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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329149That the Earth may be a Planet.
So that this firſt evaſion of our Adverſa-
ries, will not ſhelter them from the force of
that Argument, which is taken from the in-
credible ſwiftneſs of the Heavens.
2. Whereas they tell us, in the ſecond
place, that a bigger Body, as a Millſtone,
will naturally deſcend ſwifter than a leſs, as
a Pebble.
I anſwer : This is not becauſe
ſuch a great Body is in it ſelf more eaſily
movable;
but becauſe the bigger any thing
is which is out of its own place, the ſtron-
ger will be its natural deſire of returning
thither, and ſo conſequently the quicker its
motion.
But now thoſe Bodies that move
circularly, are always in their proper ſcitu-
ations, and ſo the ſame reaſon is not apply-
able unto them.
And then, whereas ’tis
ſaid, that Magnitude does always add to the
ſwiftneſs of a violent motion, (as Wind
will move a great Ship ſooner than a little
Stone):
We anſwer, This is not becauſe a
Ship is more eaſily movable in it ſelf than a
little Stone:
For I ſuppoſe, the Objector
will not think he can throw the one as far as
the other, but becauſe theſe little Bodies
are not ſo liable to that kind of vio-
lence, from whence their Motion does pro-
ceed.
As for thoſe Inſtances which are cited
to illuſtrate the poſſibility of this ſwiftneſs in
the Heavens, we anſwer:
The paſſage of a
Sound, is but very ſlow in compariſon to
the motion of the Heavens.
And then be-
ſides, the ſwiftneſs of the Species of

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