THE Philofophical Grammar: Or, VIEW of Modern Philofophy. PART I. SOMATOLOGY: OR, DOCTRINE of the univerfal Properties of MATTER; and the fpecific Qualities of natural BODIES; with Sir ISAAC NEWTON's Laws of Nature. С НАР. І. SOMATOLOGY, treating of the common Nature and Properties of all natural Bodies. A. HAT do you call Somatology? B. That Part of Phyfiology, which treateth of Matter or Subftance in ge neral, with the Nature and infeparable Properties of all Bodies confifting thereof. A. What is implied in the Original of the Word Somatology? B. The very fame Thing; for it is compofed of the two Greek Words, Zwμala, Bodies, and roy, a Difcourfe; i. e. a Difcourfe of natural Bodies. A. What A. What do you mean by Matter? B. The Subftance, or Effence, of which all Things in the Univerfe doth confist. A. Is there any Difference between what you call Matter, and Body? B. No; excepting only, that the latter is used often in the Plural for the feveral fmall Parts and Divifions of the common Subftance of the Univerfe; i. e. they are called Bodies. A. Is the intimate Nature of Matter to be known? B. No; this is conceal'd from humane Knowledge; all we can difcover of natural Bodies, are fome few Properties and Affections thereof, which are more obvious to our Senfes. A. Is the original Matter of all Bodies the fame ? B. Yes; what the Philofophers call the primary constituent Particles, Atoms, or Corpufcles of Matter, which constitute Bodies of infinite Kinds, are yet the fame, or of the fame Nature, among themselves, in all thofe Bodies. A. And what, is not this the fame Thing as to fay, that Fire and Water, a Flint and Down, Gold and Dung, &c. are the fame Things with refpect to the Matter it felf of which they confift? B. Yes, they are fo; and what then, my Friend? A. What Of Matter, whether finite, eternal. 33 A. What then, why then, I believe, you will have few Difciples amongst the common People; and feveral will think they give it a better Term than it deferves, if they call fuch Affertions philofophical Romancing. B. 'Tis very probable, it may be so; but the real Nature and unchangeable Truth of Things, are still to be infifted on, tho' they are unknown to, and gain no Credit with the Vulgar. A. Is Matter finite, or infinite? B. Finite; and limited within certain Spaces and Bounds in the various Parts of the Universe. A. Do you think Matter is created, or eternal ? B. Naturally, it is impoffible for it to exift from Nothing, by Axiom V. But whether abfolute Nothing, under the Management of omnipotent Power, is capable of being wrought into Existence, or Subftance, without overturning, by wholesale, the Foundations of all Philofophy, I fhall not here determine; nor yet, whether there be any Thing of Blafphemy in afferting it to be eternal; only this, I think, at prefent, that according to the strictest Rules and Axioms of Philofophy, it must be so. A. How is Matter, or Body, commonly confider'd? D > B. As |