PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 97 



former aflioa, as when it ftops or retards 

 a moving body. But the genuine cha- 

 radleriflic of an aftlve being, is a power 

 of beginning motion either in itfelf or a- 

 iiother, without the means of preceeding 

 motion *. Thus a man from a ftate of 

 reft can begin a motion which ill all move 

 another body : Or he can begin a motion 

 which fhall ftop or retard another motion. 

 And it will readily be admitted, that 

 whatever adlive being can thus begin mo- 

 tion in another, without the means of 

 previous motion, will of courfe be able to 

 eonfume motion in another, without re- 

 ceiving any itfelf. 



When one body ftrikes upon another 

 and moves it, we commonly indeed call 

 this an acftion: Yet there is no^refem-* 

 blance between this mechanical commu- 

 nication of motion, and the adlivity be- 

 fore dafcribed. This is conceived to be 

 Vol. I. N an 



• All mere mechanicsfl communications of motion, are 

 not properly aftion, but mere paffivenefs both in the 

 bodies that impell, and that are impelled, Aftion is 

 the beginning of a motion where there was none before, 

 from a principle of life and activity. Clark's' Lett, t^ 

 Leibnitz p. 527, 



