BOOK I. 



: OF THE GENERAL PROPERTIES OF 

 MATTER. 



CHAP. I. 



OF MATTER IN GENERAL. 



'Explanation of Terms.- Whether all Matter i; radically ike fams.~ 

 General Properties of Matter. Quantity of Matter in the Uni~jerfs. 



THE word MATTER (maferia, which fome lexi- 

 cographers have derived from tnafer^ a mother) 

 denotes, in ics primitive fcnfe, that unexplained fome- 

 thing, from which all thofe things which are objects 

 of our fenfes are formed.- 



The term 'body is fometimes Confounded with that 

 of matter; buc they are eflentially different t Body 

 (bobije) is of Saxon origin. It is explained by the 

 Latin words ftatura y peffits, truttcus\ and fignined the 

 perjcn or form of a 'man, or other creature: whence it is 

 plain that it ought to be confined to expfefs a fubftance 

 pofTeiTmg form or figure. 



Subftance^ both in its etymology and application, ap- 

 proaches nearer to the meaning of the former of thefe 

 terms. It is well known to be compounded from the 

 Latin prepofidon Jub (under), and the verb flare (ro 

 Hand.) It confequenly implies that which fufports or 

 ftands under the different forms and appearances which 

 are prefented to our fenfes. It is ft ill, however, ufed 

 in a diftincl: and more limited fenfe than matter. It 

 is generally indeed ufed with the article, to fignify a 



VOL. I. B diftincl: 



