UNITY OF THE DEITY. 291 



CHAPTER XXV. 



OF THE UNITY OF THE DEITY. 



Of the "unity of the Deity," the proof is, the wnfoy^n* 

 ity of plan observable in the universe. The universe itself 

 is a system ; each part either depending upon other parts, oi 

 being connected with other parts by some common law o. 

 motion, or by the presence of some common substance. One 

 principle of gravitation causes a stone to drop towards the 

 earth, and the moon to wheel round it. One law of attrac- 

 tion carries all the difierent planets about the sun. Thi? 

 philosophers demonstrate. There are also other points o 

 agreement among them, which may be considered as marks 

 of the identity of their origin and of their intelligent Author 

 In all are found the conveniency and stability derived from 

 gravitation. They all experience vicissitudes of days and 

 nights, and changes of season. They all, at least Jupiter 

 Mars, and Yenus, have the same advantages from their at 

 mosphere as we have. In all the planets, the axes of rota- 

 tion are permanent. Nothing is more probable than that 

 the same attracting influence, acting according to the samv 

 rule, reaches to the fixed stars ; but if this be only probable, 

 another thing is certain, namely, that the same element of 

 light does. The light from a fixed star affects our eyes in 

 the same manner, is refracted and reflected according to the 

 same laws, as the light of a candle. The velocity of the 

 light of the fixed stars is also the same as the velocity of the 

 light of the sun, reflected from the satellites of Jupiter. The 

 heat of the sun in kind differs nothing from the heat of a 

 coal fire. 



In our own globe the case is clearer. New countries 

 are continually discovered, but the old laws of nature are 

 always found in them; new plants perhaps, or animals, but 

 always in company with plants and anim.als which we 



