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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              <pb o="13" file="0025" n="25" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            longer in the Preface, becauſe that Prejudice
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            which the meer Title of the Book may beget,
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            cannot eaſily be removed without a great deal
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            of preparation, and I could not tell otherwiſe
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            how to rectifie the Thoughts of the Reader
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            for an impartial Survey of the following Diſ-
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            courſe.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s250" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s251" xml:space="preserve">I muſt need confeſs, though I had often
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            thought with my ſelf that it was poſſible there
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            might be a World in the Moon, yet it ſeem'd
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            ſuch an uncouth Opinion, that I never durſt
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            diſcover it, for fear of being counted ſingular,
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            and ridiculous; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s252" xml:space="preserve">but after having read Plutarch,
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            Gallileus, Keplar, with ſome others, and find-
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            ing many of my own Thoughts confirmed by
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            ſuch ſtrong Authority, I then concluded that
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            it was not only poſſible there might be, but
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            probably there was another habitable World
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            in that Planet. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s253" xml:space="preserve">In the proſecuting of this Aſſer-
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            tion, I ſhall firſt endeavour to clear the way
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            from ſuch doubts as may hinder the ſpeed or
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            eaſe of farther progreſs; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s254" xml:space="preserve">and becauſe the Sup-
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            poſitions imply'd in this Opinion, may ſeem to
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            contradict the Principles of Reaſon and Faith,
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            it will be requiſite that I firſt remove this Scru-
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            ple, ſhewing the conformity of them to both
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            theſe, and proving thoſe Truths that may make
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            way for the reſt, which I ſhall labour to perform
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            in the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Chap-
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            ters, and then proceed to conform ſuch Pro-
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            poſitions, which do more directly belong to
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            the main point in Hand.</s>
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