1Senſe of Seeing, ſtaid a whole day in the midſt of Heaven, where
as at the ſame time to others it lay hid under the Earth. But in
cogitant perſons onely look upon the contrariety of the words,
The Sun ſtood ſtill, that is, The Earth ſtood ſtill; not conſidering
that this contradiction is confined within the limits of the Op
ticks and Aſtronomy: For which cauſe it is not outwardly ex
poſed to the notice and uſe of men: Nor will they underſtand
that the onely thing Joſhuah prayed for, was that the Mountains
might not intercept the Sun from him; which requeſt he expreſ
ſed in words, that ſuited with his Ocular Senſe: Beſides it had
been very unſeaſonable at that time to think of Aſtronomy, or
the Errours in Sight; for if any one ſhould have told him that
the Sun could not really move upon the Valley of Ajalon,, but
onely in relation to Senſe, would not Joſhuah have replyed, that
his deſire was that the day might be prolonged, ſo it were by
any means whatſoever? In like manner would he have anſwered
if any one had ſtarted a queſtion about the Suns Mobility, and
the Earths Motion. But God eaſily underſtood by Joſhuahs
words what he asked for, and by arreſting the Earths Motion,
made the Sun in his apprehenſion ſeem to ſtand ſtill. For the
ſumm of Joſhuahs Prayer amounts to no more but this, that it
might thus appear to him, let it in the mean time be what it
would of it ſelf. For that its ſo ſeeming, was not in vain and
ridiculous, but accompanied with the deſired effect. But read
the tenth Chap. of my Book, that treats of the Optick part of A
ſtronomy, where thou ſhalt finde the Reaſons why the Sun doth
in this manner ſeem to all mens thinking to be moved, and not
the Earth; as namely, becauſe the Sun appeareth ſmall; and the
Earth bigg. Again, the Motion of the Sun is not diſcerned by
the eye, by reaſon of his ſeeming tardity, but by ratiocina
tion onely; in that after ſome time it varieth not its proximity to
ſuch and ſuch Mountains. Therefore it is impoſſible that Rea
ſon, unleſs it be firſt inſtructed, ſhould frame to it ſelf any other
apprehenſion, than that the Earth with Heavens Arch placed
over it, is as it were a great Houſe, in which, being immoveable,
the Sun like a Bird flying in the Air, paſſeth in ſo ſmall a Species
out of one Climate into another. Which imagination of all
Man-kinde being thus, gave the firſt line in the Sacred Leaves:
^{*} In the beginning (ſaith Moſes) God created the Heaven and the
Earth; for that theſe two are moſt obvious to the eye. As if
Moſes ſhould have ſaid thus to Man; This whole Mundane Fa
brick which thou ſeeſt, lucid above, and dark, and of a vaſt ex
tent beneath, wherein thou haſt thy being, and with which thou
art covered, was created by God.
as at the ſame time to others it lay hid under the Earth. But in
cogitant perſons onely look upon the contrariety of the words,
The Sun ſtood ſtill, that is, The Earth ſtood ſtill; not conſidering
that this contradiction is confined within the limits of the Op
ticks and Aſtronomy: For which cauſe it is not outwardly ex
poſed to the notice and uſe of men: Nor will they underſtand
that the onely thing Joſhuah prayed for, was that the Mountains
might not intercept the Sun from him; which requeſt he expreſ
ſed in words, that ſuited with his Ocular Senſe: Beſides it had
been very unſeaſonable at that time to think of Aſtronomy, or
the Errours in Sight; for if any one ſhould have told him that
the Sun could not really move upon the Valley of Ajalon,, but
onely in relation to Senſe, would not Joſhuah have replyed, that
his deſire was that the day might be prolonged, ſo it were by
any means whatſoever? In like manner would he have anſwered
if any one had ſtarted a queſtion about the Suns Mobility, and
the Earths Motion. But God eaſily underſtood by Joſhuahs
words what he asked for, and by arreſting the Earths Motion,
made the Sun in his apprehenſion ſeem to ſtand ſtill. For the
ſumm of Joſhuahs Prayer amounts to no more but this, that it
might thus appear to him, let it in the mean time be what it
would of it ſelf. For that its ſo ſeeming, was not in vain and
ridiculous, but accompanied with the deſired effect. But read
the tenth Chap. of my Book, that treats of the Optick part of A
ſtronomy, where thou ſhalt finde the Reaſons why the Sun doth
in this manner ſeem to all mens thinking to be moved, and not
the Earth; as namely, becauſe the Sun appeareth ſmall; and the
Earth bigg. Again, the Motion of the Sun is not diſcerned by
the eye, by reaſon of his ſeeming tardity, but by ratiocina
tion onely; in that after ſome time it varieth not its proximity to
ſuch and ſuch Mountains. Therefore it is impoſſible that Rea
ſon, unleſs it be firſt inſtructed, ſhould frame to it ſelf any other
apprehenſion, than that the Earth with Heavens Arch placed
over it, is as it were a great Houſe, in which, being immoveable,
the Sun like a Bird flying in the Air, paſſeth in ſo ſmall a Species
out of one Climate into another. Which imagination of all
Man-kinde being thus, gave the firſt line in the Sacred Leaves:
^{*} In the beginning (ſaith Moſes) God created the Heaven and the
Earth; for that theſe two are moſt obvious to the eye. As if
Moſes ſhould have ſaid thus to Man; This whole Mundane Fa
brick which thou ſeeſt, lucid above, and dark, and of a vaſt ex
tent beneath, wherein thou haſt thy being, and with which thou
art covered, was created by God.
* Gen. Chv. 1.
v. 1.
v. 1.
In another place Man is queſtioned; Whether he can finde out
zoom in
zoom out
zoom area
full page
page width
set mark
remove mark
get reference
digilib