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-s266" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="15" file="0027" n="27" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            Light Body upwards, what a hudling and con-
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            fuſion muſt there be, if there were two pla-
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            ces for Gravity, and two places for Lightneſs:
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s267" xml:space="preserve">for it is probable that the Earth of that other
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            World would fall down to this Centre, and ſo
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            mutually the Air and Fire here aſcend to thoſe
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            Regions in the other, which muſt needs much
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            derogate from the Providence of Nature, and
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            cauſe a great diſorder in his Works. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s268" xml:space="preserve">But ratio
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            bæc eſt minimè firma, (ſaith Zancby.) </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s269" xml:space="preserve">And if
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0027-01" xlink:href="note-0027-01a" xml:space="preserve">De operibus
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              Dei. part 2.
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              lib 2. cap. 2</note>
            you well confider the nature of Gravity, you
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            will plainly ſee there is no ground to fear any
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            ſuch Confuſion; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s270" xml:space="preserve">for Heavineſs is nothing elſe
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            but ſuch a quality as cauſes a Propenſion in its
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            Subject to tend downwards towards its own
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            Centre; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s271" xml:space="preserve">ſo that for ſome of that Earth to
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            come hither, would not be ſaid a Fall, but
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            an Aſcenſion, ſince it moved from its own
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            place; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s272" xml:space="preserve">and this would be impoſſible (ſaith Ru-
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            vio) becauſe againſt Nature, and therefore
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            no more to be feared, than the falling of the
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0027-02" xlink:href="note-0027-02a" xml:space="preserve">De Cœle. 1.
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              I. c. 9. 9.1.</note>
            Heavens.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s273" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s274" xml:space="preserve">If you reply, that then according to this
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            there muſt be more Centres of Gravity than
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            one; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s275" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer, ’Tis very probable there are,
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            nor can we well Conceive what any piece of
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            the Moon would do, being ſever'd from the
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            reſt in the free and open Air, but only return
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            unto it again.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s276" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s277" xml:space="preserve">Another Argument he had from his Maſter
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0027-03" xlink:href="note-0027-03a" xml:space="preserve">Metaphyſ.
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              l. 12. c. 1.
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              Diog. Laer.
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              lib. 2.</note>
            Plato, that there is but one World, becauſe
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            there is but one firſt Mover, God.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s278" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s279" xml:space="preserve">Infirma etiam eſt bæc ratio (ſaith Zancby) and
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            we muſt juſtly deny the Conſequence, ſince a
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            Plurality of Worlds doth not take away </s>
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