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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            <s xml:id="echoid-s2530" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="4" file="0184" n="184" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            to the Opinion of any Man, as to think what
              <lb/>
            ever he ſays to be infallible. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2531" xml:space="preserve">We muſt la-
              <lb/>
            bour to find out what things are in them-
              <lb/>
            ſelves by our own experience, and a through
              <lb/>
            examination of their natures, not what an-
              <lb/>
            other ſays of them. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2532" xml:space="preserve">And if in ſuch an im-
              <lb/>
            partial enquiry, we chance to light upon a
              <lb/>
            new way, and that which is beſides the com-
              <lb/>
            mon rode, this is neither our fault, nor our
              <lb/>
            unhappineſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2533" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2534" xml:space="preserve">Not our fault, becauſe it did not ariſe from
              <lb/>
            Singularity or Affectation. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2535" xml:space="preserve">Not our unhap-
              <lb/>
            pineſs, becauſe it is rather a Priviledge to be
              <lb/>
            the firſt in finding out ſuch Truths, as are not
              <lb/>
            diſcernable to every common eye. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2536" xml:space="preserve">If No-
              <lb/>
            velty ſhould always be rejected, neither
              <lb/>
            would Arts have arrived to that perfection
              <lb/>
            wherein now we enjoy them, nor could we
              <lb/>
            ever hope for any future Reformation:
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2537" xml:space="preserve">Though all Truth be in it ſelf Eternal; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2538" xml:space="preserve">yet
              <lb/>
            in reſpect of Mens Opinions, there is ſcarce
              <lb/>
            any ſo antient, but had a beginning, and was
              <lb/>
            once accounted a Novelty; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2539" xml:space="preserve">and if for this
              <lb/>
            reaſon it had been condemned as an errour,
              <lb/>
            what a general darkneſs and ignorance
              <lb/>
            would then have been in the World, in com-
              <lb/>
            pariſon of that light which now abounds; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2540" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            according to that of the Poet:</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2541" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2542" xml:space="preserve">Quod ſi tam Antiquis Novitas inviſa
              <note symbol="*" position="left" xlink:label="note-0184-01" xlink:href="note-0184-01a" xml:space="preserve"> Horæt.
                <lb/>
              lib. 2. ep. 1.</note>
            Quam nobis, quid nunc eſſet vetus aut quid habe-
              <lb/>
            Quodlegerent tereretq; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2543" xml:space="preserve">viritim publicus uſus? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2544" xml:space="preserve">(ret,
              <lb/>
            If our Forefathers had but hated thus,
              <lb/>
            All that were new, what had been old to us?</s>
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