be deranged; I see, that his wonderful intelligence is then disordered,
and sometimes totally disappears; I infer, that human intelligence
depends upon a certain disposition of the material organs of the body,
and that we cannot infer the intelligence of God, any more from the
intelligence of man, than from his materiality. All that we can
infer from it, is, that God is material. The intelligence of man
no more proves the intelligence of God, than the malice of man proves
the malice of that God, who is the pretended maker of man. In spite
of all the arguments of divines, God will always be a cause contradicted
by its effects, or of which it is impossible to judge by its works.
We shall always see evil, imperfection and folly result from such a
cause, that is said to be full of goodness, perfection and wisdom.


43. "What?" you will say, "is intelligent man, is the universe,
and all it contains, the effect of _chance_?" No; I repeat it,
_the universe is not an effect_; it is the cause of all effects;
every being it contains is the necessary effect of this cause, which
sometimes shews us its manner of acting, but generally conceals its
operations. Men use the word _chance_ to hide their ignorance of
true causes, which, though not understood, act not less according
to certain laws. There is no effect without a cause. Nature is
a word, used to denote the immense assemblage of beings, various
matter, infinite combinations, and diversified motions, that we
behold. All bodies, organized or unorganized, are necessary effects
of certain causes. Nothing in nature can happen by chance. Every
thing is subject to fixed laws. These laws are only the necessary
connection of certain effects with their causes. One atom of matter
cannot meet another _by chance_; this meeting is the effect of permanent
laws, which cause every being necessarily to act as it does, and