PART XII. S C E P T

that Place is, if he takes, for granted that it’s Parts are, endeavours to make good the thing in (^leflion, by itfelf. In like manner they do foolilhly, who fay, That fomething is in a Place, when as Place itfelf is abfolutely deny’d to be: They take av/ay together with it the ex- iftence of Place, which of itfelf is hoc granted, and the ofwbich^ and the fwrt which ^ are pro¬ ved to be inexiftent, as well as Place •, and difdow Hefiod^ as not a competent Judge in Philofophy. And thus overthrowing the Argu¬ ments alledged, for the exiflence of Place, they, with gi eater fubtlety, prove it to be inexiftent, converting to their own rfe thofe Opinions of the Dogma-ifts concerning Place, which feem cf greacelt weight- as that of the Storcks ^ and that of tlie Pcvipateticks, in this manner The Stoicks fav , Eacuum is that which is capable of beinjr contained by a Beings but is not Or a Di (lance void of Body : Or a Difiance not con^ tained by a Body. But Place is a Diftance which is contained by a Being and is ad-icqiiatc to th.it ivhich contaimth it • they call a Body a Being the Dijlance.^ which is partly contained by the Body , partly notcontained^ Region. Whereas others by Region iinderfland the Place of a great Body, fo as Place and Region differ in Magnitude. Now it’s objefted, when they fay. Place vs the Diftance contained by a Body f how do they mean it to be a Diftance, (ov Dimenfon) whether theTength of a Body, or the^Breadth, or the Depth dnly, or whether all three together? if they mean but one of thefe, the Place will not be adasquate to that whofe Place it is. Befidcs, that Which containeth will be part of that which is cortrsin- ed, which were abfurd. If all the three 'Di- ftances, forafnmeh as in that which is called Place, there is not Eacuum^ nor any other Bexiy that hath Dimenfinus; but that Body which is faid to be in the Place, confifts not of Diftan- ces, (for that is Length, and Breadth, and Depth , Refiftence alfo comes within thefe ) the Body itfelf will be it’s own Place, and that which containeth will be the fame with that which is contained, which were abfurd. There is not therefore any Diftance of the Place, and confequently Place is nothing.
There is alfo an Argument to this Effect. Forafmuch as in a thing that is faid to he in Place, there are not feen double Dimenhons, b.it one Length, and one Breadth , and ^ one Depth ; Whether are thefe Dimenfions of the Body only, or of Place, or of both ? .If of Place only, then the Body will have no proper length. Breadth, or Depth, and cOr.fequcntly it will not be a Body, which is abfnrd. If of both, forafmuch as Eacuumhath no fubfiftence' betides the Dimenfions, and thbfe of the Eacuum fub- /eded to the Body • of whatfoever Diinesnfions the Body confifts, of the fime will the Eacuum confift alfo. For of the exiftence of Re|iftence, nothing can be pofitively aderted,- as vyc for¬ merly fhewed. Now feeing that the Dimen fi ons v/hich belong to the Eacuum^ and are the fame with the Eacuum.^ appear only in the Body, which is vifible, the Body will be Eacuum is abfurd. 'Ut the Dimenfions are of the Body only, then there will be no Dimenfion of Place, and. confequently no Places if therefore the Drmen'fir-mafTlace be not found by any of the forefaid ways, there is noplace.
I C I S M. 521
This is Jikewife alledged ; .When a Body en¬ ters into a Eacuum., which thereby becomes a Place, either the Eacuum fuffers, or yields, or is deftroyed ; but if it fuffers, the fame will be full and vacuous ; if it eitlier yields, being * * Readiug moved locally, or is deftroy’d by Motion, Ea- lawy-uioy, cukm will be a Body, for thefe are proper Affecti¬ ons of a Body. But it is abfurd to fay, the, fame
is vacuous and full, or that Eacuum is a Body; therefore it is abfurd to fay, that a Eacuum may be occupated by a Body , and become Place.
Whence it is alfo found, that Eacuum is abfolute¬ ly inexiftcut, if it cannot be occupated by a Bo¬ dy, fo as to become Place ; for Eacuum was faid to be fliat , which may be occupated by a Body,
Hereby alfo is fabverted Region., for either it is a great Place, or iscircumferibed with the Place; but if it be partly occupated by Body, and partly a vac»!Ous diftance or dimenfion, it is taken aw’ay with both. This, and much more, is alledged i^gainft the Opinion of the Stoiohs concerhiiig Place, wdiefein they dilicnt from others!.
But the Peripateti'eks fav, that Place vs the term (or inraoft Superficies) 'of that which containeth., in- afmuch as it emtaineth-., fo that my Place is the Superficies oi the air which iiiclofeth my Body .
But if this be Place, the fame will be and not be ; for when a Body is about to go into fome Place , forafmuch as nothing can be in that which' is not . it \i neccflary that Place firfs exift, and then that Body be. in it ; fb that there muft be Place, before there can be a Body thatfi'is faid to be in Place. But inafmuch as Place is made,= by accommodating of the Su¬ perficies of the thing containing, to the thing contained ; Place cannot, exift before there be a Body in it, and therefore will not have been ' before. But it is abfurd to fay, that the fame- •isi'^mthing, and is not ; therefore Place is not the term of a thing continent, inafmuch as it containeth. v b
Moreover., If Place he fesmthing^ it is either Generate'' "or* Ingencraic;. not Ingenerate, for they Ciy it is made, whiffi.'ic is conformed.to the Body;wlTkh is in it ; but neither is it Generate, for kithen when the Body is in Place, then is Place, in which tlfac which is. in Place, is nowTaid to be; or when it is^not. in it:
But neithei'* when it is in it . ( foi it-is already the Place of the Body that is in it ) feeing-that ■ which containeth is' adapted, as they, fay , to that which is contained , and fo becometh Place. But nothing can. be adapted round a- bout that which is not in it. Now if Piajce be neither made when the Body is in it, nor when it is not in it and befides thefe, we know not any Way, then Place is cot generated; but if it be neither Generated nor Ingenerated, it is not at all. ' . . ■
iMorc generally may be argued thus -• If there be Place, dt is either a Body, or Incorporeal; but both thefe are doubtful, as we difeourfed formerly , therefore Place itfelf is doubtful.
Place is underftqod with reference to the Bo¬ dy wha-tcof it is Place ; but th^t which is al- ledgcd concerning the exiftence of a Body is uncertain, therefore that which is faid of Place.
The Place of every particular thing is not ecer- X X X nal.
522
SCEPTICISM.