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tial Phenomena, 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.

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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 fee moft of those 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 Procefs of Nature in thofe Revolutions: For feeing in thofe Works of Nature which we converfe with, we conftantly find thofe Axioms true, Natura non facit circuitus, Nature doth not fetch a Compafs when it may proceed in a ftreight Line; and Natura nec abun dat in fuperfluis, nec deficit in neceffariis, Nature abounds not in what is fuperfluous, neither is deficient in what is neceffary: We may alfo rationally conclude concerning the Heavenly, Bodies, feeing there is fo much exactnefs ob-. ferv'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 be yond Exception be demonftrated by comparing their Revolutions, furely there is alfo us'd the moft fimple, facile, and convenient way for

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the performance of them. Among these Heavenly Bodies.

First, the Sun, a vaft Globe of Fire, esteem'd by the ancienter and moft modeft computation above 160 times bigger than the Earth, the very Life of this inferiour World, without whose falutary and vivifick Beams all Motion, both Animal, Vital and Natural, would fpeedily ceafe, 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 furface 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 most 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 Hypothefis, 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 Seasons, enlightning all parts of the Earth by his Beams, and cherishing them by his Heat, fituate and mov'd fo in refpect of this fublunary World, (and it's likely alfo in refpect of all the Planets about him) that Art and Counsel could not have defign'd either to have placed him better, F

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or mov'd him more conveniently for the Service thereof, as I could easily make appear by the Inconveniencies that would follow upon the fuppofition of any other fituation and motion, fhews forth the great Wisdom of him who fo 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 fomet measure the difconfolate darkness of our Winter Nights, procures or at least regulates the Fluxes and Refluxes of the Sea, whereby the Water is kept in conftant Mction, and preferv'd from Putrefaction, and fo render'd more falutary for the maintenance of its Breed, and useful and ferviceable 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 encreafe 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 inoculating, and pruning of Fruit-Trees, gathering of Fruit, cutting of Corn or Grafs; and thence alfo making Prognofticks of Weather, becaufe fuch Obfervations feems to me uncertain. Did this Luminary serve to no other ends and ufes, as I am perfuaded it doth many, efpecially to maintain. the Creatures which in all likelihood breed and inhabit there, for which I refer you to the ingenious Treatifes written by Bishop Wilkins and

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Monfieur Fontenelle on that Subject, yet thefe 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.

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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 Conftancy; the Effects and Arguments of Wisdom: Wherefore, as Cicero excellently concludes, Coleftem ergo admirabilem ordinem, incredibilemque conftantiam, ex qua converfatio & falus omnium omnis oritur, qui vacare mente putat, næ ipfe mentis expers habendus eft: Wherefore whofoever thinketh that the admirable Order and 'incredible Conftancy of the Heavenly Bodies and their Motions, whereupon the Preservation 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 first fight acknowledge, that it is a Work of Reason and Art ? Cum autem impeF 2

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tum coeli, admirabili cum celeritate moveri vertique videamus conftantiffimè conficientem viciffitudines anniverfarias, cum fumma Salute & Confervatione rerum omnium, dubitaré quin ea non folum ratione fiant, fed excellenti quâdam Divinâque ratione: And can we, when we fee the force of the Heavens mov'd and ⚫ whirl'd about with admirable Celerity, moft conftantly finishing its anniversary Viciffitudes, to the eminent Welfare and Prefervation of all things, doubt at all that these things are perform'd not only by Reason, but by a certain excellent and divine Reafon?

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To these things I fhall add an Observation which I must confefs my felf 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: fince not only they may on divers Occafions help to fettle Chronology, and rectifie the Miftakes of Hiftorians that writ many Ages ago; but which is, though a lefs 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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