some more sublime intelligence. In the mean time, if one should tell me, that an immense space interposed between the Orbs of the Planets and the Starry Sphere, deprived of stars and idle, would be vain and uselesse, as likewise that so great an immensity for receipt of the fixed stars, as exceeds our utmost comprehension would be superfluous, I would reply, that it is rashnesse to go about to make our shallow reason judg of the Works of God, and to call vain and superfluous, whatsoever thing in the Universe is not subservient to us.
It is great rashnesse to censure that to be superfluous in the Universe, which we do not perceive to be made for us.Sagr.Say rather, and I believe you would say better, that we know not what is subservient to us; and I hold it one of the greatest vanities, yea follies, that can be in the World, to say, because I know not of what use Jupiter or Saturn are to me, that therefore these Planets are superfluous, yea more, that there are no such things in rerum natura; when as, oh foolish man! I know not so much as to what purpose the arteries, the gristles, the spleen, the gall do serve; nay I should not know that I have a gall, spleen, or kidneys, if in many desected Corps, they were not shewn unto me; and then onely shall I be able to know what the spleen worketh in me, when it comes to be taken from me. To be able to know what this or that Cœlestial body worketh in me (seeing you will have it that all their influences direct themselves to us) it would be requisite to remove that body for some time;By depriving Heaven of some star, one might come to know what influence it hath upon us. and then whatsoever effect I should find wanting in me, I would say that it depended on that star. Moreover, who will presume to say that the space which they call too vast and uselesse between Saturn and the fixed stars, is void of other mundane bodies? Must it be so,Many things may be in Heauen, that are invisible to us because we do not see them? Then the four Medicean Planets, and the companions of Saturn came first into Heaven, when we began to see them, and not before? And by this rule the innumerable other fixed stars had no existence before that men did look on them? and the cloudy constellations called Nebulosæ were at first only white flakes, but afterwards with the Telescope we made them to become constellations of many lucid and bright stars. Oh presumptious, rather oh rash ignorance of man!
Salv.It's to no purpose Sagredus, to sally out any more into these unprofitable exaggerations: Let us pursue our intended designe of examining the validity of the reasons alledged on either side, without determining any thing, remitting the judgment thereof when we have done, to such as are more knowing. Returning therefore to our natural and humane disquisitions, I say,Great, small, immense, &c. are relative terms. that great, little, immense, small, &c. are not absolute, but relative terms, so that the self same thing compared with divers others, may one while be called immense, and anotherwhile
