collected this Knowledge of a Deity. Men, faith he, began to acknowledge a God, when they faw the Stars maintain fo great a Harmony, and the Days and Nights through all the Year, both in Summer and Winter to obferve their stated Rifings and Settings. And to pass over a great deal of this kind, that I could cite from divers Heathen Authors, What, faith the Stoick in Tully, (a) can be fo plain and clear, as when we behold the Heavens, and view the heavenly Bodies, that we should conclude there is fome Deity of a moft excellent Mind, by which these things are govern'd! A Prefent and Almighty God. Which he that doubts of, I do not understand, faith he, why he fhould not as well doubt whether there be a Sun or no that fhines. And then (a) Quid enim poteft effe tam apertum, tamque perfpicuum, cùm Calum fufpeximus, &c. De Nat. Deor. L. 2. c. 2. he he goes on to prove that this can be no idle Fancy depending on the Caprice of Man, but a well-grounded, fubftantial Opinion, bearing the Test of Ages, and confirmed by the Length of Time. For, faith he, Time wears out the Figments of Opinions, but confirms the Judgments of Nature, or fuch Notions as are grounded upon the true Judgment and Nature of Things. For which reason, faith he, both among our felves, and in other Nations, the Veneration of the Gods, and the Sacredness of Religion augment and improve every Day more and more. Thus the Heavens declare the Glory of God, even to the Heathen World, fo manifeftly are they the Handy-Work of God. And that they are his Work, will appear by taking a View of these seven Particulars, I. The Magnitude of the Hea vens. II. The great Number of the Heavenly Bodies. III. Their Distances. IV. Their Motions. V. Their Figures. VII. Their Light and Heat, and the admirable Provifions made for thofe Benefits. BOOK BOOK I. OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THE BODIES therein contained. CHAP. I. The Ancient and Modern Reckonings compared. B EFORE the Invention of the Telescope, the Univerfe was thought to be confin'd within far more narrow Bounds, than it is fince found to be, the fixt Stars being B 4 ima imagined to be all placed in the Starry Heavens (which they called the Firmament) at equal Distances from the Earth (the Center) like fo many golden Nails driven in the Top of fome arched Roof, or ther circular Concave, encompaffing our Eye. These, although far more narrow Bounds, and a more scanty Reckoning than it should be, yet was fufficient to fhew who was the Maker of fuch a ftupendous Arch, and fo noble a Train as is contained therein. But according to the modern Reckoning (which is far the most rational, and grounded upon better Phænomena) we fhall find this Branch of the Creation far more magnificent, and worthy of its infinite CREATOR, than those former Computations made it. And how grand and magnificent a Structure the Heavens are, will appear |