An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. IV. The Objections answer'd, which by ARISTO∣TLE and others, are framed against the Motion of the Earth.

I. Objections afford a greater Evidence, to discern the truth of the matter in question. AS Lucid Bodies, compar'd with such as are Opake, do thereby appear the clearer; and as the Sun shines brighter, when newly got from under a Cloud: So I question not, but that this Opinion concerning the Earths motion, will appear more plausible by a Refutation of the Objections that Adversaries make against it. Amongst those who oppose this Opinion, ARISTOTLE is the Chief; a Man of a great Wit, and fit for the Contemplation, not only of Earthly, but Sublime things: Who 'tis like, had he liv'd in these our days, would either have been of our Opinion, or at least have better refuted the Arguments, which are brought to overthrow the stability of the Earth.

II. Aristotle's Objection, drawn from the Nature of Natural and Violent Motion. The First Argument he brings against us is, That this Circumvolution of the Earth is not a Natural, but a Violent motion; because it is repug∣nant for that to agree Naturally to any thing, that doth not agree to all its parts likewise. Now it is evident that the Parts of the Earth do not move so, for they are carried in a strait Line to the Center; wherefore Circular motion cannot be said to be Natural to the Earth, and therefore much less to be everlasting.

III. The word Violent doth not belong to Natural things. This Objection is easily answer'd, by saying, That the word Violent doth not at all belong to Natural things, forasmuch as they are indifferent to Motion or Rest; and it is no less Natural for Bodies to be moved, when they are push'd forwards by an External Agent; than it is for them to rest, when they are not push'd out of their places. It belongs only to our Will to suffer Violence, when any thing is done that is contrary and adverse to it. But let us grant that Violence may be attributed to Bodies, and that there are certain Inclinations in things, by which they prose∣cute the Ends they are design'd for; yet cannot we conclude thence, that the Earth is moved against Nature, because its parts are moved downwards by a strait, and not by a Circular motion: For this is to be understood of the parts of the Earth, separated from the rest of the Globe; and thus consider'd, it is not necessary that they should be in all things like unto the whole: No more than it is necessary, that all the Particles of the Earth should be round; or every part of a Circle, make a Circle, because the whole is Round, and the motion of the whole constitutes a Circle: But only that the parts of the whole be moved together with it; and like as the Globe of the Earth is whirld about in 24 hours, so all the parts that compound it, be in the same Space carried about its Center.

IV. Nothing hinders, but that the Motion of the Earth may be Ever∣lasting. Which Motion may be no less Everlasting to the Earth, than any other motion; yea, and more too, if we attend to the Nature of Strait motion. For it is certain; that the Earth cannot move for ever upwards or downwards: But what can hinder that a Body may move Round continually, suppo∣sing the same cause that produceth it at first, to persevere? Wherefore, according to our Principle we are to assert, that no force or violence is to be found in its Nature; and that it is no less natural for Bodies to move Round, than to move in a strait Line, upwards or downwards, or any other way whatsoever.

V. The second Objection, from the Heaviness of Bodies. The Heaviness of Bodies seems of all other things to be most contrary to the Circumvolution of the Earth. For Heavy Bodies do from on high, fall to the Earth by a strait Line: Now supposing this Circular motion of the Earth; how can it be, that a Stone let fall from the Top of a Tower, should fall down plumb to the Bottom of it, when in the mean time that the Stone is falling down, the Earth that bears the Tower moves many Cubits; and therefore the Stone, in case the Earth

were moved, would not light at the foot of the Tower, but a good distance from it, which is con∣trary to daily experience.

VI. A S••••ne ••all••ng down from the top of a Tower, is carried by a twofold motion. This Objection, tho' accounted of great weight by our Adversaries, is nevertheless easie enough to be answered, if we consider, that in every Heavy Body, besides its motion downwards, there is ano∣ther imprest upon it, from the Earth, whirling round about its own Axis, whereby not only it self, but the Bodies that are about it, are carried along. There is therefore a twofold motion in a a Stone that falls from a Tower, the one a straight motion, whereby it falls down to the Ground, the other a circular, whereby the Earth is carried a∣long with the Coelestial matter that surrounds it; and therefore it is not necessary that a Stone fallen down from a Tower, should fall at a distance from it, since both of them are carried about with the same swiftness, and the Stone cannot but fall plumb down at the foot of the Tower. For it is no contradiction in Philosophy for one mo∣tion to be compounded of a straight and circular. ARISTOTLE himself owns as much, when he attributes to the Fire a straight motion, by which it is carried upwards; and a circular, in which it is carried about the Earth by the supream Heaven. A Stone therefore falls plumb down to the Earth, because with respect to the Stone it is all one, as if it were not mov'd at all, seeing that the Air and all the Bodies contain'd in it, ••are prest down by the subtil matter, and are whirl'd about toge∣ther with the Terrestrial Globe. This is proved by a Stone falling from the Mast of a Ship, which whether it move, or stand still, the Stone ever falls down in the same place. The reason whereof is plainly this, because the Stones motion downwards, which it derives from the Coelestial matter, is ac∣companied with a Lateral motion, communicated to it by the Ship, which is swiftly driven along. And consequently it is not strange at all, that it falls down perpendicularly, because the Stone moves as much forwards as the Earth, and con∣sequently one and the same point of the Earth ever answers to the Stone, and therefore upon it the Stone must needs fall.

VII. The motion of a Stone falling down is not straight, but accord∣ing to a Paraboli∣cal ••ine. Tho' indeed to speak exactly concerning these things, we must own, that heavy Bodies do not fall downwards by a Right, or Perpendicular Line to the surface of the Earth, but by a kind of Trans∣verse or Crooked, called a Parabolical Line: and the Reason why the motion of a Stone appears to be Right and Perpendicular, is, because the Eye doth not perceive that motion whereby it self is moved, and which is common to it with the Stone, but on∣ly that motion which proceeds from the Action of Gravitation, or which is imprest upon the Stone, by him that casts it.

VIII. A Third Objection from the Shot of a Gun. Against this Solution it may be, will be urged an Argument taken from the Shot discharged out of Great Guns, viz. how it comes to pass, the Earth being moved about its own Center, that a Bullet discharged from the East, should not move more slowly than another that is discharged from a like Gun, and an equal quantity of Powder from the West? For if the Earth be carried from West to East, it must necessarily follow that the Bullet discharged from the West, must much exceed the swiftness of the other, as being assisted and promo∣ted by the Circumvolution of the Earth the same way; whereas the other is as much obstructed by the same, because it moves a quite contrary way.

IX. The An∣swer. I Answer in the First Place, that when a Bullet is discharged towards the West, as much as the Earth moves towards the East, so much is the Bullet also driven back that way, by the common motion of the Vortex: and on the contrary, when a Bullet is discharged towards the East, as much as the Earth hasts the same way, so much is the Bullet retarded by the Vortex of the Earth.

X. A common or general motion is no obstacle to particu∣lar motions. I Answer in the Second Place, that the motion of the Earth which is common to it with the Air, and other Bodies contained in it, doth neither hin∣der nor promote the motions of particular Bodies; and consequently, that all things happen in the same manner, as if the motion of the Earth were not determined to any certain part. As is mani∣fest from this Example. Suppose we, a Boat to be driven with great swiftness to some particular Region, and one part thereof to be full of Water, in which two Fishes are swiming, the one from the East to the West, and the other from West to East; no body will imagine, that that Fish whose motion conspires with that of the Boat, will therefore move faster than the other. For it is certain, that which way soever they move, it will be with equal swiftness, as if the Boat were not moved at all. Thus the motion of the Earth from West to East, is no hinderance at all to those Bodies that move the contrary way. Yea the motion being common, its the very same, as if there were none at all.

XI. The motion of a Bullet discharged from a Gun, compared with the motion of Fishes in a Boat. For as these Fishes, besides the motion they have from their Animal Spirits, whereby they are car∣ried which way they please, have also a motion imprest upon them from the Boat: In like manner a Bullet, besides that motion communicated to it by the Gunpowder, which carries it straight for∣ward, hath another motion imprest upon it by the Earth, whereby it is whirl'd about in the same swiftness with it from West to East, and therefore runs through the same spaces as if there were no motion at all in the Earth.

XII. A fourth Objection from the Nature of the Winds. Others again raise this Objection against the mo∣tion of the Earth: Supposing the circumvolution of the Earth, say they, there would always be a sensible Breez of Wind upon the Surface of it, as we perceive when we ride on Horseback, we are sensible of a kind of a Breez of Wind coming against our Faces, because the motion of the Horse exceeds the motion that is in the Air. According∣ly what a strong Breez of Wind ought we to feel, if with so swift a whirling about, as that of the Earth is supposed to be, we should run against the opposing Air? Wherefore seeing we find nothing of this, we have reason to conclude, that there is no such motion at all.

XIII. Forasmuch as all the Bodies up to the Moon are moved together with the Earth, it cannot seem strange that we feel no wind from the ••••••••on of the Earth. But this Objection is not so much the effect of Reason, as of an inverate Prejudice about the sta∣bility of the Earth, which makes it a difficult thing for some men to conceive, that the Air, with all other ambient Bodies to the Moon, are carried about together with the Earth. Whereas, to speak exactly, the Heavenly matter that carries the Earth along with it, is more swiftly moved about the Earth than the Earth it self is about its Axis. Wherefore, in this Case, no wonder if we feel no Wind at all, no more than it is strange that a man

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that pursues us with a Sword doth never reach us, in case we move faster than he.

XIV. A Fifth Objection from Holy Scripture. The Authorities taken from Scripture seem to be of more force against this Opinion: For the Scri∣pture in may places attributes stability to the Earth, and to the Sun a motion from East to West, as in the 1st Chapter of Ecclesiastes, where it is said, The Sun ariseth, and goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. And in the Book of Joshua it is reported for a Miracle, that the Sun stood still at the Prayer of Joshua, when he said, Chap. 10. 12. Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon. Now this would not have been a Prodigy, if the Sun had always stood still in the midst of the World, and the Earth had whirl'd about it; for if so, it had been more proper for Joshua to have said, Earth, be not thou moved.

XV. The Scri∣pture in may places accommo∣dates it self to our man∣ner of con∣ceiving of things. To which I Answer, That it is generally own∣ed, that the Scripture speaks of things according to the manner of men, that is, our way of con∣ceiving them. As when the Scripture speaks of the Ends and Foundations of the Earth, neither of which do properly belong to it. In like man∣ner, when it attributes to the Sea, an Abyss of an unmeasurable depth, with other various Affections and Motions, which it hath not. Thus likewise it is said in the 1st. Chapter of Genesis, that God made two Great Lights, the Greater to rule the Day, and the Lesser to rule the Night. Which can only be understood as to outward appearance, and not according to exact Truth. Because the Sun and Moon are not the greatest Lights, espe∣ally not the Moon, for Saturn and any of the Fixt Stars are greater than it. Neither can the Moon be called absolutely the least Light, seeing that Mercury is much less. And therefore we must conclude, that the Scripture calls them so, only be∣cause they appear so to us, and are accounted so according to vulgar opinion. And upon the same account it is, that the Earth in Scripture is said to stand still, and the Heaven to move about it; because, as to our sight, the Earth seems ra∣ther to stand still, and the Sun to be whirl'd about it, than the contrary. The same thing happening to us in this case, as to those that Sail, to whom the Shoars seem to withdraw, tho' indeed they withdraw or depart from the Shoar. When there∣fore Joshua said, Sun, stand thou still, this is not to be understood, as if the Sun then had been stopt in his motion, and made to stand still; but only that the Light of the Sun, at Joshua's Prayer, continued without change, by which means the Body of the Sun seem'd to stand.

XVI. The Obje∣ction far∣ther urged from Scri∣pture. If it be urged, that this Explication cannot be admitted, forasmuch as in many other places of Ho∣ly Scripture the stability of the Earth is plainly asserted: As in the 92 d. Psalm, The Earth is esta∣blished, that it cannot be moved, and the 1 st. of Ecclesiastes, One Generation passeth away, and another cometh, but the Earth standeth for ever. For how can the Earth be said to stand fast for ever, when indeed it is continually in motion?

XVII. The Obje∣ction an∣swered. I Answer, that these places are not so to be understood, as if the Earth were immoveable, and did not turn about its own Axis, but only that there is such a firm and indissoluble union of its parts, that it continues the same, notwithstanding the perpetual generation and corruption of Ani∣mals, Plants, and other things that are upon it. So as that passage of the Poet may be attri∣buted to the Earth.

The same that our Progenitors did see, The same is now, and still shall be.

And that this is the genuine sense of this place, plain∣ly appears from the foregoing words, one Gene∣ration passeth away, and another cometh. As if it had been said; tho' the Earth, according to some of his parts, be changed by means of Generation and Corruption, yet it standeth for ever, that is, it always continues in the same state: Much af∣ter the same manner as a Ship is said to continue the same, though it hath been often repaired, and several new Parts put instead of the old and de∣cayed.