Page:Experimentsnotes00boyl.pdf/20

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not that Mechanical Principles are the necessary and onely things whereby Qualities may be explained, but that probably they will be found sufficient for their explication. And since these are confessedly more manifest and more intelligible than substantial Forms and other Scholastic Entities (if I may so call them) 'tis obvious, what the consequence will be of our not being oblig'd to have recourse to things, whose existence is very disputable, and their nature very obscure.

There are several ways that may be employed, some on one occasion, and some on another, either more directly to reduce Qualities (as well as divers other things in nature) to Mechanical Principles; or, by shewing the insufficiency of the Peripatetic and Chymical Theories of Qualities, to recommend the Corpuscularian Doctrine of them.

For further Illustration of this Point, I shall adde on this occasion, that there are three distinct sorts of Experiments (besides other proofs) that may be reasonably employ'd, (though they be not equally efficacious) when we treat of the Origine of Qualities. For some Instances may be brought to shew, that the propos'd Quality may be Mechanically introduc'd into a portion of matter, where itwas