Chap.I. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 55 



which is of univerfal ufe in our philofophy of Nature : And it flxows 

 us how dangerous the ufe of improper words is in all fciences ; for, 

 though Sir Ifaac has exprefsly warned his readers againft fuch 

 an abufe of the word, yet I believe, of thofe who ufe it, there are few 

 who do not affix to it the notion of fome force inherent in the Bo- 

 dy, by which it attracts other bodies to it ; and, indeed, the word, in 

 its grammatical and etymological fignification, can have no other 

 meaning. 



The third opinion is the opinion of Mr Baxter, who maintains, 

 that the Deity is the immediate and dUxeOi Caufe of Gravitation, and 

 all the great movements in the univerfe. But this opinion, how- 

 ever pious it may appear, cannot be admitted, unlefs we likewife 

 admit, that the Deity does himfelf animate the feveral bodies ; that 

 being the only way, as, I think,! have proved*, that Mind can move 

 Body. Now, it would be highly derogatory to the Divine Nature, 

 and it would be truly making of the Deity an anima mundiy not en- 

 tirely feparated from Matter, as we ought to believe of Deity, 

 but immerfed in it, and intimately conneiSted with it, as our 

 Minds are, to fuppofe that he animated every particle of Mat- 

 ter, and, in that way, immediately produced all the motions 

 of Unorganized Bodies. It is certainly a much more probable 

 hypothefis, and more worthy of the Divine Majefty, to fuppofe 

 that he moves all thofe Bodies by inferior Minds ; and I fhall 

 prefently Ihow, that it is much more agreeable to the General Ana- 

 logy of Nature, and to our original idea of the Moving Power of 

 Mind. 



There are, I know, fome who fpeak of Bodies being moved by a 

 force originally imprefled upon them by the Deity. This ftrange 



notion, 



* P. 47. 



