6 



to other things the cause of preservation and per- 

 manency, is itself from itself preserved and perma- 

 nent. That, likewise, which becomes to other 

 things the cause of concinnity, is itself from itself 

 co-harmonized ; but the world is to other things 

 the cause of their existence, preservation, and self- 

 perfection. The world, therefore, is from itself 

 perpetual and self-perfect, has an everlasting dura- 

 tion, and on this very account becomes the cause 

 of the permanency of the whole of things. 



In short, if the universe should be dissolved, it 

 would either be dissolved into that which has an 

 existence, or into nonentity. But it is impossible 

 that it should be dissolved into that which exists, 

 for there will not be a corruption of the universe 

 if it should be dissolved into that which has a 

 being ; for being is either the universe, or a cer- 

 tain part of the universe. Nor can it be dissolved 

 into nonentity, since it is impossible for being 

 either to be produced from non-beings, or to be 

 dissolved into nonentity. The universe, therefore, 

 is incorruptible, and can never be destroyed. 



If, nevertheless, some one should think that it 

 may be corrupted, it must either be corrupted 

 from something external to, or contained in the 

 universe, but it cannot be corrupted by anything 

 external to it ; for there is not anything external 

 to the universe, since all other things are compre- 



