us declaring, that we do not make too large an Allowance for the Sun's Distance, if we maintain for a certainty, that it amounts to above 1000 Semi Diameters, or Thickness of the Earth.

That the Sun is very far from this Globe may be proved by the Sun-Dials and otherwife, which we shall now pass by, only fhewing, as we have done before in Sect. IV. that the Difagreement of Aftronomy, with refpect to the various Distances of the Sun, are only occafioned from hence, that the Moderns are furnished with fo much better Inftruments or Methods for obferving the Sun's Parallax than the Ancients; fo that the smaller this continually appears to be, fo much the greater is the Sun's Distance from the Earth.

To fet this Matter in a clearer Light, for the Benefit of thofe that are not skill'd in Aftronomy.

Let the Semidiameter of the Earth, A B, Tab. XX. Fig. 3. (as in Sect. IV. Numb. VII.) be taken for an Unit, the Angle of the Horizontal Parallax of the Sun A CB in the Triangle ABC A, being likewife known by Obfervations: Then, fince BAC is a Right Angle, the Distance of the Sun from the Earth, or from the Line BC, may be eafily found by Right-lin❜d Trigonometry: This Operation will be readily perform'd by fuch as only understand that Way of Computing.

Suppofing then ACB to be the Angle of the Parallax:

With Tycho Brahé of three Minutes, we find the Distance BC to confift of Semidiameters of the Earth to the Number of

With Ricciolus of 30 Seconds, barely

1150

7000

With Newton, Caffini, &c. of 10 Seconds BC is full

Se-}

20,000

And if (as has been done before) we? suppose the Sun to be 100,000 times bigger than the Earth, the Parallax ACB will be about 20 Seconds (computing the apparent Semidiameter of 10,000 the Sun to be 32; Minutes) and the Distance of the Sun from the Earth will amount to Semidiameters thereof,

Now fince we can be affured from the fo exa& Obfervations of the greatest Modern Aftronomers, that the Parallax ACB is not more than of 20 Minutes, we cannot conclude with the fame Confidence as a Geometrician can measure the Diftance of any two Places on the Earth, how great the true Magnitude of the Sun, and how far its Distance is from us; but it may be concluded by a Geometrical Certainty, beyond all manner of doubting:

First, That the Sun is one hundred thousand times as big as the Earth.

And, Secondly, That its Distance from us is not less than ten thousand Semidiameters of the Earth.

SECT. VIII. Convictions from the foregoing Obfer

vations.

No w fince it is indifputably true, that if the Sun had been placed much nearer to the Earth than we find it, nothing lefs could have been expected than a Total Conflagration thereof; and in cafe it had been much more remote, the Earth would have refufed to produce its Fruits for the Support of those that dwell upon it. Can any one imagine again, that it is without Defign, that this great and terrible Fire among fo many numberless Places that it might have poffeffed in the great Space of the Universe, with refpect to the Earth,fhould be fixed juft there only, where it can cause fo much Good and fo little Harm to this Globe? Now if fo unhappy a Philofopher (who maintains that the Sun has by meer Chance only acquired just that Place which is fo ufeful and advantageous to the Earth, and all that is upon it) be a Mathematician, let him compute how many Places (in which the Sun might have been placed by the fame Chance) are to be found in the vaft Convex of the Starry Heavens, and how many thoufand to one it would have been, but that the Sun might have been fixed in one of 'em, where it would have been entirely useless to the Earth.

SECT. IX. The Earth for Conveniency fake fuppofed to ftand ftill.

THIS feemed to be fufficient to ferve for a Conviction to fuch as ftill doubted of the Wisdom of the Maker. But fince Cuftom, that seems to cloud our Reason with Stupidity and Infenfibility, causes most Men to look upon this furprizing Wonder, like the Beafts without Attention, we

muft

muft advise all those who ftill find themselves but little affected by the common Notices of what they see daily paffes in the Sun, briefly to contemplate with us a few Particulars thereof, with refpect to the Earth, in which (we here declare once for all, that) we design to use the fame manner of Speaking and Figures that are agreeable with the Notions of Tycho Brahé, and are adapted to thofe Globes, by which a quiescent Earth and a Sun, moving about it are expreffed. Those that embrace the other Hypothefis with Copernicus, namely, that the Earth moves about the Sun may keep the fame Meaning, and adapt it to their own Opinions, as they must do in the most, if not in all the Works of the greatest Aftronomers; which, tho' they defend the Opinion of the Earth's Motion, yet in their Calculations concerning Sphericks, or the Circles and Angles which they make, do likewife make use of the fame Figures and Expreffions as are founded upon the Immobility of the Earth; as is well known to those that have read their Books, and even the Writings of Copernicus himself.

SECT. X. The Sun's Diurnal Motion.

Now if any Body were to have his Dwelling upon the Globe of the Earth pe mf Tab. XVI. Fig. 1. and would make himself and all other Men happy, would not his first Care be (in order to avoid living in perpetual Darkness) that the faid Globe fhould be enlighten'd? Now this is performed by the Sun (for Inftance) at E.

But when this is done, if the faid Sun E ftood always immoveably over the Point e, it would be there always Day, and exceeding hot; but on the contrary it would produce a perpetual Night and continual Cold at f, both which would be

Zz3

very

very inconvenient; forafmuch as in the last Cafe, tho' the Fertility of the Earth were not thereby diminished, yet all Pleafure; and in the first Cafe too, our most agreeable Reft would be obftru&ted.

To prevent all this therefore, it seemed again neceffary, that this Sun fhould move round the Earth in fuch a Circle as ETFSE, in order to enlighten the fame, and render it fruitful on all fides, and not to ftand always ftill against one part of it; now this happens by the fame Sun's moving round the Earth every twenty four Hours.

SECT. XI. The Sun's Annual Motion, Declenfion, and the Seafons of the Year.

BUT now altho' the Sun fhould daily enlighten and warm the Earth, yet if it were not to move in the aforefaid Circle ETFS E, this ill Confequence might again be expected from it, namely, that every thing upon the Earth, within the Segment of the Circle e f, would be fcorched by its Heat; and other Parts of the Earth upon which the Rays of the Sun fell more obliquely, would be render'd barren by Cold. Wherefore, that the greatest part of the Earth might not remain useless, 'twas requifite again, that the Sun in its Circulation fhould be ferviceable to more parts of the Earth; and this again we see performed by the Sun, when it recedes or declines from the Equator E F on both fides, to A Northward, and to C Southwardly, whilft it always moves in the Circle AY D, which the Aftronomers call the Ecliptic, or Sun's Way. In this Circle it moves daily about one Degree, or the 360th part of a Circle from the Weft to the Eaft, whilft in the fame Space of Time it circulates from Eaft to Weft at an equal Distance from the Equator E F,

of