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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6957That the Moon may be a World. logy for the ſtrangeneſs of thoſe Truths that
he was there to deliver;
amongſt which, there
are divers things to this purpoſe concerning
the Nature of theMoon.
He profeſſes that
he did not publiſh them, either out of a hu-
mour oſ Contradiction, or deſire of Vain-glo-
ry, or in a Jeſting way, to make himſelf, or
others merry, but after a conſiderate and ſo-
lemn manner, for the diſcovery of the Truth.
Now as for the knowledge which Cæſar pre-
tends to the contrary, you may gueſs what it
was by his ſtrange conſidence in other Aſſerti-
ons, &
his boldneſs in them may well derogate
11cap. 7. from his Credit in this.
For ſpeaking of Pto-
lomy’s Hypotheſis, he pronounces this Verdict,
Impoſſibile eſt excentricorum &
epicyclorum poſiti-
tio, nec aliquis eſt ex Mathematicis adeo ſtultus
qui veram illam exiſtimet.
‘The poſition of
‘ Excentricks and Epicycles is altogether im-
‘ poſſible, nor is there any Mathematician ſuch
‘ a Fool as to think it true.
I ſhould gueſs he
could not have knowledge enough to maintain
any other Hypotheſis, who was ſo ignorant in
Mathematicks, as to deny, any good Author
held this.
For I would fain know, whether
there were never any that thought the Hea-
vens to be ſolid Bodies, and that there
were ſuch kinds of Motion, as is by thoſe
feigned Orbs ſupplyed;
if ſo, Gæſar la Galla
was much miſtaken.
I think his Aſſertions
are equally true, that Galilæus and Keplar did
not hold this, and that there were none which
ever held that other.
Thus much for the
Teſtimony of thoſe who were directly of this
Opinion.

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