eral rest, ANNIHILATE either this book or the body of him that reads
it, must necessarily admit the possibility of a vacuum. For, it is
evident that the space that was filled by the parts of the annihilated
body will still remain, and be a space without body. For the
circumambient bodies being in perfect rest, are a wall of adamant, and
in that state make it a perfect impossibility for any other body to get
into that space. And indeed the necessary motion of one particle of
matter into the place from whence another particle of matter is removed,
is but a consequence from the supposition of plenitude; which will
therefore need some better proof than a supposed matter of fact, which
experiment can never make out;--our own clear and distinct ideas plainly
satisfying that there is no necessary connexion between space and
solidity, since we can conceive the one without the other. And those who
dispute for or against a vacuum, do thereby confess they have distinct
IDEAS of vacuum and plenum, i. e. that they have an idea of extension
void of solidity, though they deny its EXISTENCE; or else they dispute
about nothing at all. For they who so much alter the signification
of words, as to call extension body, and consequently make the whole
essence of body to be nothing but pure extension without solidity, must
talk absurdly whenever they speak of vacuum; since it is impossible for
extension to be without extension. For vacuum, whether we affirm or deny
its existence, signifies space without body; whose very existence no one
can deny to be possible, who will not make matter infinite, and take
from God a power to annihilate any particle of it.

23. Motion proves a Vacuum.

But not to go so far as beyond the utmost bounds of body in the
universe, nor appeal to God's omnipotency to find a vacuum, the motion
of bodies that are in our view and neighbourhood seems to me plainly
to evince it. For I desire any one so to divide a solid body, of any
dimension he pleases, as to make it possible for the solid parts to move
up and down freely every way within the bounds of that superficies, if
there be not left in it a void space as big as the least part into which
he has divided the said solid body. And if, where the least particle of
the body divided is as big as a mustard-seed, a void space equal to the
bulk of a mustard-seed be requisite to make room for the free motion
of the parts of the divided body within the bounds of its superficie