304 APPENDIX, Chap. I. 



der to produce the Elliptical Motion. But, If Sir Ifaac, at the time 

 he wrote the Queries to bis Optics, after he had difcov^red that, in 

 order to account for the phaenomena of Nature, there muft necefla- 

 rily be fuppofed an adive principle in Bodies *, had been afked 

 whether or not one Adive Principle, or, in other words, one Mind, 

 eould have produced the circular or elliptical Motion in the moft 

 Hmple and dired: manner, I do not believe that he would have he- 

 fitated a moment for an anfwer; nor do 1 think that any of his 

 followers would have thought of it, if it had not been to fupport 

 their hypothefis of the adual compofition of the Planetary Motion. 

 I think, however, they are fo far in the right, that, without 

 this notion of the Elliptical Motion being by its nature compound- 

 ed, or without renouncing the fyftem of Theifm, they muft give 

 up their flivourite gravitation, as well as projedion, as will appear 

 from what I have to {ny on the other two propofitions. 



The fecond propofition is, That, unlefs the Planetary Motion 

 be compofed as they fuppofe, the phenomena will not anfwer, 

 nor the laws of the Motion be the fame. If this be true, 

 a good reafon can be given why the Motion is not performed 

 in the moft fimple and dired manner. But, to prove this, I think, 

 is a more dcfperate undertaking than to prove even the other ; for, 

 10 me it is inconceivable that the very fame Motion, though produ- 

 ced by diflerent caufes, fliould not have the fame properties. The 

 Motion of a Body in a ftraight line, whether produced by the im- 

 pulfe of one Body, or of two Bodies, as in the cafe of the compofi- 

 tion of the Motion, or by Mind without any bodily Impulfe at all, 

 k the fame Motion, and has all the fame properties ; fo that, whate- 

 ver is demonftrated to be true of it, upon the hypothefis of its being 

 produced in any one of the ways I have mentioned, is true of it in 

 whatever way it is produced. 



* See Vol. ii. p. 358. 



