Chap. Iir. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 319 



tlons of a watch or a clock, and can give a very accurate account how 

 they are produced, and how they are conneded with one another, 

 but knows nothing of the purpofe for which a clock or watch is in- 

 tended : Yet our naturalifts reprobate an enquiry into final caufes, 

 as having nothing to do with natural philofophy. But this is not 

 the opinion of Derham, who infifts very much upon the final caufes 

 of things in this our earth ; and, as by them ttie wifdom and good- 

 nefs of God are chiefly ihown, I think his work is very properly 

 entitled Pbyfico-lhcology. 



As the dodrine of final caufes, and the wifdom and goodnefs of 

 God, are beft illuflrated by the ftate of animals upon this earth, this 

 mofl: valuable work of Derham is chiefly employed in Shewing that 

 things are fo ordered here below, and the animal race fo provided 

 for, that they are as happy as by their nature they can be : And as 

 animals are the only fenfitive beings in the creation, that is, beings 

 who have the fenfe of pleafure and pain, and confequently are capa- 

 ble of happinefs or mifery, they are no doubt the proper fubjecfts 

 for fliov;ing the goodnefs of God ; for as Supreme Intelligence is 

 an effential attribute, as we have fhown, of the Divine Nature, it is 

 neceflary that it fhould have fome end in view in all its operations. 

 Now a good God can have no other end in view but the liappinefs 

 of his creatures ; and indeed to fuppofe otherwife, would be incon- 

 fident with his intelligence, as well as his goodnefs: For he muft 

 have known that the fyftem would contribute either to the happi- 

 nefs or mifery of the animals in it. But that Supreme Intelligence 

 fliould have preferred the mifery of the animals to their happinefs, is 

 altogether inconceivable ; and that the fyflem fhould be fo very de- 

 feiStive as to have no animals in it, is equally inconceivable. 



In this important view of the fubjed: our author has gone through 

 all the animals of this earth, quadrupeds, fowls, and fifli, not for- 

 getting 



