1I could produce the teſtimonies of many grave Writers to prove
the admirable power and influence of the Sun, I will content my
ſelf with one ſole place of Holy Dioniſius Areopagita in his Book
de Divinis Nominibus; who thus writes of the Sun: ^{(*)} His Light
gathereth and converts all things to himſelf, which are ſeen,
moved, illuſtrated, wax hot, and (in a word) thoſe things which
are preſerved by his ſplendor: Wherefore the Sun is called Hλιος,
for that he collecteth and gathereth together all things diſperſed.
And a little after of the Sun again he adds; ^{(*)} If this Sun which
wo ſee, as touching the Eſſences and Qualities of thoſe things
which fall within our Senſe, being very many and different; yet
if he who is one, and equally beſtowes his Light, doth renew,
nouriſh, defend, perfect, divide, conjoyn, cheriſh, make fruitfull,
encreaſe, change, fix, produce, move, and faſhion all living crea
tures: And every thing in this Vniverſe at his Pleaſure, is par
taker of one and the ſame Sun; and the cauſes of many things
which participate of him, are equally auticipated in him: Certain
ly by greater reaſon; &c. The Sun therefore being the Foun
tain of Light and, Principle of Motion, God intending, that at
the Command of Joſhua, all the Worlds Syſteme, ſhould con
tinue many hours in the ſame ſtate, it ſufficeth to make the Sun
ſtand ſtill, upon whoſe ſtay (all the other Converſions ceaſing)
the Earth, the Moon, the Sun did abide in the ſame Conſtitution
as before, as likewiſe all the other Planets: Nor in all that time
did the Day decline towards Night, but it was miraculouſly pro
longed: And in this manner, upon the ſtanding ſtill of the Sun,
without altering, or in the leaſt diſturbing the other Aſpects and
mutual Poſitions of the Stars, the Day might be lengthned on
Earth; which exactly agreeth with the Litteral ſenſe of the Sacred
Text.
the admirable power and influence of the Sun, I will content my
ſelf with one ſole place of Holy Dioniſius Areopagita in his Book
de Divinis Nominibus; who thus writes of the Sun: ^{(*)} His Light
gathereth and converts all things to himſelf, which are ſeen,
moved, illuſtrated, wax hot, and (in a word) thoſe things which
are preſerved by his ſplendor: Wherefore the Sun is called Hλιος,
for that he collecteth and gathereth together all things diſperſed.
And a little after of the Sun again he adds; ^{(*)} If this Sun which
wo ſee, as touching the Eſſences and Qualities of thoſe things
which fall within our Senſe, being very many and different; yet
if he who is one, and equally beſtowes his Light, doth renew,
nouriſh, defend, perfect, divide, conjoyn, cheriſh, make fruitfull,
encreaſe, change, fix, produce, move, and faſhion all living crea
tures: And every thing in this Vniverſe at his Pleaſure, is par
taker of one and the ſame Sun; and the cauſes of many things
which participate of him, are equally auticipated in him: Certain
ly by greater reaſon; &c. The Sun therefore being the Foun
tain of Light and, Principle of Motion, God intending, that at
the Command of Joſhua, all the Worlds Syſteme, ſhould con
tinue many hours in the ſame ſtate, it ſufficeth to make the Sun
ſtand ſtill, upon whoſe ſtay (all the other Converſions ceaſing)
the Earth, the Moon, the Sun did abide in the ſame Conſtitution
as before, as likewiſe all the other Planets: Nor in all that time
did the Day decline towards Night, but it was miraculouſly pro
longed: And in this manner, upon the ſtanding ſtill of the Sun,
without altering, or in the leaſt diſturbing the other Aſpects and
mutual Poſitions of the Stars, the Day might be lengthned on
Earth; which exactly agreeth with the Litteral ſenſe of the Sacred
Text.
* i. i. On its own
Axis.
Axis.
(*) Lux ejus colli
git, convertitque ad
ſe omnia, quæ vi
dentur, quæ mo
ventur, quæ illu
ſtrantur, quæ ca
leſcunt, & uno no
mine ea, quæ ab e
jus ſplendore cen
tinentur. Itaque
Sol Hλι<34> dicitur,
quod omnia con
greger, colligatque
diſperſa.
git, convertitque ad
ſe omnia, quæ vi
dentur, quæ mo
ventur, quæ illu
ſtrantur, quæ ca
leſcunt, & uno no
mine ea, quæ ab e
jus ſplendore cen
tinentur. Itaque
Sol Hλι<34> dicitur,
quod omnia con
greger, colligatque
diſperſa.
(*) Si enim
Sol hic quem vi
domus, eorum quæ
ſub ſenſum ca
dunt, eſſentias &
qualitates, quæ que
muliæ ſint ac diſ
ſimiles, tamen ipſe
qui unus eſt, æqua
literque lumen
fundit, renovat, a
lit, tuetur, perficit,
dividit, conjungit,
fovet, fæcunda red
dit, auget, mutat,
firmat, edit, movet,
vitaliaque facit om
nia: & unaquæque
res hujus univer
ſitatis, pro cæptu
ſuo, unius atque e
juſdem Solis eſt
particeps, cauſæſ
que multorum,
quæ participant, in
ſe æquabiliter an
ticipatas habet,
certe majori ratio
ne, &c.
Sol hic quem vi
domus, eorum quæ
ſub ſenſum ca
dunt, eſſentias &
qualitates, quæ que
muliæ ſint ac diſ
ſimiles, tamen ipſe
qui unus eſt, æqua
literque lumen
fundit, renovat, a
lit, tuetur, perficit,
dividit, conjungit,
fovet, fæcunda red
dit, auget, mutat,
firmat, edit, movet,
vitaliaque facit om
nia: & unaquæque
res hujus univer
ſitatis, pro cæptu
ſuo, unius atque e
juſdem Solis eſt
particeps, cauſæſ
que multorum,
quæ participant, in
ſe æquabiliter an
ticipatas habet,
certe majori ratio
ne, &c.
But that of which, if I be not miſtaken, we are to make no
ſmall account, is, That by help of this Copernican Hypotheſis,
we have the Litteral, apert, and Natural Senſe of another parti
cular that we read of in the ſame Miracle; which is, That the
Sun ſtood ſtill in Medio Cæli: Upon which paſſage grave Divines
raiſe many queſtions, in regard it ſeemeth very probable, That
when Joſhuah deſired the lengthning of the Day, the Sun was
near ſetting, and not in the Meridian; for if it had been in the
Meridian, it being then about the Summer Solſtice, and con
ſequently the dayes being at the longeſt, it doth not ſeem likely
that it was neceſſary to pray for the lengthning of the day, to
proſecute Victory in a Battail, the ſpace of ſeven hours and more,
which remained to Night, being ſufficient for that purpoſe.
Upon which Grave Divines have been induced to think that the
Sun was near ſetting: And ſo the words themſelves ſeem to
ſmall account, is, That by help of this Copernican Hypotheſis,
we have the Litteral, apert, and Natural Senſe of another parti
cular that we read of in the ſame Miracle; which is, That the
Sun ſtood ſtill in Medio Cæli: Upon which paſſage grave Divines
raiſe many queſtions, in regard it ſeemeth very probable, That
when Joſhuah deſired the lengthning of the Day, the Sun was
near ſetting, and not in the Meridian; for if it had been in the
Meridian, it being then about the Summer Solſtice, and con
ſequently the dayes being at the longeſt, it doth not ſeem likely
that it was neceſſary to pray for the lengthning of the day, to
proſecute Victory in a Battail, the ſpace of ſeven hours and more,
which remained to Night, being ſufficient for that purpoſe.
Upon which Grave Divines have been induced to think that the
Sun was near ſetting: And ſo the words themſelves ſeem to
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