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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299119That the Earth may be a Planet. the lower parts of this Globe, do not con-
ſiſt
of ſuch a ſoft fructifying Earth, as there
is
in the Surface, (becauſe there can be no
ſuch
uſe for it as here, and Nature does no-
thing
in vain) but rather of ſome hard
rocky
ſubſtance, ſince we may well conceive,
that
theſe lower parts are preſſed cloſe to-
gether
, by the weight of all thoſe heavy
Bodies
above them.
Now, ’tis probable,
that
this rocky Subſtance is a Loadſtone, ra-
ther
than a Jaſpis, Adamant, Marble, or
any
other;
becauſe experience teacheth us,
that
the Earth and Loadſtone do agree to-
gether
in ſo many Properties.
Suppoſe a
Man
were to judg the Matter of divers Bo-
dies
;
each of which ſhould be wrap'd up
in
ſome covering from his Eye, ſo that he
might
only examine them by ſome other
outward
ſigns:
If in this examination, he
ſhould
find any particular Body which had
all
the Properties that are peculiar to a
Loadſtone
, he would in reaſon conclude it
to
be of that Nature, rather than any other.
Now there is altogether as much reaſon why
we
ſhould infer, that the inward parts of
the
Earth do conſiſt of a Magnetical Sub-
ſtance
.
The agreement of theſe two, you
may
ſee largely ſet forth in the Treatiſe of
Dr
.
Gilbert. I will inſtance only in one Ex-
ample
, which of it ſelf may ſufficiently evi-
dence
, that the Globe of Earth does par-
take
of the like affections with the Load-
ſtone
.
In the Mariner's Needle, you may
obſerve
the Magnetical Motions of

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