BARON CUVIER. 143 



of composition,' and others similar to these, 

 which have all been imagined in consequence of 

 the belief in a Nature distinct from the Creator, 

 and less powerful than he is, and which have no 

 evident support, but in those fancied limits which 

 they place to his power. 



*' That each effect may proceed from a cause, 

 which cause is to be traced to an anterior cause ; 

 that in this manner all events, all successive 

 phenomena, may be linked together ; that there 

 may be no interruption in the march of nature, 

 and that w^e may, in this sense, compare her to 

 a chain, all the rings of which are attached to 

 and follow each other ; is evident on the least 

 reflection. That the beings which exist in the 

 world are so constructed as to maintain a per- 

 manent order ; that they have, consequently, suf- 

 ficient for all their wants ; that their action and 

 reaction may exist in every place, and at every 

 moment, as necessary for this permanency; 

 that it may be the same with the parts of each 

 being ; the very maintenance of this order teaches 

 us. Lastly, that in this innumerable multi- 

 tude of different beings, each, taken apart, may 

 find some which resemble it more than others, 

 by their internal and external forms ; that it 

 may be the same with these, relative to a third 

 set ; and that, consequently, we may be able to 



