ESSAY I. 345' inactive in itself, but cannot possibly have activity given to it by any means ; for it contains an idea of everlasting inactivity, and an impossibility of action : Wheresoever there is action there is something besides space, even some other being: Space therefore can never be the idea of the nature or substance of God, whose nature is necessarily and for ever active, and whose existence ceases when his activity ceases. SECT. X.-A Re-examination whether Space has any real Properties. LET us examine yet further the supposed properties and powers of space, and consider' whether they be real or no. Thefirst supposed property of space is extension, or length, breadth and depth ; but let us remember what is our original idea of space, and how we came by it. Have we not found that our first idea of it is emptiness, or absence of body or matter in a room or vessel, whose sides are distant ? Then we call this absence of matter, or this emptiness, long, broad, and deep, i. e. there is no matter or body there. And when we say, that some part of space is a yard or a mile long, we mean only that body is absent for a yard or a mile, or there is emptinessfor a yard or a mile together, or that emptiness reaches a mile or ten thousand miles beyond the universe ; that is, there is no matter or body there. This is the common idea of mankind. And thus we come to ascribe the properties of being to a mere nothing-; and let this be well observed, that if we were never so sure that there were no being at all there, as we are sure there is no body, yet we should have the very same idea of space as we have now, i. e. a long, broad, and deep emptiness, or absence ofbeing ; and that body which is long, broad and deep, might be placed there. But this leads our thoughts to the next particular. The second supposed property of space is a capacity to re- ceive bodies into it. But if this matter be searched to the bottom, perhaps it will be found that space is no otherwise capable of re- ceiving body into it, than as the emptiness of a vessel makes it . capable of receiving liquor, as darkness is capable of receiving light, or than assound may be admitted where before was silence; that is, that something may be introduced or received wherethere was nothing before. And it, is much in the same manner that privation is exalted to be one of the three famous principles of being among the Aristotelian philosophers, viz. natter, form, and privation. Ridiculous principle indeed ! which signifies no more, than that where any new form or quality is introduced intomatter, there must be an absence of that very quality or form before it is introduced ; so when body is admitted or introduced into space, it is necessary there must be no body there before; and where the first light is introduced, there must be antecedent darkness.
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