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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4533That the Moon may be a World. Saint Baſil did endeavour to prove this out of
11Iſa. 51. 6.
Ant. lect.
l. 1. c. 4.
Hiſt. nat.
l. 2. c.11.13.
that place in Iſaiab, where they are compar'd
to Smoak, as they are both quoted by Rhodi-
ginus.
Euſebius Nicrembergius doth likewiſe
from that place confute the Solidity and In-
corruptibility of the Heavens, and cites for
the ſame Interpretation the Authority of Eu-
22In lib. ſup.
Gen. ad lit.
ſtachius of Antioch;
and St. Auſtin, I am ſure,
in one place ſeems to aſſent unto this Opinion,
though he does oſten in his other Works con-
tradict it.
If you eſteem the Teſtimony of the Ancient
Fathers, to be of any great Force or Conſe-
quence in a Philoſophical Diſpute, you may
ſee them to this Purpoſe in Sixtus Senenſis lib.
5. Biblioth. annot. 14. The chief Reaſons,
that are commonly urg'd for the Confirmati-
on of it, are briefly theſe Three.
1. From the Altitude of divers Comets,
which have been obſerv'd to be above the
Planets, through whoſe Orbs (if they had
been Solid, there would not have been any
Paſſage.
To theſe may be added thoſe leſſer
Planets lately diſcover'd about Fupiter and
Saturn, for which Aſtronomers have not yet
fram'd any Orbs.
2. From that uncertainty of all Aſtronomi-
cal Obſervations, which will follow upon the
Suppoſition of ſuch Solid Spheres.
For then
we ſhould never diſcern any Star but by a mul-
titude of Refractions, and ſo conſequently we
would not poſſibly find their true Scituations
either in reſpect of us, or in regard of one ano-
ther;
ſince whatever the Eye diſcerns by a
Refracted Beam, it apprehends to be in

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