Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A39865
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A discovery of new worlds from the French, made English by A. Behn.
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Fontenelle, M. de (Bernard Le Bovier), 1657-1757.; Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing F1412; ESTC R27986
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79,769
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206
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an Instant stop the Course of Nature and the whole Frame of the Vniverse was at a stand though the Sun and Moon be only named being to vulgar Appearance the two great Luminaries that govern the Vniverse This was the space of a Day in Time yet can be called no part of Time since Time and Nature are always in motion and this Day was a stop of that Course What is there in all this wonderful stop of Time that is not as strong for the System of Copernicus as for that of Ptolemy And why does my Belief of the Motion of the Earth and the Rest of the Sun contradict the holy Scriptures Am not I as much obliged to believe that the Sun lodges in a Tabernacle as in Psal. 19. Are not all these Allegorical Sayings In the above-named Edition of the English Bible of Buck's at Cambridge see Isa. 8.38 where the Shadow returned ten Degrees backwards as a Sign of King Hezekiah's Recovery and there follow these Words And the Sun returned ten Degrees but on the Margin you will find it from the Hebrew The Shadow returned ten Degrees by the Sun and this is yet as much for Copernicus as Ptolemy Whether God Almighty added ten Degrees or Hours to that Day or by another kind of Miracle made the Shadow to return upon the Dial of Ahaz I will not presume to determine but still you see the Hebrew is most agreeable to the new System of Copernicus Thus I hope I have performed my Vndertaking in making it appear that the holy Scriptures in things that are not material to the Salvation of Mankind do altogether condescend to the vulgar Capacity and that these two Texts of Psal. 19. and Josh. 10. are as much for Copernicus as against him I hope none will think my Vndertaking too bold in making so much use of the Scripture on such an Occasion I have a Precedent much esteemed by all ingenious Men that is Mr. Burnet's Book of Paradise and Antedeluvian World which incroaches as much if not more on the holy Scriptures But I have another Reason for saying so much of the Scriptures at this time We live in an Age wherein many believe nothing contained in that holy Book others turn it into Ridicule Some use it only for Mischief and as a Foundation and Ground for Rebellion Some keep close to the Literal Sense and others give the Word of God only that Meaning and Sense that pleases their own Humours or suits best their present Purpose and Interest As I quoted an Epistle of St. Jerome to Vitalis before where that great Father says that the Letter kills but the Spirit enlivens I think it is the Duty of all good Christians to acquiesce in the Opinion and Decrees of the Church of Christ in whom dwells the Spirit of God which enlightens us to Matters of Religion and Faith and as to other things contained in the Holy Scriptures relating to Astronomy Geometry Chronology or other liberal Sciences we leave those Points to the Opinion of the Learned who by comparing the several Copies Translations Versions and Editions of the Bible are best able to reconcile any apparent Differences and this with all Submission to the Canons of General Councils and Decrees of the Church For the School-men agitate and delate many things of a higher Nature than the standing still or the Motion of the Sun or the Earth And therefore I hope my Readers will be so just as to think I intend no Reflection on Religion by this Essay which being no Matter of Faith is free for every one to believe or not believe as they please I have adventur'd to say nothing but from good Authority And as this is approved of by the World I may hereafter venture to publish somewhat may be more useful to the Publick I shall conclude therefore with some few Lines as to my present Translation I have laid the Scene at Paris where the Original was writ and have translated the Book near the Words of the Author I have made bold to correct a Fault of the French Copy as to the heighth of our Air or Sphere of Activity of the Earth which the French Copy makes twenty or thirty Leagues I call it two or three because sure this was a Fault of the Printer and not a mistake of the Author For Monsieur Des Cartes and Monsieur Rohalt both assert it to be but two or three Leagues I thought Paris and St. Denis fitter to be made use of as Examples to compare the Earth and the Moon to than London and Greenwich because St. Denis having several Steeples and Walls is more like Paris than Greenwich is to London Greenwich has no Walls and but one very low Steeple not to be seen from the Monument without a Prospective Glass And I resolv'd either to give you the French Book into English or to give you the subject quite changed and made my own but having neither health nor leisure for the last I offer you the first such as it is The Author's PREFACE I Find my self reduced almost to the same Condition in which Cicero was when he undertook to put Matters of Philosophy into Latin which till that time had never been treated of but in Greek He tells us it would be said his Works would be unprofitable since those who loved Philosophy having already taken the pains to find it in the Greek would neglect after that to read it again in Latin that not being the Original and that those who did not care for Philosophy would not seek it either in the Latin or the Greek But to this Cicero himself answers and says That those who were not Philosophers would be tempted to the Reading of it by the Facility they Would find in its being in the Latin Tongue and that those who were Philosophers would be curious enough to see how well it had been turned from the Greek to the Latin. Cicero had reason to answer in this manner the Excellency of his Genius and the great Reputation he had already acquired sufficiently defend this new Undertaking of his which he had dedicated to the benefit of the Publick For my part I am far from offering at any Defence for this of mine though the Enterprize be the same for I would treat of Philosophy in a manner altogether unphilosophical and have endeavoured to bring it to a Point not too rough and harsh for the Capacity of the Numbers nor too light and trivial for the Learned But if they should say to me as they did to Cicero that this Work is not at all proper for the Learned nor would it instruct the rest of the World who are careless of Knowledge far be it from me to answer as Cicero did who perhaps in searching for a middle way to Philosophy such as would improve every Understanding I have taken that which possibly will be advantageous to none It is very hard to keep to a Medium and I believe I shall