Natural theology: or, Evidence of the existence and attributes of the DeityR. Faulder; Longman and Company; Cadell and Davies; J. Richardson; J. Walker; Wilkie and Robinson; J. Nunn; F.C. and J. Rivington; Cradock and Joy; C. Law; and R. Baldwin, 1813 - 288 pages |
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action adapted admissible laws amongst animal appears arteries birds blood body bones brane called carried cartilage cause cavity centre chyle constitution contrivance Creator degree Deity direction distance distinct duodenum earth effect existence experience faculties farther feathers fibres fish fluid gastric juice gizzard gland hath hinge-joint human insects instance instruments intelligent intestines joint juice lacteals less ligament light limbs lungs mastication means mecha mechanism membrane ment mesentery motion mouth mucilage muscles muscular NATURAL THEOLOGY nature necessary objects observed œconomy operation organ organisation oviparous papillæ particular perceive perhaps pipe plants pleasure principle proboscis produced properties purpose quadrupeds reason relation respect seed sense shell side socket species spissitude stomach structure substance sufficient suppose surface teeth tendons terrestrial animals thing tion ture variety vertebræ wanted watch whilst whole wings
Popular passages
Page 16 - THIS is atheism: for every indication of contrivance, every manifestation of design, which existed in the watch, exists in the works of nature; with the difference, on the side of nature, of being greater and more, and that in a degree which exceeds all computation.
Page 16 - I mean, that the contrivances of nature surpass the contrivances of art, in the complexity, subtlety, and curiosity of the mechanism; and still more, if possible, do they go beyond them in number and variety: yet, in a multitude of cases, are not less evidently mechanical, not less evidently contrivances, not less evidently accommodated to their end, or suited to their office, than are the most perfect productions of human ingenuity.
Page 152 - The aorta of a whale is larger in the bore than the main pipe of the water-works at LondonBridge ; and the water roaring in its passage through that pipe is inferior, in impetus and velocity, to the blood gushing from the whale's heart.
Page 412 - A law presupposes an agent, for it is only the mode according to which an agent proceeds: it implies a power, for it is the order according to which that power acts. Without this agent, without this power, which are both distinct from itself, the law does nothing, is nothing. The expression, "the law of metallic nature...
Page 295 - If the relation of sleep to night, and in some instances its converse, be real, we cannot reflect without amazement upon the extent to which it carries us. Day and night are things close to us ; the change applies immediately to our sensations ; of all the phenomena of nature, it is the most obvious and the most familiar to our experience ; but in its cause it belongs to the great motions which are passing in the heavens. Whilst the earth glides round her axle...
Page 215 - The separate pieces or laminae, of which the beard is composed, are called threads, sometimes filaments, or rays. Now the first thing which an attentive observer will remark is, how much stronger the beard of the feather shows itself to be when pressed in a direction perpendicular to its plane, than when rubbed, either up or down, in the line of the stem ; and he will soon discover the structure which occasions this difference, viz.
Page 457 - One great cause of our insensibility to the goodness of the Creator is, the very extensiveness of his bounty. We prize but little what we share only in common with the rest, or with the generality of our species. When we hear of blessings, we think forthwith of successes, of prosperous fortunes, of...
Page 11 - ... we went back, by going back indefinitely we might exhaust it. And this is the only case to which this sort of reasoning applies. Where there is a tendency, or, as we increase the number of terms, a continual approach towards a limit, there, by supposing the...
Page 504 - One very common error misleads the opinion of mankind on this head, viz. that, universally, authority is pleasant, submission painful. In the general course of human affairs, the very reverse of this is nearer to the truth. Command is anxiety, obedience ease.
Page 448 - that, in a vast plurality of instances in which contrivance is perceived, the design of the contrivance is beneficial" The second, " that the Deity has superadded pleasure to animal sensations, beyond what was necessary for any other purpose, or when the purpose, so far as it was necessary, might have been effected by the operation of pain." First, " in a vast plurality of instances in which .contrivance is perceived, the design of the contrivance is beneficial.