﻿352 Prof. J. Bay ma on the Fundamental 



the atom may in every instance be so inappreciable in comparison 

 with the distance between the nearest atoms, that there may never 

 be any inequality of extraneous action on different points of the 

 same atom, imparting different velocities to them, and so tending to 

 break up the continuity of the matter. Besides, we have already 

 seen that no inequality of elementary action, by reason of a differ- 

 ence of distance, is legitimately deducible from Professor Bayma's 

 premisses." 



According to this process of reasoning, the nature of the force 

 of action is supposed, for the sake of the cause to be defended, 

 to be occult ; then, for the sake of the same cause, it is supposed 

 to be such that the intensity becomes indefinitely small at inde- 

 finitely small distances : lastly it is inferred that, if this suppo- 

 sition be admitted, "gross matter" will be possible, and will 

 consist of an infinite number of points invariably united. But 

 ] st. The nature of the active powers of matter is by no means 

 so occult as to allow of our inventing any law of action we may 

 be pleased with. 2nd. If the nature of the active powers be 

 occult, then the new law of action imagined by Professor Norton 

 has no ground whatever in the nature of things ; and on this 

 account it must be, even in his opinion, " an arbitrary assump- 

 tion." 3rd. Such a new law is irreconcilable with all mole- 

 cular and non-molecular science : and on this account it is evi- 

 dently antiscientinc, as it tends "to discard the obvious intima- 

 tions of nature " and violates the exigencies of the " inductive 

 method." 4th. The same hypothetic law leads to the avowed 

 conclusion that "gross matter" would consist of an infinite 

 number of material points : which conclusion implies not only 

 that continuous extension can be made up of unextended points 

 (a proposition openly and notoriously false), but also that a 

 finite being, almost an infinitesimal being, an atom whose size 

 is inappreciable even in comparison with molecular distances, 

 which are themselves almost inappreciable, would consist of an 

 infinity of beings : a proposition, which, I make bold to say, not 

 even Professor Norton, who can conceive so many things, will 

 be able to realize. 5th, In the same supposition the material 

 points of which the atom of gross matter is said to be made up 

 would not be invariably united, being all compelled to move 

 towards the centre of the atom, and to vibrate to and fro. For 

 those material points are all supposed to be attractive, and actu- 

 ally to attract one another; hence they must approach one 

 another and move all around a central point. And therefore 

 the atom of gross matter would not be invariable. 6th. Let us 

 grant the supposition as possible,, however much our reason may 

 revolt against it : even so, gross matter would be only an hypo- 

 thesis as arbitrary as the new law of action supposed. Is it thus 



