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
therefore uſes a popular phraſe: ſo as ordi- nary People, without the help of Arts and Learning, might eaſily underſtand him. And in another place, Non fuit Spiritus Sancti concilium Aſtrologiam docere : 'It was Comment. in P1. 136.‘ not the purpoſe of the Holy Ghoſt to teach ‘ us Aſtronomy : but being to propound a ‘ Doctrine, that concerns the moſt rude and ‘ ſimple People, he does (both by Moſes ‘ and the Prophets) conform himſelf unto ‘ their phraſes and conceits : leſt any ſhould ‘ think to excuſe his own ignorance with the ‘ pretence of difficulty; as Men commonly ‘ do in thoſe things which are delivered af- ‘ ter a learned and ſublime manner. Thus Zanchy likewiſe, Moſes majorem rationemDe ope- ribus Dei, par. 2. li.6. cap. 1.habuit noſtri humanique judicii, &c. 'When ‘ Moſes calls the Moon a Great Light; he ‘ had a more eſpecial reference to Mens Opi- ‘ nions of it, than to the truth of the thing ‘ it ſelf, becauſe he was to deal with ſuch, ‘ who do judg uſually, rather by their Senſe, ‘ than by their Reaſon. Nor will that di- ſtinction of Fromondus, and others, avoid this interpretation, when he tells us of Mag- nus Materialis; which refers to the bulk and quantity of the Body: and Magnum Formale, which imports the greatneſs of its Light. For we grant, that it is really unto us a greater Light than any of the Stars, or than all of them together; yet there is not any one of them, but is in it ſelf a bigger Light than this: And therefore, when we ſay this ſpeech is to be underſtood according to its