the
starres and the earth. Secondly, more particularly for an inferiour
World consisting of elements. Now the maine drift of all these
arguments, is to confute a plurality of worlds in the first sense, and
if there were any such, it might, perhaps, seeme strange, that _Moses_,
or St. _John_ should either not know, or not mention its creation. And
_Virgilius_ was condemned for this opinion, because he held, _quod sit
alius mundus sub terra, aliusque Sol & Luna_, (as _Baronius_) that
within our globe of earth, there was another world, another Sunne and
Moone, and so he might seeme to exclude this from the number of the
other creatures.

But now there is no such danger in this opinion, which is here
delivered, since this world said to be in the Moone, whose creation is
particularly exprest.

So that in the first sense I yeeld, that there is but one world, which
is all that the arguments do prove, but understand it in the second
sense, and so I affirme there may be more nor doe any of the above named
objections prove the cotrary.

Neither can this opinion derogate from the divine Wisdome (as _Aquinas_
thinkes) but rather advance it, shewing a _compendium_ of providence,
that could make the same body a world, and a Moone; a world for
habitation, and a Moone for the use of others, and the ornament of the
whole frame of Nature. For as the members of the body serve not onely
for the preservation of themselves, but for the use and conveniency of
the whole, as the hand protects the head as well as saves it selfe,[1]
so is it in the parts of the Universe, where each one may serve, as well
for the conservation of that which is within it, as the helpe of others
without it.

[Sidenote 1: _Cusanus de doct. ignor. l. 2. c. 12._]

I have now in some measure, shewed that a plurality of worlds does not
contradict any principle of reason or place of Scripture, and so cleared
the first part of that supposition which is applied in the opinion.

It may next be enquired; whether 'tis possible there may be a globe of
elements in that which we call the aethereall parts of the Universe; for
if this (as it is according to the common opinion) be priviledged from
any change or corruption, it will be in vaine then to imagine any
element there, and if we will have another world, we must then seeke out
some other place for its situation. The third Proposition therefore
shall be this.

Proposition 3.

_That the heavens doe not consist