LETTER the NINTH.

Reflections, by Way of General Scolia, of Consequences relating to the Immortality of the Soul, and concerning Infinity and Eternity.

SIR,

This my last Letter to you, I mean my final astronomical one, I propose as a General Scolia to the rest, the principle Matter being Reflections upon what is gone before, with some Conclusion naturally following or appendant to what has been already said; but which, I could not in any other Place, so properly remark to you.

The Probability of the foregoing Conjectures, chiefly built upon very distant Observations, shew an apparent Necessity for some other kind of Doctrine permitted by Providence, to give Mankind a Knowledge of their Immortality and Dependance upon it, in the first Ages of the World.

And for the same Reason it evidently appears, that the ancient Philosophers had it not in their Power to prove a supream Being and Director of all Things this Way.

And yet, as by a Sort of Instinct, or natural Reason, and Consciousness of a good Principle, we see how many noble Steps they made towards it, and was convinc'd at last of this great Truth, that since there was a Mind in so imperfect a Creature as Man, the perfect Universe, which comprehended all Things, could not possibly be without one; and as Sir Isaac Newton has justly observed in his Principia, "If every Particle of Space be always, and every individual Moment of Duration every where; surely the Maker and Lord of all Things, cannot be never and no where."

To make manifest the infinite Empire and Agency of God, from celestial Motion, became the Task, but of very late Years; and I can't help being of Opinion, that by means of these primary Bodies, only, we shall at length be able to trace the greater Circulations, and Laws of Nature, to their real original and fountain Head.

These, were any thing wanting, besides the Miracle ourselves, to convince us of a divine Origination, are all infallible Proofs, that the Universe is governed by an intelligent and all-powerful Being, whose Existence is too nearly related to a self-evident Truth to be more clearly demonstrated, than it is manifest of itself, both from the particular Laws of Nature, and the general Order of Things. An Argument which has been thought of no small Force, and well worth observing in the Infancy of Christianity. The invisible Things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead. Rom. i. 20.

But 'tis now high time to look back upon my Theory, and tell you it is a vain Supposition, to imagine I shall ever be able to convince every Reader, either of the Truth or Probability of what I have advanced to you: Mathematical Assistance not being to be expected, where perhaps it has never been thought of; and I allow you, it is much more reasonable to expect, that fifty Persons will read these Letters without perceiving the Reasonableness of them, than that five should consider them with proper Judgment.

I must ingenuously confess to you, that nothing is wanting to convince me intirely of the Certainty of what I here advance by way of Conjecture to you. But this you must only look upon as an happy Partiality, which generally attends all Authors, and always will be the chief Support of their tedious Labours. I assure you, I have neither Hopes nor Expectation, no, not the weak Breath of a Wish, to be admitted a proper Judge of my own Works. But I shall always take their Imperfection to be rather, (like my own Faults) to be too near me to be seen; I therefore trust all to my Friend, and if I am so fortunate as to excite his Approbation, I shall think myself very happy in a very favourite Point; which is, The advancing nothing which a rational Reader would willingly overlook, or be ignorant of.

But if I have been so happy as to come so near the Mark, as to border upon Truth, I believe you will allow me to carry my Conjectures a little further, and point out some farther pleasing Consequences, which I begin to perceive may naturally follow.

Should it be granted, that the Creation may be circular or orbicular, I would next suppose, in the general Center of the whole an intelligent Principle, from whence proceeds that mystick and paternal Power, productive of all Life, Light, and the Infinity of Things.

Here the to-all extending Eye of Providence, within the Sphere of its Activity, and as omnipresently presiding, seated in the Center of Infinity, I would imagine views all the Objects of his Power at once, and every Thing immediately direct, dispensing instantaneously its enlivening Influence, to the remotest Regions every where all round. I know you'll say Astronomers are never to be satisfied, and I must own where there is so much rational Entertainment for the human Mind, and so suitable to the true Dignity of God, and most worthy of Man, it is not easy to know where to stop in such a Scene of Wonders.

Having, I say, once granted that all the Stars may move round one common Center, I think it is very natural to one, who loves to pursue Nature as far as we may, to enquire what most likely may be in that Center; for since we must allow it to be far superior to any other Point of Situation in the known Universe, it is highly probable, there may be some one Body of siderial or earthy Substance seated there, where the divine Presence, or some corporeal Agent, full of all Virtues and Perfections, more immediately presides over his own Creation. And here this primary Agent of the omnipotent and eternal Being, may sit enthroned, as in the Primum Mobile of Nature, acting in Concert with the eternal Will. To this common Center of Gravitation, which may be supposed to attract all Vertues, and repel all Vice, all Beings as to Perfection may tend; and from hence all Bodies first derive their Spring of Action, and are directed in their various Motions.

Thus in the Focus, or Center of Creation, I would willingly introduce a primitive Fountain, perpetually overflowing with divine Grace, from whence all the Laws of Nature have their Origin, and this I think would reduce the whole Universe into regular Order and just Harmony, and at the same time, inlarge our Ideas of the divine Indulgence, open our Prospect into Nature's fair Vineyard, the vast Field of all our future Inheritance.

But what this central Body really is, I shall not here presume to say, yet I can't help observing it must of Necessity, if the Creation is real and not merely Ideal, be either a Globe of Fire superior to the Sun, or otherwise a vast terraqueous or terrestrial Sphere, surrounded with an Æther like our Earth, but more refined, transparent and serene. Which of these is most probable, I shall leave undetermined, and must acknowledge at the same time, my Notions here are so imperfect, I hardly dare conjecture. 'Tis true, I have ventur'd to think it may be one of these, and since so glorious a Situation can hardly be supposed without its proper Inhabitants, 'tis most natural to conclude it may be the latter. In the first Case, besides our having no Idea of Beings existing in Fire, it would not, notwithstanding its Distance, be so easy to account for its being invisible; and since the Lustre of the Stars are all innate, they could receive no Benefit from it, and consequently such a Nature as a solar Composition, must in this Place be render'd useless; but in the latter Supposition of its being a dark Body, we have no Difficulty attending us, having several Instances of like Bodies, moving round an opaque one. Now when we consider, that all those radient Globes, which adorn the Skies, those bright ætherial Sparks of elemental Fire, thick strewed like Seeds of Light all round our Hemisphere, are each to us the Embrio of a glorious Sun; how awful and stupendious must that Region be, where all their Beams unite and make one inconceivable eternal Day?

Though the Deity, says a learned Writer "be essentially present thro' all the Immensity of Space, there is one Part of it in which he discovers himself in a most transcendent and visible Glory. This is that Place which is mark'd out in Scripture, under the different Appellations of Paradice; the third Heaven; the Throne of God, and the Habitation of his Glory."

This continues the same Author, is "that Presence of God, which some of the Divines call his glorious, and others his majestick Presence."

It is here, and here only, as in the Center of his infinite Creations, where he resides in a sensible Magnificence, and in the midst of those Splendors, which can Effect the Imagination of his Creatures; and though the most sacred and supreme Divinity be allowed as essentially present in all other Places as well as in this, as being a Being whose Center is every where, and Circumference no where; yet it is here only, or in such Sensorium of his Unity, where he manifests his corporeal Agency, as in the Foci of his infinite Empire over all created Beings. It is to this majestick Presence of God, we may apply those beautiful Expressions of Scripture, "Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not; yea the Stars are not pure in his Sight."

"The Light of the Sun, and all the Glories of the World, on which we live, are but as weak and sickly Glimmerings, or rather Darkness it self, in Comparison of those Splendors, which encompass this Throne of God."

Here Heav'ns wide Realms an endless Scene displays,

And Floods of Glory thro' its Portals blaze;

The Sun himself lost in superior Light,

No more renews the Day, or drives away the Night:

The Moon, the Stars, and Planets disappear,

And Nature fix't makes one eternal Year.

Here and here alone center'd in the Realms of inexpressible Glory, we justly may imagine that primogenial Globe or Sphere of all Perfections, subject to the Extreams of neither Cold nor Heat, of eternal Temperance and Duration. Here we may not irrationally suppose the Vertues of the meritorious are at last rewarded and received into the full Possession of every Happiness, and to perfect Joy. The final and immortal State ordain'd for such human Beings, as have passed this Vortex of Probation thro' all the Degrees of human Nature with the supream Applause.

What vast room is here, for infinite Power and Wisdom to act in, and that so visibly takes Delight to bless all his Beings with his Bounty. And endless as his Prescience, Attributes, and Goodness, are undoubtedly all those natural and apparent Joys with which he manifests his Love to all his Creatures, a Multiplicity of Objects not to be enumerated. For wheresoever we turn our Eyes, and follow with our Reason, we may meet with Worlds of all Formations, suited no doubt to all Natures, Tastes, and Tempers, and every Class of Beings.

Here a Groupe of Worlds, all Vallies, Lakes, and Rivers, adorn'd with Mountains, Woods, and Lawns, Cascades and natural Fountains; there Worlds all fertile Islands, cover'd with Woods, perhaps upon a common Sea, and fill'd with Grottoes and romantick Caves. This Way, Worlds all Earth, with vast extensive Lawns and Vistoes, bounded with perpetual Greens, and interspersed with Groves and Wildernesses, full of all Varieties of Fruits and Flowers. That World subsisting perhaps by soft Rains, this by daily Dews, and Vapours; and a third by a central, subtle Moisture, arising like an Effluvia, through the Pores and Veins of the Earth, and exhaling or absorbing as the Season varies to answer Nature's Calls. Round some perhaps, so dense an Atmosphere, that the Inhabitants may fly from Place to Place, or be drawn through the Air in winged Chariots, and even sleep upon the Waves with Safety; round others possibly, so thin a fluid, that the Arts of Navigation may be totally unknown to it, and look'd upon as impracticable and absurd, as Chariot flying may be here with us; and some where not improbably, superior Beings to the human, may reside, and Man may be of a very inferior Class; the second, third, or fourth perhaps, and scarce allow'd to be a rational Creature. Worlds, with various Moons we know of already; Worlds, with Stars and Comets only, we equally can prove is very probable; and that there may be Worlds with various Suns, is not impossible. And hence it is obvious, that there may not be a Scene of Joy, which Poetry can paint, or Religion promise; but somewhere in the Universe it is prepared for the meritorious Part of Mankind. Thus all Infinity is full of States of Bliss; Angelic Choirs, Regions of Heroes, and Realms of Demi-Gods; Elysian Fields, Pindaric Shades, and Myriads of inchanting Mansions, not to be conceived either by Philosophy or Fancy, assisted by the strongest Genius and warmest Imagination.

All harmoniously crowded and provided with every Object of Beatitude, that Friendship, Love, or Society can inspire, the Muses or the Graces Frame; and all as permanent and perfect, that is destin'd to a Duration, suited to the Nature of their Existence and Degree of Cognisance; for as a very learned Writer observes upon this same Subject:

"How can we tell, but that there may be above us Beings of greater Powers, and more perfect Intellects, and capable of mighty Things, which yet may have corporeal Vehicles as we have, but finer and invisible? Nay, who knows, but that there may be even of these many Orders, rising in Dignity of Nature, and Amplitude of Power, one above another? It is no Way below the Philosophy of these Times, which seems to delight in inlarging the Capacities of Matter, to assert the Possibility of this."

From these amazing Ideas of Space in general, and from the particular Distance of the Stars, which separates as it were, one System of Bodies from another, and by so prodigious an extent, as scarce to be suppos'd a temporal Task. I think it naturally follows, had we no other Way to prove it, or any other Reason to believe it, that the Soul must of Necessity be immaterial; for as this Space seems so impassible to Matter, as not to be undertaken and performed without the Loss of Ages, in a State only of Transmigration, we may well imagine, that Change of Place is not effected this Way, but by some other Virtue or Property, more immediate, if not instantaneous.

I own next to Annihilation is the State of Oblivion, and this Way we may solve all Difficulties with regard to our being sensible of such a Loss of Existence; but if we allow the Soul to be immaterial, it no longer has any thing to do with Space, but as operating by Reflection only, or the Faculty of Thinking; it may be like the Imagination where it pleases in a Moment.

Objects of the Mind abstracted from the Senses of the Body, has no real or comparative Magnitude; that is, I would say, an Inch, a Foot, a Yard, a Mile, or a Million of Miles are all equally indefinite, and is thus prov'd; every finite Line is formed of an infinite Number of Points, and no finite Line can be solv'd into more. Thus if you will allow me the Expression, the Mind being magnified as all Objects are diminished, what seems impracticable in the natural State of Things, in an Ideal one, becomes very possible; that is, to make myself more intelligible, though we can hardly conceive, how any Being can pass from Syrius to the Sun, by natural Laws in their proper State, yet if proportionally reduced by a new Modification of Ideas, to the Bigness of a Ball 6 Feet Diameter, and to be only 680 Miles asunder; the Thing is very comprehensive and easy.

Plate XXXI.

Plate XXXII.

Hence Vision, Light, and Electrical Virtue, seem to be propagated with such Velocity, that nothing but God can possible be the Vehicle; and hence we may justly say with St. Paul, Acts xvii, 28. In him we live, in him we move, in him we have our Being.

It will further appear, from the foregoing Letters, that all the Stars and planetary Bodies within the finite View, are altogether but a very minute Part of the whole rational Creation; I mean that vast collective Body of habitable Beings, which I have endeavoured to demonstrate, are all govern'd by the same Laws, though variously revolving round one common Center, in which Center we may not impertinently venture to suppose the prime Agent of our Natures; or otherwise, the most perfect of all created Beings, illimitable in his Ideas and Faculties of Sensation particularly preside.

But tho' past all diffus'd, without a Shore

His Essence; local is his Throne, (as meet)

To gather the disperst, (as Standards call

The listed from afar) to fix a Point;

A central Point, collective of his Suns,

Since finite ev'ry Nature, but his own.

Dr. Young.

And farther since without any Impiety; since as the Creation is, so is the Creator also magnified, we may conclude in Consequence of an Infinity, and an infinite all-active Power; that as the visible Creation is supposed to be full of siderial Systems and planetary Worlds, so on, in like similar Manner, the endless Immensity is an unlimited Plenum of Creations not unlike the known Universe. See Plate XXXI. which you may if you please, call a partial View of Immensity, or without much Impropriety perhaps, a finite View of Infinity, and all these together, probably diversified; as at A, B and C. in Plate XXXII. which represents their Sections, if all may be a proper Term for an infinite or indefinite Number, we may justly imagine to be the Object of that incomprehensible Being, which alone and in himself comprehends and constitutes supreme Perfection.

That this in all Probability may be the real Case, is in some Degree made evident by the many cloudy Spots, just perceivable by us, as far without our starry Regions, in which tho' visibly luminous Spaces, no one Star or particular constituent Body can possibly be distinguished; those in all likelihood may be external Creation, bordering upon the known one, too remote for even our Telescopes to reach.

With the raptur'd Poet may we not justly say

O, what a Root! O what a Branch is here!

O what a Father! what a Family!

Worlds! Systems! and Creations!

And in Consequence of this

In an Eternity, what Scenes shall strike?

Adventures thicken? Novelties surprize?

What Webs of Wonder shall unravel there?

So many varied Seats where every Element may have its proper Beings and all adapted to partake of every thing suited to their Natures, argue such Maturity of Wisdom, and the vast Production such mysterious Power; 'tis hardly possible for Mortals not to see divine Intelligence preside, and that every Being somewhere must be happy.

A Universe so well designed, and fill'd with such an endless Structure of material Beings, and all the Result of Prescience and infinite reflected Reason, flowing from a Mind all perfect, full of all Ideas, could never be designed in vain; and tho' our narrow Bounds of Reason limited, by finite Senses, cannot directly see the Consequence dependant on a Sequel, yet from what we do see, great Room we have to hope the next Stage of Existence will be more lasting and more perfect; and it is highly probable, the noblest Suggestion of the most luxuriant Fancy may fall infinitely short of what we are designed for.

But here, even in this World, are Joys which our Ideas of Heaven can scarce exceed, and if Imperfection appear thus lovely, what must Perfection be, and what may we not expect and hope for, by a meritorious Acquiescence in Providence, under the Direction, Indulgence, and Protection of infinite Wisdom and Goodness, who manifestly designs perfect Felicity, as the Reward of Virtue in all his Creatures, and will at proper Periods answer all our Wishes in some predestined World.

All this the vast apparent Provision in the starry Mansions, seem to promise: What ought we then not to do, to preserve our natural Birthright to it and to merit such Inheritance, which alas we think created all to gratify alone, a Race of vain-glorious gigantick Beings, while they are confined to this World, chained like so many Atoms to a Grain of Sand.

I am, &c.

Transcriber Note

Spelling conventions used in the book were retained. On [page 5], there is an unattached footnote. As it refers to The Pendulum Clock and Huygens wrote a book whose title includes these words, the assumption was made that the footnote belongs after his name. On [page 30], the missing anchor for the footnote about Parallax was placed before the term in paragraph three. The same situation occurs on [page 54] where a footnote about Motion had no anchor and was linked to the term in the last paragraph. On [page 72], there is a measurement "11 Feet ¾" to which "Inches" was added.

[Plate XXIII] was mislabeled as Plate XXI. This was corrected.