36 Remarks on Sir Richard Phillips's New Hypothesis. 
discover the proportional effects of modified causes—all such 
reasoning being made on the presupposition of some active powers 
which we know from experience, will produce the same effects 
under the same circumstances,—and when philosophical in- 
quirers have traced all the phenomena of Nature to these ori- 
ginal elements and powers, physical science may then be con- 
sidered in its most perfect state. These elements and powers 
being the first principles of physical science, the combination and 
modification of them producing all the phenomena of Nature, it 
is desirable that they should be free from every thing that even 
has the appearance of being assumed without a sufficient founda- 
tion. 
Attraction is one of those principles which have from time to 
time raised the scruples of philosophical inquirers, and particu- 
larly that kind of attraction which Newtonians call gravitation. 
The cause of attraction—if it has any other than the fiat of the 
Creator—appears to be placed beyond the powers of the human 
understanding ; but its existence is proved by an abundant class 
of phenomena. .. That bodies attract each other when in contact 
few will be inclined to doubt;—but this being admitted, is any new 
difficulty created by supposing them to act at a distance? Sup- 
pose two bodies in contact are held together by attraction, why 
should an infinitely small distance totally destroy this force? Is 
it not. more probable that the power decreases inversely as some 
function of the distance, than that it should abruptly cease at 
the instant of separation? Is it not proved by magnetical, 
electrical, chemical, and optical experiments, that attraction ope- 
rates when bodies are not in contact? and, does not gravitation 
afford a satisfactory solution of the various phenomena of the 
solar system? which is not to be obtained by the introduction 
of any other Sn whatever. This your correspondent: Sir 
Richard Phillips is disposed to deny; and imagines that he has — 
discovered the mechanical cause of the phenomena that appear 
to be the result of attraction. But his demonstrations, if such 
they can be called, are certainly of a very questionable nature. 
Sir Richard takes it for granted, that the earth is moving in 
its orbit—but does not seem to be aware that attraction or some 
equivalent force is necessary to produce this motion.- But, to 
meet him on his own supposition, let us admit that the elliptical 
motion of the earth is fully accounted for,—and then examine 
the circumstances which he supposes would have an influence. 
on the descent of a body to the earth’s surface. 
In the first place, the resistance of the air will not have any 
tendency to force the body downwards. To remove all the cir- 
cumstances that are not connected with the descent of the body, 
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