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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20525That the Earth may be a Planet. ſhould hate that, out of love to the Error
that
we have before entertained.
A little
reading
may inform us how theſe Texts have
been
abuſed to ſtrange and unmeant Alle-
gories
, which have mentioned any natural
Truth
in ſuch a manner as was not agree-
able
to Mens Conceits.
And beſides, if the
Holy
Ghoſt had propounded unto us any
Secrets
in Philoſophy, we ſhould have been
apt
to be ſo buſied about them, as to neg-
lect
other Matters of greater importance.
And therefore Saint Auſtin propoſing the
11Ibid. cap. 9 Queſtion, What ſhould be the reaſon why
the
Scripture does not clearly ſet down any
thing
concerning the Nature, Figure, Mag-
nitude
, and Motion of the Heavenly Orbs?
he anſwers it thus: The Holy Ghoſt being
to
deliver more neceſſary Truths, would
not
inſert theſe, leſt Men, according to the
pravity
of their Diſpoſitions, ſhould neglect
the
more weighty Matters, and beſtow their
thoughts
about the ſpeculative natural
Points
, which were leſs needful.
So that it
might
ſeem more convenient, that the Scrip-
ture
ſhould not meddle with the revealing
of
theſe unlikely Secrets, eſpecially when
it
is to deliver unto us many other Myſte-
ries
of greater neceſſity, which ſeem to be
directly
oppoſite to our ſenſe and reaſon.

And
therefore, I ſay, the Holy Ghoſt might
purpoſely
omit the treating of theſe Philo-
ſophical
Secrets, till time and future diſco-
very
, might with leiſure ſettle them in the
opinion
of others:
As he is pleaſed, in

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