Creator and cosmos illustrated

Front matter

Class

Book ^

COPYRIGHT DEW)SIR

Introduction

The principal object of this book (although this is not the only purpose it answers, for it conveys to the reader a vast amount of information the most interesting and important) is to simplify as much as possible the subject of the Creator and the Cosmos. To have this done thoroughly and accurately is a work of great magnitude and gravity for the author, of great importance and consequence to the reader, and an accomplishment very much desired and to be desired by all lovers of the truth concerning this most stupendous and interesting of all subjects.

In our day and country the demand for literature is almost all for the lighter, or, comparatively speaking, trashier kinds, and the book got up designedly to please the ey-i and to satisfy the morbid fancy is the kind of book of which mucii the greatest number of copies is expected to be sold. Publishers, having some experience of this, rather incline to push the sale of works of the lighter kinds, which will sell on the railroad cars, in the news depots, and in those places of public resort, where works of the heavier kinds do not usually appear ; and they are in general more slow than evidently is for their interest and that of the public to push the sale of books on heavier subjects and more profitable for the masses, although they may see in them a great amount of merit and use, and a desideratum the want of which has long been felt by an exceedingly large class of reflecting and thoughtful minds — the class that is not only incomparablj' the most intelligent but the most respectable and trustworthy as men of moral principle, and that will see fit to stand by a publisher if he honestly and industriously attends to his duties in the prosecution of his business.

Now, I know, by a sufficiently wide experience, that in every community there is a certain number of reflecting and thoughtful minds, a number indeed usually proportionate to the number of inhabitants in the place — and these persons are not at all content unless they know the reasons of things, and have as thorough a knowledge as in their circumstances they can have of the subjects in which they are interested, well knowing that the superiority Avhich arises from education and knowledge, especially when this is joined to rectitude of moral character, is the only true siiperiority, and that no one, it matters not what or how affluent as to circumstances he may other-

* INTRODUCTION.

wise be, has a right to regard another as his inferior who is as \\ ell educated on the most important subjects, has as thorough a knowledge, and is as good a man morally as he himself. Men are not accustomed to have much respect for those whom they know are much inferior to themselves in education and knowledge ; no matter how much material wealth the latter may possess they are likely to undergo the tacit criticism, and estimation in the balance of the cultivated mind, and this very thought should incite those of sober judgment, old and young, to acquire, and as much as possible attain, to that which is the only true index and means of equality with the best.

Nor does our judgment tell us that publishers should neglect the duty and moral obligation of furnishing to that large class aforementioned the books and the knowledge they so much desire, even if this be done at the expense of the publication of many of the lighter kinds of books. The country is overstocked with this latter class of books : it is high time that this fever of morbid mental excitement should be stilled ; and that the popular mind should be directed as much as possible to more serious and profitable subjects. To thin^- the being slow to push the sale of a non-partizan or non-sectarian work would assist a publislier in the estimation of any individual or party, who may have their money or other interests wrapped up in sect or system of an}^ kind, would we are persuaded, be a great mistake for a publisher to make. Such men are, for the most part, not al all adverse to a publisher attending to his duties and pushing his business with all his might ; nor is it right they should, since a publisher's duties in the way of the circulation of books extends to all classes, and his business is very general ; he has therefore a perfect right to push his business independently as others have to push theirs; liis right will always, too, be unquestioned ; and where he is circulating a much needed and useful book as this present one; is, and that for all classes, he has really a right to the assistance and sympathy of all good men and women.

The works already in print upon the subject of Christian Theology are, as is well known, for the most part merely systems of ideas elaborated from the mind or imagination of their authors. These latter have been men mostly of European education, trained up in certain modes of thought, and to the unhesitating belief of certain creeds or confessions of faith, and who in their writing took, eve7-i/ time, as a basis for their theological arguments, an hypothesis, that is, an assumption without internal examination of the literal truth of the S vipiures, and in this way gave to these records chronologicall)" and otherwise what interpretation they please 1. Men of American education, and of the, as far as possible, positive American

INTKODUCTIOlSr. 5

conception are generally not satisfied to pin their faith to the hypothesis, patched up or respectable, of any theorician, they are not content to do it without examination and demonstration of their own, so far as they can attain to this.

Such systems of theology as those referred to have, for long ages before the settlement of America by the whites, stopped the march of progress, and brought about that the masses of the people were in effect the chattels of the learned and raling classes, who always, we find, made it convenient to join fortunes with each other in the narrow national confines of the old world. If our people see fit to judge for themselves on .religious matters our laws afford them the right to do so ; and our wide country affords them room to do all the good they possibly can in the development of their principles, provided their education and God-given light has enabled them to do so.

We do not at all dispute but that men of European education and habits of thought have a right, if they wish, to produce theological books, and to weave into them all the kingly and priestly ideas both of ancient and modern caste which they can evolve. " What we intimate is that we have a right also to treat theology in our own way and according to our own simple republican habits of thought ; and we doubt not but that our rights as well as our books will be appreciated by men of European education among others, judging partly from the ready sale met with by the second edition of oui work, " Existence and Deity."

So far as the Scriptures are treated of in this book, which they are largely in the Second Part, they are not either discarded or perverted, but they are rendered intelligible. The subject of the Creator it treats as that subject really is, namely, as that the Creator is Omnipresent, his character being illustrated by his works of creation ; but though Omnipresent the Creator is shown to be Infinite as existence and being Infinite not conceivable by man's mind nor to be seen by his eyes.

Part First treats of Existence in its various conditions, phases, and aspects, — Physical, Spiritual, and Moral, — and illustrates variously the subject of the cosmos and the character of the Omnipresent and Infinite Deity. The Moral and Religious world is illustrated from History, Civil and Religious.

In using the sciences for illustration in this First Part of the work, more especially Astronomy, we found it both necessary and most to the purpose to set forth the science itself with its deductions and discoveries hitherto which Avill be much more beneficial and satisfactory to the readers than the statement of isolated facts and ideas derived from that science, its deductions and discoveries.

b INTRODUCTION.

Besides, we have treated of the scenery of the heavens as viewed from the planets and their satellites, a demonstration which is no more vague than are the practical parts in common Astronomy, and which makes the subject as here presented far more interesting than as set forth in the common treatises on that science, and exhibits the power, wisdom, and glory of the Deity as set forth in the scenes of existence in a peculiarly interesting light. The Astionomy, considering the way in which it is treated here, and the labor which has been expended in the demonstration of the scenery of the Heavens, I would consider worth, of itself, the price of the book.

The subject of the Creator, — infinite existence and of creation, — is variously illustrated in Part First. Mystery, the prolific Mother of Superstition, is removed in Part Second ; we have endeavored to have the true light shine out on every page, and we trust that they who obtain this book or may obtain it will see the inexcusableness as well as unreasonableness of longer remaining enslaved to error, idolatry, or any other evil practices : all of which we trust they will for their own highest interest and for the honor of their Righteous and Holy God henceforth discard and eschew.

To such as might be disposed to look upon this book with an ey& of criticism, as those only competent by learning could be supposed to do, we may remark that the work consisting of two parts is one of design, neither part being complete without the other, and that it ia better to read the whole through carefully in order that the subject maybe as fully as possible understood. We think however, it would be better to read it with a sober, and, in most parts, with a prayerful spirit rather than in the spirit of criticism and captiousness and thus to profit hj the information it may afford.

It will be well to remember that in the mathematical parts of this volume the English system of Notation is followed, which, where large numbers are dealt with, is considered to have more power than the French sj^stem. The latter system is the one generally followed in this country, and which the author has followed in his Arithmetic.

The Revision.

The revision of this First Part of "Creator and Cosmos" has been executed with care and thoroughness, and with liie intention that it shall serve as a reliable book of reference both as to tacts and figures.

Part First. Page

Existence, Physical, Spiritual, and Moral, illustrated from various sources in the physical and moral world, as from the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms of the earth, the earth itself, — the probable permanency of the Cosmos as to phenomena of forms, changes, &c., being to some extent here demonstrated — a,nd from the civil and religious history and the observation of mankind 9-154

The Creator : Creation, the Earth's elemental conditions

of existence, matter and spirit literally defined, etc., 9-51

Some Terrestrial climatal conditions and peculiarities .noticed, as well as illustrations from the noxious and innoxious portions of the animal and vegetable kingdoms 51-60

Illustrations from the character and practices of the races of mankind world-wide, distinctive of the moral world 60-154

First, from the savage and semi-civilized races 60-73

Second, illustrations from the nations called civilized from the earliest historic times, especially in their secular or civil aspect 75-115

Third, illustrations from the nations called civilized, especially in their religious aspect, and from early times : First, from the history of the Catholic

Church of the Roman Empire ' 115-143

Second, from the history and observation of Protestantism , . . . . 143-154

Other Things, which tend to illustrate further (or as far as our finite knowledge can carry us) the probable permanency of the Cosmos or of the order of nature and man in the main as now existing ; under which head are illustrations from Natural History,Geology, Antiquarian Research, Biology, or Embryology, &c. 154-211

A CONTEMPLATION of other Scenes and objects of nature intended to further enlighten us and to exalt our conceptions of the character of the Deity, under which head is illustrated the infinity of ideas which existed eternally in the Creator's mind from a consideration of the diversified display of created objects in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms of the earth. 211-236

On Crystallization, its varieties, &c 236-242

On Light, the Prism, the Spectrum, Specti'al Analysis, &c. 242-261 The Rainbow ^ 261-267

On Colors, and other effects of Light 267-272

Complementary, or Accidental colors 272-281

8 CONTENTS.

PAGE.

On AsTEONOjsrr, preliminary explanations, proofs of the earth's rotuudit}-, diurnal motions ; circles, degrees, &c. ; the horizon, eclijjses, conjunction and opposition, annual motion, phenomena arising from the

earth's motion 281-313

The Planet Vulcan 320-321

The Planet Mercury; appearance of the Heavens as

viewed from Mercury 321-324

The Planet Venus ; appearance of the Heavens as

viewed from Venus 324r-330

The Earth, its motions, its magnitude, its celestial phenomena, its siderial and solar day and year, &c. . . 330-338 The Moon; appearance of the Heavens as viewed fa-om

The Planet Mars ; appearance of the Heavens as viewed

from Mars 352-356

The Minor Planets or Asteroids ; the Heavens as

viewed from the Minor Planets 356-858

The Planet Jupiter and his Satellites ; the Heavens as

viewed from the Satellites and from Jupiter 358-364

The Planet Saturn, his Satellites and Rings ; some phenomena of the Satellites as viewed from the surface of Saturn, d-escription of the Rings, and scenery of the Heavens as viewed from Saturn, his Satellites

and Rings 364-377

The Planet Uranus and his Satellites ; the Heavens as

ihej appear from Uranus 377-381

The Planet Neptune; the Heavens as viewed from Neptune 381-387

The Attraction of Gravitation explained 387-389

Kepler the discoverer of the proper motions of Existence

and his Laws 389-391

Sir Isaac Newton, the discoverer of the modes of existence and his Deductions 391-395

The Tldes explained 395-398

On Co^iets 398-406

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights ; the

Mariner's Lights 412-414

The Fixed Stars ; double Stars ; colored and variable Stars — as to the mode of classification of the Stars into magnitudes, &c., as to the motions and position in space of the Sun and the Solar System

— temporary Stars 414-426

Clusters and Nebulae, vaiiable Nebulas 426-435

The Nebular Hypothesis 435-436

Conclusion of Part First 449-453

Is Science ReconcilablS WITH Religion? 453-472

CREATOR AND COSMOS.