48 The Wisdom of GOD . Parti. 



Nature^ or vital Princple, as the Vegetation of 

 Plants muft alfo be. 



But, to proceed, neither can I wholly ac- 

 quiefce in the Hypothefis of that Honourable and 

 defervedly Famous Author, I formerly had Occa- 

 fion to mention, which I find in ]i\s free Enquiry 

 into the vulgar Notion of Nature, p. 77, 78. de- 

 livered in thefe Words. " " I think it probable, 

 "' that the great and wife Author of Things did, 

 " when he firft form'd the Univerfe and undi- 

 " ftinguifh'd Matter into the World, put its Parts 

 " into various Motions, whereby they were ne- 

 *' cefiarily divided into numberlefs Portions of 

 " differing Bulks, Figures, and Situations, in Re- 

 '' fped; of each other : And that by his infinite 

 " Wifdom ftjfid Power, he did fo guide and over- 

 " rule the Motions of thefe Parts, at the Begin- 

 " ning of Things, as that (whether in a fhorter 

 '' or a longer Time, Reafon cannot determine) 

 *' they Y^ere finally difpos'd into that beautiful 

 '' and orderly Frame that we call the IVorld; 

 *' among whofe Parts fome were fo curioufly^ 

 " contrived, as to be fit to become the Seed, or 

 '' feminal Principles, of Plants and .Animals. 

 '' And, I further conceive, that he fettled fuch 

 " Laws, or Rules, of local Motion among the 

 *' Parts of the Univerfal Matter, that by his or- 

 " dinary and preferving Concourfe, the feveral 

 " Parts of the Univerfe thus once com pleated, 

 " fhould be able to maintain the .great Con- 

 '' ftrudion, or Syftem, and Oeconomy of the 

 *' Mundane Bodies, and propagate the Species 

 '' of living Creatures." The i'^mt ■ Hypothejis he 



repeats 



