God in the beginning formed matter in solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, movable particles, of such sizes and figures, and with such other properties, and in such proportion to space, as most conduced to the end for which he formed them.

This sentence comes from Newton’s later reflections on natural philosophy, where he tried to reconcile the new mechanical science with a theistic account of creation. In the early 18th century, Newton’s physics (especially the Principia) had transformed the study of motion and gravitation, but he also wrote extensively on matter, optics, and theology. In the “Queries” appended to later editions of Opticks, Newton speculated about the constitution of bodies and the forces acting between their parts. The remark about God forming “solid, massy, hard, impenetrable” particles reflects Newton’s corpuscular view of matter and his conviction that the orderly structure of nature ultimately points to divine design.

Newton is asserting that matter is composed of discrete, durable particles endowed with specific geometrical and physical properties, and that these properties are not accidental but purposive. The language links early modern atomism/corpuscularianism to natural theology: the basic features of matter (hardness, impenetrability, mobility, size, figure, and proportion in space) are presented as intentionally chosen to make the world function as it does. Philosophically, the line shows Newton resisting purely self-sufficient materialism; even while explaining nature through laws and forces, he frames the fundamental constitution of matter as grounded in a rational creator. It also anticipates later debates about whether physics implies design or can remain metaphysically neutral.