Part VIII.

- - is all compounded by an equal and perpetual re¬ volution.
Cn) Lao't, (n) The World is One., of the fame corporeal fubftance, and of a Spheerical figure, for this is of all figures mofl apt for motion. Thus Zeno., Chryfippiis.^ VoJJidonius, and others.
(0 ) The World is feated in an infinite incorpo¬ real vacuity, wliich is beyond it, circumfufed
about it, (p) into vviiichthe World fhall be dif- j changed into one another, therefore the whole
' tra Stoic.
(s) Laert.
poj Laert.
A
(p) Plut. pi.
rhil.2.^. folved by Confiagratior. The World is finite, Cqj Plut. pi. the vacuity infinfte ^ yet(^j FoJJidonius faith it Phil. 2. 9. is no more than will fuffice for the revolution of ,(pO^Plpt. con- the World, when it fhall perifli. (r) By this ar- ** gument they confute the motion of Atoms downvyard, introduced by Epicure ; for in that which is infinite, there are no local differences _of high oiTown
The World is not-heavy, becaufe the whole Fabrick thereof confifteth of heavy and light JElements, and being placed inthe midft, whi¬ ther fiich bodies tend, it keepeth its place.
(s) In the -World there fs no vacuity, but it is; • . coinpleatly one, for that neceifitates a confpira-'
tion and harmony, betwixt Celeflials and Ter-' reflrials. 1
ptj Plut. con- World only h (t) felf-fufficient, becaufe
c"* ' it alone hath all in it felf, whereof it ftandeth in
- no need. Ofit felf it is nourifhed and augmen¬ ted, whereas the parts are tranfmuted and con- verted into one another.
ms^tok.' ^ ii^(u) perfeG body the parts of
the World arc not perfed, becaufe they are re- fpeftive to the whole, and not of themfelves. The Uni verfe is by Nature apt to move it felf in ' all Parts, to contain, preferve, and not break,
, cliflblve and burn it felf,thc Llniverfe fending and
moving the fame point, and the parts thereof having the fame motion from the Nature of the body. Like it is that this firlt motion is‘ natural¬ ly proper to all Bodies, namely, to incline to- w'ards the miefft of the World, confidering the World moveth fo in regard of it felf-, and the ' parts likewife, in that tliey arc parts of the whole.
{ xj Laert. (x). The World is a living Creature, ratio¬
nal, animate and intelleftual,(fo Chryfippus,Apol- lodorus and Eo/Jidonius) and hkhan animate fen - fiblc elfence. For a living Creature is more ex¬ cellent than that which is not a living Creature ; but nothing is more excellent thp the World, thcreforethe World is a living Creature. That it is animate is manifelt from our Soul, which is apiece thereof taken out ofit.(But Boethius de- CyJ Laert. nies that the World is a living Creature.)0^ ^The Mind or Providence palfeth through every part thereof, as the Soul doth in us, but in fomc parts _ more, in others lefs through fome permeating, as a habit, as in the Bones and Nerves 3 through fome as a mind, as through the principal (Hege- monick)'part. In like manner the whole World is an animate rational Creature, the Hegemoni- cal part thereof is the .^cher, as Antipater thz Tyrian in his Eighth Book of the World. But Chryjippus in his firfl oi Vrovidence., and VoJJido- mus the Gods., affirm, that Heaven is the He- g-iuonick of the World Cleanthes^x.h& Sun. But Chryjippz/s in the fame Book (differing from what he Paid before ) affirmeth it to be the pureft part of the.yS'cher, which they call thefirftGod, fen- libly, becaufe it paffeth through all in the air.
and through all living Creatures and Plants, but '■ f ' through the Earth as a habit. •
{z) The World,according to the greater part ( O LaerU
of Stoicks, is corruptible, for it is generated in the fame manner as things comprehenfible by fenfe. Again, if the parts thereof be corrupti¬ ble, the whole is alfo corruptible ^ but the parts of the World are corruptible, for they are daily
O
it felf is corruptible. And again, if any thing admit any change into the worfe, it is corrupti¬ ble but the World doth, for it admitteth exfic- cation, and inundation v therefore, &c.
{a) The World fhall perifh by fire, cau^t^faJPhil.Jud. by the power of fire which is in all things, which immortal.
: after a long time, confuraing all the nioifture, fhall refolve all things into it felf. The Moon,
Stars and Sun, faith {b) Cleanthes., {hall perifh, but pbj Plut. com: God fhall affirailate all things to himfelf, and re- mt. folvc all into himfelf. (c) This opinion of the ge- neral Conflagration of the World, was held by f^^^*'** the firfl and moft ancient of this Ssff, Zeno., C/eanthesmd G)ryjippus.
(d) This firfl; is the feed of the World ^ after pd J Flut.cfmu tiie Conflagration it diffufeth it felf even into the not.
Vacuity that was beyond the World. After¬ wards, by order of the fame reafon which made , .
the World, it fhall withdraw and contra^ it. . 1
felf towards the generation of a new World, yet not be quite extinguifhed, but fo as that fome : )
portion thereofrsmain, forafmuch as it is tlie caufe of motion.
But {e) Boethius., VoJJidoniuis, and (f) Yaniztim (e) Phil. Jud. deny this Conflagration of the V Vorld,conceiving C 0 C/f. St(d>,^ rather that the VVorld is eternal, to whom like- wife the affents.
CHAP. VI.
Of Elements,
having converted, as we faid,
VJT matter into moiflurc, and prepared it for the generation of future things, in the next - place produced the four Elements, Fire, Wa¬ ter, Air, and Earth. Of thefe difeourfeth Zeno f
in his Book of the llniverfe, and Chryjippus in his firfl of Phyficks, and of Elements.
{b) Element is that of which generated £4^; things are firfl made, and into which they are refolvQjJ. The four Elements are matter or fubflancfe^endued with quality. Fire is hot.
Water moifl. Air cold, Earth dry ^ yet not fo, but that in Air there is part of the fame quality ^ for i^he highefl it is Fire, which is called M- ther, in which is generated the firfl Sphere of Planets ^ next Aic, then Water, the bafis of all.
Earth being placed in the midfl of all. . .vlV'-
{c) Of the four Elements, two are light. Fire pc ) Laeh^'" ^ and Air ^ the other two. Earth and Water, hea¬ vy, which properly tend to the Center j but the Center it felf is no way heavy.
C H A P.
ZENO,
FkR T VIII.
C H A P. VII.
Of Yire.
/4I StiU ^ Element is that of Fire,, which
* i as all Bodies tend to the middle, incli-
ncth, as much as the lightnefs of its Nature per¬ mits, to the centre of the World, by a circular - ■ • . • . motion round about it.
(b) Stob. ( b ) There are (according to Zeno ) two kinds
, , , of Eire, one artificial, requifite to tlie ufe of life,
which converteth nutriment into it felf; the o-
(c) DeNat. ther inartificial (fo (c) Cicero renders drtyjiK'iv) dor. 2. by which all things grow, and are preferved ;
(^) whatfoever is nourilhed and groweth, at. r. 2. within it felf the power of heat. This
Fire is diffufed through all the parts of the World, and they are all fuftained by it. That it is in the Earth, appeareth by Seeds and Roots, which fpring up and grow by the temperament of this heat. That it is in Water appeareth, for- afmuch as Water is fufceptible of greater cold, as by freezing. It is confequently in air alfo ^ that being a vapour extraded from Water, and fup- ply’d by nlotion of the heat which is in the Wa¬ ter. But primarily, and originally, it is in the Element of Fire, a Nature abfolutely hot, which dilpenfeth falutary vital heat to aU other things. (e) This is Nature, faith and the Soul: Of
47- Fire conlift the Sun, Moon, and Stars.
' CHAP. VIII.
Of the Stars,
(a) c/c. are generated the Stars of
2. * * X the nobleft and purelt part thereof, with¬
out admixtion of any other Nature, wholly hot ■ arid pellucid , animate creatures indued with Senfe and Intelleft.
(3) svib. Tbyf. (b) Voffidonufs defineth a Star, a Divine Body, confining of aetherical fire, Iplendid and fiery,
- ‘ . never relling, but always moving circularly.
(c) C(c, Naf. That the Stars are wholly fiery, Cleanthes
'W. 2, * proveth by the teftimony of two lenfes, touch
and fight. Vor the Luftre of the Sun is brighter than of any fire, feeing that it Ihines fo far and wide, to fo vaft a world ^ hnd fuch is its touch, that it not only warmeth, but oftentimes burn- eth, neither of which it would do if it were not fiery.
Now f faith he) the Sun being fiery, is either like that fire which is requifite to the ufe of life, or urito that which is contained in the bodies of I living creatures ^ but this our fire, which the ufe
of life requireth, is a confumer of all things, di- fturbeth and difpatcheth all things. On the con- ' trary, the other is corporeal, vital, and faluta-
.\uu\ . vryj it conferveth all things it nourilheth, en- creafeth, fuftaineth , and affeSfeth with fenfe •,
1 fherefor^,! faith he, there’s no queftionto which
|i of thefe fires the Sun is like, for he caufeth all
' things to flourilhand fprout up, according to
i their feveral kinds: Wherefore the fire of the Sun
i beinglike thofe fires which are in the bodies of
! living -.creatures, the Sun mull be a living crea-
1 ture alfo, and fo mult be likewife the relt of the
Stars in tlie cceleftial fire, which is called iEther or Heaven.
329
* For feeing that of living crcaiure.s, one kino ck. is generated in the earth, other kinds in the wi- dm. 2. ter, others in the air, it were abfurd to think, that in that part which is molt apt for generation of living creatures, no living creature is genera-, ted. The Stars poffefs the .^cher, which being moll rare, and in perpetual agitation and vigor^ it is neceflary the living creature that is genera¬ ted in it,, be eridued with moil acute fenfe, quick- eft mobility. The Stars therefore have fenfe and intelligence; whence itfolloweth, that they are to be reputed Gods. For we fay, that they who live in the pureft air, are much more acute and underftanding, than thofe who live in a thick climate : The diet likewife is thought to conduce not a little to the lliarpening of the underftand-i ing. Whence it is probable, the Stars are endu¬ ed with moft excellent underftanding, forafmuch as they dwell in the aetherial part of the World j and are nourifhed with c^chalations from the Sea and Earth, extenuated by a long diftance.
The fenfe and intellect of the Stars is chiefly' manifeft from their order and conftancy, for no- ^ thing can be moved by proportion and number without providence, in which nothing is temera¬ rious, nothing various, nothing cafual. But the order of Scars, and conftancy throughout all eternity, cometh neither from Nature, for that is void of Reafon, nor from Fortune, which af- fefteth Variety, and difalloweth Conftancy.
Again, all things are moved either naturally, or violently, or voluntarily. Thofe w Inch move naturally, are carried either by their weight dowmw^ard, or by their lightnefs upwards, nei¬ ther of which is proper to the Stars, for their mo-^ tion is circular. Neither can it be laid, that they are moved violently againft their own nature ; for what power can be greater ? It remaineth therefore that their motion be voluntary.
(d) No fire can fubfift without foine aliment, (d) ck.
(e) the Stars therefore are nourifhed by the va- (0 pours of the Earth.
(f) Of Scars (according to Chryfppus) there (f) stoh are two forts, both which are by nature divine, animate, and providential, the fixed andtheEr- ratick. The multitude of the fixed is incompre- henfible ; the Erratick are lower than the fixed •,
The fixed arc all ranked in one fupcrficies, as is manifeft to the fight ; the Erratick in feveral.
The Sphere of fixed Stars includeth that of the Erratick. The higheft of the Erratick, and next to the fixed Stars,- is the Sphere of Saturn., next, ihzioi fupiter., after which, that of ADrx, then that of Mercury., then that of Venus, then that of the Sun, and laftly that of the Moon, whicli being neareft the air, feemeth therefore aerial, and Jiath greateft influence upon Terrcftrial Bodies.
(g) Saturn, (tdm, finilheth his courfc in alnioft (^) cic.de N.tt. thirty years ; Jupiter,
>srv^eif, in twenty four Months wanting fixdays;
Mercury, itrPay, in a year; Venus, (low-
eft of the five Planets) in a year.
(h ) The Sun and the Moon are properly cal- 00 Stob. led Ase^, Stars ; but and »scsv diifer ; for
every aVnf is arfci', but iioc the contrary.
ft) Ther/7//7^of a Scar, C/a;7/py?//i-delineth, its (i) Stoh. advancement auove the Earth ; and the fetting thereof its occulcation under the Eartiu The fame Stars at the fame time rife to fomCj and - Uu fet
33'
ZENO.