You then...

You then, who are my accusers, have acknowledged, that the chief or sole argument for a divine existence (which I never questioned) is derived from the order of nature; where there appear such marks of intelligence and design, that you think it extravagant to assign for its cause, either chance, or the blind and unguided force of matter. You allow, that this is an argument drawn from effects to causes.

>From the order of the work, you infer, that there must have been project and forethought in the workman. If you can- not make out this point, you allow, that your conclusion fails; and you pretend not to establish the conclusion in a greater latitude than the phenomena of nature will justify. These are your concessions. I desire you to mark the con- sequences. When we infer any particular cause from an effect, we must proportion the one to the other, and can never be allowed to ascribe to the…