1is corrupted, reſides it in the ſame Earth or in ſome other bodie,
which muſt either be the Air or Water? I believe you will grant,
that like as the Motions upwards and downwards, and gravity
and levity, which you make the firſt contraries, cannot be in the
ſame Subject, ſo neither can moiſt and dry, hot and cold: you
muſt therefore conſequently acknowledg that when a bodie
rupteth, it is occaſioned by ſome quality reſiding in another
trary to its own: therefore to make the Cœleſtial Body become
corruptible, it ſufficeth that there are in Nature, bodies that have
a contrariety to that Cœleſtial body; and ſuch are the Elements,
if it be true that corruptibility be contrary to incorruptibility.
which muſt either be the Air or Water? I believe you will grant,
that like as the Motions upwards and downwards, and gravity
and levity, which you make the firſt contraries, cannot be in the
ſame Subject, ſo neither can moiſt and dry, hot and cold: you
muſt therefore conſequently acknowledg that when a bodie
rupteth, it is occaſioned by ſome quality reſiding in another
trary to its own: therefore to make the Cœleſtial Body become
corruptible, it ſufficeth that there are in Nature, bodies that have
a contrariety to that Cœleſtial body; and ſuch are the Elements,
if it be true that corruptibility be contrary to incorruptibility.
SIMPL. This ſufficeth not, Sir; The Elements alter and
rupt, becauſe they are intermixed, and are joyn'd to one another,
and ſo may exerciſe their contrariety; but Cœleſtial bodies are
ſeparated from the Elements, by which they are not ſo much as
toucht, though indeed they have an influence upon the Elements.
It is requiſite, if you will prove generation and corruption in
leſtial bodies, that you ſhew, that there reſides contrarieties
tween them.
rupt, becauſe they are intermixed, and are joyn'd to one another,
and ſo may exerciſe their contrariety; but Cœleſtial bodies are
ſeparated from the Elements, by which they are not ſo much as
toucht, though indeed they have an influence upon the Elements.
It is requiſite, if you will prove generation and corruption in
leſtial bodies, that you ſhew, that there reſides contrarieties
tween them.
SAGR. See how I will find thoſe contrarieties between them.
The firſt fountain from whence you derive the contrariety of the
Elements, is the contrariety of their motions upwards and
wards: it therefore is neceſſary that thoſe Principles be in like
manner contraries to each other, upon which thoſe motions
pend. and becauſe that is moveable upwards by lightneſs,
and this downwards by gravitv, it is neceſſary that lightneſs and
gravity are contrary to each other: no leſs are we to believe thoſe
other Principles to be contraries, which are the cauſes that this is
heavy, and that light: but by your own confeſſion, levity and
gravity follow as conſequents of rarity and denſity; therefore
rarity and denſity ſhall be contraries: the which conditions or
affections are ſo amply found in Cœleſtial bodies, that you
ſteem the ſtars to be onely more denſe parts of their Heaven:
and if this be ſo, it followeth that the denſity of the ſtars exceeds
that of the reſt of Heaven, by almoſt infinite degrees:
which is manifeſt, in that Heaven is infinitely tranſparent, and
the ſtars extremely opacous; and for that there are there above
no other qualities, but more and leſs denſity and rarity, which
may be cauſes of the greater or leſs tranſparency. There being
then ſuch contrariety between the Cœleftial bodies, it is neceſſary
that they alſo be generable and corruptible, in the ſame manner
as the Elementary bodies are; or elſe that contrariety is not the
cauſe of corruptibility, &c.
The firſt fountain from whence you derive the contrariety of the
Elements, is the contrariety of their motions upwards and
wards: it therefore is neceſſary that thoſe Principles be in like
manner contraries to each other, upon which thoſe motions
pend. and becauſe that is moveable upwards by lightneſs,
and this downwards by gravitv, it is neceſſary that lightneſs and
gravity are contrary to each other: no leſs are we to believe thoſe
other Principles to be contraries, which are the cauſes that this is
heavy, and that light: but by your own confeſſion, levity and
gravity follow as conſequents of rarity and denſity; therefore
rarity and denſity ſhall be contraries: the which conditions or
affections are ſo amply found in Cœleſtial bodies, that you
ſteem the ſtars to be onely more denſe parts of their Heaven:
and if this be ſo, it followeth that the denſity of the ſtars exceeds
that of the reſt of Heaven, by almoſt infinite degrees:
which is manifeſt, in that Heaven is infinitely tranſparent, and
the ſtars extremely opacous; and for that there are there above
no other qualities, but more and leſs denſity and rarity, which
may be cauſes of the greater or leſs tranſparency. There being
then ſuch contrariety between the Cœleftial bodies, it is neceſſary
that they alſo be generable and corruptible, in the ſame manner
as the Elementary bodies are; or elſe that contrariety is not the
cauſe of corruptibility, &c.