essential to Matter, &c. 77

which all turns in the present subject, is theproving that a vis inertia, or resistance to achange of its present state of rest or motionis essential to matter; let me be permitted togive another very short and easy way of bring-ing out this conclusion, which is as follows.Matter resists either by its internal conjlitu -tion, as it is a solid extended substance ; orfrom the influence and operation oi somethingexternal. To begin with the last of these,if matter resists from the influence of someexternal cause, it is either the power of animmaterial Being constantly exerted upon it,or from the impulse of other matter. Nowif any man, in order to avoid being forcedto own that resistance is essential to matter,should fay it rejifts by the power of an imma-terial being constantly exerted upon it, thatway he incurs the very thing he would deny,and which I contend for. And it would bestrangely perverse to deny the resistance of*matter, lest the existence of an immaterialBeing should be evinced; and yet to own animmaterial Being, in order to deny the resis-tance of matter. This therefore cannot besaid ; but if it should, the cause is given up.And if one should fay in the next place, thatmatter resist not internally, but by the external

impulse