THE GOODNESS OF THE DEITY. 
<259 
parts of the human body, ever said, this is to irritate; 
this to inflame; this duct is to convey the gravel to the 
kidneys; this gland to secrete the humour which forms the 
gout: if by chance he come at a part of which he knows 
not the use, the most he can say is, that it is useless; no 
one ever suspects that it is put there to incommode, to an¬ 
noy, or to torment.” 
The two cases which appear to me to have the most of 
difficulty in them, as forming the most of the appearance of 
exception to the representation here given, are those of ven¬ 
omous animals, and of animals preying upon one another. 
These properties of animals, wherever they are found, must, 
I think, be referred to design; because there is, in all cases 
of the first, and in most cases of the second, an express and 
distinct organization provided for the producing of them. 
Under the first head, the fangs of vipers, the stings of wasps 
and scorpions, are as clearly intended for their purpose, as 
any animal structure is for any purpose the most incontestr 
ably beneficial. And the same thing must, under the se¬ 
cond head, be acknowledged of the talons and beaks of 
birds, of the tusks, teeth, and claws of beasts of prey, of the 
shark’s mouth, of the spider’s web, and of numberless wea¬ 
pons of offence belonging to different tribes of voracious 
insects. We cannot, therefore, avoid the difficulty by say¬ 
ing, that the effect was not intended. The only question 
open to us is, whether it be ultimately evil. From the con¬ 
fessed and felt imperfection of our knowledge, we ought to 
presume, that there may be consequences of this economy 
which are hidden from us: from the benevolence which 
pervades the general designs of nature, we ought also to 
presume, that these consequences, if they could enter into 
our calculation, would turn the balance on the favorable 
side. Both these I contend to be reasonable presumptions. 
Not reasonable presumptions, if these two cases were the 
only cases which nature presented to our observation; but 
reasonable presumptions under the reflection, that the cas¬ 
es in question are combined with a multitude of intentions, 
all proceeding from the same author, and all, except these, 
directed to ends of undisputed utility. Of the vindications, 
however, of this economy, which we are able to assign, 
such as most extenuate the difficulty, are the following. 
With respect to venomous bites and stings, it may be ob¬ 
served,— 
1. That the animal itself being regarded, the faculty 
complained of is good: being conducive, in all cases, to 
the defence of the animal; in some cases, to the subduing 
