Ineithercase，achaosensues;tillfinite，thoughinnumerablerevolutionsproduceatlastsomeforms，whosepartsandorgansaresoadjustedastosupporttheformsamidstacontinuedsuccessionofmatter。
Suppose（forweshallendeavourtovarytheexpression），thatmatterwerethrownintoanyposition，byablind，unguidedforce;itisevidentthatthisfirstpositionmust，inallprobability，bethemostconfusedandmostdisorderlyimaginable，withoutanyresemblancetothoseworksofhumancontrivance，which，alongwithasymmetryofparts，discoveranadjustmentofmeanstoends，andatendencytoself-preservation。
Iftheactuatingforceceaseafterthisoperation，mattermustremainforeverindisorder，andcontinueanimmensechaos，withoutanyproportionoractivity。Butsupposethattheactuatingforce，whateveritbe，stillcontinuesinmatter，thisfirstpositionwillimmediatelygiveplacetoasecond，whichwilllikewiseinallprobabilitybeasdisorderlyasthefirst，andsoonthroughmanysuccessionsofchangesandrevolutions。Noparticularorderorpositionevercontinuesamomentunaltered。Theoriginalforce，stillremaininginactivity，givesaperpetualrestlessnesstomatter。Everypossiblesituationisproduced，andinstantlydestroyed。Ifaglimpseordawnoforderappearsforamoment，itisinstantlyhurriedaway，andconfounded，bythatnever-ceasingforcewhichactuateseverypartofmatter。
Thustheuniversegoesonformanyagesinacontinuedsuccessionofchaosanddisorder。Butisitnotpossiblethatitmaysettleatlast，soasnottoloseitsmotionandactiveforce（forthatwehavesupposedinherentinit），yetsoastopreserveanuniformityofappearance，amidstthecontinualmotionandfluctuationofitsparts？Thiswefindtobethecasewiththeuniverseatpresent。Everyindividualisperpetuallychanging，andeverypartofeveryindividual;andyetthewholeremains，inappearance，thesame。Maywenothopeforsuchaposition，orratherbeassuredofit，fromtheeternalrevolutionsofunguidedmatter;andmaynotthisaccountforalltheappearingwisdomandcontrivancewhichisintheuniverse？Letuscontemplatethesubjectalittle，andweshallfind，thatthisadjustment，ifattainedbymatterofaseemingstabilityintheforms，witharealandperpetualrevolutionormotionofparts，affordsaplausible，ifnotatruesolutionofthedifficulty。
Itisinvain，therefore，toinsistupontheusesofthepartsinanimalsorvegetables，andtheircuriousadjustmenttoeachother。Iwouldfainknow，howananimalcouldsubsist，unlessitspartsweresoadjusted？Dowenotfind，thatitimmediatelyperisheswheneverthisadjustmentceases，andthatitsmattercorruptingtriessomenewform？Ithappensindeed，thatthepartsoftheworldaresowelladjusted，thatsomeregularformimmediatelylaysclaimtothiscorruptedmatter：andifitwerenotso，couldtheworldsubsist？Mustitnotdissolveaswellastheanimal，andpassthroughnewpositionsandsituations，tillingreat，butfinitesuccession，itfallsatlastintothepresentorsomesuchorder？