Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	light_n	sun_n	6,837	5	6.9883	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44315	An attempt to prove the motion of the earth from observations made by Robert Hooke ...	Hooke, Robert, 1635-1703.	1674 (1674)	Wing H2613; ESTC R11231	26,098	47

were to interweave them being apart but like the Warp or Woof before contexture unfit either to Cloth or adorn the Body of Philosophy AN ATTEMPT To prove the Motion of the EARTH BY OBSERVATIONS WHether the Earth move or stand still hath been a Problem that since Copernicus revived it hath much exercised the Wits of our best modern Astronomers and Philosophers amongst which notwithstanding there hath not been any one who hath found out a certain manifestation either of the one or the other Doctrine The more knowing and judicious have for many plausible reasons adhered to the Copernican Hypothesis But the generality of others either out of ignorance or prejudice have rejected it as a most extravagant opinion To those indeed who understand not the grounds and principles of Astronomy the prejudice of common converse doth make it seem so absurd that a man shall as soon perswade them that the Sun doth not shine as that it doth not move and as easily move the Earth as make them believe that it do's so already For such Persons I cannot suppose that they should understand the cogency of the Reasons here presented drawn from the following observations of Parallax much less therefore can I expect their belief and assent thereunto to them I have only this to say 'T is not here my business to instruct them in the first principles of Astronomy there being already Introductions enough for that purpose But rather to furnish the Learned with an experimentum crucis to determine between the Tychonick and Copernican Hypotheses That which hath hitherto continued the dispute hath been the plausibleness of some Arguments alledged by the one and the other party with such who have been by nature or education prejudiced to this or that way For to one that hath been conversant only with illiterate persons or such as understand not the principles of Astronomy and Geometry and have had no true notion of the vastness of the Universe and the exceeding minuteness of the Globe of the Earth in comparison therewith who have confined their imaginations fancies only within the compass and pale of their own walk and prospect who can scarce imagine that the Earth is globous but rather like some of old imagine it to be a round plain covered with the Sky as with a Hemisphere and the Sun Moon and Stars to be holes through it by which the Light of Heaven comes down that suppose themselves in the center of this plain and that the Sky doth touch that plain round the edges supported in part by the Mountains that suppose the Sun as big as a Sieve and the Moon as a Chedder Cheese and hardly a mile off That wonder why the Sun Moon and Stars do not fall down like Hail-stones and that will be martyr'd rather then grant that there may be Antipodes believing it absolutely impossible since they must necessarily fall down into the Abyss below them For how can they go with their feet towards ours and their heads downwards without making their brains addle To one I say thus prejudiced with these and a thousand other fancies and opinions more ridiculous and absurd to knowing men who can ever imagine that the uniformity and harmony of the Celestial bodies and motions should be an Argument prevalent to perswade that the Earth moves about the Sun Whereas that Hypothesis which shews how to salve the appearances by the rest of the Earth and the motion of the Heavens seems generally so plausible that none of these can resist it Now though it may be said 'T is not only those but great Geometricians Astronomers and Philosophers have also adhered to that side yet generally the reason is the very same For most of those when young have been imbued with principles as gross and rude as those of the Vulgar especially as to the frame and fabrick of the World which leave so deep an impression upon the fancy that they are not without great pain and trouble obliterated Others as a further confirmation in their childish opinion have been instructed in the Ptolomaick or Tichonick System and by the Authority of their Tutors over-awed into a belief if not a veneration thereof Whence for the most part such persons will not indure to hear Arguments against it and if they do 't is only to find Answers to confute them On the other side some out of a contradicting nature to their Tutors others by as great a prejudice of institution and some few others upon better reasoned grounds from the proportion and harmony of the World cannot but imbrace the Copernican Arguments as demonstrations that the Earth moves and that the Sun and Stars stand still I confess there is somewhat of reason on both sides but there is also something of prejudice even on that side that seems the most rational For by way of objection what way of demonstration have we that the frame and constitution of the World is so harmonious according to our notion of its harmony as we suppose Is there not a possibility that the things may be otherwise nay is there not something of probability may not the Sun move as Ticho supposes and the Planets make their Revolutions about it whilst the Earth stands still and by its magnetism attracts the Sun and so keeps him moving about it whilst at the same time ☿ and ♀ move about the Sun after the same manner as ♄ and ♃ move about the Sun whilst the Satellites move about them especially since it is not demonstrated without much art and difficulty and taking many things for granted which are hard to be proved that there is any body in the Universe more considerable then the Earth we tread on Is there not much reason for the Hypothesis of Ticho at least when he with all the accurateness that he arrived to with his vast Instruments or Riccioli who pretends much to out-strip him were not able to find any sensible Parallax of the Earths Orb among the fixt Stars especially if the observations upon which they ground their assertions were made to the accurateness of some few Seconds What then though we have a Chimera or Idea of perfection and harmony in that Hypothesis we pitch upon may there not be a much greater harmony and proportion in the constitution it self which we know not though it be quite differing from what we fancy Probable Arguments might thus have been urged both on the one and the other side to the Worlds end but there never was nor could have been any determination of the Controversie without some positive observation for determining whether there were a Parallax or no of the Orb of the Earth This Ticho and Riccioli affirm in the Negative that there is none at all But I do affirm there is no one that can either prove that there is or that there is not any Parallax of that Orb amongst the fixt Stars from the Suppellex of observations yet made either by Ticho Riccioli or any other Writer

the same magnitude with the Sun This Discovery of the possibility and facility of seeing the fixt Stars in the day time when the Sun shines as I think it is the first instance that hath been given of this kind so I judge it will be a discovery of great use for the perfecting Astronomy as first for the rectifying the true place of the Sun in the Ecliptick at any time of the year for since by this means 't is easie to find any Star of the first second or third magnitude at any time of the day if it be above the Horizon and not too near the body of the Sun And since by a way I shall shortly publish any Angle to a Semicircle in the Heavens may be taken to the exactness of a Second by one single observator It will not be difficult for future Observators to rectifie the apparent place of the Sun amongst the fixt Stars to a Second or very near which is one hundred times greater accurateness then has hitherto been attained by the best Astronomers The like use there may be made of it for observing any notable appulse of the ☽ ♃ ♄ ♂ and ♀ to any notable fixt Star that shall happen in the day time which may serve for discovering their true places and parallaxes The Refractions also of the Air in the day time may by this means be experimentally detected I should have here described some Clocks and Time-keepers of great use nay absolute necessity in these and many other Astronomical observations but that I reserve them for some attempts that are hereafter to follow about the various wayes I have tryed not without good success of improving Clocks and Watches and adapting them for various uses as for accurating Astronomy compleating the Tables of the fixt Stars to Seconds discovery of Longitude regulating Navigation and Geography detecting the proprieties and effects of motions for promoting secret and swift conveyance and correspondence and many other considerable scrutinies of nature And shall only for the present hint that I have in some of my foregoing observations discovered some new Motions even in the Earth it self which perhaps were not dreamt of before which I shall hereafter more at large describe when further tryals have more fully confirmed and compleated these beginings At which time also I shall explain a System of the World differing in many particulars from any yet known answering in all things to the common Rules of Mechanical Motions This depends upon three Suppositions First That all Coelestial Bodies whatsoever have an attraction or gravitating power towards their own Centers whereby they attract not only their own parts and keep them from flying from them as we may observe the Earth to do but that they do also attract all the other Coelestial Bodies that are within the sphere of their activity and consequently that not only the Sun and Moon have an influence upon the body and motion of the Earth and the Earth upon them but that ☿ also ♀ ♂ ♄ and ♃ by their attractive powers have a considerable influence upon its motion as in the same manner the corresponding attractive power of the Earth hath a considerable influence upon every one of their motions also The second supposition is this That all bodies whatsoever that are put into a direct and simple motion will so continue to move forward in a streight line till they are by some other effectual powers deflected and bent into a Motion describing a Circle Ellipsis or some other more compounded Curve Line The third supposition is That these attractive powers are so much the more powerful in operating by how much the nearer the body wrought upon is to their own Centers Now what these several degrees are I have not yet experimentally verified but it is a notion which if fully prosecuted as it ought to be will mightily assist the Astronomer to reduce all the Coelestial Motions to a certain rule which I doubt will never be done true without it He that understands the nature of the Circular Pendulum and Circular Motion will easily understand the whole ground of this Principle and will know where to find direction in Nature for the true stating thereof This I only hint at present to such as have ability and opportunity of prosecuting this Inquiry and are not wanting of Industry for observing and calculating wishing heartily such may be found having my self many other things in hand which I would first compleat and therefore cannot so well attend it But this I durst promise the Undertaker that he will find all the great Motions of the World to be influenced by this Principle and that the true understanding thereof will be the true perfection of Astronomy LONDON Printed for John Martyn Printer to the Royal Society 1674.