Sec. 53.  When he had attain’d to this degree of Knowledge, he found that the whole Orb of the Heavens, and whatsoever was contained in it, was as one Thing compacted and join’d together; and that all those Bodies which he us’d to consider before as Earth, Water, Air, Plants, Animals and the like, were all of them so contain’d in it, as never to go out of its Bounds:  And that the whole was like One Animal, in which the Luminaries represented the Senses; The Spheres so join’d and compacted together, answer’d to the Limbs; and the Sublunary World, to the Belly, in which the Excrements and Humors are contain’d, and which oftentimes breeds Animals, as the Greater World.

Sec. 54.  Now when it appear’d to him, that the whole World was only One Substance, depending upon a Voluntary Agent, and he had united all the Parts of it, by the same way of thinking which he had before made use of in considering the Sublunary World; he proposed to his Consideration the World in General, and debated with himself, whether it did exist in Time,after it had been; and came to Be, out of nothing; or whether it had been from Eternity, without any Privation preceeding it.  Concerning this Matter, he had very many and great Doubts; so that neither of these two Opinions did prevail over the other.  For when he propos’d to himself the Belief of its Eternity, there arose a great many Objections in his Mind; because he thought that the Notion of Infinite Existence was press’d with no less Difficulties, than that of Infinite Extension:  And that such a Being as was not free from Accidents produc’d anew, must also it self be produc’d anew, because it cannot be said to be more ancient than those Accidents:  And that which cannot exist before Accidents produc’d in Time, must needs itself be produc’d in Time.  Then on the other hand, when he propos’d to himself the Belief of its being produc’d a-new, other Objections occur’d to him; for he perceiv’d that it was impossible to conceive any Notion of its being produc’d a-new, unless it was suppos’d that there was Time before it; whereas Time was one of those things which belong’d to the World, and was inseparable from it; and therefore the World could not be suppos’d to be later than Time.  Then he consider’d, that a Thing Created must needs have a Creator:  And if so, Why did this Creator make the World now, and not as well before?  Was it because of any new Chance which happen’d to him?  That could not be; for there was nothing existent besides himself.  Was it then upon the Account of any Change in his own Nature?  But what should cause that Change?  Thus he continued for several Years, arguing pro and con about this Matter; and a great many Arguments offer’d themselves on both sides, so that neither of these two Opinions in his Judgment over-balanc’d the other.