196: Mr. Bownorn ox Light, ond tbe VWafte of Matter : 
non? Muf not the fun diminifh exceedingly by fuch a wafte 
of matter ? and the planets, inftead of drawing nearer to him, 
as fome have feared, recede to greater diftances through the 
léffened attraction ? Yet thefe particles, with this amazing mo- 
tion, will not drive before them, or remove, the leaft and light- 
eft duft they meet with : and the fun, for aught we know, con- 
tinues of hisancient dimenfions ; and his attendants move in 
their ancient orbits.” 
The Dodor s diffatisfa&dion with the received doctrine, is 
founded on two obje&ions implied in his queries, and which 
may be expreffed in the following propofitions. . 
1*- That, fuppofing the doctrine true, the fmalleft particle 
of light muft be driven to us with prodigious force, a force ex- 
:eeding that of a twenty-four pounder, diícharged from a can- 
von. But this is contrary to fac. 
2?* That the fun muft be exceedingly diminifhed by fuch a 
wafte of matter ; and the planets, in confequence of it, muft 
recede to greater diftances from him. But, foraught we know, 
both the fun and the planets, continue in their ancient ftate. 
From thefe propofitions it is implicitly inferred, that the 
do&rine is not well founded. 
Among the obfervations on the fecond propofition, an hypo- 
thefis will be propofed, by way of query, fuggefting a mean, 
whereby the material fyftem, collectively taken, might be pre- 
ferved from the diforder and ruin, to which they feem liable 
from caufes hinted at in that propofition. — 
In regard to the objection contained in the firft propofition, 
it adopts the idea, that light, like any other body in motion, 
will ftrike with a force proportioned to the degree of its mo- 
tion : which degree of motion, or the celerity, multiplied by 
n iH Cie ed aw 1 the 
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