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 file="0008" n="8" rhead="The Epiſtle to the Reader."/>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s21" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s22" xml:space="preserve">To remember that I promiſe only pro-
              <lb/>
            bable Arguments for the Proof of this Opini-
              <lb/>
            on, and therefore you muſt not look that every
              <lb/>
            Conſequence ſhould be of an undeniable De-
              <lb/>
            pendance, or that the Truth of each Argu-
              <lb/>
            ment ſhould be Meaſured by its Neceſſity. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s23" xml:space="preserve">I
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            grant, that ſome Aſtronomical Appearances
              <lb/>
            may poſſibly be ſolved otherwiſe than here
              <lb/>
            they are. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s24" xml:space="preserve">But the thing I aim at is this,
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            that probably they may be ſo Solved, as I
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            have here ſet them down: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s25" xml:space="preserve">Which, if it be
              <lb/>
            granted ( as I think it muſt) then I doubt
              <lb/>
            not, but the indifferent Reader will find
              <lb/>
            ſome Satisfaction in the main thing that is
              <lb/>
            to be Proved.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s26" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s27" xml:space="preserve">Many Ancient Philoſophers of the better
              <lb/>
            Note, have formerly defended this Aſſertion,
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            which I have here laid down; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s28" xml:space="preserve">and it were
              <lb/>
            to be wiſhed, that ſome of us would more ap-
              <lb/>
            ply our Endeavors unto the Examination of
              <lb/>
            theſe Old Opinions, which though they have
              <lb/>
            for a long time lain neglected by others, yet
              <lb/>
            in them may you find many Truths well wor-
              <lb/>
            thy your Pains and Obſervation. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s29" xml:space="preserve">’Tis a
              <lb/>
            falſe Conceit for us to think, that amongſt the
              <lb/>
            Ancient Variety and ſearch of Opinions, the beſt
              <lb/>
            hath ſtill prevailed. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s30" xml:space="preserve">Time (ſaith the Lear-
              <lb/>
            ned Verulam) ſeems to be of the Nature of
              <lb/>
            a River or Stream, which carrieth down to
              <lb/>
            us that which is Light or blown up, but </s>
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