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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340160That the Earth may be a Planet. days, does obſerve a Revolution about its
own Axis, and ſo carry along the Planets
that encompaſs it;
which Planets are
therefore ſlower or ſwifter, according to
their diſtances from him.
If you ask, By what means the Sun can
produce ſuch a Motion?
He anſwers: By ſending forth a kind of
Magnetick Virtue in ſtreight Lines, from
each part of its Body;
of which there is
always a conſtant ſucceſſion:
ſo that as
ſoon as one Beam of this Vigor has paſſed a
Planet, there is another preſently takes hold
of it, like the Teeth of a Wheel.
But how can any Virtue hold out to ſuch
a diſtance?
He anſwers: Firſt, as Light and Heat,
together with thoſe other ſecret Influences,
which work upon Minerals in the Bowels of
the Earth:
ſo likewiſe may the Sun ſend
forth a Magnetick Motive Virtue, whoſe
Power may be continued to the fartheſt Pla-
nets.
Secondly. If the Moon, according to
common Philoſophy, may move the Sea,
why then may not the Sun move this Globe
of Earth?
In ſuch Queries as theſe, we can conclude
only from Conjectures, that Speech of the
Wiſe Man, Eccleſ.
3. 11. being more eſpe-
cially verified of Aſtronomical Queſtions,
concerning the Frame of the whole Uni-
verſe, That no Man can find out the Works

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