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
281 101
282 102
283 103
284 104
285 105
286 106
287 107
288 108
289 109
290 110
291 111
292 112
293 113
294 114
295 115
296 116
297 117
298 118
299 119
300 120
301 121
302 122
303 123
304 124
305 125
306 126
307 127
308 128
309 129
310 130
< >
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>