A SURVEY OF THE HEAVENS.
BEING A Plain Description of the ad­mirable Fabrick and Motions of the Heavenly Bodies.

It has been alwayes accounted a great point of Wisdom to study the things of Nature, viz. of Cre­ation and Providence, and to know what is in Nature, how it is, and for what ends and use it is; and this know­ledge is usually called Natural Philosophy. Out of this do arise many Arts and Sci­ences, well becoming the serious Study of the Wisest of Men, and necessary to be understood by some, for the manife­station of the most glorious Attributes [Page 2]of the Creator, and for the displaying of the admirable beauty of the Uni­verse; yea about the matter, or manner of ordering of these things, is the whole World employed in some respect or o­ther. And so full of Variety and Intri­cacy are the Subjects about which those Arts and Sciences are conversant, that it would take up the whole Age of a Methusalah to study any of them to a reasonable heighth; and when he leaves the World, he might have cause to be­moan that he dies an Ignoramus.

Astronomy or the Study of the Stars, with their Matter, Motions and Influ­ences, is one of the Sciences belonging to Natural Philosophy, wherein the An­cients feem to have been very defective for want of the Telescope, which by the Providence of God has been happily found out in this Age of ours, whereby we can better discern and judge of the Magnitude, Figures, Number, Matter and Motions of those Heavenly Bodies, than they could possibly attain unto. And these are the things that I aim at in this Discourse, to entertain my Friends and Countrymen with a Narrative of what we see with our Eyes.

Now forasmuch as these new and strange discoveries of things and modes [Page 3]existent in Nature from the beginning, may in all reason infer some great Con­sequences, which for want of them the Ancients, or yet our Moderns who know them not, could never think on, I have taken some liberty with the in­genuous Reader modestly to propound what in my judgment I think to be plainly deducible therefrom, in seve­ral particulars, (I hope not ungrateful to any) in all which I shall be as con­cise as the nature of the Subjects will bear.

The Excel­lency of the Study of the Stars.As for the Study of the Stars and what relates thereto, it is certainly one of the most excellent Studies in the World; a most noble subject to con­template on, next to the Book of God, to wit, the Holy Scripture, wherein the Mind and Will of God, both as to what we are to believe and do, is clearly laid down in order to our everlasting well­being. This of the Heavens is Natures Book in folio, to which the Holy Scri­pture does frequently refer us, by plain and visible Objects of demonstration to clear up to our narrow Understandings that which in words could never have been sufficiently expressed, or conceiv­ed in our Minds, the never enough to be adored Attributes of the Divine Es­sence, [Page 4]as his infinite Wisdom, Power, Glory, Goodness, and Immensity.

They point out a Deity.From hence do arise most clear and convincing Arguments to prove there is a God, which the wanton and pro­phane Wits of the subtlest Atheists in the world can never evade, without forfeit­ing their Reason, and ceasing to be men.

If we consider the Heavens even through all the Predicaments, what stupendous matter of Admiration do they afford! How much more ground then of Admiration and Adoration too shall we find of that Eternal and Almigh­ty Being of whose hand they are the Workmanship? unless we can suppose they made themselves, or that they and the comely Order that is among them came by Chance, or a fortuitous coaliti­on of Atoms, as some have presumed to assert against Sense and Reason.

What thing is there in all this World within our ken, that in any reason we can think has made it self? If we see a noble House, or a neat Watch, or o­ther piece of Art, we soon reflect in our minds upon some Workman, whom we fancy to have been an Artist answerable to his piece. Would not all men laugh at him that should tell he fancied they made themselves? or that they came [Page 5]by chance, or a fortuitous meeting of Atoms; which though the Air we breath in be full of them, yet they tend to nothing but to make us wink; nei­ther incline they to take any form, nor yet in above 5000 years since the Cre­ation have produced the least trifle in Nature.

The immen­sity of the Stars.What less than infinite Power and In­comprehensibility could have made such an immeasurable space as the Firma­ment of Heaven, which is only not in­finite?They point out Gods Wisdom and Power. And what less than infinite Wis­dom and Omnipotency could have contri­ved so many great and glorious Bodies as the Stars, all of which, even the least we see, do undoubtedly far exceed this Globe of the Earth, and some thousands of them many hundred times bigger, as we may reasonably judge? Ptolomy to some may feem bold in asserting, that the Sun is 166 times bigger; yet he pretends to make it out by Demonstra­tion. Nay I could here name above a dozen Learned Men, Ancient and Mo­dern, that have written their Opinions on this Subject, who though they do exceedingly differ among themselves, yet he that speaks lowest, judges it to be 140 times bigger, and some of them 1000 times, yea some of them many [Page 6]thousands: And truly their Arguments seem not to want strength and solidity, who estimate it to be 1000 times big­ger, and Sirius the Dog-Star to be lar­ger than the Sun; as also Aldebaran the Bulls-eye, and other Stars of the first Magnitude, only seeming less because of their exceeding great distance. Yea and they judge the Planet Jupiter to be 100 times bigger than the Earth. And truly all we can do in these matters is to speak upon probable grounds of reason, as men, reckoning according to rules of proportion, to what we see with our eyes.

And hence it is that the Holy Scri­pture designing to make out to our Un­derstanding some glimpse of these two great Attributes of God, very frequent­ly leads us to the consideration of his Creating the Heavens and the Earth: As Psal. 19.1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth his handy work. And so Isaiah 40.12. and 26. He tells of meting out the Hea­vens with his span, and of measuring the Waters of the Sea in the hollow his band; of bringing out the Stars by number, and calling them all by their Names. [So Prov. 30.4.] And hence he proves the great­ness of his Might, and the strength of [Page 7]his Power; intimating there that all these things were made by his Eternal Power, and according to the Counsel of his own Will, in infinite Wisdom.

Nay God directs his People of Israel when they should sojourn in Chaldea, (which fell out afterward) how they should defend their Religion among the Chaldeans, and use this as an Argument to prove him to be God, in that he made the Heavens and the Earth, Jer. 10.11, 12. Thus shall ye say unto them; The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth, even they shall perish from the Earth, and from under these Heavens. And here by the way, tis well worthy our observation, that whereas all the rest of that Prophecy of Jeremy is writ­ten in Hebrew, this Verse alone is ex­pressed in the Chaldean Tongue, whereby God puts words into their mouths for the plainer conviction of the Chaldeans, among whom they were to sojourn: A forcible Argument methink against the ☜ Romanists, who do lock up the mind of God from the common people in an un­known language, when God directs his own Penman, the Holy Prophet to lay aside the language he inspired him, and to declare his mind in this most princi­pal Article of Faith in the language of [Page 8]the Country. By this Argument we are taught by the Apostles in their Creed to believe in him, (if we may suppose it was of their composing) being Maker of Heaven and Earth; and directed by our Saviour to pray to him, as being there in his special place of residence.

But to return to our scope— With­out all doubt those great and glorious Bodies were not only made for us, the Inhabitants of this world to look on, and so to glorify God objectivè, wherein tis well if we do our duty, but for other great ends and uses among themselves. And I do verily believe many things both as to the Being, and the ends, of the Being of those Celestial Bodies, which we understand not, we may come to know hereafter; I mean we that in­habit this Globe of the Earth. We see many things which the Ancients never thought on, are clearly made out to us: As the turning of the Earth upon its Axis every twenty four hours, which makes our natural Day, plainly made out by Copernicus, The Coper­nican Hy­pothesis. which solves all the Phaenomena of Heaven far better than the obscure Epicycles of the Ancients. Although I find that Aristarchus Samius was the first Author of that Opinion, who lived 400 years before Ptolomy, and him did Copernicus follow.

Now though the Notion has gained great credit in the world among Learn­ed and considerate Men, as any other in Nature, and daily gets ground against all Objections; yet I must needs say it is rejected by the Vulgar, because it ap­pears not to their Senses, but rather (they say) 'tis plain that the Heavens do move, and the Earth stands still:Objections from sense against it. And 'tis also doubted of by many eminent­ly Learned and Pious, because it seems to thwart the plain sense of Holy Scri­pture.

To the first I shall answer; I am a­fraid those Thomases that will be led on­ly by their Senses, will never become Proselytes to the Doctrine of the Circu­lation of the Blood, because they feel it not move, which was as long latent and unknown to the world, as this of the Earths Motion upon its Axis. Will they not believe the motion and descent of the meat they eat through the bowels, from the Stomach to the lowest gut, because they feel it not in its passage? If those men were on Shipboard in a calm Sea, carryed on either by a smooth Tide, or a very soft gale, would they not believe that the Vessel moved under them be­cause they feel it not stir? Would they rather encline to think that the Moun­tains, [Page 10]Churches and Trees moved, and changed their places, because they seem to do so to their eye? So smoothly and silently (yea and a hundred times more) does the Globe of the Earth move upon its Axis; so as if they can receive any conviction that their Senses are not fit Judges in the aforesaid cases, there will be no ground of perswasion left to make them Umpire in the last.

Objections from Scri­pture.Now as to the Scriptures which do at­tribute Stability to the Earth, and Mo­tion to the Sun; we are to know that in things of this nature the Scripture speaks according to vulgar acceptation, and outward appearance, so as when men thought they saw, and did believe that the Sun moved, and the Earth was fixed, the Holy Ghost in the Pen-men of the Scripture applies himself to that vulgar Opinion of the Age, from which it never design'd to withdraw men: so as they go most impertinently to work that will ground Philosophical notions on Scriptural expressions.

The Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation, wherein if we hold to them we are sure we cannot err; though not unto curiosity, or Philosophical Notions, wherein it matters not much whether we be right or wrong. The [Page 11]Holy Pen-men in things of that lesser alloy, were wont to speak according to the vulgar Opinions of their Age, and it may be to think so too, or at least not to examine them, their thoughts being imployed in things of greater Conse­quence.

Their business was to let the world know, that what ever they could con­ceive concerning any thing in Nature, throughout the whole Creation, it was from God; and therefore while they thought the Earth to be so firmly fixt that it could not be moved, the Psalmist not contradicting the Hypothesis, preach­es up the infinite Power and Soveraignty of God therein, 1 Chron. 16.30. and else­where in the Psalms.

Though if the Texts be well consi­dered, the words do not genuinely im­port what they would infer against such motion as we are mentioning. The Hebrew word [...] properly signi­fies to stagger; the Greek word [...], used by the Septuagint, signifies to be shaken: and we all agree that the Earth is so firmly establisht by the Al­mighty Power and Providence of God, in its proper place, that it cannot stagger, nor be shaken from off its foundation; but that hinders not but it may move [Page 12]upon its Foundation in a regular way, if there be reason to think so, without straining those Texts. Psal. 89.37. the Moon is there said to be establisht in Heaven; shall any man therefore deny its Motion from that Text?

So we read that Josuah in his zeal a­gainst the Enemies of God and his Peo­ple, in the heat of battle, (perhaps led by the vulgar opinion of the Suns moti­on) called to the Sun and Moon to stand still, &c. The design was that the light might be lengthned, till he might de­stroy the Army of the Amorites, and the day was accordingly prolonged, so as the Sun went not down for a whole day, and the Moon also staid— But why should Josuah call to the Moon to stand still, as well as the Sun, which could be of no use to him, while the Sun was up? To this I answer with all due modesty; I do believe Josuah did call thus by in­spiration, and a special impulse from God upon his Spirit: for that which would make the Sun stand still, would also stay the Moon; and therefore as his heart was inflamed with zeal from God to call for such an extraordinary thing, so was his tongue guided to call for more than he needed, and yet that which Divine Providence would order, [Page 13]and was naturally to attend the other, from the stopping of the Earths motion, of which we are speaking.

He that from the hasty zealous call of this great General, shall think to found an Argument to prove the Philosphical notion of the Suns diurnal Motion about the Earth, by taking the words in a pro­per literal Sense, may as well go on, and eke it out a little further, and then he may prove the Sun to have been in the next great Town, Gibeon, and the Moon in the Valley; but if to all men this latter shall be judged a weak Infe­rence, I dare say, to many wise men, so will the former.

And on this occasion let me tell my ☜ Observation; that where there is in the Scripture any seeming difficulty in a Text, in what sense it is to be taken, there is usually something couched in the Context that clears it, and being se­riously weighed points out the most ge­nuine interpretation.

When we read in Scripture of the Suns rising and setting, and of its re­joycing as a Giant to run its course, must we needs draw Arguments from thence to assert the Suns Motion? Do not all men at this day call it the rising and setting of the Sun, even those that are [Page 14]sure it moves not, but do firmly assert the Earths motion, which is enough to make out that Phaenomenon of the perpe­tual Motion of the Heavens, and we are drawn thereto by vulgar acceptati­on, and propriety of our modern Lan­guage; but must every man be drawn to defend it because of his compliance with the Vulgar? certainly no, that is an inference which was never intended, nor can be rationally born with, when the Argument is laid to the line. It may as well be inferred that the Sun runs in a progressive motion, by steps as a Giant doth, and that it has a reason­able Soul, and the affection of Joy.

Figures of­ten used in the Scri­pture.In the Scripture (as in all other wri­tings, yea and sayings too of the wisest of men) there are many passages which cannot fall under a plain sense without gross absurdity. There are many my­stical and figurative Expressions that we frequently meet with both in the Old and New Testament, else we must think that the Mountains skipped like Rams, and the little hills like Lambs, which would plainly contradict this stability of the Earth mentioned before. Must our Sa­viour be understood in a plain sense, when he says, He is the Vine, and the Father a Husband-man? what absurd [Page 15]consequences would follow from thence!

Such is the ground of the great con­test betwixt us and the Church of Rome, in the Sacramental Elements; they un­derstand it in a proper literal sense, when he says, This is my Body. We take the words figuratively. They say its become whole Christ, and there­fore yield Adoration: We say its nei­ther so in whole nor in part, and there­fore we worship it not, though we ho­nour its Institution to such an end and use. The consequence of a literal sense would be strange, while S^t Paul, 1 Tim. 1.17. calls Christ the Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, and only wise God: Are these to be attributed to the Sacramental Ele­ments? 'Tis not Eternal, 'twas made by the Baker, or at best by the Priest: Its not Immortal, for 'tis subject to pu­trefaction: Nor is it invisible, we see it, and 'tis Bread still: Nor is it wise, for 'tis inanimate, and so cannot be said to be God.

But upon the whole matter, we see there is a reasonable scope to be allow­ed to scriptural Expressions, (as to all other Writings and Sayings of those that are wise) which are never to be stretched to absurd consequences, nor inferences made that are collateral, and [Page 16]not the scope of the place, nor suitable to sense or reason; and that in particu­lar the Scripture makes out nothing a­gainst this Hypothesis of the Earths mo­tion upon its Axis.

The Coper­nican Hy­pothesis ex­amined by Reason.I will now examine it according to the rules of Reason, and then leave it to every wise man to judge as he sees cause. Either this Globe of the Earth turns up­on its Center once in Twenty four hours from the West to the East, or else the Sun runs its course from the East to the West; either of which will serve to make up our natural day.

Now let us consider upon a Standard of miles, that we may the better un­derstand what we are speaking of; wherein I follow the generally received Rules of our best Modern Astronomers, who are much more exact than the An­cients, and I have the help of M^r Thomas Street, an eminent Mathematician in London, the Author of that exquisite Book, called Astronomia Carolina.

Of the Earths di­urnal mo­tion.By the Standard of London 5000 feet make an English mile; and 8365 of such miles is the Diameter of the Earth, or in plain English the thickness from one side to the other: and the Semidiameter that is to say, the half thickness from the Center to the Circumference is 4182 [Page 17]miles and ½. Now six Semidiameters is the circumference of the Earths Super­ficies, (something more, but I shall keep to round numbers) and that a­mounts to 26280 miles; so that suppo­sing the Earth to turn about in twenty four hours upon the Aequinoctial line, then the hourly Motion is 1095 miles, and consequently it must move 18 miles [...] in every minute of time, upon the said Line, which perhaps is as fast as a Bul­let flies out of a Gun; and probably upon the first consideration it may be thought to be a very swift motion.

Of the Suns diurnal Motion.But if we must suppose the Sun to move from the East to the West round about the Heavens in twenty four hours, then, that we may find what measure of miles it runs, we are to consider its distance from the Earth; and I find it agreed on by common consent, that the mean distance of the Sun from the Earth is 13755 Semidiameters of the Earth, according to the Standard aforesaid, which amounts to 57530287, or in words at length, fifty seven millions, five hundred thirty thousand, two hundred eighty seven Miles; and then its hourly Motion must be 15061725, viz. fif­teen millions, sixty one thousand, seven hundred twenty five miles, and conse­quently [Page 18]it must run 251029, viz. two hundred fifty one thousand twenty nine miles every minute of time, which how it can be, ought to be considered.

I know some good men having not throughly weighed the point, have a ready Answer wherewith they satisfie themselves, as to the difficulties that gravel others about this stupendous Motion of the Sun, which they draw from the Omnipotency of God, who is a­ble to do it; they being not willing to recede from the Common Notion, up­on the account of the Texts of Scripture before mentioned.

To whom I reply thus, I adore all the Attributes of God, and particular­ly that of his Almightiness, to which all things are possible; nothing is too hard for him. And I desire with all good Men to fear him, both for his Greatness and his Goodness, and would abhor the least thought tending to the questioning of his Divine Perfections. But every good Man should study to be also wise, that he may think and speak rightly, as well as reverently in things that relate to God. As in matters of Religion, we are to be regulated hy his declared Will in his Word; So in things of Nature, our sentiments ought to be suited to his [Page 19]manifest works of Providence in the Cre­ation. Now I conceive here we are not to rest with presuming upon his abso­lute Omnipotency, and what he is able to do; but to eye his methods of Providence in the World, and what he uses to do; and how in things of this Nature he has made manifest the Wisdom of his Will. For he that by his Power and Goodness has given all things their Being, has by his Wisdom and Providence stated their manner of Being. Now as to all mate­rial and corporeal things, he has been pleased in his Wisdom so to order them, that they cannot move or change place at such a rate. Loco-motion in corpo­real Substances (such as we are discour­sing of) does by the Methods of his wise Providence necessarily exact a stated time for a due distance: And though his Omnipotency is unlimited, so as nothing is impossible with God, yet it is so con­cordant with the Wisdom of his Will in all things throughout the whole Creati­on, which he has made in due Order, Weight, and Measure, that he is alone able to do what he will.

Now since its apparent to our Obser­vation, and suitable to our Reason wherewith he has indued us, to judge of his Works of Providence, that it is [Page 20]impossible for gross Bodies to move at such a rate (as we have said of the Sun up­on the ground of that Hypothesis) he ha­ving disposed them otherwise, we ought not to expect that from his Power, which crosses the manifest Wisdom of his Will, lest making his Attributes to enterfere one with another, we fancy him incon­sistent with himself, and so unawares sin against his Holiness, which highly con­sists in that harmony that is eminently conspicuous among his Attributes.

Certainly it is not the way to con­vert Atheists to attribute Operations to his Power, which in the Nature of things are impossible; but rather it would tend to harden Unbelievers in their A­theism, as if he whom we judge to be Omnipotent in Power, were not also In­finite in Wisdom; when 'tis manifest his Wisdom has already opened a plain way for the magnifying of his Power, and all his other Attributes besides, that we cannot sever them, nor so much as think of any one of them, but it must of ne­cessity heighten our thoughts into Ad­miration of them all.

It's attend­ed with in­superable difficulties.But this is not all, there are yet grea­ter difficulties (I had almost said absur­dities) that do attend the Hypothesis of the Suns diurnal Motion about the [Page 21]Earth: For by the same reason they must assert all the Planets above the Sun to move as well as the Sun, and that in the same space of time, viz. in twenty four hours; which though they are all of them some thousands of Semidiameters of the Earth higher than one another, and have all peculiar Motions of their own, wherein they do exceedingly dif­fer from each other, and have no depen­dency on one another, I mean Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, yet they all agree in this, that they all seem to move a­bout the Earth every twenty four hours, as duly and regularly as the Sun; whose Circles are so much larger than that which the Sun makes, that Saturn, which is the highest of them, must necessarily move almost ten times faster and far­ther in every minute of time than the Sun. I well know what reference they have to the Sun, yet I would gladly un­derstand what there is in community a­mong themselves, and with the Sun, that can make them so agreeable in their diurnal Motions!

Nay they must also assert the Motion of all the fixed Stars, and that in the same space of twenty four hours, and in all respects as regular, so as we can judge of the hour of the Night by any [Page 22]of them that shall happen to appear, as well as we can do of the hour of the Day by the Sun. — And then such and so im­measurable is their distance from this Globe of the Earth, (which they most erroneously fancy to be the Center of the World, and consequently of their Motion) that they must necessarily move 100 times faster and farther in a mi­nute, than what we have said of the Sun.

I know they resolve all these by the aforesaid Argument taken from the Om­nipotent Power of God; to which I shall not need to say much more than what I have said already. Only I desire them to sit down a while, and consider on't, taking this one thing along with them— A posse Dei ad esse rei non valet consequen­tia.

The Coper­nican Hypo­thesis suits best with reason.And now I shall refer it to any man of Reason, or Reckoning, to consider which of the two is the more probable Opinion, viz. that our natural Day is made up by the Motion of the Earth up­on its Center, the Sun being fixt, or by the course of the Sun from East to West round about this Globe, the Earth be­ing fixt. Upon the whole matter, if it be not contrary to Sense, nor Holy Scri­pture (as I have in some measure pro­ved) [Page 23]it does not seem to be against sound Reason, to assert the Earths diurnal motion upon its Center.

Several of the Planets turn upon their Cen­ters.And to evince the further probabili­ty hereof, I will say somewhat more, that we have still further ground to think so, because we are as certain, as the sight of our eyes can assure us, that far greater Bodies than the Earth do turn upon their Centers. M^r Hook plainly discerns by his Telescope that the Planet Jupiter turns about upon its Center eve­ry ten hours (rather something less) by a dark spot which he perceives to turn about in the Discus of that Planet, till after a while it turns off. Mars he ob­serves to turn about much about the same time with the Earth, viz. in twen­ty three hours and a little more. Yea and its plainly discernable by the same Instrument, that the Sun it self turns upon its Axis once in twenty eight days, or thereabouts.

And since it is so, why may we not judge the like of this Globe of the Earth, though it appear not to our Senses, from the concession whereof not the least ab­surd Consequence does follow? Nay it fully solves all the difficulties, and Im­probabilities (I had almost said Impossi­bilities) that attend the other Hypothesis.

I have been the longer upon this, be­cause 'tis One of the most considerable things in Nature, and least understood, meeting with much Opposition, even from some Learned and good Men, while yet it is most clear to others. The rest I shall more quickly glide o­ver.

The Sun is in the Cen­ter of the Heavens.Another Observable unthought of by the Ancients, is, that the Sun is in the Center of the Heavens, but assured­ly of the Planets Motions, about which every one of them turns in its Periodi­cal time, while yet each of them has its proper Orb in which it moves, to which it is also so confined, that it can­not move beyond its assigned Degrees of distance from the Sun; a Scheme whereof the Reader may see in Mr. Street's Astronomia Carolina aforesaid, where the Earth it self is demonstrated to have the said motion about the Sun, which is called its Annual Motion,The Earths annual mo­tion about the Sun. to which Book I shall refer the Reader, it being not my present design to ravel in­to that, seeing I am drawn into a great­er length already than at the first I in­tended; neither indeed is that so clear to me, as is the diurnal Motion, which makes our Day.

This Opinion of the Earths Motion is [Page 25]opposed by many, particularly by Mau­rolycus, who is severe against Copernicus for asserting it, and says, he is Scuticâ & flagello dignus, &c. worthy of the Lash for it; yet as Learned as he, are professed Proselytes to it, and are able to defend it at this day, and make it out with clear Demonstration.

The Planets are dark Bodies.Another, that the Planets are dark Bodies as well as this Earth on which we tread, and have no Light but what is reflected from the Sun; and this is plainly made out by Galilaeus his Glass, highly improved of late by our new Telescope.

Observati­ons about Jupiter.So, that the Planet Jupiter has four Satellites, or small Lights that move about it, as the Moon about the Earth, perhaps of the same nature and for some like ends. The nearest of them turns about the Planet in two and twenty hours; the next in three days and a half; the third in seven days, and the farthest in seventeen days. Although what influence they may have upon the Planet we cannot say. Yea and Mr. Hook with his Telescope does discover that they Eclipse one another, some­times they the Planet, or it them, when they intercept the Sun-beams from one another, which he can foretel to a mi­nute, [Page 26]both as to the beginning and du­ration, as truly as he can foretel, or see the Eclipses between the Earth and the Moon.

Observati­ons about Saturn.Likewise that Saturn has some rayes of glory, with which that Planet is be­girt, together with three Satellites or Moons that go about it, at some small distances, which yet probably are grea­ter Bodies than this Globe of the Earth, now of late discovered by Mounsieur Cassini. A probabi­lity of more Worlds in several of the Planets. Also the Probability that there is a World in the Moon, and that the Earth is a Planet, most ingeniously dis­coursed of by the late Reverend D^r Wil­kins Bishop of Chester. And why I pray pari ratione may not the other Planets be Worlds too, and have Inhabitants to exalt the great Name of their and our Creator? Indeed, if the Planet Jupiter be Inhabited, their Day there must be but five hours long; only they are sup­plied in the Night by four Moons, which may probably afford sufficient Light to the Inhabitants for business, besides the frequent return of the Day.

Not incon­sistent with the Scri­pture.And if it be so, that some of those Heavenly Bodies are Worlds, that are Inhabited (of which Opinion are some Learned and considerate Persons whom I have met withal) then is one great dif­ficulty [Page 27]cleared in that place of Scripture, Phil. 2.11. which has been usually ta­ken in a Figurative sense, seeing it may be literally true; where the Apostle says, that God has exalted Jesus Christ, and given him a Name above every Name, [...], viz. That in the Name of Jesus every knee may bow, of those in the Heavens, in the Earthy, Some dark Scriptures cleared. and under the Earth. If the main scope of that Text be to point out the Media­tory Office of Christ, and that by bowing the knee is principally meant praying to God the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ, as the genuine Sense of the place seems to import, and not merely the Adoration which is to be given to Christ by all Created Beings, which is clear enough from other Scriptures; then I cannot see how the word [...], of things in Heaven, can be thought to be meant of Angels, or Saints depar­ted, such as Enoch and Elias; who be­ing in the full fruition of the Beatifical Vision, are in need of nothing, and there­fore above Prayer, wholly taken up with Hallelujahs of Praise. And then it be­ing supposed that there are Inhabitants in those Heavenly places, it's reasona­ble enough for us to think that S^t Paul [Page 28]respects them, and will have us to know, that God [...] has exalted Christ, (our Language has not a word to express it, it signifies he hath exceedingly exalted him) as that those Rational Beings that are in the Heavenly places, must pray to God in that Name, even as we. As for the word [...] of knees under the Earth that must bow, which so much gravels Interpreters; I take it to be a Pleonasme, a Figure frequently used in Scripture (as in other Writings) when a thing is designed to be copiously and very largely expressed: A parallel place to which I find, Jam. 3.7. [...], where not only all other Crea­tures on the Earth, but even the Fishes in the Sea are said to be tamed by Man, a thing scarce practicable. In the one place S^t Paul highly extols the Soveraign Authority God has given to Jesus Christ, over all Created Beings where ever they may be supposed to be: And in the o­ther, S^t James describes that absolute Do­minion Man has over all the Creatures in the World. The like Figure is used in John 21. ult. and many other places.

Nor incon­gruous to Reason.And why should it seem strange to a­ny man of Reason to think there are more inhabited Worlds, that shall consider the Immensity of that space of Heaven, [Page 29]and the Analogy (as I have mentioned in many particulars) that is betwixt some of the Heavenly Bodies and this Earth, together with the inconsidera­ble proportion there is of this in compa­rison of almost all of them, so as if one of us were in those Bodies, the Earth could not be seen for its smalness.

We plainly discern them to be dark Bodies like this Globe of the Earth, and to have a continual Succession of Day and Night, and Moons that surround them, that give Light by Night to them; and we may probably guess there are o­ther Influences that must according to the Course of Nature flow from them, and operate upon their several Planets, as the Moon upon this Globe of the Earth and Sea; but what signifie all these, if there be no Inhabitants, or ra­tional Beings in them? We are not in­deed capable of ascertaining any thing of Inhabitants there, no more than they can of us, if possibly they can see this Globe of the Earth and its Moon where­in we resemble them, unless they have it by Revelation, which we pretend not to, seeing there can be no Com­merce maintain'd betwixt them and us; but it seems reasonable enough for us to think they are inhabited, and that [Page 30]they and we are not alike ordered for nothing, but for like ends and uses.

Suppose some of us were at Sea in a Ship, and some of the Company that were able to climb up to the Top-mast­head, should tell us they discovered a Country at distance, and should make a Description of some great Palace, or Castle, that appear'd very Noble and Magnificent, like Whitehall or Windsor; bravely suited with all manner of Conve­niences, though the place were inaccessi­ble, nor could ever any come from thence to make a further report, than what they were able to discover by the Eye; Were there not ground enough to think that place were Inhabited, and that it were the Palace of some great Prince that kept his Court there, and not merely an Inchanted Castle; espe­cially if we could suppose the same Ar­chitect or Workman made them all? Such is the case we are discoursing of: Nor do I see what absurdity in Reason or Religion can arise from such reason­ing, to think that the All-wise God doth use the same Methods of Provi­dence throughout the whole Universe, for like ends.

Does it not savour of too much Haughtiness, and too high an Opini­on [Page 31]of our Selves, and our Services to God, to suppose that the great God made all those immense Bodies, that yield so fair a Luster, and that im­measurable space possessed by them, only for the use of Us on this pitiful invisible point; and that the Infinite Deity of Heaven should have no active Service or Adoration in all those Bo­dies, save only from us, poor Worms! The Nations of the Earth are compared, Isa. 40.15. to the drop of a bucket, and the small dust of the balance: Now can any wise Man think that the deep Well of the whole Creation, and the Bucket were made for the Drop! or that the Balance (than which nothing requires more exactness and curiosity, both for its Matter and Manner of composure, with respect to its poise) was made for the sake of the small Dust, that will not cast the Scale!

That place of Scripture before menti­on'd in the Epistle to the Philippians, and two or three places more, I offer to the serious Consideration of our gravest Divines, viz. Eph. 1.9, 10. Having made known to us the Mystery of his Will, &c. that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Hea­ven, [Page 32]and which are on the Earth, even in him. So again, Colos. 1.16. the Great Apostle says, That by Jesus Christ all vi­sible and invisible things, both in Heaven and in Earth, were Created, even by him, and for him. Here he takes in all Crea­ted Beings, and then he goes on—It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself— And lest any should mistake the discovery of this so great Mystery, he repeats it again—Yea by him, whether they be things on Earth, or things in Heaven—

I say, I offer these Scriptures to the serious Consideration of the most Learn­ed, Pious, and Thinking Men, whether the Apostle Paul, who had been rapt up into the third Heaven, (and so may well be estimated the most competent Witness) does not seem to have calcula­ted them for such a Discovery as this, of inhabited Worlds in those Heavenly Bodies; where he would have us know, that such Honour and Preheminence God has given to Jesus Christ, over all Created Beings, which he says God made by him, and for him, that all Ad­dresses, Communion, and Reconcili­ation both for those [...], in the Heavens, and us on this Earth, must [Page 33]be made through him; so as if there be ten thousand Worlds, those Scriptures may be understood literally, and the Figurative sense let go; in so much as they and we have no other way to come to God but by Jesus Christ, who is the great Reconciler of God to his Crea­tures, and the only Mediator for them all. For us he is the Mediator of Expi­ation, and both for them and us he ap­pears by these Texts forenamed, to be the Mediator of Intercession.

And methink it is very Emphatical to this purpose what he says in Eph. 3.9. where he largley explains himself, viz. that it was not only revealed to him in common with the rest of the Holy Apo­stles and Prophets, that the Gentiles should be Fellow-heirs, and of the same bo­dy, and partakers of the Promise in Christ; But that by Revelation he was peculiar­ly appointed to make the Gentiles, and all men to know, that there is yet a further Fellowship of the Mystery of God, hid from the beginning, which he calls [...] the unsearchable riches of Christ, (the Greek word signifies not to be traced, as if he could not make out by what footsteps it came thither) viz. that there are some in those Heavenly places, whom he calls [...], [Page 34] Principalities and Powers, to whom the manifold Wisdom of God in Christ was made known, and that they were not only Created by him, but even for him, and that they and we are all of one Family or Country, as the word [...] imports; as if the Apostle would hint, that though by reason of distance we seemed to be two Countries, yet in him we are united, and do agree, and of him both they and we are to be named, or called Christians, as it is at Verse 15.

And what hinders but I may suppose that some of those [...] S^t Paul tells of in 2 Cor. 12.4. unspeakable words or things, which he heard when he was rapt up into the third Heaven, might be wonders of Creation, as well as of su­perabundant Grace, which for Mystery or Multitude he could not express?

The Novelty not to be blamed.If any man object against the Novel­ty of these Notions, let such know I am not imposing them upon any mans Credulity (though they have long made impressions upon my self) nor am I de­signing to make out the probability of a plurality of Worlds from these Scri­ptures afore-named; It suffices me if there be reason to think so on other ac­counts; nor upon my grounds can any wise Man quarrel with me, though he [Page 35]differs from me in this matter. But if through the invention of new advanta­gious helps, we are become better able to judge of the Nature and Fabrick of the Heavenly Bodies, and so can have plau­sible grounds to think (more than the Ancients ever had, that there may be rational Beings, or Inhabitants in them; And if the Spirit of God, who best un­derstands the things of God, has inspi­red his holy Apostle at his Rapture in­to Heaven, with such expressions as may sute in a plain sense with our new discoveries, which the most sagacious a­mong the Ancients could never compre­hend, (their old Interpretations seem­ing therefore to be harsh, and more strain'd) then there is no cause to quarrel at the newness of the Notions, if they may but serve to explicate old Texts; many of which throughout the Scri­ptures, may yet remain obscure a long time, and yet may probably be explain­ed hereafter by Events, which the Pro­vidence of God shall bring to pass in the World.

If this last Century has afforded such helps as I have mentioned, and so many rare discoveries in those Heavenly places, (and I might reckon up a great many more, but that I design brevity) why [Page 36]may we not hope that time may pro­duce some other helps, whereby still more wonders of Creation and Providence may be found out, especially when we have so many Excellent Heads as our Royal Society affords, besides others at work both here and elsewhere, to seek after things of this Nature? Although much more cannot well be expected to supply the defect of our Eyes in refe­rence to the fixed Stars, which are placed so far beyond all Parallax, or yet of their Influences and Operations on one another, save only to us on this Globe.

The appli­cation of all the Premis­ses.And now I suppose it is clear to any ordinary understanding what I hinted before, that from the Contemplation of the Heavens, their Distance, Fabrick, Motions and Immensity, we have some glimpse of Gods Infinity, even through most of his Attributes, which without such helps our narrow Understandings could not so well apprehend; they af­fording us so many visible Objects of De­monstration, to raise our thoughts a­bove and beyond them.

Suppose I should discourse with a Man that was born blind, and tell him of Light, and what a glorious thing the Sun is (as sometimes I have done) all I could say might heighten his fancy, [Page 37]and put him into raptures of Admirati­on; but when all is said, he would not be capable to understand what is Light, nor what is Sight, nor what is the Sun: perhaps the same Man has walked with a Guide twenty Miles in a day, and he judges it to be a long walk; Well! I tell him I see the Sun at this very instant of time, which is judged by all wise Men that have well studied the point, to be above eight and twenty hundred thou­sand times as far from me, as the miles that he has gone; yea and every night I see the Stars, which perhaps are ten times further off than the Sun. I then discourse of the supposed immensity of those Bo­dies, together with their Fabrick and Motions, as I have related, and the innumerable Number of them, and the vast space of the Firmament of Heaven, as it plainly appears to us all, beyond which you and I may yet conceive more, even ten times more, for we know not what should terminate it; and we are the more capable to suppose these things by what we see. O how would the blind Man be amazed! What raptures of Admiration would possess him!

Alas! in reference to Gods infinite Attributes, notwithstanding we have these Helps, we are yet to seek, falling [Page 38]far short, and like the blind man are in the dark. God is an infinite Essence that highly transcends all Predicamen­tal Notions, and humane cogitations.

Gods infi­nite Attri­butes hereby made out.If the Light of the Sun be so glorious, O what is the Glory of him that made it! If the Fabrick of Heaven, and the Motions of those Bodies be so stupen­dous; what shall we think of the infinite Essence, Wisdom, Power, and Goodness of him that ordered them so at the first by his Word, and rules them, and every Circumstance among them, and in this World by his Providence!

But all this is still within the reach of Reason set at work by the external Senses, and is no more than what seve­ral of the Wise Heathens have said, as Hermes, Plato, Seneca, &c. Although Aristotle, notwithstanding he has dis­coursed at large of the Heavens, yet has said little of God that made them; and perhaps not without good reason, as some Learned men judge, seeing the Light he had from these was but little to enable him to say much of that In­finite divine Essence.

That immense Universe, and all the mysterious Furniture thereof he made for his Dwelling, yet not as we make a Dwelling in our Houses, which we [Page 39]always make larger than our selves. That's a Notion by no means to be ap­plyed to the Divine Majesty, in whom there is no quantity, neither can he be circumscribed by any space, or within any place.

We ought not to think or speak of God, but with all Reverence and Ado­ration, and that herein we may be the less subject to Errour, I judge it best to hold fast the form of sound words, which we find among the holy Prophets, who were immediately inspired by his Spi­rit. He is higher than the Heavens, and his Glory is above them. And notwith­standing their immensity, yet the Hea­vens of Heavens cannot contain him. He metes out the Heavens with his Span; He holdeth the winds in his Fist; He measur­eth the Waters in the hollow of his Hand; He comprehendeth the dust of the Earth in a measure; weigheth the Mountains in Scales, and the Hills in a Balance. Hea­ven is his Throne, and the Earth is his Foot-stool. And yet these are low Ex­pressions suited to our capacities to make out his Incomprehensibility. The immeasurable space of Heaven which we see, helps us to conceive some Noti­ons of Infinity, and some small glimpse of Eternity; for an immeasurable Time [Page 40]may be apprehended by our Reason, as an immeasurable space by our Senses.

☞ And now let every wise Man and good Christian sit down a while, and consider what has been said in the fore­going Discourse concerning this great Machine of the World, so made and ordered by the Wisdom and Power of God, consisting of so many, and so great stupendous parts, at such immea­surable Distance from one another; yet with such subserviency towards one a­nother, as that they cannot subsist, nor continue to perform the Ends of their Creation without the Help and Influ­ences of each upon other. To which of the two Opinions aforementioned a­bout the making up our natural day, any may shall encline, it matters not much, but 'tis certain there could be no Day nor Night in this our Orb, if it were not from the Sun; nor yet in the rest of the Planets (where perhaps it may be as universally necessary as 'tis with us) but from their constant whir­ling to and from the Son. Nor could there be with us a continual succession of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Win­ter Seasons, so absolutely necessary to our Beings and well Beings, if it were not for the Annual variation of Motion [Page 41]betwixt the Sun and this Globe; and peradventure the like is elsewhere a­mong the rest of the Heavenly Bodies. What other Influences the rest of the Planets may have on one another, and every one of them on this Earth, or this Globe on them, and the fixed Stars on them all, I undertake not to deter­mine, but I verily believe if any of the Planets were wanting, the whole Fabrick of the Planetary world would come to nothing, for probably they must last and fail together. And whence, I pray, can we suppose all these to be produced, and so to be continued in a constant and ne­cessary Subserviency to one another, but from the Infinite Wisdom, Power and Pro­vidence of God? What room then is there for Atheism, unless men will shut their eyes, and wilfully divest them­selves of that Reason which is implant­ed in their Nature! If any Man after so many forcible Arguments of Convicti­on both to his Sense and Reason, shall yet continue to be a Speculative Atheist, his own Conscience when ever it comes to be serious, will assuredly confound him, and the very Law of Nature (if there were nothing else to do it) will certainly Condemn him for a profligate Heathen.

I doubt not but when we come to be translated into those everlasting Mansi­ons, we shall see and understand more Arguments of Demonstration, of the Glory of all, and every one of the At­tributes of God, than yet we can ima­gine, for the Exaltation of his Praises, and have cause to cry up in Admirati­on, even in this Sense also, [...]! O the depth of his Wisdom! O the exceed­ing greatness of his Power! How unsearch­able are his Judgments, and his Ways past finding out!

And now being drawn to treat of Gods adorable Attributes, I cannot dismiss the Subject with these low Con­templations, seeing in other respects they appear far more Gloriously; which I think my self obliged to touch upon, although therein I may seem to deviate from my designed task of Discourse a­bout the Heavens, which yet I hope e­very good Christian will pardon, seeing, being led to speak of Gods Excellency, I ought not certainly to leave out the mention of those things wherein he is most highly exalted.

Gods Attri­butes still higher ad­vanced.All his foremention'd Attributes are yet more eminently conspicuous in his Creation of Intelligent and Rational [Page 43]Beings, viz. Angels and Men, than in his making of all the rest of the Universe, for these he made after his own Image, in Understanding and Knowledge (as he has not done the Hea­vens) and ordain'd them as Judges and Witnesses of his transcendent Excellen­cy, placing both of them in a most hap­py State and Condition, with freedom of continuance in both their Wills, therein plainly manifesting his Attri­bute of Goodness; with expectation of Homage and Obedience from both of them according to his declared Will.

S^t Paul I find in several of his Epi­stles makes mention of some other Be­ings, that are in the Heavenly Places, which were made by him, called [...], Prin­cipalities, Powers, Mights, Thrones, and Dominions. Our Interpreters think them to be several Hierarchies of Angels; though how they differ from Archangels, Cherubim, and Seraphim they understand not. I say again, it were well worthy Consideration whether they do not all ra­ther seem to be Inhabitants in those Hea­venly Bodies I have mention'd, viz. in Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, &c. and whether it be not most suitable to the scope of those Texts, as also to the Wisdom, and Power [Page 44]of God, to think so, and semblable to the plain course of his Providence ma­nifested to us here on this Earth.

The Angels I believe were those Morning Stars we read of Job 38.7. that Sung together the Praises of their great Creator, and the Sons of God that shouted for joy. Although in that State some of them continued not, some Legions of them revolting through Pride and Malice, which High Provocation a­gainst his Divine Soveraignty provoked him to exert his Attributes of Power and Justice, His Justice exerted. which forthwith bound them fast in Chains of outer Darkness and Torment, to be still further en­creased at the Judgment of the last day.

These envying at Gods Glory, and the Happiness of Mankind, and mali­ciously designing by Lies and Dissimu­lation to obstruct the one, and ruine the other, they drew Man into the same Misery and Mischief with them­selves. ☞ But God had an Attribute in reserve, which now he made to ap­pear, viz. his Philanthropy, His Love to Man ap­peared. or Love to Man, thus overcome through frail­ty, and by Temptation. And this of Love set all the rest of his Attributes at work,His Wis­dom exal­ted. in order to their Glorification and Advancement. —His Wisdom con­trived [Page 45]a way for the satisfaction of his offended Justice, His Mercy magnified. and for the Magnify­ing of his Mercy, which now he mani­fested, in sending his Son into this World, and to take upon him Humane Nature, and therein to suffer and dye, while by his Godhead he should sa­tisfie. — Then did the Divine Power exert it self beyond all reach of Nature,His Power advanced. and raised him from the Dead, and set him at his own right Hand, triumphing thereby over Death and Hell, that all Mankind that would believe on him, and manifest it by Love and Obedience to the Principles and Rules of that e­verlasting Gospel which he Preached, might be freed from the Curse which by the breach of his Law they had in­curred, and be also placed in a surer and safer State of Happiness than that which they had lost; affording them also the assistance of the Holy Ghost to be their Guide and Comforter to the end of the World. The rest of Mankind that wilfully refused to close with the tender of his Son, and shall persevere in their Rebellions against his declared Will, he left to perish in their Unbe­lief, and to make some satisfaction to his Justice in their everlasting Condem­nation.

And now God rides triumphantly in the Chariot of Exaltation of all his At­tributes, far higher than in all his afore­said works of Creation, to the amaze­ment of Angels and Men, insomuch as the Holy Angels delight to pry into this Mystery of our Redemption;Of S^t Paul's lofty stile. and S^t Paul cannot mention any thing about it with­out raptures of Admiration, and lofty Expressions, no Author affording the like. —The Divine Wisdom which con­trived it is called by him [...], manifold Wisdom. Eph. 3.10. and the Wisdom of God in a Mystery, 1 Cor. 2.7. The Power exerted about the Re­surrection of Christ he stiles [...], the might of his strength, and [...], the exceeding greatness of his Power, Eph. 1.19. He seems often not to be able to find words suitable to express his mind, especially when he is speaking of Gods Love, the value of Grace, or Heavens Glory, but runs into Hyper­boles, [...], from one Hyperbole to another, as I find in 2 Cor. 4.17. The Greek Tongue which of all Languages is the most Copious, not affording words significant and lofty enough to him to make out his Notions, nor can any other into which [Page 47]it is translated, render the full sense of it.

Gods new and higher Titles.He who among the Jews was usually called by the Title of, The God of Hea­ven, and The Lord of Hosts, and among the Ancient Heathens [...], from his Creating of this great Machine of the World, and his concurrence to every enterprise therein, is by the di­rection of his own Spirit to the Pen-men of the New Testament called by other Names, referring to this work of our Redemption, as if therein God had ac­quired to himself new Attributes, and higher Titles wherein he glories far more, than in his works of Creation, or Providence.

Hence it is that he is called the God of ☞ Love, 2 Cor. 13.11. The God of all Grace, 1 Pet. 5.10. God rich in Mercy, Eph. 2.4. His Love was from himself alone, voluntary, and transcendently beyond all compare. And therefore our Saviour describing of it, could go no higher than to say, God so loved the World that he gave, &c. Joh. 3.16. 'tis such a sic as has no sicut. —His Mercy is Unspeakable, Everlasting, and with­out all Parallel, having nothing of Me­rit to excite it, nor expecting any Re­tribution to requite it.—His Justice be­yond [Page 48]Exception, while he only leaves them to perish in their Misery, who wilfully refuse the Remedy.

The Summ of the Go­spel.These things are the Consummation of the Law which God gave to Moses; the Summ of the Gospel which Christ and his Apostles preacht in the World, of which we are all bound not only to have the Notions in our Heads, but a Relish of them on our Hearts, and to manifest the fruit in our Lives. In that Gospel is made out to us the Infinite Goodness of God the Father; the unspeak-able Love of Jesus Christ; and the Com­fortable Presence and Guidance of the Spi­rit; enough to perswade us to be serious and consider, if we have any due awe or Reverence for that great Name.— The Purity of the Precepts, the Preci­ousness of the Promises, the Amiable­ness of Virtue, the inestimable value of Grace, and the Recompence of Re­ward carry Argument sufficient to en­gage us to weigh them. The frequent dangers of Sickness, the certainty of Death, the Examples of Wise Men when they come to dye, the Hope of Heaven, the Terrors of Hell, and the Account that must be given, one would think should be enough to awaken us.—In the understanding of these things ought [Page 49]Youth to be train'd, that they may the better keep the savour of 'em when they come to be in years. 'Tis silly not to know them; 'tis Folly to neglect them, and desperate Madness to despise them, since without them we can neither live comfortably, nor dye contentedly.

Mankind does naturally thirst after Wisdom, as that which is the pabulum, The ratio­nality of the Christi­an Religi­on. or repast of his Rational Soul. Certain­ly the Christian Religion held forth in the Gospel teaches the most excellent Wisdom, and is the most Rational thing in the World, affording the most ample satisfaction to the Soul of a Man, even far above all the Mysteries in Na­ture that we reckon'd up before, or any other in Art which the Reason of Man has found out; yea even infinitely beyond all Mathematical Demonstration. Those are Heavenly Mysteries which the Wis­dom of God found out at the first, which he kept hid from Ages, but now has made manifest in the World. Such as the Angels covet to peep into, and then much more should we, whom it specially concerns; seeing if we take care in re­ference to them to be be wise unto Sobri­ety, they are able to make us wise unto Salvation. But of these things Divines are best fitted to treat; and herein our own [Page 50]Country-men since the Reformation have exceeded all others, in abun­dance of Volumes, both in Latine and English: These are the Subjects on which they constantly preach, and which we ought to love to hear, and they are or ought to be every good Mans Study, in order to his own Souls Health, or his Work to his Brothers Edification while we are on Earth; yea and these are the ordinary road that will lead us to the Glory of Heaven.—And this leads me to a further enquiry.—

Of the Seat of the Bles­sed.We read in Scripture of an Inheri­tance referved in Heaven, and do be­lieve that there we shall find an ever­lasting Rest, and a Consummation of Bliss. Now in what part of Heaven we may expect this to be, and where is that Seat of the Blessed, I find our Di­vines are not throughly agreed.—Some place it above the Starry Heaven, but from what ground they tell us not.— That is an immeasurable Space, and methink not so suitable for Finite Be­ings, as without doubt we shall be. O­thers that I have met withal, think it is in some of the Planets: But since we are assured that they are dark Bodies, and have no inherent Light in them, and perhaps of the same Nature, if not [Page 51]Matter, with this Earth, they seem not to be Places so sit for Glorified Beings. If I may be allowed to bring my modest Opinion to the Test, I rather think it shall be in the Sun, where the Light is inherent, where the great King of Hea­ven will probably manifest his special Presence, being also in the Center of the Heavens. Besides I have other Rea­sons.—Our Saviour, Mat. 13.43. de­scribing the State of Bliss which the Saints shall have in Heaven, says, they shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of God; which though Divines limit it to a Spiritual sense, yet why may it not be more comprehensive?—Again Rev. 12.1. the Church is represented by a Woman clothed with the Sun, having the Moon under her feet. If that was an Embleme of the Primitive Church in her State militant, what hinders but it may be applicable also to Her in her State triumphant? Especially seeing we find it called by S^t Paul, the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, Col. 1.12.

To these I'll add two places more which being compared together seem to make it much more evident, viz. Psal. 19.4. where the Septuagint, which is constantly followed by our Saviour and the Apostles who were Pen-men of the [Page 52]New Testament speaks expresly, [...], He hath se [...] his Tabernacle in the Sun— with Rev. 21.3. where the Prophet describing the Heavenly Jerusalem, says, He heard a great voyce out of Heaven, saying, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them—So as it seem to be with Men, and in the Sun.

But I would be modest, and indeed we ought all so to be, that we do not [...], be not over wise, but always to Sobriety.—Our Happiness not consisting so much in the Place that is provided, though we are sure 'tis in the Heavens, as in the Beatifical Vision of the Blessed Trinity, and the participati­on of his Glory, which seems to be best manifested to such finite Creatures as we are, and shall be, in glorious Light. Only Rev. 14.4. It is said they shall fol­low the Lamb, whithersoever he goes; so that whether it shall be in one place or other, as by Grace we follow the Lamb here in this our Pilgrimage, we shall then follow him in Glory; and doubt less there is our chief Bliss and Happiness, seeing in his Presence is fulness of Joy, and at his right hand are Pleasure [...] for evermore, Psal. 16.11.—But this I leave also to the Learned and Pious of [Page 53]the Clergy, and shall now resume my Subject, and treat of the Heavens, and their Motions.—

Gods At­tributes further made out.If we consider the Motions of the Planets, either proper to every one of them about the Sun as they appear to our Eyes, in their annual Revolutions; or the diurnal Motions of them all, ac­cording to that of the first Mover (as Philosophers speak) from the East to the West, together with the signal in­equality of each to other in respect of time, and yet unalterable regularity, whereby we can predict their mutual Aspects 100 years beforehand; as also the Motions of all the fixed Stars from the West to the East, so as since Ptolomy they have gone half a Sign, viz. 15 Degrees to the East. Likewise if we ponder upon the Planetary Motions, and their Effects to make Summer and Winter, produce Fruits, Animals, and what not upon the Earth, and in the Sea, as natural Causes; Do they not plainly make out the Eternal Wisdom, Power, Glory and Goodness of God, who has disposed them so?

It was the Philosophers Assertion, That the Heavens are moved by the In­telligences; as if he would have said, They are moved by supernatural Wis­dom [Page 54]and Power. And truly more he could not well have said, wanting the Light of Scripture, and immediate Re­velation.

The convi­ction of the Heathens.These things alone yielded large con­viction to the Wisest and most Consi­derate Heathens that there is a God, who stretched out that spangled Cur­tain even to almost an infinite distance; and gave orderly motion to the Hea­vens, which can never be interrupted, till he shall please to fold them up as a Scrowl at the dissolution of all things, as we are taught to expect.

Now they having such clear ground of Conviction to their Reason that there is a God, who has by the visible things of the Creation, thus manifested his Eternal Power and Godhead, while yet they (some of them) ascribed Deity to the Stars, and adored them; and o­thers of 'em, according to their trifling Fancies, framed other gods whom they worshipped, are left without excuse, and must necessarily be condemned by the Law of natural Reason, that arises from their reading in this Book of his Providence, together with the other Law of Nature Written in Mans Heart, whereby he knows what is Morally good or evil. Both which do point [Page 55]out not only that there is a God of In­finite Essence, but that he alone was to be worshipped, and adored, though they knew not well how; which was afterwards revealed to the Jews, though darkly in Types and Shadows, but most clearly to us in the Gospel of Christ.

The rise of Astronomy.The admirable Fabrick of Heaven, together with the Stars, and their Mo­tions, and a hundred things more that depend thereupon, being observed in all Ages by the Learned, have produ­ced matter and occasion of compiling the most noble Art of Astronomy; which in its Original is very Ancient, unto which every Age has afforded some im­provement, and this of ours not a lit­tle, in the finding out of many useful Rules, Helps, and new Discoveries mention'd before, not known to the Ancients; all which conduce to the greater Exaltation of the aforesaid At­tributes of God, by how much more tru­ly we come to understand his most Glo­rious works of Creation.

The rise of Astrology.The Effects of these upon this lower Orb of the Earth and Sea, which are thought to proceéd either from the Temperature of the Stars themselves, or from the Aspects of the Planets, and [Page 56]their Conjunction with the fixed Stars, referring either to the alteration of the Weather, or the Humours of our Bo­dies, or the Disposition of our Minds, which some fancy to be the natural Pro­ducts of those Heavenly Bodies so chan­ging their places, (which whether so or no, I cannot now stand to discuss) I say these have begot the Art of Astrology.

And that they have some Effects up­on the things here below, I think no Wise man will doubt, Bringing Rain or Drought, Storms or fair weather. Yea and the Holy Scripture expresses as much, Job 38. Canst thou restrain the influence of the Pleiades (says God to Job) or loose the Bands of Orion? as if he had said, Canst thou hinder the Rain when it falls? or canst thou make it Thaw when it Freezes? The Pleiades being a moist Constellation in the Shoul­der of Taurus causing Rain, by which the Sun passes in April bringing Showers; and Orion a dry Constellation rising in November, producing Storms and Frost. Now Astrology considers some of the Planets in their Influences as propitious to Mankind, viz. Jupiter and Venus, whom therefore they call the greater and lesser Fortunes, and think their Aspects to bode well: while they look upon o­thers [Page 57]as inimicitious to our Nature, viz. Saturn and Mars, and thence do style them the two Malignants, and judge their Mixture to produce ill Effects; e­specially being conjoin'd with some of those fixed Stars, which they think to be of the Nature of one of the said Pla­nets, upon which account they pre­tend to Prognosticate good or evil to ensue.

That the Art of Astronomy may con­sist with Christianity, and the Know­ledge and serious Veneration of the great God, I make no Question at all. But as for Astrology, especially the Ju­dicial Part of it, I have some grounds of Hesitation. This I fear is that Art of the Heathen, mentioned Jer. 10.1. which with so much seriousness and Authority, in the Name of the Lord, the Prophet forbids the Jews and us to learn, viz. Learn not the Art of the Heathen, and be not dismayed at the Signs of Heaven, for the Heathen are dismayed at them.

I heartily wish there were not too much reason to observe, that those who do most addict themselves to Judicial Astrology, or telling fortunes by the Stars, as also such as consult in that kind, can scarce in the Judgment of ordinary [Page 58]Charity, be accounted serious Christi­ans. And in truth some of them are ap­parently ridiculous, and vain in their Imaginations, who while they under­take to tell others their Fortunes, do not see their own Fates, when they are upon the very brink of imminent dan­gers.

Jewish Rabbins.The Jewish Rabbins report that the Ancient Hebrews were very much ad­dicted to the Study of the Stars, both as to their Natures, Motions, and Influ­ences; and that they were the first of the Nations that knew any thing of that kind, from whom it was diffused to their Neighbours, the Chaldeans and Aegyptians; and this was part of that Learn­ing wherein Moses was said to be well skill'd. Aben Ezra tells that they first divided the Stars into Constellations, and expressed them all by the Hebrew Letters, which when they had gone through, they added a second Letter to express the shape, and oft-times a third to set forth the Nature of the Constel­lation.

Innocent in their Cal­culations. R. Chomer confessed that the Anci­ent Hebrews observed that which pure Innocence made out to them, attribu­ting no other Effects to the Stars, than what was merely natural. Of the Pla­nets [Page 59]they accounted the Sun most fortu­nate, as being the Principle of Life, and judged the Child to be of a health­ful constitution, in whose Nativity they saw it predominant: And next that Jupiter and Venus, because of their great Luster, as also in their active Qualities they are Temperate. Saturn they thought to be bad by reason of his Cold­ness, and Mars through intemperate Heat, and Dryness: Luna in the In­crease they reckoned to betoken Health and Strength, and in the Wain the con­trary; and Mercury to be of a middle Quality, good or bad, according as he was joyn'd with others.

And thus they also judged of the Signs, and the other Constellations, ac­cording to their Temperature, when they saw them in the Horoscope of a Nativity, that the Native would incline to Heat, or Cold, or Dryness, or Moi­sture; or to be of a temperate humour, and for the same reason to be of a meek, and affable Disposition, or else heady, hasty, and cholerick. Nor did they go further, says my Author. And of thus much some good use might be made, while discerning the Inclinations of Children to a Predominancy of some of the four Qualities, their Diet, and such [Page 60]Air, and other Regimin of Health might be chosen for them, as might rectify their Constitutions by preserving a Me­diocrity.

But as for the telling of Fortunes, and Predicting the Fates either of Persons or Kingdoms by the Stars, it's not only Heathenish as beforesaid, but it's also ridiculous and false, and so has been found in all Ages since it came into use; and therefore it was wisely forbidden by the Ancient Church, and is most justly exploded by all wise Politicians and Law-makers in Europe.

The Holy Patriarchs.There are some so daring as to averr, That the Holy Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were well skilled in Astronomy; and particularly Josephus reports that Abraham communicated much herein to the Egyptians, while he sojourn'd there; but that is gratis di­ctum, since he lived so many Centuries after Abraham, that he can neither well prove it, nor give us grounds to believe it, if we should be sceptical.

I take the Family of Terah, who was Abrahams Father, to have been one of the best that was in all the East, living in an eminent place, viz. Ʋr of the Chal­dees; and that Abraham might be pre­sum'd to be Educated in what ever was [Page 61]the breeding or Learning of that Age, and so probably in the Study of the Stars: But that he and his Sons should be said to have been so eminent therein, and in Astrology too, especially Judicial, as some would pretend to prove: I think it's a great presumption grounded on a mistake, in respect of their frequent po­stures of Devotion, looking up to Hea­ven, without any Image before them, according to the Custom of the Nations among whom they lived; they thought they were observing the Heavenly Bo­dies, when they were in their most se­rious Devotions and Communion with God. As also, That their removal of their Families and Herds (wherein con­sisted the Wealth of that Age) was from the presages of the Stars, of some evil to come; not understanding that it came from the immediate Command and Appointment of God, as the Text most plainly makes out.

I know R. Abarbanel pretends to prove, That they were knowing even in Astrology, and perhaps too Ceremo­nious therein, yea more than was own­ed by any in that Age; in his Expositi­on on that Text in the 30^th of Gen. 11. Where Leah having a Child born to Jacob by her Maid Zilpah, she called his [Page 62]Name Gad, which is the Name among them of the Planet Jupiter (as saith Aben-Ezra) and signifies a Fortune, as now that Planet is call'd Fortuna major: which Interpretation the Learned Gaf­farellus the French Critick seems to close with.

But what though it signifies a Fortune, and the word be an Epithete of Jupiter, does it not also signifie a Troop? And may not the sense more properly be such, that finding the Woman fruitful, she thought her self Fortunate in it, and might expect a great Number, or a Company, or a Troop of Children, as our Translation renders the word? Yea and Jacob himself, who seems to be the best Interpreter, plainly takes it in this sense, Gen. 49.19. Gad, a Troop shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at last. And besides there's another reason why (methink) it should be ta­ken in this sense, and not with respect to Jupiter, because none of the other Children are Named with any respect to the Predominant Planet. And fur­ther, if it be meant a good Fortune, then would it enterfere with the next Child that Zilphah bare, wherein she said she was happy, and called his Name A­sher. Besides, if that had been the mat­ter [Page 63]aim'd at, and a good Fortune had been predicted, it was plainly an Er­rour, in Prognostication, like others of that kind; for he had no better for­tune did betide him than others of his Brethren, nor yet so good as some of them, especially Judah, from whom came the Scepter. Nor yet was that which Jacob foretold of Gad any other than according to the Spirit of Prophe­cy, as of all the rest; and not a Prog­nostication from Jupiters Dominion in the Horoscope of his Nativity.

Moreover this was said by Leah, a Woman, whom we cannot suppose to have had any knowledge in Astrology. Nor can it be supposed that she had learnt it from Jacob, who seems not to have been present at the Births of his Children, but to have left the Naming of them all to the Women. Besides of all the rest of the Patriarchs, there was the least reason to think that Jacob un­derstood that Art of the Heathen, which doubtless his Grandfather and Father knew to be unlawful, which we see was afterwards expresly forbidden to the whole Nation.

After this I find this Knowledge of the Stars was followed by the Greeks. These either through Pride, or affectati­on [Page 64]of Repute, that they might seem to be Inventers of new things, changed the He­brew Characters into the Names of Ani­mals, as Beasts, Birds, and Fishes, and some Inanimates also as they thought fit, of which no good reason can be given: And some they call'd by their Heroes, or Women that were famous in Story. To these afterwards did the Hebrews and Chaldeans conform, that there might be a right understanding a­mong them in those matters; therein yielding to the Learning, Wisdom, and Authority of the Greeks, who were now of highest Repute in the World; and besides were become Masters of the Em­pire, and so might perhaps challenge a Compliance; whom the Romans also followed, and all the Western Monar­chy retain to this day, without any con­siderable alteration. And this may be observed in the Septuagints Translation of the Old Testament, in all the places where any of the Constellations are mentioned, that those Interpreters hold not to the Hebrew, as in all other pro­per Names they use to do; but give o­ther Names, even the same that are used in all prophane Authors, to which all the Learned of the World to conform, thus Job 9.9. as also Job 38. That [Page 65]which the Hebrew calls Ash, they call Arcturus; Chesil, they call Orion; and Cimah, they call Pleiades.

Neither is the Study of the Stars eligi­ble for it self alone, affording the great­est variety of pleasure above all natural Studies in the world; but it's also useful to other ends, and serviceable to other Arts and Faculties, while several of them cannot be rightly managed without a due knowledge of them, their Moti­ons and Influences. I shall content my self with two, viz. Physick and Navi­gation.

Astronomy useful in Physick.All men know the Stars have a great power upon the Humours of our Bodies, as Second Causes, and do cause great Mu­tations in order to Health and Sickness; and therefore we find it requisite for us in the Exercise of our Faculty of Physick, to observe the risings and settings of great Constellations, and the Positi­ons of the most ponderous Planets in them, whereby we are enabled to Pre­dict what Diseases are like to ensue, and prepare accordingly, even before they invade us.

And hence it is that our great Master Hippocrates (De Aere, Aq. & Loc.) says, That Astronomy does very much con­duce to the Art of Physick, as without [Page 66]which a Physician cannot manage it to his Reputations as he ought. Especially it's useful to us in our Prognosticks, whereby we are the better enabled to foretel either the Symptoms, or the e­vent of a Disease, in order to Life or Death. There are indeed a great ma­ny things to be observed in order to the making of a right Prognostick, as the Nature of the Disease, the Constitution and Strength of the Patient; together with his compliance or non-compli­ance to use Means, the time of the Dis­ease, and the Suitableness to his Con­stitution, and the Season of the Year, and several other things; but the Posi­tion of the Stars, especially the Moon, affords no little help.

In acute Diseases we see sudden Mu­tations many times in order to Life or Death, which we call Crises; which hap­pen in or near the 7^th Day from the Decumbiture, or 14^th, or 21^th, &c. Now these depend upon the Moons Mo­tion to a Trine or Opposition, or to her place at the beginning of the Disease, and do come sooner or later, as she is in her quick, slow, or mean Motion, which may be foretold accordingly; and 'tis certain they prove better and perfecter, if the Moon apply to Jupiter [Page 67]or Venus, their Influences being found strengthening to our Nature; and worse if she apply to Saturn or Mars, whose eminent Cold or Heat, or other occult Influences are hurtful, (Vid. Gal. de die­bus Decretoriis.) And these Crises do usually happen either when the Moon comes to the first Angle in peracute Diseases, or the second, or third. Now while a Physician is all along acting for the Patient according to right Reason, and the Rules of Art, he may depend upon God for Success, and give a rati­onal account to wise Men, whatever the Event be. And if he has join'd to his skill in his Faculty this Knowledge in Astronomy, to observe the Moons Motions, and her Conjunction to the fixed Stars, and the Planets, so as he can Predict the Crises to come sooner, or later, and to be better or worse on pro­bable grounds, its very Satisfactory to wise Men, and Ornamental to his Fa­culty, and tends to his Reputation. But as for those that would have Bleed­ing, Vomiting, Purging, &c. to be done only when the Moon is in such or such Signs; as we see our Almanack­makers direct, (yea and I find some Physi­cians go that way) I think they do nimis altum sapere, being more nice than wise: [Page 68]Those are to be done, or not, accord­ing to the Nature of the Disease, the Strength of the Patient, Natures incli­nations, &c. If we should ordinarily stay till the Moon come to such Signs as they mention, it would undoubtedly tend to the hazard of many a Mans Life.

But these things would require a pe­culiar Tract; I'll therefore rather refer the Learned Reader to Dariotus (de Mor­bis & Diebus criticis) than enlarge the Porch any further.

Also for Navigati­on.So also the knowledge of the Stars is most necessary to the Art of Navigation; an Art so useful to the world, that it maintains converse among mankind, and makes all the Inhabitants of the Universe to be as of one Corporation, and without which, all Islands would be no less than Prisons to their Posses­sours; and we of this should too truly (as was said of old) be divided from the World, divisos Orbe Britannos. By the Elevation of the Pole-Star, whether in this or the Southern Clime, they know the Latitude, and what course or length they steer; and in case that be Clouded, they reckon by other Stars of prime Magnitude, that shall happen to appear, or by the Sun, whose Meridian height [Page 69]they take, and so judge whereabouts they are, when they are without all view of Land, for Weeks or Months to­gether. And by the help of other Stars of prime Magnitude, their Rising, Cul­minating, or Setting, they have a good guess of their Longitude, which it's ho­ped in a little time may be yet further improved; which if ever it come to pass, it must assuredly be performed by the truer and fuller understanding of the Motions of the Stars.

Perhaps it may seem strange to some, what I have related concerning those new Observables among the Heavenly Bodies, which they never heard of be­fore, viz. that the Planets are dark Bo­dies, and have no light but what they received from the Sun, and that is by whirling about their Centers in their several Periods, which makes Day and Night in them; and that some of them have Moons that turn about them, and that the Sun it self turns upon its Center, &c. Let such know that the things are not more strange than true; for I have said nothing but what we see with our Eyes, and of which I have a thousand witnesses. As for the Conse­quences which thence I have inferred; [Page 70]that 'tis probable this Globe of the Earth and Sea turns like all the rest for the ma­king of our Day and Night; That the Planets may probably be inhabited Worlds as well as this Earth; That then those passages in S^t Paul's Epistles, where he treats of those that are in the Heavenly places, (which perhaps are some of the [...] S^t Peter tells of, viz. things hard to be understood) may admit of a literal sense: I impose upon no mans belief; nor yet in that Notion, that the Sun is the Seat of the Blessed. Let him that reads, use his judgment of Discretion. In these things that are not de fide, let the best Arguments car­ry it, if they may but consist with the Sense of Holy Scripture, and cross not matters of Faith.

I have reasoned with modesty accor­ding to my module, and shall not wil­fully fall out with any man that differs from me. So I close this Discourse with that of a Modern Poet:

London, Basinghall-street, ☽ July 18.1681.