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

Scan	Original
101	89
102	90
103	91
104	92
105	93
106	94
107	95
108	96
109	97
110	98
111	99
112	100
113	101
114	102
115	103
116	104
117	105
118	106
119	107
120	108
121	109
122	110
123	111
124	112
125	113
126	114
127	115
128	116
129	117
130	118

1844That the Earth may be a Planet. to the Opinion of any Man, as to think what
ever he ſays to be infallible. We muſt la-
bour to find out what things are in them-
ſelves by our own experience, and a through
examination of their natures, not what an-
other ſays of them. And if in ſuch an im-
partial enquiry, we chance to light upon a
new way, and that which is beſides the com-
mon rode, this is neither our fault, nor our
unhappineſs.

Not our fault, becauſe it did not ariſe from
Singularity or Affectation. Not our unhap-
pineſs, becauſe it is rather a Priviledge to be
the firſt in finding out ſuch Truths, as are not
diſcernable to every common eye. If No-
velty ſhould always be rejected, neither
would Arts have arrived to that perfection
wherein now we enjoy them, nor could we
ever hope for any future Reformation:
Though all Truth be in it ſelf Eternal; yet
in reſpect of Mens Opinions, there is ſcarce
any ſo antient, but had a beginning, and was
once accounted a Novelty; and if for this
reaſon it had been condemned as an errour,
what a general darkneſs and ignorance
would then have been in the World, in com-
pariſon of that light which now abounds;
according to that of the Poet:

Quod ſi tam Antiquis Novitas inviſa 11 Horæt.
lib. 2. ep. 1. Quam nobis, quid nunc eſſet vetus aut quid habe-
Quodlegerent tereretq; viritim publicus uſus? (ret,
If our Forefathers had but hated thus,
All that were new, what had been old to us?

Page concordance

Text layer

Text normalization

Search

Scan	Original
101	89
102	90
103	91
104	92
105	93
106	94
107	95
108	96
109	97
110	98
111	99
112	100
113	101
114	102
115	103
116	104
117	105
118	106
119	107
120	108
121	109
122	110
123	111
124	112
125	113
126	114
127	115
128	116
129	117
130	118

Scan	Original
101	89
102	90
103	91
104	92
105	93
106	94
107	95
108	96
109	97
110	98
111	99
112	100
113	101
114	102
115	103
116	104
117	105
118	106
119	107
120	108
121	109
122	110
123	111
124	112
125	113
126	114
127	115
128	116
129	117
130	118

Scan	Original
101	89
102	90
103	91
104	92
105	93
106	94
107	95
108	96
109	97
110	98
111	99
112	100
113	101
114	102
115	103
116	104
117	105
118	106
119	107
120	108
121	109
122	110
123	111
124	112
125	113
126	114
127	115
128	116
129	117
130	118