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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26989That the Earth may be a Planet.

Arg. 4. The laſt and chief Argument, is
11Ariſt. de
Cælo. l. 2.
c. 14. taken from the appearance of the Stars;
which in every Horizon, at each hour of
the Night, and at all times of the Year,
ſeem of an equal bigneſs. Now this could
not be, if our Earth were ſometimes nearer
unto them by 2000000 German miles,
which is granted to be the Diameter of
that Orb, wherein the Earth is ſuppoſed to
move.

I anſwer: This Conſequence will not
22Copern.
l.1.c.5,6. hold, if we affirm the Earth's Orb not to
be big enough for the making of any ſenſi-
ble difference in the appearance of the fixed
Stars.

Yea, but (you will ſay) ’tis beyond con-
ceit, and without all reaſon, to think the
fixed Stars of ſo vaſt a diſtance from us, that
our approaching nearer unto them by
2000000 German miles, cannot make any
difference in the ſeeming quantity of their
Bodies.

I reply: There is no certain way to find
out the exact diſtance of the ſtarry Firma-
ment: But we are fain to conclude of it by
Conjectures, according as ſeveral Reaſons
and Obſervations ſeem moſt likely unto the
Fancies of divers Men. Now that this Opi-
nion of Copernicus does not make it too big,
may be diſcerned from theſe following Con-
iderations.

The words, great and little, are relative
tearms, and do import a compariſon to
ſomething elſe: So that where the

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