As I have said before, we cannot long observe the beauteous Parts of the visible Creation, not only those of this World on which we live, but also the Myriads of bright Bodies round us, with any Attention, without being convinced, that a Power supreme, and of a Nature unknown to us, presides in, and governs it.
The Course and Frame of this vast Bulk, display
A Reason and fix'd Law, which all obey.
And notwithstanding the many wonderful Productions of Nature in this our known Habitation, yet the Earth, when compared with other Bodies of our own System, seems far from being the most considerable in it; and it appears not only very possible, but highly probable, from what has been said, and from what we can farther demonstrate, that there is as great a Multiplicity of Worlds, variously dispersed in different Parts of the Universe, as there are variegated Objects in this we live upon. Now, as we have no Reason to suppose, that the Nature of our Sun is different from that of the rest of the Stars; and since we can no way prove him superior even to the least of those surprising Bodies, how can we, with any Shew of Reason, imagine him to be the general Center of the whole, i. e. of the visible Creation, and seated in the Center of the mundane Space? This, in my humble Opinion, is too weak even for Conjecture, their apparent Distribution, and [AO]irregular Order argue so much against it.
[AO] See the Zodaical Constellations, you'll find that in some Signs there are several Stars of the first, second, and third Magnitude, and in many others none of these at all.
The Earth indeed has long possessed the chief Seat of our System, and peaceably reigned there, as in the Center of the Universe for many Ages past; but it was human Ignorance, and not divine Wisdom, that placed it there; some few indeed from the Beginning have disputed its Right to it, as judging it no way worthy of such high Eminence. Time at length has discovered the Truth to every body, and now it is justly displaced by the united Consent of all its Inhabitants, and instead of being thought the most majestick of all Nature's lower Works, now rather disgraces the Creation, so much it is reduced in its present State from what it had Reason to expect in the former.
Now it is no longer the only terrestrial Globe in the Universe, but is proved to be one of the least Planets of the solar System, and surprizingly inferior to some of its Fellow Worlds. The Sun, or rather the System, has almost as long usurped the Center of Infinity, with as little Pretence to such Pre-heminence; but now, Thanks to the Sciences, the Scene begins to open to us on all Sides, and Truths scarce to have been dreamt of, before Persons of Observation had proved them possible, invades our Senses with a Subject too deep for the human Understanding, and where our very Reason is lost in infinite Wonders. How ought this to humble every Mind susceptible of Reason!
In this Place, I believe, you will pardon a Digression; which, in Answer to Part of your last Letter, I judge will not be very impertinent, tho' perhaps just here I cannot so well justify it.
Your late Conversation with our Friend Mr. * * *, I am perswaded, must have been very entertaining; but I cannot help thinking his Reflections upon the Wonders of Nature and the Wisdom of Providence, though I must allow them all to be very just and curious, instead of elevating the Mind to the Pitch he would have it, rather as considered above, depress it below the proper, nay I might say necessary, Standard of human Ideas.
This, probably, you'll say is an odd Turn, and may want some Explanation, since every Object in the Chain of Nature, must of Force be granted, a Subject worthy of our Speculations, being all together made, as in the Maximum of Wisdom: But what I mean is this, since nothing is more natural for Beings in every State in search after their own Advantages, and the Enlargement of their Ideas to look upward, sure it may be presumed, that Time may be mispent, if not lost in inspecting too narrowly Things so little benefical in States below us; as Mr. Pope says,