Chap.MIT. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 435 



CHAP. VIII. 



DiJlinElion ^iVif/.v/ Philofophy (77/(S^ Aflronomy. — Much Injujlice done 

 to Sir Il'aac Newton, ;';/ f"ppo/^"g ^bat he philofophifed concerning 

 the Caufe of the Motion of the Celeftial Bodies, and bad dtfcovered 

 that Caufe to be Attraction . — AbfurdWays of T'h'tnkhig and Speaking 

 thence arifing. — Every Motion made to be produced by Attradtion. 

 — The Motion of a Stone falling to the Ground. — of the Moon, — 

 of the Tides, — of the Magnet, l^c. — This Sy/Iem o/" Attraction 

 may be more fimplifed than it is. — Attraction carried through the 

 •whole Univerfe ; and different Syfems made to attraCt one another. — 

 Attraction faid to be eflential to Matter. — Dr. Prieftly'j Notion of 



Attraction. — Two Sources of this Error concerning Attraction 



The Notion of the Planets being moved by Impulfe of other Bodies, 

 may be an Hypothefis likewife. — Reafons for fuch Hypothefts^ and for 

 other Hypothefes made by Sir Ifaac. — The Dfcoveries of Sir liaac, 

 tiow they are made, appear fo natural and obvious, that it ferns ivon- 

 derful they were not focner made. — The Refemblance betwixt the 

 Planetary Motion and the Motion of Projectiles, has led the New- 

 tonians into Errors ; I mo, to fuppofe that the Planetary Motion 

 was begun by Impulfe, as well as that by ProjeCliles ; — 2do, That 

 it was compounded, as they fuppofed that ©/"ProjeCtiles to be; — 3tio, 

 That the Planet, if not carried on in the Ellipfe, would fall down 

 to the Centre like a ProjeCtile. — The Errors not only fown, but the 

 Caufes of thofe Errors. — This ought to give perfe£l SatisfaEiion. — 

 The Conclifions of the Newtonian Aftronomy may be true, and yet 

 the Principles falfc. — The only confequence of which is, that the 



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