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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2412That the Moon may be a World. brought out where one might ſhew him the
great
Ocean, telling him the quality of that
Water
, that it is brackiſh, ſalt, and not pota-
ble
, and yet there were many vaſt Creatures
of
all Forms living in it, which make uſe of
that
water as we do of the Air, queſtionleſs
he
would laugh at all this, as being monſtrous
Lies
and Fables, without any colur of Truth.
Juſt ſo will this Truth, which I now deliver,
appear
unto others;
becauſe we never dreamt
of
any ſuch matter as a World in the Moon;

becauſe
the State of that place hath as yet been
vail
'd from our Knowledge, therefore we can
ſcarcely
aſſent to any ſuch matter.
Things
are
very hardly received which are altogether
ſtrange
to our Thoughts and our Senſes.

The
Soul may with leſs difficulty be brought
to
believe any abſurdity, when as it has for-
merly
been acquainted with ſome Colours and
Probabilities
for it;
but when a new, and un-
heard
of Truth ſhall come before it, though it
have
good Grounds and Reaſons, yet the un-
derſtanding
is aſraid of it as a ſtranger, and
dares
not admit it into his Belief, without a
great
deal of Reluctancy and Tryal.
And be-
ſides
, things that are not manifeſted to the
Senſes
, are not aſſented unto without ſome
Labour
of Mind, ſome Travel and Diſcourſe
of
the underſtanding;
and many lazy Souls
had
rather quietly repoſe themſelves in an eaſie
Errour
, than take Pains to ſearch out the
Truth
.
The ſtrangeneſs then of this Opinion
which
I now deliver, will be a great hindrance
to
its belief, but this is not to be reſpected by
reaſon
it cannot be helped.
I have ſtood

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