SECOND EDITION—Enlarged. ZETETIC COSMOGONY: ox Conclusive Evidence THAT THE WORLD IS NOT A ROTATING—REVOLVING—GLOBE, BUT A STATIONARY PLANE CIRCLE. By “RECTANGLE.” Burkan; T. L, CULLINGWORTH, PRINTER AX FIELD STREET.PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. ——>—— Since the first edition of this work—an unpretentious pamphlet of 48 pages—was published, so much interest in the subject has been manifested, that a second edition is without doubt called for. In fact, long after the first edition was exhausted, letters from various parts of the world, were received, asking for copies, which, to our regret, could not be supplied. In that pamphlet very much of the evidence we had accumulated from various sources had to be omitted, so as to reduce what otherwise would have been a bulky volume to a short treatise; retaining sufficient evidence to convince the minds of those who would take cognizance of and duly estimate proved facts of nature. Our labours have not been in vain. Many have been enabled to see through the delusions of modern astronomy. Letters from. various parts testify that, in some cases, men and women have begun to make use of their’ brain-power, which had been stunted and dwarfed by acceptation, without the slightest proof, of the unscientific, unreasonable, un- natural, and infidel teachings of men foisted upon a credulous public in the name of “ Science.” Others again, tell that the writers have thrown to the moles and to the bats the world-wide and almost unwersasy- believed hoax that we are living on a whirling sea-eaeeii globe, revolving faster than a cannon-ball travels, rushing through “space” at a rate beyond human power to conceive, and flying—with the whole of the so-called solar-system—in another direction twenty times the speed of its rotation. To the Editors of newspapers, who, whether favourably or unfavourably, reviewed the pamphlet, our thanks are due, and now respectfully tendered. This edition is sent forth with the assurance of the Divine blessing and the firm conviction that TRUTH IS STRONG AND MUST PREVAIL. T.W. 12, CasTLe Burtpines, Durban, Natal, South Africa, November, 1899CONTENTS. Assumptions ... Age of the Earth Aeronauti oe ntrasts ntradictions Circumnavigation Curvature Canals .. Disappearance of Ships Distances Fluids ... Figure of the Earth Growth of the Earth. Gravitation Geology Horizon, The... Level On the Term. Lighthouses... Midnight Sun, The . Motions of the Earth Moon, The Moon, Eclipses of the Magnetism Navigation Pendulum, The Plurality of Worlds, Planets, The ... Parallel Lines. On Railways - Rivers ... Ridicule Sun, The Sun's Distanc Sun's Diameter Stars, The Star Distances Season's, The. Signals... Surveying Science APPENDIX. Earth an Irregular Plane 5, Evolution =. iy New Scriptures, The 155 Truth will Conquer ... iy Glory of God, The 159 How Old is the Kart ree Our Earth Motionless- 167, Vindication of the Divine Cosmogony 185ERRATA. Introduction.—1st Page, line 16 from bottom, for zmbers read number. Page 5.—Line 13 from bottom, for i its b:st dress we are read am tts best dress, we are &C. Page 19.—Begin 2nd line from bottom with wl éell you and commence last line with she world 15 a globe. Page 31.—Line 20 from top, for safute read statute, Page 73.—Line 23 from top, for place read places. Page 104.—Bottom line, for everthing read everything. Page 113.—Line 2 from bottom, for 1869 read 1769. Page 141.—Line 5 from bottom, for supply read apply. Page 165.—Line 6 from top, for 50 read 500. Page 183.—Line 12 from bottom, for gigantic an numerous read gigantic and numerous.ZETETIC COSMOGONY: ox CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE. THAT THE WORLD IS NOT A ROTATING—REVOLVING—GLOBE. ASSUMPTIONS. In order to account for natural phenomena in keeping with the assertions of the learned, many hypotheses have to be laid down, and many unfounded assumptions are abso- lutely necessary to support the unsound fabric of astronomical imagination. In “ Modern Science and Modern Thought,” by S. Laing, the following occurs on page 51 :— “What is the material universe composed of? Ether, Matter, and Energy. Ether is not actually known to us by any test of which the senses can take cognizance, but it is a_sort of mathematical substance WHICH WE ARE COMPELLED TO ASSUME IN ORDER TO ACCOUNT for the phenomena of light and heat.” ‘Whatever explanation may be furnished regarding light and heat on this basis, must be discarded as utterly untrust- worthy, because the premises are assumed. Once upon a time it was stated that “the stars were motionless,” but as soon as assumption was allowed to talk, the scene was changed, for, as Scdence Siftings informs us (Vol. 6, page 39), “‘as soon as it was CONJECTURED that the stars were subject to the law of gravitation, it was inferred that they were not motionless.” Professor Huxley had to resort to assumption to account for the disappearance of ships at sea, although had he known the truth of the matter, or taken the trouble to enquire, his unwarranted assumptions would have been totally woneces- sary. sHe says: “We assume the convexity of the water, because we know of no other way to explain the appearance and disappearance of ships at sea.” What learning! What profound wisdom! If we “know of no other way ” it is better to admit the fact and wait until we “have found out some other way” to explain the diffi- culty, if there is any. Knowledge is gained by practical investigation and experience, and has no need of the assist- ance of assumption to provide an excuse for ignorance. If water could be proved to he convex, there would be no need to assume it to be so. We should have many proofs and abundant evidence of the fact. But the fact that water has been proved to be level, hundreds of times, makes it necessary for those who refuse to believe proved facts which tell against their theory, to resort to assumption to maintain their un- reasoning position. And yet this same Professor, in his book “Science and Culture” says “the assertion which outstrips evidence is not only a blunder but a crime.” The assertion, therefore, that water is convex against proof furnished many times over that it is level, is not only a blunder, but a crime. AGE OF THE EARTH. This is a subject which has been much speculated upon, T shall quote a few of the more prominent assumptions. Sir Robert Ball, in his “Story of the Heavens,” pages 169 and 170, tells us that “We cannot pretend to know how many thousands of millions of years ago this epoch was, but we may be sure that earlier still the earth was even hotter, until at length we seem to see the temperature increase to a red heat, from a red heat we look back to a still earlier age when the earth was white hot, back again till we find the surface of our now solid globe was ACTUALLY MOLTEN.” But imagination goes still further than this. In “Our place among Infinities,” by R. A, Proctor, pages 9 and to, we find the following :— « Let it suffice that we recognise as one of the earliest stages of our earth's history, her condition as a rotating MASS OF GLOWING VAPOUR, capturing then as now, bok far more6 stituent parts as the earth. Iron, Salt, &c., are said to be elements of the sun’s composition, and as the earth contains these and other minerals, it is a globe or planet like the other heavenly bodies which contain the same metals. What is known as SPECTRUM ANALYSIS is relied upon as proving this. A prism is placed in position So as to intercept the sun’s rays, and the colours seen through this instrument, red, orange, yellow, blue, are said to be the result of the various metals