is Contemplations, about the end of the
fourth Septenary of his Age, _viz_. when he now eight and twenty Years
old.

Sec. 51. Now he knew very well, that the Heavens, and all the Luminaries in
them, were Bodies, because they were all extended according to the three
Dimensions Length, Breadth and Thickness, without any exception; and
that every thing that was so extended, was Body; _ergo_, they were all
Bodies. Then, he consider'd next, whether they were extended infinitely,
as to stretch themselves to an endless Length, Breadth and Thickness;
or, whether they were circumscrib'd by any Limits, and terminated by
some certain Bounds, beyond which there could be no Extension. But here
he stopp'd a while, as in a kind of Amazement.

Sec. 52. At last, by the strength of his Apprehension, and Sagacity of his
Understanding, he perceiv'd that the Notion of infinite Body was absurd
and impossible, and a Notion wholly intelligible. He confirm'd himself
in this Judgment of his, by a great many Arguments which occurr'd to
him, when he thus argued with himself. _That this heavenly Body is
terminated on this side which is next to me, is evident to my sight: And
that it cannot be infinitely extended on that opposite side, which
rais'd this Scruple in me; I prove thus: Suppose two Lines drawn from
the Extremity of this Heavenly Body, on that terminated Side which is
next to me, which Lines should be produc'd quite through this Body_, in
infinitum, _according to the Extension of the Body; then suppose a long
part of one of these Lines, cut off at this End which is next to me;
then take the Remainder of what was cut off, and draw down that end of
it where it was cut off; And lay it even with the end of the other Line
from which there was nothing cut off; and let that Line which was
shortned, lye parallel with the other; then suppose them through this
Body, till you come to that side which we suppos'd to be infinite:
Either you will find both these Lines infinitely extended, and then one
of them cannot be shorter than the other, but that which had a part of
it cut off, will be as long as that which was not, which is absurd: Or
else the Line which was cut will not be so long as that other, and
consequently finite: Therefore if you add that part to it which was cut
off from it at first, which was finite, the whole will be finite; and
then it will be no longer or shorter than that Line which had nothing
cut off from it, therefore equal to it