Chap. Vir. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 433 



norance. But the reafon of the philofopher Is fomething more pod- 

 tlve ; for he beheves that the fame thing that has often happened will 

 happen again in the fame circumftances, becaufe he iuppofes that there 

 is a fyftem in nature according to which every thing happens regu- 

 larly, orderly, and uniformly. And fo far does the experimental 

 philofopher carry this notion of a fyftem, that, upon the credit of one 

 experiment, made with great caution and accuracy, he firmly be- 

 lieves that the fame effedt will be produced, if the circumftances are 

 exai^ly the fame ; for he does not fuppofe that there is any thing in na- 

 ture fingularor anomalous, or that happens without fome fixed or de- 

 termined caiife operating regularly and conftantly. Nay, he goes ftill 

 further, upon the fuppofition of the order and regularity of nature ; 

 for, without one experiment, or the poflibility of an experiment, he 

 believes that one year is precifely equal to another in duration *, be- 

 caufe he cannot believe that nature would be fo irregular as to make 

 the duration of one revolution of the earth round the fun unequal to 

 that of another. And, in this way, I believe every experimental 

 philofopher is fo far a Theift, whether he knows it or not ; for it is 

 impoflible to believe, upon any rational ground, that there is a fyftem 

 in nature, without believing that, at the fame time, there is intelli- 

 gence. 



Our reafoning concerning human life, and the aff'alrs of men, 

 grounded upon what we call moral evidence^ is of the fame kind ; 

 for, by obferving the fame thing happen often, we conclude that, in 

 like circumftances, it will happen again. For example, having obfer- 

 ved ourfelves, or learned from hiftory, and the teftimony of others, 

 that men of fuch an age, and fuch a character, have, in fuch or fucli 

 circumftances or fituaiions, aded fj or fo, we believe that men of the 

 fame age, and fame charader, will, at other times, a6t in tl.e fame 

 manner. Having alfo obfcrved, that ftates, conftituted and govern- 

 ed in a certain way, and having their citizens educated according to 



I » i certain 



* Some of the antlents appear to have doubted of this. See what I have faid, p 351. 



