at the same time or in succession, is the raving of men who are not afraid of "intruding into those things "which they have not seen, vainly puffed up by their "own fleshly mind.”x*

LXXV. That God could have created more worlds, distinct and separate from this one, had it so pleased him, it is reasonable for all to believe, who devoutly acknowledge the immeasurable and inexhaustible power of the Deity. As to the objection adduced by some, that this world is the universe,* besides which nothing can be created without a contradiction, it is a childish cavil. This world is now called the universe, because all things which are created, are, in reality, contained within its compass: were another world created, this would cease to be the universe.

LXXVI. Nor is another reason alleged of greater force, namely, that there would either be something intermediate, or nothing; if there were nothing, they would not be really different worlds; if something, even this would serve to conjoin them. That things betwixt which no body intervenes, are not different, is not true. It is sufficient to make them different, that they do not approach, and are not in contact with each other. Nor is it material whether another body be actually placed, or it be merely possible to place it, between them; neither of the extreme bodies being removed from its own station.

LXXVII. But it excites our surprise, that they who contend that more worlds similar to this universe cannot be made even by the Divine omnipotence, admit without difficulty a plurality of particular worlds, or bodies resembling the earth that we inhabit, in which

Τὸ παν.

* Col. ii. 18.

either men or other living creatures reside. Although, too, according to the modesty which they affect, they allege that on this point nothing must be either rashly affirmed or denied; they cannot restrain themselves from severely censuring those who, merely labouring under prejudices, and in a manner infatuated by selflove, imagine that we men are the sole delight of God, and that our earth is the most pleasant spot of the whole world;-which they suppose cannot be done without despising the other works of God. "We know "not, indeed," they add, "whether there be men or "other creatures in the Moon; but if we intend to "form any opinion at all, it seems more conformable "to truth to affirm, than to deny, that it is inhabited 'by men."

LXXVIII. I know not whether the very learned men derive these notions from the Commentaries of Lucian, or from the report of that man of strict honour and veracity, who, not long ago, flying on the wings of a goose, took an accurate survey of those upper regions, which have been hitherto unknown to other mortals that are sustained by the fruits of this earth. I cannot help recollecting on this occasion, what I long ago read on this subject in Lucian; and for the sake of my pupils, I will here repeat the substance of it in a few words. His story is as follows: After he himself, with his companions, had been carried through the air by a mighty whirlwind during seven days and an equal number of nights, he arrived in his ship on the eighth day at a certain great country in the midst of the air,—an island, which, having the form of a globe, glittered with a profusion of light. They found it both inhabited and

VOL. I.

* Primus verarum historiarum Liber,

2 L

10.

*

cultivated. But that they might not wander hither and thither, ignorant alike of the men and the places, and not knowing under what part of heaven or into what region of the world they were thrown; it fortunately happened, that certain Horse-vultures, that is, men who rode on vultures instead of horses, and who were some of the King's principal servants, conducted the extraordinary strangers to the palace. The King, having learned from their appearance and dress that they were Grecians, politely informs them that his name is Endymion, and also that the region into which they were conveyed, after having traversed so vast spaces of air, is called by the Greeks ZEAHNH, (the Latins call it LUNA,) the MOON. He told them that he was engaged in an arduous and dreadful war with the King of the Sun, (for that part of the world is no less fully peopled than the Moon,) and added many other stories of the same kind, which it would be improper now to rehearse.

The learned men, however, may choose rather, perhaps, to acknowledge themselves indebted to Kepler, the celebrated astronomer, who relates, † that he saw through an optical tube, on the spotted face of the Moon, lofty mountains, great valleys, a vast number of deep ditches, also extensive forests, seas, and many other things closely resembling what is found in the earth which we inhabit. He alleges, too, that the Moon is inhabited, and that its inhabitants are shortlived, but of a stupendous size, fifteen times larger than the men of the earth, equal to whales; and that they build towns in situations exposed to the warm beams of the Sun. Lest doubts of the truth of this account

'Ixoxo; in Latin, Equivultures.

+ In Selenographia sua.

should remain, Kepler conjectures that he saw the workmen employed in their labours.

LXXIX. But candidly to speak out what I think; I am fully convinced that it is not without exposing our holy religion to disgrace, that men devoted to the study of Theology thus contend for such notions; and that meteorologies of this sort furnish the profane, and the enemies of the Reformed Church, with copious materials for mockery and ridicule. Allowing that it appears from the observations of Hevelius, that there are in the Moon high and low places, similar to our mountains and valleys, what probable reason, I ask, have we to induce us to conclude, that it contains men, states, and commonwealths? Can even the slightest evidences of their existence be found, either in nature, or in Scripture?

LXXX. Nay, there are not a few passages of Scripture, that are contrary to this lunatic imagination. Moses, by the distinct account which he gives of the counsel of God respecting the creation of man, sufficiently shows, that at that time no living creature similar to him existed in the universe. Why should God be introduced, saying, "Let us make man in our image," &c. as if he were preparing for the chief of his works, if, perhaps only two days before, he had peopled the Moon, or the Sun, or even the other stars with men? For what purpose is it related, that, having discovered, so to speak, that it would not be good for man to remain alone, he thought at last of forming a companion for him? These transactions indeed are related in terms which allude to human infirmity; but the expressions would be utterly void of propriety, and could

• Ανθρωποπαθῶς.

afford no meaning worthy of God, if several pairs of the human kind had already existed elsewhere.

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LXXXI. Add to this, that Isaiah ascribes it in a special manner to the earth, that it was not "created in vain," but "formed to be inhabited."y Paul, too, whilst he affirms that "God hath made of one blood "all the nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth," acknowledges no other race of men that has sprung up elsewhere, and that inhabits the face of the Moon.

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LXXXII. Reason, too, gives its suffrage in our favour. If there were men in the Moon or in the other stars, they must either have retained their original integrity, like the good Angels; or fallen into sin, as we have done. But it seems probable that neither of these would have been passed over in total silence in holy writ; especially since so many proper opportunities of mentioning them occur. Whether our sin were to be aggravated, or the unbounded mercy of God towards us extolled, or the extent of that blessed society in which we shall rejoice in heaven, to be shown; it would have been worth while, at least briefly to notice so many myriads of saints from another globe. This argument has the greater weight, as frequent mention is made, ont such occasions, of Angels; who are no less the inhabitants of another world than the men supposed, and whose affairs seem not to concern us so much as those of the other race, who are of the same species with ourselves.

LXXXIII. But, if the men inhabiting the Moon, or the Sun, or Mercury, are involved in the same misery of sin with us, it may be affirmed, either that they all remain eternally wretched, or that some of them are, in

y Is. xlv. 18.

z Acts xvii. 26.