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body, it exerts its influence, fo long as it is lodged 
there, every way around, and, by preflure or otherwife, 
^lCts upon another body within the fphere of its in- 
fluence. If it meets with no refiftance, it enters this 
other body, and from this begins to aCt, as it did from 
the former. In the mean while, the counteracting 
power prevailing in this other body, the like effects 
will be produced: and thus thefe two bodies, by 
means of their correfponding powers, will continue 
to aCt upon each other, till their powers be reduced 
to an equal ballance. 
Did electricity confifl but of one power, after an 
experimental inquiry into the laws according to which 
it aCted, we might, upon that principle, be able to 
account for the phenomena of electricity.. But if two 
diflinCt and counteracting powers prevail, as appears 
to me to be evident from the preceding experiments 
and obfervations, in that cafe, it will be impoflible to 
give a complete and confident theory of electricity, 
but upon the principle of two fuch powers. Nor will 
this principle be found, upon due confideration, to 
difagree with the general fyflem of nature. It is one 
of the fundamental laws of nature, that aCtion and 
re-aCtion are infeparable and equal. And, when we 
look around, we find that every power, that is exerted 
in the material world, meets with a counteracting 
power, that controls and regulates its effeCts, fo as 
to anfwer the wife purpofes of Providence. 
