b NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



concerning which we could not ascertain w hether 

 they conduced to that effect in any manner what- 

 ever. For, as to the first branch of the case, if by 

 the loss, or disorder, or decay of the parts in ques- 

 tion, the movement of the watch were found in fact 

 to be stopped, or disturbed, or retarded, no doubt 

 would remain in our minds as to the utility or in- 

 tention of these parts, although we should be un- 

 able to investiorate the manner accordinsr to which, 

 or the connexion by which, the ultimate eftect de- 

 pended upon their action or assistance; and the 

 more complex is the machine, the more hkely is 

 this obscurity to arise. Then, as to the second 

 thing supposed, namely, that there were parts which 

 might be spared without prejudice to the move- 

 ment of the watch, and that he had proved this by 

 experiment, these superfluous parts, even if we 

 were completely assured that they were such, 

 w^ould not vacate the reasoning which we had in- 

 stituted concerning other parts. The indication 

 of contrivance rem.ained, with respect to them, 

 nearly as it was before. 



IV. Nor, fourthly, would any man in his senses 

 think the existence of the watch, with its various 

 machinery, accounted for, by being told that it was 

 one out of possible combinations of material forms : 

 that whatever he had found in the place where he 

 found the watch, must have contained some in- 

 ternal configuration or other ; and that this con- 

 figuration might be the structure now exhibited. 



