Additional Notes. 437 



able objection to Sir Isaac New to n\'i scheme) Is the very means 

 of preserving it, and every thing else in this system, in its ac- 

 tion and vigour, by pressing back perpetual supplies of air to 

 be melted down into light, and thereby jiroduccs a continual 

 circulation. These perpetual fluxes or tides of matter out- 

 wards and inwards, in every point, from the centre to the cir- 

 cumference, mechanically, and necessarily, as our author in- 

 sists, produce that constant gyration in the earth and the 

 planets round their own centres, and round the sun ; and ho 

 avers, though he has not yet thouglit fit to explain it, thiit the 

 same principle, with some circumstances, arising from the 

 situation and fluxes of light coming from the other orbs, will 

 account also for the motions of the moon. 



" Besides the rotation of the orbs, the author affirms that 

 the adverse motions of the light pushing towards the circum- 

 ference, and the air pushing towards the centre with immense 

 force, form a general expansion (as he translates the word ren- 

 dered firmament) which brings that stress or compressure on 

 all bodies it meets with, that binds together solids, keeps fluids 

 as they were, causes the variation of times and seasons, the 

 raising of water, the production of vegetables and animals, and, 

 in short, produces all the effects falsely ascribed to gravity or 

 attraction ; continues motion without the assistance of the un- 

 mechanical principle of projection ; produces, supplies, and 

 supports vegetables, fruits, and animals; in short, produces al- 

 most all the effects and pha^nomena in nature." 



Parkiiurst, Horne, and Jones, Ilutchinsonians. p. 17. 



In this passage I have scarcely done justice to tlicsc truly 

 learned, pious, and excellent divines of the Church of Enc^land, 

 in representing them, without qualification, as having adopted 

 the philosophy of Hutchinson. Though they all went a 

 considerable length in embracing the opinions of that singular 

 man; yet they were none of them thorough IJiitchinsouans, 

 IVrhaps the most satisfactory information on this subject may 

 be obtained from the perusal of Mr. Jones's Mctjwirs of the 

 Life, Sludics and Writings of Bisiiop Horne. 



'I'he philosophical works of the Rev. Mr. Jones deserve 

 to be mentioned with great respect, in this class of writings 

 which belong to the eighteentli century. On a variety of 

 subjects I am far from agreeing witli him in opinion; but his 

 learning, his ingenuity, his love o^ truth, and partit-ularly 



