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-s2530" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="4" file="0184" n="184" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            to the Opinion of any Man, as to think what
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            ever he ſays to be infallible. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2531" xml:space="preserve">We muſt la-
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            bour to find out what things are in them-
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            ſelves by our own experience, and a through
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            examination of their natures, not what an-
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            other ſays of them. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2532" xml:space="preserve">And if in ſuch an im-
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            partial enquiry, we chance to light upon a
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            new way, and that which is beſides the com-
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            mon rode, this is neither our fault, nor our
              <lb/>
            unhappineſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2533" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2534" xml:space="preserve">Not our fault, becauſe it did not ariſe from
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            Singularity or Affectation. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2535" xml:space="preserve">Not our unhap-
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            pineſs, becauſe it is rather a Priviledge to be
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            the firſt in finding out ſuch Truths, as are not
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            diſcernable to every common eye. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2536" xml:space="preserve">If No-
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            velty ſhould always be rejected, neither
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            would Arts have arrived to that perfection
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            wherein now we enjoy them, nor could we
              <lb/>
            ever hope for any future Reformation:
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2537" xml:space="preserve">Though all Truth be in it ſelf Eternal; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2538" xml:space="preserve">yet
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            in reſpect of Mens Opinions, there is ſcarce
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            any ſo antient, but had a beginning, and was
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            once accounted a Novelty; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2539" xml:space="preserve">and if for this
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            reaſon it had been condemned as an errour,
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            what a general darkneſs and ignorance
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            would then have been in the World, in com-
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            pariſon of that light which now abounds; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2540" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            according to that of the Poet:</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2541" xml:space="preserve"/>
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          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2542" xml:space="preserve">Quod ſi tam Antiquis Novitas inviſa
              <note symbol="*" position="left" xlink:label="note-0184-01" xlink:href="note-0184-01a" xml:space="preserve"> Horæt.
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              lib. 2. ep. 1.</note>
            Quam nobis, quid nunc eſſet vetus aut quid habe-
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            Quodlegerent tereretq; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2543" xml:space="preserve">viritim publicus uſus? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2544" xml:space="preserve">(ret,
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            If our Forefathers had but hated thus,
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            All that were new, what had been old to us?</s>
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