Chap. XIX. ANTIENT M F T A P IT T S T C C 271 



2l prhuipk of motion^ by which !>jc!y is iKoved io jjII the ways pof- 

 fihle. Had he known thit?, he would ii;.'.t have made; a rncfhme of the 

 heavens, nor divided the celeflial m-'tlons bctv^ixt \r^^r\d. and mecha- 

 nilm, the Divine Power and maierial necefTity, but wouk: have ac- 

 knowledged, that all motion there, as well as on ear<h, was both be- 

 gun and carried on by mind ; and fo would have formed a more uui- 

 verfal, as well as more fimple philofophy, comprehending both heaven 

 and earth, and all things that are therein : For it is imp'^fTible ihat 

 philofophy can be the knowledge of the univerie, and of the firfi caufe 

 of things, unlefs it comprehend the knowledge of mind^ which is fo 

 much difirufed thro' all narure, and is the author of all motion, and, by 

 confequence, of all generation and produdion of every kind. Accor- 

 dingly, all the antient philofophers, particularly Plato and Ariftotle, 

 have made mind an eflential part of thetr Tyftem, whether relating to 

 things in heaven, or things in earth. But Sir Ifaac, as he knew no- 

 thmg of the antient phiiofophy, was not, 1 am afraid, learned in the 

 philofophy of mind ; and, therefore, he has endeavoured to explain e- 

 very thing in the heavens by what he thoroughly underftood, I mean 

 geometry and mechanics ; and would have done the fame, if he could, 

 with refpedl to things on earth. 



Sir Ifaac, therefore, 1 doubt, in antient times, while philofophy 

 flouriflied, would not have been dignified with the name of a philo- 

 fbpher \ and, 1 am afraid the philofophers of thole days would not have 

 been quite fatisfied, even with his fylfem oi aftronomy being formed 

 upon a principle vi'hich is not a caufe, but a fa6"t, as his followers now 

 admit. Now, a philofopher defires to know the caufes and prin- 

 ciples of things ; for philofophy, as Ariftotle tells U9, is the knowledge 

 of caufes ; and we can then only be properly faid to know a thing, 

 when vv^e know the caufe of it. But, what is worle, it is a fatt 

 which is OTi\y Juppofed^ not proved ; and, 1 think 1 have fhown, that it 

 is not a probable fuppofuion> nor a neceflary one, fince all the phae- 



nomena 



