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36 ANATURALHISTORY 



Objection. 



How is it confijlent ivith Divine Goodnefs to create fuch venemous 

 Animals, that are Jo dangerous and deJlruSlive to their Fellow-Crea- 

 ) tares'? I anfwer, 



I. TB AT as the Power oJGodjinnes in the Formation of all' 

 Creatures, fo does his Goodnefs in their natural Perfeciions, ivbich is 

 the Goodnefs of their Being. Every ' Creature is good, and if any 

 Branch of the Creation be hurtful to another, 'tis the Effedl of moral' 

 Evil, and not any neceflary Confequence arifing from their Creation.. 



This noxious Quality in Serpents, is God's Creature, and muft 

 anfwer fome valuable Purpofe, tho' concealed from an Eye blinded* 

 by the Venom of Sin, Nor muft we forget that they feldom hurt 

 their Fellow-Creatures, but when they are provok'd; and when 

 they hurt, they prefent us with a healing Remedy^ that is, the 

 volatile Salt of Viper Sy which if rubhed into the JVound^ has been 

 generally applied with Succefs. 



II. THEIR poifonous Liquid jmifl fome way be beneficial to 

 themfelves. We are not told what their original Food wasj but 

 now they live by Plunder, and by their Venom they are enabled 

 to make fure of their Prey, which otherwife might efcape, or 

 grow too ftrong for them, and fo they might ftarve for want of 

 proper Means to fupport Life ; and what they take by their vene- 

 mous Fangs and Stings, is good Nourifhment. 



Their Poifoh alfo, is to them as a Life-Guard.' Were there 

 not fomething terrible in their Weapons of War, every one 

 would trample upon them. Add to this, that perhaps their Con- 

 ftitution may be io modify 'd and framed, that this venemous Li- 

 quid may be as .ufeful to digeft their Food,, as our Saliva is to us- 

 in that refpedl. 



Ill: .SERPE NTSy tho venemus, are of fpecial Ufe ■ to 

 Mankind, as they are Part of the Materia Medica, afid bear a 

 great Share in fome of the beft Antidotes, or Remedies againfi Poifon. . 

 Vipers make a confiderable Article in Medicine; their Flefh ei- ■ 

 ther roafted or boiled, the Phyficians unanimoufly prefcribe as an 

 excellent Reftorative, particularly in Confumptions, Leprofy.— — — 



The, 



