CHA P. II.

THE MAGNITUDE OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES.

ALTHOUGH we are not able to give a cer

tain determination of the magnitude of the heavenly bodies by reason of their vaft diftances, yet enough we know, and are fure of, concerning their immenfe magnitudes, to convince any one that they are the works of God. But to come to particulars.

The measure by which we ufually gage and compare the heavenly bodies, is our terraqueous globe; of whofe dimenfions and bulk we can make a pretty good eftimate, having tolerably good and accurate obfervations leading us, thereto: the particulars of which I have had occafion elsewhere to specify o.

By

Phyfico-Theol. B. ii. c. 2. In which place I have made ufe of Mr. Picart's measure of the earth. But notwithstanding the difference be but small, viz. a little above 32 miles in the whole diameter of our globe, yet I fhall make ufe here of our Mr. Nor

wood's

revolutions are as the cubes of their distances; And as it is very certain and vifible, that the fecondary planets refpect their primaries as their centres, and move round them, fo it is in fome measure (one would think) no less certain, and beyond doubt, that all the primary planets which have the self fame refpect to, and motion with regard to the fun, as those secondaries have to their primaries, that thofe primaries, I say, do move round him as their centre, and not about the earth, to whom they have no fuch respect.

5. The laft argument I fhall allege for my preference of the Copernican to the Ptolemaic fyftem is from the great parity and congruity obfervable among all the works of the creation; which have a manifeft harmony, and great agreement with one another.

Thus in our prefent cafe, it is manifeft to our fight, that every globe we have any good view of, hath fuch like motions as thofe are which we afcribe to the earth. The fun, indeed, being in the centre, is as it were fixed there, and hath no periodical motion: but yet the other motion round its own axis, we can manifeftly difcern. And as for all the planets which move round about the fun, they have, as far as it is poffible

for

for us to fee them, fuch motions as those we afcribe to the earth, namely, a diurnal rotation round their own axis, and a periodical revolution round the fun. And if this be manifeft in the other planets, what should hinder its being fo in our own? Why fhould ours be fingular? Why not be fuppofed to be moved as well as the reft, when it is very certain that either it hath those motions, or the heavens have fo; and it is far more natural and eafy for the earth to perform them, than for the heavens, as hath been already fhewn.

Thus having fhewn how far more probable the Copernican fyftem is than the Ptolemaic, fo far as it relates to the motions of the heavens and earth, and the fun being in the centre, it remains (before I proceed to the third and laft fyftem) that I fhould answer fome objections alleged against this fyftem, partly from scripture, and partly from philofophy and fight.

The objections from fcripture are fuch as feem to affert the immobility and reft of the earth, and the motion of the fun and heavenly bodies.

The texts that are brought to prove the immobility and reft of the Earth, 1 are Chron.

Thus ftupendous are the magnitudes of the globes of this our folar fyftem: but these are not all, nor perhaps the moft confiderable bodies of the universe. For the fixt ftars, although in appearance but fo many golden or flaming fpots, yet are, with great probability, fuppofed to be so many funs, furrounded with their respective fyftems of planets, as our fun is, and no lefs in magnitude, if not greater, (fome of them at leaft) than our fun is, but only diminished in appearance by their prodigious distances from us.

If now we reflect upon the prodigious maffes of thofe many heavenly bodies that prefent themfelves to our view, and many more I fhall fhew are unfeen; what a furprizing fcene do the heavens afford us of the great Creator's power! A train of fuch immenfe bodies, that what lefs than an Almighty hand could firft find matter fufficient for, and then compofe, fuch magnificent works! But yet what is the magnitude of all thefe bodies to that immenfe fpace in which they are? Which is the next thing to be confidered.

CHAP.

Sun's moving, it is faid alfo to stand still, and to go backwards. Thus Jofh. x. 12, 13. "Sun, "ftand thou ftill upon Gibeon, and thou Moon, "in the valley of Ajalon. And the Sun ftood "ftill, and the Moon ftayed. So the Sun ftood "ftill, in the midst of Heaven, and hafted not "to go down about a whole day." And in 2 Kings xx. 10. and Ifai. xxxviii. 8. the Sun is faid to have returned ten degrees backward in one of the places, and its fhadow to have done fo in the other.

These are the chief texts of fcripture, which feem to lie against the Copernican hypothefis, in anfwer to which, this may be faid in general to them all that fince the defign of the holy writings is not to inftruct men in philofophical, but divine matters, therefore it is not neceffary to restrain the fenfe of thofe texts to the strict propriety of the words, but take them to be spoken according to the appearance of things and the vulgar notions and opinions which men have of them, not according to their reality, or philofophical verity. Thus in divers other instances the holy fcriptures fpeak, and thus even philofophers themfelves fpeak. Yea, the Copernicans themselves, altho' they profeffedly own, and defend the contrary; yet in vulgar speaking in our prefent cafe, fay, The fun rifeth, fetteth