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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            <s xml:id="echoid-s239" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="12" file="0024" n="24" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            brought out where one might ſhew him the
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            great Ocean, telling him the quality of that
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            Water, that it is brackiſh, ſalt, and not pota-
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            ble, and yet there were many vaſt Creatures
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            of all Forms living in it, which make uſe of
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            that water as we do of the Air, queſtionleſs
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            he would laugh at all this, as being monſtrous
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            Lies and Fables, without any colur of Truth.
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s240" xml:space="preserve">Juſt ſo will this Truth, which I now deliver,
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            appear unto others; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s241" xml:space="preserve">becauſe we never dreamt
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            of any ſuch matter as a World in the Moon; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s242" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            becauſe the State of that place hath as yet been
              <lb/>
            vail'd from our Knowledge, therefore we can
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            ſcarcely aſſent to any ſuch matter. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s243" xml:space="preserve">Things
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            are very hardly received which are altogether
              <lb/>
            ſtrange to our Thoughts and our Senſes. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s244" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            The Soul may with leſs difficulty be brought
              <lb/>
            to believe any abſurdity, when as it has for-
              <lb/>
            merly been acquainted with ſome Colours and
              <lb/>
            Probabilities for it; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s245" xml:space="preserve">but when a new, and un-
              <lb/>
            heard of Truth ſhall come before it, though it
              <lb/>
            have good Grounds and Reaſons, yet the un-
              <lb/>
            derſtanding is aſraid of it as a ſtranger, and
              <lb/>
            dares not admit it into his Belief, without a
              <lb/>
            great deal of Reluctancy and Tryal. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s246" xml:space="preserve">And be-
              <lb/>
            ſides, things that are not manifeſted to the
              <lb/>
            Senſes, are not aſſented unto without ſome
              <lb/>
            Labour of Mind, ſome Travel and Diſcourſe
              <lb/>
            of the underſtanding; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s247" xml:space="preserve">and many lazy Souls
              <lb/>
            had rather quietly repoſe themſelves in an eaſie
              <lb/>
            Errour, than take Pains to ſearch out the
              <lb/>
            Truth. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s248" xml:space="preserve">The ſtrangeneſs then of this Opinion
              <lb/>
            which I now deliver, will be a great hindrance
              <lb/>
            to its belief, but this is not to be reſpected by
              <lb/>
            reaſon it cannot be helped. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s249" xml:space="preserve">I have ſtood </s>
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