And thus thefe deplorable Difputers are used to contemplate, and to account for the Wonders produced in the Heavens, without confidering them otherwife than as very different Figures and Refemblances; and to make ther Opinions pafs with greater Appearance of Truth, they use thofe fhallow Maxims of fome Philofophers, That the moft fimple Hypothesis or Notions that People form of things, are always the trueft, which being eafily agreed to by the Ignorant, and thofe who endeavour to evade the Labour of a juft Inquiry, fatisfies them the better, and procures them the more Difciples.

But in cafe things happen'd after fuch a manner, yet from the Motion of this Matter that runs round, (if there be any fuch Matter) an over-ruling Power of the great Director may be clearly enough demonftrated; fince Experience teaches (as fhall be more fully proved by and by) that all fimple Motions are perform'd in Right Lines, and that Bodies can by no means defcribe Circular ones without fome particular Direction.

SECT. LXIX. Thofe Evafions anfwer'd; First, By the Orbs in which the Planets move.

BUT now when we turn away from this fictitious Heaven, which has no other Foundation but in the Fancy of those who only make use of it, that they may more conveniently (or according to them, more fimply) form an Hypothefis for the Appearances that are moft obvious to them; and if we further apply our Contemplations, without any Prejudices, to thofe Things which the true Inquirers have difcover'd by their Obfervations, about the Motions of the Pianets, it may be concluded, and not obfcurely, by every one, that the former Evafions are groundless: For, Firft, Eee 3

alt

all thefe great Globes are far from being moved in one and the fame Plane, as they are reprefented in Tab. XXII. Fig. 1. and tho' this be the ufual Figure by which Aftronomers represent the Syftem of the World; we are to suppose the Planes of the Orbit of the feveral Planets to cut thro' each other, like two Hoops placed obliquely in each other. For Inftance, let the Plane of the Paper upon which is drawn the third Figure in Tab. XXII. be the Plane in which the Sun revolves about the Earth (or the Earth about the Sun, for we do not difpute that Matter here) and let the Oval Figure E AF B, be in this fame Plane; then let us farther fuppofe the second Oyal ACBD to be fo placed, that the Part A CB be above, and the other Part ADB under the Plane of the first Oval; fo that these two Planes, like the two abovefaid Hoops, have nothing common to each other, but one only Right Line ASB. If then we take this laft ACB D, for the Way of any Planet, we fhall perceive how it differs from the Plane of the Ecliptick, that is, from the Sun's or Earth's Way, and makes an Obliquity with the fame, fo that there remains, between both the Planes, a Width, or Breadth, on the one Side, as CF, and on the other of D E.

SECT. LXIX. The Properties thereof.

Now to form a fuller and truer Notion of the Planets Orbits, we muft lay down fome Conclufions which are known and agreed to by all Astronomers, namely, That,

Firft, The Way or Orbit of each Planet is in a particular Plane, and peculiar to itself, so that at one Time it is at C above, and another Time. at D, under the Plane A EFB of the Ecliptick.

Secondly,

Secondly, That even the Moons of Saturn and Jupiter don't move in the fame Plane in the which either the Orbit of their Planet, or the Ecliptick lies; but that they decline from both, and according to the most accurate Obfervation, compleat their Courfe in a particular Plane. See Whifton's Prælect. Aftron. p. 201. where he reckons up their Appearances.

Thirdly, That each of these particular Planes, in which the Planets move, do never interfect the Plane of the Sun's Way in the fame, but all in different Lines: So that, for Inftance, if Mars does it in the Line AB, Jupiter will do it in the Line R T, &c. See Whifton's Pralect. Aftron. p.191. Fourthly, That even the Obliquities or Angles which the Planes of the Planets Orbits make with the Ecliptick, do not agree in any two, fo as to be the fame, but are different in all of them: They who defire to know the Occafion and Meafure of thefe feveral Interfections and Obliquities of the Planes (called by the Aftronomers the Inclinations, Latitudes of Planets, and Lines of Nodes) fuch as A B, TR, and CF, ED, may meet with 'em in the Automaton. of Mr. Huygens, P. 447. and elsewhere.

Fifthly and Laftly, We are to know, That all thefe interfecting Lines A B, TR, &c. tho' they all of 'em differ, yet each of 'em pafs through the Sun S; fo that that Luminary fhines upon the Interfections of all the Planes of the Planets, Ways.

SECT. LXXI. Convictions from thence.

IT is needless now to obferve, how much this differs from Globes or Balls floating in Water on the fame Plane or Superficies. And I leave the moft obftinate Atheist himself to judge, whether Eee 4

it

it be by meer Chance, or ignorant Laws of Nature, and without any directive Power, that fuch vaft Globes (fome of which are likewife attended with their particular Satellites) fhould each of them move about the Sun in a different Plane; and that every one fhould have continued his Courfe for fo many Thousand Years, without ever failing, and unvariably preferv'd the fame Obliquity, tho' the Swiftnefs of their Motion is fuch as far to furpass that of a Cannon-Bullet.

And in order to be convinced of the contrary, let an Atheist fancy to himself a Machine, reprefenting to his View in little, the Motions of fo many Globes about another Globe, each of them in an oblique Course one to the other, and every one of them moving with the fame Velocity as a Man can throw a Stone, and at the fame Time let him not know how thefe Globes are moved or projected. Now, if he discovered, or was told that every one of thefe Globes had continued in fuch a Motion but a few Years, without any Confufion, and did continue fo daily, would he not think fuch a Machine to be the Workmanship of the greatest Artift in the World? How dares he then fay otherwife of fuch an unceivably glorious Machine as this ftarry Heaven?

SECT. LXXII. The Atheifts Evafions Anfwer'd; Secondly, By the Planets continual Approach to the Sun.

Now if what has been already faid, concerning the wife and wonderful Direction of the Planets Motion, be not fufficient to convince the moft obdurate Atheift; a gracious God has vouchfafed yet farther to represent and manifest to the Sight of every one, fomething in the Course of these heavenly Bodies that feems to

put

put beyond all Difpute the Greatnefs of that Power which rules and directs them, and to reduce the Matter to an entire Degree of Certainty. In order to prove this, we affirm, and no body can deny it, that it is experimentally true, That all Bodies when put into Motion, do go on in a Right Line, unless fome other Cause or Power obliges them to recede from it; and it is known, that a Stone A moved circularly in a Sling about a Point S (Tab. XXII. Fig. 4.) in the Circle AHDE, with fuch a Swiftnefs, that it cannot be brought down by the Force of its Gravity when it is at A, will not continue to move in the fame Circle towards H, as foon as the faid Sling is loose, and the Stone left to itself, but purfue its way according to the Right Line AF, which touches the Circle at A; and this happens not only in a Circle, but in all other Curve Lines, as Experience teacheth us.

Now let the best Philofopher tell us, how it comes to pass, that fuch great Bodies as thefe Planets are, moving about the Sun with a Swiftness so much greater than that of a Cannon-Bullet, and with fo prodigious a Force as has been fhewn above, do not likewife obey this Law, and run always in a strait Line, but defcribe inceffantly a Curve Line, and always return to the Point from whence they began; and how these moved Bodies are compelled every Minute to depart from their Right Line, and defcribe by their Course, the Orbit which they do.

For that the Planet A (Tab. XXII. Fig. 5.) being moved about the Sun in the Curve Line AEDZ, when it is at A endeavours to go to F, along the Tangent AP, and when at G tends to I, along another Tangent GQ, is difputed by no body. Tell us then the Reafon why fuch a great and fwift Globe, certainly tending from A to F, and

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