1gin to produce thoſe difficulties that ſeem in his opinion, to thwart
this new diſpoſition of the World.
this new diſpoſition of the World.
SIMPL. That diſpoſition is not new, but very old, and that
you may ſee it is ſo, Ariſtotle confuteth it; and his confutations
are theſe: “Firſt if the Earth moveth either in it felf about its
own Centre, or in an Excentrick Circle, it is neceſſary that that
ſame motion be violent; for it is not its natural motion, for
if it were, each of its parts would partake thereof; but each
of them moveth in a right line towards its Centre. It being
therefore violent and pteternatural, it could never be
al: But the order of the World is perpetual. Therefore, &c.
Secondly, all the other moveables that move circularly, ſeem
to ^{*} ſtay behind, and to move with more than one motion, the
Primum Mobile excepted: Whence it would be neceſſary that
the Earth alſo do move with two motions; and if that ſhould
be ſo, it would inevitably follow, that mutations ſhould be
made in the Fixed Stars, the which none do perceive; nay
without any variation, the ſame Stars alwayes riſe from towards
the ſame places, and in the ſame places do ſet. Thirdly, the
tion of the parts is the ſame with that of the whole, and
ly tendeth towards the Centre of the Univerſe; and for the ſame
cauſe reſt, being arrived thither. He thereupon moves the
ſtion whether the motion of the parts hath a tendency to the
centre of the Univerſe, or to the centre of the Earth; and
deth that it goeth by proper inſtinct to the centre of the Univerſe,
and per accidence to that of the Earth; of which point we largely
diſcourſed yeſterday. He laſtly confirmeth the ſame with a fourth
argument taken from the experiment of grave bodies, which
ing from on high, deſcend perpendicularly unto the Earthsſurface;
and in the ſame manner Projections ſhot perpendicularly upwards,
do by the ſame lines return perpendicularly down again, though
they were ſhot to a very great height. All which arguments
ſarily prove their motion to be towards the Centre of the Earth,
which without moving at all waits for, and receiveth them. He
intimateth in the laſt place that the Aſtronomers alledg other
reaſons in confirmation of the ſame concluſions, I mean of the
Earths being in the Centre of the Univerſe, and immoveable;
and inſtanceth onely in one of them, to wit, that all the
nomena or appearances that are ſeen in the motions of the Stars,
perfectly agree with the poſition of the Earth in the Centre;
which would not be ſo, were the Earth ſeated otherwiſe.
The reſt produced by Ptolomy and the other Aſtronomers, I can
give you now if you pleaſe, or after you have ſpoken what you
have to ſay in anſwer to theſe of Ariſtotle.”
you may ſee it is ſo, Ariſtotle confuteth it; and his confutations
are theſe: “Firſt if the Earth moveth either in it felf about its
own Centre, or in an Excentrick Circle, it is neceſſary that that
ſame motion be violent; for it is not its natural motion, for
if it were, each of its parts would partake thereof; but each
of them moveth in a right line towards its Centre. It being
therefore violent and pteternatural, it could never be
al: But the order of the World is perpetual. Therefore, &c.
Secondly, all the other moveables that move circularly, ſeem
to ^{*} ſtay behind, and to move with more than one motion, the
Primum Mobile excepted: Whence it would be neceſſary that
the Earth alſo do move with two motions; and if that ſhould
be ſo, it would inevitably follow, that mutations ſhould be
made in the Fixed Stars, the which none do perceive; nay
without any variation, the ſame Stars alwayes riſe from towards
the ſame places, and in the ſame places do ſet. Thirdly, the
tion of the parts is the ſame with that of the whole, and
ly tendeth towards the Centre of the Univerſe; and for the ſame
cauſe reſt, being arrived thither. He thereupon moves the
ſtion whether the motion of the parts hath a tendency to the
centre of the Univerſe, or to the centre of the Earth; and
deth that it goeth by proper inſtinct to the centre of the Univerſe,
and per accidence to that of the Earth; of which point we largely
diſcourſed yeſterday. He laſtly confirmeth the ſame with a fourth
argument taken from the experiment of grave bodies, which
ing from on high, deſcend perpendicularly unto the Earthsſurface;
and in the ſame manner Projections ſhot perpendicularly upwards,
do by the ſame lines return perpendicularly down again, though
they were ſhot to a very great height. All which arguments
ſarily prove their motion to be towards the Centre of the Earth,
which without moving at all waits for, and receiveth them. He
intimateth in the laſt place that the Aſtronomers alledg other
reaſons in confirmation of the ſame concluſions, I mean of the
Earths being in the Centre of the Univerſe, and immoveable;
and inſtanceth onely in one of them, to wit, that all the
nomena or appearances that are ſeen in the motions of the Stars,
perfectly agree with the poſition of the Earth in the Centre;
which would not be ſo, were the Earth ſeated otherwiſe.
The reſt produced by Ptolomy and the other Aſtronomers, I can
give you now if you pleaſe, or after you have ſpoken what you
have to ſay in anſwer to theſe of Ariſtotle.”