The principles of natural philosophy: with some remarks upon the fundamental principles of the Newtonian philosophy. In a introductory letter to Sir Hildebrand Jacob, Bart.

Date:
1754
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles of natural philosophy: with some remarks upon the fundamental principles of the Newtonian philosophy. In a introductory letter to Sir Hildebrand Jacob, Bart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    IX. Units are at the fame time capable of per- fed mobility. For as they cannot move themfelves, or alter their place ; fo they have in themfelves not the leaft refiftance to motion, or to be continual¬ ly altering their ftation while they are impelled. Therefore in our fyftem, the matter which fub- fifts without any cohefion of its atoms muft be by far the moil adive. X. Atoms can have no elafticity. They have no parts to recoil, and to reverberate upon their being impelled. That property of matter implies parts, interfaces ; thefe interfaces repleniflied with fome adive fluid, and a refiftance to motion : none of which atoms have. XL Atoms can have no attrading or impelling powers, &V. To fuppofe them to have fuch, is todeftroy another property, which by the philofo- phers is afcribed to matter; namely, the vis iner¬ tia. For if the firft principles of matter attrad one another, that is endowing them with a vis motus, or a power of moving towards one another. If fuch a thing there be as attradion, it muft- be either a material property, or a fpiritual one. If it is a material one, an atom cannot be poflefled of it. It cannot move itfelf. It conflfts of no parts, therefore cannot detach fubtiler parts to draw its fellows into contad. If it is a fpiritual operation, F then
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