efpecially to that of the perpendicular pofition to the plane of the Ecliptick, for he tells us in his Lib. 3. Part 4. That if the Axis of the earth about which it turned stood at right angles, with the plane of the Ecliptick, and the earth in the mean time turned round the Sun as it does now, that then indeed the Sun would feem to rife and fet every day, and make its circuit from Weft to Eaft, under the fixed ftars in the fpace of a year, but then there would be no divifion of the Ecliptick into halves, quarters, and figns, no diftinction of the year by its different qualities of heat and cold, every night would be equal to every day, there would be two places in the Earth to whofe inhabitants more than half the Sun could never appear, but its Centre would continually turn round in their Horizons, never rifing higher nor falling lower, the nearer one came to the equator, fo much higher would he have the Sun in his meridian, but in the fame place it would always be at a constant height at twelve of the Clock. In the equator, the Sun throughout the whole year would alwayes be vertical when it comes to the meridian, and there only, would there be an intense and perpetual Summer, when at the poles, and in places near them, there would be an eternal Winter without any intermiffion of Froft and Snow. The Sun also would always Rife and Set in the fame points of their Horizons, and there

fore,

fore, there would be no alteration in the Earth, but upon the account of day and night, and no fort of changes in the year which would always keep the fame tenour and face, the annual motion of the earth being of no use.

These are the effects which the Learned Kepler has fhewed, would neceffarily follow from the pofition of the Earths axis, which befides, that it makes the Earths Annual 'circuit round the Sun of no fort of use and advantage to it, (And this I fuppofe cannot well agree with the infinite wifdom of its Maker,) it brings with it fuch a train of confequences, which if men would confider, I believe there would be few fo fond of changes, as to be willing to have the prefent oblique pofition altered for the perpendicular one of the Theorist, which would render this whole Ifland no better than a wildernefs, and the greatest part of the Earth not habitable.

For under the Equinoctial, to whose inhabitants, the Sun would continually at twelve of the Clock, fhine perdendicularly and even throughout the Torrid Zone, there would be an intolerable fcorching heat; In the Frigid Zones the cold could not be endured, and the greatest part of the two temperate Zones would not have a fufficient quantity of heat to ripen their fruits. All men in England are fenfible that the heat we have in Summer, is

E 4

but

but just great enough to bring our Corn and Fruits to perfection, and therefore if the heat we have in Summer, were no greater than it is now about the 10th of March, or the 11th of September, the Ground would not be able to produce any vegetables to fupply us with food, fo that all of us must have changed our Climate for fome more fertile Soil, which receives more of the Suns influence.

This may serve to fhew how vain and false the Theorift's affertion is, that the primitive earth had its axis perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptick, and that this pofition is fo far from being the best it could have, that it may be justly reckoned among the worse fort of pofitions, I come now to fhew the great advantages we reap by the prefent pofition of the Earth, and how apt it is to ferve the ends for which it was defigned by its wife contriver.

Kepler in the above mentioned book tells us, that the earth was defigned a place for thofe things which are liable to Generation and Corruption, and therefore it was by no means fit that the Sun fhould fhine upon every part of it throughout the year with an equal tenour and force, but there ought to be fuch alterations and changes of his heat as are neceffary to produce the defign'd effects, for it is plain that different degrees of heat are requir'd for the production and ripening of moft Plants, the heat that is requifite for

the

the first growth of a vegetable, not being fufficient for the ripening and perfecting the feed thereof, and that degree of heat which is neceflary for bringing the feed to perfection, would quite wither the green and tender herb.

Now all this is obtained by the prefent pofition of the Earth, and the inclination of its Axis, to the plane of the Ecliptick, for from thence arifes the variety of Seafons, and different degrees of heat and cold. We perceive in the Spring time, that we have the heat of the Sun ftill increafing in fuch a measure, as the Plants require for their nutrition and growth. At laft the Sun arrives at his greatest meridian height, and then the Plants bring forth their Seeds which grow every day more and more perfect and then are fully ripe and fit for food, and when the Sun has performed his work in our part of the World, he returns again to the tropick of Capricorne, to make room for the Snow and Ice which comes in the Winter for the moistening and preparing the earth for a new Crop. And tho in the Torrid Zone, they never have any Snow or Ice, yet at the time of the year when the Sun is vertical to them, there falls fuch a quantity of rain, as not only cools the Air, and makes the Heat of the Sun tolerable, but also fattens the ground and prepares it for the production of fruits.

But

But there is one more confiderable advantage which we reap by the prefent pofition of the earth which I will here infert: because I do not know that 'tis taken notice of by any. And it is, that by the prefent inclination of the earth axis to the plane of the ecliptick, we who live beyond forty five degrees of Latitude, have more of the Suns heat throughout the year than if the Sun fhined always in the equator, that is, if we take the fumm of the Suns actions upon us both in Summer and Winter, they are greater than its heat would be if it moved always in the equator, or which is the fame thing, the aggregate of the Suns heat upon us while it defcribes any two oppofite parallels, is greater than it would be if in thefe two days it defcribed the equator, whereas in the Torrid Zone, and even in the temperate almost as far as forty five degrees of Latitude, the fumm of the Suns heat in Summer and Winter is lefs than what it would be, were the axis of the Earth perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptick.

I know Dr. Bently in his laft Lecture for the Confutation of Atheism, allerts that tho the axis had been perpendicular, yet take the whole year about, we fhould have had the fame measure of heat we have now. But I am not surprised to find an error of this nature afferted by one who as it appears is not very well skilled in Aftronomy; for, in the fame Lecture, he confidently fays, that 'tis

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