The same argument applies to this
as to the One which the natural philosophers posit besides the
elements. For everything changes from contrary to contrary, e.g.
from hot to cold.
Further, a sensible body is somewhere, and whole and part have the
same proper place, e.g. the whole earth and part of the earth.
Therefore if (a) the infinite body is homogeneous, it will be
unmovable or it will be always moving. But this is impossible; for why
should it rather rest, or move, down, up, or anywhere, rather than
anywhere else? E.g. if there were a clod which were part of an
infinite body, where will this move or rest? The proper place of the
body which is homogeneous with it is infinite. Will the clod occupy
the whole place, then? And how? (This is impossible.) What then is its
rest or its movement? It will either rest everywhere, and then it
cannot move; or it will move everywhere, and then it cannot be
still. But (b) if the All has unlike parts, the proper places of the
parts are unlike also, and, firstly, the body of the All is not one
except by contact, and, secondly, the parts will be either finite or
infinite in variety of kind. Finite they cannot be; for then those
of one kind will be infinite in quantity and those of another will not
(if the All is infinite), e.g. fire or water would be infinite, but
such an infinite element would be destruction to the contrary
elements. But if the parts are infinite and simple, their places
also are infinite and there will be an infinite number of elements;
and if this is impossible, and the places are finite, the All also
must be limited.
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