34 C)N THE ELEMENTARY AND CONSTITUENT 



pound and visible bodies ; bence the origin of large masses of matter i 

 hence, eventually, the origin of the world itself. When these primary 

 atoms are closely compacted, and but little vacuity or space lies between, 

 they produce those kinds of substances which we denominate solid, as 

 stones and metals ; when they are loose and disjoined, and a large quantity 

 of space or vacuity is interposed, they exhibit bodies of lax texture, as 

 wool, water, vapour. In one mode of combination, they form earth ; in 

 another, air ; and in another, fire. Arranged in one way, they produce 

 vegetation and irritability ; in another way, animal life and perception. 

 Man hence arises, families are formed, societies are multiplied, and go- 

 vernments are instituted. 



The world, thus generated, is perpetually sustained by the application 

 of fresh tides of elementary atoms, flying with inconceivable rapidity 

 through all the infinity of space, invisible from their minuteness, and occu- 

 pying the posts of those that are as perpetually flying oiF. Yet nothing is 

 eternal or immutable but these elementary seeds or atoms themselves. The 

 compound forms of matter are continually decomposing and dissolving into 

 their original corpuscles ; to this there is no exception : minerals, vegeta- 

 bles, and animals, in this respect all alike, when they lose their present 

 make, perishing for ever, and new combinations proceeding from the matter 

 into which they dissolve. But the world itself is a compound though not 

 an organized being ; sustained and nourished, like organized beings, from 

 the material pabulum that floats through the void of infinity. » The world \ 

 itself must, therefore, in the same manner, perish : it had a beginning, and j 

 it will have an end. Its present crasis will be decompounded ; it will / 

 return to its original, its elementary atoms ; and nev/ worlds will arise J 

 from its destruction. 



Space is infinite, material atoms are infinite, but the world is not infinite. 

 This, then, is not the only world, nor the only material system that exists. 

 The cause that has produced this visible system is competent to produce 

 others : it has been acting perpetually from all eternity ; and there are 

 other worlds, and other systems of worlds, existing around us. 



Those who are acquainted with the writings of Sir Isaac Newton and 

 Mr. Locke will perceive in this sketch of the Atomic philosophy the ru- 

 diments of a very great part of their own systems, so far as relates to 

 physics ; we may, indeed, fairly regard them as offsets from the theory be- 

 fore us, cleared in a very great degree of its errors, and enlarged in their 

 principles, and fortified by more recent observations and discoveries. I 

 must, for the present, confine myself to the following quotations from the 

 first of these high ornaments of our country. All things considered," 

 says Sir Isaac, " it seemss probable that God, in the beginning, formed 

 matter in solid^ massy ^hard^ impenetrable^ moveable particles ; of . such 

 sizes and figures^ and with such other properties^ and in such proportion to 

 space^ as most conduced to the end for which he formed them." So 

 again : " While the primitive and sohd particles of matter continue entire, 

 they may compose bodies of one and the same nature and texture in all 

 ages ; but should they wear away, or break in pieces, the nature of things 

 depending on them would be changed. Water and earth, composed of 

 old worn particles and fragments of particles, would not be of the same 

 nature and texture now, with water and earth composed of entire particles ' 

 at the beginning ; and therefore, that nature may be lasting, the changes 

 of corporeal things are to be placed only in the various separations-, and 

 aesotiatims and rrmtiom of these permanent pai-ticles : compound 



