STUDY V. 



277 



STUDY FIFTH. 



REPLY TO THE OBJECTIONS AGAINST PROVIDENCE, 



FOUNDED ON THE DISORDERS OF THE 



VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



THE Earth is, fay the Objeflors, a garden 

 very injudicioufly laid out. Men of wit, 

 who never travelled, have amufed themfelves with 

 painting it, proceeding from the hand of Nature, 

 as if the giants had been a fighting in it. They 

 reprefent it's rivers flowing at random ; it's mo- 

 rafles as vaft colleâiions of mud ; the trees of it's 

 forefls turned upfide down ; it's plains buried un- 

 der rocks, or overfpread with briars and thorns j 

 all it's high ways rendered unpaffable^ all it's cul- 

 ture the puny efforts of human genius. Such re- 

 prefentations, though pi6lurefque, have, I acknow- 

 ledge, fometimes afflifted me,becaufe they infpired 

 me with diftruft of the Author of Nature. To 

 no purpofe could it be fuppofed that, in other re- 

 fpefts, He had loaded Man with benefits ; one of 



T 3 our 



