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="176" file="0356" n="356" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5378" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5379" xml:space="preserve">As it is in it ſelf. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5380" xml:space="preserve">The excellency of
              <lb/>
            any Science may be judged of (ſaith the Phi-
              <lb/>
            loſopher) firſt, by the excellency of the
              <lb/>
            Object. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5381" xml:space="preserve">Secondly, By the certainty of its
              <lb/>
            Demonſtrations.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5382" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5383" xml:space="preserve">(1.) </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5384" xml:space="preserve">For the Object. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5385" xml:space="preserve">It is no leſs than the
              <lb/>
            whole World (ſince our Earth alſo is one
              <lb/>
            of the Planets) more eſpecially thoſe vaſt
              <lb/>
            and glorious Bodies of the Heavens. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5386" xml:space="preserve">So
              <lb/>
            that in this reſpect, it far exceeds all thoſe
              <lb/>
            barren, empty Speculations, about Materia
              <lb/>
            Prima, or Univerſale, and ſuch-like Cob-
              <lb/>
            webs of Learning; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5387" xml:space="preserve">in the ſtudy of which,
              <lb/>
            ſo many do miſplace their younger Years.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5388" xml:space="preserve">And for the ſame reaſon likewiſe is it to be
              <lb/>
            preferr’d before all thoſe other Sciences,
              <lb/>
            whoſe Subjects are not either oſ ſo wide an
              <lb/>
            extent, or ſo excellent a Nature.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5389" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5390" xml:space="preserve">(2.) </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5391" xml:space="preserve">From the Demonſtrations of Aſtrono-
              <lb/>
            my, they are as infallible as Truth it ſelf,
              <lb/>
            and for this reaſon alſo does it excel all
              <lb/>
            other Knowledg, which does more depend
              <lb/>
            upon conjectures and Uncertainty. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5392" xml:space="preserve">They
              <lb/>
            are only thoſe who want skill in the Princi-
              <lb/>
            ples of this Science, that miſtruſt the Con-
              <lb/>
            cluſions of it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5393" xml:space="preserve">Since therefore in theſe re-
              <lb/>
            ſpects, it is one of the moſt excellent Scien-
              <lb/>
            ces in Nature, it may beſt deſerve the indu-
              <lb/>
            ſtry of Man, who is one of the beſt Works
              <lb/>
            of Nature. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5394" xml:space="preserve">Other Creatures were made
              <lb/>
            with their Heads and Eyes turned down-
              <lb/>
            wards: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5395" xml:space="preserve">Would you know why Man was not
              <lb/>
            created ſo too? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5396" xml:space="preserve">Why it was, that he might
              <lb/>
            be an Aſtronomer.</s>
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