ii66 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



be moved by a compounded motion, fuch as the Newtonians fuppofe. 

 The cafe of projectiles here on earth is evidently different ; for they are 

 moved by animal force, or forne other external impulfe, controuled by 

 the po^yer of gravhation previoufly in the body, which being a natu- 

 ral and internal principle of movement, counterads, and, at laft, over- 

 con, es the adventitious and external impulfe, making the body de- 

 fcribc, while in motion, a curve, called a Parabola ; and this motion is 

 really and adually compounded of the motion of gravitation and the 

 projectile motion, both operating at the fame time. 



It was the analogy betwixt this motion of projediles here on earth, 

 and the m.otion of the celeftial bodies, which Sir Ifaac has inveftigated 

 and difcovered with wonderful fagacity, that made him fuppofe their 

 motion to be produced in the fame v;^ay ; and, that the motion given 

 by the Almighty to the planets, was, in like manner, controuled 

 and bended from the ftraight line, by the force of gravitation. 



And the great argument urged by the Newtonians, in fupport of 

 their fyftem, is, that the fame caufe muft produce the fame effc£t *. 



To this argument I anfwer, that I admit it is the fame caufe which 

 produces the motion of projediks on earth, and the motion of the 

 moon, and other celeftial bodies, namely mindy the author of all the 

 motions in the univerfe, according to my fyllem. But there is nothing 

 to hiader the fame caufe to produce the fame effeds, by different 

 means, if there can be a reafon affigned for the difference of the 

 means. For, however ridiculoufly Mr Leibnitz may have applied his 

 grand principle, of a fuihcient reafon for every thing, 1 hold it to be 

 an axiom of natural philoCophy, nor can I conceive intelligence of any 

 kind, much lefs the Supreme Intelligence, adnjg without a reafon, in 



any 



* See M'Laurin's Account of Su Ifaac Newton's Phllofophical Difcoveries, 

 Look 111. ch<;p. i. injine. 



