Part XI.

Latrt,
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ME LlSSV S.
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itfelf being beyond all Effence. Effence is di- ftributed amongft the many of - Beings, and is not wanting in any Being whatfoever, neither leaft nor greateft. , , ,
Fifthly, The firft Idea is fo difFufed into al! things whereto it gives the power and faculty of Being, as that it circumfcribes and limits the multiplicity, and almoft infinity of Singulars, within the bounds of the Owe: So that the Owe, which of it felf is infinite and void of parts, is as it were terminated in Singulars,
Of the fecondary Idaa’s ( which are natural Caufes, the Works of the primary Idaa ) the Properties are thele.
Firlf, They, as well as the primary Idaay are Owe; for all Singulars comprifed within them are determinately reduced to their refpe6live ClalTes; but in this they differ from the prima¬ ry Idaa, that the Owe in fecondary is truly
Finite, having beginning, middle and end.
Secondly, They confiltentirein theSingulars, not as deriving their Effence from them, for they exift in the divine mind, yet they are con- fpicuousin Singulars, as if you would know what is Homeneity, or the Species of Man, you muff look upon the Singulars of Men, in which the Species it felf is vifible. The fecondary Idaas in fenfible things are ^figurate.
Thirdly, The fecondary Id^sas are the fame Siudi another \ the fame, inThemfelves; another, vin the Singulars ; and confequently both reff and move : Whereas the primary Idaa is void of all mutation, amidft the viciffitudes of tran- llent things.
I _ In the order of nature, the One in the Species I is of it felf , and derives not its Effence from, I Singulars, but is felf-fubfiftenr, as being a Species ; by whofe power all the Many ( t,e. Singulars) fubfift.
Fourthly, The others ( i.e. Singulars ) pro¬ ceed from the Owe; but the One, which is feen in the Others, hath its Effence from a third ; that is , Individuals exift by thcfe fecondary Idea’s, yet fo as that the fecondary Idieas have from the primary Idaa their Effence, and the power by which they give to Singulars a Sub- fiftence.
^ Fifthly, the fecondary Idaa's a(ft from con¬ trary Principles, yet fo as that thofe contraries are conne a third thing refieCfs. To the produdion of, natural things three things concur, two and the third that ties them together ; ddfiic are Beings mutually touching oneanothcr C that is, the natural things themfelves. ^ The third is the Analogy betwixt the other two, the fimi- iitude of their proportions. There can be no without two things at the leaft; nor can they produce any thing without the third. Com¬ bination. The dieif muft be diffimilar , that one and e^ual may be introduced.
Sixthly, The fecondary Idea’s are not with¬ out time, but what they do, they do in time; whereas ( as we faid ) fo the primary Idcsa all things are prefent. Natural things exift and perilh according to time, but their Species cr^ Idieas are conftant and permanent.
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CHAP. I.
His Life,
MElifftss was a Samiavy Son of Ithagenesy he heard Farmenides, and converfed alfo with Heraclitus, at what time the Ephejians had fuch a mifapprehenfion of him, as the Ahderites had of Democritus. He was a Perfon converfant in Civil Affairs, and much honoured by his Countrymen , who made him their Admiral, and particularly admired him for his virtue. He flour ifli’d, according so ApoUodorus, about the 84th Olympiad.
His Opinions. /
He afferted f as Farmenides) That {a) the Principle of things is One, which is im¬ movable ; That this One is All ; That Ens is Infinite; arguing thus. That which is made,
hath a Principle, therefore that which is not made hath no Principle: But the Univerfe, or that which is, is not made, therefore it hath no Principle, and therefore no End ; Therefore it is Infinite, therefore O???, for there cannot be more Infinites ; therefore immovable, for it oc- cupates all things, and hath not any thing whereby it may be moved.
{h) That the Univerfe is infinite and im- b Laert. mutable, and immovable, and one like fit felf, and full. ( c ) He proved that it is immove- c able thus ; becaufe, if it were moved, there muft neceffarily be a Vacuum, but there is not a. Va¬ cuum amongft Beings.
{d) That there is not Motion, but that it on- ([lacrt. ly feems to be ; And ( e ) that things are not e Artft. de generated and corrupted, but onlyfeemfbtous. c«/. 3. i.
(f) As for the Gods, he faid, That we iLnert. ought not "to affert any thing concerning them , •
forafmuch as we have not any knowlege of them.
M m m ‘ ZENO.
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