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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          <pb o="89" file="0269" n="269" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4027" xml:space="preserve">Arg. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4028" xml:space="preserve">4. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4029" xml:space="preserve">The laſt and chief Argument, is
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0269-01" xlink:href="note-0269-01a" xml:space="preserve">Ariſt. de
                <lb/>
              Cælo. l. 2.
                <lb/>
              c. 14.</note>
            taken from the appearance of the Stars;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4030" xml:space="preserve">which in every Horizon, at each hour of
              <lb/>
            the Night, and at all times of the Year,
              <lb/>
            ſeem of an equal bigneſs. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4031" xml:space="preserve">Now this could
              <lb/>
            not be, if our Earth were ſometimes nearer
              <lb/>
            unto them by 2000000 German miles,
              <lb/>
            which is granted to be the Diameter of
              <lb/>
            that Orb, wherein the Earth is ſuppoſed to
              <lb/>
            move.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4032" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4033" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4034" xml:space="preserve">This Conſequence will not
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0269-02" xlink:href="note-0269-02a" xml:space="preserve">Copern.
                <lb/>
              l.1.c.5,6.</note>
            hold, if we affirm the Earth's Orb not to
              <lb/>
            be big enough for the making of any ſenſi-
              <lb/>
            ble difference in the appearance of the fixed
              <lb/>
            Stars.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4035" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4036" xml:space="preserve">Yea, but (you will ſay) ’tis beyond con-
              <lb/>
            ceit, and without all reaſon, to think the
              <lb/>
            fixed Stars of ſo vaſt a diſtance from us, that
              <lb/>
            our approaching nearer unto them by
              <lb/>
            2000000 German miles, cannot make any
              <lb/>
            difference in the ſeeming quantity of their
              <lb/>
            Bodies.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4037" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4038" xml:space="preserve">I reply: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4039" xml:space="preserve">There is no certain way to find
              <lb/>
            out the exact diſtance of the ſtarry Firma-
              <lb/>
            ment: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4040" xml:space="preserve">But we are fain to conclude of it by
              <lb/>
            Conjectures, according as ſeveral Reaſons
              <lb/>
            and Obſervations ſeem moſt likely unto the
              <lb/>
            Fancies of divers Men. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4041" xml:space="preserve">Now that this Opi-
              <lb/>
            nion of Copernicus does not make it too big,
              <lb/>
            may be diſcerned from theſe following Con-
              <lb/>
            iderations.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4042" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4043" xml:space="preserve">The words, great and little, are relative
              <lb/>
            tearms, and do import a compariſon to
              <lb/>
            ſomething elſe: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4044" xml:space="preserve">So that where the </s>
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