Chapter VII: Letter THE EIGHTH

_Of Time and Space, with regard to the known Objects of Immensity and Duration._

_SIR_,

The Opportunity you gave me in your last Visit, of shewing you my general Scheme of the Universe, I find, besides the Pleasure it then gave, is now attended with many useful Advantages.

I now not only hope to be better understood for the future, but have reason to expect what I now write will merit your Attention more, and have some Title to your Approbation. The Ideas I have fram'd of Time and Space, will now more gradually fill your Imagination both with Wonder and Delight, before they can arise so high as to be lost in an Eternity and the Infinity of Space. And I am fully perswaded your farther Inquiries into these vast Properties of the Deity, will here be answered intirely to your Satisfaction. You must allow me now to be in some measure a Judge of what I think will please you most, from the Observations you have made upon my general System, or otherwise you would have reason to think me perhaps too presuming: But I flatter myself the great Difficulty is now over; and what remains to be said, will all so naturally follow from what has gone before, that this Letter, I guess, will go near to furnish you with all the Ideas you wish to form upon the Subject. To what you have said of my having left out my own Habitation in my Scheme of the Universe, having travell'd so far into Infinity as both to lose sight of, and forget the Earth, I think I may justly answer as _Aristotle_ did when _Alexander_, looking over a Map of the World, enquir'd of him for the City of _Macedon_; 'tis said the Philosopher told the Prince, That the Place he sought for was much too small to be there taken Notice of, and was not without sufficient Reason omitted.

The System of the Sun compar'd but with a very minute Part of the visible Creation, takes up so small a Portion of the known Universe, that in a very finite View of the Immensity of Space, I judg'd the Seat of the Earth to be of very little Consequence, could I have possibly represented it, as not only being one of the smallest Objects in our Regions, but in a manner infinitely less than even her own annual Orbit, and had nothing to do with my main Design, which was to represent all our planetary Worlds as one collective Body, and begin my comparative Scale of Magnitude from the Sun only and his Sphere of activity; as the smallest Object I could with any Propriety pretend to express in such a Plan.

In some Measure to convince you that I have committed no Error in this, I will try by some less mathematical Method than that of meer Numbers, to imprint an Idea in your Mind of the true Extent of the solar System, and the Magnitude of all its moving Bodies, by natural Objects most familiar to your Senses. When we endeavour to form any Idea of Distance, Magnitude, or Duration, by Numbers only, we so soon exceed the Limits of Conception, that this way we find our Faculties of reasoning as finite as our Senses; and no doubt 'tis right it should be so, Providence, as it were, having ordain'd that the first should only attend the last, in such an adequate Degree to a determin'd Distance; but what Distance or Degree of Knowledge is destin'd to human Nature, none but the Power that gave it can tell. 'Tis certain that beyond the third or fourth Place of our Nomenclator, we receive but very faint Impressions of the thing exprest, and can frame scarce any Notion at all of either Number, Distance, or Magnitude, signified beyond it: Hence Astronomers are frequently oblig'd to have recourse to mixt Ideas, and make Things of different Natures and Properties assist each other, to excite more adequate Ideas of what they would have conceived. Thus to express immense Distances and Magnitude, they frequently apply themselves to Time and Motion; and _vice versa_, to signify a long Duration, they have often recourse to Distance and Matter, removing, in Imagination, Worlds of Sand, Grain after Grain, to some remote known Region.

_Hesiod_,[AQ] to express his Idea of the Distance from his highest Heaven to Earth, and from Earth to Hell, or _Tartarus_, supposes an Anvil to be let fall from one to the other, which he says in nine natural Days would reach the Earth from Heaven, and in the same time would fall from the Earth to Hell. [AR]_Homer_ makes his _Vulcan_ fall from Heaven to the Island of _Lemnos_ in much less Time, not exceeding one full artificial Day.

[Footnote AQ:

From the high Heaven a brazen Anvil cast,
Nine Nights and Days in rapid Whirls would last,
And reach the Earth the Tenth, whence strongly hurl'd;
The same the Passage to th' infernal World.

Cooke.
]

[Footnote AR:

Hurl'd headlong downward from th' etherial Height;
Toss'd all the Day in rapid Circles round,
Nor till the Sun descended touch'd the Ground.

Pope.
]

Modern Astronomers have made use of the swiftest Velocity of a Cannon-Ball as continued thro' the Space they would so describe, and in this Light, the Distance to the Sun has been by many compar'd to twenty-five Years Motion of a Cannon-Ball, supposing it to travel at the Rate of 100 Fathom in a Moment, _i. e._ _the Pulse of an Artery_; and that a Journey so performed to one of the nearest fix'd Stars, would take the same Body at least 100,000 Years before it could arrive there. But the Method I have chose to convey my Ideas of the Magnitude of the planetary Bodies, and the Extent of the visible Creation to you, I am willing to hope you will find still more familiar, comprehensive, and easy: And it only depends upon your Remembrance of a very few known Objects, and their neighbouring Distances, which may be presumed you are, or have been, very well acquainted with. You have not only very lately but very often been in _London_, and must, I think, retain some Idea of the Dome of St. _Paul's_, tho' I own I ought not to be sorry if you should chance to have forgot it, provided it might prove a Means of making your Visits more frequent. The Diameter of the Dome of this Church is 145 Feet: Now if you can imagine this to represent the Surface of the Sun, a spherical Body 18 Inches diameter, will justly represent the Earth in like Proportion; and another of only five Inches diameter, will represent the Moon. The Truths of these Proportions I have shewn in my _Clavis Cœlestis_; and the Reason why I have here fixt upon the Dome of this Church for my first Object of Comparison, will naturally appear from what follows.

From the Magnitude of the Earth on which we live, as from a known Scale with respect to its Parts compar'd with our own Bodies, we naturally frame our first Ideas of Extent, and fix our Rationale of Remoteness; by which we are sufficiently enabled to judge of all other sensible Distances within one finite View. And hence by the undoubted Principles of Geometry, having first given the Measurement of the Earth in any known Proportion with any other Quantity most familiar to our Senses, and the Angle of Appearance, or Parallax to any perceivable Object, we can easily find in homogenial Parts its true Distance from the Eye. And thus allowing for some small tho' unavoidable Errors, that may possibly arise from the Difficulties of Observation (especially small Angles and minute Quantities) we can always determine to a sufficient, and very frequently to a just Exactness, the relative Distance of all visible Bodies, remote or near, such as the Planets, Comets, and the Sun.

[AS]In this Manner Astronomers having procur'd a comparative Standard, reduc'd to some known Measure, as _English_ Miles, Leagues, Semi-Orbs or Orbits, with all the Force of analogical Reasoning, clearly can demonstrate the Place and Distance of any Object within the Reach of Observation, and judge of Distances almost indefinite.

[Footnote AS: Parallax is the changeable Position of Bodies to different Situations of the Eye. First having found the Quantity of a Degree (_i. e._ a 60th Part of the Circumference) upon the Earth's Surface, _Aratosthenes_ discover'd that the Magnitude of the whole was easily known; and then from the Moon's horizontal Parallax having given the Radius of the Earth, the Distance of the Moon is soon determined; next by the menstrual Parallax of the Lunar Orbit, the Distance of the Sun is found; and by the Elongation of the inferior Planets, their mutual Distance from each other; and, lastly, from the annual Parallax of the Earth's Orbit, all the other Orbits of the superior Planets are easily found.]

PLATE XXX.

Will help you to very correct Ideas of the real Magnitude of the Globe of the Earth, compar'd with the just Extent of the Island of _Great-Britain_, which you will find with _Ireland_, and the rest of its Islands, seated near the Center of the Projection. This as a Standard will enable you to judge of all other Distances more perfectly; and first I shall consider that of the Sun.

The Sun is found to be mean distant from the Earth nearly 81 Millions of Miles, or 6877,5 Diameters of the Earth; and _Saturn_, the remotest Planet from him is at his greatest Distance from us about 858 Millions of Miles: Yet these Distances are but the beginning of Space, and only serve to open our Ideas for farther Search.

The great Comet of 1680, as I have some where said before, was found to move in so vast an excentrick Orbit, that in its aphelion Point it would be 14,4 Times as far from the Sun, as the Orbit of _Saturn_, and hence at least eleven thousand and two hundred Millions of Miles from us. Now since the wise Creator hath so dispos'd all the independent Parts of the Creation, such as the several Systems of primary and secondary Planets, &_c._ at so great a Distance from each other, that the Laws of any one in no wise shall interfere, disturb, or interrupt the Principles of another; this Comet, which we can easily prove belong'd to our own Sun, we may well imagine came not near any other; and tho' at that vast Distance from the solar Body, yet still there must have remain'd a Space sufficient to divide or seperate the sensible activity of neighbouring Systems, that they may not rush upon each other. Hence we may reasonably suppose, that the nearest Star can be no nearer than a triple Radius of its active Sphere; and provided they are all in regular Order, and much of the same Magnitude with one another (which no Arguments can possibly contradict) this Radius we may justly make 2000 times the Distance of our Earth. For admitting the utmost Limits of the Sun's Attraction to exceed this Sphere of the Comets, as far as the Sphere of the Comets exceeds that of the Planets, which is nearly 14,4 times, the Radius of the solar System will be extended every way 200 Radius's of the Orbit of _Saturn_, and consequently the Distance from Star to Star will not be less than 6000 times the Radius of our _Orbis Magnus_, and consequently upwards of 480,000,000,000 Miles. That this is even less than the real Truth, and may be defended as a very moderate Computation, grounded upon Reason, we have infallible Demonstration to witness, and make appear as thus.

We know from the Nature of Distance and Motion that the Stars may have an annual Parallax, but it is so very small, that the very best Astronomers have never yet been able to assign what the Quantity really is. Yet it is allow'd by universal Consent, that it can't possibly be more that one Minute of a Degree, and may probably be much less. Mr. _Flamstead_, by repeated Observations, made it in some of them upwards of 40″; but Mr. _Bradley_ has endeavour'd to prove it is every where too small to be determined, and assigns this Angle to another Cause. This way then we cannot make their Distance less; and to prove that it is something more than I have said it is, let us even increase the doubtful Parallax of 40″ to the most it possibly can be, _viz._ to 60″ or 1′; and by the Solution of the Triangle, we shall find that the nearest Star is 6875 times the Radius of the Earth's Orbit from the Sun: And this tho' more than any other Proportion makes them, is still undeniably less than the Truth, which every Mathematician will of course be convinc'd of; and you yourself of force must believe, when you are told, that the smaller the Angle of Parallax is, the farther the Body is remov'd from us. By which Rule, according to Mr. _Flamstead's_ Observations, the Distance must be still greater: By the optical Experiment of [AT]Mr. _Huygins_, greater still than this; and according to Mr. _Bradley_, so much more as not even too be determin'd.

[Footnote AT: 27664 Radius's of the _Orbis Magnus_, equal to the Distance of _Syrius_, whose Parallax should be to answer it but 14″ 48‴.]

Now if the rest are in general from each other, allowing the same Extent of System, and as much to part the like Extreams of active Virtue, be in such Proportion of aerial Space, it will appear, that to pass from any one Star to another, we must fly thro' so vast a Tract of pure Expanse or Ether, that to visit any one of the most neighbouring Systems, could we travel even as fast as the swiftest Eagle flies, for Instance, 500 Miles _per_ Day, yet should we be 3,000,000 of Years upon our way before we could arrive there; and if continuing on to view the Regions of the rest within the known Creation, Myriads of Ages would be spent, and yet we could not hope to see the whole of but the smallest Constellation.

But what Idea of Distance can you receive from this sort of Estimation, where Numbers arise so very high. I own to you mine are soon quite lost by this Method of counting, either, Distances or Duration. I believe few People can range their Ideas with such Perspicuity, as to arrive at any adequate Notion of any Number above a thousand.

To give you therefore a clearer Idea of Distance, and impress the Proportions of Space more strongly and fully in your Mind, let us suppose the Body of the Sun, as I have said before, to be represented by the Dome of St. _Paul's_; in such Proportion a spherical Body eighteen Inches Diameter, moving at _Mary-le-bone_, will justly represent the Earth, and another of five Inches Diameter, describing a Circle of forty-five Feet and a half Radius round it, will represent the Orbit and Globe of the Moon. A Body at the _Tower_ of 9,7 Inches, will represent _Mercury_; and one of 17,9 Inches at St. _James's_ Palace will represent the Planet _Venus_; _Mars_ may be supposed at a Distance, like that of _Kensington_ or _Greenwich_, 10 Inches Diameter: _Jupiter_, imagined to be at _Hampton-Court_, or _Dartford_ in _Kent_; and _Saturn_, at _Cliefden_, or near _Chelmsford_: The first represented by a Globe 15 Foot 4 Inches Diameter, the latter by one of 11 Feet ¾ Inches and his Ring four Feet broad: These would all naturally represent the planetary Bodies of our System in their proper Orbits and proportional Magnitudes, as moving round the Cupola of St. _Paul's_, as their common Center the Sun. And preserving the same natural Scale, the Aphelion of the first Comet would be about _Bury_, the second at _Bristol_, and the third near the City of _Edinburgh_. But if you will take into your Idea one of the nearest Stars; instead of the Dome of St. _Paul's_, you must suppose the Sun to be represented by the gilt Ball upon the Top of it, and then will another such upon the Top of St. _Peter's_ at _Rome_ represent one of the nearest Stars.

The whole System exhibited in the above Proportion, would be nearly as follows:

Diameter of the Sun 145 Feet.
_Saturn_ 11,587, his Ring 27,54, its Breadth 4.
_Jupiter_, 15,39.
_Mars_, 10,15 Inches.
the Earth, 18,125.
_Venus_, 17,98
_Mercury_, 9,715
and the Moon, 4,93

[AU]Distance of _Saturn_ from the Sun, 27 Miles, and 1700 Yards.
_Jupiter_, 15 Miles, and 458 Yards.
_Mars_, 4 Miles, and 751 Yards.
the Earth, 2 Miles, and 1632 Yards.
_Venus_, 2 Miles, and 217 Yards.
_Mercury_, 1 Mile, and 267 Yards.
and of the Moon, from us, 45 Yards and a half.

[Footnote AU: Of the Satellites of _Saturn_ in the above Proportion.

The 1} { 27,96}
2} { 35,52} Feet distant from his
3} would be { 50, } Center.
4} {114, }
5} {341,9 }

And those of _Jupiter_.

The 1} { 28,51 }
2} would be { 69,177}
3} {110,224} Feet distant from him.
4} {190, }
]

That of the most distant Comet 390, and the nearest of the Stars not less than 6875,[AV] Radius's of the _Orbis Magnus_.

[Footnote AV:

° ′ ″
Radius, or Sign of 89 59 30 ---- ---- 10,0000000
Sine substract of 0 0 30 ---- ---- 6,1626961
----------
Hence the Distance 6875,5 ---- ---- 3,8373039
]

Now, if like Creations crowd the vast Depths of Infinity, and if each are adapted to receive Beings of different Natures, where must our Wonder and Ideas have end?

As it is evident in the Sign _Taurus_, in _Perseus_, and _Orion_, that we can plainly perceive Stars to the sixth and ninth Magnitude, the former with our naked Eye, the other by the Help of Telescopes, the visional ocular Creation cannot be less than 4,320,000,000,000 Miles in semi Diameter, and admitting a regular Distribution of those primordial Bodies amongst themselves, the Depth, or most remote Limits of the _Vortex Magnus_ from Side to Side, cannot be less than 8 m, m, 640 thousand of Million of Miles, admitting it is no more than what we see; and lastly, supposing our System to be situated nearly in the Middle of the _Vortex Magnus_ (which, from the visible Order of the Stars, we may justly conjecture, with the highest Probability of Truth) the nearest Distance of the _Ens Primum_, in the Realms of eternal Day, will rise to 30,000,000,000,000 Miles, but more probably to 100,000,000,000,000 Miles, making the Confines of Creation from Verge to Verge in the first Case, upwards of 68 Million of Millions of Miles, Diameter, and by the last above 200′. But, if we compute the Distance of the Stars after the Manner of _Huygens_, for his Distance of _Syrius_ from the Sun, the Distance of the Region of Immortality without exceeding Probability may rise to near 1,000,000,000,000,000 Miles.

Now to pass by any progressive Motion from the outward Verge, or Borders of the Creation, thro' the starry Regions of Mortality, if I may call them so, as far as the Center of the _Ens Primum_, or _Sedes Beatorum_, according to _Homer_, or _Milton's_ Manner of measuring Space, a Body falling, or a Being moving with a Velocity but of 1000 Feet _per_ Minute, _i. e._ at the Rate of 20,000 Yards _per_ Hour, or about 300 Miles _per_ Day, would be at least 300,000,000 Years upon its Journey thither, if not 1,000, m, and perhaps much more, without offending Probability; but even three Million Centuries, or Ages, sure is enough to be employ'd, in passing from one Place to another; therefore, we may conclude, the Soul must have some other Vehicle than can be found in the Ideas of Matter to convey it so far, at least at once. Hence we may truly infer, that the Soul must be immaterial, and that in all Probability there may be States in the Universe so much more longer lived than ours, that, compared with the Age of Man, the Age of such Beings may be almost as an Eternity, or rather, as that of the human Species to that of a Sun-born Insect.

Again, if there are still Stars beyond all these of other Denomination, which we do not here perceive, how vastly must these Numbers be increased, to express, almost without Idea, the amazing Whole of this one visible Creation; but what has been already said, I judge will be sufficient to show the Immensity of Space, and help you to conceive the stupendious Nature of an endless Universe; every where the home Possession, Production, and instantaneous Care, of an infinite good Being, perfectly wise, and powerful, of whom we can have no Idea more, than a Being in dark Privation can have of Light, but through the Lustre of his own resplendent Attributes.

Thus, having attempted to enlarge your Ideas of the Creation in general, and in some measure having considered the Indefinity of Space, I shall in the next Place proceed to give you some Account of my Notions of Time.

As Distance is the Measure of Magnitude and of all Extent, and helps our Imagination to the Ideas of Space, so are progressive Moments the Measure of Velocity, and makes us sensible of Duration: And as Space may be extended through all Infinity, so Time may be continued as to Eternity. This Succession of temporal Ideas impressed, or excited in the Mind, as an Effect of Matter in Motion, producing a perpetual Change, both of Objects earthly and celestial, enables us not only to reflect upon past Vicissitudes of Nature, but from their regular Courses, known Order and Returns, predict Phænomena to come, and prove the periodical Effects of Nature's constant Laws so just and certain, that Time may be said with Truth, to co-exist with Motion.

Measure being a certain Quantity of Sensation interwove with our Ideas of Distance and Duration, proceeding from a Reflection of what is impressed upon the Mind by some external Object, I must again return to our Mother of Ideas the Earth, and from thence, as I did, of Distance, frame the original Images best suited to the Understanding, proper for our Judgment of Duration.

Time takes its first Denomination from the diurnal Rotation of the Earth upon its Axis, which we call a natural Day, and this for obvious Reasons we subdivide in twenty-four Parts or Hours. This diurnal Motion having been successively repeated, and the Day renewed three hundred and sixty-five Times, we find that all the vegetable World has gone through all its Variegations, and Nature has again put on the same Face, adapted to the Season; during which Time, and indeed which occasions this general Change and Repetition, the Earth is found to make one intire Revolution round the Sun. This Space, or Period of Time, we call a solar, or rather a natural Year; and from our Sensibility of this, and its constituent Parts, both horary and diurnal, we form our general Judgment of Duration.

_Saturn_, the most remote, and most regular Planet in our System, as has been said before, performs one Revolution round the Sun in about twenty-nine of the above solar Years: The great Comet of 1680 makes but one periodical Return in five hundred and seventy-five of those Years, and the general Motion of the Stars, arising from the Procession of the Equinoxes, altogether continually changing their Aspect, or Position, at the Rate of 50″ _per_ Year round the ecliptic Poles, compleats but one Revolution in 25920 Years; in which Time the whole sidereal Frame of Heaven has changed, and every Star returned to the same Point of the solar Sphere it set out from. This is by many called the great _Saturnian_ Year: Concerning which, Mr. _Addison_ has thus translated an eminent Author.

When round the great _Saturnian_ Year has turn'd,
In their old Ranks the wandering Stars shall stand,
As when first marshall'd by the Almighty's Hand.

Addison.

Now, if this sidereal Revolution, arising from a secondary Cause, require this Number of Years to perfect one Rotation, what must their primitive Orbits take to circumscribe the _Vortex Magnus_.

It has been observed, that the biggest Star to us scarce moves a Minute in an hundred Years, and the most remote as insensibly for Ages, from whence and what has been already said of the imagined Distance of the general Center, we may frame this probable and well-grounded Guess, that the mean Revolution of a Star near the Middle of the _Vortex Magnus_, cannot be made in less than a Million of Years, and though to us imperceptible, our Sun in his own orbicular Direction, may be moving many Miles _per_ Day. Besides, if local Motion can be proved amongst the Stars, what less than an Eternity can again restore them to their original Order and primitive State. Such vast Room in Nature, as _Milton_ finely expresses it, cannot be without its Use; and nothing but absolute Demonstration is wanting (which from their Nature and Distance cannot be expected) to confirm the grand Design, so suited to the Deity's infinite Capacity, and of eternal Benefit to all his Creatures, especially Beings of a rational Sense, and in particular Mankind.

Of these habitable Worlds, such as the Earth, all which we may suppose to be also of a terrestrial or terraqueous Nature, and filled with Beings of the human Species, subject to Mortality, it may not be amiss in this Place to compute how many may be conceived within our finite View every clear Star-light Night. It has already been made appear, that there cannot possibly be less than 10,000,000 Suns, or Stars, within the Radius of the visible Creation; and admitting them all to have each but an equal Number of primary Planets moving round them, it follows that there must be within the whole celestial Area 60,000,000 planetary Worlds like ours. And if to these we add those of the secondary Class, such as the Moon, which we may naturally suppose to attend particular primary ones, and every System more or less of them as well as here; such Satellites may amount in the Whole perhaps to 100,000,000, or more, in all together then we may safely reckon 170,000,000, and yet be much within Compass, exclusive of the Comets which I judge to be by far the most numerous Part of the Creation.

In this great Celestial Creation, the Catastrophy of a World, such as ours, or even the total Dissolution of a System of Worlds, may possibly be no more to the great Author of Nature, than the most common Accident in Life with us, and in all Probability such final and general Doom-Days may be as frequent there, as even Birth-Days, or Mortality with us upon the Earth.

This Idea has something so chearful in it, that I own I can never look upon the Stars without wondering why the whole World does not become Astronomers; and that Men endowed with Sense and Reason, should neglect a Science they are naturally so much interested in, and so capable of inlarging the Understanding, as next to a Demonstration, must convince them of their Immortality, and reconcile them to all those little Difficulties incident to human Nature, without the least Anxiety.

Such a Prothesis can scarce be called less than an ocular Revelation, not only shewing us how reasonable it is to expect a future Life, but as it were, pointing out to us the Business of an Eternity, and what we may with the greatest Confidence expect from the eternal Providence, dignifying our Natures with something analogous to the Knowledge we attribute to Angels; from whence we ought to despise all the Vicissitudes of adverse Fortune, which make so many narrow-minded Mortals miserable.

_I am now, &c._

LETTER the NINTH.

_Reflections, by Way of_ General Scolia, _of Consequences relating to the Immortality of the Soul, and concerning Infinity and Eternity._

_SIR_,

This my last Letter to you, I mean my final astronomical one, I propose as a _General Scolia_ to the rest, the principle Matter being Reflections upon what is gone before, with some Conclusion naturally following or appendant to what has been already said; but which, I could not in any other Place, so properly remark to you.

The Probability of the foregoing Conjectures, chiefly built upon very distant Observations, shew an apparent Necessity for some other kind of Doctrine permitted by Providence, to give Mankind a Knowledge of their Immortality and Dependance upon it, in the first Ages of the World.

And for the same Reason it evidently appears, that the ancient Philosophers had it not in their Power to prove a supream _Being_ and Director of all Things this Way.

And yet, as by a Sort of Instinct, or natural Reason, and Consciousness of a _good Principle_, we see how many noble Steps they made towards it, and was convinc'd at last of this _great Truth_, that since there was a _Mind_ in so imperfect a Creature as Man, the _perfect Universe_, which comprehended all Things, could not possibly be without one; and as Sir _Isaac Newton_ has justly observed in his _Principia_, "If every Particle of Space be _always_, and every individual Moment of Duration _every where_; surely the Maker and Lord of all Things, cannot be _never_ and _no where_."

To make manifest the infinite Empire and Agency of God, from celestial Motion, became the Task, but of very late Years; and I can't help being of Opinion, that by means of these primary Bodies, only, we shall at length be able to trace the greater Circulations, and Laws of Nature, to their real original and fountain Head.

These, were any thing wanting, besides the _Miracle ourselves_, to convince us of a divine Origination, are all infallible Proofs, that the Universe is governed by an intelligent and all-powerful Being, whose Existence is too nearly related to a self-evident Truth to be more clearly demonstrated, than it is manifest of itself, both from the particular Laws of Nature, and the general Order of Things. An Argument which has been thought of no small Force, and well worth observing in the Infancy of _Christianity_. _The invisible Things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead._ Rom. i. 20.

But 'tis now high time to look back upon my Theory, and tell you it is a vain Supposition, to imagine I shall ever be able to convince every Reader, either of the Truth or Probability of what I have advanced to you: Mathematical Assistance not being to be expected, where perhaps it has never been thought of; and I allow you, it is much more reasonable to expect, that fifty Persons will read these Letters without perceiving the Reasonableness of them, than that five should consider them with proper Judgment.

I must ingenuously confess to you, that nothing is wanting to convince me intirely of the Certainty of what I here advance by way of Conjecture to you. But this you must only look upon as an happy Partiality, which generally attends all Authors, and always will be the chief Support of their tedious Labours. I assure you, I have neither Hopes nor Expectation, no, not the weak Breath of a Wish, to be admitted a proper Judge of my own Works. But I shall always take their Imperfection to be rather, (like my own Faults) to be too near me to be seen; I therefore trust all to my Friend, and if I am so fortunate as to excite his Approbation, I shall think myself very happy in a very favourite Point; which is, The advancing nothing which a rational Reader would willingly overlook, or be ignorant of.

But if I have been so happy as to come so near the Mark, as to border upon Truth, I believe you will allow me to carry my Conjectures a little further, and point out some farther pleasing Consequences, which I begin to perceive may naturally follow.

Should it be granted, that the Creation may be circular or orbicular, I would next suppose, in the general Center of the whole an intelligent Principle, from whence proceeds that mystick and paternal Power, productive of all Life, Light, and the Infinity of Things.

Here the to-all extending Eye of Providence, within the Sphere of its Activity, and as omnipresently presiding, seated in the Center of Infinity, I would imagine views all the Objects of his Power at once, and every Thing immediately direct, dispensing instantaneously its enlivening Influence, to the remotest Regions every where all round. I know you'll say Astronomers are never to be satisfied, and I must own where there is so much rational Entertainment for the human Mind, and so suitable to the true Dignity of God, and most worthy of Man, it is not easy to know where to stop in such a Scene of Wonders.

Having, I say, once granted that all the Stars may move round one common Center, I think it is very natural to one, who loves to pursue Nature as far as we may, to enquire what most likely may be in that Center; for since we must allow it to be far superior to any other Point of Situation in the known Universe, it is highly probable, there may be some one Body of siderial or earthy Substance seated there, where the divine Presence, or some corporeal Agent, full of all Virtues and Perfections, more immediately presides over his own Creation. And here this primary Agent of the omnipotent and eternal Being, may sit enthroned, as in the _Primum Mobile_ of Nature, acting in Concert with the eternal Will. To this common Center of Gravitation, which may be supposed to attract all Vertues, and repel all Vice, all Beings as to Perfection may tend; and from hence all Bodies first derive their Spring of Action, and are directed in their various Motions.

Thus in the _Focus_, or Center of Creation, I would willingly introduce a primitive Fountain, perpetually overflowing with divine Grace, from whence all the Laws of Nature have their Origin, and this I think would reduce the whole Universe into regular Order and just Harmony, and at the same time, inlarge our Ideas of the divine Indulgence, open our Prospect into Nature's fair Vineyard, the vast Field of all our future Inheritance.

But what this central Body really is, I shall not here presume to say, yet I can't help observing it must of Necessity, if the Creation is real and not merely Ideal, be either a Globe of Fire superior to the Sun, or otherwise a vast terraqueous or terrestrial Sphere, surrounded with an Æther like our Earth, but more refined, transparent and serene. Which of these is most probable, I shall leave undetermined, and must acknowledge at the same time, my Notions here are so imperfect, I hardly dare conjecture. 'Tis true, I have ventur'd to think it may be one of these, and since so glorious a Situation can hardly be supposed without its proper Inhabitants, 'tis most natural to conclude it may be the latter. In the first Case, besides our having no Idea of Beings existing in Fire, it would not, notwithstanding its Distance, be so easy to account for its being invisible; and since the Lustre of the Stars are all innate, they could receive no Benefit from it, and consequently such a Nature as a solar Composition, must in this Place be render'd useless; but in the latter Supposition of its being a dark Body, we have no Difficulty attending us, having several Instances of like Bodies, moving round an opaque one. Now when we consider, that all those radient Globes, which adorn the Skies, those bright ætherial Sparks of elemental Fire, thick strewed like Seeds of Light all round our Hemisphere, are each to us the Embrio of a glorious Sun; how awful and stupendious must that Region be, where all their Beams unite and make one inconceivable eternal Day?

Though the Deity, says a learned Writer "be essentially present thro' all the Immensity of Space, there is one Part of it in which he discovers himself in a most transcendent and visible Glory. This is that Place which is mark'd out in Scripture, under the different Appellations of Paradice; _the third Heaven_; _the Throne of_ God, _and the Habitation of his Glory_."

This continues the same Author, is "that Presence of God, which some of the Divines call his glorious, and others his majestick Presence."

It is here, and here only, as in the Center of his infinite Creations, where he resides in a sensible Magnificence, and in the midst of those Splendors, which can Effect the Imagination of his Creatures; and though the most sacred and supreme Divinity be allowed as essentially present in all other Places as well as in this, as being a Being whose Center is every where, and Circumference no where; yet it is here only, or in such Sensorium of his Unity, where he manifests his corporeal Agency, as in the Foci of his infinite Empire over all created Beings. It is to this majestick Presence of God, we may apply those beautiful Expressions of Scripture, "_Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not; yea the Stars are not pure in his Sight_."

"The Light of the Sun, and all the Glories of the World, on which we live, are but as weak and sickly Glimmerings, or rather Darkness it self, in Comparison of those Splendors, which encompass this Throne of God."

Here Heav'ns wide Realms an endless Scene displays,
And Floods of Glory thro' its Portals blaze;
The Sun himself lost in superior Light,
No more renews the Day, or drives away the Night:
The Moon, the Stars, and Planets disappear,
And Nature fix't makes one eternal Year.

Here and here alone center'd in the Realms of inexpressible Glory, we justly may imagine that primogenial Globe or Sphere of all Perfections, subject to the Extreams of neither Cold nor Heat, of eternal Temperance and Duration. Here we may not irrationally suppose the Vertues of the meritorious are at last rewarded and received into the full Possession of every Happiness, and to perfect Joy. The final and immortal State ordain'd for such human Beings, as have passed this Vortex of Probation thro' all the Degrees of human Nature with the supream Applause.

What vast room is here, for infinite Power and Wisdom to act in, and that so visibly takes Delight to bless all his Beings with his Bounty. And endless as his Prescience, Attributes, and Goodness, are undoubtedly all those natural and apparent Joys with which he manifests his Love to all his Creatures, a Multiplicity of Objects not to be enumerated. For wheresoever we turn our Eyes, and follow with our Reason, we may meet with Worlds of all Formations, suited no doubt to all Natures, Tastes, and Tempers, and every Class of Beings.

Here a Groupe of Worlds, all Vallies, Lakes, and Rivers, adorn'd with Mountains, Woods, and Lawns, Cascades and natural Fountains; there Worlds all fertile Islands, cover'd with Woods, perhaps upon a common Sea, and fill'd with Grottoes and romantick Caves. This Way, Worlds all Earth, with vast extensive Lawns and Vistoes, bounded with perpetual Greens, and interspersed with Groves and Wildernesses, full of all Varieties of Fruits and Flowers. That World subsisting perhaps by soft Rains, this by daily Dews, and Vapours; and a third by a central, subtle Moisture, arising like an Effluvia, through the Pores and Veins of the Earth, and exhaling or absorbing as the Season varies to answer Nature's Calls. Round some perhaps, so dense an Atmosphere, that the Inhabitants may fly from Place to Place, or be drawn through the Air in winged Chariots, and even sleep upon the Waves with Safety; round others possibly, so thin a fluid, that the Arts of Navigation may be totally unknown to it, and look'd upon as impracticable and absurd, as Chariot flying may be here with us; and some where not improbably, superior Beings to the human, may reside, and Man may be of a very inferior Class; the second, third, or fourth perhaps, and scarce allow'd to be a rational Creature. Worlds, with various Moons we know of already; Worlds, with Stars and Comets only, we equally can prove is very probable; and that there may be Worlds with various Suns, is not impossible. And hence it is obvious, that there may not be a Scene of Joy, which Poetry can paint, or Religion promise; but somewhere in the Universe it is prepared for the meritorious Part of Mankind. Thus all Infinity is full of States of Bliss; Angelic Choirs, Regions of Heroes, and Realms of Demi-Gods; Elysian Fields, Pindaric Shades, and Myriads of inchanting Mansions, not to be conceived either by Philosophy or Fancy, assisted by the strongest Genius and warmest Imagination.

All harmoniously crowded and provided with every Object of Beatitude, that Friendship, Love, or Society can inspire, the Muses or the Graces Frame; and all as permanent and perfect, that is destin'd to a Duration, suited to the Nature of their Existence and Degree of Cognisance; for as a very learned Writer observes upon this same Subject:

"How can we tell, but that there may be above us Beings of greater Powers, and more perfect Intellects, and capable of mighty Things, which yet may have corporeal Vehicles as we have, but _finer_ and _invisible_? Nay, who knows, but that there may be even of these many _Orders_, rising in Dignity of Nature, and Amplitude of Power, one above another? It is no Way below the Philosophy of these Times, which seems to delight in inlarging the Capacities of Matter, to assert the Possibility of this."

From these amazing Ideas of Space in general, and from the particular Distance of the Stars, which separates as it were, one System of Bodies from another, and by so prodigious an extent, as scarce to be suppos'd a temporal Task. I think it naturally follows, had we no other Way to prove it, or any other Reason to believe it, that the Soul must of Necessity be immaterial; for as this Space seems so impassible to Matter, as not to be undertaken and performed without the Loss of Ages, in a State only of Transmigration, we may well imagine, that Change of Place is not effected this Way, but by some other Virtue or Property, more immediate, if not instantaneous.

I own next to _Annihilation_ is the State of Oblivion, and this Way we may solve all Difficulties with regard to our being sensible of such a Loss of Existence; but if we allow the Soul to be immaterial, it no longer has any thing to do with Space, but as operating by Reflection only, or the Faculty of Thinking; it may be like the Imagination where it pleases in a Moment.

Objects of the Mind abstracted from the Senses of the Body, has no real or comparative Magnitude; that is, I would say, an Inch, a Foot, a Yard, a Mile, or a Million of Miles are all equally indefinite, and is thus prov'd; every finite Line is formed of an infinite Number of Points, and no finite Line can be solv'd into more. Thus if you will allow me the Expression, the Mind being magnified as all Objects are diminished, what seems impracticable in the natural State of Things, in an Ideal one, becomes very possible; that is, to make myself more intelligible, though we can hardly conceive, how any Being can pass from _Syrius_ to the Sun, by natural Laws in their proper State, yet if proportionally reduced by a new Modification of Ideas, to the Bigness of a Ball 6 Feet Diameter, and to be only 680 Miles asunder; the Thing is very comprehensive and easy.

Hence Vision, Light, and Electrical Virtue, seem to be propagated with such Velocity, that nothing but God can possible be the Vehicle; and hence we may justly say with St. _Paul_, _Acts_ xvii, 28. _In him we live, in him we move, in him we have our Being._

It will further appear, from the foregoing Letters, that all the Stars and planetary Bodies within the finite View, are altogether but a very minute Part of the whole rational Creation; I mean that vast collective Body of habitable Beings, which I have endeavoured to demonstrate, are all govern'd by the same Laws, though variously revolving round one common Center, in which Center we may not impertinently venture to suppose the prime Agent of our Natures; or otherwise, the most perfect of all created Beings, illimitable in his Ideas and Faculties of Sensation particularly preside.

But tho' past all diffus'd, without a Shore
His Essence; _local_ is his Throne, (as meet)
To gather the disperst, (as Standards call
The listed from afar) to fix a Point;
A central Point, collective of his Suns,
Since finite ev'ry Nature, but his own.

Dr. _Young_.

And farther since without any Impiety; since as the Creation is, so is the Creator also magnified, we may conclude in Consequence of an Infinity, and an infinite all-active Power; that as the visible Creation is supposed to be full of siderial Systems and planetary Worlds, so on, in like similar Manner, the endless Immensity is an unlimited Plenum of Creations not unlike the known Universe. See _Plate_ XXXI. which you may if you please, call a partial View of Immensity, or without much Impropriety perhaps, a finite View of Infinity, and all these together, probably diversified; as at A, B and C. in _Plate_ XXXII. which represents their Sections, if all may be a proper Term for an infinite or indefinite Number, we may justly imagine to be the Object of that incomprehensible Being, which alone and in himself comprehends and constitutes supreme Perfection.

That this in all Probability may be the real Case, is in some Degree made evident by the many cloudy Spots, just perceivable by us, as far without our starry Regions, in which tho' visibly luminous Spaces, no one Star or particular constituent Body can possibly be distinguished; those in all likelihood may be external Creation, bordering upon the known one, too remote for even our Telescopes to reach.

With the raptur'd Poet may we not justly say

O, what a Root! O what a Branch is here!
O what a Father! what a Family!
Worlds! Systems! and Creations!

And in Consequence of this

In an Eternity, what Scenes shall strike?
Adventures thicken? Novelties surprize?
What Webs of Wonder shall unravel there?

_Night Thoughts._

So many varied Seats where every Element may have its proper Beings and all adapted to partake of every thing suited to their Natures, argue such Maturity of Wisdom, and the vast Production such mysterious Power; 'tis hardly possible for Mortals not to see divine Intelligence preside, and that every Being somewhere must be happy.

A Universe so well designed, and fill'd with such an endless Structure of material Beings, and all the Result of Prescience and infinite reflected Reason, flowing from a Mind all perfect, full of all Ideas, could never be designed in vain; and tho' our narrow Bounds of Reason limited, by finite Senses, cannot directly see the Consequence dependant on a Sequel, yet from what we do see, great Room we have to hope the next Stage of Existence will be more lasting and more perfect; and it is highly probable, the noblest Suggestion of the most luxuriant Fancy may fall infinitely short of what we are designed for.

But here, even in this World, are Joys which our Ideas of Heaven can scarce exceed, and if Imperfection appear thus lovely, what must Perfection be, and what may we not expect and hope for, by a meritorious Acquiescence in Providence, under the Direction, Indulgence, and Protection of infinite Wisdom and Goodness, who manifestly designs perfect Felicity, as the Reward of Virtue in all his Creatures, and will at proper Periods answer all our Wishes in some predestined World.

All this the vast apparent Provision in the starry Mansions, seem to promise: What ought we then not to do, to preserve our natural Birthright to it and to merit such Inheritance, which alas we think created all to gratify alone, a Race of vain-glorious gigantick Beings, while they are confined to this World, chained like so many Atoms to a Grain of Sand.

_I am_, &c.

* * * * *

Transcriber Note

Spelling conventions used in the book were retained. On page 5, there is an unattached footnote. As it refers to The Pendulum Clock and Huygens wrote a book whose title includes these words, the assumption was made that the footnote belongs after his name. On page 30, the missing anchor for the footnote about Parallax was placed before the term in paragraph three. The same situation occurs on page 54 where a footnote about Motion had no anchor and was linked to the term in the last paragraph. On page 72, there is a measurement "11 Feet ¾" to which "Inches" was added.

Plate XXIII was mislabeled as Plate XXI. This was corrected.