▁advice ▁from ▁H ens low , ▁and ▁read ▁William ▁Pale y ' s ▁Natural ▁The ology ▁or ▁Ev id ences ▁of ▁the ▁Ex istence ▁and ▁Att ributes ▁of ▁the ▁De ity ▁which ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁ref ute ▁David ▁H ume ' s ▁argument ▁that ▁" design " ▁by ▁a ▁Cre ator ▁was ▁merely ▁a ▁human ▁projection ▁onto ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁nature . ▁Pale y ▁saw ▁a ▁rational ▁proof ▁of ▁God ' s ▁existence ▁in ▁the ▁complexity ▁and ▁perfect ▁adaptation ▁to ▁needs ▁of ▁living ▁be ings ▁ex quis it ely ▁fitted ▁to ▁their ▁places ▁in ▁a ▁happy ▁world , ▁while ▁attack ing ▁the ▁evolution ary ▁ideas ▁of ▁Er as mus ▁Dar win ▁as ▁coinc iding ▁with ▁at he istic ▁schemes ▁and ▁lack ing ▁evidence . ▁Pale y ' s ▁bene vol ent ▁God ▁acted ▁in ▁nature ▁though ▁uniform ▁and ▁universal ▁laws , ▁not ▁arbitrary ▁m ira cles ▁or ▁changes ▁of ▁laws , ▁and ▁this ▁use ▁of ▁secondary ▁laws ▁provided ▁a ▁the od icy ▁explaining ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁evil ▁by ▁separ ating ▁nature ▁from ▁direct ▁divine ▁action . ▁This ▁convinced ▁Charles ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁science . ▁He ▁later ▁wrote ▁" I ▁do ▁not ▁think ▁I ▁hardly ▁ever ▁adm ired ▁a ▁book ▁more ▁than ▁Pale y ' s ▁Natural ▁The ology : ▁I ▁could ▁almost ▁formerly ▁have ▁said ▁it ▁by ▁heart ." ▁ ▁He ▁read ▁John ▁H ersch el ' s ▁new ▁Pre lim inary ▁Disc ourse ▁on ▁the ▁Study ▁of ▁Natural ▁Philosoph y , ▁learning ▁that ▁nature ▁was ▁govern ed ▁by ▁laws