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

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3422That the Moon may be a World. you muſt know, that ’tis beſide the Scope of
the Old Teſtament or the New, to diſcover
any thing untous concerning the Secrets in Phi-
loſopy;
’tis not his intent in the New Teſta-
ment, ſince we cannot conceive how it might
any way belong either to the Hiſtorical, Exe-
getical, or Prophetical parts of it;
nor is it
his intent in the Old Teſtament, as is well ob-
ſerv'd by our Country-Man, Mr.
WRIGHT,
11In Epiſt. ad
Gilber.
Non Moſis aut Prophetarum inſtitutam fuiſſe vi-
detur Mathematicas aliquas aut Phyſicas ſubtili-
tates promulgare, ſed ad vulgi captum &
loquen-
di morem, quemadmodum nutrices infantulis ſo-
lent, ſeſe accommodare.
’Tis not the endeavour
of Moſes, or the Prophets, to diſcover any
Mathematical or Philoſophical Subtilties,
but rather to accommodate themſelves to Vul-
gar Capacities, and ordinary Speech, as Nur-
ſes are wont to uſe their Infants.
True in-
deed, Moſes is there to handle the Hiſtory of
the Creation.
But ’tis certain (ſaith Calvin)
that his purpoſe is to treat only of the viſible
22Calvin in
1 Gen.
form of the World, and thoſe parts of it,
which might be moſt eaſily underſtood by the
Ignorant and Ruder ſort of People, and there-
fore we are not thence to expect the diſcovery
of any Natural Secret.
Artes reconditas aliun-
de diſcat qui volet;
hic Spiritus Dei omnes ſi-
mul ſine exceptione docere voluit.
As for more
hidden Arts, they muſt be looked for elſe-
where;
the Holy Ghoſt did here intend to in-
ſtruct all without exception.
And therefore
’tis obſerved, That Moſes does not any where
meddle with ſuch matters as were very hard to
be conceiv'd;
for being to inform the

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