Text: AMONG the chief principles received by, and as science, pertaining to the relations of force in nature to matter, is that laid down by Sir Isaac Newton, viz: that every particle of matter has the property attraction for every other particles, and that the law is, that as between masses of matter, attraction is directly as the mass and inversely as the square of the distance. Is this a true statement? Has it ever been demonstrated so as to be beyond criticism? If it is not a true statement, it may serve a mischievous end in obstructing inquiry in a broad field of nature, perhaps capable of making large returns.

See Also: ATTRACTION; GRAVITY

Source: 159