364 On the Origin of Mutter, 



ino- and disposing them, by modes of motion, into outward 

 forms corresponding to such interior or inward forms. 



Matter, then, considered in itself, is a passive snbstance, 

 created as an instrument, or medium, for the development ot 

 an active, living, immaterial substance, in the ultimate or 

 lowest degree of existence, namely, in nature; and this by 

 being made the passive subject into which such living and 

 active subject may enter and manifest itself Would not such a 

 doctrine, if fully developed, satisfactorily explain some of the 

 first principles of the economy of nature, and prove the presence 

 of the invisible in the visible world, and the order of life therein? 

 Under this view, the natural universe is primarily divisible 

 into two universah or principles which enter into every par- 

 ticular of which it is constituted ; namely, the active, imma- 

 terial, or spiritual ; and the passive, material, or natural ; the 

 latter being created from, and for the use of the former, and 

 being the last result of the Divine Operation. 



I now proceed to offer some further proof of the defective 

 state of science respecting the solidity and divisibility of ele- 

 mentary matter, by examining the doctrine upon these sub- 

 jects, as laid down in a standard work on natural philosophy 

 not long since published ; in doing which I beg to premise, 

 •what is indeed deducible from the views I have already ad- 

 vanced, that my arguments do not at all oppose them- 

 selves to the facts resulting from the indefinite divisibility of 

 matter, as these facts are exhibited and brought forward by 

 modei-n philosophers; but, on the contrary, are calculated to 

 exemplify the true limit and nature of this divisibiUty, as it is 

 illustrated by experiment, and to confine it within the bounds 

 which appear to belong to it, by overstepping which, philoso- 

 phers seem to have formed erroneous conceptions respecting 

 these very facts, as regards their application to illustrate the 

 first principles of Nature. 



Professor Millington, in a recent work of great merit, his 

 Epitome of Natural Philosophy, proceeding upon the received 

 opinions entertained respecting original or elementary matter, 

 enumerates five properties as belonging to " original uncom- 

 poiinded ox primitive" particles of matter; the second of which 

 properties is, that they are " infinitely divisible" and the third, 

 that they are " impenetrably hard." Now it may be asked, if 

 one of these particles be impenetrable, how can such particle 

 be divided, since division, or a separation into parts, implies 

 pervimisness or penetrability ? And may it not hence be con- 

 cluded that a substance, the simple and component parts of 

 which are impenetrably hard, must itself he finitely divisible P 

 that is, its divisibility must be limited, although allowed to be 



indefiiiite, 



