1made the Sacred Writers, in the points that were not neceſſary
to ſalvation, to accommodate themſelves more to the received
uſe, than to the true Eſſence of things: Of which S. Hierom
treating, writeth: (k) As if many things were not ſpoken in
the Holy Scriptures according to the judgement of thoſe times
in which they were acted, and not according to that which
truth contained. And elſewhere, the ſame Saint: (l) It is the cu
ſtome for the Pen-men of Scripture, to deliver their Judgments in
many things, according to the common received opinion that their
times had of them. And ^{*} S. Thomas Aquinas in Job upon thoſe
words, Qui extendit Aquilonem ſuper vacuum, & appendit
Terram ſuper nihilum: Noteth that the Scripture calleth that
ſpace Vacuum and Nihilum, which imbraceth and invironeth the
Earth, and which we know, not to be empty, bat filled with Air;
Nevertheleſſe, ſaith he, The Scripture to comply with the appre
henſion of the Vulgar, who think that in that ſame ſpace there
is nothing, calleth it Vacuum and Nihilum. Here the words of
S. Thomas, Quod de ſuperiori Hæmiſphærio Cœli nibil nobis ap
paret, niſi ſpatium aëre plenum, quod vulgares homines reputant
Vacnum; loquitur enim ſecundum exiſtimationem vulgarium ho
minum, prout eſt mos in Sacra Scriptura. Now from this Place
I think one may very Logically argue, That the Sacred Scripture
for the ſame reſpect had much more reaſon to phraſe the Sun mo
veable, and the Earth immoveable. For if we ſhould try the ca
pacity of the Common People, we ſhould find them much more
unapt to be perſwaded of the ſtability of the Sun, and Motion
of the Earth, than that the ſpace that environeth it is full of Air.
Therefore if the ſacred Authors, in this point, which had not ſo
much difficulty to be beat into the capacity of the Vulgar, have
notwithſtanding forborn to attempt perſwading them unto it, it
muſt needs ſeem very reaſonable that in other Propoſitions much
more abſtruſe they have obſerved the ſame ſtile. Nay Copernicus
himſelf, knowing what power an antiquated cuſtome and way
of conceiving things become familiar to us from our infancy
hath in our Fancy, that he might not increaſe confuſion and dif
ficulty in our apprehenſions, after he had firſt demonſtrated,
That the Motions which appear to us to belong to the Sun, or to
the Firmament, are really in the Earth; in proceeding after
wards to reduce rhem into Tables, and to apply them to uſe, he
calleth them the Motions of the Sun, and of the Heaven that is
above the Planets; expreſly terming them the Riſing and Set
ting of the Sun and Stars; and mutations in the obliquity of
the Zodiack, and variations in the points of the Equinoxes, the
Middle Motion, Anomalia, Proſthaphæreſis of the Sun; and ſuch
other things; which do in reality belong to the Earth: But
to ſalvation, to accommodate themſelves more to the received
uſe, than to the true Eſſence of things: Of which S. Hierom
treating, writeth: (k) As if many things were not ſpoken in
the Holy Scriptures according to the judgement of thoſe times
in which they were acted, and not according to that which
truth contained. And elſewhere, the ſame Saint: (l) It is the cu
ſtome for the Pen-men of Scripture, to deliver their Judgments in
many things, according to the common received opinion that their
times had of them. And ^{*} S. Thomas Aquinas in Job upon thoſe
words, Qui extendit Aquilonem ſuper vacuum, & appendit
Terram ſuper nihilum: Noteth that the Scripture calleth that
ſpace Vacuum and Nihilum, which imbraceth and invironeth the
Earth, and which we know, not to be empty, bat filled with Air;
Nevertheleſſe, ſaith he, The Scripture to comply with the appre
henſion of the Vulgar, who think that in that ſame ſpace there
is nothing, calleth it Vacuum and Nihilum. Here the words of
S. Thomas, Quod de ſuperiori Hæmiſphærio Cœli nibil nobis ap
paret, niſi ſpatium aëre plenum, quod vulgares homines reputant
Vacnum; loquitur enim ſecundum exiſtimationem vulgarium ho
minum, prout eſt mos in Sacra Scriptura. Now from this Place
I think one may very Logically argue, That the Sacred Scripture
for the ſame reſpect had much more reaſon to phraſe the Sun mo
veable, and the Earth immoveable. For if we ſhould try the ca
pacity of the Common People, we ſhould find them much more
unapt to be perſwaded of the ſtability of the Sun, and Motion
of the Earth, than that the ſpace that environeth it is full of Air.
Therefore if the ſacred Authors, in this point, which had not ſo
much difficulty to be beat into the capacity of the Vulgar, have
notwithſtanding forborn to attempt perſwading them unto it, it
muſt needs ſeem very reaſonable that in other Propoſitions much
more abſtruſe they have obſerved the ſame ſtile. Nay Copernicus
himſelf, knowing what power an antiquated cuſtome and way
of conceiving things become familiar to us from our infancy
hath in our Fancy, that he might not increaſe confuſion and dif
ficulty in our apprehenſions, after he had firſt demonſtrated,
That the Motions which appear to us to belong to the Sun, or to
the Firmament, are really in the Earth; in proceeding after
wards to reduce rhem into Tables, and to apply them to uſe, he
calleth them the Motions of the Sun, and of the Heaven that is
above the Planets; expreſly terming them the Riſing and Set
ting of the Sun and Stars; and mutations in the obliquity of
the Zodiack, and variations in the points of the Equinoxes, the
Middle Motion, Anomalia, Proſthaphæreſis of the Sun; and ſuch
other things; which do in reality belong to the Earth: But
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