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

Table of handwritten notes

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            <s xml:id="echoid-s5134" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="158" file="0338" n="338" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            Atlas and Hercules. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5135" xml:space="preserve">Thus Cajetan concludes
              <lb/>
            from that place in Pſalm 136. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5136" xml:space="preserve">5. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5137" xml:space="preserve">where ’tis
              <lb/>
            ſaid, God by wiſdom made the Heavens: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5138" xml:space="preserve">Or,
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            according to the Vulgar, Qui fecit Cælos in-
              <lb/>
            tellectu, That the Heavens are moved by an
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            intelligent Soul.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5139" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5140" xml:space="preserve">If we conſider the Original of this Opi-
              <lb/>
            nion, we ſhall find it to proceed from that
              <lb/>
            miſtake of Ariſtotle, who thought the Hea-
              <lb/>
            vens to be Eternal; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5141" xml:space="preserve">and therefore to re-
              <lb/>
            quire ſuch a moving cauſe, as being of
              <lb/>
            an immaterial Subſtance, might be ex-
              <lb/>
            empted from all that wearineſs and in-
              <lb/>
            conſtancy, vvhich other things are liable
              <lb/>
            unto.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5142" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5143" xml:space="preserve">But now this ground of his is evidently
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            ſalſe, ſince ’tis certain, That the Heavens
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            had a beginning, and ſhall have an end. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5144" xml:space="preserve">How-
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            ever, the imploying of Angels in theſe Mo-
              <lb/>
            tions of the World, is both ſuperfluous and
              <lb/>
            very improbable.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5145" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5146" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5147" xml:space="preserve">Becauſe a natural Power, intrinſical
              <lb/>
            to thoſe Bodies, will ſerve the turn as well.
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5148" xml:space="preserve">And as for other Operations, which are to
              <lb/>
            be conſtant and regular, Nature does com-
              <lb/>
            monly make uſe of ſome inward princi-
              <lb/>
            ple.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5149" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5150" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5151" xml:space="preserve">The Intelligences being immaterial, can-
              <lb/>
            not immediatly vvork upon a Body. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5152" xml:space="preserve">Nor
              <lb/>
            does any one tell us vvhat Inſtruments they
              <lb/>
            ſhould make uſe of in this buſineſs. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5153" xml:space="preserve">They
              <lb/>
            have not any hands to take hold of the Hea-
              <lb/>
            vens, or turn them about. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5154" xml:space="preserve">And that Opi-
              <lb/>
            nion of Aquinas, Durand, Soncinas, </s>
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