[Margin: Form of the Argument.]

[I.] If, sense being forsaken, and by following certain congruent reasons, it is permitted to feign such a system as Aristarchus and Copernicus feigned, there will be no certain System in Astronomy, but it will be permitted to anyone ingenious and imbued with Astronomical erudition to feign many diverse systems. But this seems unfitting. Therefore, etc.

The Major is proved: for someone could place the Moon at the center of the universe (as Mr. Baliani once thought, from what is said in ch. 15); or any one of the Planets, if not all together; or — the Earth being established at the center of the World but turned only by the diurnal motion — [could] move the Sun up and down in a libratory circle, as Fr. Francesco Maria Grimaldi once thought, for the sake of exercise, but not with the mind of asserting it; and so of like [systems].

[Margin: Response.]

It is responded by denying the sequel of the Major: for from one system determined by Aristarchus or Copernicus, it does not follow that others can be feigned equally good, and consequently rendering Astronomy uncertain; but only it follows that either [one] must stand by the Copernican [system], or another of equal perfection must be feigned — which the Copernicans will deny can be done.

✠ [Chapter XXXII ends here.]