the mountains And said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 4.1 2 3. chap. 5.1 6 8. chap. 6.12 17. which Scriptures in the plain literal sence plainly confute that opinion And here I challenge any Astronomer whatsoever to render any other meaning hereof if he can than the plain literal meaning But if he be not able then let him believe what is therein written in the book that God gave to the Lamb chap. 5.1 7. chap. 6.12 17. which agrees with Christ's words Matth. 24.29 30. Luke 21.25 27. and with Isai 13.10 11. and Joel 2.31 And if so many Stars fall to the earth as there fall green figs to the earth from a fig tree when she is shaken with a mighty wind then multitudes of Stars will fall to the earth and probably some of them which are of the first magnitude For according to Bagwell in his Mystery of Astronomy which is highly praised by John Booker and five others he tells us that a Star of the first or greatest magnitude of which there are 15 that every one of them is 107 times bigger than all the Earth Of the next degree 46 each of them 87 times bigger than all the Earth Of the third sort 208 every one of them 22 times bigger c. Of the fourth sort 280 54 times bigger c. Of the next degree 221 36 times bigger c. And of the least sort 55 which are set down to be every one of them 88 I suppose he meant 8 times bigger than all the Earth John Seller in his Atlas Coelestis of the 6 degrees aforesaid saith thus of them According to Ptolomy's computation they amount to 1022. Pliny he saith reckons them 1600 and the absolute number of all the Stars to be innumerable at least by humane calculation And according to Tycho and Boyer a Star of the first magnitude is compared to the Earth as 68 to 1. That is 68 times bigger than the Earth A Star of the second magnitude is as 28½ to 1. The third sort for greatness as 11 to 1. The fourth as 41 to 1. I suppose he meant as 4 to 1. The fifth as 1 / 18 to 1. And the sixth as â…“ to 1. That is three times bigger than the Earth See I pray how they differ Bagwell aforesaid saith thus also that some other of the ordinary Stars are much bigger than the whole compass of the Earth and that the least of all the Stars in that heaven are bigger than the Moon Believe him who will but I will not For I read in the Scripture of Truth that God said let there be Lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth and it was so God then made two great Lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night he made also the stars and set them in the firmament of heaven Gen. 1.14 15 16 17. Which foresaid Scripture enlightneth my understanding to believe that the Sun or Moon are bigger than any of the Stars And if there be such a number of Stars and that they be so many Worlds as Cardinal Cusanus and Jornandus Brunus affirm This is set down in the Book said to be made by Bishop Wilkins to prove that 't is probable there may be another habitable World in the Moon they will so cover the Earth that the Kings of the Earth c. sha'l not need to say to the Rocks and Mountains Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne When they are then hidden with so many Worlds probably some of them 107 times bigger than all the Earth And if their sayings be true it will be impossible for the Kings of the Earth and their Armies to make war against Christ and his Armies which they will doe as God's word declares Rev. 19.9 11 19. And concerning the Sun's bigness it is so great as a great Astronomer told me at Greenwich that it is impossible if his words be true that the Moon should shadow all the Sun from all the Earth at one time as Tycho affirms it cannot doe but he is therein contradicted by the supposed Bishop aforesaid who saith That the Diameter of the Moon for the most part appears to be bigger than the Sun 's and also saith That Tycho is therein singular being opposed by Keplar and all other Astronomers I say it is impossible that she should totally eclipse the Sun if she be less than the Earth 45 times as Atlas Coelestis saith she is and that the Sun is many Millions bigger than the Earth as the Astronomer aforesaid saith he is And now Countryman what doest thou think of this bigness The Astronomers laugh at thee for thinking that the Sun is no bigger about than thy Cart-wheel I will tell thee what I think and that is That it is not so much about as the Nave of the Wheel But they tell us that his distance proves him to be vastly bigger than the Earth Why so Countreyman there 's no reason for them to say so for Lights appear biggest when they are farthest off I remember that the Fields men in Dullingham Field thought that they had seen a Scare-fire that is an House in flames of fire when it was nothing else but a Candle shone through the glass upon the top of the Lord Gorâ—e's Chamber in Stechworth a mile or two off And thou mayest take notice that the Sun shows bigger when he rises and sets than at noon time of the day when he is at the highest and nighest to us And thou mayest take 〈◊〉 Hat and prove this plainly Suppose the hole of thy Hat wherein thou puttest thy head doth signifie the round Earth If thou measurest from the place right against the knot of thy Hatband to that part of the verge of the Hat that is nighest the knot that part of verge is nearer the knot than the other part of the verge is that is farthest of from the knot As for example Suppose the hole in thy Hat be 8 Inches over and the verge of thy Hat be 4. If thou measurest from the knot aforesaid to that part of the brim that is nighest to it it is but 4 Inches but if thou measurest to the farthest part of the brim it is 12. Now suppose the Earth to be round like a ball as it is if the Waters be measured with it and that it is about 8 thousand English miles thick as I shall afterwards demonstrate it is if I have occasion to write again of this subject The Sun must needs be 8 thousand miles farther off from thee when he is right under thy feet than when he is right over thy head as he doth so move in 12 hours time to those that live under the
Kings from the Earth shall speak this Speech to thee in scorn How art thou fall'n O Lucifer from Heav'n thou Son of Morn Lo thus the fierce-look'd Man that was so prudent mighty and Would fight against the King of Kings is broken without hand After that he was grown great in twenty three hundred days Was beaten by the Cedar-branch and so has lost the Bays For he an Army hath that throw stones with a Sling full well The Sword can't hurt them and they are called chosen faithfull And then the Lord an Egypt-flood doth make there with broad streams Wherein no Galley goes with Oars nor Ship sails in those Leams And then a whirlwind with great rain and hailstones fly so faâ—â— The tacklings are loosed that they cannot strengthen the Mast There 's an end of the Ships of Chetham that afflict Ashur and that afflict Eber c. Two Prophets two and forty months oppose the Man of sin Who is the eighth and of the seventh sort chiefest ruler in The City Rome 'fore it is burnt and wept over by Kings Saying alas when Heav'n is glad and Hallelujah sings In Cuds they preach where Christ our Lord Jesus was crucify'd And their words true believ'd by few by signs are justify'd For if that any man will hurt them in their Prophecy By fire that comes out of their mouth thereof they 're sure to dye And they have pow'r to hinder rain twelve hundred sixty days And to turn waters into blood if the World won't God praise And they also the Earth can smite with Plagues both great anâ— small Whilst that Euphrate's Angels fight with head and tail and all By their Horses whose heads are like the heads of Lions fierce Out of whose mouths go fire and smoak and brimstone that 〈◊〉 pierce Those men that have not God's seal in their foreheads 〈◊〉 that will Persist in thefts and sorceries and the Saints seek to kill An hour a day a month a year these Angels pow'r doth last And they the third part of bad men into death's lap doe cast And five months pow'r 'fore this is giv'n to Locusts for to sting Such wicked men with grievous pains but not to death thâ—â— bring After the third part of the Sun is smit and eke the Moon And eke the Stars that one third part of all their light is gâ—â— Which Plague succeeds the Wormwood-drink that killeth many men And the burnt Mountain cast i' th' Sea precedeth that Plâ—â—â—â— then The third part of the Sea proves blood that one in three doe dyâ— As well in Ships as those that in the bottom thereof lye And before this fire Hail and Blood are cast upon the Earth Which burn the third of trees and grass and so begins a dunk Which doth encrease to such a price I think I reckon well Barly is for a Noble sold Wheat one pound a Bushel And Oyl proves scarce and Wine proves scant God's 〈◊〉 none can controul Because the Drunkard can't get Wine he then begins to bâ—â—â— When these Prophets have said and done what they ought sâ—â— and doe Then he that was ' live dead and lives doth kill them like foe And they dead are not put in Graves that all men may thâ—â— see Who'f late were sad but then are glad ' cause from them thâ—â— are free John then and there doth prophesie 'fore Nations Kings 〈◊〉 People In the Quire which his Reed laid out and Pope-Gods 's in 〈◊〉 Steeple For he that said what if I will he tarry till I come Will make it known he still doth live and 't is believ'd by sâ—â—â— For Heylin his Geography doth to this purpose say John went alive into his Grave and there himself did lay As Page five hundred thirty sev'nth doth witness where 〈◊〉 sed Some learned Men doe think he sleeps and that he is not dâ—â—â— Now of the sev'n last Plagues I tell that are to Angels gâ—â—â— By one of the four Seraphims chief Ministers in heav'n Whose office it is night and day the service to begin In the Temple of that fashion Moses Temple was in With a great Vessel made of Glass and other things I count Which Moses saw when he with God was on the burâ—â— Mount. But whilst the Angels take the Plagues the strength of them is so In the Temple where they are giv'n no Man can therein go Then Moses and Christ Jesus sing and many more accord Thou onely art holy O God who fears not thee O Lord. For then God with a great voice bids the sev'n Angels go forth And pour the Vials of the wrath of God upon the Earth The first comes then and a noysome and grievous Sore doth fall Upon the Men that on the Man of Sin as God doe call The second Vial makes the Sea as dead Man's blood to be Then ev'ry living Soul doth dye that is in the great Sea. The third Angel's Vial doth make waters to drink not good For in the Fountains and Rivers they 're turned into Blood. The fourth Angel's Vial doth make the Sun scorch Men with fire Yet they blaspheme the Name of God and from Sin don't retire The fifth Angel's Vial doth make the Pope-God's Kingdom dark And pain doth make them gnaw their tongues yet they good-will not work The sixth Angel's Vial doth make Euphrate's River dry That the East Kings in Mageddon may be there instantly The seventh Angel's Vial doth make a great Earthquake and Hail That Cities fall and Talent stones hit men yet they doe rail But before this The Isr'elites and Jews shall ask the way To Palestine and Sion Hill and be found there that day When Magog's force more swift than horse shall make that Land to tremble And some to run for fear o'Gun and i' th' desart assemble For Magog grows exceeding great as I doe understand Toward the South and to the East and to the pleasant Land. And when six thousand years are come since God the World did build That the great Sabbath is begun my Signs are all fulfill'd Which Verses I mean in the plain literal sence And although Astronomers declare in their Books that one Star is bigger than all the Globe of Earth and Water yet I believe them not For that John in his Revelation speaking of things that must be hereafter Rev. 4.1 which he saw in a Vision in Heaven when he was called up thither to that purpose saith thus That lo there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood and the Stars of heaven fell unto the Earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her green Figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together and every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great Men and the chief Captains and the mighty Men and every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and rocks of
equinoctial line and the Sun must needs be 4000 miles nearer at high noon-day when he is right over thy head if he be but 10 miles off then than when he is at rising or setting And although there is not 4000 miles difference to us that live in 52 latitude yet there is about 2000 miles difference Now I speak of the Sun 's being about 10 miles distant from the nearest place of the Earth to those because I read in the Scriptures of Truth That the whole Earth was of one language even of one speech And it came to pass as they journied in the East Countrey that they found a Plain in the land of Shinar I remember that I have read of a Caliph of Babylon that drew a mighty great circle upon the Plain of Shinar I cannot now spare time to look in my books to find it that I may tell you the bigness thereof because the Printer must have that I now write to day and I must make all the hast I can to go into the Countrey a while to mind my husbandry there Therefore bear with me a little if the things I write now be not well digested and they dwelt there And they said one to another Go too let us make brick and burn theâ— thorowly And they had brick for stone and slime had they for mortar And they said Go too let us build us a City and 〈◊〉 Tower whose top may reach unto heaven and let us solemnize us a name before we be divided abroad upon the face of the whole earth And the Lord came down to see the City and the Tower which the children of men builded And the Lord said Behold the people is one and they have all one language and have begun to doe this that they intended neither will they desist from their advice for they will compleat those things they spake of in the work Gen. 11.1 3 7. if I hinder them not Therefore the Lord did there confound their Language and the name of the City therefore was called Babel that is iâ— words at length Babylon i. e. confusion ver 9. And now Astronomer or whosoever thou beest that thinkest Heaven oâ—â—â— their heads is above 10 miles from the Plain of Shinar show me any other meaning of this Scripture if thou canst 〈◊〉 not I pray thee the word of God be to thee as it was to them whose wisdom God threatned to destroy like a book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee And he saith I cannot for it is sealed Isai 29.11 Take pains I pray and open the seal and mind more what it saith than what the Coperniâ—â—â— say For they would make thee believe that the World that thou livest upon turns round 21600 miles in 24 hours and though thou shootest an Arrow upright that will not leave thee for that the Air that is about the Earth is aâ—tracted to thee I wonder how we come to have the Winds blow this way and that way then seeing they allowâ—â— no Coops for Orbs they will not allow the Ptolomeans to coop the Air to the Earth yea they will make thâ—â— believe if thou wilt part with thy wits that though thou beest 47 degrees from a Star that is in the North or Soâ—â—â— part of the Heavens which are round farther off at one time than they are at another yet that Star is not elevâ—â—â— to the sight by thy approach towards it because of the vast distance as they tell thee that is between thee and thâ—â— Star. For that though thou beest whirled upon the poles of the ecliptick from North to South and so from Soâ—â— to North 31560207 miles round about the Sun as Atlas Coelestis saith that the circuit of her Sphere is yet thatâ— not considerable by reason of the vast distance of them Stars from the Earth which as Atlas Coelestis aforesaid 〈◊〉 thee is 142746428 Semidiameters of the Earth and therefore the circumference of that Sphere is 3589053046â—â— miles And so will they set thy wits at a distance from thee But that they may not be believed I will speak the distance that is betwixt them Bagwell aforesaid saith that the distance of the Sun from us is 4169955 〈◊〉 and â…” Thou seest he lays it down to â…“ of a mile as if he had measured it with a mete pole And he saith 〈◊〉 that it is 166 times bigger than the Earth The Astronomer aforesaid said many millions that is at least thirty hundred thousand times bigger than all the Earth and the other said 133 times I 'll tell you of a bigger wonder 〈◊〉 this if their words be true I have it in Atlas Coelestis in the 5th Table shewing the true magnitude of the 〈◊〉 Stars that is of one of the greatest and one of the least viz. Sirius and Alcor supposing the apparent Diaâ—â— of Sirius to be 18″ of Alcor 4″ according to the distance in the Copernican Hypothesis maintaing the Parallax 〈◊〉 by the Earth's motion not to exceed 10″ and imagining the Diameter of the Annual Orb to be such as upon 〈◊〉 Principles it is stated to be according to Keplar The Diameter of Sirius contains Diameters of the Earth 12â—â— Lo hath he not out done the Astronomer of Greenwich For Keplar whom Bishop Wilkins admired for his Skâ—â— Astronomy tells us that Sirius his Diameter contains the Earth 12550 times That is the breadth of that round â—â— is one hundred millions and four hundred thousands of miles For 12550 multiplied by 8000 the Diameter of 〈◊〉 Earth produceth 100400000 aforesaid and the circumference thereof is 315542857 miles So that to go round aâ—â— it at 20 miles the day 't will take 43225 years And the distance of Sirius aforesaid is 142 millions 746 thousand 〈◊〉 Semidiameters of Earth which is 570985712000 miles What reason is there to believe any of them by râ—â—â— of the distance between them It is saith Bagwell from the Earth to the Sun 4169955 miles as aforesaid â—â—las Coelestis saith 5021896 miles but Atlas Coelestis nor Bagwell doe prove that the Sun is 4169955 miles from Earth that I can find in their books Bagwell tells us therein that the Diameter of the Earth is 6872 miles 〈◊〉 that I allow and he saith she casteth a shadow 74602 miles That I allow not and he tells us moreover 〈◊〉 above or beyond that shadow there can be no darkness but a continual light round about the World If it beâ—â— then the Earth cannot cause darkness to the Moon as he saith it doth because the Moon is distant from the Eâ—â—â— as he saith in his book 160426 miles and so out of the power of her shadow I doe not speak this as if I thoâ—â— that the Earth being between the Moon and the Sun is not the cause of her eclipse or darkness but to show thâ—â— that the Astronomers say is not Gospel But how doth he prove that the Earth doth cast a shadow 74
02 〈◊〉 These Rules following saith he will give satisfaction 1. Note saith he that the distance of the Sun froâ— Earth is 4169955 miles 2. The Diameter of the Earth is 6872 miles 3. The Sun's distance I divide by Earth's Diameter and find the Quotient to be 614 and so many times the Diameter of the Earth reaches up 〈◊〉 Sun. 4. I proportion by the compass the Diameter of the Earth in a figure the length of a Barley corn or 〈◊〉 part of an Inch which being divided by 3 makes 204 Inches and that being divided by 12 comes to 17â—â— 5. I chuse a plain level just of that length namely 17 Foot upon which at one end I place the figure 〈◊〉 Earth and at the other end thereof I set a light in proportion to the Sun. 6. The same light being at th◠〈◊〉 from the figure of the Earth makes the shadow thereof to be 11 times the length of the said Diameter 7. I multiply the said Diameter which is as abovesaid 6782 miles by 11 and that produceth 74602 miles which is the length of the said shadow and may well cause so great a darkness as night it self to our sight notwithstanding the greatness and glorious light of the Sun as he saith To this I reply That if a plain level be chosen of 17 Foot upon which at one end be placed the figure of the Earth inflamed almost round about as the Moon is as a round ball will be that is hung over a brisk fire as we may perceive it is at all times especially when she is in the full I say then That that round figure casteth not a shadow 11 times the length of the Diameter of the figure but onely according to the Diameter of the figure not inflamed And from hence I argue that if the Moon were as far from the Earth as the Stars are suppose 10 20 50 or 100 miles she would not be darkened or eclipsed by the Earth at all but it may be that her distance is but â…” or ¾ from the Earth of their distance If I be asked why I reckon it or rather guess it to be but 10 20 50 or 100 miles from the Earth to the Stars which Bagwell aforesaid saith is so far distant that it is 116000000 of miles And if it were possible he saith that a Stone should be let fall from thence of that bigness and weight as it should be continually a falling 150 miles an hour untill it should fall to the Earth it would be 88 years 3 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours and 20 minutes falling down from thence to the Earth Tycho Brahe saith that to the starry Firmament is 14000 Semidiameters of the Earth which is 56000000 miles or thereabout which is but half the distance Albategnius saith 19000 Semidiameters Keplar a Copernican 142746428 Semidiameters of the Earth which is about 570985712000 miles which is no less than 10196 times bigger than Tycho Brahe reckons it to be There 's a swinging Sum Ten thousand one hundred ninety six times bigger than Tycho Brahe declares Thomas Hill in his book of the Sphere saith That the Earth compared unto Heaven is as a point yea so little in comparison he saith as a Pepper-corn unto a Circle of a thousand paces compass For if the Earth saith he were of any sensible greatness a man should not see the half of Heaven And how greater the Earth should be by so much the lesser should a man see the half of Heaven I allow of what he saith if the sight of our eye did not fly as it doth in a bowed line but it doth for that some years ago the Moon did rise totally eclipsed when the Sun and Moon were both above the Horizon and that the Moon began to recover her light at the lower part of her being next our Horizon and therefore under the Earth And this was seen by my self William Gorham of Cambridge and J. Hands that made the book called Astronomia Christallina who supposed the Earth to be the Center of the World and that it turned round about upon its own Axis every 24 hours and by that means he supposed the starry Sky to be immoveable and that the Planets did move from West to East upon the Poles of the Ecliptick an opinion to me more probable than that of Copernicus for by this opinion every 69 miles nearer the Pole raiseth a degree which could not have been seen by us if our sight had run to them in a strait line And that which is to be seen at Greenwich Stairs puts the matter quite out of dispute concerning the sight of the eye For if you stand upon the Garden-stairs when the Tide is down at a low water and look over the River you cannot see the Cattel feeding in the Marsh by reason that the bank of the River intercepts your sight neither can you see the house wherein the Ferry-man lives nor the top of the Chimney when the Tide is down as aforesaid But when the Tide is up then you may see the chimney and the house and the dore of the house which commonly stands open and the ground upon which men walk when they go into the house and the cattel feeding yea a Dog may be seen then in the Marsh if there be one by them that stand upon the Stairs aforesaid as I was told in the Boat by one of them that brought me from thence when I had been there to make an observation concerning what was told me of this matter Neither could Satan have shown Jesus upon an exceeding high Mountain he was too subtile to undertake to show the sight of them in a valley all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them which he did doe Matth. 4.8 if Christ's sight did not then fly to those places in a bowed line For probably the Mountain whereon he was set was Mount Nebo not far from the place where he was baptized as others think See for this Fuller's Pisgah Sight of Palestine and that is not nor any Mountain in Palestine one mile high and if he was shown all the Kingdoms aforesaid there in a strait line from his eye it requires a higher Mountain to stand upon than is needfull to doe it upon a Mountain that is mid-way of the Kingdoms aforesaid Now the length of the Kingdoms aforesaid in that day was from the East-Indian Ocean to the West of Spain 1 Maccabees 1.3 chap. 8.1 3 4. Dan. 2.39 40. chap. 7.23 which is 103 degrees at 69 miles to a degree according to the part of the circle that is made upon the 10000 square Furlongs And to see from thence to them two places aforesaid the Mountain must be 2153 miles high as may be seen in that Figure or else he must look 430 miles under the Earth according to that Figure And thus is Hills's Argument aforesaid answered or any Argument against my drawing the Circle of the Earth so big and the Moon Sun and Stars so near it I therefore conceive it is better to heed holy Scriptures than to hearken to what they say Now the Scriptures of Truth tell us That God made all the Stars Sun and Moon in one day Gen. 1.14 19. Whereas in making the Earth and Waters with their appurtenances he wrought part of the first day all the third day all the fifth day and all the sixth day as may be seen in that chapter I conclude therefore that they are not so many Worlds as Cardinal Cusanus and Jornandus did hold And concerning them Lights aforesaid Judg. 5.20 saith That the Stars in their runnings fought against Sisera And if they did run they did not stand still as the Copernicans affirm Joshua knew that the Sun was in his race and the Moon in her walkings or else he would never have commanded them to stand still Josh 10.12 So that that day was as long as two Eccles 46.4 Hezekiah did believe that the Sun did move forward and that he could go backward according to the word of the Lord Isa 38.8 I therefore conclude that they doe move the fixed Stars in Heaven which probably is one of the three Heavens 2 Cor. 12.2 run round about the Earth 366¼ times in one year the Sun 365¼ little more or less either of them Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus and Mercury according to the law that God hath given them Psal 148.6 Luna half so many times as there be Tides in a year All of them except the fixed Stars move one while toward the North and another while towards the South sometimes nearer and sometimes farther from us as it were in a screw line not compelled with Strings as the Ancients did think or with Wheels or some such device to make Epicycles and Eccentricks nor turned about by Angels as others immagine but as Fishes move in the waters as I have read some suppose The Jews did probably think that they were living creatures because they burnt incense to them And Rev. 9.1 2. tells us of a Star's sliding down to the Earth with the key of the bottomless pit which he opened and that doth strengthen my judgment that they are so I did intend to have made Observations concerning the Figures of Copernicus Tycho and Ptolomy showing the difference of these Astronomers positions of the Planets and how that RANNEW's Figure is to be preferred before them but I have not now time and Paper But I will say thus much That I bear no ill-will to any man's person but I am troubled to see mens Writings make the Word of God of none effect in these matters and so hinder mens believing the Scriptures in other things Farewell courteous Reader Thy friend to serve thee