i6 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book I. 



though there be, no doubt, what is commonly called Attra^ion and 

 Repulfton among Bodies, yet there is alio Conta6l and Impulfe. Sir 

 Ifaac Newton has, indeed, fhewn, that the rays of light are reflected 

 from the furfaces of Bodies before they touch them : And there 

 may be other inftances where Bodies feem to touch, but do not really 

 touch. But it will not from thence follow, that, contrary to com- 

 mon fenfe and obfcrvation. Bodies do never come into contadl, and, 

 in that way, impel one another. Further, I fay, that thofe qualities, 

 which, the Dodor fays, only belong to matter, are fuch qualities as 

 cannot be the qualities of Matter ; for it is impoflible that either 

 Matter or Mind can a<3: ivhere it is not, any more than njuhen it is 

 not ; which, however, muft be the cafe, if Body cither attracts or re- 

 pels Body without being in conta£l. It is therefore evident that At- 

 tradion and Repulfion are only names for the fads of Bodies ap- 

 proaching to, or receding from one another, which are effeds of a 

 caufe that muft be different from Body : And that caufe is no other 

 than Mind, which moves Bodies to zxi^from one another.. 



Solidity, therefore, and Refiftance, are qualities of Body, by which 

 it is eflentially diftinguifhed from Mind. And the qualities, which 

 Dr Prleftley makes eflential to Body, are no qualities of Body at all. 



From what has been faid, another property of Body is evident, 

 viz. that Body can only ad upon Body by its furface : For, as Bodies 

 cannot ad upon one another except when they ad in contad ; and, 

 as the inmoft particles of two Bodies cannot touch one another — it 

 is of neceilary confequence that they can only ad upon one another 

 by their furfaces, which alone can be in contad. Where, thereforcj 

 Bodies impel, or are impelled, or exert in any way that quality 

 which I have fhown to be eflential to Body, viz. Refi/iance, it muft 

 be by their furfaces ; fo that, when Bodies are faid to attrad or re- 

 pel one another, without being in contad, it is fpeaking unphilofo- 



phically, 



