possess power sufficient to move a bird in the air, nor afford us any perception of it whatever, although on the surface of the earth. Does not this prove the immobility of the earth. And again, how is the earth to move at all, without a propelling force: and if a propelling force is required, whence does that force arise, upon natural principles? You may say attraction, or any thing else; but this is no proof, for it cannot be ascertained; neither would it answer the end, for reasons before stated: it can only be imagined. If a balloon be filled with gas, it is specifically lighter than that part of space which is near the earth; and, consequently, will rise to that part of it which is of the same specific gravity with itself, or nearly so; but if the gas is permitted to escape, and the air is let in, it begins to descend. I conclude, therefore, that every thing which is at liberty to move in a fluid, will find out that part of it that is of an equilibrium with itself. Suppose we consider the air to be four times rarer at seven miles distance from the earth, as it is said to be, and an opening be imagined, to admit it to the centre of the earth; would it be fair to conclude that it would increase its weight in proportion to that depth? If so, would not heavy bodies, descending towards the centre of the earth, find out their own specific gravity, or equilibrium likewise, and there rest; as it is the property of fluids to sustain whatever is specifically lighter than itself? Allowing the air to be four times rarer at seven miles distance from the earth, than it is close to the surface,* from calculation, it appears, that fifteen pounds at the surface, on one square inch, would, at the depth of 210 miles, amount to 4384000000000 pounds, to say nothing of the 3,600 miles, which is the half of the earth's diameter. Where, then, is attraction? And with respect to gravity, what can we say of the earth, although pressed on all sides by the atmosphere, equal to 15 pounds on every inch, when a square inch of it, tapering from its surface to its centre, is so much heavier than that pressure occasioned by the atmosphere; as will appear by the following calculation, from water; and there are many much heavier materials than water in the earth. There are 282 square inches in a gallon. Pints in a gallon, 8) 282 35-2 Say 36 inches each pint; or one yard equal to 1 pound. Then there are 1760 yards in a mile. take only a fourth 1584000 pounds in every square inch. Chambers' Encyclopedia; Article Atmosphere. If there are 1584000 pounds in every square inch of water in the semi-diameter of the earth, and only fifteen pounds of atmospheric pressure on it, how are we to account for its remaining in its present position upon natural principles, and the laws, or rather ideas, which we have of gravity, being as they are. For a heavy ball, surrounded on all sides by a substance so much lighter than itself, to be supported by that substance? If the atmospheric pressure extends to the centre of the earth, in the same proportion as above the surface, then the earth may be supported by that pressure, which is said to increase four-fold every seven miles: and if this be the case, that the atmospheric pressure reaches to the centre of the earth, I cannot conceive how the earth can possibly move with such an extraordinary pressure in every direction. Therefore it does not appear that either attraction, or gravitation, will solve the difficulty; but, that it is like all the other works of the Almighty, from the largest to the smallest, "past finding out," by all the art of man, however wise. Thou boasting atom, Man! Of lofty mind, Of motion, in the spheres that pass around us, And how that principle does animate the whole? The sun, according to my hypothesis, travels 3,600 miles an hour; but the earth, if in motion, travels 68,000; so that the motion of the earth is swifter than that of the sun, at the distance at which I suppose it to be, by 64,400 miles an hour; and yet, as I shall prove, the lesser sun at the lesser distance, is equal, in all respects, to the greater sun at the greater distance. Which then, is most reasonable? But reason alone is insufficient to trace out the works of God. "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. Vain man would be wise, though born like a wild ass's colt,” Job. xi. 7, 8, 9, 12. Some find fault with the translation of the scriptures, and so evade the sense. But this is a very dangerous idea for any person to entertain; for when this is the case, they may soon be tempted to disbelieve the whole, or at least, to doubt its authenticity, and disregard it. The greatest care was taken when it was translated into the English language. Fifty-four learned men were appointed to the task by royal authority, (though only fortyseven lived to finish it,) who were, in all probability, as well acquainted with the original language, out of which it was translated, as any of our learned men in the present day, and as faithful : and after they had completed their separate parts, or allotments, the whole was attentively revised: which, I think, ought to satisfy every reasonable person. Some cavil with scripture, because it mentions stars falling from heaven; and no wonder, if stars are 366000 times larger than the sun! but our Saviour tells us in Matthew xxiv. 29, "that the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." ARGUMENT FIFTH. FROM FACTS. We know that the sun, in the height of summer, rises and sets considerably behind us in England; so that if we suppose a right line, struck from sunrise to sun-set, and another line parallel to it, where we stand, we shall find them considerably apart. The sun, we know, is never perpendicularly over our heads; notwithstanding, owing to its sloping |