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 o="83" file="0263" n="263" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3945" xml:space="preserve">The Arguments from Aſtronomy, are
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            chieſly theſe four; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3946" xml:space="preserve">each of which are boaſt-
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            ed of to be unanſwerable.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3947" xml:space="preserve"/>
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          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3948" xml:space="preserve">Arg. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3949" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3950" xml:space="preserve">The Horizon does every where
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            divide all the great Circles of a Sphere in-
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            to two equal parts : </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3951" xml:space="preserve">So there is always half
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            the Equinoctial above it, and half below.
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3952" xml:space="preserve">Thus likewiſe, there will conſtantly be ſix
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            Signs oſ the Zodiack above the Horizon, and
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            other ſix below it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3953" xml:space="preserve">And beſides, the Circles
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            of the Heaven and Earth, are each way
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            proportionable to one another; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3954" xml:space="preserve">as fifteen
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            German miles on the Earth, are every where
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            agreeable to one Degree in the Heavens; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3955" xml:space="preserve">and
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            one Hour in the Earth, is correſpondent to
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            fifteen Degrees in the Equator. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3956" xml:space="preserve">From whence
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            it may be inferred, that the Earth muſt ne-
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            ceſſarily be ſcituated in the midſt of theſe
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            Circles; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3957" xml:space="preserve">and ſo conſequently, in the Centre
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            of the World.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3958" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s3959" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer : </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3960" xml:space="preserve">This Argument does rightly
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            prove the Earth to be in the midſt of theſe
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            Circles : </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3961" xml:space="preserve">But we cannot hence conclude, that
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            it is in the Centre of the World: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3962" xml:space="preserve">from which,
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            tho it were never ſo much diſtant, yet would
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            it ſtill remain in the midſt of thoſe Circles,
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            becauſe it is the Eye that imagines them to
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            be deſcribed about it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3963" xml:space="preserve">Wherefore it were a
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            weak and prepoſterous Collection, to argue
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            thus, That the Earth is in the Centre of the
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            World, becauſe in the midſt of thoſe Cir-
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            cles; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3964" xml:space="preserve">or becauſe the Parts and Degrees of
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            the Earth, are anſwerable in proportion to
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            the Parts and Degrees in Heaven. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3965" xml:space="preserve"/>
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