PREFACE

PRÆFATIO.

...depend original: "pendeant"; this completes the thought from the previous page regarding truths that rely on the "connection of things.": something which is of no small benefit for philosophizing correctly about natural things. Indeed, whenever we are about to philosophize concerning any finite things, we inquire into their intrinsic possibility possibilitas intrinsica The internal logic or essence that makes a thing possible without logical contradiction., which flows from their essences, and into the manner in which their actuality actualitas is determined.

Cosmology Cosmologia In this period, cosmology was the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe as a whole, including laws of motion and the composition of matter., therefore, provides the guiding notions for philosophizing correctly about natural things. We establish the notion of the body in general, so that it may be clear what must be assumed about it in order to demonstrate everything else; this was highly necessary because Physics Physica suffers from many defects because the nature of the body in general has not been sufficiently explained.

Most importantly, we separate the genuine elements of corporeal things from the spurious That is, distinguishing the true building blocks of reality from false or imaginary theories of matter. ones. This not only keeps the offspring of the imagination original: "fetus imaginationis"; referring to unproven or "made up" theories. away from Physics and reveals the true nature of the universe—which is generally unnoticed by the common people—but it also leads to the demonstration of the most difficult truths in Natural Theology Theologia naturalis The study of God based on reason and the observation of nature, rather than on religious revelation.. Among these, it is enough for now to mention only the creation of the world out of nothing original: "creationem mundi ex nihilo".

I have presented nothing on these matters unless it rests on firm reasons, and I have taught the origin of both matter and the moving force vis motrix The inherent force that causes objects to move. from these elements clearly enough—provided that the reader brings suitable attention to the text. We show how primitive corpuscles corpuscula primitiva The most basic, first-level particles of matter. arise from the elements, how derivative ones arise from the primitive, and how mixed masses and bodies of different kinds arise from the derivative ones...