“ 
14. ESSAYS anv OBSERVATIONS 
after all, it muft appear extremely whimfi- 
cal to deny to matter a power of motion, 
merely becaufe matter difcovers itfelf to our 
external fenfes in part; when, at the fame 
time, we are fo ready to attribute powers of 
every fort to immaterial fubftances, which 
cannot be reached by our external fenfes, ei- 
ther in whole or in part. 
Ir is fuggefted above, that to endue mat- 
ter with a power of acting according to ge- 
neral and invariable laws, exhibits a more 
beautiful and compleat fyftem, than to leave 
it abfolutely inert, to require a continued in- 
terpofition of the deity. To illuftrate this 
point, I chufe to borrow the honourable Mr 
Boyle’s fentiment, whofe piety was not infe- 
rior to his knowledge. ‘¢ It feems manifeft 
“enough, that whatfoever is done in the 
«¢ world, at leaft where the rational foul in- 
‘< tervenes not, is really effected by corporeal 
“caufes and agents, according to the laws 
« fettled by the omnifcient author of things.” 
* And he obferves, ‘* That as it more recom- 
« mends the {kill of an engineer to contrive 
«an claborate engine, fo as that there need 
“* nothing 
* Inquiry into the vulgar notion of nature. p. 5a. 
