on that fide and fuch great abatements on ours, That the Summ of Empty Spaces within the Concave of the Firmament is 6860 million million million times bigger than All the Matter contain'd in it.

Now from hence we are enabled to form a right conception and imagination of the fuppofed Chaos; and then we may proceed to determin the controverfy with more certainty and fatisfaction; whether a World like the Prefent could poffibly without a Divine Influ ence be formed in it or no?

25(1.) And first, becaufe every Fixt Star is fup posed by Aftronomers to be of the fame Nature with our Sun; and each may very poffibly have Planets about them, though by reafon of their vaft diftance they be invifible to Us: we will affume this reasonable fuppofition, That the fame proportion of Void Space to Matter, which is found in our Sun's Region within the Sphere of the Fixt Starrs, may competently well hold in the whole Mundane Space. I am aware, that in this computation we must not affign the whole Capacity of that Sphere for the Region of our Sun; but allow half of its Diameter for the Radii of the feveral Regions of the next Fixt Starrs. So that diminishing our former number, as this last confideration requires; we may fafely affirm from cer

tain and demonstrated Principles, That the empty Space of our Solar Region (comprehending half of the Diameter of the Firmament) is 8575 hundred thousand million million times more ample than all the corporeal substance in it. And we may fairly fuppofe, that the fame proportion may hold through the whole Extent of the Univerfe.

(2.) And fecondly as to the ftate or condition of Matter before the World was a-making which is compendioufly expreft by the word Chaos; they muft fuppofe, that either All the Matter of our Syftem was evenly or well-nigh evenly diffused through the Region of the Sun, this would reprefent a particular Chaos: or All Matter univerfally fo fpread through the whole Mundane Space; which would truly exhibit a General Chaos; no part of the Univerfe being rarer or denfer than another. Which is agreeable to the ancient Defcription of it, That the Hea vens and Earth had mar idear, mis asus Twy oλay ou

*

ar pogpàr, one form, one texture and conftitution: which could not be,

τὴν

Diod. Sicul. lib. 1. Kala

ἔχειν νόντε καὶ γῆν, μεμιγμένης απ των της φύσεως. dius lib. 1.Hedy d'as jaïa

Througes. Apoll. Rho

w, ogÌY du orasneś

unless all the Mundane Matter
were uniformly and evenly diffufed.
'Tis indifferent to our Difpute, whether they
fuppose it to have continued a long time or
very little in the ftate of
Diffufion. For if

there

we:

there was but one fingle Moment in all past Eternity, when Matter was fo diffufed: shall plainly and fully prove, that it could never have convened afterwards into the present Frame and Order of Things.

(3.) It is evident from what we have newly proved, that in the Suppofition of fuch a Chaos or fuch an even diffufion either of the whole Mundane Matter or that of our Syftem (for it matters not which they affume) every fingle Particle would have a Sphere of Void Space around it 8575 hundred thousand million million times bigger than the dimensions of that Particle. Nay further, though the proportion already appear fo immenfe; yet every fingle Particle would really be furrounded with a Void fphere Eight times as capacious as that newly mention'd; its Diameter being compounded of the Diameter of the Proper fphere, and the Semi-diameters of the contiguous Spheres of the neighbouring Particles. From wherce it appears, that every Particle (fuppofing them globular or not very oblong) would be above Nine Million times their own length from any other Particle. And moreover in the whole Surface of this Void fphere there can only Twelve Particles be evenly placed (as the Hypothefis requires) that is, at equal Distances from the Central one and each other. So that

if

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if the Matter of our Syftem or of the Univerfe was equally difperfed, like the fuppofed Chaos; the refult and iffue would be, not only that every Atom would be many Million times its own length distant from any other: but if any One should be moved Mechanically (without direction or attraction) to the limit of that diftance; 'tis above a hundred million millions Odds to an unit, that it would not strike upon any other Atom, but glide through an empty interval without any contact.

(4) 'Tis true, that while I calculate these Measures, I fuppofe all the Particles of Matter to be at abfolute rest among themselves, and fituated in an exact and mathematical evennefs; neither of which is likely to be allowed by our Adverfaries, who not admitting the former, but afferting the eternity of Motion, will confequently deny the latter alfo: because in the very moment that Motion is admitted in the Chaos, fuch an exact evenness cannot poffibly be preserved. But this I do, not to draw any argument against them from the Univerfal Reft or accurately equal diffusion of Matter; but only that I may better demonftrate the great Rarity and Tenuity of their imaginary Chaos, and reduce it to computation. Which computation will hold with exactness enough, though we allow the Parti

C

cles

cles of the Chaos to be variously moved, and to differ fomething in fize and figure and fituation. For if fome Particles fhould approach nearer each other than in the former Proportion; with refpect to fome other Particles they would be as much remoter. So that notwithftanding a fmall diverfity of their Positions and Distances, the whole Aggregate of Matter, as long as it retain'd the name and nature of Chaos, would retain well-nigh an uniform tenuity of Texture, and may be confider'd as an homogeneous Fluid. As feveral Portions of the fame fort of Water are reckon'd to be of the fame specifick gravity; though it be naturally impoffible that every Particle and Pore of it, confider'd Geometrically, should have equal fizes and dimenfions.

We have now reprefented the true scheme and condition of the Chaos; how all the Particles would be difunited; and what vast intervals of empty Space would lye between each. To form a Syftem therefore, 'tis necessary that thefe fquander'd Atoms fhould convene and unite into great and compact Maffes, like the Bodies of the Earth and Planets. Without fuch a coalition the diffufed Chaos muft have continued and reign'd to all eternity. But how could Particles fo widely difperfed combine into that clofenefs of Texture? Our Adverfa