neftly exhort thofe that are young, especially Gentlemen, to fet upon these Studies, and take fome pains in them. They may poffibly invent fomething of eminent use and advantage to the World; and one fuch Discovery would abundantly compenfate the Expence and Travel of one Man's whole Life. However, it is enough to maintain and continue what is already invented: Neither do I fee what more Ingenious and Manly Employment they can purfue, tending more to the Satisfaction of their own Minds, and the Illustration of the Glory of God. For he is wonderful in all his Works.

But I would not have any Man cross his natural Genius or Inclinations, or undertake fuch Methods of Study, as his Parts are not fitted to, or not serve thofe Ends to which his Friends upon mature Deliberation have defigned him but those who do abound with leifure, or who have à natural Propenfion and Genius inclining them thereto, or those who by reafon of the Strength and Greatnefs of their Parts, are able to compafs and comprehend the whole Latitude of Learning.

Neither yet need those who are defigned to Divinity it felf, fear to look into thefe Studies, or think they will engrofs their whole time, and that no confiderable Progrefs can be made therein, unless Men lay afide and neglect their ordinary Callings, and neceffary Employments. No fuch matter. Our Life is long enough,

and

}

and we might find time enough, did we husband it well: Vitam non accepimus brevem fed fecimus, nec inopes ejus, fed prodigi fumus, as Seneca faith, We have not received a short Life, but have made it fo; neither do we want time, but are prodigal of it. And did but young Men fill up that time with thefe Studies, which lies upon their Hands, which they are incumbred with, and troubled how to pafs away, much might be done even fo. I do not fee, but the Study of true Physiology, may be justly accounted a proper or Пpodela Preparative to Divinity. But to leave that, it is a generally received Opinion, That all this vifible World was created for Man; that Man is the end of the Creation, as if there were no other end of any Creature, but fome way or other to be ferviceable to Man. This Opinion is as old as Tully; for, faith he, in his Second Book, De Nat. Deorum. Principio ipfe Mundus Deorum hominumque causa factus eft: quæque in eo funt omnia ea. parata ad fructum hominum & inventa funt. But though this be vulgarly receiv'd, yet Wife Men now a-days, think o therwife. Dr. More affirms, That Creatures are made to enjoy themselves, as well as to ferve us and that it's a grofs piece of Ignorance and Rufticity to think otherwife. And in another place: This comes only out of Pride and Ignorance, or a haughty Prefumption, because we are encouraged to believe, that in fome fenfe, all things are made for Man, therefore to think that

Atheism, 1.

* Antid.

2. C. II.

the

But be

they are not at all made for themfelves. that prouounceth this, is ignorant of the Nature of Man, and the Knowledge of Things: For if a good Man be merciful to his Beaft, then furely a good God is bountiful and benign, and takes pleasure that all his Creatures enjoy themfelves, that have Life and Senfe, and are capable of Enjoyment.

Those Philofophers indeed, who hold Man. to be the only Creature in this fublunary World, endued with Senfe and Perception, and that all other Animals are meer Machines or Puppets, have fome Reafon to think, that all things here below were made for Man. But this Opinion feems to me too mean, and unworthy the Majefty, Wisdom, and Power of God; nor can it well confift with his Veracity, inftead of a multitude of Noble Creatures, endued with Life and Sence, and spontaneous Motion, as all Mankind 'till of late Years believed, and none ever doubted of (fo that it feems we are naturally made to think fo) to have stocked the Earth with divers Sets of Automata, without all Senfe and Perception, being wholly acted from without, by the impulse of external Objects.

But be this fo, there are infinite other Creatures without this Earth, which no confiderate Man can think, were made only for Man, and have no other use. For my part I cannot believe, that all the things in the World were fo made for Man, that they have no other ufe.

For

7

For it seems to me highly abfurd and unreasonable, to think that Bodies of fuch vaft magnitude as the fix'd Stars, were only made to twinkle to us; nay, a multitude of them there are, that do not fo much as twinkle, being either by reafon of their diftance or of their finalnefs, altogether invifible to the naked Eye, and only discoverable by a Telescope, and it is likely perfecter Telescopes than we yet have, may bring to light many more; and who knows, how many lie out of the ken of the best Telescope that can poffibly be made? And I believe there are many Species in Nature, even in this fublunary World, which were never yet taken notice of by Man, and confequently of no use to him, which yet we are not to think were created in vain ; but may be found out by, and of use to those who fhall live after us in future Ages. But though in this Sence it be not true, that all things were made for Man; yet thus far it is, that all the Creatures in the World may be fome way or other ufeful to us, at least to exercife our Wits and Understandings, in confidering and contemplating of them, and fo afford us Subject of Admiring and Glorifying their and our Maker. Seeing then, we do believe, and affert, that all things were in fome Sence made for us, we are thereby oblig'd to make use of them for thofe Purposes for which they ferve us, elfe we fruftrate this End of their Creation. Now fome of them ferve only to exercife our Minds: Many others there N

.

be,

be, which might probably ferve us to good purpose, whofe Ufes are not discovered, nor are they ever like to be, without Pains and Industry. True it is, many of the greatest Inventions have been accidentally stumbled upon, but not by Men, fupine and careless, but bufie and inquifitive. Some Reproach methinks it is to Learned Men, that there fhould be fo many Animals in the World, whose outward fhape is not yet taken notice of, or describ'd, much less their way of Generation, Food, Manners, Ufes, obferved.

The Scripture, Pfalm 148. calls upon The Sun, Moon, and Stars; Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapour formy Winds and Tempefts, Mountains and all Hills; fruitful Trees, and all Cedars, Beafts and all Cattle; creeping Things and flying Fowl, &c. to praise the Lord. How can that be? Can fenfelefs and inanimate Things praife God? Such as are the Sun and Moon and Stars. And although Beasts beadvanced higher to fome degree of Sense and Perception; yet being void of Reason and Understanding, they know nothing of the Caufes of Things, or of the Author and Maker of Themfelves, and other Creatures. All that they are capable of doing, in reference to the praifing of God, is (as I faid before) by affording Matter or Subject of praifing him, to rational and intelligent Beings. So the Pfalmift, Pfal. 19. 1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work. And therefore the Pfalmift when he calls upon

Sun,