92. Besides this difficulty there is another still greater, which is, that bodies which move in a medium have no fixed direction, but vary their motions with the variations of the medium.
If the gravitation of the body A towards the body B, depends only on the motion of the retiring medium, the gravitation will not be in the right line AB, but will follow the undulations described by the medium. This is contrary to experience.
93. From these considerations, it follows that even though the gravitation naturally arises from the position of the bodies, still this necessity would not produce the order which exists, if its results were not subject to certain laws. And, therefore, the phenomena of nature, although founded on a necessity, would still, admitting the existence and position of bodies, be contingent in all that relates to the application of this necessity.
94. Going still deeper into this matter, we find that the tendency to approximation, although necessary, is not sufficient either to produce motion or to preserve it.
Whenever one body moves, it is always necessary that another should follow it, in order to preserve the contiguity; but, there being no vacuum, there is no reason why any body should move, and consequently, no cause of motion.
Therefore, geometrical ideas are not sufficient to explain the origin of motion, but we must look for its cause elsewhere. Contiguity being a metaphysical necessity, if the body A moves in any direction, the contiguous bodies B and C must also move; but if the contiguity already existed, there is no reason why the body A should begin to move, nor, consequently, why the bodies B and C should follow its motion.
At any instant whatever, if we suppose motion, we must suppose contiguity; for the state of the question supposes this condition always present, as being metaphysically necessary. There is then no reason why the motion should at any time be prolonged; for the bodies being at every instant contiguous there is no reason for its continuation. The motion of the body A draws with it the body B; B draws C, and so on. Now, if the motion of the body B has no other origin than its contiguity to A, the motion of C has no other origin than its contiguity to B. The cause of the motion is only not to interrupt the contiguity; this contiguity always existing as is absolutely necessary, there is no reason why the motion should begin, or after it has begun, why it should continue.
95. The laws of nature cannot then be explained by geometrical and metaphysical ideas, although we suppose approximation to be an intrinsical necessity of bodies. Under any supposition it is necessary to seek out of matter a superior cause which impresses, regulates, and continues motion.