136 On the Formation of the Universe. 
of heat and light would afterwards be useless. The heat by 
a general diffusion might maintain the system in a mild tem- 
perature for an immense length of time after its internal heat 
was almost exhausted ; and the light by its being very slight- 
ly latent on account of its abundance, might enable an acute 
organ to observe surrounding objects. by the smallest motion 
of the atmosphere, after the system was enveloped in dark- 
ness; in the same manner as we now see the dashing of the 
waves, or the motion of meteoric rocks in the sky. Ina 
metaphysical point of view, there is no reason why the sys- 
m might not have been formed by the immediate agency 
of an intelligent spirit, as well as by the agency of light and 
heat ; but there are phenomena actually existing which are 
perfectly consistent with its formation by light and heat, but 
which on the supposition that it was formed by the immedi- 
ate agency of an intelligent spirit, are utterly inexplicable. 
The relative diurnal motion of the various bodies in the sys- 
tem, present not the most distant indications of design ; and 
yet they are about such as they must be, on the supposition 
that the system was produced by condensation from an aeri- 
al state. These motions in case of such a formation, would 
‘be proportionally increased by magnitude of orbit, and 
quantity of matter, and diminished by the mass, number and 
distance of the satellites. Saturn’s diurnal motion is not 
quite so rapid as that of Jupiter; its orbit is much larger, 
but its mass is less, and its ring and satellites are heavier and 
extend to a greater distance than those of Jupiter. Mars is 
less than the earth, but its orbit is greater, and it has no 
moon: its diurnal motion is a little slower than that of the 
rth. Venus is about equal in size to the earth, and it has 
no moon, but its orbit is less than that of the earth: their 
diurnal motions are about equal. The orbit of Mercury and 
its quantity of matter are much less than those of Venus; 
and so is its diurnal motion. ‘The moon to acquire its wl 
sent velocity, must have fallen to its present distance 
. 
its primary, through a space about equal to ~4; of the diam- 
