20323That the Earth may be a Planet.
ſelf unto the conceit of the Vulgar, and the
uſual Opinion: whereas, if in the more
proper phraſe it had been ſaid, That the
Earth did riſe and ſet; or, that the Earth
ſtood ſtill, & c. the People who had been
unacquainted with that ſecret in Philoſophy,
would not have underſtood the meaning of
it, and therefore it was convenient, that they
ſhould be ſpoken unto in their own Lan-
guage.
uſual Opinion: whereas, if in the more
proper phraſe it had been ſaid, That the
Earth did riſe and ſet; or, that the Earth
ſtood ſtill, & c. the People who had been
unacquainted with that ſecret in Philoſophy,
would not have underſtood the meaning of
it, and therefore it was convenient, that they
ſhould be ſpoken unto in their own Lan-
guage.
Ay, but you will reply, It ſhould ſeem more
likely, if there had been any ſuch thing,
that the Holy Ghoſt ſhould uſe the trueſt
expreſſions: for then he would at the ſame
time have informed them of the thing, and
reformed them in an error: ſince his Autho-
rity alone had been ſufficient to have recti-
fied the Miſtake.
likely, if there had been any ſuch thing,
that the Holy Ghoſt ſhould uſe the trueſt
expreſſions: for then he would at the ſame
time have informed them of the thing, and
reformed them in an error: ſince his Autho-
rity alone had been ſufficient to have recti-
fied the Miſtake.
I anſwer:
1.
Though it were, yet ’tis be-
ſide the chief ſcope of thoſe place, to inſtruct
us in any Philoſophical Points, as hath
been proved in the former Book ; eſpecially
when theſe things are neither neceſſary in
themſelves, nor do neceſſarily induce to a
more full underſtanding of that which is the
main buſineſs of thoſe Scriptures. But now
the People might better conceive the mean-
ing of the Holy Ghoſt, when he does con-
form himſelf unto their Capacities and Opi-
nions, than when he talks exactly of things
in ſuch a proper phraſe, as is beyond their
reach: And therefore ’tis ſaid in Iſaiah, I
am the Lord, which teacheth thee utilia, profi-
table things: where the gloſs has it, non
ſide the chief ſcope of thoſe place, to inſtruct
us in any Philoſophical Points, as hath
been proved in the former Book ; eſpecially
when theſe things are neither neceſſary in
themſelves, nor do neceſſarily induce to a
more full underſtanding of that which is the
main buſineſs of thoſe Scriptures. But now
the People might better conceive the mean-
ing of the Holy Ghoſt, when he does con-
form himſelf unto their Capacities and Opi-
nions, than when he talks exactly of things
in ſuch a proper phraſe, as is beyond their
reach: And therefore ’tis ſaid in Iſaiah, I
am the Lord, which teacheth thee utilia, profi-
table things: where the gloſs has it, non