it, are not of fufficient Force. And I rather think that God hath indowed thefe Cœleftial Bodies with an inward Power to perform their feveral motions. For though they are not living Creatures, as fome have imagined; yet they may have a Propenfity to move to a certain Point, or in a Circular motion; as we see the Load-ftone doth, being fitly placed.

For fuppofe thofe Heavens, or Heavenly Bodies had need of any outward Caufe of their motions: Yet how can this Primum Mobile yield them any help therein. For though it might move the highest Firmament wherein the Stars are, and which keep a Uniform motion among themfelves; yet how can it move the Planets which are farther from it, and have fo many feveral motions? They answer to this, that the diversity of their motion proceeds from their distance from this First Mover, which thereby hath the lefs Force over them, to hinder them in their proper Motions from the Weft to the Eaft. But to this it may be replied, that if they have a Power of themselves to perform the one motion, why can they not perform the other daily motion likewife by their own Power.

The Refolution of these motions might much better depend upon the daily motion of the Earth upon its own Axis; and did not the Scriptures fo oppose this motion, I fhould willingly affent thereunto. But I fhall find this one Argument more against this Opinion of the Copernicans. For they fuppofing the Earth to be a Planet, how then can they think that the Earth fhould have any other motion than the reft of the Planets? Now that the other Planets have no fuch diurnal motions upon their own Axis, is apparent by the Moon; which if fhe had any fuch motion, the fpots in the Moon would not appear always in the fame place of the Moon as they do, both on the Eaft and Weft of the Meridian: For if the Moon were turned round, these fpots would be fometimes on the one fide, and by and by on the other. But if you obferve thefe fpots, you fhall find the Picture of the Man in the Moon, continually on the Western fide of the Moon and though fome variation it may have in refpect of the vertical Point, yet in refpect of the Pole of the Ecliptick, it keeps the fame place very exactly, just as the Horns of the Moon do in the prime and later part of the Moon.

Thus I have afcended to the Highest Parts of the Visible Heavens, and have (I hope) in fome Measure performed my Promife.

СНАР.

CHAP. VIII.

Containing fome of the ftrongest Arguments (by way of Objetion) the Maintainers of the Ptolomean Syftem bring against the Copernican System: With the Answers the Capernicans give unto them. Extracted out of the Writings of Pythagoras, Galileus and other later Aftrono

mers..

T

OBJECTION I.

Heir First Objection is against the Motion of the Earth: For (fay Cay they) We fee the Sun, Moon and Stars Rife in the Eaft, and make a Progrefs by the South, and fet in the Weft: And therefore our Visual Senfe Demonftrates, that they move, and not We.

ANSWER.

For,

In Anfwer to this, it may be urged; That the Sense of seeing is deceitful, and makes that feem to move which ftands till, and that ftand ftill which moves; as is often feen upon the Water. Rowing in a Boat, the Boat fhall feem to lie ftill in the Water, and the Banks of the fhore fhall feem to flide away from us And many times the Moon and Stars fhall feem to go along with us, which way foever we go.

If we stand upon a Hill (or on the Top of a main Maft of a Ship at Sea) then Looking round about us, the Heavens appear on each Quarter exily Equidiftant from us: Therefore the Earth is in the Center of all the Heavens: For, were it in any other Place, we should perceive one part of the Heavens nearer to us than another; and the Stars would fhew Greater on that part of the Heaven, which shews near to us, and less to that part of Heaven which bews farthest from us.

ANSWER.

The Distance of the Starry Heaven from the Sun (which is the Center of the Starry Heaven) is fo vaft, and the diftance of the Earths Orb fo fmall, that it feems in the very Center it felf, and therefore

makes

A

males in the Sight no Alteration; as by this following Scheme and Example, may be eafily conceived: Wherein imagine this Circle, reprefenting the Starry Heaven,

to be 20 Inches Diameter: A is the Center of the Circle, which is, in all parts, equidiftant from the Circumference. This Line AB will then be 10 Inches. Now suppose the Line AB were divided into 6875 equal parts (for the femidiameter of the Starry Heaven, contains the femidiametir of the Earths Orb 6875 times) and that the Center were removed from its true place at A, one of those equal Parts: Then may you, firft, confider the apparent Length of one of thofe Parts; and fecondly, what difference, in

appearance from the Center, it would have: If then the whole Length A B 10 Inches, be divided into 6875 equal Parts, then fhall every Inch be divided into 637; Parts, which is fo fmall, that it exceeds not half the Breadth of a Hair of ones Head: And what difference, at the Gircumference, half a Hair Breadth will make from the true Center of a Circle of 20 Inches Diameter, is to be confidered. It is true it is a difference from the true Center, but fo small, that no Man with the Point of a Needle can make a perceptible Mark of that Size. Now, though the distance of the Earths Orb, from the Center of the Starry Heaven, be fo fmall that it is scarce difcernable, by Reason of the vast diftance of the Starry Heaven, yet the diftance of the Earths Orb from the Orbs of Mars and Venus is not so great, but that a fenfible difference appears at feveral times in the fight of these Planets: For Mars in his Perigeum (or when he is nearest to the Earth) appears 60 times bigger than in his Apogeum (or when he is at his greatest distance from the Earth) and Venus in her Perigeum, appears 40 times bigger than in her Apogeum: As (with good Telescopes) hath been Obferved by Galileus and others fince.

OBJECTION III.

It is against Reafon (fay they) to think the Earth should turn round for then, we should, every Converfion have cur Feet turned upwards, and our Heads hanging downwards in the Air: Our Houses would tumble over; and every loofe thing, as Stones, Animals, &c. Fall from the Earth, as baving nothing to reft their Weight upon..

ANSWER.

It is unreasonable to think Nature fhould create any thing to its own Destruction; which we must allow, in cafe the Place Affigned it by Nature be not quite enough to retain it; for nothing can fubfift

without

without a proper Place: But we fee it cuftomary with Nature to A& beyond Vulgar Reason: For, whither the Earth turn Round, or stand fix'd in the Center, it matters not in this Argument: For, we all allow the Earth to be Round, and few Men now are fo unskilful in its Shape or Figure, as with Lactantius, to deny an Antipodes to every Place on the Earth and Sea. Which Antipodes, according to his Argument, is as much fubject to thefe Cafualties, as the whole Earth in its Conver-. fion Nay, the whole Earth, by admitting Antipodes, runs equal hazard of dropping all loose things into the Air, as admitting of the Eraths Converfion does.

OBJECTIÓ G IV.

If according to the Copernican Doctrine, the Earth move round from Weft to Eaft in 24 Hours, then (admitting the Circumference thereof to be 21600 Miles) it must in one Hour move 900 Miles, and in a Minute 15 Miles, and in the fifth Part of a Minute 3 Miles. So that if a Stone be let fall from an High Steeple, and it be the fifth part of a Minute in falling, by that time the Stone comes to the Ground, the Earth fhould have paffed from West to East three Miles, and the Stone must (by confequence) fall three Miles to the Westward of the Bottom of the Steeple. And to this Objection may be added another; Viz. That Pigeons may by ftrength of their Wings fly three Miles to the Westward from their Dove-House in one quarter of an Hour: But in this time should the Dove-Houfe, by. the Earths motion be receded Eastward 225 Miles. which with the acquired motion of 3 Miles, makes 228 Miles, and then they should alight 228. Miles off from their Dove-Houfe: Both thefe Arguments, and feveral other of the fame Nature, experience coutradicts; and therefore the Earth Stands ftill.

ANSWER.
É R.

By the Earth, is not meant only this bare Ball of Earth and Water whereon we dwell; but the whole Body as it is Cloathed with the Elements of Air and Fire: For these Elements are frequently convertible into each other: And as Philofophers teach us, are never fo purely one, as not to have a mixture of all: Therefore, whatfoever is within this Sphere of Elements, we fay is in the Earth, though part of these Elements, for their Purity, be Elevated above the Surface of that folid Body of Earth wherein we go: And therefore when we fay the Earth moves, we do not mean only that part of the Elementary Sphere which we call Earth; but by the Earth we mean the whole Body of Elements, which is according to this Doctrine agitated by one fingle Activity; and what ever moves in any part of this Sphere, moves in all: As for Example, The Stone and the Doves being Elementary Bo dies, are inclosed within the Sphere of the Earths Activity; Viz. Within the Air of the Higheft, and therefore have the Motion impreft upon them that the Earth hath: For which way foever the Stone falls,

or

or is thrown; or which way foever the Pigeon Flies, they move along Eastwards with the Earth, though they fly Weftwards. Thus Experience fhews, That if a Ship Sails with a Swift motion Wftwards, it may in one fcond of Time run about 9 Foot; and if one let fall a Stone from on high into the Hold, that Stone fhall not fall 9 Foot Eastwards from the Perpendicular Point, but juft upon the fame Point in the Bottom of the Hold it would have fallen, if the Ship had lain still, Viz. on the Point Perpendicular to the Point above it, from whence it was let fall; whereas, if the Stone had not received the Impreft motion of the Ship, it must have fallen 9 Foot to the Eastward of that Point.

OBJECTION. V.

The Earth is a Heavy Body, and therefore unfit for Motion, efpeci ally through the pure Heavens; for fuch is the fublimity of them, that the Weight of the Earth would prefs through them, and fo it should lofe its

Place.

ANSWER.

If the Earth be a Heavy Body, yet it is not unfit for Motion, if the moving Power be ftrong enough to fet it going: But Heavy Bodies are. more unfit to lie ftill in the fublime Heavens, than to move in them: For thus we shall fee, a Stone thrown into the Air, whilft it hath Motion it will abide there, but when the motion dies, the Stone falls.

These are fuch Objections as are Vulgarly made against this Opinion There are others, which by fome, may feem of more weighty Concern, as being against Senfe, Reafon, Experiment and Demonftration. Now fuch as defire farther fatisfaction in these particulars, may Read Copernicus himself, Kepler, Bullialdus, Lanfbergius, Gallilæus, Helvetius, &c. There are others alfo that condemn this Hypothefis as Heretical (as formerly that of the Antipodes was) and difconfentanions to several Places of Scripture; for they alledge. 1. That Text in Pfalm. 104. 5. He fet the Earth upon her Foundations, fo that it shall never move. And, 2. Pfal. 24. 2. He hath founded it upon the Seas, and established it upon the Floods; and several other Texts. And for the Motion of the Sun, they alledge; 3. Eccleafiaft. 1. 5. Were it is Written, The Sun arifeth, and the Sun goeth down, and hafteth to his Place where he arofe, Alfo, 4. Pfal. 19: 5, 6. Where the Pfalmift fpeaking of the Sun, he faith, Which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber, and Rejoyceth as a Strong Man to Run his Race. His going forth is from the end of the Heavens, and his Circuit unto the ends of it; aud there is nothing bid from the Heat of it: But in Answer to thefe Texts, or any other quoted in the Sacred Volume, take this pithy Answer of St. Auguftine, who faith, If any one shall object the Authority of Sacred Writ, against clear and manifeft Reafon; he that doth fo, knows not what he undertakes; for he Objects against the Truth, not the Senfe of the Scripture, which is beyond his Comprehenfions Not what is in it, but what finding it in himself he fancied to be in it.

Now