27S 



fee; bo tli moving and resting. It could assume only 

 one of these conditions, and must have remained therein 

 for ever, unless some farther -divine energy had given it 

 a new determination. Now in which ever of these 

 matter began to exist, that must be called its natural 

 state. Aud every alteration of that state must be the 

 effect of some power superinduced upen it, which must 

 ceiise when the cause ceases. 



A^ain ; matter may exist in rest : but no living mat- 

 ter. All life in nature, whether mineral, vegetable, or 

 animal, depends upon motion and activity. Therefore 

 motion seems to be not the natural state of matter, but 

 superadded thereto, and constantly supported, in order 

 to constitute life, variety, and mutability. Tsow all 

 know, material motion proceeds upon, and is regulated 

 by mechanical iaws. And does not motion uniformly 

 conducted by the laws of mechanism, imply a constant 

 mechanical cause? This mechanical system is traceable 

 in most cases, even in the most subtle and elaborate 

 works of nature, such as plants and animals. And may 

 not the same heavens which influence every thing 01* 

 earth, rule the motions of the earth itself: and impress 

 all matter with these general tendencies, which are the 

 basis of all human mechanics 7 



11. Proceed we to what is called the second law of 

 motion. 



We can have no idea of power but that it is matter 

 in motion, or endeavouring to act. We cannot connect 

 the idea of power with matter at rest, unless that 

 rest be the effect of power fixing it i its place, which 

 we may term mechanical power. This rest, being an 

 effect of power, will exert a resistance to motion, when 

 it is pressed upon. But otherwise, matter can have na 

 such power in itself, can exert none ; because power 

 consists in motion, or a njsus to it* Therefore matter 

 resting unmechanically can have no nisus of any kind, 

 An iHirNecluinical nisus in matter to rest, is in other 

 words an active power exerted by it to do nothing. 



The states then in motion or rest being the result of 



