An APPENDIX.

Containing a few remarks upon the alteration of the Stile, and the Date of the Year, to prove, that according to the motion of the Heavenly Bodies, no time has been lost.

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N the 19th Pfalm, Verse 1ft, it is thus written, The Heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament fheweth his handy work. Now this Text of Scripture, refpects the harmonious order and motion of the Cæleftial Bodies, which are ftrong and convincing Teftimonies of his incomprehenfible Wisdom and Power. Day unto day uttering fpeech, and night unto night fhewing knowledge. There is no fpeech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Now therefore as the Sun has fuch a regular and uniform motion, what occafion was there to alter the Stile, which put the whole nation into fuch Confufion and Diforder, and if this was done to oblige the Merchants, (by their Petition to Parliament) in order that they might fettle their foreign Accompts, with more Expedition, Eafe, and Facility: yet its difplacing of time, and thereby making two Sorts of it, viz. old time and new time; an Inftance, I think, that can never be paralleled, and certainly will leave Pofterity to reflect upon us. We are all fenfible, that it is above the reach of human power to make a new tabernacle for the Sun, or even pretend to fix bounds, or limits, to his course; because this is a fupernatural work. And it's as obvious to human reafon and understanding, as well

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as confpicuous and vifible to our naked Eyes, that no time has been loft, because the Sun's entrance into the twelve Signs of the Zodiac is equally the fame now as it was in former Ages. And more particularly when he enters the Equinoctial, or into thofe Glorious Conftellations called Aries and Libra; which is twice a Year, about the tenth of March, and the eleventh of September, thereby making equal day and night all over the Globe of the Earth. And likewife again, when he enters the Tropicks, or into thofe Glorious Conftellations called Cancer and Capricorn; (which are the utmoft bounds and limits of the Sun's courfe) and which alfo is twice a Year, about the tenth of June, and the eleventh of December, thereby making the longeft and fhorteft Days; all which in refpect to time are ftill unchangeable, but was there the leaft variation in the Sun's motion, then confequently thefe days muft have varied; but we find they are not, nor I conceive never will, until the great Conflagration, when as that venerable Poet, Old Shakespear obferves; The Gorgeous Palaces, the Solemn Temples, the great Globe itself, and all which it inherits fhall diffolve; and time like the amazing Appearance of a Vision, shall vanish away, and be no more. Nay, Horology, or the Art of Shadows, even upon a common Sun-Dial, will manifefty and vifibly prove feveral ways, by ocular demonftration. Moreover, to vindicate the old Stile, by the Cæleftial Motions; the firft proof that I fhall advance is, the rotation of the Sun upon his own Axis, which is once in about twentyfeven days; as has been proved by Telescopical Obfervations, from the motion of certain Spots, at fometimes appearing in his Body. And by other Mathematical and Accurate Obfervations it's made

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appear, according to the femidiameter of the Sun and Earth, that the Globe of the Sun, exceeds the Globe of the Earth in Magnitude 258309 times. Now therefore, was there any time loft, it is impoffible for fuch an immenfe Body as the Sun is, to accomplish this Revolution upon his own Axis, within the time mentioned.

The next Proof I fhall bring is, the diurnal revolution of the Earth upon her Equinoctial Poles, which is once in twenty-four hours from Weft to Eaft; whereby the whole Phoenomena is folved, and the vifible Appearances of the Sun and fixt Stars in the Glorious Canopy of the Starry Heavens, which fpangle and twinkle with fuch refplendent Luftre; as far excelling the Splendor of the most glittering Diamonds, as the Heavens furpass the Earth, in Glory and Beauty. Upon this Propofition, if these eleven days were loft, then all those glorious Appearances according to the old time, would vanish and come to nought, fince it would alter the Latitude of the Planets, change the Pofition of the fixt Stars, diminish the Parallaxes, and in a word, throw the heavenly bodies into diforder and confufion. Another Proof is, the Eclipfes of the two Grand Luminaries. The Phænomena of thefe, is very wonderful and furprising, because they are to be calculated by fome Tables of Aftronomy now extant, for fix thousand Years before they appear, according to the old Stile; but were they to be predicted by the new one, there confequently must be raised a new Theory and Tables of the Cæleftial Motions, otherwife this great work can never be accomplished. And which is fuch a ftrong and pregnant Proof, that no time has been loft, that I fhall forbear to dwell upon it any longer. The fourth Proof is the Parallax; the meaning

meaning whereof is this, It's the difference between the true Place of a Planet, and its vifible Place; or in plainer words, that a Planet appears to us, where it is not. Now this paralactic Angle is the very foundation of Aftronomy, and without the knowledge of which, the Cæleftial Motions can't be accounted for, nor the Eclipfes of the Sun be ever calculated, nor any new discoveries of the heavenly bodies made. Therefore was this Angle to be calculated according to the new Stile, then confequently there ought to be compofed a new Plan of Aftronomy, according to the beft Obfervations, and inoft rational Grounds of Art; otherwife, these motions would be false, which is a demonftration that there is no time loft. The next Affertion I fhall make, is the Motion of Comets, which have been predicted an hundred Years before their Appearance. Now thefe bodies according to modern discoveries, are proved to be compact and durable, and are illuminated by the Sun; and when they are in their Perihelion, or neareft the Sun, their motion is swifteft, but when they are in their Aphelion, or greateft diftance from the Sun, their motion is floweft; because then they lofe their Magnetic Power, and the Attraction of the heavenly bodies; and as their Orbits are for extremely excentric, this is the reafon why they are fo long before they vifit again our System, and appear amongst the Orbs of the Planets, and why they are fo quick in their return again, even up to the most confummate Height. I fay now had there been any tiine loft, thefe Comets could never have been calculated, which we find by Experience, make their Appearances according to the computation of the old Time, and therefore contradicts the new Stile, and buries it in Oblivion. The laft Proof

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Proof that I fhall offer, is the revolution of the primary Planets round the Sun, whofe motions are regular and uniform, according to the everlafting decree of the great Jehovah. And it is now proved by the beft obfervations, that they perform their periodical Courses within the fame time now, as they have done in paft Ages, but if these eleven days were loft, it would be impoffible, and which is a fufficient demonftration to answer my Purpose. Now what a magnificent idea of the Divine Being, must the boundless extent, and the immenfe Magnitude of the Universe raise in us, who is here and every where present, displaying his infinite Wisdom, Power, and Excellency, amongst all his Creatures.

As to the Alteration of the Date of the Year, is very commendable; because it makes time run regular with the months, and is more adapted to bufinefs. But that fractional part of time which was cuftomary between January and March, (before the old date commenced) I always looked upon to be useless and infignificant, as well as incommodious to Trade; and never could conceive for what reafon it was invented. But now the reason why the old date used to commence on the 25th of March, was fuppofed by the Ancients to be the very day on which God created the Heavens and the Earth, and if fo, then confequently that muft be the beginning of time, and from thence the date thereof ought to be taken, but as we cannot be pofitively certain of that day, I fhall therefore leave it to the Contemplation and Judgment of our modern Chronologifts.

Since the Alteration of the Stile, it is very remarkable, that the generous and good old times are dwindled into nothing, and now instead of their being better, they are degenerating more and more;

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