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Show The Preface. The Preface. ynvieafurable Orbes ofHeanen,and thofe marueilous bodies of- en b aeif and Stars,with ipfum Infinitum: itmay truly befaid ofthem all, on affirmes ofbis imaginary Materia ptima,That they are neither 7 » qualenor suantum,and therfore to bringfinite (which bath no proportion with infinite)out of infinite(quideftruit omnem proportione)# no wonder in Gods averse therfore Anaximander Meliflus,8 Empedocles,call the worldyniner{all,but articulam Vniuerfitatis and infinitatis, a parcell ofthat whichis the yniuerfality andthe infinityit felf;¢~ Plato,but a fhadowof God.But theother, to proue the worlds eternity ,yrgeththis Maxime,That,A {ufficient & effectual caufé being granted,an antwerable effect therofis alfo granted:inferrin that God being for enerafufficient e effectual caufe ofthe worldthe effeét ofthe caufefhould alfo bane binfor ener;to witthe world vniverfall.But whataftrange mockery is this infogreat a Mafter,to confeffe afufficient e effettual caufe ofthe world,(to wit,an almighty God)in bis Antecedent,e> thefame Godto be a Godreftrained inhis conclufion,to make Godfree inpower,¢> bound in wil;ableto effect, ynable to determine ; able to makeall things, and yet ynable to make choiceofthe time when?Forthis were impiou/ly to refolue of God,as ofnatural nece/Sity;which hath neither choice, norwill, nor ynderftanding , which cannot but Worke matter being prefent : asfire,to burne things combuftible. Againe he thus difputeth, That enery Agent which can work,and doth not work: ifit afterward worke,it is either thereto mouedby itfelfe, or byfomewhat elfe: andfo it paffethfrom power to AE But God(faith he) is immoueable, and is neither moued by himfelfe, nor by any 0 ther: but being alwaies the fame,doth alwaies worke.Whence he concludeth,Tf the world were caufed by God, that he wasfor euer the caufe thereof : and therfore eternall. The anfwer to thisis verie cafie, For that Gods performing in due time that,which he euer determined at length toperforme,dothnot argue any alteration or change, but rather conftancy in him, For thefame a€tion of bis will, which made the worldfor ener, did alfowith-hold the effect tothe time ordained. To this an[wer, in itfelfefufficient : others addefurther ,that the Patterne or Image ofthe World may be [aid to beeternall : which the Platonicks call, {piritualem sae ipadors ; and doe in this fort diftinguifh the Idea and Creation in time. MoFicinde‘Spititualis ille mundus, mundi huius exemplar, ptimumgue Dei opus, later. Vita equalicelt Architecto, fuit femper cumillo, eritquefemper.. Mun- dus autem corporalis, quod fecundum opus eft Deiy decedit iam ab opi- That thescompoundedeffence of the World (and becaufe compounded, therefore di/Sipable)is:continued,cx knit.to the Dinine Being,by an indiuidual e infepara. ble powersflowing from Diume vnity; t that the Worlds naturall appetite of God frewer,thatthefameproceedethfrom agood and ynderftanding divine; and that this vertue,by\which the World is continued ex knit togetherymuft be infinite,that it may infinitely and euerlaftingly continue andpre(erue thefame. Which infinite Pertuesthesfinite World(faith he)is nor capable ofbut receiueth itfrom the diuine infinite according tothetemporall Natureit hath,fucce/Siuely euery moment by little e> little, even asthe whole Materiall World ts not alcogether: but the aboli- fhed parts.aredeparted\by /mall degrees, and thepartsyet ta come, dobythefame fall degrees fucceed,as thefhadow of a tree ina Riuer,feemeth tohaue continyed thefameva long timein the water, but it isperpetually renued, in the continuall ebbing andflowig thereof. But to returne to them,which denying that ener the World hadany beginning, withall deny that ener it hall hane any end,eo to this purpofe affirme,That it was neucr beard, neuer read; nenerfeenezo not by any reafon perceined,that the Heauens-hane ewerfuffered:corruption orthat they appeare any way the older by con. tinuance'.orin anyfort otherwife thanthey were » which had they been /ubieét to finall corruption,fome change would have been difcernedin fo long atime. Tothis it 1s anfwered,1 hat the litelechange.as yet perceiued doth rather prouetheir newneffe,and that they have not continuedfo long.than that they wil continuefor euer as they are. And ifconieéturall arguments may receiue anfwer by couiectures : it chen feemeth thar fome alteration may be found. Foreither Ariftotle, Plinie, i aor. Strabo,Beda,Aquinas,and others, weregroffely miftaken: or elfe thofe parts of plelvek the worldlying within the burnt Zone, werenot inelder times habitable,byreas pedadrs Beda de vatane fon ofthe Suns heateneither were the Seas,vnderthe Equinottial,nanigable. But "163% Thomp.1-q, wee knot by experience; that thofe Regions, /ofituate, arefilled withpeople,and 02.00t.2exceeding temperate , and the Sea,ouerwhich we Nanigate, paffable enough. We reade alfo many Hiftories ofdeluges :and how that in thetime ofPhaeton, diners places in the world were burnt op, by the Sunnes violent beate. But ina Word,this obferuation ts exceedingfeeble. For we knowit for certain, Thatftone-wals, of matter moldring andfriable, haue ftoud two,orthree thoufand yeares: that many things haue beenedigged upout of the earth, of that depth, as fuppofed to bauebeene buried by thegenerall floud; without any alterationeither fice ex parte yna, quia nonfuit femper : retinet alteram, quia fit fempet offubftance or figure:yea itis beleeued,and it is very probable,thae thegold which ts dailyfound in Mynes and Rockes,ynderground, was created together withthe funplevlis ee the firt worke of GOD, was equall y. Earth. bee. This artiallas fd sh cok periaticbins eee ~~ and corrupted: whatgreat alteration fhould wee looke for in Coleftiall and qugnteffentiall bodies 2 Andyet we haue reafon to thinke, that the Sunne,by whofe help futurus : That Teprefentatiue, orthe intentionall world (fay they) the differ from the euskal th , coe mommpseteatary ofOD, doe this it doth agree,that it thalib f at Itswas not from cuerlafting, andin not for euer',all Chrifians conf . T! uh nee heentdecit that after the confitmation ofspe ld. pesmi)atid nosbormifé, _ Earth, ' withoutany ¥new mersofmatte toetegr, Heaue anew eelien n and Newcreation Butnew of thefe things we neednot bereftand to.argue : though {uch opinions be not vaworthy the propou nding, in this confideration, of an eternall and unchangeable bd eable canfe,. producing -a chang and temporal! effect, Touching which poimt P roclus \the Platonift difpset Andif bodies elementary, and compounded, the elde/t times haue not inuaded all (reatures are generate,doth not in thefe latter Ages a/%ift Nature, as hereto- fore. We bane neither Giants, fuch as the eldeft world had : nor mivhty men, fuch as the elder worl. had; but all things ingenerall are reputed ofleffe vertue which from the Heauens receiue vertue. Whence, if the natureof a Preface, would permit a larger difcourfe, we might eafily fetch ftore of proue; as that this worldfhall atlength baue end, as that once tt had beginning. And fee no good anfwer that can bee made to this obieftion : If the World C2 were |