Cusanus too, thinks they differ from us in many respects; I will set downe his words as they may be found in the above cited place, Suspicamur in regione solis magis esse solares, claros & illuminatos intellectuales habitatores, spiritualiores etiam quàm in lunâ, ubi magis lunatici, & in terra magis materiales & crassi, ut illi intellectualis naturae solares sint multum in actu & parum in potentia, terreni verò magis in potentia, & parum in actu, lunares in medio fluctuantes. Hoc quidem opinamur ex influentia ignili solis, aquatica simul & aerea lunae, & gravedine materiali terrae, & consimiliter de aliis stellarum regionibus, suspicantes nullam habitationibus carere, quasi tot sint partes particulares mundiales unius universi, quot sunt stellae quarum non est numerus, nisi apud eum qui omnia in numero creavit.

Wee may conjecture (saith hee) the inhabitants of the Sunne are like to the nature of that Planet, more cleare and bright, more intellectuall than those in the Moone where they are neerer to the nature of that duller Planet, and those of the earth being more grosse and materiall than either, so that these intellectuall natures in the Sunne, are more forme than matter, those in the earth more matter than forme, and those in the Moone betwixt both. This we may guesse from the fierie influence of the Sunne, the watery and aereous influence of the Moone, as also the materiall heavinesse of the earth. In some such manner likewise is it with the regions of the other starres; for, we conjecture that none of them are without inhabitants, but that there are so many particular worlds and parts of this one universe, as there are starres, which are innumerable, unlesse it be to him who created all things in number.

For hee held that the stars were not all in one equall orbe as wee commonly suppose; but that some were farre higher than others, which made them appeare lesse; and that many others were so farre above any of these, that they were altogether invisible unto us. An opinion which (as I conceive) hath not any great probability for it, nor certainty against it.

The Priest of Saturne relating to Plutarch (as hee faignes it) the nature of these Selenites, told him they were of divers dispositions, some desiring to live in the lower parts of the Moone, where they might looke downewards upon us, while others were more surely mounted aloft, all of them shining like the rayes of the Sunne, and as being victorious, are crowned with garlands made with the wings of Eustathia or Constancie.

It hath beene the opinion amongst some of the Ancients, that their heavens and Elysian fields were in the Moone where the ayre is most quiet and pure.³ Thus Socrates, thus Plato, with his followers, did esteeme this to bee the place where those purer soules inhabite, who are freed from the Sepulcher, and contagion of the body. And by the Fable of Ceres, continually wandring in search of her daughter Proserpina, is meant nothing else but the longing desire of men, who live upon Ceres earth, to attaine a place in Proserpina, the Moone or heaven.

Plutarch also seemes to assent unto this; but he thinks moreover, that there are two places of happines answerable to those two parts which he fancies to remaine of a man when he is dead, the soule and the understanding; the soule hee thinks is made of the Moone; and as our bodies doe so proceede from the dust of this earth, that they shall returne to it hereafter; so our soules were generated out of that Planet, and shall be resolved into it againe; whereas the understanding shall ascend unto the Sunne, out of which it was made, where it shall possesse an eternity of well-being, and farre greater happinesse than that which is enjoyed in the Moone. So that when a man dies, if his soule be much polluted, then must it wander up and downe in the middle region of the ayre where hell is, and there suffer unspeakable torments for those sins whereof it is guilty. Whereas the soules of better men, when they have in some space of time beene purged from that impurity which they did derive from the body, then doe they returne into the Moone, where they are possest with such a joy, as those men feele who professe holy mysteries, from which place (saith he) some are sent downe to have the superintendance of oracles, being diligent either in the preservation of the good, either from, or in, all perills, and the prevention or punishment of all wicked actions; but if in these imployments they mis-behave themselves, then are they againe to bee imprisoned in a body, otherwise they remaine in the Moone, till their souls bee resolved into it, and the understanding being cleared from all impediments, ascends to the Sunne which is its proper place. But this requires a diverse space of time, according to the divers affections of the soule. As for those who have beene retired and honest, addicting themselves to a studious and quiet life, these are quickly preferred to a higher happinesse. But as for such who have busied themselves in many broyles, or have beene vehement in the prosecution of any lust, as the ambitious, the amorous, the wrathfull man, these still retaine the glimpses and dreames of such things as they have performed in their bodies, which makes them either altogether unfit to remaine there, where they are, or else keepes them long ere they can put off their souls. Thus you see Plutarchs opinion concerning the inhabitants and neighbours of the Moone, which (according to the manner of the Academicks) hee delivers in a third person; you see hee makes that Planet an inferior kind of heaven, and though hee differ in many circumstances, yet doth hee describe it to bee some such place, as wee suppose Paradise to be. You see likewise his opinion concerning the place of the damned spirits, that it is in the middle region of the aire; and in neither of these is hee singular, but some more late and Orthodox Writers have agreed with him. As for the place of Hell, many think it may be in the aire, as well as any where else.

True indeed,⁴ S. Austin affirmes that this place cannot bee discovered; But others there are who can shew the situation of it out of Scripture; Some holding it to be in another world without this, (Mat. 25. 30) because our Saviour calls it […] outward darknesse. (Eph. 4. 9) But the most will have it placed towards the center of our earth, because ‘tis said, Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth; and some of these are so confident, that this is its situation, that they can describe you its bignesse also, and of what capacity it is. Francis Ribera in in his Comment on the Revelations, speaking of those words, where ‘tis said, (Rev. 14. 20) that the blood went out of the winepresse, even unto the horses-bridles by the space of one thousand and six hundred furlongs, interprets them to be meant of hell, and that that number expresses the diameter of its concavity, which is 200 Italian miles;⁵ But Lessius thinkes that this opinion gives them too much roome in hell, and therefore he guesses that ‘tis not so wide; for (saith hee) the diameter of one league being cubically multiplyed, will make a spheare capable of 800000 millions of damned bodies, allowing to each six foot in the square; whereas (sayes he) tis certaine, that there shall not bee one hundred thousand millions in all that shall bee damned. You see the bold Iesuit was carefull that every one should have but roome enough in hell, and by the strangenesse of the conjecture, you may guesse that hee had rather bee absurd, than seeme either uncharitable or ignorant. I remember there is a relation in Pliny, how that Dionysiodorus a Mathematician, being dead, did send a letter from this place to some of his friends upon earth, to certifie them what distance there was betwixt the center and superficies: hee might have done well to have prevented this controversie, and enformed them the utmost capacity of that place. However, certaine it is, that that number cannot be knowne; and probable it is, that the place is not yet determined, but that hell is there where there is any tormented soule, which may bee in the regions of the ayre, as well as in the center: And therefore perhaps it is that the Divell is stiled the prince of the ayre. But of this only occasionally, and by reason of Plutarchs opinion concerning those that are round about the Moone; as for the Moone it selfe, hee esteemes it to bee a lower kind of heaven,⁶ and therefore in another place he calls it a terrestriall starre, and an Olympian or celestiall earth; answerable, (as I conceive) to the paradise of the Schoolemen. And, that paradise was either in, or neere the Moone, is the opinion of some later Writers, who derived it (in all likelyhood) from the assertion of Plato, and perhaps, this of Plutarch. Tostatus layes this opinion upon Isiodor.⁷ Hispalensis, and the venerable Bede; and Pererius fathers it upon Strabus and Rabanus his Master.⁸ Some would have it to bee situated in such a place as could not bee discovered, which caused the penman of Esdras to make it a harder matter to know the outgoings of Paradise, (2 Esdr. 4. 7) than to weigh the weight of the fire, or measure the blasts of wind, or call againe a day that is past. But notwithstanding this, there bee some others, who think, that it is on the top of some high mountaine under the line; and these interpreted the torrid Zone to be the flaming sword whereby Paradise was guarded. ‘Tis the consent of divers others, that Paradise is situated in some high and eminet place. So Tostatus: Est etiam Paradisus situ altissima,⁹ supra omnem terrae altitudinem, Paradise is situated in some high place above the earth: and therefore in his Comment upon the 49 of Genesis, he understands the blessing of Iacob concerning the everlasting hills to bee meant of Paradise, and the blessing it selfe to bee nothing else but a promise of Christs comming, by whose Passion the gates of Paradise should bee opened. Unto him assented Rupertus, Scotus, and most of the other Schoolemen, as I find them cited by Pererius, and out of him in Sir Walter Rawleigh.¹⁰ Their reason was this: because in probability,¹¹ this place was not overflowed by the Flood, since there were no sinners there, which might draw that curse upon it. Nay Tostatus thinks, that the body of Enoch was kept there; and some of the Fathers, as Tertullian and Austin, have affirmed, that the blessed soules were reserved in that place till the day of Judgement; and thereford ‘tis likely that it was not overflowed by the Flood, It were easie to produce the unanimous consent of the Fathers, to prove that Paradise is yet really existent. Any diligent peruser of them, may easily observe how they doe generally interpret the Paradise whereto Saint Paul was wrapt,¹² and that wherein our Saviour promised the Thiefe should be with him, to bee locally the same from whence our first parents were banished. Now there cannot be any place on earth designed where this should bee: And therefore it is not altogether improbable that it was in this other world.

And besides, since all men should have went naked if Adam had not fell, ‘tis requisite therefore that it should be situated in some such place where it might be priviledged from the extremities of heat and cold. But now this could not be (they thought) so conveniently in any lower, as it might in some higher ayre. For these and such like considerations, have so many affirmed, that Paradise was in a high elevated place. Which some have conceived could bee nowhere but in the Moone: For it could not b[…] in the top of any mountaine; nor can wee thinke of any other body separated from this earth, which can be a more convenient place for habitation than this Planet; therefore they concluded that it was there.

It could not bee on the top of any mountaine.

1. Because we have expresse Scripture, (Gen. 7. 19) that the highest of them was overflowed.

2. Because it must be a greater extension, and not some small patch of ground, since tis likely all men should have lived there, if Adam had not fell. But for a satisfaction of the argumnets, together with a farther discourse of Paradise, I shall referre you to those who have written purposely upon this subject. Being content for my owne part to have spoken so much of it, as may conduce to shew the opinion of others concerning the inhabitants of the Moone; I dare not my selfe affirme any thing of these Selenites, because I know not any ground wheron to build any probable opinion. But I thinke that future ages will discover more; and our posterity, perhaps, may invent some meanes for our better acquaintance with these inhabitants.

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Footnotes

1. De doct. ignorantia. l. 2. c. 12. ↩

2. De doct. ign. l. 2. c. 12. ↩

3. Nat. Com. l. 3. c. 19. ↩

4. De Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 16. ↩

5. De Morib. div. l. 13. c. 24. ↩

6. Cu[…]silent oracula. ↩

7. Sir W. Raw. l. 1. c. 3. sect. 7. ↩

8. In Genes. ↩

9. In Genes. ↩

10. Comment. in 2. Gen. v. 8. ↩

11. L. 1. c. 3. sect. 6. 7. ↩

12. 2 Cor. 12. 4. Luke 23. 43. ↩