Wilkins, John, A discovery of a new world : or a discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another Habitable World in the Moon ; with a discourse concerning the Probability of a Passage thither; unto which is added, a discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove, that 'tis probable our earth is one of the Planets

Table of figures

< >
< >
page |< < (25) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div213" type="section" level="1" n="56">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2836" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="25" file="0205" n="205" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            ſhould hate that, out of love to the Error
              <lb/>
            that we have before entertained. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2837" xml:space="preserve">A little
              <lb/>
            reading may inform us how theſe Texts have
              <lb/>
            been abuſed to ſtrange and unmeant Alle-
              <lb/>
            gories, which have mentioned any natural
              <lb/>
            Truth in ſuch a manner as was not agree-
              <lb/>
            able to Mens Conceits. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2838" xml:space="preserve">And beſides, if the
              <lb/>
            Holy Ghoſt had propounded unto us any
              <lb/>
            Secrets in Philoſophy, we ſhould have been
              <lb/>
            apt to be ſo buſied about them, as to neg-
              <lb/>
            lect other Matters of greater importance.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2839" xml:space="preserve">And therefore Saint Auſtin propoſing the
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0205-01" xlink:href="note-0205-01a" xml:space="preserve">Ibid. cap. 9</note>
            Queſtion, What ſhould be the reaſon why
              <lb/>
            the Scripture does not clearly ſet down any
              <lb/>
            thing concerning the Nature, Figure, Mag-
              <lb/>
            nitude, and Motion of the Heavenly Orbs?
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2840" xml:space="preserve">he anſwers it thus: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2841" xml:space="preserve">The Holy Ghoſt being
              <lb/>
            to deliver more neceſſary Truths, would
              <lb/>
            not inſert theſe, leſt Men, according to the
              <lb/>
            pravity of their Diſpoſitions, ſhould neglect
              <lb/>
            the more weighty Matters, and beſtow their
              <lb/>
            thoughts about the ſpeculative natural
              <lb/>
            Points, which were leſs needful. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2842" xml:space="preserve">So that it
              <lb/>
            might ſeem more convenient, that the Scrip-
              <lb/>
            ture ſhould not meddle with the revealing
              <lb/>
            of theſe unlikely Secrets, eſpecially when
              <lb/>
            it is to deliver unto us many other Myſte-
              <lb/>
            ries of greater neceſſity, which ſeem to be
              <lb/>
            directly oppoſite to our ſenſe and reaſon. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2843" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            And therefore, I ſay, the Holy Ghoſt might
              <lb/>
            purpoſely omit the treating of theſe Philo-
              <lb/>
            ſophical Secrets, till time and future diſco-
              <lb/>
            very, might with leiſure ſettle them in the
              <lb/>
            opinion of others: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2844" xml:space="preserve">As he is pleaſed, in </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>