The Bridgewater Treatises
on the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God,
As Manifested in the Creation.

___________

Treatise III.

ASTRONOMY AND GENERAL PHYSICS

Considered with Reference to Natural Theology


BY

THE REV. WILLIAM WHEWELL, M.A.,
Fellow and Tutor of Trinity College,
Cambridge





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PHILADELPHIA:
Carey, Lee & Blanchard
Chestnut Street

1833


This electronic edition prepared by Dr. David C. Bossard
from original documents in his personal library.

284 pages


March, 2007.

Copyright © 2007 by David C. Bossard.



CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION

I. Object of the Present Treatise  013  014  015  016  017
II. On Laws of Nature  017  018  019  020
III. Mutual Adaptation of Laws of Nature  020  021  022  023
IV. Division of the Subject  023  024  025

BOOK I

TERRESTRIAL ADAPTATIONS 
025  026  027  028

I. The Length of the Year   028  029  030  031  032  033  034  035  036  037
II. The Length of the Day   037  038  039  040  041  042  043
III. The Mass of the Earth   043  044  045  046  047  048  049  050
IV. The Magnitude of the Ocean   050  051
V. The Magnitude of the Atmosphere   051  052
VI. The Constancy and Variety of Climates   052  053  054  055  056  057
VII. The Variety of Organization corresponding to the Variety of Climate   057  058  059  060  061  062  063  064  065  066
VIII. The Constituents of Climate  066  
The Laws of Heat with respect to the Earth    067  068  069  070
IX.    The Laws of Heat with respect to Water   070  071  072  073  074  075  076  077  078  079  080  081
X.     The Laws of Heat with respect to Air   081  082  083  084  085  086  087  088  089  090  091
XI.    The Laws of Electricity   091  092  093
XII.   The Laws of Magnetism   093
XIII.  The Properties of Light with regard to Vegetation   094  095  096
XIV.  Sound   096  097  098  099  100  101  102
XV.   The Atmosphere   102  103  104
XVI.  Light   104  105  106  107  108  109  110  111
XVI1. The Ether   111  112  113
XVIII. Recapitulation   113  114  115  116  117  118  119


BOOK II

COSMICAL ARRANGEMENTS 
119  120

I.      The Structure of the Solar System   121  122  123
II.     The Circular Orbits of the Planets round the Sun   123  124  125  126  127
III.    The Stability of the Solar System   127  128  129  130  131  132  133  134
IV.    The Sun in the Centre   134  135  136  137
V.     The Satellites   137  138  139  140
VI.    The Stability of the Ocean   140  141  142  143
VII.   The Nebular Hypothesis   143  144  145  146  147  148  149  150
VIII.  The Existence of a Resisting Medium in the Solar System   150  151  152  153  154  155  156  157  158  159  160  161  162  163
IX.     Mechanical Laws   163  164  165  166
X.      The Law of Gravitation   166  167  168  169  170  171  172  173  174  175  176  177  178
XI.     The Laws of Motion   178  179  180  181  182  183
XII.    Friction   183  184  185  186  187  188  189  190  191  192  193

BOOK III

RELIGIOUS VIEWS 
193  194

I. The Creator of the Physical World is the Governor of the Moral World   195  196  197  198  199  200  201  202  203  204  205
II. On the Vastness of the Universe   205  206  207  208  209  210  211  212
III. On Man's Place in the Universe   212  213  214  215  216  217  218  219  220  221  222  223
IV. On the Impression produced by the Contemplation of Laws of Nature; or, on the Conviction that Law implies Mind   223  224  225  226  227  228  229  230
V. On Inductive Habits; or, on the impression produced on Men's Minds by discovering Laws of Nature   230  231  232  233  234  235  236  237  238  239  240  241  242  243
VI. On Deductive Habits; or, on the Impression produced on Men's Minds by tracing the Consequences of ascertained Laws  243  244  245  246  247  248  249  250  251  252  253  254  255  256  257
VII. On Final Causes   257  258  259  260  261  262  263  264  265  266  267
VIII. On the Physical Agency of the Deity   267  268  269  270  271  272  273
IX. On the Impression produced by considering the Nature and Prospects of Science; or, on the Impossibility of the Progress of our Knowledge ever enabling us to comprehend the Nature of the Deity   273  274  275  276  277  278  279  280  281  282  283  284