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CHAP. XVII.
Epicurus his Atomes rejected by nineteen reasons.
BEcause the Doctor speaks oftentimes in his Book of Epi∣curean Atomes, which first were hatched in the brains of Leucippus, then entertained by Democritus, and by him recom∣mended to his Scholar Epicurus; and because some giddy heads of this age loathing wholsome doctrine, desire to embrace any trash, like women troubled with the Pica, who preferre ashes, chalk, coals, tarre, and such like stuffe, to nourishing meats. I will propose to the Readers view, the absurdities of this whim∣sical opinion concerning Atomes, that they may see how little reason there is to fil young brains with such empty phantosms, and to reject Aristotles wholsome and approved Doctrine of Principles. The inventers of these Atomes at first, out of a vain-glory that they might seem singular, rejected the common received principles of naturall Bodies, obtruding on the World their idle dreams; which are greedily embraced by the vain-glorious wits of this age, but upon what grounds let us see: 1. Either many bodies are made up of one atome, or one body of many atomes. But neither are true; not the first, be∣cause an atome is indivisible; not the second, because they cannot unite together in respect of vacuity in which they are distant from each other. 2. It is a maxime among them (saith Aristotle) That there is no passibility but by the means of vacuity. Now atomes have no vacuity in them, because they make them solid, therefore they are not subject to passibi∣lity; it will follow then, that where there is no passion, there can be no action; for passion is the reception of action, and therefore where no patient is, there no agent can be, because that is wanting on which the agent should act. Hence it will follow, that where there is no action and passion, there can be no generation. 3. There can be no action where there is no contrariety; but contrary qualities are not in atomes: for Leucippus (as Aristotle saith) placed heat in them, but not cold; hardnesse, but not softnesse; gravity, but not levity. 4. These Atomists contradict themselves: for they hold their atomes impassible, and yet place in them degrees of qualities, making some heavier then others; by which it will follow, that some atomes are hotter then others, and consequently they cannot act one upon another: For the greater heat acts upon the