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beyond the reach of geometrical demonstration, it will be ne-cessary, according to the foregoing rules delivered to us by SirIsaac Newton, to inquire whether nature, in any of its fixedand invariable operations, favours this theory. It has generallybeen allowed, that those infinitely small particles of matter whichcompose bodies of different forts, have certain inherent powers,of attributes, by which they act at a distance upon each other,and produce by these attributes the far greatest part of the phe-nomena of nature 3 .

Though we have not yet acquired a clear and perfect know-ledge of all the inherent attributes of the first particles of mat-ter,, yet we are certain, from many uncontroverted facts, that ex-tension, solidity, inactivity, mobility, rest, figure, gravity, andthe power of attraction, are peculiar to all bodies, whether greator little, solid, or fluid, and that no power or art can re-

3 Sir Isaac Newton’s Optics, p. 375.

It seems probable to me, that God in the beginning formed matter in solid’,,massy, hard, impenetrable,, moveable particles, of such sizes, and figures, and with.such other properties, and in. such proportion to space, as moss conduced to theend for which he formed them ; and that these primitive particles being solids, areincomparably harder than any porous bodies, compounded of them ; even so veryhard as never to wear or break in pieces: no-ordinary power being able to dividewhat God himself made one in the first creation. While the particles continue:entire, they may compose bodies of one and the fame nature and texture in all ages;but should they wear away, or break in pieces, the nature of things depending onthem would be changed. Water and earths composed of old worn particles, andfragments of particles, would not be of the fame nature and texture now, with wa-ter and earth composed with entire particles in the beginning : and therefore, thafe'nature may be lasting, the change of corporeal things is to be placed only in thevarious separations, and new associations, and motions of these permanent particles - xcompounded bodies being apt to break, not in the midst of solid particles, but wherethose particles are laid together, and.only touch in a. few points.

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