Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

Sect. 1.

He begins this Chapter with a sentence, which he calls an undoubted truth, and I am confident is most ab∣solute, and not to be doubted falshood; that is, That when

a thing lyes still, unlesse somewhat else stirre it, it will lie still for ever. This proposition is apparently false in all Animals,* 1.1 for every sensitive creature moves its self, and hath the Principles of its own motion in its self, unless the motion be violent; long rest is as unquiet and te∣dious to such Beasts as long labour, and therefore they will rise, and they will move themselves; rise, if for no∣thing else, yet out of a lassitude they have of that lazie condition they were in; and likewise they arise and move to their food and sustenance; so that the case put in that latitude and indefinite term, A thing (without any limitation lyes still, cannot look like a truth, but that it comming from so learned a man,* 1.2 men are ama∣zed at the reading of it. But then go further, and let us view the meanest things, even inanimate bodies; every thing is unquiet out of its proper place, and presseth and indeavours to get to it; and when it is out of its place, will move towards it: Suppose a Plummet of lead hung in the Air by a thred, in time the thred wears, the Plummet changeth its place by falling down to the earth, the Plummet moves its self downward; the breaking of the thred cannot move it, for indeed the pressing of the weight of the Lead, which is out of its place, breaks the thred, and moves both the thred and its self down; so that let any thing lye still, yet it will move its self, if it be out of its place. So likewise in motion upward, Take a Bladder full of Air, lay some∣thing upon it which may keep it under Water, and let it rest there, then remove the Obstacle which kept it down, it will ascend to its proper place above the Wa∣ter; and surely nothing but its self moves it, as is most apparent: so far is this indefinite Axiome from an undoubted truth, that it is most evidently false in all A∣nimal

motions, and in all natural motions, which are of things out of their places.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Animals will move them∣selvs after rest.
• * 1.2

  Every thing will move to∣wards its pro∣per place.