CONSTITUENTS OF THE UNIVERSE. 



simply from the circumstance that different 

 parts of a whole sustain the same relative 

 position and relation to each other unless dis- 

 turbed by some preceding movement. But 

 that is not proof of inertia for the conclusive 

 reason that the entire earth, with all things or 

 parts included, are in rapid and ceaseless 

 motion. It was also assumed in this connec- 

 tion that matter never moves unless impelled 

 by force, and this like inertia is another error. 



This false assumption about the operation 

 of force occurred from the fact that, when the 

 position of an object is changed with relation 

 to other objects, a motion aside from the ob- 

 ject thus moved precedes the movement of 

 that object, as for example, a horse that moves 

 a carriage. When a movement of that de- 

 scription ceases, that object is again considered 

 to be at rest, or inert. These false views con- 

 cerning inertia and force were entertained for 

 the reason that a special and secondary move- 

 ment only, was in that case recognized; 

 while the vastly more important, endless 

 movement of the entire earth, with every ob- 



