1to elect, making thoſe Determinations to become neceſſary,
which at preſent are indifferent and arbitrary, and reſt in the
will of Supreme Authority. And in a word, if it be not poſ
ſible that a Concluſion ſhould be declared Heretical, whilſt we
are not certain, but that it may be true, their pains are in vain
who pretend to condemn the Mobility of the Earth and Stabili
ty of the Sun, unleſſe they have firſt demonſtrated it to be im
poſſible and falſe.
which at preſent are indifferent and arbitrary, and reſt in the
will of Supreme Authority. And in a word, if it be not poſ
ſible that a Concluſion ſhould be declared Heretical, whilſt we
are not certain, but that it may be true, their pains are in vain
who pretend to condemn the Mobility of the Earth and Stabili
ty of the Sun, unleſſe they have firſt demonſtrated it to be im
poſſible and falſe.
It remaineth now, that we conſider whether it be true, that
the Place in Joſhuab may be taken without altering the pure ſig
nification of the words: and how it can be that the Sun, obey
ing the command of Joſhuah, which was, That it ſhould ſtand
ſtill, the day might thereupon be much lengthened. Which bu
ſineſſe, if the Celeſtial Motions be taken according to the Ptolo
maick Syſteme, can never any wayes happen, for that the Sun
moving thorow the Ecliptick, according to the order of the
Signes, which is from Eaſt to Weſt (which is that which maketh
Day and Night) it is a thing manifeſt, that the Sun ceaſing its
true and proper Motion, the day would become ſhorter and not
longer; and that on the contrary, the way to lengthen it would
be to haſten and velocitate the Suns motion; inſomuch that to
cauſe the Sun to ſtay above the Horizon for ſome time, in one
and the ſame place, without declining towards the Weſt, it would
be neceſſary to accelerate its motion in ſuch a manner as that it
might ſeem equal to that of the Primum Mobile, which would be
an accelerating it about three hundred and ſixty times more than
ordinary. If therefore Joſhuah had had an intention that his
words ſhould be taken in their pure and proper ſignification, he
would have bid the Sun to have accelerated its Motion ſo, that
the Rapture of the Primum Mobile might not carry it to the
Weſt: but becauſe his words were heard by people which hap
ly knew no other Celeſtial Motion, ſave this grand and common
one, from Eaſt to Weſt, ſtooping to their Capacity, and having
no intention to teach them the Conſtitution of the Spheres, but
only that they ſhould perceive the greatneſs of the Miracle
wrought, in the lengthening of the Day, he ſpoke according to
their apprehenſion. Poſſibly this Conſideration moved Diony
ſius Areopagita to ſay that in this Miracle the Primum Mobile
ſtood ſtill, and this ſtopping, all the Celeſtial Spheres did of
conſequence ſtay: of which opinion is S. Auguſtine himſelf, and
Abulenſis at large confirmeth it. Yea, that Joſhua's intention
was, that the whole Syſteme of the Celeſtial Spheres ſhould
ſtand ſtill, is collected from the command he gave at the ſame
time to the Moon, although that it had nothing to do in the
lengthening of the day; and under the injunction laid upon the
the Place in Joſhuab may be taken without altering the pure ſig
nification of the words: and how it can be that the Sun, obey
ing the command of Joſhuah, which was, That it ſhould ſtand
ſtill, the day might thereupon be much lengthened. Which bu
ſineſſe, if the Celeſtial Motions be taken according to the Ptolo
maick Syſteme, can never any wayes happen, for that the Sun
moving thorow the Ecliptick, according to the order of the
Signes, which is from Eaſt to Weſt (which is that which maketh
Day and Night) it is a thing manifeſt, that the Sun ceaſing its
true and proper Motion, the day would become ſhorter and not
longer; and that on the contrary, the way to lengthen it would
be to haſten and velocitate the Suns motion; inſomuch that to
cauſe the Sun to ſtay above the Horizon for ſome time, in one
and the ſame place, without declining towards the Weſt, it would
be neceſſary to accelerate its motion in ſuch a manner as that it
might ſeem equal to that of the Primum Mobile, which would be
an accelerating it about three hundred and ſixty times more than
ordinary. If therefore Joſhuah had had an intention that his
words ſhould be taken in their pure and proper ſignification, he
would have bid the Sun to have accelerated its Motion ſo, that
the Rapture of the Primum Mobile might not carry it to the
Weſt: but becauſe his words were heard by people which hap
ly knew no other Celeſtial Motion, ſave this grand and common
one, from Eaſt to Weſt, ſtooping to their Capacity, and having
no intention to teach them the Conſtitution of the Spheres, but
only that they ſhould perceive the greatneſs of the Miracle
wrought, in the lengthening of the Day, he ſpoke according to
their apprehenſion. Poſſibly this Conſideration moved Diony
ſius Areopagita to ſay that in this Miracle the Primum Mobile
ſtood ſtill, and this ſtopping, all the Celeſtial Spheres did of
conſequence ſtay: of which opinion is S. Auguſtine himſelf, and
Abulenſis at large confirmeth it. Yea, that Joſhua's intention
was, that the whole Syſteme of the Celeſtial Spheres ſhould
ſtand ſtill, is collected from the command he gave at the ſame
time to the Moon, although that it had nothing to do in the
lengthening of the day; and under the injunction laid upon the
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