'BOOK II.

THE

GREAT NUMBER

O F THE

HEAVENLY BODIES,

CHAP. I.

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE NUMBERS OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES.

HAVING in the preceding book given a de

monftration of God, from the magnitude of the heavenly bodies, I fhall do the fame in this from their number; a number fo great, that we cannot view and confider them without aftonishment. Were there no more of them than the fun and the planets (both primary and fecondary) fuppofed to move about him, there would

be

fyftem. Which things I have more largely than ordinary infifted on, for the satisfaction of many that I am fenfible doubt of them, and particularly fome of my friends, (and those not unlearned too) who may be apt to read my following book with prejudice, wherefoever I favour the Copernican notions.

OF THE NEW SYSTEM.

AND now I pass from the second system to the third, which is called the New Syftem; which extends the univerfe to a far more immenfe compass, than any of the other fyftems do, even to an indefinite space; and replenishes it with a far more grand retinue than ever was before afcribed unto it.

This new fyftem is the fame with the Copernican, as to the fyftem of the fun and its planets, as may be seen by the fcheme of it in Fig. 3. But then whereas the Copernican hypothefis fuppofeth the firmament of the fixt stars to be the bounds of the univerfe, and to be placed at equal distances from its centre the fun, the new system fuppofeth there are many other systems of funs

CHA P. II.

THAT THE FIXT STARS ARE SUNS ENCOMPASSED WITH SYSTEMS OF PLANETS.

ALTHOUGH the number of the erratick and

fixt heavenly bodies we fee, are fufficient to fet forth the existence, and praises of their great Creator, yet there is one thing more that I cannot eafily pafs over (though it hath only high probabilities for it) because it gives us a far more noble and agreeable idea of the creation, than the world was ever, that we know of, acquainted with before; and that is, that the best and most learned modern aftronomers do generally suppose the great multitude of fixt ftars. we fee, or imagine to be in the universe, to be fo many funs, and each of them encompaffed with a fyftem of planets like our fun.

And that the fixt ftars are funs, or of much the fame nature as our fun, there is great reafon to conclude.

1. Because

grand and magnificent part thereof. And fo it may be looked upon by us, by reafon of its proximity and relation to us. But whether it be really fo, whether it be in the centre of the univerfé, and whether among all the noble train of fixt stars, there be no fyftem exceeding ours in its magnificent retinue of planets, both primary and secondary, and other admirable contrivances, is a difficulty as out of the reach of our glaffes, fo confequently above our ability to fathom, although not at all improbable. But be the various systems of the universe as they will as to their dignity, it is fufficient that in all probability there are many of them, even as many as there are fixt ftars, which are without number.

This fyftem of the universe, as it is phyfically demonftrable, fo is what, for the most part, I have followed in the enfuing book, but not fo rigorously and obftinately, as utterly to exclude or oppugn any other fyftem; because as the works of God are truly great, and fufficiently manifeft their excellence and magnificence in any fyftem; fo I was willing to fhew the fame in fuch fyftems as I had occafion to fpeak of them; because I would not offend, and confequently not bar the force of my arguments upon

fuch

fuch readers, as might happen to be wedded to the Ariftotelian principles, or prejudiced to the Ptolemaic, or any other fyftem: nor that I had myself any doubts about this new fyftem, but think it to be far the more rational and probable of any, for these reasons :

1. Because it is far the most magnificent of any; and worthy of an infinite Creator: whose power and wisdom as they are without bounds and measure, so may in all probability exert themselves in the creation of many fyftems, as well as one. And as myriads of fyftems are more for the glory of God, and more demonftrate his attributes than one, fo it is no lefs probable than poffible, there may be many befides this which we have the privilege of living in. But it is very highly probable the matter is fo, by reafon

2. We fee it really fo, as far as it is poffible it can be difcerned by us, at fuch immenfe diftances as thofe fyftems of the fixt ftars are from us. Our glaffes are indeed too weak fo to reach thofe fyftems, as to give us any affurance of our feeing the planets themselves, that encompass any of the fixt stars. We cannot fay we fee them actually moving round their refpective funs or

ftars.