28o ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



reft of itfelf ; for, when a body coheres to another, and incorporates 

 with it, fo far it refts ; and, therefore, they muft fay that body has, in 

 itfelf, and of its own nature, a principle of reft, as well as of motion. 

 Now, this is not only not fupported by any of the appearances of na- 

 ture, but is diredly contrary to them j for it is proved by experiment, 

 as well as by reafoning, that a body, once put in motion, continues to 

 move, till, by fome external force, or contrary impulfe, it be ftopped. 

 — But, further, thefe philofophers muft not only maintain, that body 

 has, by its nature and eflTence, the power of moving itfelf, and ceafing 

 to move, but, likewifc, that it has the power of operating for a certain 

 end, and ufing the moft artificial means to attain that end. 1 he con- 

 fequence of which is, that, as thefe gentlemen acknowledge no 

 intelligence in the univerfe, except their own, and as there necef- 

 farily muft be fomewhere intelligence, when any being ads for a 

 certain end, and attains that end by the moft proper means, it is evi- 

 dent that there muft be in the matter^ befides the power of motion 

 and reft, tinder Jland'mg and intelligence. Now, if fuch fuppofitions are 

 allowed, there is an end of all philofophy of fad and experiment ; 

 and we may fuppofe bodyy or any thing elfe in nature, to be what we 

 pleafe. 



The fecond hypothefis is that of Sir Ifaac Newton ; by which he 

 fuppofes that a certain force, imprefTed originally upon matUr^ will 

 make it perform all the motions that are neceflary for the fyftem of 

 the univerfe. In the paflage above quoted, from the laft query of his 

 Optics *, he feems to fay, that the adive principle, which he fuppofes 

 in all the particles of matter, is neceflary, not only for putting bodies 

 into motion, but for preferving and continuing their motion. But, in 



ano- 



* -Page 573. 



