NATURAL THEOLOGY. 7 



viz., of the works of a watch, as well as a differ- 

 ent structure. 



V. Nor, fifthly, would it yield his inquiry more 

 satisfaction, to be answered, that there existed in 

 things a principle of order, which had disposed the 

 parts of the watch into their present form and sit- 

 uation. He never knew a watch made by the prin- 

 ciple of order ; nor can he even form to himself 

 an idea of what is meant by a principle of order, 

 distinct from the intelligence of the watchmaker. 



VI. Sixthly, he would be surprised to hear that 

 the mechanism of the watch was no proof of con- 

 trivance, only a motive to induce the mind to think 

 so : 



VII. And not less surprised to be informed, that 

 the watch in his hand was nothing more than the 

 result of the laws of metallic nature. It is a per- 

 version of language to assign any law as the effi- 

 cient, operative cause of anything. A law presup- 

 poses an agent ; for it is only the mode according 

 to which an agent proceeds : it implies a power ; 

 for it is the order according to which that power 

 acts. Without this agent, without this power, 

 which are both distinct from itself, the law does 

 nothing, is nothing. The expression, " the law of 

 metallic nature," may sound strange and harsh to 

 a philosophic ear ; but it seems quite as justifiable 

 as some others which are more familiar to him, 

 such as " the law of vegetable nature," " the law 

 of animal nature," or, indeed, as " the law of nature" 

 in general, when assigned as the cause of phenome- 



