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 contents

< >
[Item 1.]
[2.] Ex Libris James S. Dearden Rampside
[3.] A DISCOVERY OF A New , OR,
[4.] In Two Parts.
[5.] The Fifth Edition Corrected and Amended. LONDON,
[6.] The Epiſtle to the READER.
[7.] The Propoſitions that are proved in this Diſcourſe. PROPOSITION I.
[8.] PROP. II.
[9.] PROP. III.
[10.] PROP. IV.
[11.] PROP. V.
[12.] PROP. VI.
[13.] PROP. VII.
[14.] PROP. VIII.
[15.] PROP. IX.
[16.] PROP. X.
[17.] PROP. XI.
[18.] PROP. XII.
[19.] PROP. XIII.
[20.] PROP. XIV.
[21.] The Firſt Book. That the MOON May be a WORLD. The Firſt Propoſition, by way of Preface.
[22.] Sed vanus ſtolidis hæc omnia finxerit Error.
[23.] Solis lunæq; labores.
[24.] Cum fruſtra reſonant æra auxiliaria Lunæ.
[25.] Una laboranti poterit ſuccerrere Lunæ.
[26.] Gantus & è cælo poſſunt deducere Lunam.
[27.] Cantus & ſi curru lunam deducere tentant, Et facerent, ſi non æra repulſa ſonant.
[28.] PROP. II. That a Plurality of Worlds doth not contradict any Principle of Reaſon or Faith.
[29.] Æſtuas infelix auguſto limite mundi.
[30.] PROP. III. That the Heavens do not conſiſt of any ſuch pure Matter, which can priviledge them from the like Change and Corruption, as theſe Inferiour, Bodies are liable unto.
< >
page |< < (66) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div98" type="section" level="1" n="35">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1009" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="66" file="0078" n="78" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            dies which are ſo full of deformity, ’tis requiſite
              <lb/>
            that it ſhould in ſome meaſure agree with them,
              <lb/>
            and as in this inferiour World, the higher Bo-
              <lb/>
            dies are the moſt compleat, ſo alſo in the Hea-
              <lb/>
            vens, Perfection is aſcended unto by degrees,
              <lb/>
            and the Moon being the loweſt, muſt be the
              <lb/>
            leaſt pure, and therefore Philo the Jew, Interpre-
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0078-01" xlink:href="note-0078-01a" xml:space="preserve">De ſomniis.</note>
            ting Jacobs Dream, concerning the Ladder, doth
              <lb/>
            in an Allegory ſhew, how that in the Fabrick
              <lb/>
            of the World, all things grow perfecter, as they
              <lb/>
            grow higher, and this is the reaſon (ſaith he)
              <lb/>
            why the Moon doth not conſiſt of any pure ſim-
              <lb/>
            ple matter, but is mixed with Air, which ſhews
              <lb/>
            ſo darkly within her Body.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1010" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1011" xml:space="preserve">But this cannot be a Sufficient reaſon; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1012" xml:space="preserve">for
              <lb/>
            though it were true, that Nature did frame
              <lb/>
            every thing perfecter, as it was higher, yet is it
              <lb/>
            as true, that Nature frames every thing fully
              <lb/>
            perfect for that Office to which ſhe intends it.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1013" xml:space="preserve">Now, had ſhe intended the Moon meerly to re-
              <lb/>
            flected the Sun-beams, and give light, the ſpots
              <lb/>
            then had not ſo much argued herProvidence, as
              <lb/>
            her unskilfulneſs and overſight, as if in the haſt
              <lb/>
            of her work, ſhe could not tell how to make
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0078-02" xlink:href="note-0078-02a" xml:space="preserve">Scalig. ex-
                <lb/>
              ercit. 62.</note>
            that Body exactly fit, for that Office, to which
              <lb/>
            ſhe intended it.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1014" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1015" xml:space="preserve">’Tis likely then, that ſhe had ſome other end
              <lb/>
            which moved her to produce this variety, and
              <lb/>
            this in all probability was her intent to make
              <lb/>
            it a fit Body for Habitation, with the ſameCon-
              <lb/>
            veniences of Sea and Land, as this Inferiour
              <lb/>
            world doth partake of. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1016" xml:space="preserve">For ſince the Moon is
              <lb/>
            ſuch a Vaſt, ſuch aSolid and Opacous Body, like
              <lb/>
            our Earth (as was above proved) why may
              <lb/>
            it not be probable, that thoſe thinner </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>