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 contents

< >
< >
page |< < (39) of 370 > >|
21939That the Earth may be a Planet. appearance. we do not oppoſe this to rea-
lity;
but 'tis implied, that this reality is not
abſolute, and in the nature of the thing it
ſelf, but only relative, and in reference to
us.
I may ſay, a Candle is a bigger Light
than a Star, or the Moon, becauſe it is re-
ally ſo to me.
However any one will think
this to be ſpoken, only in relation to its ap-
pearance, and not to be underſtood as if
the thing were ſo in it ſelf.
But (by the
way) it does concern Fromondus to maintain
11DeMeteor.
lib. 4 c 2.
art. 5.
the Scripture's Authority, in revealing of
natural Secrets;
becauſe, from thence it is
that he fetches the chief Argument for that
ſtrange Aſſertion of his, concerning the hea-
vineſs of the Wind;
where Job ſays, that
22Job 28.25. God makes the weight for the Wind.
Thus
likewiſe, becauſe the common People uſual-
ly think the Rain to proceed from ſome
Waters in the Expanſum:
therefore doth
Moſes, in reference to this erroneous Con-
ceit, tell us of Waters above the Firmament,
and the Windows of Heaven :
Of which,
ſaith Calvin, Nimis ſerviliter literæ ſe aſtrin-
33Comment.
in Pſalm.
148. 4.
gunt, &
c. 'Such Men too ſervilely tie them-
‘ ſelves unto the Letter of the Text, who
‘ hence conclude, that there is a Sea in the
‘ Heavens :
when as we know, that Moſes
‘ and the Prophets, to accommodate them-
‘ ſelves unto the capacity of ruder People,
‘ do uſe a vulgar expreſſion;
and therefore
‘ it would be a prepoſterous courſe, to re-
‘ duce their phraſes unto the exact Rules of
‘ Philoſophy.
Let me add, that from

Text layer

  • Dictionary

Text normalization

  • Original

Search


  • Exact
  • All forms
  • Fulltext index
  • Morphological index