Natural theology, or, Evidences of the existence and attributes of the Deity. Collected from the appearances of nature / [William Paley].

  • William Paley
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natural theology, or, Evidences of the existence and attributes of the Deity. Collected from the appearances of nature / [William Paley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    into the argument, if there were a few parts of the watch, concerning which we could not discover, or had not yet discovered, in what manner they conduced to the general effect; or even some parts con- cerning which we could not ascertain whether they conduced to that effect in any manner whatever. For, as to the first branch of the case, if by the loss, or disorder, or decay, of the parts in question, the movement of the watch were found in fact to be stopped, or disturbed, or retarded, no doubt would remain in our minds as to the utility or intention of these parts, although we should be unable to in- vestigate the manner according to which, or the connection by which, the ultimate effect depended upon their action or assistance; and the more com- plex is the machine, the more likely is this ob- scurity to arise. Then, as to the second thing sup- posed, namely, that there were parts which might be spared without prejudice to the movement of the watch, and that we had proved this by experiment, —these superfluous parts, even if we were com- pletely assured that they were such, would not vacate the reasoning which we had instituted con- cerning other parts. Tlie indication of contrivance remained, with respect to them, nearly as it was before. 1V^ Nor, fourthly, would any man in his senses think the existence of the watch, with its various machinery, accounted for by being told that it was one out of possible combinations of material forms ; that whatever he had found in the place where he found the watch must have contained some internal configuration or other; and that this configuration might be the structure now exhibited, viz., of the works of a watch, as well as a different structure.
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