Qu. 31. Have Not The Small Particles

Our Present Work Sets Forth Mathematical Principles Of Philosophy. For The Basic Problem Of Philosophy Seems To Be To Discover The Forces Of Nature From The Phenomena Of Motions And Then To Demonstrate The Other Phenomena From These Forces. It Is To These Ends That The General Propositions In Books 1 And 2 Are Directed, While In Book 3 Our Explanation Of The System Of The World Illustrates These Propositions.

If The Ancient Churches, In Debating And Deciding The Greatest Mysteries Of Religion, Knew Nothing Of These Two Texts, I Understand Not Why We Should Be So Fond Of Them Now The Debate Is Over.

As I Am Writing, Another Illustration Of Ye Generation Of Hills Proposed Above Comes Into My Mind. Milk Is As Uniform A Liquor As Ye Chaos Was. If Beer Be Poured Into It & Ye Mixture Let Stand Till It Be Dry, The Surface Of Ye Curdled Substance Will Appear As Rugged & Mountanous As The Earth In Any Place.

I See I Have Made Myself A Slave To Philosophy, But If I Get Free Of Mr. Linus's Business I Will Resolutely Bid Adew To It Eternally, Excepting For What I Do For My Private Satisfaction Or Leave To Come Out After Me. For I See A Man Must Either Resolve To Put Out Nothing New Or To Become A Slave To Defend It.

Definition Of Inertia: 'the Vis Insita, Or Innate Force Of Matter, Is A Power Of Resisting By Which Every Body, As Much As In It Lies, Endeavours To Preserve Its Present State, Whether It Be Of Rest Or Of Moving Uniformly Forward In A Straight Line.