344 AN TIE NT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



But it is a road not much frequented by our modern philofophers, who 

 appear to me to be difpofed to account for the operations of nature 

 from any other caufe rather than mind, and to employ a God only as 

 the tragic poets of old did, when they could in no other way extri- 

 cate their fable. 



There is another road to Deity ; but neither is it much beaten by 

 the philofophers of this age. It is that which lies through formal 

 caufes. In the works of art, every body diftinguiihes betwixt the mat- 

 ter and the form ; but, in the works of nature, we feem to think that 

 'all is material ; whereas, all the antient philofophers, fuch of them, at 

 leaft, as were not Atheifts, made the diftindioii betwixt matter and form 

 the foundation of their natural philofophy : And with the formal 

 caufe is necefTarily conneded \\\q. final caufe ; for, if there be a formi 

 of any thing, by which it anfwers a certain purpofe, there muft necef- 

 {dsAy \it 2l final caufe ^ or end propofed. And, again, if there be an 

 end propofed, there muft be a form fuitable to that end, unlefs we can 

 believe what Epicurus profefled to do, (for I cannot think he really 

 believed fo), that the eye, being formed, fuch as it is, by mere mat- 

 ter and mechanifm, the ufe of it, for feeing, was afterwards, upon 

 trial, found out. Some, indeed, of our more religious philofophers, 

 fpeak a good deal of final caufes ; but the greater part of them feem to 

 confider nothing in the works of nature except matter and mechanifm. 



But this material and mechanical philofophy is eflentially de- 

 fedive in this refped, that it affigns no efficient caufe of the o- 

 perations of nature, unlefs they could fhow, that matter and me- 

 chanifm could operate without any moving power, or had that 

 moving power in themfelves. It is true, indeed, that the BritiHi 

 philofophers, with the exception of very few, allow the neceffity 

 of an immaterial firft mover ; but they fay, that the machine, being 

 once put In motion, goes on of itfelf, like a piece of clock- 

 work. 



