Chap. XIX. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 251 



CHAP. XIX. 



The Philojophy of this Work different from the Newtonian Philofophy-^ 

 particularly concerning the Motion of the Celejlial Bodies — Opinion of 

 the Antients, that thefe Motions ivere carried on and conducted by 

 Mind — All Motion on Earth both begun and carried on by Mind — 

 7he fame iji the Celeflial Regions^ according to the antient Philofophy 

 — The Neivtonian Philofophy not fo uniform or confijlent "juith lifelf — 

 The combined Motion of the Planets.^ according to the NeiJDtonian Sy^ 

 /lem, not necefjary nor probable — gives too great an Advuntag.'i to A- 

 theifn — lays not the Foundation ofTheifn broad enow^h^ by Juppofin^ 

 the JVorld to have been produced at a certain Time — Opinion of all the 

 Antient s that it vuas eternal — If Mind moves the Celeflial Bodies^ it 

 muft be by a fimple and uncompounded Motion — Sir Ifaac^s Gravitation 

 of the Celeflial Bodies a Fa<Sb, not a Caufe — 77?^ Subtile Spirit perva- 

 ding all Bodies mi Occult Caufe — favouring a little of Materialijm-—' 

 But this corrected in the ^lery annexed to his Optics — Ihrec Opinions 

 concerning the Origin and Continuance of Motion, — Dr darkens Opi^ 

 nion in this Matter different fro?n Sir ljaac*s» 



TH E fyftem of philofophy contained in the preceeding llieets 

 muft already have appeared to the reader very different from 

 the philofophy at prefent in falhion : And I am now to explain more 

 particularly wherein this difference confifls ; and to endeavour to fup- 

 port my philofophy, or rather the philofophy of the antients, (for I 

 do not pretend to have invented any thing), againft the Newtonian 

 philofophy, in the points with refpedl to which they differ. 



There is one point, in which, I hope, I agree with all the philofo- 

 phers of the Newtonian fchool, as I am fure I do with the founder 

 of it, and that is, the belief of the exiftence of a God, and that he is 

 ultimately the Author of all the motion in the univerfe. But in this 



I i 2 . we 



