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not of not existing at a time when it exists-since then it exists
in actuality-but of not existing last year or in the past. Now suppose
it to be in actuality what it is capable of being. It will then be
true to say now that it does not exist last year. But this is impossible.
No capacity relates to being in the past, but always to being in the
present or future. It is the same with the notion of an eternity of
existence followed later by non-existence. In the later state the
capacity will be present for that which is not there in actuality.
Actualize, then, the capacity. It will be true to say now that this
exists last year or in the past generally.
Considerations also not general like these but proper to the subject
show it to be impossible that what was formerly eternal should later
be destroyed or that what formerly was not should later be eternal.
Whatever is destructible or generated is always alterable. Now alteration
is due to contraries, and the things which compose the natural body
are the very same that destroy it.
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BOOK II
Part 1
That the heaven as a whole neither came into being nor admits of
destruction, as some assert, but is one and eternal, with no end or
beginning of its total duration, containing and embracing in itself
the infinity of time, we may convince ourselves not only by the arguments
already set forth but also by a consideration of the views of those
who differ from us in providing for its generation. If our view is
a possible one, and the manner of generation which they assert is
impossible, this fact will have great weight in convincing us of the
immortality and eternity of the world. Hence it is well to persuade
oneself of the truth of the ancient and truly traditional theories,
that there is some immortal and divine thing which possesses movement,
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ON THE HEAVENS 25
but movement such as has no limit and is rather itself the limit of
all other movement. A limit is a thing which contains; and this motion,
being perfect, contains those imperfect motions which have a limit
and a goal, having itself no beginning or end, but unceasing through
the infinity of time, and of other movements, to some the cause of
their beginning, to others offering the goal. The ancients gave to
the Gods the heaven or upper place, as being alone immortal; and our
present argument testifies that it is indestructible and ungenerated.
Further, it is unaffected by any mortal discomfort, and, in addition,
effortless; for it needs no constraining necessity to keep it to its
path, and prevent it from moving with some other movement more natural
to itself. Such a constrained movement would necessarily involve effort
the more so, the more eternal it were-and would be inconsistent with
perfection. Hence we must not believe the old tale which says that
the world needs some Atlas to keep it safe-a tale composed, it would
seem, by men who, like later thinkers, conceived of all the upper
bodies as earthy and endowed with weight, and therefore supported
it in their fabulous way upon animate necessity. We must no more believe
that than follow Empedocles when he says that the world, by being
whirled round, received a movement quick enough to overpower its own
downward tendency, and thus has been kept from destruction all this
time. Nor, again, is it conceivable that it should persist eternally
by the necessitation of a soul. For a soul could not live in such
conditions painlessly or happily, since the movement involves constraint,
being imposed on the first body, whose natural motion is different,
and imposed continuously. It must therefore be uneasy and devoid of
all rational satisfaction; for it could not even, like the soul of
mortal animals, take recreation in the bodily relaxation of sleep.
An Ixion's lot must needs possess it, without end or respite. If then,
as we said, the view already stated of the first motion is a possible
one, it is not only more appropriate so to conceive of its eternity,
but also on this hypothesis alone are we able to advance a theory
consistent with popular divinations of the divine nature. But of this
enough for the present.
Part 2
Since there are some who say that there is a right and a left in the
heaven, with those who are known as Pythagoreans-to whom indeed the
view really belongs-we must consider whether, if we are to apply these
principles to the body of the universe, we should follow their statement
of the matter or find a better way. At the start we may say that,
if right and left are applicable, there are prior principles which [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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