More Places might be quoted, but these are sufficient; for the holy Scriptures were not given us to philofophize by, but to increase our Piety. 2. Some Places of Scripture are alfo produced, which do not speak of the Mobility of the Earth, but of it's Stability and Permanency; as that in Job aforefaid (g),

THUS we have declared in brief what that Motion is, which the Copernicans affign to the Earth; the more full and accurate Explication of which belongs to Aftronomy, And this Motion being fuppofed, all the Phænomena we obferve in a Globe revolved about it's Axis, muft be applied to the Earth, viz. That the Axis upon which it is turned, is one of the Diameters: That the Poles are two immoveable Points in the Extremities of the Axis: That the great Circle, or Perimeter, in which the Rotation is made, is the Equator with it's Parallels, &c.

LET us now confider the Velocity of the Earth's Motion; which, in that about it's Axis, is not over all the Earth equal, but different according to the Distance from the Equator; being there

brim to the other, round all about, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. But as 7:22 10:31 Cubits is very near the true Length of the Line that ought to encompass a round Veffel of ten Cubits Diameter.

(g) Such as Pfal. xciii. 1. cxix. 90. civ. 5. Ecclef. i. 4. and Chron. xvi. 30. which Texts are all understood by learned Commentators to mean the unalterable Condition, Security, Peace, and Tranquility, of the Earth.

The Ambit of the Earth, by the most accurate, is appre

hended to be 25031,4 Miles, which, divided into 24 Hours, makes the Revolution to be at the Rate of about 1043 Miles in an Hour; a Rotation that would as eafily throw off the Parts of the Earth, efpecially the Waters, as the whirling round of a Wheel, or a Globe, would the loofe Duft and Water thereon; but by Reason the Gravitating Power exceeds the Centrifugal, as 2174 exceeds 7,54,064, that is, above 288 times; therefore all Parts lie quiet and fecure in their respective Places. Derbam's Aftro-Theol. p. 149.

fwifteft

SECT. II. fwifteft as paffing thro' a greater Space, and fo by Degrees flower towards the Poles, as paffing thro' a lefs Space in the fame Time. Therefore fince every Part of the Earth is moved thro' the Space of it's Periphery (or 360 Degr.) in 24 Hours; the Space of one Hour's Motion is found by dividing 360 by 24, which gives in the Quotient 15 Degr. and fo much doth any Place on the Earth move (whether in the Equator or without it) in an Hour. Alfo 15 Degr. in the Equator make 125 German Miles, therefore it revolves 15 fuch Miles (or one Degr.) in 4 min. and in one min. 34 Miles.

BUT Places without the Equator, lying towards either Pole, are in the fame Time revolved the fame Number of Degrees: but thefe Degrees are much less than thofe in the Equator; fo that the Celerity of Motion, or Progreffion, is as the Sines of the Arches by which thefe Places are diftant from the Pole. Example. The Distance from the Equator (or Elevation of the Pole) of Amfterdam is 52 degr. 23 min. therefore the Distance from the Pole (or Complement of Latitude) is 37 degr. 37 min. whofe Sine is 61037. Suppofe another Place, under the Equinoctial, diftant from the Pole go Degr. whofe Sine alfo is 100000, but the Place under the Equinoctial moves 15 Miles in 4 min. and 225 an Hour. Therefore by the Golden Rule, as 100000: 61037:: 15: 9 Miles, or fo is 225 to 137 Miles, So that Amfterdam is carried every Hour 137 Miles, and in 4 min. Miles, by this Motion.

9

THIS is more eafily found by the foregoing Table; for by dividing 360 by 24 we find each Place to move 15 Degr. of it's own Circle in an Hour, and therefore 1 Degr. in 4 min. &c. confulting the Table with the Latitude of the Place, we find how many Miles it moves in 4 min. For

Examples

Example; The Latitude of Stockholm is about 60 Degr. oppofite to which in the Table is 7 Miles. Therefore Stockholm revolves fo many Miles in 4 min. and fuch is the first Motion in divers Places..

THE Second Motion of the Earth, is it's Change of Place; whereby every Part of it moves the fame Space with the fame Velocity. This Motion is determined by the Distance of the Earth from the Sun, or the Semidiameter of the Orbit in which it performs it's annual Revolution, moving in a Day about a Degr. and in an Hour 21 min.

AS to the third Motion of the Earth, because it is more difficult to conceive, we fhall leave it to Aftronomers, who have found it neceffary to be fuppofed. Origanus moves a Doubt about the fecond Motion; and fuppofes the Earth to be only moved by the firft, but the Sun and fixed Stars by the fecond: Tho' the above-cited Appearances, in the Motions of the Planets, fufficiently confirm this annual Motion (b).

(b) This imaginary third Motion of the Earth they were obliged to fuppofe, to account for the difputed Inequality of the Declination of the Ecliptic, which is now by moft Aftronomers thought to be always the fame; feeing there is nothing which should disturb the perpetual Parallelifm of the Earth, on which this Equality depends, except it should be the infenfible Nutation of the Axis,

and the Regrefs of the Nodes; from which Thing nevertheless no Variation of Declination, properly fo called, can arife. Whifton's Aftron. Lect. pag. 57. That there is fuch a Nutation whereby the Axis of the Earth doth twice incline towards the Ecliptic, and twice return to it's former Pofition, fee in Newton's Prin. Phil. Nat. Book iii. Prop. 21.

CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Situation, or Place, of the Earth, in ReSpect of the Planets and fixed Stars.

T

HE Situation of the Earth, in the System of the World, in respect to the rest of the Pla nets, hath fome Relation to the Account we gave of the Earth's Motion, in the preceeding Chapter. For it is the general Opinion of the Ptolemaic Aftronomers and Philofophers, that the Earth, being the Center of the World, is placed in the middle of the Stars and Planets (a): But the Copernicans, with the antient Pythagoreans, place the Sun in the Center of all the Stars, and make the Earth a Planet performing an annual Revolution about him, between Mars and Venus; as is best understood by a Diagram of the System. Nevertheless they both agree in this, that the Earth may be accounted the apparent Center of the diurnal Motion, by which the Stars seem to be carried about in twenty four Hours. For both Aftronomy and Geography require this Suppofition; fo that whether we adhere to the Ptolemaic or Copernican Hypothefis, we do not detract from the Certainty of general Aftronomy or Geography. Becaufe the Difference of these Opinions confifts only in this; that the Ptolemaics will have this Motion to

(a) Since the World, or Universe, is infinite, the central Place of it cannot be determined: What our Author means

by the World here is only our Solar Syftem, in which Sense he must be taken in what follows.

be

be in the Stars themselves, but the Pythagoreans in the Earth; the Stars in the mean time refting: neither of which need be determined in Geography or common Aftronomy.

ACCORDING to the Ptolemaics the Situation of the Earth, in refpect of the Planets and fixed Stars, is this; The Earth in the Center, then the Moon, Mercury, Venus, The Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Fixed Stars.

ACCORDING to the Copernicans; The Sun is placed in the Center of the Syftem, as the Heart and Focus of the World; and next him is the Orbit of Mercury, then that of Venus, the Earth, with the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Fixed Stars.

IF it be required how far diftant we are from each of the Planets, we must know that the Distance is not always the fame, but continually changing; and therefore Aftronomers reckon three Degrees of Distance, viz. the leaft, greateft, and mean or middle Distance; which laft of the Earth, from the rest of the Planets, is as follows, accor ding to most Aftronomers (b).

NEVERTHELESS the Distance of the

Earth from Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the fixed

(b) See Note (m) at the end of this Chapter.

2

Stars