166 ELEMENTARY PROPERTIES 



wide expanse of the planetary spheres, excit, 

 ing the sensation of illumination on the optic 

 organs of animated beings, by a power from 

 within, inherent and essential ; participating, 

 in a most eminent degree, the quality of 

 the cause of which it is the immediate 

 effect. Instead of supposing that the sun, 

 as the source of light, actually possesses an 

 attracting power, the motion of the matter of 

 light, from the surface of the sun, shows that it 

 is repulsive, in the greatest degree that the ima- 

 gination can conceive. Must it not, indeed, be 

 obvious to the most common capacity, that if 

 the sun were an attracting body if a power, 

 such as this, existed in the sun, as the source 

 whence the rays proceed, the rays instead 

 of corning out of it, &ould be attracted by 

 it, and retained in it ; the solar rays would 

 be as fixed, arid as immoveable in the body 

 of the sun, as the solid nucleus of the earth 

 itself; insomuch, that the universe at large, 

 would be involved in absolute and utter dark- 

 ness. 



Instead, therefore, of subscribing to the 

 opinions which have been long entertained, 

 that all the matter of the universe, is the 

 same in nature, and in kind ; and that the 

 diversity of the phenomena, which particular 

 portions of matter display, proceeds from 

 the various modifications, and commutati- 



