THE NEWTONIAN PHILOSOPHY. 553 



great furprlfe, that they, as well as Sir Ifaac Newton, made a niachlne 

 of the heavens, accounting for the motion of the planets from light 

 or aether^ and fpirit or air^ without giving the Deity any other 

 trouble than to begin the motion, and once fet the machine agoing*. 

 The proof of their fyftem has been hitherto derived chiefly from the 

 etymology of Hebrew words : But I am told they are now employed 

 in finding out a proof of a very different kind, I mean by experi- 

 ments and obfervations. But, I believe, I may venture to prophefy, 

 that, in the experimental and mechanical philofophy, they will be 

 found much inferior to Sir Ifaac ; and I am perfuaded that, upon a 

 diligent and impartial fludy of the Scriptures, without being influen- 

 ced by prejudice in favour of any fyftem, it will appear that, accord- 

 ing to the doctrine of Scripture, the natural world is as much under 

 the immediate government and direction of God, and his angels, as 

 the moral world, and the affairs of men. 



Upon the whole, it appears to me, that, ever fince experimcufing 

 philofophy came fo much into fafhion, our philofophy has had a 

 great tincture of materialifm and mechanifm, which even the religious 

 among us have not efcaped. And, indeed, I have otten wondered 

 how Sir Ifaac's philofophy fhould go fo eafily down with the reli- 

 gious. It is true, that his Theology in the Scholium Generak is very 

 pure ; and I am perfuaded that he was not only a genuine Theift, but 

 a good Chriftian. But, when his fyftem of natural philofophy is con- 

 fidered, it is evident that he makes all the motions of the univerfe, even 

 animal motion, to be produced by body impelling body. Nor, indeed, 

 does he appear to have had any idea how motion could be produced o- 



4 A therwife, 



* What was firft moved they call fire -y and, accordingly, they tell us, that * the 



* matter of the hearens was firft put into this a£lion of fire by the immediatv.' power 



* of God, but is now kept up and fupported, and continued by the machine itfelf, 



* by the mechanical operations of the light and fpirit, in their oppofite and contrary 



* motions from center to circumference, and from circumference to center j' p.igc 

 124. of An Inquiry after Philofophy and Theology, by Richard Spearman. Efquiri, 



