INSTINCTS. 1 73 



mitting his actual interference in all the phe- 

 nomena of living nature. 



Hal. — As I said before, I cannot confute 

 your view : but, upon this principle, gravitation 

 and the motion of the planets round the sun, 

 and all the other physical phenomena of the 

 universe, would be owing to the immediate 

 action of the Divinity. I prefer the view, 

 which refers them to motion and properties, 

 the results of general laws impressed on matter 

 by Omnipotence. This view is, I think, sim- 

 pler ; but it is difficult to form any distinct 

 opinion on so high and incomprehensible a 

 subject, on which, perhaps, after all, it is wiser 

 to confess our entire ignorance, and to bow 

 down in humble adoration to the one incom- 

 prehensible Cause of all being. 



PoiET. — I agree with you in your last sen- 

 tence, but I still adhere to my own view, and 

 I hope you will not object to a favourite 

 opinion of mine, that instincts are to animals 

 what revelation is to man, intended to supply 

 wants in their physical constitution, which in 

 man are provided for by reason ; and that re- 

 velation is to him as an instinct, teaching him 



