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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[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.
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5240That the Moon may be a World.
For the better Illuſtration oſ this, we may
conſider ſeveral ways whereby divers Bodies
are enlightned.
Either as Water, by admit-
ting the Beams into its Subſtance;
or as Air
and thin Clouds, by Tranſmitting their Rays
quite thorow their Bodies;
or as thoſe things
which are of an Opacous Nature, and ſmooth
Superficies, which reflect the Light only in
one place;
or elſe, as thoſe things which are
of an Opacous Nature, and Rugged Superſi-
cies, which by a kind of Circumfluous Re-
flexion, are at the ſame time Diſcernable in
many places, as our Earth, and the Moon.
2. It is Compact, and not a Spungey and
112 Porous Subſtance.
But this is denyed by (a)
Diogenes, (b) Vitellio, (c) Reinoldus, and ſome
22a Plut. de
pla. phil.
l. 2. c. 13.
b Opt.lib.4.
c Com. Pur-
bac. Theo.p.
164.
other, who held the Moon to be of the ſame
kind of Nature as a Pumice-Sone;
and this,
ſay they, is the reaſon why in the Suns Eclipſes
there appears within her a duskiſh ruddy Co-
lour, becauſe the Sun Beams being Refracted
in paſſing through the Pores of her Body, muſt
neceſſarily be Repreſented under ſuch a Co-
lour.
But I Reply, if this be the Cauſe of her
Redneſs, then why doth ſhe not appear under
the ſame Form when ſhe is about a Sextile Aſ-
pect, and the Darkned part of her Body is
Diſcernable?
for then alſo do the ſame Rays
paſs through Her, and therefore in all likely-
hood ſhould produce the ſame Effect;
and
notwithſtanding thoſeBeams are then diverted
from us, that they cannot enter into our Eyes
by a ſtraight Line, yet muſt the Colour ſtill
remain Viſible in her Body.
And beſides,

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