Chap. V. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 385 



furface, at Icaft upon the furface of our Earth, there are fo many- 

 Bodies of different kinds, juflling, as I have faid, and interfering witii 

 one another, that, if Body did not move Body by Pulfion or Tru- 

 fion, there wrould be an end of that Motion by which the bufinefs 

 of Nature is carried on on this Earth. 



The Planets, therefore, being all moved by Mind, as very 

 many Bodies here on Earth are, it is evident that there muft 

 be a conformity betwixt their Motions and thofe here, fo far, at 

 leaft, as refpeds the general Laws of the Motion by Mind. And, in 

 the jirjl place. Mind there cannot, any more than here^ a(fl upon 

 the fuperficies only of Bodies, as Body ads upon Body, but upon 

 their inmoft particles ; that is, it muft animate them. 2^0, It muft 

 adt, as it does here, by inceflant energies, repeated in every inftant 

 of the Motion, and therefore can move with equal facility in all di- 

 rections, and can alter the diredion in every inftant of the Motion. 

 3?/o, We cannot conceive that the Motions of the Planets, being 

 moved by Minds intelligent or directed by the Supreme Intelli- 

 gence, can be without rule or meafure. And, lajlly^ As the Univerfe 

 is a Syftem, the Motion of the Planets muft be governed by general 

 rules, as well as the Motions here. 



But, befides this general agreement betwixt the Motions on 

 Earth and in Heaven, there is one Motion on Earth, betwixt which 

 and the Motion of the Planets a wonderful conformity has been 

 difcovered by Sir Ifaac Newton, and a moft complete fyftem of A- 

 ftronomy deduced from it. The Motion I mean is the Motion of 

 Projediles. Of this Motion I will fay a great deal more in the fe- 

 quel : But, in the mean time, I will inquire concerning the nature 

 of the Celeftial Motions, and, particularly, whether they be com- 

 pounded or fimple ; and I will endeavour to fhow that they are 

 fimple. In this I am afraid I fhall have the misfortune to differ from 



Vol. II. C c c all 



