8 



verse, is now deservedly exploded ; since Copernicus 

 has revived that of Pythagoras, which was probably 

 received by most of the ancients. Tycho Brahe's, 

 which jumbles both together, is too complex and in. 

 tricate, and contrary to that beautiful simplicity, con. 

 spicuous in all the works of nature. 



22. The telescope (invented by Galileo) has dis- 

 covered many stars unknown to the ancients 5 together 

 with the nature and motion of the planets, both pri- 

 mary and secondary. By this also have been disco- 

 vered the spots of the sun, the inequality of the sur- 

 face of the moon, the nature of the galaxy or milky- 

 way, and many other particulars relating to the 

 heavens. 



23. With regard to body in general, it is common- 

 }y supposed that our age has a vast advantage over an- 

 tiquity, by having found out new principles and new 

 hypotheses, whereby we can account for all the secrets 

 of nature ; but this will bear a dispute. For beside 

 that the chief of our hypotheses are not uevr, but known 

 Jong ago, the learned have hitherto very little profited 

 by all their hypotheses. And in truth, all their dis. 

 quisitions touching the causes of natural bodies, ter. 

 rainate in mere conjectures : one whereof is often more 

 probable than another, but none admits of any solid 

 proof. 



24. What remains of natural philosophy is, the 

 docrrin,e concerning God and spirits. Bat in the 

 tracing of this we can neither depend upon reason nor 

 experiment. Whatsoever men know or can know 

 concerning them must be drawn from the oracles of 

 God. Here therefore we are to look for no new im- 

 provements, but to stand in the good old paths ; to 

 content ourselves with what God has been pleased to 

 reveal, with the faith once delivered to the 



