whit as likely or more, that Cocks and Bulls might discourse, and Hinds and Panthers hold Conferences about Religion, as that Atoms can do fo? Can invent Arts and Sciences, can inftitute Society and Government, can make Leagues and Confederacies, can devife Methods of Peace and Stratagems of War? And moreover, the Modefty of Mythology deserves to be commended, the Scenes there are laid at a diftance; 'Tis once upon a time, in the Days of Yore, and in the Land of Utopia, there was a Dialogue between an Oak and a Cedar: whereas the Atheift is fo impudently filly, as to bring the Farce of his Atoms upon the Theatre of the present Age; to make dull senseless Matter trans act all publick and private Affairs, by Sea and by Land, in Houses of Parliament, and Closets of Princes. Can any Credulity be comparable to this? If a Man fhould affirm, that an Ape cafually meeting with Pen, Ink, and Paper, and falling to fcribble, did happen to write exactly the Leviathan of Thomas Hobbes: Would an Atheist believe fuch a ftory? and yet he can eafily digeft as incredible as that; that the innumerable Members of a Human Body, which in the ftyle of the Scripture are all written in the Book of God, and may admit of almoft Pfal. 139. infinite Variations and Tranfpofitions above the four and Twenty Letters of the Alphabet, were at E firft 16. firft fortuitously scribled, and by meer accident compacted into this beautifull, and noble and most wonderfully usefull Frame, which we now see it carry. But this will be the Argument of my next Discourse, which is the fecond Propofition drawn from the Text, That the Admirable Structure of Human Bodies, whereby they are fitted to live and move, and be vitally informed by the Soul, is unquestionably the Workmanship of a most wise and powerfull and beneficent Maker: To which Almighty Creator, together with the Son and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory and Majefty and Power both now and from henceforth evermore. Amen.. FINI S. Preached at the re Saint Martin's in the Fields, May. 2. 16.92. Being the Third of the Lecture Founded by the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE, Efquire. By RICHARD BENTLEY, M. A. Chaplain to the Right Reverend Father in God, EDWARD, Lord Bishop of Worcester. The Third Edition. LONDON, Printed by 7. H. for H. Mortlock at the Phenix in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1693. ITAA Imprimatur. Geo. Royfe, R. Rmo in Chrifto Patri ac Dao Di Johanni Archiep. Cantuar. à Sacris Domeft. That they should seek the Lord,if haply they might feel after him, and find him: though he be not far from every one of us; for in him we Live,and Move,and have our Being. I 3. Plautus. Have said enough in my laft, to fhew the fitnefs and pertinency of the Apostle's Difcourse to the Perfons he addrefs'd to: whereby it fufficiently appears that he was no Babler, as fome of the Athenian Rabble reproached him; not a onguony, a bufie prating Fellow; as in another language they fay Sermones ferere, and Rumores fe Virgil. rere in a like mode of Expreffion; that he did not Livius. talk at random, but was throughly acquainted with the feveral humors and opinions of his Auditors. And as Mofes was learned in all the Wisdom of the Œgyptians, fo it is manifeft from this Chapter alone, if nothing else had been now extant, that St. Paul was a great Master in all the Learning of the Greeks. One thing further I fhall observe from the words of the Text, before I enter upon the Subject which I propofed; That it requires fome Industry and Confideration to find out the Being of God; we must seek the Lord, and feel after him, before we can find him by the Light of Nature. The fearch indeed A 2 is |