as illiiſe that Change? Thus he continued for feveral Mears, arguing pro and con about this Matter; and 2 tent many Arguments offer'd themſelves on both des, ſo that neither of theſe two Opinions in his Naagment over-balanc'd the other.: 5, 3b ect. 50. This put him vo a great deal of Trouble, kich made him begin to conſider with himſelt, what here the Conſequences which did follow from each f theſe Opinions. and that perhaps they might be Worth alike. And he perceiv'd, that if he held that nin de World was created in Time. and exiſted after a nit! Privation, it would neceffarily follow from ts; hence, chat it could not exiſt of irfelf, without the Welp of ſome Agent to produce it. And that this gent muſt needs be ſuch an one as can not be appre- ended by our Senſes: for if he ſhould be the Object der fe, he muſt be Body, and if Body, then a Part of She World, and conſequently a created Being; ſuch a one, as would have food in need of ſome other Maſe to create him: and if that Second Creator was , he would depend upon a Third, and that Third Won a Fourth, and ſo ad inſtnitum, which is abſurd. nce therefore the World ſtands in need of an in- Wrporeal Creator: And fince the Creatöôr thereof really incorporeal, tis impoſſible for us to appre- nd him by any of our Senſes; for we perceive MWothing by the Help of them but Badu, or ſuch Acci- ronients as adhere to Bodies: And becauſe he cannot be thatiferceiv'd by the Senſes, it is impoſſible he ſhould be ofÞprehended by the Imagination; for the Imagina- on does only repreſent to us the Forms of things their Abſence, which we have before learn'd by n er Senſes. And fince he is not Body, we muſt not ve eribute ro him any of the Properties of Boch; the naht of which is Extenſion, from which he is free, as 1s b from all thoſe Properties of Bodies which flow im om it. And ſeeing that he is the Maker of the Yorſd, doubtleſs he has the Sovereign Command over + "Shall not be know it, that crented it? He is wiſe, Ommiſcient? dect. 51. On the other Side, he ſaw ter if he _ W the 9 „ . The. Fiftory of © the Eternity.of the World, and that it always' was; it now is, without any Privation before it; then i would follow, that its Motion muſt be Eternal too becauſe there could be no Reſt before it, fronlif whence it might commence its Motion. Now all M tion neceſſarity requires a Mover; and this Move -muſt be either a Power diffus'd through the Bodi mov'd, or elſe through ſome other Body without i or elle a certain Power, not diffuſed or diſperſe through any Body at all. Now every Power whit paſſeth, or is diffus'd, through any Body, is divide or doubled. For Inſtance;: The Gravity in a Ston by which it tends downwards, if you divide the Ston into two Parts. is divided into two Parts alſo; andi you add to it another like it. the Gravity is double And if it were poſſible to add Stones in infinitun: th Gravity would increaſe in infinitum too. And if | were poſſible, that that Stone ſhould grow ſtill biggel till it reach'd to an infinite Extenſion, the Weigh" would increaſe alſo in the ſame Proportion; and! don the other Side, a Stone ſhould grow to a certain Size, and ſtop there, the Gravity would alſo increal to ſuch a Pitch, and no farther. Now it is demor ftrated; that all Body muſt neceſſarily be finite; an conſequently, that Power which is in Body is finite to If therefore we can find any Power. which produc an infinite Effect, tis plain that it is not in Bodi Now we find, that the Heaven is mov'd about wit a perpetual Motion, without any Ceſſation. Then fore if we affirm the Eternity of the World, it ni ceflarily follows that the Power which moves it, not in its own Body, nor in the other exterior Ba dy; but proceeds from ſomething altogether abſtraſ** ted from Body, and which cannot be deſcribed. corporeal Adjuncts or Properties. Now he had leas ned from his firſt Contemplation of the. ſublunar) World, that the true Eſſence of Body conſiſted in i Form, which is its Diſpoſition to ſeveral Sorts of Moti on; but that Part of its Efſence which conſiſted in Ms ter was very mean, and ſcarce poſſible to be conceived 3 | therefor "Whecefore the Exiſtence of the whole World confiſts In its Diſpoſition to be moy'd by this Mover, who free from Matter, and the Properties of Body; ab- Iratted from every thing which we can either perceive our Senſes, or reach by our Imagination. And ace he is the efficient Cauſe of the Motions of the myens, in which (notwithſtanding their ſeveral Winds) there is no Difference, no Confufion, no Ceſ- - tion; without doubt he has a Power over it, and = perfect Knowledge of it. EA Set. 52. Thus his Contemplation this Way, rought him to the ſame Conclufion it did the other Way. So that doubring concerning the Eternity of he World, and its Exiſtence de novo, did him no Harm We all. For it was plain to him both ways, that there if. a Being, which was not Body, nor join'd to Body, iggellbor ſeparated from it; nor within it, nor without „ becauſe Conjunction and Separation, and being ichin any thing. or without it. are all Properties f Body, from which that Being is altogether abſtrac- ed. And becauſe all Bodies ſtand in need of a Form 0 be added to their Matter, as not being able to ſub- * | without it, nor exiſt really; and the Form irſelf not exiſt, bur by this voluntary Agent, it appearto him that all things ow'd their Exiſtence to this gent; and thar none of them could ſubſiſt, but rough him: and conſequently, that he was theCiuſe, ad they the Effects, (whether they were newly crea- ed after a Privation, or whether they had no Begin- Wing, in Reſpe&t of him, twas all one) and Crea-" wres, whoſe Ex iſtence depended upon that Being; and me without his Continuance they could not conti- - e, nor exiſt without his Exiſting- nor have been ernal without his being Eternal; but that he was entially independent of them, and free from them. ad how ſhould it be otherwiſe when it is demonraed; that his Power and Might are infinite, and nar all Bodies. and whatſoever belongs to them are ite? conſequently, that the whole World. and atfocver was in it, the Fe che Earth, the dean, Kh 3 an ade * a De Hiftory of.
and whatſoever was between them, above them, ot beneath them, was all his Work and Creation, and poſterior to him in Nature, if not in Time, As, ii you take any Body whatſoever in your Hand, and then move your Hand, the Body will without doubt follow the Motion of your Hand, with ſuch a Moti on as ſhall- be poſterior to it in Nature, tho' not in Time, becauſe they both began together: So all thi World is caus'd and created by this Agent out of Time; WhoſeCommand is. when he would haus any thing done. BE. and ti Sect. 33. And when he perceiv'd that all thing which did exiſt were his Workmanſhip, he look d eu over again, conſidering attentively the Power of the Efficient, and admiring the Wonderfulneſs of the Workmanſhip. and ſuch accurate Wiſdom, and ut til Knowledge. And there appear'd to him in the moſt minute Creatures (much more in the greater) ſuch Footſteps of Wiſdom and Wonders of the Wot of Creation, that he was ſwallow'd up with Admin tion. and fully aſſur'd that theſe things could not roceed from any other, than a voluntary Agent ol infinite Perfection nay, that was above all Perfect on; ſuch an one, to whom the Weight of the leaf Atom was not unknown, whether in Heaven 0 Earth; no, nor any other thing, whether leſſer d greater than 1t. £ Sect. 54. Then he confider'd all the kinds of AniWi mals and how this Agent had given ſuch a Fa brich of Body to every one of them, and then taught e how to uſe it. For if he had not directed them tc apply thoſe Limbs which he had given them, to tholdh reſpective Uſes for which they were deſign'd, the would have been ſo far from being of any Service t“ they would rather have been a Burden. From when he knew. that the Creator of the World was ſupet - eminently Bountiful, and exceedingly Gracious: And then when he perceiv'd among the Creatures. an that had Beauty. Perfection, Strength. or Excellenc of any Kind whatever, he confider'd with-himſell and kney that it all flow'd from that voluntary 8 > | gent * tea was 1 Was infer „ * Hai Ebn Yokda. 43. © n, Ufflent, (whoſe Name be praiſed) and from his Eſſence + andnd Operation. And he knew, that what the Agent S, ilſſad in his own Nature, was greater than that, [which ande aw in the Creatures. ] more perfect and complete,; oubeſhore beautiful and glorious, and more laſting; and Hoti hat there was no Proportion between the one and the t inither. Neither did he ceaſe to proſecute this Search, this! he had run through all the Attributes of Perfec- Time ſſion, and found that they were all in this Agent, and d 1 low'd from him; and that he was moſt worthy to- 10gye them all aſcrib'd to him, above all the Creatures: 1 *enLhich were deſcrib'd by them. e. F the 5. 55. In like manner he enquir'd into all the " tioWttributes of Imperfection, and perceiv'd that the ſubMaker of the World was free from them all: And- theo was it poſſible for him to be otherwiſe, fince ater he Notion of Imperfection is nothing but mere Privati- or what depends upon it? And how can he any my partake of Privation, who is very Eſſence, and can- Wot bur exiſt; who gives Being to every thing that Writs, and beſides whom there is no Exiſtence? But HE ;the Being, HE is the Abſoluteneſs, H E the Beauty, E the Glory, HE the Power, HE the Knowledge, + HE HE, and beſides Him all things are ſubject to Periſhing. Set. 56. Thus far his Knowledge had brought im towards the End of the Fifth Septenary from his zirth. viz. when he was 35 Years Old. And the Con- teration of this ſupreme Agent was then ſo rooted n his Heart, that ir diverted him from thinking up- n any thing elſe: and he ſo far forgot the Confi- Weration of the Creatures, and the Enquiring into heir Natures, thar as ſoon as ever he caſt his Eyes pon any thing of what kind ſoever, he immediate- Wy perceiv'd in it the Footſteps of this Agent; and in an Inſtant his Thoughts were taken off from the 1 to the Creator. So that he \ nd in mas inflam'd with the Deſire of him, and his Heart.
NClwas altogether withdrawn from Thinking upon this orld, which contains the Objects of Senſe, elffinferior — I 4. Alcoran, Chap, dlkeſar, 4 Pb Rory and wholly taken up with the Contemplation of the upper intellectual World. * Sect 57. Having now attain'd to the Knowledg of this ſupreme Being, of permanent Exiſtence, which” has no Cauſe of his own Exiſtence, but is the Cauſ - why all things elſe exiſt; he was defirous to knoy by what Means he had attain'd this Knowledge, and by which of his Faculties he had apprehended thi Being. And firſt he examin'd all his Senſes, viz. hi Hearing, Sight, Smelling, Taſting and Feeling, and perceived that all theſe apprehended nothing buf Body, or what was in Body. For the Hearing appre hended nothing but Sounds, and thefe came from the Undulation of the Air, when Bodies are ftruck ont againſt another. The Sight apprehends Colours. That: Smelting, Odours. The Taſte. Sayours. And the Touch li the Temperatures and Diſpoſitions of Bodies, ſuch a. ver Hardneſs, Softneſs. Roughneſs and SmoothneG. Noth...does the Imagination apprehend any thing, but * it has Length, Breadth and Thickneſs. Now all theſe Aer things which are thus apprehended, are the Adjundq cha. of Bodies; nor can theſe Senſes apprehend any thing,...elſe, becauſe they are Faculties diffus d through Bon dies, and divided according to the Diviſion of Bodies or and for that Reaſon cannot apprehend any thing elle but diviſible Body. For fince this Faculty is diffus. through the viſible Body, tis impoſſible, but that when it apprehends any thing whatſoever. that thing ſo apprefiended, muſt be divided as the Faculty is di vided: For which Reafon, no Faculty which is ſeated in Body, can apprehend any thing but what is Body, or in it. Now we have already demonſtrated, that; this neeeſſarily exiſtent Being is free in every Reſpect from all Properties of Body; and conſequently not, U. to be apprehended, but by fomething which is ne. Hun ther Body, nor any Faculty inherent in Body, not met has any mauner of Dependance upon it, nor is either within it, or without it, nor join'd to it, nor ſepa-fihy;.c rated from it. From whence ir appear'd to him, that ed; he had apprehended this Being by that which was his] as * Eſſence} n eee n Pence, and gain da certain Knowledge of him, And "Hom hence he concluded, that this Eſſence was incor- oreal, and free from all the Properties of Body. Ind that all his external Part which he ſaw, was not Reality his Eſſence; by. that his true Efſence was.
f neceflary Exiſtence.
Fob $&. 58. Having thus learn'd.. that this Eſſence. i not that corporeal Maſs which he perceiv'd with ani Sen ſes, and was cloath'd with his Skin, he began p entertain mean Thoughts of his Body, and ſet imſelf to contemplare that noble Being, by which e had reach d the Knowledge of that ſuperexcellent, Wod neceſſarily exiſtent Being; and began to conſi- Wer with himſelf, by means of that noble Eſſence of whether this noble Eſſence of his could poſſibly diſſoly'd, or dye, or be annihilated; or whether — were of perpetual Duration. Now he knew that t rrruption and Piſſolution were Properties of Bo- hefe and conſiſted in the putting of one Form and nchhntting on another. As for Inſtance: when Water ing dchang'd into Air, and Air into Water; or when Jants are turn'd into Earth or Aſhes, and Earth a- in into Plants; (for this' is the true Notion of orruption.) But an incorporeal Being. which-has jo Dependence upon Body, but is altogether free ſom the Accidents proper to Body, cannot be ſup- joled to be liable to Corruption. | | a Sect. 59. Having thus ſecur'd himſelf in this Be- ef, that his rea! Eſſence could not be diffoly'd. he had F mind to know what Condition it ſhould he in, en he had laid afide the Body, and. was ſeparated: rom it; which he perſuaded himſelf would not be, t Uſe. Therefore he confider'd all his apprehenfive culties, and perceiv'd that every one of them did, ometimes apprehend potentially. and ſometimes actually; the Eye when it is ſhut, or turn'd away from the Ibje&, ſees potentially. (For the Meaning of Appre- ending potentially is, when it does not apprehend now, by which he apprehended that abſolute Being Ill the Body ceas'd to continue a fit Inſtrument for.
yet - yet can do it for the Time 10 come.) And when M. / Eye is open, and turn'd toward the Object, it ſerff.yer actually (for that is call d actual, which is preſent Nadin and ſo every one of theſe Faculties is ſometimes in, a Power, and ſometimes. in Ad: And if any of tbemſring did never actually apprehend its proper Object, e long as it remains in Power, it has no'Defire to an) particular Object; becauſe it knows nothing of any (as a Man that is born blind.) Bur if it did ever a rually apprehend, and then be reduc'd to the Powe only: fo long as it remains in that Condition. i will deſire ro apprehend in Act; becauſe it has bee 1 a with the Object, and is intent upon it d lingers after it; as a Man, who could once ſet and after is blind. continually deſires viſible Object And according as the Object which he has ſeen, i more perfect, nd glorious. and beautiful. his Deſin towards ny increas'd, and his Grieg; for the Le it ſo much the greater. Hence it iff; that the Grief of him who is depriv'd of that Sigh he once had, is greater than his who is depriv'd oi; Smelling; becauſe the Objects of Sight are more peri fect and beautiful than thoſe of Smelling. - And ii and there be any thing of boundleſs Perfection, 'infinigh Beauty. Glory and Splendor, that is above all Splendoſ, and Beauty; Brighrneſs, or Comlineſs, but flows fron it. Then certainly he that ſhall bedepriv'd of the Sigi; and Knowledge of that Thing. after he has once been acquainted with it, muſt neceſſarily, ſo long as h continues in that State, ſuffer inexpreſſible Anguiſh;8 as on the contrary, he that continually has it pref Fent to him. muſt needs enjoy uninterrupted Delight perpetual Felicity, and infinite Joy and Gladneſs. Sect. 60. Now it had been already made plain to him. that all the Attributes of Perfection belong: ed to that Being which did neceſſarily ſelf-exiſt. and that he was far from all manner of Imperfe&ion\i He was certain withal, that the Faculty by which he attain'd to the Apprehenſion of this Being, was not like to Bodies, nor ſubject to Corruption, as thee _ are Hai Ebn Yokdan.
. And from hence it appear'd to him, that who- lever had ſuch an Effence as was capable of appre- at ending this noble Being, muſt, when he pur off the s dy at the Time of his Death, have been formerly, Wiring his Converſation in the. Body, firſt, either ne who was not acquainted with this neceſſarily Neriſtent Eſſence, nor ever was join'd to him, nor er heard any thing of him; and ſo would, at the parating with the Body, never deſire to be join d to n, nor to be conoernd at the want of him. Becauſe all cor poreal Baculries cea ſe when the Body dies, nor they any longer defire or linger after their pro- objects; nor are in any Trouble or Pain for their hence; which is the Condition of all Brures, of ts Hh t Shape foever they are.) Or elſe, ſecondly; ſuch „one, who while he continu'd in the Body, did 1 nyerfe with this Being, and had a Senſe of his perriehaion, Greatneſs, Dominion, and Power; but after« it as declin'd from him. and follow'd his vicious e ennations, till at lengeh Death overtook him 1 in this state; he ſhall be depriv'd of that Viki "i, and 2 be afflicted with the Defire of Enjoying and ſo remain in laſting Punifhmenr and inen- ble Torture; whether he be to be deliver'd from Miſery after a long time, and enjoy that Viſion jeh he ſo earneſtly deſtres; or, everlaſtingly to a- e in the ſame Torments, according as he was fits. and diſpos'd for either of theſe two, during his ntinuance in the Body. Or laſtly, were ſuch an e. who convers'd with this neceſſarily ſelf exiſtent Wing, and apply'd himſelf to it, with the utmoſt of Ability, and has all his Thoughts continually in- t upon his Glory, Beauty, and Splendor. and neain turns from kim, nor forſakes him, till Death i him in the Act of Contemplation and Inruin: Such a Man as this ſhall, when ſeparated from Ny. remain in everlaſting Pleaſure, and Delight, Joy and Gladneſs, by reaſon of the uninterrup- I Vifion of that ſelf-exiſtent Being. and its entire tedom from all Impurity and Mixture; and 9 - A, . , Boo - all: thoſe ſenſible Things ſhall be remov'd from hi which are the proper Objects of the corporeal Fac. ties, and which, in regard of his PERIL ence 1 no better than Torments, Evils and Hindrances. ect. 6m. Being thus ſatisfied, that the Perfectig epd and Happineſs of his own Being conſiſted in the a4" ally beholding that neceſſarily ſelf-exiſtent Being p petually, ſo as not to be diverted from it ſo much the twinkling of an Eye, that Death might find hilt m. actually employ'd in that Viſion, and ſo his Pleaſuf. might be continu'd, without being interrupted HPnk any Pain; (which 4b-Fonaid a Doctor, and Imaum the Set of the Sophizns, alluded to; when at the poi. of Death, he ſaid te his Friends about him, This i MY. Time, when Men ought to glorify G O D, and be inſtant in i pon Prayers,) he began to conſider with himſelf, by wh" Means: this Viſion might actually be continu'd, wit but f out Interruption. So he was very intent for a Tin | upon that Being; but he could not ſtay there lon before ſome ſenfible Object or other would preſet could it felf, either the Voice of-ſome wild Beaſt wou reach his Ears, or ſome Phantaſy affected his Imap nation; or he was touch'd with ſome Pain in ſon Part or other; or he was hungry, or dry, or too co or too hot, or was forc'd to riſe to eaſe Nature. that his Contemplation was interrupted, and he mov'd from that State of Mind: And then he col not, without a great deal of Difficulty, recover hit ſelf to that State he was in before; and he was aft that Death ſhould overtake him at ſuch a Time his Thoughts were diverted from the Viſion, and ſhould-fall into everlaſting Miſery, and the Pain Separation.. | Sect. 62+ This put him into a great deal of An ety, and when he could find no Remedy, he beg to conſider all the ſeveral Sorts of Animals, and e ſerve their Actions, and what they were employſ about; in Hopes of finding ſome of them that mig poſſibly have a Notion of this Being, and endeavoy after him; that ſo he might learn of them whif muc EE IO E al E bn ( okdar T4 Bax to be fav'd; But he was altoge 4 in his Search; far he found that they weie all _ zholly- taken up in getting their Proviſion, and ſa- - Yifying their Deſires of Eating, and Drinking, and opulation, and chuſing the thady Places in hot eather, and the ſunny ones in cold: And that all heir life-time, both Day and Night, till they died, Nas ſpent after this Manner, withont any Variation, minding any thing elſe at any Time. From whence: tappear'd to him; that they knew nothing of this being, nor had any deſire towards it, nor became ac- painted with it by any Means whapſoe ver; aad that key all went into a State of Privation, or ſomething; y near a- kin to it. Having paſs'd this Judgment won the Animals, he knew that it was much more Mzſonable to conclude fo of Vegetables, which had but few of -thoſe Apprehenſions which the Animals Ti d; and if that whaſe Apprehenfion was more per- ect did not attain to this Knowledge, much lefs could it be expected from that whoſe, Apprehenſion was leſs perfect; eſpecially when he (Av that all the tions of Plants reach'd no farther than Nutrition ind Generation. 115 0 1 Sect. 63. He next conſider'd the Stars and Spheres; und ſaw, that they had all regular Motions, and went round in due Order; and that they were pellucid and ſhining, and remote from any approach to Change or Diſſolution: which made him have 2 ſtrong Su ſpĩ- cion, that they had Eſſences diſtin& from their Bodies, which were acquainted with this neceſſzrify ſelf-exifent Efence. And that theſe underſtanding Eſſences, were in like his underſtanding Effence. And why might it not be ſuppos'd that they might have incorporeal nl Eſſences, when he himſelf bad; notwithſtandigg his ee Weakneſs and extreme Want of fenſible Things d of That he conſiſted of a corruptible Body, and yet ne- oy vertheleſs, all theſe Defects did not hinder him from ig having an incorporeal incorruptible Eſſence: From vol whence he concluded, that the celaſtial Bodies were bi much more likely to have oy and he perceived rhac — ther diſappoin / wier had a Knowledge of the neceſſarily ſelf.exiſtent Being, and did actually behold it ar all Times; becauſe they Hife were not all incumbred with thoſe Hindrances, ari:f Dat Frag from the Intervention of ſenſible Things, which | *"* deharr'd him from enjoying the ien, without Inter. 1 Seck. 64. Then he began to conſider with himſelf, Nen what ſhould” be rhe reaſon why he alone, above ali the reſt of living Creatures, ſhould be endu'd with * ſuch an Eſſence, as made him like the keavenly Bo. dies. Now the underſtood before the: Nature of the!“ Elements, and how one of them us'd to be changed into another. and that there was nothing upon the Face of the Earth, which always remain'd in the ſame Form, but that Generation and Corruption followed one another perpetually in a mutual Succeſſion; and that the greateſt Part of theſe Bodies were mixed and compounded of contrary Things. and were for - that Reaſon the more diſpos d to Diſſolution: And that there could not be found among them all. any thing pure and free from Mixture, but that ſuch Bo- dies as came neareſt to ir, and had leaſt Mixture. 5 Gold and Jacinth are of longeſt Duration, and le!: ſabje& to Diffolution;z and chat the heavenly Bodies pn were moſt ſimple and pure; and for that Reaſon more free from Diſſolution, and not ſu bject to a Suc- ceſſion ot Forms. And here it appear 'd to him, that the real Eſſence of thoſe Bodies. which are in this, ſublunary World, conſiſted in ſome, of one ſimpi:, Notion added to Corporeity, as the Four Elements in others of more as Animals and Plants. And that thoſe. whoſe Eſſence confifted of the feweſt Forms, had,: feweſt Actions, and were farther d iſtant from Life. Ana that if there were any Body to be found, that was deſſi tute of all Form, it was impoſſible that it ſhould live but was next to nothing at all; alſo that thoſe thine which were endu'd with moſt Forms, had the mol Operations, and had more ready and eaſie Entrancq; to the State of Life. And if this Form were fo diſ pos d, that thefe were no way of ſeparating it fro! the Matter to which it properly belong'd, then 11 bt 2 | Hai Ebn Lokdan. Fr 05 Hife of it, would be manifeſt, permanent and vigo- ne Frous to the utmoſt Degree. But, on the contrary, oy -$ whatſoever Body was altogether deſtitute of a Form, ich as b, Matter without Life, and near a-kin to no- der- thing. And that the Four Elements ſubſiſted with ſelk Jene lingle Form only, and are of the firſt Rank of Joeings in the ſublunary World, out of which, o- vich tber things endu'd with more Forms are Compoun- u Yded: And that the Life of theſe Elements is very on veak, both becauſe they have no Variety of Me- i 4 tion, but always tend the ſame way; and becauſe S very one of them has an Adverſary which manifeſt- ne y oppoſes the Tendency of its Nature, and endea- _ yours: to- deprive it of its Form; and therefore its Ef-nce is of ſhort Continuance, and its Life weak: Bur that Plants had a ſtronger Life, and Animals a Life more manifeſt than the Plants. The Reaſon of which” is, becauſe that whenever it happen'd. that in any of theſe compound Bodies, the Nature of ane Element prevail'd, that predominant Element would wercome: the Natures of the reſt; and deſtroy their Jeſs Power; ſa that the compounded Body would. be of dis Ne ſame Nature with that prevailing Element, and a. waxy rpg partake but of a ſmall Portion of Life, sue. Necau ſe the Element it ſelf does ſo. ne Sect. 65. On the contrary, if there were any of theſe compounded Bodies, in which the Nature of ne Element did not prevail over the reſt, but they Pere all equally mix'd, and a match one for the o- der; then one of them. would not abate the Force = the other, any more than its own Force is abated a it, but they would work upon one another with eie Power, and the Operation of any one of them f Nuld not be more conſpicuous than that of the reſt; „a this Body would be far from being like to any ing de of the Elements, but would be as if it had no- wy Ning contrary to its Form, and conſequently the more ies d for Life; and the greater this Equality of emperature was, and by how much the more perfect. $9 further diſtant from 17 one way. or gen by ſo much the farther it is diſtant from having a contrary to it and its Life is the more perfect. No fince that animal Spirit which is ſeated in the Heat is of a moſt exact Temperature, as being finer tha Earth and Water, and groſſer than Fire and Air, it h the Nature of a Mean between them all, and which has no manifeſt Oppoſition to any of the Elemental and by this means is fitted to become that Form whit n. conſtitutes an Animal. And he ſaw that it follow from hence, that thoſe animal Spirit: which were of ing moſt even Temperature, were the beſt diſpos'd fopiſſol the moſt perfect Life in this World, of Generatiof® and Corruption, and that this Spirit was very ne pre having no oppoſite to its Forms. and did in this re pect reſemble the heavenly Bodies which have no ogÞ*"! "polite to their Forms; and was therefore the Spine of the Animal, becauſe it was a Mean between all tin Elements, and had no abſolute Tendency either uy acul -wards or downwards; but that, if it were poſſibeten it ſhould be.. in the middle Space. between tin Oenter and the higheſt Bounds of the Region of Ein And not be deſtroy d, it would continue an the ſan djur 1 move neither upwards nor downward Sec ut if it ſhould be locally mov'd, it would move i a round, as the heavenly Bodies do, and if it mov 3 in its Place, it would be round its oon Center, anfſÞ*fce! that it was im pofſible for it to be of any other Figuff bon but ſpherical, and for that reaſon it is very muc