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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[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.
[31.] Necnon Oceano paſci phæbumque polumq; Gredimus.
[32.] PROP. IV. That the Moon is a Solid, Compacted, Opacous Body.
[33.] PROP. V. That the Moon hath not any Light of her own.
[34.] PROP. VI. That there is a World in the Moon, bath been the direct Opinion of many Ancient, with ſome Modern Mathematicians, and may probably de deduc’d from the Tenents of others.
[35.] PROP. VII. That thoſe Spots and brighter parts, which by our ſight may be diſtinguiſhed in the Moon, do ſhew the difference betwixt the Sea and Land, in that other World.
[36.] PROP. VIII. The Spots repeſent the Sea, and the brighter parts the Land.
[37.] PROP. IX. That there are high Mountains, deep Vallies, and ſpacious Plains in the Body of the Moon.
[38.] PROP. X. That there is an Atmo-ſphæra, or an Orb of groſs, Vaporous Air, immediately encompaſſing the body of the Moon.
[39.] PROP. XI. That as their World is our Moon, ſo our World is their Moon.
[40.] Provehimur portu, terræque urbeſque recedunt.
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2614That the Moon may be a World.
PROP. II.
That a Plurality of Worlds doth not contradict any
Principle of Reaſon or Faith.
TIS reported of Ariſtotle, that when he
ſaw the Books of Moſes, he commended
for ſuch a Majeſtick Style, as might become
a God, but withal, he cenſur'd that manner
of Writing to be very unfit for a Philoſopher:
becauſe there was nothing prov'd in them,
but matters were deliver'd, as if they would
rather command, than perſwade Belief.
And
?
tis obſervd that he ſets down nothing himſelf,
but he confirms it by the ſtrongeſt Reaſon that
may be found, there being ſcarce an Argu-
ment of force for any Subject in Philoſophy,
which may not be picked out of his Writings;

and therefore ’tis likely, if there were in Rea-
ſon a neceſſity of one only World, that he
would have found out ſome ſuch neceſſary
proof as might confirm it:
Eſpecially ſince he
Labours for it ſo much in two whole Chap-
ters.
But now all the Arguments which he
himſelf urges in this Subject, are very weak,
and far enough from having in them any con-
vincing Power.
Therefore ’tis likely that a
Plurality of Worlds doth not contradict any
Principle of Reaſon.
However, I will ſet
down the two chief of his Arguments from his
own Works, and from them you may gueſs
the force of the other.
The firſt is this, ſince every heavy Body
11Ibid. doth naturally tend downwards, and

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