60 ./f vis inertiae

effect could have been produced. Either itmust have been stopped on coming to contactwith the smallest atom, since it had no forceto carry that along with it; and thus all thebodies in the universe, upon coming to comtact, would have remained one motionless,torpid lump; or else, since other bodies had nopower to resist, although it had no power toimpel them, they must have all hurried on,through the immensity of space, in one uni-form direction for ever. Thus it appears noconsistent effect could have been produced;nothing that is intelligible or possible; andthat the tendency in body not to change itsstate, not to be active, is yet the reason whybody acts on body, as was asserted in N° i o<and that without this stubborn inactivity, thematerial world, this great system of visiblethings, would have been something inconcei-vable and impossible ; since motion in it couldhave had no possible effect. From this W 6might be led to fee that matter must resist 0change of its state of rest or motion, as it is 2solid extended substance: but first let us stopa little, to fee how far we have broughtthe controversy with the Atheist.

XXII, By what is said it appears that hi*4 sinking