_ PHYSICAL anv LITERARY. 105 
pofition. The furface of a foft body, like 
_ that of the finger preffed again{t a hard body, 
- muft undergoa change of figure, and receive 
the fame impreffion, as if the hard body was 
prefled again{t it; becaufe, when the parts 
that come firft into conta@ with the body 
have their motion retarded, the other parts 
will advance farther forwards. 
Tr there was any contradiction or abfurdity 
in the common opinion of the communica- 
tion of motion, this would be a fufficient rea- 
fon for rejecting it, tho’ it were ever fo a- 
greeable to the natural appearances of things. 
But fhall we maintain, that every particular 
body can only be moved by a power of its 
own; and fhall we deny, that motion is com- 
municated by one body to another, meerly 
becaufe we do not underftand the precife 
manner in which motion is either conveyed 
or preferved? Why do we not, for the fame 
-reafon, deny, that motion is begun at the 
command of any animated being? Or do we 
_ better conceive how any being or body moves 
itfelf, than how it moves another? 
.. AN appeal has been offered to the com- 
mon fenfe of mankind, as ready to declare in 
favour of the activity of matter. If the facts 
aa O be 
#ee 
a? 
