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] _Non Mosis aut Prophetarum institutum fuisse videtur Mathematicas aliquas aut Physicas subtilitates promulgare, sed ad vulgi captum & loquendi morem quemadmodum nutrices infantulis solent sese accommodare._ “’Tis not the endeavour of _Moses_ or the Prophets to discover any Mathematicall or Philosophicall subtilties, but rather to accõmodate themselves to vulgar capacities, and ordinary speech, as nurses are wont to use their infants.” True indeede, _Moses_ is there to handle the history of the Creation, but ’tis observed that he does not any where meddle with such matters as were very hard to be apprehended, for being to informe the common people as well as others, he does it after a vulgar way, as it is commonly noted, declaring the originall chiefely of those things which were obvious to the sense, and being silent of other things, which then could not well be apprehended. And therefore _Aquinas_ observes,[2] that _Moses_ writes nothing of the aire, because that being invisible, the people knew not whether there were any such body or no. And for this very reason Saint _Austin_ also thinkes that there is nothing exprest concerning the creation of Angels which notwithstanding are as remarkable parts of the creatures, and as fit to be knowne as another world. And therefore the Holy Ghost too uses such vulgar expressions which set things forth rather as they appeare, then as they are,[3] as when he calls the Moone one of the greater lights המארת הגדלים whereas ’tis the least, but one that wee can see in the whole heavens. So afterwards speaking of the great raine which drowned the world,[4] he saies, the windowes of heaven were opened, because it seemed to come with that violence, as if it were, poured out from windows in the Firmament.[5] So that the phrases which the Holy Ghost uses concerning these things are not to be understood in a literall sense; but rather as vulgar expressions, and this rule is set downe by Saint _Austin_, where speaking concerning that in the Psalme, _who stretched the earth upon the waters_,[6] hee notes, that when the words of Scripture shall seeme to contradict common sense or experience, there are they to be understood in a qualified sense, and not according to the letter.