Wilkins, John, A discovery of a new world : or a discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another Habitable World in the Moon ; with a discourse concerning the Probability of a Passage thither; unto which is added, a discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove, that 'tis probable our earth is one of the Planets

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[11.] PROP. V.
[12.] PROP. VI.
[13.] PROP. VII.
[14.] PROP. VIII.
[15.] PROP. IX.
[16.] PROP. X.
[17.] PROP. XI.
[18.] PROP. XII.
[19.] PROP. XIII.
[20.] PROP. XIV.
[21.] The Firſt Book. That the MOON May be a WORLD. The Firſt Propoſition, by way of Preface.
[22.] Sed vanus ſtolidis hæc omnia finxerit Error.
[23.] Solis lunæq; labores.
[24.] Cum fruſtra reſonant æra auxiliaria Lunæ.
[25.] Una laboranti poterit ſuccerrere Lunæ.
[26.] Gantus & è cælo poſſunt deducere Lunam.
[27.] Cantus & ſi curru lunam deducere tentant, Et facerent, ſi non æra repulſa ſonant.
[28.] PROP. II. That a Plurality of Worlds doth not contradict any Principle of Reaſon or Faith.
[29.] Æſtuas infelix auguſto limite mundi.
[30.] PROP. III. That the Heavens do not conſiſt of any ſuch pure Matter, which can priviledge them from the like Change and Corruption, as theſe Inferiour, Bodies are liable unto.
[31.] Necnon Oceano paſci phæbumque polumq; Gredimus.
[32.] PROP. IV. That the Moon is a Solid, Compacted, Opacous Body.
[33.] PROP. V. That the Moon hath not any Light of her own.
[34.] PROP. VI. That there is a World in the Moon, bath been the direct Opinion of many Ancient, with ſome Modern Mathematicians, and may probably de deduc’d from the Tenents of others.
[35.] PROP. VII. That thoſe Spots and brighter parts, which by our ſight may be diſtinguiſhed in the Moon, do ſhew the difference betwixt the Sea and Land, in that other World.
[36.] PROP. VIII. The Spots repeſent the Sea, and the brighter parts the Land.
[37.] PROP. IX. That there are high Mountains, deep Vallies, and ſpacious Plains in the Body of the Moon.
[38.] PROP. X. That there is an Atmo-ſphæra, or an Orb of groſs, Vaporous Air, immediately encompaſſing the body of the Moon.
[39.] PROP. XI. That as their World is our Moon, ſo our World is their Moon.
[40.] Provehimur portu, terræque urbeſque recedunt.
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130118That the Moon may be a World. But enough of this. You may commonly ſee
11Clavius in
ſphæram.
cap. 1.
it confuted by many other Arguments.
Others
there are, who affirm theſe to be ſome new
created Stars, produc’d by an extraordinary
ſupernatural Power.
I anſwer, true indeed,
’tis poſſible they might be ſo, but however,
’tis not likely they were ſo, ſince ſuch appea-
rances may be ſalved ſome other way;
where-
fore to fly unto a miracle for ſuch things, were
a great Injury to Nature, and to derogate
from her skill;
an Indignity miſ-becoming
a Man who profeſſes himſelf to be a Philoſo-
pher.
Miraculum (ſays one) eſt ignorantiæ Aſy-
lum, a Miracle often ſerves for the Recepta-
cle of a lazy Ignorance;
which any induſtrious
Spirit would be aſham’d of, it being but an
idle way to ſhift off the Labour of any further
ſearch.
But here’s the miſery of it, we firſt
tye our ſelves unto Ariſtotle’s Principles, and
then conclude that nothing can contradict ’em,
but a Miracle;
whereas ’twould be much bet-
ter for the Commonwealth of Learning, if
we would ground our Principles rather upon
the frequent experiences of our own, than the
bare Authority of others.
Some there are who think, that theſe Co-
mets are nothing elſe, but Exhalations from
our Earth, carryed up into the higher parts of
the Heaven.
So Peno, Rothmannus & Galilæus.
But this is not poſſible, ſince by Computation
22Tycho Pro-
gym. l. 1.
c. 9.
’tis found, that one of them is above 300 times
bigger than the wholeGlobe of Land &
water.
Others therefore have thought that they did
proceed from the Body of the Sun, and that
Planet only is Gometarum officina, unde

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