Chap. III. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 15 



firmer cohefion of its parts : And in this {enfe Jblidilj zxi^Jluidity 

 are oppofed. 



Continuity is alfo efteemed one of the properties of Body : And, 

 for that reafon, Body is faid to be quantity continuous^ whereas Num- 

 ber is faid to be quantity difcrete ; for, though Matter be divifible. as 

 I have faid, and infinitely divifible, at leafl potentially, yet, in the 

 ftate of Body, we confider the parts as having a coherence and con- 

 tinuity, by which they are joined together, fo as to have one com- 

 mon boundary. The parts, however, even in the moft folid Bodies, 

 are not fo joined together as to touch one another in every point ; 

 and therefore there is no Body hitherto difcovered fo folid as not to 

 be contracted by cold. 



Dr Prieftley maintains a dodlrine that appears very extraordinary 

 for a material philofopher, ' That Body, or Matter,' which is the 

 fame thing in his language, ' has neither refiftance nor folidity ;' 

 which appears to me to be the fame thing as if he maintained, ' That 

 * Matter was not Matter.' The only qualities that he afcribes to 

 Matter are Attradion and Repulfion. But there muft neceflarily be 

 fomething that attrads or repels ; for it is impoffible to conceive that 

 nothing fhould attradl or repel, or operate any way : And it is as in- 

 conceivable that a thing, which muft be admitted to ht fomething^ 

 fl:iould have no quality at all, and be really nothings if the Bodies 

 round it were taken away, fo that it could not attract or repel. Now 

 this fotnething, which, of neceffuy, muft exift, has, I fay, the quali- 

 ties of refiftance and folidity. Dr Prieftley, indeed, fays, that this 

 can never be proved by fad; and obfervation, becaufe Bodies never 

 come into contad with one another ; but to this I anfwer, jf/j/?, 

 That, fuppofe it could not be proved by experiment that matter did 

 adually refift, or was folid, yet it muft be fuppofed that, being Mat- 

 ter, it has at leaft the capacity of Refiftance. And, 2^/y, I fay that, 



though 



