30 ISATURAL THEOLOGY. 



state of rapid motion through absolute space ; for, 

 by what source is the stream fed, or what be- 

 comes of the accumulation ? Add to which, that 

 it seems to imply a contrariety of properties, to 

 suppose an aetherial fluid to act, but not to resist ; 

 powerful enough to carry down bodies with great 

 force towards a centre, yet, inconsistently with 

 the nature of inert matter, powerless and perfectly 

 yielding with respect to the motions which result 

 from the projectile impulse. By calculations 

 drawn from ancient notices of eclipses of the 

 moon, we can prove that, if such a fluid exist at 

 all, its resistance has had no sensible effect upon 

 the moon's motion for two thousand five hundred 

 years. The truth is, that, except this one circum- 

 stance of the variation of the attracting force at 

 different distances agreeing with the variation of 

 the spissitude, there is no reason whatever to sup- 

 port the hypothesis of an emanation ; and, as it 

 seems to me, almost insuperable reasons against it." 

 (*) II. Our second proposition is, that, whilst 

 the possible laws of variation were infinite, the 

 admissible laws, or the laws compatible with the 

 preservation of the system, lie within narrow 

 limits. If the attracting force had varied accord- 

 ing to any direct law of the distance, let it have 

 been what it would, great destruction and confu- 



" See note 12 and note 14 to this chapter; where Bishop Brink- 

 ley delivers an opinion entitled, undoubtedly, to the greatest res- 

 pect, but which seems somewhat more decided than the facts as 

 yet warrant, in favour of the elherial fluids. 



