Page:Mathematical collections and translations, in two tomes - Salusbury (1661).djvu/351

 mixed places out of the sacred Scriptures (alwayes venerable, and to be rever'd) amongst these, but two scurrilous fooleries, and attempting to wound with holy Weapons, those who Philosophating in jest, and for divertisement, neither affirm nor deny, but, some presupposals and positions being assumed, do familiarly argue.

Truth is, he hath displeased me also, and that not a little; and especially, by adding presently after that, howbeit, the Copernichists answer, though but very impertinently to these and such like other reasons, yet can they not reconcile nor answer those things that follow.

This is worse than all the rest; for he pretendeth to have things more efficacious and concludent than the Authorities of the sacred Leaves; But I pray you, let us reverence them, and passe on to natural and humane reasons: and yet if he give us amongst his natural arguments, things of no more solidity, than those hitherto alleadged, we may wholly decline this undertaking, for I as to my own parricular, do not think it fit to spend words in answering such trifling impertinencies. And as to what he saith, that the Copernicans answer to these objections, it is most false, nor may it be thought, that any man should set him self to wast his time so unprofitably.

I concur with you in the same judgement; therefore let us hear the other instances that he brings, as much stronger. And observe here, how he with very exact computations concludeth, that if the grand Orb of the Earth, or the ecliptick, in which Copernicus maketh it to run in a year round the Sun, should be as it were, insensible, in respect of the immensitie of the Starry Sphære, according as the said Copernicus, saith it is to be supposed, it would be necessary to grant and confirm, that the fixed Stars were remote from us, an unconceivable distance, and that the lesser of them, were bigger than the whole grand Orb aforesaid, and some other much bigger than the whole Sphære of Saturn; Masses certainly too excessively vast, unimaginable, and incredible.

I have heretofore seen such another objection brought by Tycho against Copernicus, and this is not the first time that I have discovered the fallacy, or, to say better, the fallacies of this Argumemtation, founded upon a most false Hypothesis, and upon a Proposition of the said Copernicus, understood by his adversaries, with too punctual a nicity, according to the practise of those pleaders, who finding the flaw to be in the very merit of their cause, keep to some one word, fallen unawares from the contrary partie, and fly out into loud and tedious descants upon that. But for your better information; Copernicus having declared