Species, and the Diverfity may proceed from the Admixture of different Bodies with the Principles of the Metal. If it be ask'd, Why may not Atoms of different Species concur to the Com pofition of Bodies? And fo, tho' there be but a few Sorts of original Principles, may there not be produced infinite Species of compound Bodies, as by the various Difpofitions and Combinations of Twenty-four Letters innumerable Words may be made up? I anfwer, because the Heterogeneous Atoms or Principles are not naturally apt to cohere and stick together when they are mingled in the fame Liquor, as the Homogeneous readily do.

I do not believe that the Species of Princi ples, or indivifible Particles, are exceeding numerous; but poffibly the immediate component Particles of the Bodies of Plants and Animals may be themselves compounded.

Of the Heavenly Bodies.

Before I come to treat of the Heavenly Bodies in particular, I fhall premife in general, that the whole Univerfe is divided into two Sorts of Bodies, the one very thin and fluid, the other more denfe, folid and confiftent. The thin and fluid is the Ether, comprehending the Air or Atmosphere encompaffing the particular Stars and Planets. Now, for the Stability and Perpetuity of the whole Univerfe, the Divine Wisdom and Providence hath given to the folid and stable Parts a two-fold Power, one'

of

of Gravity, and the other of Circular Motion. By the first they are preferv'd from Diffolution and Diffipation, which the fecond would otherwife infer: For it being by the Confent of Philofophers, an innate Property of every Body mov'd circularly about any Centre, to recede, or endeavour to recede, from that Centre of its Motion, and the more ftrongly the swifter it is mov'd, the Stars and Planets being whirl'd about with great Velocity, would fuddenly, did nothing inhibit it, at least in a fhort Time, be shatter'd in Pieces, and scatter'd every Way thro' the Ether. But now their Gravity unites and binds them up fast, hindring the Difperfion of their Parts. I will not difpute what Gravity is; only I will add, that, for ought I have heard, or read, the Mechanical Philofophers have not as yet given a clear and fatisfactory Account of

it.

The second Thing is a circular Motion upon their own Axes, and in fome of them alfo, it's probable, about other Points, if we admit the Hypothefis of every fix'd Stars being a Sun or Sun-like Body, and having a Choir of Planets in like Manner moving about him. These Revolutions, we have Reafon to believe, are as exactly equal and uniform as the Earth's are; which could not be, were there any Place for Chance, and did not a Providence continually. over-fee and fecure them from all Alteration or Imminuation, which either internal Changes in their own Part, or external Accidents and Occurrences, would at one Time or other neceffarily

induce.

induce. Without this circular Motion of the Earth, here could be no living: One Hemisphere would be condemn'd to perpetual Cold and Darkness, the other continually roafted and parch'd by the Sun-beams. And it is reafonable to think, that this circular Motion is as neceffary to most other Planetary Bodies, as it is to the Earth. As for the fix'd Stars, if they be Sun-like Bodies, it is probable also each of them: moves circularly upon its own Axis, as the Sun doth: But what Neceffity there is of such a Motion, for want of understanding the Nature of thofe Bodies, I must confefs my self not yet to comprehend; tho' that it is very great, I doubt not, both for themselves, and for the Bodies about them.

First, for the Celestial, or Heavenly Bodies, the Equability and Conftancy of their Motions, the Certainty of their Periods and Revolutions, the Conveniency of their Order and Situations, argue them to be ordain'd and govern'd by Wisdom and Understanding; yea, fo much Wisdom as Man cannot eafily fathom or comprehend: For we fee, by how much the Hypothefes of Aftronomers are more fimple and conformable to Reafon, by fo much do they give a better Account of the Heavenly Motions. It is reported of Alphonfus King of Arragon, (I know not whether truly) that when he faw and confider'd the many Eccentricks, Epicycles, Epicycles upon Epicycles, Librations, and Contrariety of Motions, which were requifite in the old Hypothefis to give an Account of the Cele

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Stial

Atial Phænomena, he should prefume blafphemoufly to fay, that the Univerfe was a bungling Piece; and that if he had been of God's Counfel, 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 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 those Works of Nature which we converse with, we conftantly find those Axioms true, Natura non facit circuitus, Nature doth not fetch a Compass when it proceed in a straight Line; and Natura nec abundat in fuperfluis, nec deficit in neceffariis, Nature abounds not in what is fuperfluous, neither is deficient in what is neceffary: We may also rationally conclude concerning the Heavenly Bodies, feeing there is fo 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 moft fimple, facile, and convenient Way for

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the

the Performance of them. Among these Heavenly Bodies,

First, the Sun, a vast Globe of Fire, efteem'd by the ancienter and most modeft Computation above 160 Times bigger than the Earth; the very Life of this inferior World, without whole falutary and vivifick Beams all Motion, both Animal, Vital and Natural, would speedily 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 Surface of Land and Water, frozen as hard as a Flint or Adamant: So that of all the Creatures of the World, the ancient Heathens had moft Reason to worship him as a God, tho' no true Reafon; becaufe he was but a Creature, and not God: And we Chriftians do 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 Accefs 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 fo in refpect of this fublunary World, (and it's likely alfo in refpect of all the Planets about him) that Art and Council could not have defign'd either to have placed him better,

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