Page:The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy - 1729 - Volume 1.djvu/34

Rh till philoophy is quite cleared and diencumbred of all caues.

Some there are who ay that gravity is præternatural, and call it a perpetual miracle. Therefore they would have it rejected, becaue præternatural caues have no place in phyics. It is hardly worth while to pend time in anwering this ridiculous objection which overturns all philoophy. For either they will deny gravity to be in bodies; which cannot be aid; or ele, they will therefore call it præternatural becaue it is not produced by the other affections of bodies, and therefore not by mechanical caues. But certainly there are primary affections of bodies; and thee, becaue they are primary, have no dependence on the others. Let them conider whether all thee are not in like manner præternatural, and in like manner to be rejected; and then what kind of philoophy we are like to have.

Some there are who dilike this celetial phyics becaue it contradicts the opinions of Des Cartes, and eems hardly to be reconciled with them. Let thee enjoy their own opinion; but let them act fairly; and not deny the ame liberty to us which they demand for themelves. Since the Newtonian Philoophy appears true to us, let us have the liberty to embrace and retain it, and to follow caues proved by phænomena, rather than caues only imagined, and not yet proved. The buines of true philoophy is to derive the natures of things from caues truly exitent; and to enquire after thoe laws on which the Great Creator actually choe to found this mot beautiful Frame of the World; not thoe by which he might have done the ame, had he o pleaed. It is reaonable enough to uppoe that from everal Rh