36 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Obje CTION. 

 How is it conftftent with Divine Goodnefs to create fuch ve?jemous 

 Animals^ that are Jo dangerous and deJlruBive to their Fellow-Crea- 

 tures ? I anfwer, 



I. T H AT as the Power of God Jlnnes in the Formation of all 

 Creatures^ fo does his Goodnefs in their natural F erf eB ions ^ which is 

 the Goodnefs of their Being. Every Creature is good, and if any 

 Branch of the Creation be hurtful to another, 'tis the Effect of moral 

 Evil, and not any necelTary Confequence ariling from their Creation. 



This noxious Quality in Serpents, is God's Creature, and mufl 

 anfwer fome valuable Purpofe, tho' concealed from an Eye blinded 

 by the Venom of Sin. Nor mud we forget that they feldOiTi hurt 

 their Fellow-Creatures, but when they are provok'd 3 and when 

 they hurt, they prefent us with a healing Remedy, that is, the 

 volatile Salt of Vipers, which, if rubbed into the Wound, has been 

 generally applied with Succejs. 



II. THE IR poifomus Liquid mujl fome way be beneficial to 

 themfelves. We are not told what their original Food was -, but 

 now they live by Plunder, and by their Venom they are enabled 

 to make fure of their Prey, which otherwife might efcape, or 

 grow too ftrong for them, and lo they might flarve for want of 

 proper Means to fupportLife -, and what they take by their vene- 

 mous Fangs and Stings, is good Nourishment. 



Their Poifon alfo, is to them as a Life-Guard. Were there 

 not fomething terrible in their Weapons of War, every one 

 would trample upon them. Add to this, that perhaps their Con- 

 ftitution may be fo modify 'd and framed, that this venemous Li- 

 quid may be as ufeful to digeft their Food, as our Saliva is to us 

 in that refpe(ft, 



III. S E RP E NTS, tho' venemous, are of fpecial Vfe to 

 Majikind, as they are Fart of the Materia Medica, and bear a 

 great Share in fome of the befi Antidotes, or Remedies againfi Foifon^ 

 Vipers make a confiderable Article in Medicine ; their Flefh, ei- 

 ther roafted or boiled, the Phyficians unanimoufly prefcribe as an 

 excellent Reftorative, particularly in Confumptions, Leprofy.— — » 



The 



