Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A49295
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A summary of material heads which may be enlarged and improved into a compleat answer to Dr. Burnet's Theory of the earth digested into an essay by a pensioner of the Charter-House.
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Lovell, Archibald.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing L3242; ESTC R2876
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19,436
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30
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lay down as a Principle sufficient to overthrow all the Author's Hypothesis this plain Proposition which being in it self so evident as not to need demonstration might be demanded as a Postulate and will be readily granted by all knowing Men viz. That all Bodies which tend to a Central Point as their place of rest must needs cast themselves into a Circular or Orbicular Figure And the Reason is plain and obvious because no natural Body in motion can stop till it comes at the place of Rest or as near it as possibly it can for the interposition of other Bodies that have their right to be before it Now since in a Circle or Orb all the points of the Circumference are equally distant from the Center Bodies which rest upon and are gathered about the Center must needs cast themselves into a round to be as near the place of rest as possibly they can From this true Position two undeniable Corollaries do result First That there can be no Vacuum or Place in the World altogether empty of some Body for Bodies tending towards a place of Rest must croud and touch one another contiguously for if any void Space should be betwixt them the succeeding Body would not be so near his Place as otherwise it might which is contrary to the Position laid down And then next that no Natural Body can shift or remove its place but that in exchange another must immediately possess it else there must needs be a Void in the Universe contrary to the Principle of Nature Not but that there are small and imperceptible Interstices more or less in all Bodies occasioned by the sight and position of the variously figured Particles of which they are constituted these being absolutely necessary for the motions changes and alterations of Nature as Generation and Corruption Growth Vegetation Rarefaction and Condensation Compression Expansion and the like which cannot be performed without them but that there should be any considerable Space wholly void and destitute of some body is inconsistent with the order and oeconomy of the World the being of Matter and the Idea of its Creator And thus the debate of Philosophers about the being or not being of a Vacuum may be easily reconciled and both may be in the right and both may be in the wrong according to the different Sense they spake in Now since Gravity is that Principle which gives natural Bodies their tendency towards the Center and yet seems not essential to the pure and abstract notion of matter of which they consist it would be worth the while to find out what Gravity truly is To guide us therefore into this Enquiry we are to conceive that the great Abyss of Matter which made the Chaos was no more but a Mass and Croud or aggregate of infinite Numbers of Atoms jumbled together in that vast Expanse without any property or quality but that of shape and figure according to the Opinion of the Ancient and Modern Corpuscularian Philosophers And that there being great variety amongst those indivisible Atoms as to their shape and figure some Globular some Angular and those of many different kinds whilst reeling in the dark and encountering one another fortuitously too if Naturalists be in the right according as the several Figures were fitted for union and coalition they combined and incorporated one with another some into a more close and compact some into a more lax and fluid concretion and divided themselves into several distinct and homogeneous Bodies Some of these Bodies then that consisted of more Atoms and parts of Matter closely compacted together and therefore taking up a less space since the bounds of the Expanse were not to be enlarged nor contracted but all filled did as they must needs do possess the middle part or center leaving the rest of the Expanse to be filled with the other Homogeneous Bodies according to the texture of the several constituent Particles which was either more close or loose as their Figures did suffer them to unite so that the Bodies that were of the most lax and open Concretion possest themselves of the Place most remote from the middle which is the circumference and the utmost limit of the Sphere or Vortex and the others in order filled up the intermedial Spaces betwixt the Center and that These distinct and homogeneous Bodies are those which are called the first perceptible Elements of Nature and by reason of the quantity of Matter they contain their solidity or fluidity challenging the Places that they possess in the Universe by what cause soever they are removed or displaced they naturally tend to the same again because there is no other Place for them all being full of the other Bodies which will not make room for them nor incorporate with them And this is that which is called Gravity and Levity according to which the Elementary Bodies possest themselves of their several Places in the Universe though indeed all affect to be as near the Center or Point of rest as they can from which they stir not unless the danger of a Vacuum or some other external Force or Violence compel them so to do According to this Philosophy if no other Power but that of Nature were concerned in framing of the Universe those great Bodies which we call the Elements though indeed they be not purely so must needs have subsisted in this Order First The Earth being the most weighty as consisting of most solid and compact Matter must have been as now it is the Basis and Foundation of all then the Water as coming nearest to it in consistence must have succeeded in place after it the Air then the Ether and last of all the Fire if any such Element exist separate from the rest to limit and circumscribe this World And since all these being in their proper Places according to the Laws of Nature and Gravity they must have rested and continued in that posture no Earth then could have been seen being covered and surrounded by the Orb of Water and the Superior Orbs being invisible to the Eye nothing must have appeared to the sight but a vast and spacious Globe of Water Now since we find it is otherwise and that the Earth is to be seen as well as the Water distinct and separate from it and both replenished with vast numbers of Beings animate and inanimate all harmoniously conspiring to the order and beauty of the whole Universe and to the mutual uses and advantages of each other which is far above the power of meer Matter to effect it must needs convince the most obstinate and prejudiced Materialist or Atheist that matter and nature are not eternal all-sufficient and independent but that they must derive their being and vertue from a Supream and Omnipotent Cause which hath brought Nature out of the Chaos of Matter and put all things into the decent state and order that we see them in and that this was so done in the beginning of Time when
A SUMMARY OF MATERIAL HEADS Which may be Enlarged and Improved into a Compleat ANSWER TO Dr. Burnet's Theory of the EARTH Digested into an ESSAY by a PENSIONER of the CHARTER-HOUSE Semper ego auditor tantum nunquamne reponam Juv. Cumâ—â—â—n Nullius 〈◊〉 jurare in verba Magistri Hor. LONDON Printed by T. B. and are to be Sold by the Book-sellers of London and Westminster 1696. To the RIGHT HONOURABLE The Governours of the Charter-House My Lords IT may seem Inconsistent with a Character Your Honours vouchsafe to bear That any who live under the Influence of Your Lordships special Care should be apprehensive of the Want of Protection And it would be so indeed My Lords did all keep within the Bounds and Precincts of the Liberties allotted them But since I have been so rash as to venture Abroad into the World it is from that Transcendent and more Extensive Character of Honour the Signature of Noble and Exalted Minds that displays it self in supporting the Weak and Defenceless and not from any Claim of Right arising from Promise or Stipulation That I can expect and do most humbly crave Your Lordships favourable Protection in a little Ramble that now I have made to the Press Had the Excursion been greater My Lords it is probable my Confidence would have been more Excusable and a fuller grown and more bulky Book would have born a truer Proportion to the Ambition I had of having brought a more Earlier Offering of Duty and Gratitude to Your Honours It was what I intended My Lords and should have performed had not my Design for want of kinder Nursing Fathers bin starv'd into this scanty and lank Essay Nevertheless I am inclin'd to think My Lords That the Bulk alone will be no Hinderance to its Acceptance nor to the Grant of that Favour which is humbly su'd for at Your Lordships Hands since if I be not very much impos'd upon little as it is it may do some Good in the World It is therefore in hopes of Your Honours Countenance and Approbation That with so short a Weapon I have engaged a Mighty and well Appointed Adversary The Attempt I confess seems rash My Lords but cannot think it will be look'd upon as Dishonourable since my Dagger is no Stiletto is neither poison'd nor rusty nor is it wrap'd up and hid within a treacherous Sleeve To such as may think it a little too sharp and keen I have this to say My Lords That it is the more like for that to do Execution and to prevent more trifling and fooling of Sophisters and Theorists with a Matter that is too serious to allow it or to admit of a dallying and perfunctory Dispatch And that it was an honest Concern for so good a Cause as that of Truth and Religion with a zealous Endeavour to undeceive if possible a licentious and prophane Age of a most dangerous Error into which many for no other Reason but that it is A la Mode are capriciously fond of being deluded that hath in a great Measure given it the Edge Were I to alledge other Personal and more particular Reasons for the Thing My Lords I should be blinder than indeed I am and that 's what no Man living can be if I mistook the proper Judges to whom I ought to Appeal But then again I should be rasher too My Lords than is fit for a Man in better Circumstances than I am in to be if by a Message from the Press I summon'd in Witnesses and an Audience to the Tryal It is too great a Trouble for Your Lordships at present That the Author with his little Naked Book is laid at Your Honours Feet humbly begging from your Acceptance and Protection a Covering for both against the foul Weather of Censure and Malice If this great Honour be to be obtain'd My Lords I shall then rest secure in the Confidence of being reputed to be what really and with all Submission I am My Lords Your Lorships most Dutiful And Obliged Servant and Votary ARCHIBALD LOVELL Brother and Pensioner of the Charter-House Charter-House June 16th 1696. A SUMMARY OF MATERIAL HEADS Which may be Enlarged and Improved into a Compleat ANSWER TO Dr. Burnet's Theory of the EARTH THE Learned Author of this Sacred Theory of the Earth Dr. Thomas Burnet Master of the Charter-House who allows the World to have been drowned by Water is pleased to object against the manner of the Deluge as it is related by Moses and his Reason for so doing in short is the difficulty of finding so much Water in the Universe as might effect so great and stupendious a Work for having by the help of Messenius calculated the proportion of the Water necessary to drown the Earth and rais'd the Flood to that pitch which Moses says the Waters did arise to above the Tops of the highest Mountains Though he doth acknowledge that there is as much Water at least to be seen on the surface of this our Globe as there is dry Land yet he concludes that it would require Eight Oceans as big as the present to perform the Work in the manner Moses says it was done And since so great a quantity of Water cannot be found in this World nor in probability borrowed from any where else it could not be had without the expence of Two great Miracles the one in creating so much Water as would be fit to do the business the other in annihilating the same after the Work was over so that since Deus natura nihil frustra faciunt if any other way or expedient can be found it is vain and unreasonable to have recourse to Miracles and this I take to be the strength of all the Reason and Argument that he has to object against the truth of Moses's Relation Now since the Author confesseth that there is as much Water as dry Land in the World I think one may venture to say that Intelligendo facit ut nihil intelligat he cannot see the Wood for Trees and that as much more would make it all Water for Two halves makes a whole So that were I not confined to the brevity of an Essay I should spend a little time to make it plainly appear that the Author has made an inauspicious Blunder in the beginning of his Work and indeed a greater Bull than the honest Irish-Man was laugh'd at for when he said They had broken his Stick into Three Halves for here the Author has broken a Whole into Ten Halves the Earth and the Ocean being already Two Halves he adds Eight Oceans more to make the Ocean half as big as the dry Land half which in all makes Ten Halves and all this performed by meer natural Philosophy without the help of Magick or Mathematicks But at present I shall proceed to shew how without a Miracle Water enough may be had in the World to bring a Flood upon the Earth and drown it in the manner Moses has related it To this purpose I shall