in either of which cafes, they may feem to become conftituent parts of a body, to which they did not originally belong: you may answer from discoveries in natural philofophy, owing to the fagacity of fome late obfervers of natural things by the help of glaffes; that all living bodies in their firft ftate of existence confift of certain STAMINA, which are folded into a very narrow compafs, yet are capable of a great expanfion; and that all that matter which was taken in by food, and which opened their original parts to the fize, which nature intended for them, does not conftitute the parts of a human body which fhall rife.

For that matter is only a kind of exuviæ, that must be thrown off from the original ftamina which alone will rife.

The foundation of this reafoning is very plain in moft feeds of plants, which are found to contain in miniature every thing belonging to a full grown ftate. An acorn is no less than an oak contracted into the fize of a nut: And an oak is no more than an acorn expanded into the fhape and Dimenfions of a Tree. This is but confirming and explaining St. Paul's meaning, who replies to the two questions: How are the dead raifed? And with what body do they come? to the firft: How are the dead raised? he answers. Thou Fool that which thou foweft, is not quickened except it die, that is, the body muft firft die: To the second, and with what body do they come? he answers: Thou foweft not that body which shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or fome other grain: But God giveth it a body, as it bath pleafed

a

pleafed bim, and to every feed his own body. That is, in every grain of corn, is contained a minute feminal principle, which is itself the entire blade, and ear; and in due feafon expands itself when all the reft of the grain is corrupted, and dead, that is, the lobe, which being fingle in corn, is almoft peculiar to it.. For most feeds have two or more lobes, which fometimes rife in diffimilar leaves; but in corn, the fingle lobe dies, and the feminal principle containing the plume and radical, evolves and unfolds itself, into the vifible form of both, fo our prefent mortal and corruptible body may, be but the extraordinary expanfion, of fome minute; hidden, and at prefent infenfible principle, which at the refurrection fhall difcover itself in its proper form.

Thus you fee a confiderable use may be made of these kinds of ftudies even in matters of Re ligion, to which in the opinion of the ignorant they seem to have no relation,

And as natural philofophy affifts you in defending Religion, fo will mathematics alfo. From this fcience you may answer many of the objections to the myfteries of faith. For if it be required to affent to religious propofitions, though we have not always clear and adequate ideas of things fignified by the terms, this is no more unreasonable, than the affent required to all the propofitions relating to infinity, with which the mathematical science does abound; and which no man converfant in those kind of ftudies ever prefumed to deny. For infinity is equally incomprehenfible to the mind of man whether

* See part 2. and Grew's anatome of plants.

whether it be applied to quantity or to fpi ritual fubftance. And therefore the use of this and other incomprehenfible terms, which are the foundation of many glorious and useful truths, ought not to be objected to, except by thofe, who, out of fondness to ignorance, error and vice, are endeavouring to render the road to knowledge impaffable.

Does not the science of geometry begin with a trinity of myfteries? For is there any fuch thing as a point without dimenfions, a line without breadth, or a furface without profundity? Does not this science demonftrate, that the minuteft portion of matter has every dimenfion of the greatest, and is therefore ftill capable of divifion? And does not this contradict the firft definition? A point is that which in magnitude is indivifible even in thought. Yet this is a noble science, and there is no way of coming at truth in it, except by means of thefe fuppofitions, which are feemingly contrary to truth, but abfolutely neceffary to the weak compre→ henfion of man, who cannot even conceive things by halves; but must be fatisfied at the first fetting out, with the unnatural prefumed conception of the third part of the dimenfions. of quantity at once.

From this fcience alfo you may reply very juftly to all thofe, who refuse their affent to truths upon account of fome difficulties, which feem to follow from them; which difficulties do not arise from the uncertainty of reafon, but very often from a fubtilty of mind disposed to embarrass things, rather than to clear them up. But fuppofing that they may arise from the

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things themselves; are there not many examples of the demonftrative kind, from which there follow fuch abfurdities, that, if the fame fpirit of difpute had always prevailed in the world, which is now fo remarkable; they would have stopped the progrefs of reasoning even in mathematics?

A remarkable inftance of this we have in the fcience of geometry. The nature of this science, you know, is to have every thing fairly and inconteftably demonftrated; and what is fo, cannot poffibly have any demonftrations to the contrary; nor any abfurdities demonstrably connected with it; and every demonstration depends upon the undoubted truth of every demonftration previous to it. Yet is there one propofition, which, although fairly demonftrated, has seemingly as fair demonftration of several abfurd and contradictory things annext to it, which our writers chufe to call paradoxes. Of the third book of Euclid it is the 16th propofition.

Aright line perpendicular to the diameter of a Circle, through the extremity, falls entirely without the Circle, and touches it in the extreme point of the diameter; nor can any right line be drawn between it and the Circle to the point of contact, that shall not cut the Circle.

In the edition of Euclid by Whifton upon Tacquet, you may read

Demonftratur et folvitur fallacia paradoxorum, quæ ex angulo contactus deduci folentquæ omnem captum humanæ

mentis excedunt.

Hæc et plura ex hac propofitione deduci folent, quæ profecto, fita, ut proponuntur fefe habeant, merito incomprehenfibilia videri poffunt.

This propofition is as fairly demonstrated, as any propofition belonging to the fciences, and yet feveral impoffible things feem to be demonftrable confequences of it, and which the Geometricians endeavour to íolve by a distinction; an angle, say they, is not quantitas but modus quantitatis: and even this folution (if it be one) was not given till it paffed through a great number of hands, and all Geometricians, notwithstanding this, refted fatisfied of the truth of the propofition fairly demonstrated, and were not at all staggered with those many abfurdities, which had too much appearance of fair reasoning, to admit of any solution for many hundred years.

In this cafe you might ask a fceptick what was to be done? Should mankind quit the purfuit of geometrical knowledge, which is exceedingly beneficial to the world, inafmuch as without it, land could never be measured, neither a house could be built, nor a fhip made, nor a town fortified, nor various utenfils effected for the improvement of manufactures ? What! must all thefe ufeful, nay neceffary arts, without which human life is barbarous and ignorant, be thrown afide, as being without foun dation of truth; fince one propofition belonging to the principles, upon which they all depend, is attended with infuperable difficulties? Perhaps the fceptick will fay, they are all to be thrown afide; for what is there too abfurd for the mind of man, when prejudice and error rule in it, inftead of reafon and impartiality. But however abfurdly the fceptick may speak, the bulk of mankind are not fo fottish, as not to B 2

purfue