he Mind of Man being ever thirsty after Knowledge, restless in its Pursuits, and fond of Discoveries, easily catches at every object that presents itself to View; but holds to that along, which, being well weigh’d and examined, seems to have gain’d the Advantage of Truth; from whence, like a fair City on a high Hill, it commands Attention and Respect, from the present and succeeding Ages.
This every System may be properly said to have done, when either thro’ its own Reasonableness, it has been universally (at least by those who are competent Judges) assented to without any Contradiction; or when, thro’ the Fame of the Author, the Usefulness or Entertainment of the Theory, it has withstood the Attacks of Envy, and insinuated itself into the good Esteem of the World.
The first is the best Testimony; for by the latter we may be led thro’ Prevalency, to give our Assent to known Falsehoods, or at best, gross Absurdities; Fiction not being without its Partizans, and but too often triumphs over Truth itself, especially if dress’d in the pleasing Garb of Wit; and ’tis equal to us, whether thro’ Design of the Relater, to impose upon, or Heedlessness, in suffering himself to be deceived by the World, we are led into Error; the Consequences being alike fatal, and the Mischief, when once taken Root, hard, if ever, to be weeded out.
The Author of the following Sheets, hops he shall avoid both these Imputations, having us’d his utmost Diligence to become a Master of the Subject whereon he treats, and taken that for his Foundation, which has now, for a long Period of Time, been almost without Exception agreed to.
As to the Usefulness of the Subject, he hopes the Authority of those many great and learned Men, who, in all ages, have though it well worth their while to bestow their Time and Pains therein, will be a sufficient Excuse: Whether he has been happy enough to succeed in his Design of putting that, which has been already treated of by others, in a clearer and plainer Light, and opening a wider Gate to this fair Field of Knowledge, by adding some few Positions of his won, must be left to the Decision of the Publick: However, this he takes for granted, the Path, he has here chalk’d out, is at least new, and if any greater Genius may be incited by this, go to a further Progress in this Science, he will not think his Labour lost.
And certainly, if History is reckoned one of the most advantageous Studies, for that it leads the Mind forth, as it were among the busy Sons of Men without Fatigue, calls back past Ages, and makes it acquainted with different Nations, without the Expense or Hazard of Travelling, well may this Treatise claim some Respect: It disclosing, not the Laws of particular Parts of this World only, but making an Excursion even into Infinity, (if the Expression may be allow’d) discovering the Principles of Nature, and shewing the Certainty of her Ways, under the Government of an All-wise, Eternal, and Omnipotent Being.
Some well-meaning Persons may imagine, this is taking a Step too far, and laying Claim to what we can have no Right; but surely if we may have Leave to suppose, the Intent and Design of the great Creator, in these stupendous Works, was to receive Praise and Honour, as far as we poor Mortals are capable of understanding them, (which God knows is in a very small Degree) then nothing done with that View can be too much.
’Tis possible at first View, a Treatise on the System of the Planets alone, may not seem, in any great Degree, to assert or vindicate the Idea of Omnipotence; but ’tis as possible, on a nearer Consideration, that by most of our Readers it will be readily granted, that nothing under infinite Power and infinite Wisdom could first make, and afterwards sustain the prodigious Fabrick of the World and the Visible Creation, taking no more of it into Consideration, than what is obvious to our Senses: But if we suffer our Minds to range in the vast Expanse, as far as Contemplation (and that on a bare Parity of reasoning) will carry us, we must be lost in Amazement, and can have no room to doubt, either the Wisdom or Power of that Being, who created and governs it.
And what Study, more peculiarly adapted to raise Contemplations of that Kind in the Mind, than considering the Earth on which we live, and the Heavens with which we are surrounded? And if (as we ought) we regard ourselves as nothing, when we look at the immense Distance between us and Perfection; yet, how high above that Idea may we not justly raise ourselves, if we reflect on the Myriads of minute Beings animate and inanimate below us? ’Tis our peculiar Privilege to be plac’d (as it were) in the Center of Life; the conjoining Mean of the two greatest Extreams, a Deity and Dust; and by the Mixture of both Natures, enabled to partake of every Good, produced by either, from the lowest Pleasure of Sense, up to the highest Raptures of Immortality.
The Work itself has several Things to recommend it besides Usefulness; in particular, the seldom failing Plea of Novelty, and that both as to Matter and Manner; not only great Part of the Subject, being quite new (in a Tract of this Kind) but also the Method of treating it, viz. clearly and plainly. Here are no dry and tedious Descriptions of Things, quite foreign to the Purpose; nor any far-fetch’d useless Definitions to affright or puzzle the ignorant, or affront the learned Reader: And where it would allow of it, Schemes are reduced, not only to occular but mathematical Demonstration. The author therefore hopes he hath attain’d the Points he aim’d at in this Publication, which were on one Hand, to instruct those who know nothing of this delightful Science; and on the other, not to be quite useless to those who may have spent some Time and Pains in this Branch of Knowledge, by offering something to their Consideration, which has not been taken Notice of by any of the Authors who have already wrote on this Subject; if he should be mistaken in his Conjectures (as who alive is free from Error?) he hopes the Goodness of his Design, will in some Measure plead his Excuse, if not wholly obtain his Pardon.
