ejseniial to Matter, k 4H

resistance is, no force needs be bestowed to

overcome

For every one fees that, according to merely mechani-cal action, they should impinge most on the densestbody; especially since it is nearest, and since their pow-er must decrease as the squares of the distances fromthe magnet increase. To alledge attraction here, is t»alledge immaterial power exerted : since matter cannotaH where it is not. And if, on any hypothesis, an im-material cause must intervene; it will be needless to urgethis instance in defence of a gravitating fluid supposedto be mechanical.

The instance of the fun’s gravitating power beingtranf-mitted to the very centers of the planets , is the instancein debate, and cannot therefore be well urged to proveitself. It is contended that this gravitation is not thepower of the fun. The fun, like every other body,can have no other power but a vis inertia. And whenit is asserted, ilyat this power acts upon the very centersof the planets , as if the part on which it a£ls were notsurrounded with the dense body of the planet ; this is toown, I think, that this cannot be the action of matterUpon matter; but rather the action of an immaterialcause upon it.

As to what is said of a medium being so rare , &c.there is no doubt a medium may be rare in any assign-able proportion with respect to a given body, as gold:but a medium which impels bodies according to theirquantity of solid matter, must be as dense as the very. densest body it impels, that every particle in the bodymay receive its impulse from the particles of this medi-um. And it avails nothing to contrive hypotheses con*Vol. I. E cerning