The Discovery of a World in the Moone | Page 9

the common
people as well as others, he does it after a vulgar way, as it is
commonly noted, declaring the originall chiefely of those things which
were obvious to the sense, and being silent of other things, which then
could not well be apprehended. And therefore Aquinas observes,[2] that
Moses writes nothing of the aire, because that being invisible, the
people knew not whether there were any such body or no. And for this
very reason Saint Austin also thinkes that there is nothing exprest
concerning the creation of Angels which notwithstanding are as
remarkable parts of the creatures, and as fit to be knowne as another
world. And therefore the Holy Ghost too uses such vulgar expressions

which set things forth rather as they appeare, then as they are,[3] as
when he calls the Moone one of the greater lights #hame'orot
hagdolim# whereas 'tis the least, but one that wee can see in the whole
heavens. So afterwards speaking of the great raine which drowned the
world,[4] he saies, the windowes of heaven were opened, because it
seemed to come with that violence, as if it were, poured out from
windows in the Firmament.[5] So that the phrases which the Holy
Ghost uses concerning these things are not to be understood in a literall
sense; but rather as vulgar expressions, and this rule is set downe by
Saint Austin, where speaking concerning that in the Psalme, who
stretched the earth upon the waters,[6] hee notes, that when the words
of Scripture shall seeme to contradict common sense or experience,
there are they to be understood in a qualified sense, and not according
to the letter. And 'tis observed that for want of this rule, some of the
ancients have fastened strange absurdities upon the words of the
Scripture. So Saint Ambrose esteemed it a heresie, to thinke, that the
Sunne and starres were not very hot, as being against the words of
Scripture,[7] Psalm. 19. 6. where the Psalmist sayes that there is
nothing that is hid from the heate of the Sunne. So others there are that
would prove the heavens not to be round, out of that place, Psal. 104. 2.
Hee stretcheth out the heavens like a curtaine.[8] So Procopius also
was of opinion, that the earth was founded upon the waters, nay, he
made it part of his faith, proving it out of Psal. 24. 2. Hee hath founded
the earth upon the seas, and established it upon the flouds. These and
such like absurdities have followed, when men looke for the grounds of
Philosophie in the words of Scripture. So that from what hath beene
said, I may conclude that the silence of Scripture concerning any other
world is not sufficient argument to prove that there is none. Thus for
the two first arguments.
[Sidenote 1: In Epist. ad Gilbert.]
[Sidenote 2: Part 1. Q. 68. Art. 3.]
[Sidenote 3: Gen. 1. 16]
[Sidenote 4: Gen. 11.]

[Sidenote 5: Sr. W. Rawly c. 7. §. 6.]
[Sidenote 6: l. 2. in Gen. / Psal. 136. 6.]
[Sidenote 7: Wisd. 2. 4. 17. 5. / Ecclus. 43. 3. 4.]
[Sidenote 8: Com. in c. 1. Gen.]
Unto the third, I may answer, that this very example is quoted by others,
to shew the ignorance of those primative times, who did sometimes
condemne what they did not understand, and have often censur'd the
lawfull & undoubted parts of Mathematiques for hereticall, because
they themselves could not perceive a reason of it, and therefore their
practise in this particular, is no sufficient testimony against us.
But lastly I answer to all the above named objections, that the terme
World, may be taken in a double sense, more generally for the whole
Universe, as it implies in it the elementary and æthereall bodies, the
starres and the earth. Secondly, more particularly for an inferiour
World consisting of elements. Now the maine drift of all these
arguments, is to confute a plurality of worlds in the first sense, and if
there were any such, it might, perhaps, seeme strange, that Moses, or St.
John should either not know, or not mention its creation. And Virgilius
was condemned for this opinion, because he held, quòd sit alius
mundus sub terrâ, aliusque Sol & Luna, (as Baronius) that within our
globe of earth, there was another world, another Sunne and Moone, and
so he might seeme to exclude this from the number of the other
creatures.
But now there is no such danger in this opinion, which is here delivered,
since this world said to be in the Moone, whose creation is particularly
exprest.
So that in the first sense I yeeld, that there is but one world, which is all
that the arguments do prove, but understand it in the second