ASTRONOMY. 247 



CHAPTER XXIL 



ASTRONOMY.* 



My opinion of Astronomy has always been, that it is not 

 die best medium through which to prove the agency of an 

 intelligent Creator ; but that, this being proved, it shows, 

 beyond all other sciences, the magnificence of his operations. 

 The mind which is once convinced, it raises to sublimer 

 views of the Deity than any other subject affords ; but it is 

 not so well adapted as some other subjects are to the pur- 

 pose of argument. We are destitute of the means of exam- 

 ining the constitution of the heavenly bodies. The very 

 simplicity of their appearance is against them. We see 

 nothmg but bright points, luminous circles, or the phases of 

 spheres reflecting the light which falls upon them. Now 

 we deduce design from relation, aptitude, and correspond- 

 ence of ^?<2?fs. Some degree, therefore, of comj^lexity is nec- 

 essary to render a subject fit for this species of argument. 

 But the heavenly bodies do not, except perhaps in the in- 

 stance of Saturn's ring, present themselves to our observation 

 as compounded of parts at all. This, which may be a per- 

 fection in them, is a disadvantage to us as inquirers after 

 their nature. They do not come within our mechanics. 



And what we say of their forms, is true of their motiofis. 

 Their motions are carried on without any sensible interme- 

 diate apparatus ; whereby we are cut off from one prin- 

 cipal ground of argumentation — analogy. We have nothing 

 wherewith to compare them — no invention, no discovery, no 

 operation or resource of art, which, in this respect, resem- 

 bles them. Even those things which are made to imitate 

 and represent them, such as orreries, planetaria, celestial 



* For the articles of this chapter marked with an asterisk, I am 

 indebted to some obliging communications received, through the hands 

 of the Lord Bishop of Elphin, from the Rev. J. Brinkley, M. A., An 

 draws Professor of Astronomy in the University of Dublin. 



