Ill 



" n-!i;c'i -le '"o-^Ti-^'' t.'ir^m ; aivl t'l.it thifj pri-nirive particles bein;^ 

 " boil, « -i.-j irc'j iiparably ha-djr t'nan anv p.rous bodies coinpoua iei 

 " of tlum, e- e ; i"o very lia d as never to wear or break in pieces ; 

 " no ordiiiai ■' power being able to divide, whit God himfe f made one 

 " in thefirft Crcatio i. While the particles continue entire, they may 

 " compole Bodies v.f one and the fame nature and texture in all aj^es ; 

 " but, IhouiJ they wear away or break in peices, the nature of things 

 " depending on them would be changed. Water and Earth, com- 

 " pofed of (;ld worn particles, and fragments of particles, woald not 

 '• be oi" the lame nature and texture nov/, with water and earth com- 

 " pofed of entire particles in the Beginning. And therefore, that 

 " Nature may be lading, the changes of corporeal things are to be 

 " ])laced only in the various feparations and new ailbciations and mo- 

 " tion-; of thefe permanent particles ; cotnpound bodies being apt to 

 " break, not in the midll: of folid particles, but where thof'e particles 

 " are laid together, and only touch in a few points." This feems to 

 be th^ ne plus ultra, or utmoii extent of human fagacity, terminating 

 in a conclulion, worthy of that great Philofopher and good Man. In 

 conformity to which, I think we may fay, that the particles of Matter 

 are n^t infinitely, but indefinitely fmall, or, in other words, \^o 

 minute as to be fingly, invifible to us, though collectively, they are 

 the daily objects of our fenfes. It now remains to confider the pro- 

 perties of Matter, or, the means by which its particles are brought 

 into action. 



The Honourable Mr. Boyle has written an Efi'av on this fubjeft, 

 wherein he refutes the error of the ancient heathen Fhilofophers, and 

 tlieir followers among the moderns, the Schoolmen, who figured to 

 tliemfeives, an aflive, intelligent Being, which they ca:led Nature ; 

 fubordinate indeed to the Deity, but yet, prefiding over the mundane 

 Sytlem, and direc^ting its operations. He Ihews, in a variety of 

 inltances, that the fuppofition of fucli a Being, is iiifutlicient to lolve 



a 2 



