ftic e not distinct quifite omena, without Fæther ht from Tom the ous mo Why or why y a parti and attract Indic cryoms is acit not as bodies by neral laws phanome thefis,and Thofe who plained the Is, may not ed principles e may from not follow, nd from the or inftance, nftituent mi ach other and d recede, one : which is in s, and admit must follow. that pro that the density and elaftic force of fuch fluid are in the inverfe proportion of the space it occupies when compreffed by any force; yet, we cannot reciprocally infer, that a fluid endued with this perty must therefore confift of fuch fuppofed equal particles; for it would then follow, that the conflituent particles of air were of equal denfities and diameters; whereas it is certain, that air is an he-' terogeneous mafs, containing in its compofition an infinite variety of exhalations, from the dif ferent bodies which make up this terraqueous globe.bille ر 229. The phænomena of light, animal fpirit, miufcular motion, fermentation, vegetation, and other natural operations, feem to require nothing more than the intellectual and artificial fire of Heraclitus, Hippocrates, the Stoics (a), and' -other ancients. Intellect, fuperadded to ætherial fpirit, fire, or light, moves, and moves regularly, proceeding, in a method as the Stoics, or increafing and diminishing by measure, as Heraclitus eexpreffed it. The Stoics held that fire compre hended and included the fpermatic reafons or forms ↑ (NOXES THERMATIXY's) of all natural things. As the forms of things have their ideal exiffence in the intellect, fo it fhould feem that feminal principles 3 have their natural exiftence in the light (b), a meedium confifting of heterogeneous parts, differing from each other in divers qualities that appear to fenfe, and not improbably having many original properties, attractions, repulfions and motions, the laws and natures whereof are indifcernible to us, otherwife than in their remote effects. And this animated heterogeneous fire fhould feema more adequate caufe, whereby to explain the phe nomena of nature, than one uniform Idium a felds 230.Ariftotle indeed excepts aga ments being animated. Yet nothing that power of the foul, ftyled by or locomotive, may not refide therei direction of an intellect, in fuch fo properly as it is faid, to refide in at It must nevertheless be owned, the philofopher acknowledgeth a divine gy in fire, yet to fay that fire is a having a foul it fhould not be alive, equally abfurd. See his fecond boo bus animalium. 231. The laws of attraction and to be regarded as laws of motion, a as rules or methods obferved in the p natural effects, the efficient and final of are not of mechanical confideratio ly, if the explaining a phænomen fign its proper efficient and final fhould feem the mechanical philof explained any thing; their provinc to difcover the laws of nature, that ral rules and methods of motion, an for particular phænomena by reduci der, or fhewing their conformity to rules, so fo -232. Some corpufcularian philofo laft age, have indeed attempted to ex mation of this world and its phænom fimple laws of mechanifm. But if the various productions of nature, ral, vegetable and animal parts of I believe we fhall fee caufe to affirm, (a) 154m 1:55, 160. IAN ne. ele why στικής TIXE -the nd as odies. that - enerr that to him party on are fe only tions of s where Certain e to af = (a), ers never ing only the gene- them un v a few e confider one of them has hitherto been, or can be account ཁ 3233. Others fuppofe that God did more at the beginning, having then made the feeds of all ve getables and animals, containing their folid organical parts in miniature, the gradual filling and evolution of which, by the influx of proper juices, doth conftitute the generation and growth of a living body. So that the artificial structure of plants and animals daily generated, requires no prefent exercife of art to produce it, having been already framed at the origin of the world, which with all its parts hath ever fince fubfifted going like a clock or machine by itfelf, according to the laws of nature, without the immediate hand of the artift, But how can this hypothefis explain the blended features of different fpecies in mules and other mongrels? or the parts added or changed, and fometimes whole limbs loft by marking in the womb? or how can it account for the refur rection of a tree from its ftump, or the vegetative power in its cutting in which cafes we much neceffarily conceive fomething more than the mere evolution of a feed. ཏི 1 3234. Mechanical laws of nature or motion dis rect us how to act, and teach us what to expect Where intellect prefides, there will be method and order, and therefore rules, which if not stated 3. and and conftant would ceafe to be rules therefore a conftancy in things, whi the courfe of nature (a). All the ph nature are produced by motion. Ther uniform working in things great and attracting and repelling forces. But lar laws of attraction and repulfion Nor are we concerned at all about the ther can we know or measure them ot by their effects, that is to fay, the mo motions only, and not the forces, a the bodies (b). Bodies are moved to o other, and this is performed according laws. The natural or mechanic phi deavours to difcover those laws by exp reafoning. But what is faid of force bodies whether attracting or repellin regarded only as a mathematical hyp not as any thing really exifting in nat 235. We are not therefore ferioufl with certain mechanic philofophers, nute particles of bodies have real ford by which they act on each other, to various phænomena in nature. The pufcles are impelled and directed, th moved to and from each other accord rules or laws of motion. The law magnetifm, and electricity are div is not known, what other different of motion might be established, by nature. Some bodies approach tog fly afunder, and perhaps fome other When falt of tartar flows per deliqui ble that the particles of water float S zd in an by -cu ous. than er en ent and ling in s to be is, and fuppofe - the mi is to fay, f gravity, 34 are moved towards the particles of falt, and joined with them. And when we behold vulgar falt not to flow per deliquium, may we not conclude that the fame law of nature and motion doth not obtain between it's particles and thofe of the floating vapours? A drop of water affumes a round figure, because it's parts are moved towards each other. But the particles of oil and vinegar have no fuch difpofition to unite. And when flies walk in water without wetting their feet, it is attributed to a repelling force or faculty in the fly's feet. But this is obfcure, though the phænomenon be plain. 236. It is not improbable, and feems not unfupported by experiments, that, as in algebra, where pofitive quantities ceafe there negative begin, even fo in mechanics, where attracting forces ceafe there repelling forces begin; or (to exprefs it more properly) where bodies ceafe to be moved towards, they begin to be moved from each other. This Sir Ifaac Newton infers from the production of air and vapours, whofe particles fly afunder with fuch vehement force. We behold iron move towards the loadftone, ftraws, towards amber, heavy bodies towards the earth. The laws of thefe motions are various. And when it is faid, that all the motions and changes in the great world arise fromattraction; the elafticity of the air, the motion of water, the defcent of heavy, and the afcent of light bodies, being all afcribed to the fame principle; when from infenfible attractions of moft minute particles at the fmalleft diftance, are derived cohefion, diffolution, coagulation, animal fecretion, fermentation, and all chemical operations; and when it is faid, that without fuch principles there never would have been any motion in the world, and without the |