tial Phanomena, he fhould prefume blafphemoufly to say, that the Universe was a bungling Piece: And that if he had been of God's Counsel, he could have directed him to have made it better. A Speech as rash and ignorant, as daring and prophane.

For it was nothing but Ignorance of the true Procefs of Nature that induced the Contrivers of that Hypothefis to invent fuch abfurd Suppofitions, and him to accept them for true, and attribute them to the great Author of the Heavenly Motions: For in the New Hypothefis of the modern Aftronomers, we see most of thofe Abfurdities and Irregularities rectify'd and remov'd, and I doubt not but they would all vanish, could we certainly discover the true Method and Process of Nature in those Revolutions For seeing in those Works of Nature which we converfe with, we conftantly find thofe Axioms true, Natura non facit circuitus, Nature doth not fetch a Compass when it may proceed in a ftreight Line; and Natura nec abundat in fuperflui, nec deficit in neceffarii, Nature abounds not in what is fuperfluous, neither is deficient in what is neceflary. We may also rationally conclude concerning the Heavenly Bodies, feeing there is so much Exactness obferv'd in the Time of their Motions, that they punctually come about in the fame Periods to the Hundredth Part of a Minute, as may beyond Exception be demonftrated by comparing their Revolutions, furely there is also us'd the most simple, facile, and convenient Way for

the

the Performance of them. Among these Hea venly Bodies,

First, the Sun, a vaft Globe of Fire, esteem'd by the ancienter and most modeft Computation above 160 Times bigger than the Earth, the very Life of this inferiour World, without whofe falutary and vivifick Beams all Motion, both Animal, Vital and Natural, would speedily cease, and nothing be left here below but Darkness and Death. All Plants and Animals must needs in a very fhort Time be not only mortified, but, together with the Surface of Land and Water, frozen as hard as a Flint or Adamant: So that of all the Creatures of the World, the ancient Heathen had moft Reason to worship him as a God, tho' no true Reafon; because he was but a Creature, and not God: And we Chriftians, to think that the Service of the Animals that live upon the Earth, and principally Man, was one End of his Creation feeing without him there could no fuch Things have been. This Sun, I fay, according to the old Hypothefts, whirl'd round about the Earth daily with incredible Celerity, making Night and Day by his rifing and fetting; Winter and Summer, by his Access to the feveral Tropicks, creating fuch a grateful Variety of Seafons, enlightning all Parts of the Earth by his Beams, and cherishing them by his Heat, fituate and mov'd so in Respect of this fublunary World, (and it's likely also in Respect of all the Planets about him) that Art and Counsel could not have defign'd either to have placed him better, F

or mov'd him more conveniently for the Service thereof, as I could eafily make appear by the Inconveniences that would follow upon the Suppofition of any other Situation and Motion Thews forth the great Wisdom of him who so difpos'd and mov❜d him.

Secondly, The Moon, a Body in all Probability fomewhat like the Earth we live upon, by its conftant and regular Motion, helps us to divide our Time, reflects the Sun-beams to us, and fo by illuminating the Air, takes away in fome Measure the difconfolate Darknefs of our WinterNights; procures or at least regulates the Fluxes and Refluxes of the Sea, whereby the Water is kept in conftant Motion, and preferv'd from Putrefaction, and fo render'd more falutary for the Maintenance of its Breed, and useful and serviceable for Man's Convenience of Fishing and Navigation; not to mention the great Influence it is fuppos'd to have upon all moift Bodies, and the Growth and Increase of Vegetables and Animals: Men generally obferving the Age of the Moon in the planting of all Kinds of Trees, fowing of Grain, grafting and inocculating, and pruning of Fruit-Trees, gathering of Fruit, cutting of Corn or Grafs; and thence alfo making Prognofticks of Weather, because such Obfervations seems to me uncertain. Did this Luminary serve to no other Ends and Uses, as I am perfuaded it doth many, especially to maintain the Creatures which in all likelyhood breed and inhabit there, for which I refer you to the ingenious Treatifes written by Bishop Wilkins and Monfieur

Monfieur Fontenelle on that Subject, yet these were enough to evince it to be the Effect and Product of Divine Wisdom and Power.

Thirdly, As for the rest of the Planets, befides their particular Ufes, which are to us unknown, or meerly conjectural, their Courses and Revolutions, their Stations and Retrogradations, obferv'd conftantly fo many Ages together in most certain and determinate Periods of Time, do fufficiently demonftrate that their Motions are inftituted and govern'd by Counsel, Wisdom and Understanding.

Fourthly, The like may be faid of the fix'd Stars, whofe Motions are regular, equal and constant: So that we fee nothing in the Heavens which argues Chance, Vanity or Error; but, on the contrary, Rule, Order, and Con ftancy; the Effects and Arguments of Wisdom : Wherefore, as Cicero excellently concludes, Caleftem ergo admirabilem ordinem, incredibilemque conftantiam, ex qua converfatio & falus omnium omnis oritur, qui vacare mente putas, na ipfe mentis expers habendus eft: "Wherefore who"foever thinketh that the admirable Order and " incredible Conftancy of the Heavenly Bodies, "and their Motions, whereupon the Preferva❝tion and Welfare of all Things doth depend, is not govern'd by Mind and Understanding, he "himself is to be accounted void thereof." And again, "Shall we (faith he) when we fee an "Artificial Engine, as a Sphere or Dyal, or "the like, at firft Sight acknowledge, that it is ઉં a Work of Reason and Art? Cùm autem impeF 2

tum

tum cæli, admirabili cum celeritate moveri vertique videamus conftantiffimè conficientem viciffitudines anniversarias, cum fummâ Salute & Confervatione rerum omnium, dubitare quin ea non folum ratione fiant, fed excellenti quádam Divináque ratione: "And can we, when we

"fee the Force of the Heavens mov'd and "whirl'd about with admirable Celerity, most "conftantly finishing its anniversary Viciffi"tudes, to the eminent Welfare and Prefer"vation of all Things, doubt at all that these "Things are perform'd not only by Reason, but by a certain excellent and divine Reason?

To these Things I fhall add an Observation which I must confess myself to have borrow'd of the honourable Perfon more than once mention'd already, that even the Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon, though they be frightful Things to the fuperftitious Vulgar, and of ill Influence on Mankind, if we may believe the no less fuperftitious Aftrologers, yet to knowing Men, that can skilfully apply them, they are of great Ufe, and fuch as common Heads could never have imagin'd: Since not only they may on divers Occafions help to fettle Chronology, and rectifie the Mistakes of Hiftorians that writ many Ages ago; but which is, though a less Wonder, yet of greater Utility, they are (as Things yet ftand) neceffary to define with competent Certainty, the Longitude of Places or Points on the Terraqueous Globe, which is a Thing of very great Moment not only to Geography, but to the most useful and impor

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