1^1 
tiOY cm the Gldds oi the Sm and Planets othtvwiik be dc^ 
ftroyed, but by taking from them this power of keeping 
their parts united. 
The AfFeftions or Ifroperties of Gravity^ and its manner 
of afting upon Bt^^/Vi/ii^z/^^, have been in a great meafurc 
difcoveredj and nioft of them made out by Mathematical de- 
monfirationivithkoviv Century^ by the accurate diligence of 
GaliUusy Torricellms^ HugemuSy and others, and now lately 
by our worthy Country-man Mx. J faac Newton, ( who has 
an incomparable Treatife Motion almoft. ready for the 
Vrefs ) which Properties it may be vei7 material here to 
enumerate, that they may ferve tor a Foundation to all thofe 
that fhall be willing to ipend their Thoughts in fearch of 
the true Caufc of this ^^yi'^/?^ of BtJ^/Vy. 
The firft Property is, That by this principle of Gravita- 
tioHy all Bodies do deicend towards a Point, which either 
is, or elft is very near to the Center of ik%/;/>W^ of the 
Earth ditid Sea^ about which the ^Sf^ forms it felf exadly into 
zSfherical furface^ and the Prominmces oi t\\Q LandyCon^^r^ 
dering the Bulk of the whole, differ but infenfibly there- 
from. - ■ : -■ ) " ::. :: , . ; . • i..'. 
Secondly^ That this Point or Center of Gravitation^ is fixt 
-.within the Earthy or at leaft has been ever fince we have 
my Juthmick Hifiory : For a Confequence of its Change, 
tho' never fb little, would be the over-flowing of the low 
Lands on that fide of the Glohe towards which it approached, 
and the leaving new Iflands bare on the oppofite fide, from 
which it receded; but for this Two thouiand years it ap- 
pears, that the low Iflands of the Mediterranean Sea ( near 
to which the ancienLcfl: Writers lived ) have continued much 
at the (ame height above the Water, as. they now are found i 
and no Inundations or hecefj^s of the Sea arguing any/ luch 
Change, are Recorded in Hifl:ory ; excepting the Vniverfal 
Ddugey wnich can no better way be accounted for, than by 
fuppofing tliis Cmt^L o( Gravitation removed for a time, to- 
wards tiie middle of the then inhabited parts of the Wo:rld ; 
