Part 2 (1/2)

This question is much controverted by the _Romish_ Divines; _Campanella_ hath writ a Treatise[1] in defence of it, in whom you may see many things worth the reading and notice.

[Sidenote 1: _Apologia pro Galilaeo._]

To it I answer, that this position in Philosophy, doth not bring any inconvenience to the rest, since tis not _Aristotle_, but truth that should be the rule of our opinions, and if they be not both found together, wee may say to him, as hee said to his Master _Plato_,

?f??? ??? ??t??? f?????, ?s??? p??t??? t?? ????e?a?

[Greek: amphoin gar ontoin philoin, hosion protiman ten aletheian].[1]

”Though _Plato_ were his friend, yet hee would rather adhere to truth than him.”

[Sidenote 1: _Ethic. l. 1. c. 6._]

I must needs grant, that wee are all much beholden to the industry of the ancient Philosophers, and more especially to _Aristotle_, for the greater part of our learning, but yet tis not ingrat.i.tude to speake against him, when hee opposeth truth; for then many of the Fathers would be very guilty, especially _Iustin_, who hath writ a Treatise purposely against him.

But suppose this opinion were false, yet 'tis not against the faith, and so it may serve for the better confirmation of that which is true; the sparkes of errour, being forc'd out by opposition, as the sparkes of fire, by the striking of the flint and steele. But suppose too that it were hereticall, and against the faith, yet may it be admitted with the same priviledge as _Aristotle_, from whom many more dangerous opinions have proceeded: as that the world is eternall, that G.o.d cannot have while to looke after these inferiour things, that after death there is no reward or punishment, and such like blasphemies, which strike directly at the fundamentalls of our Religion.

So that it is justly to be wondred why some should be so superst.i.tious in these daies, as to sticke closer unto him, than unto Scripture, as if his Philosophy were the onely foundation of all divine truths.

Upon these grounds both St. _Uincentius_and _Senafinus_ _de firmo_ (as I have seene them quoted) thinke that _Aristotle_ was the viol of G.o.ds wrath, which was powred out upon the waters of Wisedome by the third Angel;[1] But for my part, I thinke the world is much beholden to _Aristotle_ for all its sciences. But yet twere a shame for these later ages to rest our selves meerely upon the labours of our Fore-fathers, as if they had informed us of all things to be knowne, and when wee are set upon their shoulders, not to see further then they themselves did.

'Twere a superst.i.tious, a lazie opinion to thinke _Aristotles_ workes the bounds and limits of all humane invention, beyond which there could be no possibility of reaching. Certainly there are yet many things left to discovery, and it cannot be any inconvenience for us, to maintaine a new truth, or rectifie an ancient errour.

[Sidenote 1: Rev. 16. 4.]

But the position (say some) is directly against Scripture, for

1. _Moses_ tells us but of one world, and his History of the creation had beene very imperfect if G.o.d had made another.

2. Saint _John_ speaking of G.o.ds workes, saies he made the world, in the singular number, and therefore there is but one:[1] 'tis the argument of _Aquinas_, and he thinks that none will oppose it, but such who with _Democritus_ esteeme some blinde chance, and not any wise providence to be the framer of all things.

[Sidenote 1: Part 1. Q. 47. Art. 3.]

3. The opinion of more worlds has in ancient time beene accounted a heresie, and _Baronius_ affirmes that for this very reason, _Virgilius_ was cast out of his Bishop.r.i.c.ke, and excommunicated from the Church.[1]

[Sidenote 1: _Annal. Eccl. A.D. 748._]

4. A fourth argument there is urged by _Aquinas_, if there be more worlds than one, then they must either be of the same, or of a diverse nature, but they are not of the same kinde,[1] for this were needlesse, and would argue an improvidence, since one would have no more perfection than the other; not of divers kinds, for then one of them could not be called the world or universe, since it did not containe universall perfection, I have cited this argument, because it is so much stood upon by _Iulius Caesar la Galla_,[2] one that has purposely writ a Treatise against this opinion which I now deliver, but the Dilemma is so blunt, that it cannot cut on either side, and the consequences so weake, that I dare trust them without an answer; And (by the way) you may see this Author in that place, where he endeavours to prove a necessity of one world, doth leave the chiefe matter in hand, and take much needlesse paines to dispute against _Democritus_, who thought that the world was made by the casuall concourse of _atoms_ in a great _vacuum_. It should seeme, that either his cause, or his skill was weake, or else he would have ventured upon a stronger adversary. These arguments which I have set downe, are the chiefest which I have met with against this subject, and yet the best of these hath not force enough to endanger the truth that I have delivered.

[Sidenote 1: _Ibid._]

[Sidenote 2: _De Phaenom. in orbe lunae._]

Unto the two first it may be answered, that the negative authority of Scripture is not prevalent in those things which are not the fundamentalls of Religion.

But you'le reply, though it doe not necessarily conclude, yet 'tis probable if there had beene another world, wee should have had some notice of it in Scripture.

I answer, 'tis as probable that the Scripture should have informed us of the Planets they being very remarkable parts of the Creation, and yet neither _Moses_ nor _Job_, nor the _Psalmes_ (the places most frequent in Astronomicall observations) mention any of them but the Sunne and Moone, and moreover, you must know, that 'tis besides the scope of the Holy Ghost either in the new Testament or in the old, to reveale any thing unto us concerning the secrets of Philosophy; 'tis not his intent in the new Testament, since we cannot conceive how it might any way belong either to the Historicall exegeticall or propheticall parts of it: nor is it his intent in the old Testament, as is well observed by our Countrey-man Master WRIGHT.[1]