III

THE PERPETUITY OF THE WORLD

Man's generation, did not originate from the earth, other animals, or plants; but the world's proper order being perpetual, its contained, aptly arranged natures should share with it never-failing subsistence. As primarily the world existed always, its parts must coexist with it; and by these I mean the heavens, the earth, and what is contained between them; which is on high, and is called aerial; for the world does not exist without, but with and from these.

As the world's parts are con subsistent, their comprehended natures must coexist with them; with the heavens, indeed, the sun, moon, fixed stars and planets; with the earth, animals and plants, gold and silver; with the aerial region, spiritual substances and wind, heating and cooling; for it is the property of the heavens to subsist in conjunction with the natures which it comprehends, and of the earth to support its native plants and animals; of the aerial regions, to be consubsistent with the natures it has generated. Since the therefore in each division of the world there is arranged a certain genus of animals which surpasses its fellows, the heavens are the habitat of the gods, on the earth men, and in the space between, the geniuses. Therefore the race of men must be perpetual, since reason convinces us that not only are the world's parts consubsitent with it, but also their comprehended natures.

Sudden destructions, and mutations however take place in the parts of the earth; the sea overflows on to the land, or the earth shakes and spits, through the unobserved entrance of wind or water. But an entire destruction of the earth's whole arrangement never took place, nor ever will. Hence the story that Grecian history began with the Argive Inachus is false, if understood to be a first principle, but true, as some mutations of Greek politics; for Greece has frequently been, and will again be barbarous, not only from the irruption of foreigners, but from Nature herself, which, although she does not become greater or less; yet is always younger, and has a beginning in reference to us.

So much about the whole, and the universe; the generation and corruption of natures generated in it; how they subsist, and for ever; one part of the universe consisting of a nature which is perpetually moved, and another passive one; the former governing, the latter ever governed.