BOOK II.

THE DUE

SITUATION

O F THE

HEAVENLY BODIES.

CHAP. I.

OF THE DUE, AS WELL AS GREAT DISTANCE OF THE

HEAVENLY BODIES.

HAVE before taken notice of the immenfe distance of the heavenly bodies, that it is fuch as makes thofe vaft bodies the fixt ftars (no lefs in all probability, as I faid, than the fun itfelf) to degenerate into fo many points, yea to escape our eye; nay more than this, that it causeth even our own great orb which our earth defcribes about the fun, to fink into almost a

6

point

point, or at least a circle of but few feconds diameter. I fhall therefore fay no more on that matter. But that which I shall speak of in this book, is the due proportion of the distance of the heavenly bodies; that they are not fet at random, like a work of chance, but placed regularly and in due order, according to the best methods of proportion and contrivance. Which will be manifeft from the following chapters, which will fhew that the diftance is fuch, that none of the globes interfere with one another: but, instead of that, are in due and the most nice, commodious proportion.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

THAT NONE OF THE GLOBES OF THE UNIVERSE

INTERFERE.

HAD the universe been the work of chance,

or any thing but of a wife architect, there would have been a great many blunders and inconveniences in the fituation of fuch a prodigious number of immenfe globes, as the uni verfe doth contain. Some would have been too near, fome too far off, fome would have met with, knocked and ftopped one the other, and fome would have fo interfered as to have incom. moded the other, fome way or other. But instead of this, every globe throughout the whole creation is, as far as it is poffible for us to obferve, fet at fuch a due distance, as not only to avoid all violent concourses, but also so as not to eclipfe or fhade one the other, wherever it may be prejudicial, or indeed not useful and convenient, or fo as to hinder one another's kindly influences, or to prejudice one another by noxious ones. This is very manifest in our

Own

own fyftem of the fun; and because we see it not otherwise, we may conclude it to be fo in all; unless we should make fome exception for what is fufpected (and indeed only fufpected) of comets, which, in their approaches towards the earth, are imagined to cause diseases, famines, and other fuch like judgments of God. But this is only furmife, and what befals the world at other times without the vifible approach of any comet. But however, fuppofing, that as comets move in orbs very different from thofe of the other heavenly bodies, fo their effects and influences may be as different; yet this may be, and no doubt is (because it may be proved) with the concurrence and by the appointment of the Divine Providence; who, as a governor of the world, might make fuch noxious globes to execute his justice, by affrighting and chastising finful men at their approaches to the earth, and not only fo, but (as fome have imagined) to be the place of their habitation and torment after death. But fuppofing it to be fo, yet herein is a kind Providence manifefted, that their returns to the earth are but feldom h, and their ftays fhort,

and

There having of late been great expectations among fome, of a comet appearing this year 1718, it may gratify their curiofity to take notice, in this place, of three comets, whofe periods, we im

воок І.

ОF THЕ

MAGNITUDE

OF THE

UNIVERSE,

AND THE

BODIES THEREIN CONTAINED

CHAP. I.

THE ANCIENT AND MODERN RECKONINGS

COMPARED.

BEFORE the invention of the telescope, the

univerfe was thought to be confined within. far more narrow bounds than it is fince found to be, the fixt stars being imagined to be all placed in the ftarry heavens (which they called the firmament) at equal diftances from the earth (the centre) like fo many golden nails driven in the top of fome arched roof, or other circular

concave,