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
211 31
212 32
213 33
214 34
215 35
216 36
217 37
218 38
219 39
220 40
221 41
222 42
223 43
224 44
225 45
226 46
227 47
228 48
229 49
230 50
231 51
232 52
233 53
234 54
235 55
236 56
237 57
238 58
239 59
240 60
< >
page |< < (93) 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="93" file="0273" n="273" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4080" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4081" xml:space="preserve">If the fixed Stars be ſo far diſtant from
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0273-01" xlink:href="note-0273-01a" xml:space="preserve">Fromond.
                <lb/>
              Veſt tract.
                <lb/>
              5. cap. 1.</note>
            us, that our approaching nearer unto them
              <lb/>
            by 2000000 German miles, do not make a-
              <lb/>
            ny ſenſible difference in their appearance,
              <lb/>
            then Gallilæus his Perſpective could not make
              <lb/>
            them ſeem of a bigger Form, than they do
              <lb/>
            to the bare Eye, which yet is contrary to
              <lb/>
            common experience.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4082" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4083" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4084" xml:space="preserve">From hence it may be inferred, That
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0273-02" xlink:href="note-0273-02a" xml:space="preserve">Ibid.</note>
            the leaſt fixed Star is bigger than all this Orb
              <lb/>
            wherein we ſuppoſe the Earth to move; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4085" xml:space="preserve">be-
              <lb/>
            cauſe there is none of them but are of a ſen-
              <lb/>
            ſible bigneſs in reſpect of the Firmament;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4086" xml:space="preserve">whereas this it ſeems is not.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4087" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4088" xml:space="preserve">3. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4089" xml:space="preserve">Since God did at firſt create the Stars
              <lb/>
            for the uſe of all Nations that are under the
              <lb/>
            whole Heavens, Deut. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4090" xml:space="preserve">4. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4091" xml:space="preserve">19. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4092" xml:space="preserve">it might have
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0273-03" xlink:href="note-0273-03a" xml:space="preserve">Ibid.</note>
            argued ſome improvidence in him, if he had
              <lb/>
            made them of ſuch vaſt magnitudes: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4093" xml:space="preserve">where-
              <lb/>
            as they might as well beſtow their light and
              <lb/>
            influences, and ſo conſequently be as ſer-
              <lb/>
            viceable to that end for which they were ap-
              <lb/>
            pointed, if they had been made with leſs
              <lb/>
            Bodies, and placed nearer unto us. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4094" xml:space="preserve">And
              <lb/>
            ’tis a common maxime, that Nature in all her
              <lb/>
            Operations, does avoid ſuperfluities, and uſe
              <lb/>
            the moſt compendious way.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4095" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4096" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer:</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4097" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4098" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4099" xml:space="preserve">To the firſt; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4100" xml:space="preserve">whether the Perſpective
              <lb/>
            do make the fixed Stars appear bigger than
              <lb/>
            they do to the bare Eye, cannot certainly
              <lb/>
            be concluded, unlefs we had ſuch an exact
              <lb/>
            Glaſs, by which we might try the experi-
              <lb/>
            ment. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4101" xml:space="preserve">But if in this kind we will truſt </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>