Physico-Theology

An Analysis of The Following Book .

The Works of the Creation relating to our Terraqueous Globe, are such as are visible in the

Outworks or Appendages of the Globe, viz. these three:
1. The Atmosphere
Composed of Air and Vapours,	Page 4.
Useful to
Respiration and Animal Life	5.
Vegetation of Plants	9.
Conveyance of
The winged Tribes.
Sound	11.
The Functions of Nature.
Reflecting and Refracting Light	12.
Containing the
Winds, which are of great Use and Necessity
To the Salubrity and Pleasure of the Air	14.
In various Engines	18.
In Navigation.
Clouds and Rain: Of great Use to the
Refreshment of the Earth and the things therein	20.
Origine of Fountains, according to some	23.
2. Light. Its
Fountain	26.
Wonderful Necessity and Use.
Improvement by Glasses	28.
Velocity.
Expansion	29.
3. Gravity.
Its great Benefit	33.
Cause of Levity, which is of great Use in the World	35.
Terraqueous Globe it self. Of which I take a View in General of.
Its Spherical Figure, which is the most commodious in regard of,
Light	40.
Heat.
Lodgment of the Waters.
The Winds	41.
Its Bulk	43.
Its Motion	ibid.
Annual.
Diurnal.
Its Place and Distance from the Sun, and other heavenly Bodies	46.
Its Distribution, so as to cause all the Parts of the Globe to
Balance each other	48.
Be helpful to one another.
The great Variety and Quantity of all things serving for Food, Physick, Building, and every Use and Occasion of all Ages, Places, and Creatures	53.
An Objection answered	55.
Particular of the Earth: of its Constituent Parts, viz. Its
Soils and Moulds, necessary to the
Growth of various Vegetables	61.
Various Occasions of Man, and other Animals	62.
Various Strata or Beds, affording Materials for
Tools.
Firing.
Building.
Dying, and thousands of other things	64.
Conveyance of the sweet Fountain-Waters	65.
Subterraneous Caverns and Vulcano’s; of great Use to the Countries where they are	67.
Mountains and Valleys, which are not rude Ruins, but Works of Design, inasmuch as this Structure of the Earth is
The most beautiful and pleasant.
The most Salubrious: to some Constitutions, the Hills; to some, the Valleys	71.
Best to skreen us, and other things	72.
Beneficial to the
Production of various Vegetables.
Harbour and Maintenance of various Animals	73.
Generation of Minerals and Metals	75.
Absolutely necessary to the Conveyance of the Rivers; and in all probability to the Origine of Fountains	ibid.
Conclusion against blaming GOD	81.
Its Inhabitants; which are either Sensitive or Insensitive.
Concerning the Sensitive, some things are
Common to all the Tribes, particularly these Ten:
I. The five Senses and their Organs; the	85.
Eye, an admirable Piece of Mechanism in regard of its
Form, for the most part Spherical, which is best for
The Reception of Objects.
Motion of the Eye	90.
Situation in the most commodious part of the Body of every Creature.
Motion, in some Animals,
Every way.
Fixed; and the excellent Provision in that case	91.
Size: which is in
All Creatures, according to their Occasions.
Such as live abroad in the Light; larger.
Such as live under ground, less.
Number, in some Animals:
Two	94.
More: Together with the wise Provision to prevent double Vision.
Parts; some of which are viewed
Transiently, the Arteries, Veins, and some of the Muscles and Tunicks.
More strictly some of the
Muscles, and the excellent Provision made for their peculiar Uses, Equilibration, &c.	96.
Tunicks: Among which the various Apertures, Forms, and Positions of the Pupil are particularly noted	99.
Humours, especially the prodigious Finery and Composition of the Crystalline, according to Mr. Lewenhoeck.
Nerves	105.
Optick.
Motory.
Guard and Security, provided for by
The Reparation of the Aqueous Humour.
Covering of the Eye Lids.
Strong and curious Bones.
Hard and firm Tunicks.
Withdrawing them into their Heads	109.
Of erect Vision	111.
Hearing. Its
Organ, the Ear,	113.
Double, enabling us to hear every way, and a good Provision for the Loss or Hurt of one.
Situated in the very best place for Information, Security, and near the Eye and Brain.
The Fabrick of the Outward Ear, which is in
All Creatures formed, guarded, placed, and every way accoutered according to their various Places and Occasion	115.
Man suitable to his erect Posture; and all its Parts, the Helix, Tragus, Concha, &c. admirably suited to the Reception and Melioration of Sounds, and the Security of the Part.
Inward Ear: In which I take a View of the	121.
Auditory Passage, curiously tunnelled, tortuous and smooth and being always open, is lined with the nauseous Ear-wax for a Guard.
Tuba Eustachiana	122.
Bone, particularly hard and context for Guard, and to assist the Sound.
Tympanum, and its Membrane, Muscles, and four little Bones to correspond to all kinds of Sound.
Labyrinth, Semicircular Canals, Cochlea; all made with the utmost Art	127.
Auditory Nerves, one of which is ramified to the Eye, Tongue, Muscles of the Ear, and to the Heart; whence a great Sympathy between those Parts	128.
Object, Sound. Under which I consider,
The Improvements thereof by the Wit of Man	129.
Its great Necessity, and excellent Uses	132.
Its Pleasure, and the Power of Musick	134.
Smelling. In which sense these things are remarkable; the
Nostrils, always open, cartilaginous, and endowed with Muscles	137.
Laminæ, serving for
A Guard against noxious Things	138.
The spreading of the Olfactory Nerves.
Prodigious Use of it in all, especially some of the Irrationals	139.
Taste. The Things most remarkable in which Sense are, the
Nerves spread about the Tongue and Mouth, with their Guard.
The Papillæ, neatly made	140.
Situation thereof to be a Centinel to the Stomach and Food.
Consent thereof with the other Senses, by some Branches of the fifth Pair	141.
Feeling.	142.
Whose Organ is the Nerves	143.
Which is dispersed through every Part of the Body, and the admirable Benefit thereof.
II. Respiration the grand Act of Animal Life	145.
Ministering to the Circulation of the Blood and Diastole of the Heart.
The Parts concerned therein are
The Larynx, with its great Variety of Muscles, &c. for Respiration, and forming the Voice	148.
Trachea and Epiglottis, exquisitely contriv’d and made.
Bronchi and Lungs, with their curious Arteries, Veins and Nerves	150.
Ribs, Diaphragm, and the several Muscles concerned.
Its Defects in the
Fœtus in the Womb	153.
Amphibious Creatures	157.
Some Animals in Winter.
III. The Motion of Animals: Concerning which I consider
Transiently the
Muscles, and their Structure, their Size, Fastening to the Joynts, Motions, &c.	158.
Bones, and their curious Make.
Joynts, with their Form, Bandage and Lubricity	161.
Nerves, and their Origine, Ramifications and Inosculations.
More particularly the Loco-Motive Act it self, which is
Swift or slow, with Wings, Legs many or few, or none at all, according to the various Occasions and Ways of Animals Lives. As particularly in
Reptiles, whose Food and Habitation is near at hand.
Man and Quadrupeds, whose Occasions require a larger Range, and therefore a swifter Motion	164.
Birds, and Insects, whose Food, Habitation and Safety require yet a larger Range, and have accordingly a yet swifter Motion and direct Conveyance.
Geometrically and neatly performed by the nicest Rules.
Well provided for by the
Due Equipoise of the Body	165.
Motive Parts being accurately placed with regard to the Center of the Body’s Gravity, and to undergo their due Proportion of Weight and Exercise.
IV. The Place allotted to the several Tribes of Animals to live and act in. Concerning which I observe that
Their Organs are adapted to their Place	167.
All Places habitable are duly stocked.
Various Animals have their various Places; and the Wisdom thereof	168.
V. The Balance of Animals Numbers, so that the World is not
Overstocked by their Increase.
Depopulated by their Death.
Which is effected in
The several Tribes of Animals by a due Proportion in the
Length of their Life	169.
Number of their Young, in
Useful Creatures being many.
Pernicious few.
Man very remarkably by the
Different Length of his Life.
Soon after the Creation	171.
When the World was more, but not fully peopled	171.
When it was sufficiently stocked, down to the present time.
Due Proportions of Marriages, Births and Burials	174.
Balance of Males and Females	175.
VI. The Food of Animals. In which the Divine Management and Providence appears in the	179.
Maintaining such large Numbers of all kinds of Animals on the Land, in the Seas, and divers Places too unlikely to afford sufficient Food.
Adjustment of the Quantity of Food to the Number of Devourers, so that
There is not too much, so as to rot, and annoy the World	181.
The most useful is most plentiful, and easiest propagated	ibid.
Delight which the various Tribes of Animals have to the Varieties of Food, so that what is grateful to one, is nauseous to another: Which is a wise means to cause
All Creatures to be sufficiently supplied.
All sorts of Food to be consumed.
The World to be kept sweet and clean by those means	183.
Peculiar Food, that particular Places afford to the Creatures residing therein	184.
Curious Apparatus in all Animals for Gathering, and Digestion of their Food, viz. the
Mouth, nicely shaped for Food, &c. In
Some, little and narrow	189.
Some, with a large deep Incisure.
Insects very notable to catch, hold and devour Prey; to carry Burdens, to bore and build their Habitations	190.
Birds as notable, Horned in all. In some
Hooked for Rapine, climbing, &c.	192.
Sharp and strong to pierce Trees, &c.
Long and slender to grope.
Long and broad to quaffer.
Thick and sharp edged to husk Grain.
Compressed to raise Limpets, &c.
Teeth, which are peculiarly hard, firmly inserted in the Jaws, variously shaped in the same, and different Animals, deficient young Creatures, &c.	194.
Salival Glands, commodiously placed for Mastication and Deglutition	196.
Muscles and Tendons, serving to Mastication, strong and well lodged.
Gullet, sized according to the Food; with curious Fibres, &c.	196.
Stomach;	197.
Which hath a curious Mechanism of Fibres, Tunicks, Glands, Nerves, Arteries and Veins.
Whose Faculty of Digestion by such seeming weak Menstruums is admirable.
Whose Size and Strength is conformable to the Nature of the Food, or Occasions of Animals.
Which is in
Tame Animals but one.
Ruminants, Birds, &c. more.
Guts, whose Tunicks, Glands, Fibres, Valves, and Peristaltick Motion deserve Admiration	201.
Lacteals, together with the Impregnations from the Pancreas, Gall, Glands, and Lymphæducts.
Sagacity of all Animals in finding out, and providing Food. In
Man less remarkable for the sake of his Understanding	202.
Inferiour Creatures. In such as are
Come to mature Age, and are able to help themselves, by their
Accurate Smell	203.
Natural Craft.
Hunting and groping out of Sight.
Seeing and Smelling at great Distances	205.
Climbing; the strong Tendons and Muscles acting therein.
Seeing in the dark.
Helpless. As	207.
Young Creatures.
Man, born the most helpless of any, the Parents Reason, Hands and Affection sufficing.
Irrationals: For whose Young the Creator hath made a sufficient Provision partly by the
Parent-Animal’s own
Στοργὴ, and Diligence in Nursing and Defending them	207.
Sagacity and Care in repositing their Eggs and Young, where Food and all Necessaries are to be found	209.
Ability of the Young themselves to shift for, and help themselves, with the little Helps of their Dams	210.
Creatures destitute of Food at some Seasons, or likely to want it, who
Are able to live long without Food	211.
Lay up Food before-hand.
VII. The Cloathing of Animals, which is	214.
Suited to the Place and Occasions of all. In
Man, it is left to his own Reason and Art, joined with sufficient Materials: Which is best for him,
Because he may sute his Cloathing to his Quality and Business	218.
For Perspiration and Health sake.
To exercise his Art and Industry.
To excite his Diligence in keeping himself sweet and clean.
In being the Parent of divers Callings	219.
Irrationals: Who are either
Ready furnished with proper Cloathing.
On the dry Land with Hair, Fleeces, Furrs, Shells, hard Skins, &c.	220.
In the Air with Feathers, light, strong and warm.
In the Waters with Scales, hard for Guard; smooth for Passage; or with strong Shells to guard such as move more slowly	223.
Provide for themselves by their Textrine, or Architechtonick Art. Of which under the next Branch.
Well garnished, being all Workman-like, compleat, in its kind beautiful, being	224.
Adorned with gay, various and elegant Colours.
If sordid, yet with exact Symmetry, and full of curious Mechanism.
VIII. The Houses and Habitations of
Man, who is abundantly furnished with
Contrivance and Art to build and garnish his Habitations	226.
Materials of all sorts to effect his Works.
Irrationals, whose marvellous Instinct is manifested by the
Convenience of their Nests and Habitations for the
Hatching and Education of their Young	228.
Guard and Defence of themselves and their Young.
Fabrick of their Nests, scarce imitable by Man, and shewn by their Contrivance and Make, being exactly suitable to their Occasions, and made by
Putting only a few ugly Sticks, Moss, Dirt, &c. together	231.
Building Combs according to the best Rules of Mathematicks.
Weaving Webs, and making Cases. For which Service the Parts of their Bodies, and Materials afforded by them are very considerable.
IX. Animals Self-Preservation. For which there is always a Guard in proportion to the Dangers and Occasions of their State. Which is observable in
Man, whose Reason and Art supplies the Defect of Natural Armature.
Irrational Creatures; who
As they are on one Hand sufficiently guarded by their
Shells, Horns, Claws, Stings, &c.	239.
Changing their Colours.
Wings, Feet, and Swiftness.
Diving in, and tinging the Waters.
Ejecting Juices out of their Body.
Accurate Smell, Sight and Hearing.
Natural Craft	243.
Uncouth Noise, ugly Gesticulations, and horrid Aspect.
Horrible Stink and Excrements.
So on the other Hand can by their Strength, Sagacity, or natural Artifices entrap and captivate, what is necessary for their Food and other Occasions.
X. Animal’s Generation.
Equivocal, is denied	244.
Univocal, Which of
Man, is οὐ πρέπειας ἕνεκα, passed wholly by
Irrational Creatures, which is remarkable for their
Sagacity in chusing the fittest Place for their Eggs and Young: Where it is observable what a
Compleat Order they observe.
Neat Apparatus their Bodies are provided with for this purpose	248.
Natural Venom they inject with their Eggs into Vegetables to pervert Nature, and produce Balls, and Cases	250.
Making use of the fittest Seasons, either
All Seasons	251.
When Provisions are most plentiful and easiest had.
Due Number of Young	252.
Diligence and Concern for their Young, in point of
Incubation	253.
Safety and Defence	254.
Faculty of Nursing their Young, by
Suckling them. In which it is observable
How suitable this Food is.
How willingly parted with by all, even the most savage.
What a compleat Apparatus in all Creatures of Dugs, &c.
Putting Food in their Mouths, with their proper Parts
for catching and conveying Food	255.
Neither way, but by laying in Provisions before-hand	256.
Having in the Fourth Book thus dispatched the Decad of Things in common to the Sensitive Creatures, I take a view of their particular Tribes, viz. of
Man; whom I consider with relation to his
Soul. Concerning which having cursorily mentioned divers things, I insist upon two as shewing an especial divine Management, the
Various Genii, or Inclinations of Men, which is a wise Provision for the Dispatch for all the World’s Affairs, and that they may be performed with Pleasure	263.
Inventive Faculty, In which it is remarkable that
Its Compass is so large, extending to all things of Use, and occasioning so many several Callings.
Things of greatest Necessity and Use were soon and easily found out; but things less useful later, and dangerous things not yet. Here of divers particular Inventions, with an Exhortation to exercise and improve our Gifts.
Body. In which the things particularly remarked upon are the
Erect Posture	282.
The most convenient for a Rational Being.
Manifestly intended, as appears from the Structure
of some particular Parts mentioned	285.
Nice Structure of the Parts ministring thereto.
Equilibration of all the Parts	286.
Figure and Shape of Man’s Body most agreeable to his Place and Business	287.
Stature and Size, which is much the best for Man’s State	288.
Structure of the Parts, which are
Without Botches and Blunders.
Of due Strength.
Of the best Form.
Most accurately accommodated to their proper
Offices.
Lodgment of the Parts, as the
Five Senses	297.
Hand.
Legs and Feet,
Heart.
Viscera.
Several Bones and Muscles, &c.	298.
Covering of all with the Skin.
Provision in Man’s Body to
Prevent Evils by the
Situation of the Eyes, Ears, Tongue and Hand	300.
Guard afforded all, especially the principal Parts.
Duplication of some Parts.
Cure Evils by means of
Proper Emunctories	301.
Diseases themselves making Discharges of things more dangerous	303.
Pain giving Warning, and exciting our Endeavours.
Consent of the Parts, effected by the Nerves, a Sample whereof is given in the Fifth Pair, branched to the Eye, Ear, &c.
Political, sociable State. For the Preservation and Security of which the Creator hath taken by variety of Mens.
Faces	308.
Voices.
Hand-writing.
Quadrupeds. Of which I take no notice, but wherein they differ from Man, viz.
Prone Posture, which is considerable for
The Parts ministering to it, especially the Legs and Feet, sized and made in some for
Strength and slow Motion	315.
Agility and Swiftness.
Walking and Running.
Walking and Swimming.
Walking and Flying.
Walking and Digging.
Traversing the Plains.
Traversing Ice, Mountains, &c.
Its Usefulness to
Gather Food	317.
Catch Prey.
Climb, Leap and Swim.
Guard themselves.
Carry Burdens, Till the Ground, and other Uses of Man.
Parts differing from those of Man.
Head, wherein I consider
Its Shape, commonly agreeable to the Animal’s Motion	319.
The Brain, which is,
Lesser than in Man	319.
Placed lower than the Cerebellum.
The Nictitating Membrane	321.
Carotid Arteries, and Rete Mirabile.
Nates.
Neck.
Answering the Length of the Legs	322.
Strengthened by the Whitleather.
Stomach,	324.
Corresponding to the several Species.
Suited to their Proper Food, whether Flesh, Grain, &c.
Heart: Its
Ventricles in some
One only	325.
Two.
Three, as some think.
Situation nearer the midst of the Body, than in Man.
Want of the Fattening of the Pericardium to the Midriff	327.
Nervous kinds. A Sample of which is given in the different Correspondence between the Head and Heart of Man and Beast by the means of the Nerves.	329.
Birds. Concerning which I take a View of their
Body and Motion; where I consider
The Parts concerned in their Motion	333.
The Shape of the Body, made exactly for swimming in, and passing through the Air.
Feathers, which are
Most exactly made for Lightness and Strength.
All well placed in every Part, for the Covering and Motion of the Body.
Preened and dressed	334.
Wings, which are
Made of the very best Materials, viz. of Bones light and strong; Joynts exactly opening, shutting, and moving, as the Occasions of Flight require; and the Pectoral Muscles, of the greatest Strength of any in the whole Body.
Placed in the nicest point of the Body of every Species, according to the Occasions of Flight, Swimming or Diving.
Tail, which is well made, and placed to keep the Body steady, and assist in its Ascents and Descents	337.
Legs and Feet, which are made light for Flight, and incomparably accoutred for their proper Occasions of
Swimming	338.
Walking.
Catching Prey.
Roosting.
Hanging.
Wading and Searching the Waters.
Lifting them upon their Wings.
Motion it self.
Performed by the nicest Laws of Mechanicks.
Answering every Purpose and Occasion.
Other Parts of the Body, viz. the
Head, remarkable for the commodious
Shape of it self	341.
Forms of the Bill.
Site of the Eye and Ear.
Position of the Brain.
Structure of the
Larynx.
Tongue.
Inner Ear.
Provision by Nerves in the Bill for tasting and distinguishing Food	344.
Stomachs, one to
Macerate and prepare	345.
Grind and digest
Lungs incomparably made for
Respiration	346.
Making the Body buoyant.
Neck, which is made
In due Proportion to the Legs.
To search in the Waters, and
To counterpoise the Body in Flight.
State. Of which I take notice of three Things, viz. their
Migration remarkable for
The Knowledge Birds have of
Their Times of Passage	348.
The Places proper for them.
Their Accommodation for long Flights by long or else strong Wings.
Incubation, which is considerable for
The Egg, and its parts	351.
Act itself; that these Creatures should betake themselves to it, know this to be the Way to produce their Young, and with delight and Patience fit such a due Number of Days.
The Neglect of it in any, as the Ostrich, and the wonderful Provision for the Young in that Case	354.
Nidification. Of which before.
Insects. Which, altho’ a despised Tribe, doth in some Respects more set forth the infinite Power and Wisdom of the Creator, than the larger Animals.
The things in this Tribe remarked upon are their
Body	359.
Shaped, not so much for long Flights, as for their Food, and Condition of Life.
Built not with Bones, but with what serves both for Bones and Covering too.
Eyes, reticulated to see all ways at once	360.
Antennæ, and their Use	361.
Legs and Feet made for
Creeping	363.
Swimming and Walking.
Hanging on smooth Surfaces.
Leaping.
Digging.
Spinning and Weaving Webs and Cases.
Wings, which are
Nicely distended with Bones	365.
Some incomparably adorned with Feathers and elegant Colours.
Some joynted and folded up in their Elytra, and distended again at pleasure.
In Number either
Two, with Poises.
Four, without Poises.
Surprizing Minuteness of some of those Animals themselves, especially of their Parts, which are as numerous and various as in other Animal Bodies	367.
State: which sets forth a particular Concurrence of the Divine Providence, in the wise and careful Provision that is made for their
Security against Winter, by their
Subsisting in a different, viz. their Nympha or Aurelia state	369.
Living in Torpitude, without any Waste of Body or Spirits	370.
Laying up Provision before-hand.
Preservation of their Species by their
Chusing proper Places, to lay up their Eggs and Sperm, so that the
Eggs may have due Incubation	373.
Young sufficient Food.
Care and Curiosity in repositing their Eggs in neat Order, and with the proper Part uppermost	382.
Incomparable Art of Nidification, by being endow’d with
Parts proper for, and agreeable to the several Ways of Nidification, and the Materials they use in it.
Architectonick Sagacity to build and weave their Cells, or to make even Nature herself their Hand-maid	384.
Reptiles. Which agreeing with other Animals in something or other before treated of, I consider only their
Motion, which is very remarkable, whether we consider the
Manner of it, as
Vermicular	394.
Sinuous.
Snail-like.
Catterpillar-like.
Multipedous.
Parts ministring to it.
Poison, which serves to
Scourge Man’s Wickedness	398.
Their easy Capture and Mastery of their Prey.
Their Digestion.
Watery Inhabitants considerable for their
Great Variety	401.
Prodigious Multitudes.
Vast bulk of some, and surprizing minuteness of others	403.
Incomparable Contrivance and Structure of their Bodies.
Supplies of Food.
Respiration.
Adjustment of their Organs of Vision to their Element.
Poise and Motion of the Body every Way	402.
Insensitive Inhabitants. Among which having mentioned Fossils and others, I insist only upon Vegetables, and that in a cursory manner upon their
Great Variety for the several Uses of the World	404.
Anatomy.
Leaves	407.
Flowers and their admirable Gaiety.
Seed, remarkable for its
Generation.
Make.
Containing in it a compleat Plant	408.
Preservation and Safety in the Gems, Fruit, Earth, &c.
Sowing, which is provided for by Down, Wings, Springy Cases, carried about by Birds, sown by the Husbandman, &c.	412.
Growing and Standing: Some by
Their own Strength	417.
The Help of others, by clasping about, or hanging upon them.
Remarkable Use, especially of some which seem to be provided for the Good of
All Places	420.
Some particular Places, to
Heal some Local Distempers.
Supply some Local Wants.
Practical Inferences upon the whole are these Six, viz. That GOD’s Works.
1. Are great and excellent	425.
2. Ought to be enquired into, with a Commendation of such as do so	427.
3. Are manifest to all, and therefore Atheism unreasonable	428.
4. Ought to excite Fear and Obedience	431.
5. Ought to excite Thankfulness	432.
6. Should move us to pay God his due Homages and Worship, particularly that of the Lord’s Day: which is an Appointment
The most ancient	438.
Wisely contrived for Dispatch of Business, and to prevent Carnality.
Whose proper Business is, to cease from Worldly, and to follow Spiritual Employments; the chief of which is the Publick Worship of GOD.