On the Formation of the Universe. 129 



nal motion of the satellites; and the relative position of the 

 orbit of Mercury and the equator of the sun, as well as a va- 

 riety of other useful suggestions, I am indebted to Mr. Fish- 

 er, the late able Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy in 

 Yale College ; and while with the remembrance of his 

 former assistance, I mingle regret that he was not permitted 

 privately, as he intended, to lay the following speculations 

 before European minds powerful and acute like his own, 

 and to aid further in rendering them more lucid and satis- 

 factory ; I cannot omit to add, that America, and the world 

 have great reason to regret the premature and tragical death 

 of this distinguished young man. 



In the examination of the solar and the stellar systems, 

 various phenomena occur, which are much too regular to be 

 considered the pure effects of accident, while on the other 

 hand, they are not sufficiently so to be attributed to the im- 

 mediate operations of an intelligent designing agent. To 

 such operations they have heretofore been attributed, solely 

 because, on any other ground, they seemed utterly inexpli- 

 cable, and the ends aimed at in their existence have been ta- 

 ken for granted, although the human mind could discover 

 nething respecting them. Of these phenomena the most ob- 

 vious are, 



1. The primitive parts of the earth, so far as they have 

 been examined, are apparently the result of purely chemi- 

 cal precipitation. There are sufficient reasons to believe, that 

 the quantity of watei above theirsurface has been very great- 

 ly diminished. 



2. The sun revolves on its axis, and all the planets in 

 their orbits, in the same direction, and nearly in the same 

 plane : and likewise all the planets that have satellites, re- 

 volve on their axes in the same direction as their satellites in 

 their orbits, and nearly in the same plane. 



3. The Tphnets generally revolve on their axes in the same 

 direction with the sun : and the satellites, so far as their di- 

 urnal motion is known, and probably in most instances, re- 

 volve on their axes in the same direction with their prima- 

 ries. The most remarkable irregularities are near the sun, 

 at the superior extreme of the sun, and probably at the or- 

 bits of the asteroids. 



4. The velocity of each planet on its axis, has a general 

 direct proportion to its quantity of matter, and distance from 



Vol. VI.— No, 1. 17 



