322 ANT IE NT METAPHYSICS. Book V. 



more prcclfc in the account he gives of its manner of operating ; for 

 he fiiys that it afts Unico Impulfu, that is, in the very fame way that 

 the Projedlile Force adts, with this difference only, that the Projedlile 

 Force adts but once, whereas the Adtion of the Vis Centr'ipeta is in- 

 cefliintly repeated, as he fuppofes in that demonftration. It is there- 

 fore not to be wondered that Sir Ifaac endeavoured, as it is well 

 known, to account for Gravitation from Bodily Impulfe. And if he 

 believed Gravitation to be fo produced, there can be little doubt 

 of his having the fame opinion concerning Projedtion ; for, as Gra- 

 vitation adts inceflantly upon Bodies, and fo far refembles per- 

 fedtly the Adlion of Mind upon Body, (for which reafon it is now 

 admitted, I believe, by all the Newtonians, that Gravitation is the 

 operation of Mind), if Sir Ifaac believed that it was produced by 

 Bodily Impulfe, he muft, a fortiori, have believed that the Projedtile 

 Force, which adls only by one Impulfe, is produced by Body. 



3/io, If Sir Ifaac, when he wrote his Principia, had thought of 

 any other Motion befides that produced by Bodily Impulfe, he 

 would not have fuppofed, as he appears to have done, that all Mo- 

 tion is, by its nature, redtilineal. Upon this hypothefis, as I have 

 obferved. Sir Ifaac's whole Syftem is built; and the Jefuits, his com- 

 mentators, have laid it down in fo many words in their Commen- 

 tary upon the Firft Law of Motion ; from which they fay it follows, 

 Omnem mo turn ejfe Naturafua aequabilem et reSiilineum. Now, this is 

 undoubtedly true of Motion produced by Bodily Impulfe, but is cer- 

 tainly not true of Motion by Mind, which being produced by incef- 

 fant energies, the diredtion of it may be varied in every inftant of 

 the Motion ; and confequently the Circular or Elliptical Motion may 

 be immediately and diredily produced by Mind, of which every 

 body may convince himlelf by the Motion of his hand in the air or 

 upon the table *.' 



And, 



* Sea upon this fubjeft, page 48. 



