32 ESSAYS anp OBSERVATIONS 
ter profefiedly upon this theme. And there- 
fore I fhall barely touch upon it, fo far as 
concerns this property of refiftance. Gravi- 
ty, an univerial law of matter, ferves the 
nobleft purpofes. In conjunction with the 
vis infita, it preferves the folar fyftem in or- 
der. The vrs znfita is ufeful in another re- 
fpec&t ; becaufe by its means, we can apply 
force greatly fuperior to our own. ‘The re- 
fiftance of bodies again, is of admirable ufe 
to keep force within proper bounds. If the 
fmalleft body, impingeing upon the greateft, 
had the effect of communicating its own ve- 
locity, whick it would do, were there no 
refittance, the fmalleft force would be fuffi- 
cient to give a new violent motion to the 
earth, and to put the lives of all mankind in 
the power of every individual. 
