c 3sn 
cerning the Form, Strufture, and Fabrick of the Uai 
verfe, or the whole vifible World, and the Reafons and 
Arguments that induced him thereunto, which he hopes 
may Teem reafonable enough to Men Skilled in Geome- 
trical, and Aftronomical Sciences fuch as he wifhes his 
Readers may be. But becaufe he was well aware that 
many ofthem might bePerfonsof differing Qualificati- 
ons, and fuch as could not, or would not underftand the 
Cogency of themjor from Prepoffeflion would endeavour 
to Carp at, and make Arguments againft the whole Do- 
drin there delivered, therefore he endeavours to E- 
numerate and Obviate fuch as are moft likely to be pro- 
duced for that end : The firft of which he conceives, 
may be of fuch as are ignorant of Mathematical Know- 
ledge, who 'x^U'b&iapt to reprefent it as a Whimfey on- 
ly of a difturbed Brainy they thinking ic impoffible to 
meafurc, or any wife to be afcertain'd of the Magnitudes 
and Diftances of the Celeftial Bodies, and as to the 
Earth's Motions they look on them as Fiftions, and not 
capable of being proved : To fuch he anfwers, that he 
does not affert thofe things as abfolutely demonftrated, 
but rather as probable Conjedlures, and that he leaves 
every one free to judge of them as they pleafe. And to 
fuch as may thinlc^them ufelefs, fince they are only Con- 
jedlural, he anfwers;, upon the fame account, all other 
' Phyfical Knowledge may be rejeded, fince that alfo for 
the moft part is but Conjedural ; and yet we know the 
Studies of thofe things are very commendable, and afford 
great Pleafure^Sati^.faftion, and Benefit, even to fuch as 
think them Contradiftory to Holy Writ, to fuppofe o- 
ther Worlds, or Animals then thofe of the Earth ; be- 
caufe fuch are not mentioned in the Hiftory of the Crea- 
tion. He thinks there has been enough faid to fliew that 
the Defcription of the Creation in the Bible, was only 
with Relation to the Earth, and not at all with Refpeft 
to the other Parts of tlie World, then what were here 
vifi- 
