Gliap. T. APPENDIX. 



3^7 



is no other than the fall of the Planet from the Tangent, in the 

 courfe of its orbit. If this could not be othcrwife explained, than 

 by fuppofing that the Planet gravitated towards ils centre, it would 

 indeed be proof pofitivc. But it is evident that it is the neceflary 

 confequence of the Elliptical Motion, which cannot be conceived 

 without it : And, to fuppofe another reafon for it, viz. a Centripe- 

 tal Force, is to fuppofe two caufes for the fame effed, one of them 

 an extrinfic caufe, while the other, intrinfic and neceflary, is alto- 

 gether fufficient for producing the efre<5l. 



But, it will be faid, that the Motion of the defcent of the Planet 

 from the Tangent is governed by the fame laws as the defcent of 

 heavy Bodies here on earth. But, does it from thence follow that 

 it muft be produced by gravitation ? May not two Motions, having 

 very different cauies, be fo adjufted to one another, as to be govern- 

 ed by the fame laws ? If the univerfe be a fyftem, muft there not 

 be a fympathy, more or lefs, betwixt all the Motions in it ? This, 

 fympathy muft needs be produced by fome caufe ; and that caufe is 

 no other than Supreme Intelligence. But certainly the immediate 

 caufes of thefe fympathetic Motions may be very different from one 

 another. Of this 1 have given an example *, in a batallion of men 

 exercifuig, v/here all the Motions are fympathetic, and yet each of 

 them is produced by a different caufe, though there be one general 

 caufe for their fympathy or agreement. 



Thus, I think^ I have proved, that, upon the hypothefis of the 

 univerfe being the produ£lion of Supreme Intelligence, it is inipof- 

 fible that the Motion of the Planets round the Sun can be com- 

 pounded. But I fay farther, that, if we fliould give up the Syftem 

 of Theifm, and fiippofe, with Strato, and fom.e modern French 

 philofophers, that Matter has, by its nature and effence, not only a 

 principle of Motion, or vis infita^ as the Newtonians call it, by 



Q..q 2 which 



* Vol. ii. p, 401. 



