farther immediate Divine Power or Concourfe, than what is just neceffary to continue this Mat ter and Motion in Being; that is, God created Matter, and put it into Motion, and then Matter and Motion do all the reft in a fettled' Course, and by established Laws, without any need of the Divine Aid or Direction. This Notion indeed can never be reconciled to the Scriptures, but then it is as little befriended by Reason and Natural Religion. In proof of which, I fhall confider: I. The Creation of the World, II. The Prefervation of it; and fhall fhew, that neither of them could be performed in this way.

I. As to the Creation, we may confider both the Time and the Manner of it. And by the Time of the Creation, we may understand either the Time, when the Creation of the World began, or the Time which was taken up in the Creation of it. But this latter fenfe will come under what is to be said of the Manner of the Creation.

1. The Time of the Creation of the World, as that fignifies the Beginning of Time, or of the Worlds Duration, must be wholly Arbitrary, and abfolutely at God's Sovereign Pleasure and Difpofal. For there could be nothing in eternal Duration to fix the Creation of the World more to one Time than another, of to determin why it should begin fooner or later. And fince it is impoffible that the world should be eternal, it is evident, that the Time of the

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Creation, whenever it was, can be no good Objection, because, tho' the World had been created never fo long before, there must neceffarily have been as much a Pretence for fuch an Objection. For there must have been fome Period of Time, when the World had exifted no longer than it has done now and no beginning of the World can be fuppofed fo long ago, but ftill it might with the fame Reafon be ask'd, why it was not created fooner?

2. In confidering the Manner of the Worlds Creation, I fhall prove, (1.) That there is no Reason to suppose the World to have been at the firft made by Mechanical Laws, tho' it were preferv'd according to fuch Laws. (2.) That there are fufficient Reasons to be given for its Creation in that Manner, which we find related in the Book of Genefis.

(1.) There is no Reafon to fuppofe the World to have been at first made by Mechanichal Laws, tho' it were preferved according to fuch Laws (whereas I fhall afterwards prove, that it is not preferved according to them. There is no Reafon that the World fhould be firft framed according to the Laws of Motion which are established for its Prefervation and Government in its fixt and fettled State. The Origin of the Universe was by the immediate hand of God, before the Appointment of the feveral Laws which afterwards were to take place; and we may as well en

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deavour to reduce the working of Miracles to the ftanding Laws of Nature as the Creation of the World. For certainly of all Miracles the Creation of the World must be the greateft, not only as it fignifies the Production of Matter and Motion out of Nothing,but as it was the putting things into fuch Order, as to make them capable of the Laws of Motion ordained for them. It is not yet agreed, nor is it ever like to be, what thefe Laws of Motion are, which the Philofophers fo much talk of and there being fuch a mutual Connexion and. Combination of Bodies, and fuch a Dependance of every Body upon fo many others in every Motion, it is impoffible to know how any two Bodies would act upon each other, if they were separate from all Bodies befides, or were out of that State which they now are in. It is reasonable therefore to imagine, that the feveral Parts of the World muft be ranged and fettled before thefe Laws could take place; and to reduce the Creation of the World to the Laws of Motion which now prevail in it, is to fuppofe a Creation antecedent to that by which the World was made. This is as if an Indian fhould attempt to give an Account of the making of a Watch by the feveral Motions, which he fees performed in it after it is made, and fhould imagine that the Materials moving in fuch a manner, at laft arrived to the exact frame of a Watch, (8) There are fufficient Reafons to be

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given for the Creation of the World in that manner, which we find related in the Book of Genefis. It is great Prefumption in Men to be too curious and inquifitive about the Reafons of God's Actions: for whatever he delivers of himself, we ought entirely to believe both the Thing it felf and the manner and Circumftances of it. Where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth, declare, if thou haft Understanding. Fob. xxxviii. 4. But this must be faid to the Glory of God, and to the Shame of all fuch as Cenfure and Cavil at his Word, that even by Men fuch Reasons may, be given of his Actions, as all his Adverfaries fhall not be able to gain-fay.

God hath ordered all things in Meafure, and Number, and Weight, Wifd. xi. 20. And as to those who enquire, why the World was created in fix days rather than in one day, or in an inftant, or in a long compass of Years, as the Laws of Matter and Motion, they fay, require: It might be fufficient to ask, why, if it was God's Will, the World might not be created in fix Days, as well as in any other number of Days or fpace of Time? If the Creation had been in an Inftant, or in a longer or fhorter fpace of Time, the Queftion might with as much Reason have been put, why it was not created in fix days? Shall Men prefume to << prefcribe to God the Time and Manner of his Actions? Is not his own Pleafure a fufficient Reafon of them? The Manner of the Crea

tion and of the Flood, which have of late been the Subject of fo many Difputes, depends folely upon the Will and Pleasure of God, and therefore we can know only by Revelation, how they were effected, and it is in vain to pretend that they must have come to pafs in this or that Manner, unless it could be prov'd, that God could not bring them to pals any other way than that, which the Inventor of fome Hypothefis thinks fit to propofe. Most Actions may be performed very different ways; and if, for inftance, we had only a general account of the Paffage of the Ifraelites out of Ægypt into the Land of Canaan; that Pharaoh pursuing them, was drowned with his whole Army, that they travell'd in the Wilderness forty Years, and had a fufficient Provision of Food, and Cloathing, and Water for fo great a Multitude, in fo barren a place, and for fo long a time: tho' never fo many Conjectures fhould be made, how all this might be, and never fo many Schemes were drawn of their Journeyings and Encampments; if it could be fuppofed poffible, that one of all these might prove true, yet it would be utterly impoffible to know which were it. But when we are only told, that God created the World in fix days, and that fuch and fuch things were created on each of thefe Days, that he brought a Deluge of VVaters upon the whole Earth for the Sins of Mankind; which continued for such a time upon the face of the Earth; fome Men 03 will