4i6 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. BookV. 



niy reader, as well as niyfelf, in reckoning them up. But I wanted 

 to give a full view of the fubjed, fo that, of all poflihle Hypothefes, 

 the reader might choofe that which he liked bcft — whether the old 

 atheiftical notion, of Body moving itfelf, — or the new invented 

 Syftem, and which, I think, does not differ much from the old, of 

 Body continuing itfelf for ever in Motion once begun — or the 

 .Syftem of Body adting upon Body at a dillance, vs^hich muft be al- 

 lowed, for the honour of modern times, to be entirely new ; or whe- 

 ther he will adopt any of the complicated ways above mentioned, of 

 the Planet being moved, either by Body, in the common way of Pul- 

 fion or Trufion, or partly by Body and partly by Mind. Or, laftly, 

 Whether he will not prefer to all thefe new invented Syftems the 

 Hypothefis pf the antient Theifts, which I have endeavoured to de- 

 fend, That the Planets are moved by Mind, in the moft funple and 

 dire£l manner, and that the refolution of their Motion into two 

 Motions, is only for the fake of teaching and demonftration. 



But, though I fliould have been unfuccefsful in proving that the 

 Celeftial Motions are as fimple as I would make them, I fhall not 

 think my time and labour loft, if I have convinced my readers that 

 Mind and Body are perfectly difierent and diftinil from each other, 

 Adlivity being of the nature of the one, and perfcdl Inatlivity or 

 Paftivity of the nature of the other — that, therefore. Reft and Mo- 

 tion are not indifferent to Eody ; Reft being of the nature and cf- 

 fence of a Paffive Subftance, fuch as Body i whereas Motion is 

 adventitious to it, being given to it by mind, either mediately or im- 

 mediately : fo that, by its nature, it has not the capacity of moving 

 itfelf, but only of being moved — and that, therefore. Body cannot, 

 by any Force inherent, or any Power belonging to its nature and ef- 

 fence, continue Motion, any more than begin it. If I have done 

 this, I think I fhall have done fome fervice, both to Religion and 

 Philofophy. 



Thu?, 



