3 6 AN ENQUIRY CONCERNING SPACE. I grant the modes of speaking concerning the capacity of space to receive body, are more familiar to our ears than the capacity of darkness to receive light ; but perhaps in truth both those expressions signify no more, than that body or light may be brought in where there was space or darkness before. In the third place, we have been ready to say, that space penetrates all body, and is itself penetrable by body ; that bo- dies canexist where space is and fill up the self-same room ; as thoughbodyand space were two-extended and co-existent beings. But perhaps it is a very improper thing to say spacepenetrates body or matter, for we might as well say light penetrates shadow ; whereas in truth, where light comes shadow ceases and is no more, for light excludes it. May it not be as natural and just therefore to suppose that space can never penetrate matter, but that wheresoever matter is, there space is not ? Doth not space vanish or cease utterly when and where bodycomes ? I am sure empty space ceases, and does not penetrate matter, and I know of no space but empty space. And here by the way I might observe, that for this very reason space cannot be God; for space is really nullified where body comes. But no part of God can be nullified. To talk of mutual penetration of matter and space, is a mere term of art invented to maintain the existence of space, where sense and rea- son join to declare there is none. For in truth, where body ex- isfs space is not, and it only then appears to be what it really was before, that is, an empty nothing. Space is no more, and is en- tirely lost, when body is placed in the room of emptiness. Thus space and emptiness are all one, and perhaps areas mere a nothing as shadow or darkness. - Afourth attribute or property allowed to space, is immen- sity or infinity ; but though space seem to beinfinite or immense, yet it is not really and positively so ; for wheresoever body is, there space is not ; and therefore space is not every where, and then it cannot be absolutelyinfinite. Wheresoever this material world is, space is excluded, is as it were nullified, and is not : now it wouldbe a marvellous idea indeed, to suppose space all round beyond this world to be a real, positive, immense or infi- nite being, and yet to have such vast nullifies of space in the very centre and bosom of it where this world lies ; this would destroy the complete infinity of it, and seclude it far from the idea of a God, as being utterly unworthy of him. And yet further, if this world, or any part of, it were an- nihilated, then space or emptiness would be larger than it was before; that is, emptiness would be increased ; but this is too mean and too changeable an idea to make any pretences to godhead. Again ; afifth supposed attribute of space is indivisibility;
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