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

Page concordance

< >
Scan Original
351 171
352 172
353 173
354 174
355 175
356 176
357 177
358 178
359 179
360 180
361 181
362 182
363 183
364 184
365
366
367
368
369
< >
page |< < (82) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div274" type="section" level="1" n="60">
          <pb o="82" file="0262" n="262" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3932" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3933" xml:space="preserve">Though Ariſtotle were a Maſter
              <lb/>
            in the Art of Syllogiſms, and he from whom
              <lb/>
            he received the Rules of Diſputation; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3934" xml:space="preserve">yet
              <lb/>
            in this particular, ’tis very plain that he
              <lb/>
            was deceived with a Fallacy, whilſt his Ar-
              <lb/>
            gument does but only ſuppoſe that which it
              <lb/>
            pretend to prove.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3935" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3936" xml:space="preserve">That light Bodies do aſcend unto ſome
              <lb/>
            Circumſerence which is higher and above
              <lb/>
            the Earth, is plain and undeniable. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3937" xml:space="preserve">But
              <lb/>
            that this Circumference is the ſame with that
              <lb/>
            of the World, or concentrical unto it, can-
              <lb/>
            not be reaſonably aſſirmed, unleſs he ſup-
              <lb/>
            poſes the Earth to be in the Centre of the
              <lb/>
            Univerſe, which is the thing to be pro-
              <lb/>
            ved.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3938" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3939" xml:space="preserve">I would fain know from what grounds
              <lb/>
            our Adverſaries can prove, that the deſcent
              <lb/>
            of heavy Bodies is to the Centre; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3940" xml:space="preserve">or the
              <lb/>
            aſcent of light Bodies, to the Circumference
              <lb/>
            of the World. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3941" xml:space="preserve">The utmoſt experience we
              <lb/>
            can have in this kind, does but extend to
              <lb/>
            thoſe things that are upon our Earth, or in
              <lb/>
            the Air above it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3942" xml:space="preserve">And alas, what is this
              <lb/>
            unto the vaſt frame of the whole Univerſe,
              <lb/>
            but punctulum, ſuch an inſenſible Point,
              <lb/>
            which does not bear ſo great a proportion
              <lb/>
            to the whole, as a ſmall Sand does unto the
              <lb/>
            Earth? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3943" xml:space="preserve">Wherefore it were a ſenſleſs thing,
              <lb/>
            from our experience of ſo little a part, to
              <lb/>
            pronounce any thing inſallibly concerning
              <lb/>
            the ſcituation of the whole.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3944" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>