48 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



of attractions. It proves also, that a projectile im- 

 pulse was originally given to some of the heaven- 

 ly bodies, and not to others. But further: if attrac- 

 tion act at all distances, there can only be one 

 quiescent centre of gravity in the universe ; and 

 all bodies whatever must be approaching this centre 

 or revolving round it. According to the first of 

 these suppositions, if the duration of the world had 

 been long enough to allow of it, all its parts, all 

 the great bodies of which it is composed, must 

 have been gathered together in a heap round this 

 point. No changes however which have been ob- 

 served, aflbrd us the smallest reason for believing, 

 that either the one supposition or the other is true : 

 and then it will follow, that attraction itself is con- 

 trolled or suspended by a superior agent ; that 

 there is a power above the highest of the powers 

 of material nature ; a will which restrains and cir- 

 cumscribes the operations of the most extensive.* 



degree of splendour exceeding all the other fixed stars. It was 

 seen during sixteen months, and continually diminished in bright- 

 ness till it disappeared. All the circumstances of it are well at- 

 tested by many astronomers, and others. It remained fixed in 

 one spot of the heavens without changing its place among the 

 stars by any perceptible quantity. Although astronomical instru- 

 ments at that time did not admit of a degree of precision to be 

 compared with those of the present time, yet the observations 

 made on it by several astronomers fully suffice to show that its 

 distance from us must have been at least between 3000 and 4000 

 times that of the sun from the earth, or 300,000 millions of miles. 



* It must here, however, be stated, that many astronomers deny 

 that any of the heavenly bodies are absolutely stationary. Some 

 of the brightest of the fixed stars have certainly small motions ; 



