34 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



missible and convenient was requisite. In what 

 way is the law of the attracting globes obtained ? 

 xistronomical observations and terrestrial experi- 

 ments show that the attraction of the globes of 

 the system is made up of the attraction of their 

 parts ; the attraction of each globe being com- 

 pounded of the attractions of its parts. Now the 

 admissible and convenient law which exists, could 

 not be obtained in a system of bodies gravitating 

 by the united gravitation of their parts, unless 

 each particle of matter were attracted by a force 

 varying by one particular law, viz. varying in- 

 versely as the square of the distance : for, if the 

 action of the particles be according to any other 

 law whatever, the admissible and convenient law, 

 which is adopted, could not be obtained. Here 

 then are clearly shown regulation and design. A 

 law both admissible and convenient was to be ob- 

 tained ; the mode chosen for obtaining that law^ 

 was by making each particle of matter act. After 

 this choice was made, then further attention was 

 to be given to each particle of matter, and one 

 and one only particular law of action to be as- 

 signed to it. No other law would have answered 

 the purpose intended. 



(*) 2. All systems must be liable to perturba- 

 tions. And therefore, to guard against these per- 

 turbations, or rather to guard against their run- 

 ning to destructive lengths, is perhaps the strong- 

 est evidence of care and foresight that can be 



