441 



« nions have been broached upon the creation of the world; Sancho- 

 « niathon, Berofus, Manetho, and Ocellus Lucanus, have all attempted 

 " It m vam ; the latter has thefe words ; anarcAon ara kai ateleutaion 

 " to pan ; which imply, that all things have neither beginning nor end." 

 As thefe gentlemen exprefs their opinion very nearly in the fame words, 

 they feem alfo to agree in another point, to wit, that the difcovery of this' 

 great truth fecurcs to them the reputation of deep learning ; this laft cir- 

 cumftance probably induced them to overlook the evil confequences that 

 might refult to fociety, from the removal of all religious obligation - 

 for It ViUfcarcely be denied, that the belief of the exiftence of a God 

 has a ftrong influence upon the morals of mankind. Ovid, who knew 

 the world very well, but did not pretend to any religion, wilhed to pre- 

 ferve this fundamental part of it (the belief of the exiftence of God ) 

 for the fake of its influence ; he fays, 



Expedit efle deos, et ut expedit, efle putemus. 



And Juvenal ftates with precifion, the bad eflfefts of atheifm, in his 

 day. 



Sunt qu! fortunae in caGbus omnia ponunt, 

 Et nullo credunt mundum redore moveri, 

 Atque ideo intrepide quascunque altaria tangnnt. 



If this was a proper place, to difcufs the queftion of the exiftence 

 of a God, and to prove, that the world was formed, not by chance, 

 but by confummate wifdora, I would chearfully refer the decifion of 

 thefe pomts to the fame authority which Dr. Hutton himfelf fo often 

 quotes, the book of nature, a code which, I apprehend, will not be found 

 very favourable to atheiltical opinions. But I find I am wandering 

 from my fubjeft, and muft return to the aftual merits of Dr. Hution^-^ 

 theory of the earth, without inquiring farther who was its original in- 

 ventor, or what motive he had for diffeminating it, and the conclufions 

 he aflerts refult from it. 



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