essential to Matter, & c . 15

body opposing that direction either directlyor obliquely: and indeed if matter did notresist all change of direction, it would notresist at all in being brought from motion torest ; since there is no other way of stoppingits motion, but by opposing its direction jand to stop all possible directions of motion,is to stop or hinder all motion: motion inno direction being the fame as no motion,rest. This is still more manifestly plain inwhat is called the composition and resolutiortof forces; for whatever changes the direc-tion of a body in motion, without adding a-new force to it (^), takes off one of the com-pounding forces. Therefore matter is notbarely inactive only in changing the direc-tion of its motion, but, more, it resists allchange of direction; and is as stubborn inpreserving the same direction, as the fame

(e) It will be readily allowed, that in the congress ofunelastick bodies, the direction is changed, without anynew force added: and we shall fee what is to be said ofthe force of restitution in the Clock of elastick bodies, alittle further on. Moreover, next to the giving mattermotion of it self, this is the most fundamental mistakein the Epicurean physicks, to give it a power to changeits own direction. See Lucretius y I. 2. ver. 216 Uver . 221.

degree