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HUTTONIAN THEORY 



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and though, by a certain readion, it has the 

 power of continuing and augmenting that heat, 

 it never can be regarded as it^ primary and ma« 

 terial caufe. When, therefore, we fuppofe a 

 fource of heat, independent of fire and of burn- 



fuppofe what certainly exills in nature, 



informed of the manner of 



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nig, we 



though we are not 



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of its place, otherwife th 



from coniidering the phenomena of the mineral 

 kingdom. 



168. Laflly, we are not entitled, according 

 to any rules of philofophical inveftigation, to re- 

 jed a principle, to which we are fairly led by 

 an induction from fads, merely becaufe we can- 

 not give a fatisfa^lory explanation of it. It 

 would be a very unfound view of phylical 

 fcience, which v/ould induce one to deny the 



principle of gravitation, though he cannot ex- 

 plain it, or even though the admiffion of it 



reduces him to great metaphylical difficulties. 

 If indeed a downright abfurdity, or inconfillen- 

 cy with known and eflablidied facts, be invol- 

 ved in any principle, it ought not to be ad- 

 mitted, however it may feem calculated to ex- 

 plain other appearanes. If, for inltance, Dr 

 Hutton held, that combuftion was carried on in 

 a region where there was no vital air, we fhould 

 have faid, that he admitted an abfurdity, and 

 that a theory founded on fuch pojiulata. was 



worfe than chim-erical. But, if the only thing 



imputable 



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