tliat Things arc not under an una- 
 voidable Necejjhy, but are dired- 
 ed by certain Laws ; the natural 
 Conlequence of which is, that as 
 different Sorts of Bodies are iub- 
 jedl: to different Laws, are endued 
 with differenr Powers and Qiiali- 
 ties, fome of which are much lupe* 
 riour to and fironger than others ; 
 fo they muft fometimes interfere 
 with eactr other, and produce ma- 
 ny Jr regular ttieSyVjhich are the na- 
 tural Effeds of fuch different 
 Compofitions. Were all Things 
 under a fatal Neceffity, and unal- 
 terably determined in their Courfe; 
 there would then be no luch Thing 
 as Good or Evil, Perfeffion or 
 Imperfection : But the infinite Va- 
 riety we obferve in the Univeile, 
 is a Dcmonftration aeainft fuch 
 Neceffity ; which vanifhes upon 
 the very Suppofirion of any Change 
 or Alteration. But every Thing 
 
 P ij. being 
 
2Ia An Enquiry into the 
 
 f abjed to different Laws or Rules ; 
 this is the Foundation of all thole 
 Inconveniences complained of : 
 And this was not polTible in the 
 Nature of Things to be prevent- 
 ed : There could have been no 
 'Degrees or Ranks of Creatures; 
 There could have been no Order 
 or Harmony in the World, with- 
 out fuch Differences. The whole 
 therefore is reduced to This ; ei- 
 ther that there muff be no created 
 Beings at all, or they muff be lia- 
 ble to fome E^ils or other of this 
 Kind. Let the Suppofition be 
 what it will, it amounts to the 
 fame. Whatever is created^ is finitey 
 and therefore if compared with 
 any other created Thing of a dif- 
 ferent Kind, is relatively better or 
 zvorfe ; and if they have any Con- 
 nexion with each other^ they can- 
 not but produce Changes and Al- 
 terations, which are what wc call 
 
 good 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 7 1 7 
 
 <^Ood or e<viL All that is reafona- . 
 bly to be expefted, or agreeable 
 to the Notions we have of Wi(- 
 dom, is, That there fliould be 
 Variety in the Works of the Cre- 
 ation ; That every Part fhould be 
 as perfect as it can be in its Place ; 
 That they fliould all be fubfervient 
 to one another, and promote the 
 Good of the whole. And if the 
 unavoidable Confequence of this 
 be, that fome fmall Defedls and 
 feeming Irregularities will arife, 
 T^hefevjhen compared with the ge- 
 neral Ufe, will be found fcarce 
 worth taking Notice of. This 
 is evidently the Cafe in all the 
 foregoing Inftances: They are 
 fuch only as are the natural Refult 
 of being governed by particular 
 ftated Laws, which in themfelves 
 arc originally perfectly indifferent, 
 and are accommodated to ferve 
 the Bufmel's of this Syftem in the 
 " beft 
 
 a 
 
2r8 An Enquiry into the 
 
 beft Manner poflibIe» And to 
 fuppofe the entire Abfence of 
 fucb Evils or Imperfeftions, is 
 wholly inconfiitent with the Noti- 
 on ot any created Beings at all, 
 is introducing Fate or Neceffity, 
 is to fuppofe the fame Caufe fome- 
 timesproducing its genuine EfFefts, 
 and fometimes not, without any 
 Thing to hinder it \ or elfe to ima- 
 gine the uniform Laws of the Cre- 
 ation fhould be perpetually altera 
 ed or fufpended without any fu& 
 ficient Reafon. It is much more 
 agreeable to the Notions we have 
 of Wifdom in general, and to 
 what we knov/ of the prefent Cir- 
 cumftances of the Creation from 
 Obfervation and Fad: ; to think, 
 that every the moft minute Part of 
 the Univerfe is governed by a cer- 
 tain Law which tends to the good 
 of the whole, and that every 
 E'vil or Irregularity is the natural 
 
 Refult 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 12 ig 
 
 Refult of tliis under particular 
 Circumflances, and is of fmall 
 Moment compared with the gene- 
 ral Good, and confequently no 
 reafonable Objedion. Thus in 
 the greater Bodies of the Univerfe, 
 the Law of Gravitation is abfolute- 
 ly neceffary in Order to their re- 
 volving in their feveral Orbits ; 
 the natural Confequence of which 
 is^ that by their mutual Afting 
 upon each other, fome fmall Ir- 
 regularities muft happen, by ac- 
 celerating or retarding their Moti- 
 ons, altering the Figure of their 
 Orbits, and the like; Which per- 
 haps in very long Time may come 
 to be fo confiderable, as to want 
 putting into better Order. But 
 this is of no Weight againfl: the 
 prefent State of them : They now 
 ferve the Purpofes for which they 
 were originally intended, in the 
 bed Manner pofTible ; Thefe Irre- 
 gularities 
 
220 An Enquiry into the 
 
 gularities are fcarce worth taking 
 any Notice of ; It will a be very 
 long Time before they can make 
 any great Change •, Which when it 
 does come to pafs, they will 
 have endured as long; as the Crea- 
 tor and Governoar ot them 
 thought fit, to anfwer the End He 
 defigned. And as they were not 
 * at firfl created bv 
 
 *Qus fi vera rerum ^^^ Laws by which 
 Origo fuit -^j^am jndig- they are now pre- 
 
 ferved ( for we 
 know none of the 
 mere Laws of Na- 
 ture, no mechanick 
 
 soriripotueriti Pnnciples, that could 
 , lormatus cpm i i n 
 
 num erit Philofopho, 
 alias Mundi condendi 
 rationes exquirere, vel 
 comminifci quemadmo- 
 dum e Chao per meras 
 leges Nature niundus 
 univerrus 
 quamvis 
 
 iit, poflit is jam per if- 
 tas Leges in multa qui- 
 dem fecula perdnrare. 
 
 Axes 
 could 
 
 planets all 
 the 
 
 put the 
 pretty near in 
 iame Plain, that 
 could incline their 
 to that Plain, or that 
 revolve them about fuch 
 
 Axes ;) So the fame Being who at 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 07i 
 
 fiift difpofed and ordered them in 
 this Manner, may again reftore 
 them to the fame State, or make 
 Life of them to other Purpofes, 
 according; to his own Will and 
 Pleafure. So likewife with Re- 
 iped: to this Earth in particular, 
 and its Attendant the Moon ; the 
 natural Confequence of the pre- 
 fent Inchnations of their Orbs to 
 each other^ is, that there mufl 
 fometimes happen Eclipfes both of 
 the Sun and Moon, which now 
 and then deprive us of their whole 
 Light ; Yet no confiderate Perfon 
 can think it reafonable to expeft, 
 that the Courfe of Things fliould 
 be altered, or a Miracle worked^ to 
 prevent the Interpofition of thofe 
 Luminaries, on Account of fome 
 Inconveniences that may befall 
 fome Part of Mankind, through 
 Fear. Ignorance or Superflition. 
 And if we go yet further, to the 
 
 Materials 
 
222 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Materials of which the Earth is 
 compofed, and take any One ot 
 them, fuppofe that ulcful Metal 
 Iron, to which fingle Thing is 
 owing the Improvement of all 
 Arts and Sciences ; it is no real 
 Objedion againft it, that it will 
 make Swords dis well dLsFlovjfhareSy 
 and Shears as well as pruning 
 Hooks y and confequently that 
 Men may convert that which was 
 intended for their greateft Benefit, 
 to the Deftruftion of each other. 
 And the fame will hold in Propor- 
 tion, in every Inftance through- 
 out the whole Creation. If there 
 be any Ends propofed in the feve- 
 ral Parts of it, if there be any 
 Means proper to obtain thofe 
 Ends, if there be any particular 
 Circumjiances and Condition 
 more conducive thereto than o- 
 thers ; it muft from thence una- 
 voidably follow, from the Nature 
 
 of 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. m^ 
 
 of material Things, and the Laws 
 which they are capable of, that 
 they are liable to be diflurbed and 
 interrupred ; The Circuraflances 
 they are under, may be altered by 
 the Interpofition of other Beings ; 
 and their regular Effeds thereby ^ 
 hindred. And hence it is, that 
 the more ufeful any Thing is, that 
 is, the more Purpofes it can be ap- 
 plied to ; the more capable is it of 
 being abufed : Becaufe in every 
 Inftance in which it can be ap- 
 plyed, it can be alio mifappli- 
 ed. The true Notion of Good \ 
 therefore in the natural World is, 
 not that the Parts of it fbould be 
 fo made as to be uncapable of any 
 Change or Alteration, for this the 
 Nature of Things will not permit ; 
 but that every Part fhould fove 
 fome End,and confequently fhould 
 be endued with iuch particular 
 Powers, and in fuch a certain De- 
 cree 
 
^24 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 gree, as is moft proper to attain 
 that End. And in this Senfe it 
 is, that every Thing which God 
 has made^ is gQod\ that the 
 moft minute and inconfiderable 
 Part of the Creation, fcrves the 
 Purpofe for which it was intend^ 
 ed^ as well as the greateft and 
 nioft magnificent One does in iti 
 Place. And whenever the word 
 EW is applyed to any of Them, 
 it is only comparatively ; which 
 means nothing elfe^ but that they 
 are more or lefs perfeB^ which is 
 not any real Fault : Or elfe it ari- 
 fes from our Ignorance or wrong 
 Notions concerning the Things 
 themfelves; when we imagine 
 they fhould have been endued with 
 other Powers or Qualities than 
 thofe we find in them^ or think 
 they were made for one Purpofe^ 
 when they were really intended 
 for another very different. Upon 
 
 the 
 
Caiife and Origin of Evil. 225 
 
 the whole, the State of the Matter 
 feems to be reducible to this : 
 There is great Vartetj in the ma- 
 terial World, which is the natural 
 Refult of the different Figure and 
 Texture and Motion of the origi- 
 nal Particles of which it is confti- 
 tuted ; Thus Air, Water, Earth, 
 Stones, Minerals and the like, are 
 only different Gompoiitions and 
 Modifications of the fame Mat- 
 ter. • There is alfo a manifeft Fit- 
 nefs in every one of Thefe^to their 
 proper and Refpedive Ends : The 
 neceffary Confequence of which 
 is, that where they are rightly and 
 duly adjufted, there is Order and 
 Beauty and Harmony ; and where 
 they are unconnedled or mifapply- 
 ed, there Diforder and Contufion 
 and Deformity immediately enfues. 
 If the Air were put where the 
 Water is, all the Creatures which 
 hve iij that Element would be de- 
 
 Q ftroyed; 
 
22 J An Enquiry into the 
 
 ftroyed ; and if the Water took 
 the Place of the Air, all the Plants 
 and Animals on the Earth would 
 be deftioyed : And the fame holds 
 true of ev^eiy Particular contained 
 in them. To fuppofe therefore 
 * that there fhould be no Poffiality 
 of natural EviU is alfo to take 
 away all PosfiAlity of natural 
 Good J and to overthrow the effen- 
 tial Differences of Things : And 
 to fuppofe that there fhould be no 
 natural Evil actually exifting, is to 
 take away all Liberty and Jntelli- 
 gencCi or, which amounts to the 
 lame Thing, to fuppofe that there 
 are no certain Laws by which any 
 Thing is governed, but the whole 
 left to Chance or Fate. The con- 
 trary to all which, ismoft apparent 
 in every Inftance throughout the 
 whole Creation. There are all the 
 Tokens that can be conceived, of 
 every Thing's being adapted to a 
 
 peculiar 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 226 
 
 peculiar Ufe and Purpofe ; which 
 if they do not attain, it is ma- 
 nifeftly owing to the Interpofiti-. 
 on of fome other Thing of fu- 
 periour Force ; or to the Adions 
 of Men, or infjriour Animals. 
 This is theprefent State of Things, 
 and the genuine Efreft of that 
 Connexion and Dependance which 
 they have upon each other. How 
 long they have continued, or may 
 yet continue in this H^ite^ we 
 have no natural Means of know- 
 ing, nor of what may arife from 
 any new Laws given to them ; 
 They are refolvable into their ori- 
 ginal Principles, and then capable 
 of an infinite Variety of new 
 Forms. Thus the Earth was at 
 fird formed out of a Chaos, and 
 may be reduced to a Chaos again, 
 out of which a new and very dif- 
 ferent one m^y arife. 
 
 1 Thus 
 
071S. 
 
 t^^S An Enquiry into the 
 
 The true Thus we fee the Folly and 
 ofZl Weaknefs of condemning the 
 tbejs Works of the Creation ; even the 
 0//V^t- meaneft and moft inferiour Parts 
 of it. The Ground of which, feems 
 principally to be this ; That we 
 ^are apt to confider Things fepa- 
 rately without taking in the Rela- 
 tion or Connexion they have with 
 other Things of which they are 
 truly Parts, and then to imagine 
 . that they might have been better y 
 becaufe, taken abltracily, they are 
 ca pable of other Powers or Qua- 
 lities : Whereas the true Way for 
 us to gain a right Notion of them, 
 is to examine and find out what 
 End or Purpofe they were defign- 
 ed for^ and lee if they are not a- 
 dapted in the be ft Manner poffible 
 to att ain it. Or elle, which is ftill 
 '^worfe> we are apt to take the 
 wrong fide ; to magnify what we 
 think to be Faults or Irregularities, 
 
 without 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 229 
 
 without confidering how much 
 Good or Benefit is fo clofely con- 
 neded with them, that upon taking 
 away the one, the c?/^//^r would im- 
 mediately ceafe too : Whereas they 
 ought to be weighed in a jufl: Bal- 
 lance, and then the Good will be 
 found vattly to outweigh the Evil, 
 To thefe we may add, that of 
 thofe Parts of the Creation which 
 were made for the Ufe and Service 
 of Man^ there is a great deal de- 
 Jtgnedly left to exercife his Un- 
 derftanding and Induftry. They 
 are only Materials, which He is to 
 find what they will befi: ferve for, 
 and to apply accordingly ; And 
 were it otherwifc, there would be 
 no Room for the Improvement of 
 Arts and Sciences. Were every 
 thing of this Kind brought into 
 perfedl Order, Man v/ould be de- 
 prived of a great Part of the Plea^ 
 lure of Life_3 which confifls in 
 Q 3 perpetual 
 
'2'^o An Enquiry into the 
 
 perpetual Invention and Appli- 
 cation ; and he would quickly find 
 the ill Efteds of Indolence upon 
 tliat fio^y, whicli was originally 
 framed tor Exercife and Labour, 
 And as to thole Parts oi the Crea- 
 ticn v/hich are 72oxiom either on 
 the Account of the Degree or Mtf- 
 application of them, there is as 
 much Pr(ruifQn made againtt 
 them, and as many Remedies for 
 them, as in the prefent State of 
 Things they are capable of : 
 W^>ence mcft of the foremen- 
 tioned natural E'Vth are pretty 
 well fecured againft, in thofe Pla- 
 ces where they often happen ; and 
 obtain their Effedls chiefly where 
 they ai*e very rare, and depend 
 upon a Number cf Circumllances 
 not eafily to be forefeen. In a 
 . Word; we may here uieSt. F<^r^/'s 
 C'-mparilon of a humane Body, 
 and ?-pply it to the whole Syilem 
 
 of 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. 2 3 1 
 
 of Nature, i Cor, 12. njer, 12. 
 For as the Body is one and hath 
 many Members, and all the Mem- 
 bers of that one Body, being ma^ 
 njy are one Body^ fo is it here ; 
 all the different Parts of the Crea- 
 tion, make but one Syftem : And 
 as God has fet the Members e^e- 
 rj one of them in the Body, as 
 it has pleafed him^ ver. 18 ; So 
 has He alio ordered and difpofed 
 every Thing in the whole Univerfe 
 as He thought fit. And if they 
 zvere all one Member, zvhere ivere 
 the Body ? It was neceffary, in 
 Order to compofe a humane Bo- 
 dy, that there fhould be different 
 Members, to which different Offi- 
 ces are allotted ; the natural Gon- 
 fequence of which is, that fome 
 will be more, and fome lefs honou- 
 rable, fome more and fome lefi^ 
 comely, and therefore that more 
 abundant Honour fhould be given, 
 
 Q, 4 ^^ 
 
232 ^4)1 Enquiry into the 
 
 in Proportion, to them. And the 
 lame Keafon holds for the whole 
 Frame of Nature. Were it one 
 uniform Mafs of Matter, there 
 would be no Harmony, Order or 
 Beauty in it. It was therefore ne- 
 celTary that it fliould confift ot ve- 
 ry different Parts, appointed to 
 ferve very different Ends. The 
 unavoidable Confequence of which 
 is, that there fliould be Degrees of 
 Perfection, and more Care andPains 
 requifite in one thing than in ano- 
 ther. And it is altogether as un- 
 ' reafonable to complain of fuch 
 Diverlity^ and to condemn the 
 meaneft and leaft ufeful Parts 
 (which are as necelTary to the Good 
 cf the Whole, as the moft excellent 
 Ones,) as it is for thf Foot to com- 
 plain becaufe it was not the Eye, 
 or the Ear that it was not the Nofe* 
 By this Rule the whole Body 
 fliould have been Eye or Ear, and 
 
 by 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. i^"^ 
 
 by the fame Rule the Univerfe 
 fhould have been but om Thing. 
 Such Objed:ions therefore are very 
 abfurd, and tend diredly to over- 
 turn the Beauty and Order of the 
 whole Creation. 
 
 -IX. Let us now come to the Animal Ohjecti- 
 Part of the Creation, and fee if^^"„^^j^^ 
 the Objections againft That, ht Animal 
 any fironger than the other, KnA^f^!!^f . 
 under this Head, come in all^/ow, cow- 
 Creatures endued with animal/^^^^^- 
 Life ; not only Men, but all 
 the Variety of Birds and Beafts 
 and creeping Things ; Becaufe in 
 this Refped they a re all upon the 
 Level, and the Objedions againft 
 them affed them all equally, 'viZj. 
 that they are fubjed to Pairiy Mi" 
 fery and Death. In Order to ac- 
 count for thefe Evils ^ it is neceffa- 
 ry to confider the Materials of 
 which the Bodies of fuch Crea- 
 tures are originally compofed^ the 
 
 Frame 
 
234 *^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Frame and Strudure of them, the 
 Powers and Qiialities they are en- 
 dued with, a d the like ; that 
 we may be able to form a true 
 Judgment of them, and fee what 
 is reafonable to be expefted from 
 fuch a Conltitution, either as to its 
 Duration, or the Effects which 
 may be produced in it from 
 Things without or within itfelf : 
 In the fame Manner as we have 
 done in the great Machine of the 
 World, the Excellency and won- 
 derful Contrivance of which ap- 
 pears in the moft exaft Connexi- 
 on and Adjuftment of all its Parts, 
 fo as to be the moft ufeful to each 
 other. All that was here required 
 in Order to preferve this Syftem, 
 is only fome few general Laws of 
 Motion ; which when once im- 
 prefTed on Matter, it is capable of 
 retaining them for many Ages. But 
 though this be fufficient to produce 
 ' aU 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, a 5 y 
 
 all thofe EiTed:s which we obferve 
 
 in the material World \ yet fome- 
 
 thing more than this is neceflary 
 
 in the Antmai World. The Prin- - 
 
 ciple of Life is vaftly fiiperiour to 
 
 that of mere Motion; nay even 
 
 Vegetative Life, fuch as all Plants 
 
 are endued with. There is no fuch 
 
 thing ^s equivocal Generation even 
 
 in T^hefe y fome thing further is re- 
 
 quifite to the Produdion of Them, 
 
 than the bare Heat of the Sun, or 
 
 Moifture of the Earth, or any o- 
 
 ther mere natural Power. And 
 
 therefore fome of the antient Phi- 
 
 lofophers thought there was an 
 
 * univerfal flafiick 
 
 Nature, by which e- "^ -Alii Naturam cen- 
 
 Tt-'I fent efle Vim quandam 
 
 very one ot Them was ijoe Ratione, dentem 
 
 thus formed. But mo- motusincorporibusne- 
 
 dern Improvements ceffarios , Alii autem 
 
 . . r " Vim participem Ordi- 
 
 in Philoiophy, have nis, tanquam via pro- 
 
 fufficiently confirmed gr^^ientem CujusSo- 
 
 c D /' A /r • lertiam, nulla Ars, nul- 
 
 bt„ raids Allertion, la Manus, nemo Opi- 
 
 X Cor, 
 
2^6 
 
 fex, confequi poteft _i- 
 iTiitando -jSeminisenim 
 Vim effe tantam, ut id 
 quanquam perexiguum, 
 nadumque lit Materi- 
 am qua ali augerique 
 posfitj itafingat eteffi 
 
 JL^WM ••-•^- - y J_ 
 
 ut movere etiam pof- 
 lint, Be ex fe limilia fui 
 generare. Th//. de Nat, 
 Deor, Lib, IL 
 
 An Enquhy into the 
 
 I Cor. ly. 38. That 
 God giveth them Bo- 
 dies as it hath f leaf- 
 ed himy and to everj^ 
 ^^„„., ^ Seed its own Body, 
 
 ciat, infuoquidquege- £^ pl^^^^ J^35 i^S 
 
 nere,partimutperftir- I ... 
 
 pesalantur{uas,partim peculiar Seed, Which 
 
 in fome is fo fmall 
 as fcarce to be difcern- 
 ed by the Senfes ; 
 Yet in fo minute an 
 Origin are contained the whole Sta- 
 mina of the Vegetable ; all its Vef- 
 fels, Fibres and Fruit folded up 
 in the moft artful and exquifite 
 Manner : In Order to the Produfti- 
 on of which, it is neccffary they 
 fliould be put into a proper Soil^ 
 where in due Seafon, the Rarefac- 
 tion and Fermentation caufed by 
 the gentle Heat of the Sun, fo agi- 
 tates the Parts as to break the Ca^- 
 fula in which they are contained ; 
 by which Means the Water, watry 
 
 Tindures 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 037 
 
 Tindlures, and Salts, have an Op- 
 portunity of penetrating the fpon- 
 gy and porous Fibres, and, infinua- 
 ting themfelves into the fmall Vef- 
 fefs,rwelland diftend them till a Cir- 
 culation ofjuices is performed thro* 
 them all. In thefe Juices is con- 
 veyed proper Nourifhment for the 
 feveral different Parts, as the Bark^ 
 Leaves^Fruit andthelike;which after 
 it is feparated by the properChanels, 
 is conveyed to every one of thofe 
 Parts, and eafily converted into the 
 lame Form, or aflimilated toThem : 
 For this Nourifhment being moift 
 or liquid, theTexture of it is quick- 
 ly changed by a genrie Heat and 
 Motion, till it be rendxed like thofe 
 denfe, hard and durable Particles, 
 of which the folid Parts of the 
 plant are compofed ; a nd then it 
 unites with them. This is the 
 Method of Accretion ; and in this 
 Manner do all Sorts of Herbs and 
 
 Trees, 
 
238 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Trees, the Parts of which are fb 
 various and different from each o- 
 ther, unfold and extend themfelves 
 to fuch a Magnitude. And much 
 after the fame Manner, are Ani- 
 mals likewife generated ; as is evi- 
 dent in all Kinds of Birds, Beafis^ 
 Fifties and Infefts^ which are pro- 
 duced out of the forementioned 
 Fluids ; "^ and parti- 
 ^ Ova ex corporibus culary in thofe Ani- 
 minoribus, quam ut fen- mals which arife from 
 
 plicant"?e pSm in Eggs fo fmall as fcarce 
 
 magnitudinem, & in to be a vifiblc to the 
 Animaliaconvertuntur: ^^1^^^ Eye, and yet 
 
 Oynm, inRanas^ver- it f 
 
 miculi inMufcas.iV'^Ft. gradually explicate 
 O^t. pag, 379. themfelves to a confi- 
 
 derable Bignefs, and 
 at length become living Creatures, 
 Analogous to which^ is the Tranf- 
 formation of fome Animals from 
 one Species to another, as the 
 Converfion of Tadpoles into 
 Froggs^ and Maggots into Flies. 
 
 And 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 1239 
 
 And as to the Formation of Man, 
 which, with Refpcfl: to his animal 
 Part, is not much different from 
 that of inferiour Creatures ; we 
 have in the ^d Chap, of Gen, 'ver. 
 y, a fliort Account of the Origi- 
 nal of it, c^/x. That the Lord God 
 formed Man of the Dnfl of the 
 Ground, and breathed inta his Nof" 
 trils the Breath of Life, and 
 Man became a living SouL In this 
 Defcription, it is evident that Man 
 is confidered only as an animated 
 Body, a Creature endued with 
 Life and Senfation ; And fo St Faid 
 explains it, i Cor, 15. 45. T^he 
 firfi Man Adam was made a living 
 Soul^ the lafl Adam was made a> 
 qnickning Spirit. Where, by the 
 Oppohtion o£ living Soul to qnick- 
 ning Spirit^ it is manifeft that the 
 former fignifies only the prcfent 
 State of Life ; depending upon 
 the Laws of the Creation. Now, 
 
 ill 
 
240 An Enquiry into the 
 
 in Order to judge of the ^erfe^J-i-^ 
 on of fuch a Creature^ and what 
 F.i)Hs or Inconveniences He muft 
 be obnoxious to , we muft diftind- 
 ly confider the conftituent Parts 
 of Him^ what Powers or Qualities 
 they are each of them endued 
 with^ and what Connexion and 
 Dependance they have on one a- 
 nother. The Body^ though it be 
 formed out of the Duft of the 
 Earthy yet^ as the Royal Pfalmift 
 exprefles it_, PJalm 1 5 p. ^er, 1 ^. 
 it is fearfully and wonderftilly madei 
 Every Member hath its proper 
 life and Office^ and is moft admi- 
 rably contrived both for Beauty^ 
 Pofition and Conftitution of its 
 Parts^ fo as with the greateft Eafe 
 they execute their refpedtive Func- 
 tions. This is obvious to the mean- 
 eft Capacity, in the Eye and Ear 
 and other Organs of Senfation ; 
 And to Thofe who are more cu- 
 rious 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 241 
 
 rious in enquiring into the ani- 
 mal CEconomy, the late Improve- 
 ments in Anatomy have faffici- 
 ently difcovered the ZJfe of all 
 the Arteries, Veins, Muieles,NerveSj 
 (S'c. in Order to preferve and 
 maintain the StrucUire of the 
 Whole. Now the Gafe is exa(Sly 
 tlie fame here, as it is in the natural 
 World. All finite Powers and Qiia- 
 lities can exert themfelves but to a 
 certain Degree ; And as They are 
 very different^ fo they moft una- 
 voidably in the prefent Circum- 
 ftances of Things^ fometimes in- 
 terfere with and difturb each o- 
 ther. This could not pofTibly be 
 prevented, if they be fubjeft to 
 any Laws at all. And to this muft 
 be afcribed all the natural E'vils 
 that the Bodies of Men are inci- 
 dent to, fuch as Difeafes^ (Patns 
 and Death. 
 
 R The 
 
2^2 An Enquiry into the 
 
 irhevce jhe r^^attery of which the Ba- 
 ^j|f;j^dy is formed, is the Duft of the 
 all other Earth ; wherefore fuch as the Ma- 
 Ammals f^y^^i^ ^j^^ f^ch of Neceffitv muft 
 
 are Jul?- t t^ i i i , i n 
 
 jea to the Fabrick be : In general it muit 
 Death. [yQ capable of Diflokition, or of be- 
 ing relolved into its original confti- 
 tuent Particles ; Becaule whatever 
 the Gompofition be, it can be only 
 the Relult of the different Texture 
 of fuch Particles, which Tex- 
 ture may be deftroyed by any Pow- 
 er fuperior to thofe Laws by which 
 • it is regulated. Man therefore was 
 originally made mortaL It is the 
 Condition of humane Nature, or, 
 as the Author to the Hebrews ex-* 
 preffes it^ ch, 19. njer. 27. It is 
 appointed unto Men once to dye. 
 God Alrnighty did not intend that 
 they fhould continue iu this State 
 for ever, and therefore made their 
 Bodies proportionable to that Du- 
 ration which he thought proper for 
 them. And this is very confiftent 
 
 with 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEviL 245 
 
 with the Sandion of the Law oi- 
 ven to our firfl Parents, Cen. ^, 
 *ver. 1 7 . But of the T'ree of Know- 
 ledge of good and e^vil^ thou 
 Jhalt not eat of it ; for in the Day 
 that thou eatefi thereof thou Jhalt 
 furely die. This Threatning does • 
 mot at all imply, but that in 
 their State of Innocence they 
 might have been mortal. Whether 
 they fliould a£tuallj have died or 
 no, if they had forborn to eat of 
 this Tree ; how long their Lives 
 might have been here preferved 
 by the Ufe of the Tree of Life, 
 which feems to have been planted 
 for that Purpole ; Or w'hether they 
 might not have been removed to 
 another State fome other Way than 
 by Death (of all which the gcrip- 
 ture is filent, and we have no na- 
 turalMeans of knowinp;)which ioe- 
 ver of thefe, I fay , might have been, 
 thus much is certain \ that as They 
 K. 3 w€ie 
 
44 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 ^y were taken out of the Ground, fo 
 into the Ground they were capa- 
 ble of returning ; and as they were 
 ir»ade of Duft, fo into I>uflthey 
 w^ere capable of being diffolved alfo; 
 But whatever the particular Ctr* 
 cumftances cf our firft Parents 
 * were, 'tis evident what thofe are 
 in which Mankind are at prefent. 
 What the Koyal Pfalinifl obferved 
 in His time, We likewifc Experi- 
 ence to be the fame, ^Y^ po. iJer. 
 lo. that the Days of our Tears 
 are three [core Tears and ten ; that 
 this is the general Period of hu^ 
 mane Life, and all that can be ex^ 
 pedled from the Frame and Con-- 
 llitution of the Body, as it now 
 .IS, For if we obferve the Courfe 
 and Order of Nature, we fball 
 find that throughout the whole 
 Creation this is the Method in 
 which every Thing goes, from the 
 l©wefl: to the higheft ; They are 
 
 convert- 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil 24 5* 
 
 converted and transformed from 
 one Species to another^ and then 
 return to their Original aeain. 
 Thus in the inanimate 
 Part, "^ denfe Bodies 
 by RarefaSion arc 
 turned into Air ; and 
 this Air by Fer- 
 
 ■^ Corpora denfa, fer- 
 mentefcenclo rarefiiint 
 in varla genera Aeris ; 
 & Aci- ifte fermeritatio- 
 ne, nonnunquametiam 
 fine fermentatione, re- 
 vertitur in corpora den- 
 fa. Aves omnes, 
 
 Beflia3, Pifces, Infcfta, 
 Arbores, & univerliira 
 
 mentation, returns 
 back again into denfe 
 Bodies. In the vege- 
 tative Part^ All Kinds HeSamWgennV/aim 
 of Plants and Herbs ^"gulis^ fuis inter fe 
 
 r valde diverfis partibus, 
 
 grow out Ot Watry accrefcunt ex Aqua, Sc 
 
 Juices^ and by Putre- Tincluris aquofls & Sa- 
 
 fadlon return into 
 thofe watry Juices 
 again. And the fame 
 may be apply ed to 
 Animals, and particularly to the 
 Bodies of Men. Humane Bodies, 
 as well as Thofe of all other Ani- 
 mals^ and of Plants, are compound- 
 ed of very different Materials, 
 R 3 fixed 
 
 libus •, eademque omnia 
 putrefcendo, revertnn- 
 tur inHumores aquofos. 
 Newt. Optic.]). 379. 
 
24<^ An Enquiiry into the 
 
 fixed and volatile, fluid and folid ; 
 
 as appears by the Refolution of 
 
 them into their conftituent Parts ; 
 
 and they are nourifhed in the 
 
 fame Manner^ -z^is.. by Attrafti- 
 
 on. '^ For as a 
 
 t Pari ^e caufa, Sponge by Sufiiou 
 
 Spongia aquam fudu Jraws in Water ; fo 
 
 attrahit-, & in Anima- ^1^1 , • ,1 ^ d^ 
 
 lium corpcribus Glan- the Glands in the Bo- 
 des, pro fua cujufque dies of all Animalsi 
 Natura ac Cmiftit^^^^^ j^^^ different Jui- 
 ne. SuccosQiverlos iibi ni j 
 e Sanguine attrahunt. ces Ollt ot the blood, 
 
 AVf. Optic. F^. 398. according to the par- 
 ticular Nature and 
 Conftitution of each of them. 
 So long therefore as the Nourifh- 
 ment is proper to afflmilate it felf 
 to the feveral Parts of the Body^ 
 as ic approaches them in its feveral 
 Channels ; or fo long as the folid 
 Particles (fuppofe of 
 "^ Sir Ifaac Newton "^ Salts, which are ab- 
 compares a Panicle of folutelv neceffary to 
 
 iSalt to a Chaos, viz. as i -r» r • r 11 
 
 heiv^ denfe, hard, dry and the Prelervation OI ail 
 
 Creatures 
 
great Force to di§oIv& 
 them. Adeo ut Particu- 
 la Salis, coinparari que- 
 at qua^^antenusad Chaos 
 Off. Ibid.pag. 3^2. 
 
 Caufe and Origin of Evil. 247 
 Creatures,) retain ^^'^b torvards the cen- 
 their Form and Tex- aJwatrytowardsthe si 
 
 ture ; fo long^ Life perjiiies. Whence h is, 
 
 is prefer ved and main- H''' /f ''''''K' ^'^> 
 
 r aiirable and require very 
 
 tained. And when ■ -^ 
 the Nourifliment be- 
 comes unfit to affimi- 
 late ; or the (aline Par- 
 ticles (which towards 
 the Center are very denfe, and 
 therefore capable of ftrongly at^ 
 tracing the Fluids to them^) lofe 
 their Power of Attraftion^ either 
 by being divided into ftill lefs 
 Particles, (as they may be by their 
 watry Parts infinuating thcmfelvcs 
 into their Pores with a gentle 
 Heat ;) or elfe by having thofe 
 Watry Parts violently feparatcd 
 from them : in either of thcfe 
 Cafes all their Motion will ceafe, 
 and end in Corruption^ Confufion 
 and Death. And this is abundant- 
 ly confirmed by Experience , in 
 
 R 4 
 
 that 
 
24S •^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 that every thing which is corrupt- 
 ed or putrifycd^ is of a black Co- 
 lour ; which fhows that the com- 
 ponent Particles are broken to Pie- 
 ces, and reduced fo fmal!^ as to 
 be unable even to reflefl: the Rays 
 of Light. Thus we fee that 
 • Death or the Diffolution of the 
 Body^ is the neceilary Confequence 
 of thofe Laws by which it is 
 framed and generated ; and there- 
 fore is not in itfelf properly an £- 
 *zfily any more than That Fabrick 
 can be fiyled i//^ the Materials or 
 Manner of building of which 
 would not permit it to lail: a thou- 
 fand Years, nor was originally 
 intended to continue half fo 
 long. 
 Jf^hence And to the fame Origin are to be 
 
 The^''^^e ^^^^^^^^ ^1' ^^*^ Bifeajes and 2)/- 
 Hahieto ftempers which Mankind, and all 
 fo7nany inferior Animals, are incident to. 
 i^if^^>: For if the xvhok be liable to Cor- 
 ruption 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 249 
 
 ruption and DifTolution ; thqfe^v^e- 
 ral Parts, of which it is compofed, 
 mnfl neceffarily be fo too. And 
 if a particular Order or Difpofiti- 
 on of thofe Parts, be reqiiifite to 
 preferve Health ; whatever di- 
 ihirbs That Order and Difpofition, 
 immediately creates a Djftemper ; 
 which if it be fo violent as to de- 
 ftroy theTexture ofany one of thofe 
 Parts, It then becomes irrecoverable, 
 and is'a partial Death.' Now there 
 needs but a very fmall Obfervation 
 of the feveral Members of the 
 Body, to fee how nicely they are 
 framed and adjufted^ fo as moft 
 eafily to perform their refpedive 
 Offices ; and how many Ways 
 there are of difturbing that Frame 
 and Adjuftment. We may take, 
 for Inftance, the Eye or the Ear ; 
 the former fitted to receive the 
 ImprefFion of External Objeds by 
 
 Means 
 
2 50 ^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Means of che Kays of Light, and the 
 latter by Means of the Air ; from 
 whence arife thofe agreeable an4 
 ufefulSenfations of Light andSound. 
 With Regard to each of Thefe, 
 nothing can be more furprifing 
 than the curious Contrivance of 
 them to efFed: what they were 
 defigned for. The Seat of Senfa^ 
 tion is in the Brain ; In Order 
 therefore to Perception, it is necet 
 fary that the particular Motions 
 excited by external ObjeSs, fhould 
 be conveyed thither ; which make 
 different Impreflions, or raife diffe- 
 rent Ideas in the Mind, as they are 
 propagated by a different Medium^ 
 or through different Senfes. Thus, 
 to produce Vifion, it is neceflary 
 that the ObjecS be capable of re- 
 flefting Rays of Light, and that 
 thofe Rays alfo fhould be capable 
 of being refleded, that they may 
 be thrown upon the Eye: And 
 the fame may be faid of Refrafii- 
 
 on 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. Q 5 i 
 
 on likewife, that they may meet 
 to form the Image at the Bottom 
 of the Eye. Plence it is that the 
 Eye is compoied of different Hu- 
 mours, having different Degrees of 
 this Power proportioned to the Di- 
 flance. It is alio neceflary that the 
 Rays of Light fhould be very fmall, 
 that they may freely pafs through 
 thofe Humours ; yet that they 
 fhould be of different Bignels 
 and Shape, to excite different Sorts 
 of Colours by their Vibrations. 
 After this Manner the Images ot 
 external Objefis are conveyed to 
 the Bottom of the Eye, from 
 whence they are carried along 
 through the optick Nerve to the 
 Senforium, and are there taken 
 Notice of by the Mind ; In Order 
 to effeft which, it is requifite alfo 
 that thefe Vibrations fhould be con- 
 tinued along thofe Nerves, which 
 are therefore compounded of folid^ 
 
 uniform^ 
 
252 An Enquiry into the 
 
 uniform and tranfparent Capilla- 
 ments, containing a Medium pro- 
 per for that Purpofe. In the fame 
 Manner are Sounds hkewife excited 
 by the different Vibrations of the 
 Air, in the fame Proportion as 
 thofe of Light : and carried to the 
 Senlorium by the auditory Nerves. 
 ^^^Thefe are all fubjed to particular 
 Laws; the leafl Alteration or Diftur- 
 bance of which^ immediately cre- 
 ates a proportionable Diforder and 
 Confulion. They mufl therefore 
 in the Nature of Things be hable 
 to as many Difeafes, as there are 
 Means of preventmg or difturbing 
 their regular Courie. Thus too 
 great a Quantity of Light, fliakes 
 the Nerves fo much as to hinder 
 all Diflinflion ; and too fmall a 
 Quantity does not refled: enough,to 
 take Notice of Objefts. If any 
 toreign Juices be mixed with the 
 Humours of the Eye, or if their 
 
 Shape 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. ^ 5 j 
 
 Sliape be by any Means altered, fo 
 that the 1{efra£iton be too great or 
 too httle ; then a Dimnefs immedi-- 
 ately enfues ; And if there be a to* 
 tal Obflrudion in Them or in the 
 Nerves, then follows Blindnefs. 
 And the fame may be apply ed to 
 all other Parts of the Body, ac- 
 cording to whole different Poiv- 
 ers, or the different Laws of 
 Motion they are fubjecS to ; they 
 are incident to various Sorts of 
 Diftempers. 
 
 Under this Head may be inclu-'^^^^^^^^ 
 ded Monfters or deformed Crea-^^^J^/.'* 
 tures. It appears, fo far as OhfenvR^foyjned 
 tion goes in Thmgs fo mmute ; J'^^!' 
 that, in their Origin, all Animals 
 are perfecS, and the Individu- 
 als of every Species folded up 
 exadly in the fame Manner ; So 
 that if in the Explication of them, 
 any of the Parts be, by a fuperi- 
 ©r Force, hindred from extending 
 
 Themfclves 
 
2 5*4 -^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Themfelves to a due Shape, or if 
 they be any way blended or 
 contoimded with each other ; then 
 of Confequence, they muft either 
 zvant or abound in lome Part or o- 
 ^ then But this happens as feldom as 
 in the Nature of Things is pollible 5 
 and there is all the Provifion made 
 againil it, that the Gompofition of 
 Animal Bodies would allow. It 
 is therefore no juft Objecfiion a- 
 gainfl Them, any more than it is 
 againft Trees or Plants ; that one 
 Branch of them may by Violence 
 be hindred from growing at all, or 
 very imperfedly ; or that by Art, 
 too dijflerent Trees may be nourilh- 
 ed by the fame Stock. Such 
 things never come to pafs, but by 
 fome praeternatural Impediment 
 
 Wlmice or ObftiucSion. 
 
 n IS that g^t j-l-je Ag-aiavation of all thefe 
 
 they are l r- l .• i \ c 
 
 Viableto natural livils, iuch as the roremen- 
 iVm, tioned Difea'es, and even Death 
 
Caiife and Origin of Evil. Q.SS 
 
 it felf, is, that they are for the moft / 
 part attended with violent Pain 
 and Uneafinefs. This, 
 *(the Objedor faith) 
 is that which renders 
 Many and, in Propor- 
 tion, other Animals, 
 miferable and wretch- 
 ed. - What the Caufe 
 of this in general is^ 
 is very obvious ; ijiZj. 
 becaufe, as the Scrip- 
 ture fays of Man, 
 he was made a living Sotd^ en- 
 dued with Senfation or the Power 
 of Feeling. Which were He whol- 
 ly void of, like all mere material 
 things ; as He v/ould be free from all 
 Poffibility of Pain or Mifery^ fo 
 alfo would he be utterly uncapr.ble 
 of any Pleafure or Happinefs« 
 That Sort of Life which Man was 
 intended to lead here on Earth, 
 manitefily requires that He Ihould 
 
 be 
 
 ^ Si r homme eft V 
 ouvraged' unfeul Prin- 
 cipe fouverainement 
 bon, fouverainement 
 faiJit, fouverainement 
 puifTant, peut-il etre ex~ 
 pofe aux Maladies, 
 au Froid, au Chaud, 
 a la Faim, a la Soif, * 
 la Douleur, au Cha- 
 grin. Bayle Bkt.Ur.der 
 the word, Alanicbee7is, 
 
Q.^6 ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 be endued with a Body proper to 
 perform the refpeCtive Offices of 
 it. Now whatever Materials we 
 fuppofe this Body compofed of, 
 or whatever the particular Form 
 and Stiudure of it be ; it muft be 
 hable to the common Laws which 
 the whole material Part of the Crea- 
 tion is fubjeft to ; and confequent^ 
 ly will (land in need of continual 
 Repair, in Proportion to the Va- 
 riety of its different Parts, and to 
 thofe Decays and Interruptions, 
 both in the Sohds and Fluids, 
 which they muft perpetually meet 
 with, Thefe it is neceflary Ihould 
 be fignifyed by fome Means or 
 other, in order to a continual Sup- 
 ply for them ^ And we cannot 
 conceive how this cpuld be better 
 done, than by thofe dijfiPerent 
 Kinds of Pain or Uneafmefs, which 
 are excited by the Diforders that 
 the feveral Parts of the Body are 
 
 fubjedl 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 257 
 
 fubjed to. Reafon alone would • 
 go but a fhoit Way in this Mat- 
 ter : We have but a very little 
 Knowledge of the Gonilitution of 
 the various minute Parts of which 
 the Body is compofed ; fo that it 
 would be impoffible to find out 
 their Defects and Difoiders^ and 
 to apply proper Remedies to them; 
 nor would mere abftraft Reafon 
 afford Men any Inclination after 
 fuch Enquiries or Obfervations, 
 Wherefore it is abfolutely neceffiiry 
 towards the preferving of the Ani- 
 mal Life, that the Dangers which 
 the feveral Parts of the Body may- 
 be expofed to^ Qiould be fignified by 
 fome immediate Uneafinefs, which 
 jfhould excite the Reafon to endea - 
 vour to avoid or provide againft 
 them. This is the Foundation of all 
 thofe Affedlions and PafTions^ ufu- 
 fually afcribed to the Body, which 
 are but fo many different Sorts 
 
 ncaJL ^trrCs «/Sf9r ain,7nc 
 
X 8 ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 of Pain : Thus Hunger and Wea- 
 rinels put Men upon feeking; after 
 Food or Reft, without which they 
 could continue but a very little 
 while ; and which they would have 
 no Difpofition to, if They were 
 not fignifyed to them in fome fuch 
 Manner as this.' And the fame 
 holds true of all other bodily Ap- 
 petites and Defires. And hence I 
 . iuppofe it is, that the external and 
 fuperficial Parts of the Body are 
 the moft fenfible, and create the 
 greateft Pain, when they are any 
 Ways afFeded ; becaufe Thefe are 
 continually expofed to the various 
 external Gbjeds ; and as foon as 
 they are aftefied by Them, give 
 us immediate Notice of it : Where- 
 as the internal Parts, being more 
 remote, cannot be fo eafily come 
 at, and confequently are not liable 
 to fo many Interruptions from the 
 Things without, and therefore 
 
 need 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEviL 2 50 
 
 need not fuch quick Senfation. 
 Thus we experience that the Ar- 
 teries, Bones and the hke^ have 
 little or no Senfation at all. This 
 therefore is a very weak Objedion 
 againft the prefent State and Con- 
 dition of Mankind and other Ani- 
 mals, that they are liable to Pains 
 and Uneafinefs : By the fame Ar- 
 gument there fliould be nothing in 
 the Univerfe but Stocks and 
 Stones ; for upon the Suppofition 
 of any Degree of Senfation, a pro- 
 portionable Degree of Pain follows 
 upon any Excefs or Defeft whatfo- 
 ever. The Fault therefore lies 
 not in the Nature and Conftitution 
 of Animal Bodies ; They are in 
 their refpecitive Kinds the moft 
 perfeif that can be ; The Degrees 
 of Senfation they arc endued with, 
 are exadly proportioned to that 
 Sort of Life which they vvere in- 
 tended to lead, and to the Duration 
 
 S 2 of 
 
6o An Enquiry into the 
 
 of it ; and the beft Provifion that 
 could be under fuch Circunifi:ances> 
 is made againft all Accidents. And 
 we may venture to affirm upon 
 the Whole, that a greater or a lefs 
 Degree would have produced much 
 worie Inconveniences, as fufficient- 
 ly appears by what the Efted: of 
 Art or Abufe is. Neither is it any 
 juft Ground of Complaint, that 
 there may be fome particular In- 
 ftances, which, confidered by them- 
 felves, may feem very extreme and 
 difficult. It is not reafonable to 
 think the eftablijQied Laws of the 
 Creation, fhould be altered or iuf- 
 pended^ for the Sake of fuch fmall 
 Irregularities compared with the 
 Whole. We ought to form our 
 Judgment not from fuch fmgle In- 
 ftances which are very complex, 
 but from a general View of the 
 Whole ; and then the Wifdom and 
 
 Good-^ 
 
Canfe and Origin of Evil. 0.6 1 
 
 Goodnefs is plain and perfpicuous 
 in This and all other Rcfpefts. 
 
 Thus it appears from a particu- 
 lar Examination of the conftituent 
 Parts of animal Bodies^ the Pow- 
 ers or Qualities they are each of 
 them endued with^ and the Con- 
 nexion and Dependance they have 
 upon each other ; what the natu- 
 ral and genuine EfFefts of fuch 
 Powers and Qualities are, and 
 what Mifapplications and Diforders 
 they muft in the Courfe of Things 
 be incident to. With this View 
 it was proper to confider Man, only 
 as an animated Body^ as a Creature 
 endued only with Life and Senfa- 
 tion, which He has in common 
 with all other inferiour Creatures ; 
 leaving the Confideration of Him 
 as an intelligent and voluntary A- 
 gent^ as a Subjefl: afterwards to be 
 treated of. Whence it appears^ 
 that as the Matter of which hu- 
 S 3 mauQ 
 
62 An Enquiry into the 
 
 mane and all other animated Bo- 
 dies are compoled, is, as the Scrip- 
 ture expreffes it, the Dull of the 
 Ground, part of that common 
 Mafs, of which the whole vifible 
 World is framed ; fo it is govern- 
 ed by the common Laws of Gra- 
 vitation, Cohaefion, Fermentation 
 and the like, which the inanimate 
 Part of the Creation is fubjed to ; 
 and confeqnently it muft be liable 
 to all thofe Irregularities and Difor-* 
 ders which arile from the different 
 Degrees^ and diverfe Applications 
 of fuch Powers or Qiialities./ But 
 befides thefe^ fuch animated Bodies 
 are alfo fubjeS: to the Laws of Ve- 
 getation, which they have in com- 
 mon v/ith all organized Bodies, 
 fuch as Plants, Herbs and the hke ; 
 And hence they are obnoxious to 
 inch E^ils and J)iforders^2Lsznk 
 from the Motions of Fluids con- 
 tained in Veflels ; the Effefls of 
 
 which 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 2 (5 3 
 
 which are different according to 
 the Degree of Velocity of thofe 
 Fluids, or theDiftraflilenefsinthe 
 VefTels, <viZj. by too much Nou^ 
 rifhment they produce Excrefen- 
 cies, or by too little they wither 
 and die./But That which is f)eculiar 
 to Them as animated Bodies, is 
 the Power of Senfation or Feehng, 
 which is fuperior to that of Vege- 
 tation, and was evidently defign- 
 ed to fignify the good or e'vil State 
 and Difpofition of the Body ; fuch 
 Senfations being very agreeable 
 and pleafing when the feveral 
 Parts of it are in their true and 
 proper Order, and very difagreea- 
 ble when they are otherwife ; And 
 Thefe render the Beings that are 
 fubjeft to them, necefTarily liable 
 to Fainy Alifery and Death. So 
 very compounded a Creature is 
 Man, and alfo other Animals ; and 
 lo much depends upon the mutual 
 S 4 Influence 
 
5^4 -^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Influence of the different Parts of 
 
 which they arecompofed;ThePow- 
 
 ers of which, and the Degrees 
 
 ot thofe Powers, are fo various, 
 
 that the leaft interfering of them 
 
 with one another, or Milapplication 
 
 from any fuperiour external Force, 
 
 creates a proportionable Diforder 
 
 and Confufion. 
 
 TheStats Having thus examined the Im- 
 
 cfAni- perfeflions and Evils that arife to 
 
 tures *"^" (creatures rrom their own m-? 
 
 mth Re- ternal Frame and Compofition, and 
 
 eacho' ^^^ Application of fuch Means as 
 
 ther-^ are neceffary for their Prefervation 
 
 ^^f . ^^f and Suftenance : ^- 1 come now to 
 
 om a- coniider them relatively, their Dif- 
 
 gctivjl It. pofitions and Aftedions towards 
 
 each other, and what the Re- 
 
 fult of them are- For againft 
 
 Thefe it is objeded. That feveral 
 
 Species of Creatures hve upon 
 
 each other. That a great Part 
 
 OJ 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. ^6s 
 
 of the Food even of 
 
 Man, *istheFlefh J^ Heu quantum See- 
 
 01: Animals ; nay cera condi, Congefto- 
 
 fometimes that Indi- ^"^ ^^^^"^"^ pinguefce- 
 
 .^ A c ^ r ^^ corpore corpus ^ Al- 
 
 Vlduals ot the lame teriufque animantem 
 
 Species devour their animantis vivere leto « 
 
 ^ rr J f Ovid. Metam, Lib. JK 
 
 own Kmd, as w^e lee ^, gs. 
 
 in Fifties ; and this not 
 accidentally upon great Provocati- 
 on^ or in Cafes of extreme Hun- 
 ger or the like, but that they 
 were "f originally in- 
 tended to do fo, and t'ix^'<j7 (xhi^ si^fw -4 
 therefore are natural^ ^Tf^ "^'^''''' . ^ » 
 ly provided with Wea- J)'«h y iJi.iT av^r. nefmd, 
 pons for that Purpofe; 
 or elfe have a peculiar Difpofition 
 and Sagacity to watch after and en- 
 fnare their Prey, as is the Cafe be- 
 twixt Spiders and Flies. I fhall 
 endeavour to account for this Diffi- 
 culty, as far as we have Means of 
 coming to the Knowledge of the 
 
 particular 
 
^66 An Enquiry into the 
 
 particular Circumftances relating 
 to it. 
 
 And Firfi with Refped to Man, 
 ff^hat and the Right He has of killing 
 Man has ^"^ Gating fuch Creatures as afford 
 overm' Food and Nourifhment to Him ; 
 feriour f^^ fome Creatures, are found by 
 tures. Experience, to be not only naufe- 
 ous, but unwholfome likewife. 
 That Qy^an is luperior in Rank 
 and Dignity to all other Creatures 
 of the Earth, is evident from the 
 peculiar Faculties of his Mind, 
 the Degree of Reafon, Knowledge 
 and Liberty^ which He is emi^ 
 nently capable of above them^ 
 ^This feems to be a Foundation in 
 Nature for fome Sort of Authori- 
 ty and Dominion over them, 'vi^. 
 to make Ufe of Them to fuch 
 Purpofes, as by their Frames and 
 Make they feem particularly to be 
 calculated for. Thus fome are evi- 
 dently 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. a6j 
 
 dently defigned ^r Diverfion, o- 
 thers for hard Labour, odiers for 
 Swiftnefs and the hke. Thus much 
 the Conftitution and Relation they 
 bear to each other, plainly dicSates-; 
 for Man's bodily Strength is com- 
 paratively very fmall, and the 
 State of Things is luch as requires 
 much Labour and Pains to procure 
 the NecefTaries and Conveniences 
 of Life^ and the Faculties of his 
 Mind were given Him on Purpofe 
 to feek out for Help and Aflift- 
 ance. And this is confirmed by 
 Scripture, in the Account of the 
 Creation, Gen. ch. i» *!;. 58. And 
 God blejfed Them (that is, the 
 Man and the Woman) and God 
 faid unto them^ Be fruitful and 
 multiply and replenijh the Earth 
 and fubdue it, and have Domi- 
 nion over the Fifh of the Sea, and 
 over the Fowls of the Air^ and o- 
 
 ver, 
 
268 '^f^ Enquiry into the 
 
 ^er every living nThing that mo- 
 
 veth upon the Earth, This Grant 
 
 being in general Terms, it is not 
 
 abfolutely certain how far the 
 
 Words Subdmnz and Dominion 
 
 1 1 
 
 are to be extended, Whether to 
 
 the Life of the Creature or no : 
 Though it is not eafy to fee how 
 they can otherwife be apply ed to 
 the Filh of the Sea and the Fowls 
 of the Air, which are of little 
 Ufe to Men while alive. But the 
 .. following Words expresfly mentio- 
 ning Food, it feems as if That had 
 been excluded, at leaft not com- 
 manded, in the former * 'ver, 2p, 
 And God faidy Behold I have 
 given you every Herb bearing 
 Seedy zvhich is upon the Face of 
 all the Earth ; and every T^ree, m 
 zvhich is the Fruit of a T^ree yield-^ 
 ing Seedy to you it Jhall be for 
 Meat. All Other Ufes are mani- 
 fefily implied; with that Limitation 
 
 of 
 
Canfe and Origin of EviL o6cf 
 
 of the wife Man's^ Proi/, 12,. ^er. 
 I o^ that a righteous y or a merciful 
 Man^ regardeth the Life of his Beaji ; 
 that is, will not ufe him with Se- 
 verity or Cruelty, but with Gen- 
 tlenefs and Moderation. But how- 
 ever this was at the Beginning of 
 the Creation^ the Circumftances 
 and State of Things is liable to 
 perpetual Change and Alteration ; 
 and confequently T^hat which was 
 a Duty at one Time may ceafe to 
 be fo at another_j and That may- 
 be allowed in fome Cafes which 
 was prohibited in others. And fo 
 we find it to be here. In the Blef- 
 fing which God gave to Noah after 
 the Flood, the Power of killing - 
 and eating living Creatures is gi- 
 ven to him much in the fame Form, 
 as that of eating Plants and Fruit 
 was granted to our fii ft Parents be- 
 fore: Gen. 9. ^er. f , 2^ g^ Jfid 
 Cod bleffed Noah and his Sonst and 
 
 faid 
 
ayO An Enquiry into the 
 
 [aid nnto thenty be fruitful and mul- 
 tiply and repUniflj the Earth ; and 
 the Fear of you^ and the Dread of 
 yoUy fhall be upon ezfery Be aft of the 
 Earthy and upon eifery Fowl of the 
 Air^ upon all that moieth upon the 
 Earthy and upon all the Fifjes of the 
 Sea; into your Hand are they deli* 
 leered ; e'very mozfing Thing that It" 
 *veth fhaU be Meat for ToUy e^-en as 
 the green Herb ha<z/e I gi'ven you all 
 T^hings. This Commiffion is very- 
 full and exprefs ; only with the Li- 
 mitation of the following Words^ 
 But Flefh with the Life thereof 
 which is the Blood thereof you fhall 
 not eat. Which Words being of- 
 ten repeated^ and great Strefs laid 
 upon them, fhow that they are ve-» 
 ry material^ and, if rightly under- 
 TheFhll)^QQd^ will help to refolve the 
 
 !^«^l\for^^«^ntion^d Difficulty 
 hinit In general^ that the Flefli of 
 verFooi^^^'^ Animals is proper Food for 
 for 0- Others^ 
 
 thers. 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, 271 
 
 Others^ that i?, agreeable to their 
 Taft^ and fit for Nutriment ; is e- 
 vident by continual Experience. 
 And irrational Creatures failing in- 
 to it by mere natural Infiinfl: ; and 
 the univerfal PraSiice of Mankind 
 in every Age and Place^ even 
 where there are no Footfteps of • 
 divine Revelation^ recommending 
 it ; fliov^s that in the Nature of 
 Things there is no Contrariety in 
 fuch Application. Whatever Ob- 
 jeSion therefore lies againft it^ 
 muft relate to the Manner and 
 Circumftances of doing it. And 
 the Principal of thefe are, the 
 depriving the Creature of Life^ and 
 of all that Pleafure it w^as capable 
 of enjoying in the right life of its 
 Faculties and Senfes ^ and alfo the 
 putting it to all that Pain and Mi- 
 fery ; which a violent and unnatu- 
 ral Death is unavoidably attended 
 with. In Order to a fatisfaftory 
 
 Anfwer 
 
Q.12 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Anfwcr in thefe Particulars^ it 
 
 will be ncceffary to confider the 
 
 following Things. 
 
 The Firftj That whatever Right Man 
 
 !j^l^ is fuppoied to have over inferiour 
 
 Ma7ihas Creatufcs, either by the Laws of 
 
 ever in- fsfature or Revelation, to apply 
 
 fenonr . .. ^ rr y 
 
 Animah, them to his own Uie or Service ; . 
 extenis \t is Very Certain that He caii have 
 
 ^j'i'4>^ ^^g^^^ »^ ^" f^ mifapply or^ny 
 Ways to abufe them. All Kind of 
 » Violence or Cruelty therefore e^^- 
 ercifed towards brute Animals, is 
 both unnatural and unjuft. This 
 concerns only Men \ For when 
 fuch Creatures kill and cat each 
 another^ they feem not to do it 
 out of Malice, nor to take any 
 Delight in putting one another to 
 Pain^ but only follow their mere 
 natural Appetite in the fame Man- 
 ner as they do in Vegetables ; They 
 procure them any way wherein they 
 are able to fatisfy their Hunger. 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 2 7 j 
 
 And this very much abates the 
 Malignity of this Evil ; For it is the 
 Notion of Malice or ^ ^ 
 
 Gruelty going a- i,^,^^,^^,,,,,;;^l^. 
 long with killing the ^. <p^<nv t^ af^^Ay^y. 
 Creature, which ren- ^-^*^^^^^^^^ 
 ders it difagreeable 
 and odious ; For^^^r^ ,dyingraifes 
 no fuch terrible Image in our 
 Minds. Irrational Animals there- 
 fore are only Inftruments of Death 
 to each Other ; They are void of 
 all evil Defign and Intention, and 
 confequently no more culpable 
 than a Stone falling upon them, and 
 by the mere Law of Gravity 
 crufhing them to Death. And to 
 prevent any Gruelty in Men who 
 are allowed to feed upon proper 
 Animals, I take the Caution added 
 in the forecited Words ; to the 
 Flefh with the Life thereof^ zvhtch 
 is the Blood thereof, (hall you not 
 eat':, which is afterwards repeated iri 
 
 T Regard 
 
27^ ^^^ Enquiry into tbe 
 
 regard to the Sacrifices appointed 
 by the Jewifli Law, T)eut. g, \6, 
 Only ye p?all not eat the Blood ; 
 ye fhdlfOHr it upon the Earth as 
 Water. In the former Words the 
 plain Reafon is given why they 
 were not to eat the Flefh with the 
 Blood, <viz^* becaufe the Blood is 
 the Life thereof. In whatever 
 Senfe therefore we iinderftand 
 thefe Words, it is manifeft that 
 Blood has a ftrid: Relation to Life. 
 /Whether therefore the Meaning 
 be, that we are not to eat the Flefh 
 of any Creature raiVy while there 
 is diny Bloody any natural Warmth, 
 or Poffibility of Life in it, as feems- 
 to be limited in i Sam, 14, 
 "ver. 52 1 where it is faid that 
 the People of Ifrael when they 
 returned from the Slaughter of 
 the Phtltftinesy being 'very faint, 
 flew upon the Spoil, and took Sheep 
 and Oxen and Calves^ and flew 
 
 ' tkem 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 21^ 
 
 them on the Ground, and the Teo- 
 fie did eat them with the Bloody 
 Which we find in the following 
 Verfe was told to SduU as a Sin 
 againjf the Lordy in that they eat 
 zviththe Blood: (Whence itleems 
 highly probable, that being in 
 great haft to fatisfy their Hunger 
 after fo long rafting, the People 
 fell to eatins the Creatures while 
 there were ibme Remains of Life 
 in them, or at leaft before the 
 Blood was fufficiently drained 
 from them, fo as to be affured 
 that they were quite dead :)^.Or 
 whether the Meaning of the Words 
 be, that God had appointed this 
 Tokeo, as a Signal that the Crea- 
 ture was really dead ; as feernis to 
 follow from the Addition of Mo: 
 fesy Te fhall pour it on the Earth 
 like Water ; that is, when you eat 
 the Flefli of anv Animal^ after 
 T % yolt 
 
2 7^ ^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 you have killed it, you muft be 
 lure to pour the Blood on the 
 Ground as a Teftimony that the 
 Life is entirely fpent, and then you 
 may prepare and make it ready i 
 J.Or whether they might not have 
 fome other figurative and typical 
 Meaning to the People of the Jews, 
 lignifying that the l^ight of killing 
 fuch Creatures was not a natural 
 Right, but only by pofitive Al- 
 lowance from God ; of which theit 
 referving the Blood was to be a 
 Token and Memorial :4.0r they 
 might have Regard to the Sacri- 
 fice of the Mefjiahy whofe Blood 
 Was to be poured out for the Sins 
 of Men : Whichfoever (I fay) of 
 Thefeor any other, be the original 
 Senfe of the Words, it is obvious 
 thatthe^ were intended to prevent 
 all Cruelty towards brute Creatures; 
 and that in Thisy as well as all o- 
 eher Ufes of themy they fhould 
 
 b@ 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 2J7 
 
 beput to the leaft Pain that is pof- 
 fible> and Men be but mere Inftru- 
 ments of their Death, In this 
 View, Men's killing living Crea- 
 tures for Food, or luch Creatures 
 killing one another for the fame 
 Purpofe, carries no Malignity or 
 moral Turpitude in it : It is of ^ 
 the fame Kind with all other na- 
 tural Evil^, the Effed oi thq^ 
 prefent State and Circumftances 
 of Things ] and no Way to be 
 prevented, but by over-ruling or 
 putting a Stop to the univerfal 
 Laws of the Creation, 
 
 Thus They were at firft m^deSuch 
 mortal: Then- Frame and Com-^7'^^|^'^^^ 
 pofition fhow, that They were in- ;;We 
 tended to continue but for a kw-^^Jy ^° 
 Years, and lome of them not near 
 fo long; The Materials alfo, 
 of which their Bodies are framed, 
 and the Manner of their StrudurCj 
 render them liable to many Difcaf- 
 T 3 ^s 
 
278 An Enquiry into the 
 
 es from witbin, and Dangers from 
 without, which inay bring them 
 to their End much fooner than the 
 common Period of their Livesl 
 Smce therefore they muft die, and 
 fmce this particular Manner of dy- 
 ing IS not attended with any great-^ 
 er Evii, nay generally not with fo 
 great^ as aying by any Diftemper 
 or Accident ; it may very well be 
 reckoned amonsft the common 
 Dileales which they are incident 
 to : And there is no more Reafon j 
 to complain of the one than of 
 the other ; For as to the EfFecS, 
 ' which is all that we now confider, 
 there is no Difference to the Great- 
 ture killed, whether He dyes by 
 the Weapons of his Fellow-Crea- 
 tures, or by the Violence of a Dif- 
 eafe. The Conditions of Life, 
 we may obferve to be very various; 
 and the Terms on which it de- 
 pends, are very different to diffe- 
 1 ^ - -' -■ ■ -r rent 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 279 
 
 reiit Sorts of Creatures, according 
 to the Climate or Element which 
 they inhabit, or the Food on 
 which they fubfifl: ; fo that, com- 
 pared with each other, the Degrees 
 both of Enjoyment and Duration 
 are alfo very different. And here- 
 in confifts the Harmony of the Jni- 
 maly as well as of the Q^kfaterial 
 World. If we fuppofe the Exift^ 
 ftence of any one Individual, or 
 any Species of Animals, the fame 
 Reafon will hold for the Exiftence 
 of any other Individual or Species. 
 For, abftradly confidered, in the 
 Nature of Things, there is no Pre- 
 ference of one above another. 
 This is Matter of mere Choice 
 and Liberty ; and good oxe<viL pcr- 
 fed- or imperfeif', are here only 
 bare relative Terms : In the fame 
 Manner as in the planetary Syftem, 
 the different Bodies of it, fuch 
 iis the Sun, Moon or Earth, are ar^ 
 T 4 bitranly 
 
280 ^n Enqmry into the 
 
 bitrarily formed out of the fame 
 common Mafs, and are compara- 
 tively tetter or voorfe accordmg to 
 the Refpeiis in which they are con- 
 fidered. The original Exiftence 
 
 * of any Matter at all, the particu- 
 lar Quantity, the Divifion of it 
 into Imall Particles, the Powers 
 they are fubjeft to, and the Tex- 
 ture of them, are in themfelves 
 all indifferent, and depend upon 
 the Will of an intelligent Agent 
 to determine the Particulars of 
 them, fo as will beft ferve the End 
 propofed. So hkev/ife the Animal 
 
 • Powers and Pifpofitions, and the 
 Connexion and Dependance which 
 they have upon the Strudlure of 
 the Body, are infinitely vari- 
 ous both as to their Degree and 
 Duration, and depend in the fame 
 Manner upon Intelligence and 
 Will. Wherefore all Objedions 
 drawn from what is the natural 
 
 P^efult; 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 28 1 
 
 Jlefult of being finite and limited, 
 if they hold good againft any one 
 Particular's exifting, they hold as 
 ftrong againfl any other Particular 
 that can be fuppoled to exift. Thus 
 in the Inflance before us : That 
 one Animal fliould be Food for a- 
 nother, is the natural Refult of their 
 prefent Conftitution and of thofc 
 AfFeflions and Powers they are en- 
 dued with, and in itfelf no greater 
 an E'vil than any other Imperfec- 
 tion which they are fubjed to, or 
 than other Means or Ways of dy- 
 ing. So that either we muft fay^ 
 that it is inconfiftent with the No- 
 tion- we have of Goodmfs, that 
 fuch Animals fliouId be at all fub- 
 jeft to Death or any other natUf 
 ral Infirmities ; or that, of the ma- 
 ny JVays by which Dea th is natural- 
 ly ejffeded, fome ought to be per- 
 mitted to produce this Effed, and o- 
 thers not;and confequently that there 
 is fomething particular in T^bis^ 
 
 why 
 
aSl ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 why it fliould be prevented. 
 Which that there is not, will ap- 
 pear if we confider 
 Tljat Secondly^ That 'tis the Gircum- 
 
 Us the {^.-jnces of dying, that ageravate 
 
 dram- , " , r - i,y n n i r 
 
 fiavcesofthe Evil or It. Aoltracted rrom 
 Beath, Xhefe, there is no more in it, than 
 gravfte in any other natural Imperfedion ; 
 theEvil Qi' than in being deprived of any 
 ^^^' other natural Benefit, which is not 
 of Right, and which originally de- 
 pended ppon certain Terms and 
 Conditions. That which feems to 
 prejudice us here, is^ that we are 
 apt to think fuch Creatures 
 have the fame Notions of Death 
 as we our felves have, and confe- 
 quently that it is as terrible to 
 Them : Whereas That which St. 
 F^^/Juftly calls the Stjng of De^th^ 
 is peculiar to rational and intelli- 
 gent Beings, luch as Men are ; 
 'Z^iZj. Sin. 'Tis the Confcioufnefs 
 pf not having afted according tq 
 
 "jnT^ 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil, 58^ 
 
 the Laws of Jullice and Triith^ 
 and the Senfe of a luperioiir Pow- 
 er who may call them to an Account 
 and punifh them for their Negled: or 
 Abule in a future State ; 'tis This 
 which excites the Fears of Death in 
 Men. But there is no Room for 
 Thefe in inferior Animals : As they 
 are void of fuch Kind of Reafon 
 and Gonfcience, fo properly fpeak- 
 ing there is no moral Juftice or In - 
 juftice^ Right or Wrong amongil 
 them ; neither can they be reward- 
 ed or punifhed for their Ad:ions 
 in thefe Refpeds. Wherefore, 
 as they feem not to have any Ap- 
 prehenfions but what are railed by 
 prefent Objeds, nor any Confci- 
 oufnefs of what is paft, orlExpec- 
 tation of what is to come ; the 
 Foundation of all the forementio- 
 hed Aggravations of Death is here- 
 by taken away, and there remains 
 tio more EvH in it than the bare 
 
 fain^ 
 
284 ^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 Pain, which for the moft Part is 
 
 much lefs than in any common 
 
 Diftcmper. 
 
 TIjsStais To this we may add, T^hirdly^ 
 
 offuch ^i^^f Qjf ^\^q[q Creatures which are 
 
 Animals i r -»«■ 1 • o 
 
 hiipon Food tor Men, their State upon 
 
 theWhoh^Q^ Whole is much bettered by it, 
 
 by being Fo^ ^^^ ^^Y ^ greatei Number of 
 
 Tooifor fuch Animals are preferved for this 
 
 "• Purpofe, but alfo greater Care is 
 
 taken of them^ and more Pains im- 
 
 ployed about them. Were fuch 
 
 Creatures left wholly to themfelves, 
 
 there are innumerable Accident^ 
 
 by which many of them would 
 
 be deftroyed ; and thofe which 
 
 remained, would go through 
 
 much Hardfliip and Difficulty : 
 
 Whereas in the prefent Circum- 
 
 fiances, all the Art and Induflry of 
 
 Man is made Ufe of, to improve 
 
 the Ground for their Suftenance, 
 
 to give them Meat in due Seafon, 
 
 and to fecure them againft all thofe 
 
 Danger!^ 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEvih oS^ 
 
 Dangers which they would o- 
 therwife be expo fed to. The 
 Lives therefore of fuch Creatures 
 are hereby rendred the moft eafy 
 to them that is pofllble ; They 
 enjoy all the Pleafure and Satisfac- 
 tion of Life which they are ca^ 
 pable of j And were they per- 
 mitted to continue on till the 
 natural Period of their Lives 
 were finidied^ it would be but a 
 fliort Addition of Time, and by 
 Experience we find that their Sen- 
 fes Would grow dull^ their Appe- 
 tites fail them^ fo that they would 
 have but very little Enjoyment 
 left. Wherefore if we put the 
 Good they are deprived of^ into the 
 Ballance with That which is volun- 
 tarily conferred upon them^ we 
 fliall fee that this latter very much 
 outweighs it : So that upon the 
 ivhole there is no Injury done, 
 iiot to the Specie^^ becaufe That 
 
 is 
 
jin Enquiry into the 
 
 is very much enlarged hereby ; not 
 to the Individuals^ becaufe they en- 
 joy more of the Plcafure of Life 
 than they vi'ould otherw^ife do^ 
 and they have no Right to the 
 Labour of Men, if they afford 
 them no Advantage by it. 
 ThState And if w^e view the Circum- 
 bffiicb fiances of thefe Creatures in theii: 
 a/f/^r ' worft Light^ and compre them 
 tporfl, with other ftill inferior Animals ; 
 ff"^^x7 *thev are in a much better State 
 
 ihini that J \ .. i . t* 
 
 ofnuny than many or them. The two chier 
 other Properties of Life are the Degree 
 hires, ^f Enjoyment and the Length of 
 Duration, each of which are very 
 different in the diverfe Species of 
 Animals. Some are by their Frame 
 and Gonftitution made to conti- 
 nue many Years ; The utmoft Pe- 
 riod of the Life of others^ is com- 
 prehended in a few Day s^ nay we 
 may fay, a few Hours. The high- 
 fefi: Enjoyment alfo of fome^ feem^ 
 
Caufe and Origin cf EiJiL 287 
 
 to be but one Degree above Vege- 
 tables ; whereas in others there are 
 Marks oi great [^leafure and Satis- 
 fafiion. Compared therefore with 
 Thefe^ the Lite of the foreraenti- 
 oncd Animals is much preferable ; 
 and the Ei^il of that particular 
 Manner of dyings is abundantly 
 eompenfated, by the greater Good 
 they are upon the whole poffefiTed 
 of. T^heir Lives might in the na* 
 tural Courfe of Things have ter- 
 minated as foon as the other; 
 they might originally have had 
 fewer Senfes^ or thofe which they 
 have, much lefs acute. There is no 
 prefcribing Bounds to the infinite 
 Diverfity of things which are equal- 
 ly the Objcfl: of Omnipotence. As 
 They had no Right at all to Exift. 
 ence, fo there is nojuft Foundation 
 of Complaint bccaufe one pofleiles 
 more^ or in a higher Degree, cf 
 that which none originally had any 
 
 Title 
 
288 An Enquiry into the 
 
 Title to. According to this Rule, 
 there could have been no 'Di'verjity 
 of Animal Creatures^ becaufe^ 
 when compared together, the State 
 of fome muft be better than 
 that of others : Which Objefiion 
 overthrows not only the prefent 
 Creation^ but all Poffibility of ere- 
 ating any finite Beings whatfoever; 
 becaufe they will all^ in their Pro- 
 portion^ have their Defefts and In- 
 firmities when compared with that 
 which is infinitely perfeft. It is 
 therefore much more agreeable to 
 the Notion we have of Wifdom, 
 that as in the Material^ fo in the 
 Animal World^ there fhbuld be 
 all pofllble Kinds and Degrees, 
 which are fuperiour to Non-Exift- 
 fence. And fo Experience and 
 Matter of Fa£l: plainly (how^ 
 that there Are. 
 
 If 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 28 p 
 
 If we confidcr Fourthly^ the Ef- ^y ^m- 
 feci of Animal Creatures being ,^.J^];^^ 
 thus rnade Food for each other, owe aw- 
 we fhall find that by this Means ^^^^^'^ 
 there is the more Good upon the 7*5 the 
 Whole : For under the prefent Cir- '"^^^, . 
 cumltances or the Creation, Am- 071 the 
 mals living in this Manner one up- f^'bole6 
 on another could not have been 
 prevented, but a much greater E- 
 "vil woitld have followed. For then 
 there could not have been fo great 
 a Number, nor fo great a Variety 
 of Animals, as there are at pre-^ 
 fent J Some of which are fo very 
 minute^ and the Qiiantity of them 
 fuch, that mixing themfelves 
 with Herbs and Plants and Grairi 
 on which themfelves feed, and 
 With the Water and Liquids 
 which they drink^ they muft ne- 
 celGTarily be devoured by other 
 larger Animals who live upon the 
 fame Foodj without fo much as 
 U being 
 
200 An Enquiry into the 
 
 being feen or any Way perceived 
 by them. It is therefore much 
 better upon the Whole, that They 
 fhould live upon one another in 
 the Manner they now do, than 
 that they fhould not live at all. 
 For if fuch animal Life is to be ef-* 
 teemed Superior to not exifting 
 at all, or to a vegetable Life ; and 
 
 ' the more there is of fuch animal 
 Life, the more of Good there is in 
 the World ; it is evident that by 
 this Means there is Room for 
 more whole Species of Creatures, 
 at leaft for many more Individuals 
 of each Species, than there would 
 otherwife be ; and that the Variety 
 of the Creation is hereby much en- 
 larged, and the Goodnefs of its 
 Author difplaycd. For the Confti- 
 tution of animal Bodies is fuch, as 
 requires that They fhould be 
 ^aintained1)y Food: Now if this 
 
 •^ Food can be made capable of ani- 
 mal 
 
Caufe and Origin ofEviL 2qI 
 
 mal Life alio, it is a very great Im- 
 provement of it. A certain Quanti- 
 ty of Food is neceffary for the Pre- 
 lervation of a determinate Number 
 of Animals. Which Food, were 
 it mere ^egetabky would perhaps 
 (erve for That Purpofe only : But 
 by being fo formed as to become 
 animaly though it be in a lower 
 Degree, and the Enjoyment of 
 Life in fuch Creatures lels^ yet is 
 it more perfect than unformed 
 Clay, or even than the moft curi- 
 ous Plant. Thus the animal Part 
 of the Creation has its feveral De- 
 grees of Life, and as much Vari- 
 ety in it, as is to be found in the 
 inanimate and vegetable Part ; 
 fo that in this Refpeft, there is io 
 far from being any juft Ground of 
 Complaint, that the Wifdom and 
 Contrivance of the animal World 
 is admirable, and plainly fhows the 
 Excellency of the Whole, and the 
 U 2 Subfer- 
 
2 0:2 ^n Enquiry into the 
 
 Subferviency oi all the Particulars 
 
 in order to obtain the areateft 
 
 Good that they are capable of. 
 
 The per- } fhall mention but one thing 
 
 ^/4^"''^ more upon this Head • and that 
 
 Creatiires'is ^ to confidcr what the Confe- 
 
 llea'fe 4^^^^^^ would be, of permitting 
 
 would be fuch Creatures to multiply and in-^ 
 
 of very ^reafe as much as they could, and 
 
 feqiience. to die ot fuch Diieafes as they 
 
 are incident to, or even of old 
 
 Age. This cannot certainly be de-* 
 
 termined any otherwife than by 
 
 j^ Experience ; but there is juft Rea-- 
 
 *~ fon to think that Mankind would 
 
 be the greateft Suffe- 
 /' * Ktf? -^ -tpo^ccTnv }c, /2a? rers hereby. * We 
 
 '^ ^r^Zvri-^r.^ u^7,U^.cy^ Jj^^^^lJ GUickly bc 
 
 dva.ymU.v ht^Tn ^ct-yccyh^ over-ltocked With 
 ^9i^^ci,' «f -ar^^j/ 3 s;t- thcm. Thofe which 
 
 Ke&.v v-jfoyhj) 'iyja^p 1%, sre now tamc, would 
 «^^r<y/>K, ^.vm^von aV arovv wild, and be 
 
 ^,k d^y^^y Tee^s...w, very milchievous ; 
 an (I'^TWi bft^ysf i^i and the Plants and 
 
 Fruits 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil 295 
 
 Fruits of the Earth "^"f ««T6%or j^^ 3* ^Vof 
 be all deltroy. ^^^^^^ ,^^.^MV..r Por- 
 ed by them : The Air M;'-^'« yibjUnentia^ &c. z?^; 
 probably t would be ' ,"' ^ 
 mtected by them, at u h^n ^ Um, -m 75 
 leaft by the Corrup- •^''«^'^j"-«» ^ ^ t.? o-M^^/i'. 
 
 tion or their dead ibid.% 16. 
 Carcaffes, and per- 
 haps feme violent Diftempers pror 
 duced by them. The Plagues 
 brought upon the Land of Egypt 
 in this Manner, and the Unwhole- 
 fomenefs of Wilderneffes and de- 
 iert Places, where i as the Scrip 
 ture defcribes them, Veut. 8. 
 'ver. 15. are ferj Serpents and 
 Scorpions and Drought where 
 there is no Water, for Want 
 of the Arts and Improvements 
 of Men ; thefe give fuffi- 
 cient Ground for the forementio- 
 ned ConjecTtures. There are per- 
 haps many other Particulars which 
 efcape our Notice for Want of 
 U 3 knowing 
 
g^ An Enquiry into the 
 
 knowing all the minute Gircum- 
 ftances of fuch Creatures ; the 
 Relation they ftand in to each o- 
 ther, and to the Things about 
 them. Thofe already mentioned 
 leem to be the principal, and, if 
 not wholly to take off, yet very 
 much to diminifh the Weight of 
 the ObjecSion before us. 
 
 I have now gone through what 
 I propofed under the firft HeacJ 
 of this Difcourfe, <viZj, to exa- 
 mine into the Nature ot thofe 
 Lav/s, by which both the Materi- 
 al and Animate Parts of the 
 World areatprelent governed; and 
 to compare them with fuch other 
 Laws, as they were originally e- 
 qualiy capable of being governed 
 by : That from hence it might apr 
 pear, that all thofe natural 'Bvils 
 which are obferved in the Creati- 
 on, and by many thought to re- 
 lied: upon, or detrad from the 
 
 Wifdom 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil ^95 
 
 Wifdom of its Author ; are firidly 
 and properly lpeaking,no E^tLs at 
 all ; but only the genuine Reiult 
 of that Want or Imoertedion, 
 which finite and created Things, 
 endued with various Poweis and 
 Qualities, and with different De- 
 grees of them, and regulated by 
 fuch general Laws as we oblerve^ 
 muft unavoidably be liable to. 
 
 And this, I think, does moft 
 apparently difplay the Excellency T/^^^^w^- 
 and Goodnefs of the Works ofijj^^ 
 the Creation, and as evidently ma- o/t/je 
 nifeft the Wifdom and Power of ^'^^^• 
 Him who made Heaven and Earth. 
 For from hence it clearly follows, 
 that no one Part of the Creation 
 being necejfaryy but fuch as might 
 equally either originally not have 
 exifted at all, or have exifted in a 
 quite different Manner from what 
 it does now i hence I fay it fol- 
 
 U 4 low^ 
 
2$6 An Enquiry into the 
 
 lows that their Beings, Pozvers, 
 Faculties and TerfedionSy every 
 Thing which they poflefs or en- 
 joy, i$ the free Gift of God, and 
 depends wholly upon his Will for 
 their Continuance or Duration, 
 He is infinitely happy in the En- 
 joyment of his own Pertedtions, 
 and the whole Creation can make; 
 no Addition to his Happinefs. Hq 
 could therefore propple no other 
 End in the Creation, but to ma- 
 njfeft his Power ^nd Wifdom in 
 the materia World, by the won- 
 derful Order,Harmony and Adjuft^ 
 rnent of all its Parts fo as to be 
 moft conducive and fubfervient to 
 the Beauty and Excellency of the 
 Whole ; and to communicate fome 
 Share of Happinefs to the animal 
 World, proportionably to the fe- 
 veral Capacities and Degrees of 
 fuch Creatures : And therefore 
 He appointed all the particular 
 
 Circum° 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. 297 
 
 Circuftances and Conditions of 
 them, fo as He thought mpft pro- 
 per to procure fuch Happinefs. 
 Every Thing whofe Exiftence is 
 poflible, is the Objedt of Creation 
 to infinite Power; and it belongs 
 only to the Wifdom of the 
 fame infinite Being, to determine 
 which of them fhall adually exifi:. 
 Thus whether any material things 
 fliould have exifted at all, depend- 
 ed entirely on the Will of the fu- 
 preme Being- And the fame may 
 be aiJirmed of their Powers and 
 equalities, and the Laws which they 
 are fubjedl to. Upon Suppofition 
 that they do exift, there are in the 
 JvJature of Things fome Powers 
 and Qualities they are capable of 
 receiving, and others not; As, in the 
 Inihnce oi Jiddtter^ there are vaft 
 Variety of Laws of Motion which 
 it may be fubjeft to, and which 
 produce very different Effeds ; 
 ? t but 
 
rspS An Enquiry into the 
 
 but Vnderftandingy Liberty and 
 the like, it is in its own Nature 
 uncapable of: And of thole Laws 
 by which it may be governed, 
 there is no ocher Rule of judging, 
 but from the End to which they 
 are appropriated. The whole 
 Scheme of the material World was 
 at firft laid in the divine Mind ; 
 in Order to efteS: which, it ap- 
 pears by manifold Experience, 
 that the original Particles of Mat^ 
 ter have * certain 
 
 ■■'- Nani multa me ^°'^^^ impreffed up. 
 
 movent ut nonnihil on them, which, ac- 
 
 lufpicerea omnia ex vi- cording to their diite. 
 nbus quibuliiam pende- ^P n r 
 
 re poffe, quibus corpo- ^^^t Gircumitances ot 
 
 rumparticulaperCau- aftinp;, either impell 
 
 lasnondumcognitasvel ^i ^ j if 
 
 in fe mutuo impellun- ^^^^ towards each O. 
 
 tux 8c fccundam figuras ther, and caufe them 
 
 ^^w?r!^°f^''"l' ""i to col^ere in regular 
 ab mviccm tugantur & i r - 
 
 recedunt. Fr^^, jj^erpt. Figures; or elle lepa- 
 aimm'ij^. rate them^ and caufe 
 
 them to recede from 
 
 one 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil d op 
 
 one another, thereby to diffolve 
 fuch Cohcielion j which Forces are 
 in themfelves purely indifferent, 
 and chofen only becaufe moft a- 
 dapted to obtain the End propofed. 
 Every Revolution and Error there- 
 fore is regular and defigned, being 
 only the Effedl of a Caufe ading u- 
 •niforttily and by a dated genera' 
 Rule; which is much more agreeable 
 to the Notion we have of Wifdom^ 
 than to imagine the Courfe of 
 Things fliould be perpetually inter- 
 rupted and confounded. The fame 
 is true alfo of the animal Part of 
 the Creation, the feveral Species of 
 living Creatures which move upon 
 the Earth ; They had no Right 
 to exift at all, much lefs had they 
 any Right to be of any particular 
 Rank or Order, in the infinite 
 Variety that in the Nature of 
 Things were poffible to exift. So 
 that their animal Powers, the Fa- 
 culties ^ 
 
5 00 An Enquiry into the 
 
 culties and Abilities they have^ 
 and the refpeftive Degrees of 
 them_j arc of mere voluntary Do^ 
 nation ; And to have them depend 
 upon certain Terms and Conditi- 
 qns^ and in many Cafes to be lia- 
 ble wholly to be deprived of them, 
 is no more a real E'j/il, than not to 
 have exifted at all : Their Exiftence 
 being manifeftly a free Gift^ the 
 Continuance or'other Circumftances 
 of which, are entirely in the Pow- 
 er of the Donour. This cannot 
 be better illuftrated^ than by the 
 Prophets Similitude as quoted by 
 St. Fanl^ Kom. p. 'z/^r. 20. Shall 
 the Thing formed fay to him that 
 formed it i Why hafi thou made me 
 thus ? Hath not the Fatter power 
 ever the Clay^ of the fame Lump^ 
 to make one Veffel unto Honour and 
 another to T)ifhonour ? So has the in- 
 finitely powerful and allwifeBeing, 
 an abfolute Right to make feveral 
 
 Ranks 
 
Cdufe and Origin of Evil, ^oi 
 
 Ranks and Degrees of Creatures, 
 which comparatively fpeaking 
 are more or lefs perfeU^ but eve- 
 ry one of them in their propet 
 Place mofi: conducive towards 
 attaining the End defigned in them 
 all. And it is altogether as unjuft 
 and unreafonable to complain of 
 any one of them becaufe it is of 
 an inferiour Nature or Degree 
 than another, as it would be to 
 reflcft on the Skill of an Artificer 
 becaufe He fafliioneth feveral Kinds 
 of Veffcls for different Ufcs, fomc 
 of which are more beautiful and 
 fcrviceable than others. The 
 Ground of all fuch Complaints as 
 thefe^ fcems to be this ; that we 
 are apt to form our Judgment of 
 the Creation^ from conlidering on- 
 ly fome of the moft inferiour 
 Patts of \ty independent of the 
 £efk t Which is juft as if, to 
 uk the forementioned Si- 
 militude, 
 
^02 An Enquiry into the 
 
 miiitude^ a Man fliould pick out 
 of the Potters Shop the mean- 
 eft Veflel, or view only the un- 
 formed Clay, the Ufes of which 
 he was in a great Meafure ignorant 
 of^ and hereupon immediately 
 condemn both the Materials and 
 the Skill of the Potter. The whole 
 Creation is indeed but one Work^ 
 one Build'wgy the feveral Parts and 
 Inhabitants of which^ have a ftricl 
 Connexion with and Relation to 
 each other. In Order therefore to 
 form a true Judgement of it_, it 
 would be neccffary to comprehend 
 the Whole of it in one View ; to 
 have an exaSt Plan of all that is 
 paft^.prefcnt ^nd to come ; and fee 
 the mutual Depcndance of all the 
 the Parts. But this is impoflible 
 for our narrow Capacities to do ; 
 It is a Defeft in the Nature of 
 Things, which is impoffible to be 
 remedied, TheirProportions are un- 
 alterable j 
 
Caufe and Origin of Evil. :5 o 3 
 
 alterable : and we might as well 
 expefl: our Eye fliould take in the 
 whole Compafs of the fixed 
 Stars^ and diftinftly fee every 
 individual Thing contained in 
 them^ as that our Underftand- 
 ing fliould comprehend the U- 
 fes and Ends of all the Works of 
 Nature and Providence. All Ob- 
 )e61:ions of this Kind therefore are 
 wholly befide the Queftion. That 
 which truly follows from a juft 
 Examination of the prefent State 
 of Things, even in the worft 
 Lightj is no more than this : That 
 as, in the Nature of them, they 
 muit be liable to perpetual Mutati- 
 ons and Revolutions; and when 
 they are at the worft,and have end- 
 ed one Scene:, they arc yet capable 
 of affording Materials for another ; 
 in the lame Manner as out of a 
 Chaos the prefent Earth was form- 
 tdy and hoin This again, as St. 
 
 Peter 
 
^04 -^^^ Enquiry into the 
 
 ^eter fays^ will at the Confumnia^ 
 tion arile a new and different one : 
 So likewife with Refpeft toAnima- 
 ted Creatures, we lee the fame 
 Individual living under different 
 Forms and in different Elements 
 here. Life therefore does not 
 wholly depend upon the Body^ 
 but only the Manner of living : 
 And what may come hereafter, as 
 We do not particularly know^ (6 
 we ought not to give our Judgment. 
 That which remains farther to be 
 confidered upon this Subjeft, is thd 
 Caufe and Origin of moral E^il ; 
 whence Sin has its Rife and abounds 
 fo univerfally in the World. But 
 This^ as it is of great Moment to 
 be known^ fo it ought to be treat- 
 ed of particularly by it felf. 
 
 F I N I Si 
 
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