148 



BOOK II. 



COSMICAL ARRANGEMENTS. 



WHEN we turn our attention to the larger portions 

 of the universe, the sun, the planets, and the 

 earth as one of them, the moon and other satel- 

 lites, the fixed stars and other heavenly bodies ; 

 the views which we obtain concerning their 

 mutual relations, arrangement and movements, 

 are called, as we have already stated, cosmical 

 views. These views will, we conceive, afford us 

 indications of the wisdom and care of the Power 

 by which the objects which we thus consider, 

 were created and are preserved : and we shall 

 now proceed to point out some circumstances in 

 which these attributes may be traced. 



It has been observed by writers on Natural 

 Theology, that the arguments for the being and 

 perfections of the Creator, drawn from cosmical 

 considerations, labour under some disadvantages 

 when compared with the arguments founded on 

 those provisions and adaptations which more 

 immediately affect the well being of organized 

 creatures. The structure of the solar system has 

 far less analogy with such machinery as we can 



