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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337157That the Earth may be a Planet. that is, from which theſe Motions that Co-
pernicus aſcribes unto the Earth, does pro-
ceed.
Whether or no it be ſome Animal
Power that does aſſiſt (as Ariſtotle), or in-
form (as Keplar thinks), or elſe ſome other
natural motive Quality which is intrinſical
unto it.
We may obſerve, That when the proper
genuine cauſe of any Motion is not obvious,
Men are very prone to attribute unto that
which they diſcern to be the moſt frequent
Original of it in other things, Life.
Thus
the Stoicks affirm, the Soul of the Water to
be the cauſe of the ebbing and flowing of
the Sea.
Thus others think the Wind to
11Sen. Nat.
Qu. lib. 5.
cap. 5,6.
proceed from the Life of the Air, whereby
it is able to move it ſelf ſeveral ways, as
other living Creatures.
And upon the
ſame grounds do the Platonicks, Stoicks, and
ſome of the Peripateticks, affirm the Hea-
vens to be animated.
From hence likewiſe
it is, that ſo many do maintain Ariſtotle his
Opinion concerning Intelligences:
which ſome
of his Followers, the School-men, do con-
firm out of Scripture;
from that place in
Matth.
24. 29. where ’tis ſaid, The Powers
of the Heavens ſhall be ſhaken.
In which
words, by Powers, (ſay they) are meant
the Angels, by vvhoſe power it is that the
Heavens are moved.
And ſo likewiſe in that,
Fob 9.
13. vvhere the Vulgar has it, Sub
quo curvantur, qui portant orbem;
that is,
the Intelligences.
Which Text, might ſerve
altogether as vvell to prove the Fable

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