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
page |< < (174) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div329" type="section" level="1" n="65">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5336" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="174" file="0354" n="354" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            rical part of Aſtronomy, you may ſee more
              <lb/>
            fully ſet down by thoſe who have purpoſely
              <lb/>
            handled this Subject, Copernicus, Rheticus,
              <lb/>
            Galilæus; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5337" xml:space="preserve">but more eſpecially Keplar, unto
              <lb/>
            whom I do acknowledg my ſelf indebted for
              <lb/>
            ſundry Particulars in this Diſcourſe.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5338" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5339" xml:space="preserve">I have done with that which was the chief
              <lb/>
            purpoſe of the preſent Treatiſe; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5340" xml:space="preserve">namely,
              <lb/>
            the removal of thoſe common Prejudices
              <lb/>
            that Men uſually entertain againſt this Opi-
              <lb/>
            nion. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5341" xml:space="preserve">It remains, that by way of Conclu-
              <lb/>
            ſion, I endeavour to ſtir up others unto theſe
              <lb/>
            kind of Studies, which by moſt Men are
              <lb/>
            ſo much neglected.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5342" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5343" xml:space="preserve">’Tis the moſt rational way, in the proſe-
              <lb/>
            cution of ſeveral Objects, to proportion
              <lb/>
            our love and endeavour after every thing,
              <lb/>
            according to the excellency and deſireable-
              <lb/>
            neſs of it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5344" xml:space="preserve">But now, amongſt all Earthly
              <lb/>
            Contentments, there is nothing either bet-
              <lb/>
            ter in it ſelf, or more convenient for us, than
              <lb/>
            this kind of Learning; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5345" xml:space="preserve">and that, whether
              <lb/>
            you conſider it according to its general Na-
              <lb/>
            ture, as a Science; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5346" xml:space="preserve">or according to its more
              <lb/>
            ſpecial Nature, as ſuch a Science.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5347" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5348" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5349" xml:space="preserve">Conſider it as a Science. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5350" xml:space="preserve">Certain it is,
              <lb/>
            that amongſt the variety of Objects, thoſe
              <lb/>
            are more eligible, which conduce unto the
              <lb/>
            welfare of that which is our beſt part, our
              <lb/>
            Souls. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5351" xml:space="preserve">’Tis not ſo much the pleaſing of
              <lb/>
            our Senſes, or the increaſing of our For-
              <lb/>
            tunes, that does deſerve our induſtry, as
              <lb/>
            the information of our Judgments, the im-
              <lb/>
            provement of our Knowledg. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s5352" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>