OCR Text |
Show of Roots. Of the Vege ation fhould ever makeany thing, Book II. not like Himfelf, in fome degreeor other. Thefe Things, and the very Notions which we have of them, are Conceptions ifluing from the Womb ofthe Di Nature, 7 3. ¢. By the fame means, wehave a greater affuranceof the Excellency ofhis Sacred Word. That He, who hath Doweall things fo tranf- cendently well; muft needs Speak as well, as he hath Done. That He, whoin fo admirable a manner, hath wade Man 5 cannot but knowbeft, What bis true Principles and Faculties are 5 and what Adions are moft agreeable thereunto: and, that having adorned him with fuch Beauteous and Lovely ones 3 it is impoflible, He fhould ever put him uponthe Exercife of thofe Faculties, in any way Deformed and Unlovely. That Hefhould do all things, fo well Him/elf; and yet require his Creatures, to do otherwife, is unconceivable. 4. g. And as we may come, hereby, to retifie our Apprehenfion of His Laws; fo alfo, of His Mifteries. For there are many Things, ofthe Manner of whofe Exiftence, we have nocertain Knowledge. Yet, of their Exiftence, we are as fure, as our Sev/fescanmake us. But, we may as well deny, what God hath Made, Tobe 5 as, what he hath Spoken, To betrue, becaufe we underftand not how. And the knowledge of Things being gradually attained, we haveoccafion to reflect, That fome Things, we can now well conceive, which we once thought unintellii sina eG a i gible, I know, therefore, what I wuderfiand not ; but, I know not, what is wzintelligible: what I knownot now, | mayhereafter; or if notI, anothers or if xe Mam, or other Creature, it is fufficient, That Godfilly underftandeth Himfelf. Itis not, therefore, the Kxowledce of Nature, but they are the wanton phanfies of Mens minds, that difpofe them, either to Forget God, or to Think unduly of Him. 5. §. Nor have we reafonto fear going too far, in the Study ofNatures more, than the ewtring into it: Becaufe, the higher werife in the true Knowledg and due Contemplation of This; the nearer we come to the Divine Author hereof. Or to think, that there is any Contradiétion, when Philofophy teaches that to be done by Natures which Religion, and the Sacred Scriptures, teach us to be done by God : no more, than to fay, That the Ballance of a Watch is moved by the i Wheels isto deny that Wheel, and there{t, to be moved bythe and that both the Sprig, and all the other Parts, are caufed to togetherby the Aseker ofthem. So God maybe truly the Caufe of HW it) i Theat a ] th WH 4 inet i bis Eyject, although a Thoufand other Canfés thould be ‘fappofed to intervene: Forall Nature is as one Great Engine, made by, and held in His Hand. Andas it is the Watch-makers Art, that the Hand moves regularly, fromhour to hour, although he put not his Finger {till to it: Sois it the Demonttration of Divine Wifdome, that the Parts of ture are {o harmonioully contrived andfet together 3 as to confpire all kind of Natural Motions and Effects, without the Extraordinary and Immediate Influence of the Authorof it. 5 Therefore, as the Original Being of all Things, is the moft ‘t Demonttration of Gods Power: So the fuccelfive Generations, and Uperattons of Thingsare the moft proper Demonftration of his Wifdow. Forif we thould fuppofe,that God did now make,or do any Thing,by anv Thing; then, no Effeé would be produced by a Natural Caufe: anid confequently, He would ftill be upon the WorkofCreation: which yet Sacred Scripture affureth us, He refteth from. And we might exfpect the the Formation ofaChild, inan Egg, as wellas ina Womb; or ofa Chick en, out ofa Stove, as an Egg: And all Sorts of Avimals, as well.as Plants, might propagate their Species, without Coition: and the like. For Infinite Power, needeth not make any difference in the Thingsit undertakes to manage. But in that, thefe Things are not only wade, but fo made, that is, according to fuch certain Natural Laws, as to produce their Natural £ffecis 5 here is the Senfible and Illuftrious Evidence ofhis Wifdom. Wherefore as the Wifdom ofGovernment,is not feen,by the King his interpofing Himfelf in every Cafe; but in the contrivance ofthe Laws, and Conttitution of Miniffers in fuch fort, that it fhall be as effectnally determin’d, as if he did fo indeed: So the more complicated and va{tly Numerous, we allow the Natural Canjes ofThings to be; the more ducly we conceive of that Wi/dom, which thusdifpofeth of them all, to their feveral Effects: All Things being thus, as Miwifters in the Hands of God, confpiring together a Thoufand Ways, towards a Thoufand Effed/s and Ends, at one times and that with the fame certainty, as if he did prepofé to each,the fame Omnipotent Fiat, which he ufed at the Creation of the World. ° 7. §. THIS Unxiverfal Monarchy, as it is eminently Vifible in all other Particular Oeconomies 5 fo is it, no lefs, in that ofVegetables. aeee Infinite Occurrences, andfecret Intrigues, ‘tis made up of; of which feen ae we cannot skill, but by the help of manifold Means; and thofe, in Groweh of the foregoing Idea, have been lately propofed. Wherein, although Pjanrs ; if fome Experiments have beenbriefly touch: yet that which I have we obferve, hitherto chiefly profecuted, hath been the Avatomical Part 5 and that not throughly neither. Notwithftanding , fo far as Obfervations already made will conduct us, I fhall endeavour togo. And if, for the better clearing of the way, I have intermixed fome Conjectures; I think they are not meerly fuch, but for which I havelayd down fome Grounds, and of which, the Series alfo of the following Difcourfe, may be fomefurther proof. 8. §. LET USfaythen, that the Root of a Plant being lodged in Firft, fome Soil, for its more convenient growth; ’tis neceflary the Soil How the fhould be duly prepared for it. The Razz, therefore, falling and foak- Ground is ing into the Soyl, fomewhat diluteth the Difloluble Prizciples there- prepared. in contained; and renders them more eafily communicable to the Root: Being as a Menftrunm, which extracteth thofe Principles, from the other greater and ufelefs part of the Soil. 9. §. And the warm su”, joyned with thediluting Raz, byboth, as it were a Digeftion of the Soil, or a gentile Fermentatzon amongtt its feveral Parts, will follow: whereby the Diffoluble Parts therein, will rotand mellow : thatis, thofe Principles which as yet remained more fixed, will now be further refolued and unlocked, and more copioutly and equally {pread themfclves through the Body ofthe Soil. ; 10. g. Thele Principles, being with the growth ofP/ants continually exhaufted, and needing a repair; the fucceflions, therefore, of Wet, Wind, and other Weather, beat down and rot the Leaves and other Parts of Plants. Whereby thefe ¢ as Weeds which are wont to be buried under ground ) become a watural Manure, and Re-impregR nate |