Peripateticall institutions. In the way of that eminent person and excellent philosopher Sr. Kenelm Digby. The theoricall part. Also a theologicall appendix of the beginning of the world. / By Thomas White Gent.

LESSON XVIII.

Of the Primum Mobile, the Duration, and Quiddity of the World.

1. BUt, because this fire, which bursts out from the Sun's bowells, is it self mov'd, too: either this Motion, which is the Mother of all other, must spring from it self; or else we must come to an incorporeall Agent.

2. But, that Bodies which rest, how ma∣ny soever they are, cannot start of them∣selves into Motion, is most evident: For, being suppos'd to rest, all their intrinse∣calls are suppos'd, without that effect which is call'd Motion: Since, therefore, all things remaining the very same in the causes, there cannot be any change in the effect; and yet, supposing Motion, there would be a change; 'tis plain, there cannot any Motion spring out of them, without altering first somewhat in the causes, that is, in the Bodies.

3. Moreover, every part of Motion being a new effect, the same evidence convinces that motion cannot be continu'd, without some Cause be suppos'd continually alte∣ring the First Body, on which depend the motions of all the rest.

4. Since, therefore, we have pursu'd the Originall of motion into the very bowells of the Sun: we must conclude, that there is a Mover of another nature, viz. an incor∣poreall, from whom Fire receiv's the power of moving; who, being of an immovable Nature, establishes the Centre of the Sun, that it may be the Fixer and, as it were, Basis of all things rouling about it.

5. That Motion cannot be infi∣nite, the same argument convinces which made it plain before, that all Permanent Quantity is finite: For, sup∣pose backwards from this instant or now wherein we are, an infinite Time already past, there must be infinite hours past; some one, therefore, will be infinite others distant from us; and, in that one, a deter∣minate now, which, with this present instant, must enclose an infinite on both sides.

6. Nor, if the computation be made for∣wards, will the reason differ: for, there must still be infinite hours to come; and one of them will be infinite others distant from us; and, in that one, a certain now termina∣ting an infinite, which is impossible, where∣as yet, what is future is, in that very respect, possible.

7. The World, therefore, is neither

from nor to eternity: because, the world in∣cludes the motion of bodies passing on in a de∣terminate order, and, as it were, consists in this. 'Twas, therefore, created; but, not for it self: for, if it could have deserv'd to be made for its own beauties sake; upon the same title, it would endure for ever. It rests, therefore, that 'twas made for some∣thing else; which cannot be successive, since the same evidence, with which we have disputed about motion, con∣vinces that no successive thing can be eternall. The World, therefore, is made for some permanent thing: but, there's no∣thing permanent found in Nature, except the Rationall soul, for whose sake the world could exist: Spirits, therefore, born in bo∣dies and perfected in them, (not such as are purely abstracted from body, who have no use of corporeall instruments) are the End for which the world was made.

8. And, the world is nothing but a kind of vast wombe, in which these Spirits may be begotten and brought up; which has so many Cells as there are severall Races of these Spirits. Our Cell is the Earth we inhabit: the Cells of the rest are those masses of the Celestiall bodies; except the Solar ones, which are the basest of all the

rest, and, as far as we can guesse, only mini∣steriall.

9. The Quantity of the world, both for its Extension and Duration, is such as may fitly serve for the breeding up so many differences of Spirits: providing the Cells, according to the severall kinds; and gi∣ving every Cell the bignesse and duration which was sufficient for the number the Architect design'd.

10. The Figure of the world is not ren∣dred uneven, either with hollownesses or jettings out; since, the notion of Vacuum excludes both these: Wherefore, 'tis ei∣ther Sphericall, or of some other Curviline∣all figure, which, most concisely, covers and encompasses so many and such great Cells.

11. The exteriour rimme of it is not compos'd of any solid body, but of thinnest Vapours exhal'd out of the outmost bodies: unlesse, perhaps, there be reserv'd in na∣ture some farther use of the Outmost bo∣dy, which we know not of.

Notes

• Les. 1. n. 1.
• N. 5. 6.