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Chap. 63. Whether motion is a thing, or nothing, or can be Annihilated
SOme have opinion that Motion is nothing, but to my reason it is a thing; for if matter, is a substance, a substance is a thing, and the motion, and matter being unseparablely, united, makes it but one thing.
For as there could be no motion without such a degree, or extract of matter so there could be no such degree or ex∣tract* 1.1 of matter without motion, thus motion is a thing. But by reason particular motions leave moving in such matters and figures, shall we say they are deceased, dead, or be∣come nothing; but say some, motions are accidents, and acci∣dents are nothing; but I say, all accidents live in substance, as all effects in the causes, say some, when a man for ex∣ample shakes his hand, and when he leaves shaking, whether is that motion gone (say others) no where, for that parti∣cular motion ceaseth to be, say they.
I answer, that my reason tells me, it is neither fled a∣way, nor ceased to be, for it remains in the hand, and in that matter that created the hand, that is in that, and the like in∣nated matter, that is in the hand. But some will say, the hand never moves so again, but I say the motion is never the lesse there, they may as well say, when they have seen a Chest full of Gold, or the like, and when their eyes are shut, or that they never see it more, that the Gold doth not lie in the Chest, although the Gold may lie there eternally, or if they should see it again, say it is not the same Gold. So like∣wise particular motions are, but shewed, not lost, or Annihila∣ted: or say one should handle a vessel often, that every time you handle the vessel, it is not the same touch, vessel, or hand, and if you never touch the vessel again, that the hand, vessel, or touch is annihilated.
But particular motion, as the vessels, or hand is but used, not annihilated, for particular motions can be no more an∣nihilated, then particular figures that are dissolved and how, in reason can we say in reason particular figures are Annihilated, when every part and parcel, grain, and atome, remains in infinite matter, but some will say, when a house: for example, is pull'd down, by taking asunder the materials, that very figure of that house is annihilated; but my opini∣on is, that it is not, for that very figure of that house remains in those materials, and shal do eternally although those materi∣als were dissolved into Atoms, and every Ato me in a several place, part, or figure & though infinite figures should be made by those materials by several dissolutions and Creations, yet those infinites would remain in those particular materials eternally, and was there from all eternity; And if any of those figures