Text: While the foregoing essay is for the most part suggestive, it is claimed for it, that, to some extent, it is demonstrative. It is thought that Newton, when he went beyond the description of motion and ascribed a cause, viz: that every particle of matter is attracted by every other particle, with a force inversely proportional to the squares of their distances, as if the principle of movement was inherent in matter itself, advanced a theory, but did not establish a truth. In applying his principle he stated, as to planetary motion, that bodies under the influence of it will, in gravitating toward each other, move in orbits concave to each other, and included the paths of the ellipse, the parabola, the hyperbola, etc. Now, he was compelled, to perfect the orbits of planets, to bring in to his assistance another principle of motion, viz: that of reaction being equal to action, or that a body moved toward a center of force will, by accumulated force, pass that center, and proceed an equal distance in an opposite direction. While this principle is true, it is also true that a body attracted toward a center of force can not be supposed to react except from that center, after having attained to it - as in Section III, no reaction from the force of gravitation can be conceived of until the spiral curve a b a' o is prolonged until it arrive at s, the center of force, from whence, alone, the effect of reaction can take place. If, in the application of the principle of gravitation, but a fractional portion of the work to be performed can be accomplished, it may be that the principle is false as a whole. It is certainly more reasonable to say that particle of matter are compelled to movement by vital force, or what we esteem a principle of life, proceeding from a vital source; and this is enforced, when we come to consider that new sources of motion have to be found whenever there is change from some original path. Motion can be conceived of a continuing in a right line, or in the path of a circle, but not to the completion of an ellipse, unless by some device for change of direction. If this device be found in difference of effect of force upon the different masses of which a planet, as the earth, is composed, then alternation of space of force, to perfect a reciprocating movement, is to be provided for - and so on, for one irregularity after another until we are forced back to some one point where force and matter become but the creature of Will possessed of Intelligence.

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Source: 159