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

< >
[51.] PROP. IV.
[52.] PROP. V.
[53.] PROP. VI.
[54.] PROP. VII. PROP. VIII. PROP. IX. PROP. X.
[55.] That the EARTH May be a PLANET. PROP. I.
[56.] PROP. II.
[57.] PROP. III.
[58.] PROP. IV.
[59.] PROP. V. That the Scripture, in its proper conſtru-ction, does not any where affirm the Immobility of the Earth.
[60.] PROP. VI. That there is not any Argument from the Words of Scripture, Principles of Na-ture, or Obſervations in Aſtronomy, which can ſuſſiciently evidence the Earth to be in the Gentre of the Uni-verſe.
[61.] PROP. VII. Tis probable that the Sun is in the Gentre of the World.
[62.] PROP. VIII. That there is not any ſufficient reaſon to prove the Earth incapable of thoſe mo-tions which Copernicus aſcribes un-to it.
[63.] Provebimur portu, terræque, verbeſq; recedunt.
[64.] PROP. IX. That it is more probable the Earth does move, than the Sun or Heavens.
[65.] PROP. X. That this Hypotheſis is exactly agreeable to common appearances.
[66.] Quicunq; ſolam mente præcipiti petit
[67.] Brevem replere non valentis ambitum, # Pudebit aucti nominis.
[68.] FINIS.
< >
page |< < (109) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div133" type="section" level="1" n="40">
          <pb o="109" file="0121" n="121" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1569" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1570" xml:space="preserve">Conſider its Opacity; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1571" xml:space="preserve">if you mark theſe
              <lb/>
            Sublunary things, you ſhall perceive that a-
              <lb/>
            mongſt them, thoſe that are moſt perſpicuous
              <lb/>
            are not ſo well able to reverberate the Sun-
              <lb/>
            beams, as the thicker Bodies. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1572" xml:space="preserve">The Rays paſs
              <lb/>
            ſingly through a Diaphanous matter, but in an
              <lb/>
            Opacous Subſtance they are doubled in their
              <lb/>
            Return, and multiplyed by Reflection. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1573" xml:space="preserve">Now
              <lb/>
            if the Moon and the other Planets can ſhine
              <lb/>
            ſo clearly by beating back the Sun Beams, why
              <lb/>
            may not the Earth alſo ſhine as well, which
              <lb/>
            agrees with them in the cauſe of this Bright-
              <lb/>
            neſs their Opacity?</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1574" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1575" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1576" xml:space="preserve">Conſider what a clear Light we may diſ-
              <lb/>
            cern reflected from the Earth in the midſt of
              <lb/>
            Summer, and withal conceive how much
              <lb/>
            greater that muſt be which is under the Line,
              <lb/>
            where the Rays are more directly and ſtrongly
              <lb/>
            Reverberated.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1577" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1578" xml:space="preserve">3. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1579" xml:space="preserve">’Tis conſiderable that though the Moon
              <lb/>
            does in the Night time ſeem to be of ſo clear
              <lb/>
            a Brightneſs, yet when we look upon it in the
              <lb/>
            Day, it appears like ſome little whitiſh Cloud:
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1580" xml:space="preserve">Not but that at both times, ſhe is of an equal
              <lb/>
            Light in her ſelf. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1581" xml:space="preserve">The Reaſon of this diffe-
              <lb/>
            rence is, becauſe in the Night we look upon
              <lb/>
            it through a dark and obſcure medium, there
              <lb/>
            being no other enlightned Body, whoſe bright-
              <lb/>
            neſs may abate from this: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1582" xml:space="preserve">whereas in the day
              <lb/>
            time, the whole Heavens round about it, are
              <lb/>
            of an equal clearneſs, and ſo make it to appear
              <lb/>
            with a weaker Light. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1583" xml:space="preserve">Now becauſe we can-
              <lb/>
            not ſee how the enlightned parts of our Earth
              <lb/>
            do look in the Night, therefore in comparing
              <lb/>
            it with the Moon, we muſt not conſider </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>