ARCTURUSWITHHISSONS 111alization. From limited records we have of those
days,we seethattherewasnosuchideathenpreva-
lent. The understanding of star distances and star
motionswasentirelyoutsidethekenofthe ordinary
mortal. Therefore a person who would asksuch a
questionas theone wehave quoted,mustriseabove
all the astronomical knowledge or ignorance of his
time, and declare that the stars were moving, and
further,wereunderguidanceoftheCreatoroftheir
movement. Again, itwouldbenecessary forhimto
knowthatsomeofthestarsweremovingmuchmore
swiftly thanothers; and further, he would have to
knowatleastoneofthesemoreswiftlymovingbodies,
andbeabletonameit. ThistheWorddoeswithout
hesitation. ItselectsthatbrilliantstarArcturus. It
isthefourthorfifthbrighteststarintheheavens. Yet
thespeakerselectsthisstar,callsman'sattentiontothe
factthatitismovingwithextraordinarypowerinits
positionintheheavens,guidedbytheinfinitehandof
theCreator;andthequestionisasked,Couldyoudo
athinglikethat?
Furthermore, there was then no means by which
mancouldmeasureeitherstardistancesorstarmove-
ments. Such a work required the telescope, fitted
witha micrometer, and it required aknowledge of
mathematicsnotinvogueatthattime. TheChaldeans,
whopossessedthebulkofastronomicalknowledgein
thosedays,couldnotsurveylandunlesstheyactually
passedoveritwiththemeasuring rodorline. Our
presentsystemoftriangulationtheydidnothave;and
soweknowthattheydidnothaveanysuchknowledge