Chap. I. ANT I EN T METAPHYSICS. S3 



to him, a ftone, if it were at the centre of the earth, would be at 

 reft ; and therefore he has faid, that Nature is a principle of re/l as 

 well as of motion. It is, however, true, that we know no Body- 

 that is not actually in motion, or has not a tendency to motion. In 

 this ftate are all Bodies here on earth ; the whole folar fyftem is all 

 in motion, and it is likely every other fyftem in the univerfe. 



Neither is it necefTary that every kind of Mind in the uni- 

 verfe fhould immediately, and diredlly, move Body. And I am per- 

 fuaded, that the intelledlual Mind is not the immediate Caufe of 

 Motion, but only the reniote, moving Bodies by the agency and mi- 

 niftry of inferior Minds, fiich as the Animal and Vegetable, and this 

 loweft Mind, of which I am now treating ; but we muft never for- 

 get, that it is a fundamental maxim of this philofophy, that Mind 

 is the author of all Motion, either mediately or immediately. 



That this elemental Mind, or principle of Motion, does really 

 exift in the univerfe, I hope I have proved to the fatisfadion of my 

 reader in the firft part of this work. I will, however, add fome- 

 thing more upon this fubjed:, as I know it is that part of my fyftem 

 which ftumbles the moft of my readers, more than any other. 



There can be, I think, but four opinions upon this fubjed ; for, 

 either Body moves itfelf, or it is moved by impulfe of other Body, 

 or it is moved by Mind. And this laft opinion divides into two ; 

 for, either the Mind is Deity moving diredly and immediately thofe 

 Bodies, or it is a particular Mind in them, which is the caufe of 

 their Motion : So that the whole opinions of this fubjed are four ; 

 and, befides thefe, there can be none other. 



As to the /r/? of thefe opinions : Whoever believes that Body 

 moves itfelf, is an Atheift, whether he knows it or not ; for as it is 



