96 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



iy denominated adtive beings ; the other,' 

 even when in motion, haiYe no proper adll- 

 vity of their own. 



There can indeed be no action upon, 

 matter "without a produdlion of motion', 

 or at leaft a tendency to it. But it doth 

 not therefore follow, that motion and adli- 

 on are fynonymous terms. "Why may not 

 an adlive being communicate motion 

 to matter, without moving itfelf ? Is not 

 that every whit as eafy as felf-motion ? 

 But, whether the agent moves itfelf or not, 

 it muft have a power of ading, previous 

 to all motion ; otherways it would be 

 impoflible for matter or any other being 

 to begin motion of themfelves. A due 

 attention to this remark, will afford a di- 

 redl anfwer to what hath been fo much 

 infilled on, " That motion is a(5lion.** 

 Motion is not action, but the effedl of an 

 a(5lion. 



Activity may be varioufly applied. 

 An aflion may be with- held by an oppo- 

 fite and equal adiion, as in the cafe of two 

 contrary prefFures : Or, it may be em- 

 ployed in deflroying the efFe(5t of fbme 



formeif 



