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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360180That the Earth may be a Planet. quod inter tot gentes ferro & igni dividitur.
11Sen. Nat.
Quæſt. l. 1.
Nonne &
terrena a-
nimalia
conſider a-
tis, quibus
præſidere
videami-
ni ? Nam
ſi inter
mures vi-
deres u-
num ali-
quem, jus
ſibi ac po-
teſtatem
præ cæteris
vindican-
tem, quan-
to movere-
ris cha-
chinno,
&c.
Boëius de
Conſol.l.2.
’Tis but a little Point, which with ſo much
ado is diſtributed unto ſo many Nations
by Fire and Sword.
What great matter is
it to be a Monarch of a ſmall part of a Point?
Might not the Ants as well divide a little
Mole-hill into divers Provinces, and keep as
great a ſtir in diſpoſing of their Govern-
ment?
Punctum eſt illud in quo Navigatis, in
quo Bellatis, in quo Regna diſponitis.
All this
place wherein we War, and Travel, and
diſpoſe of Kingdoms, is but a Point far leſs
than any of thoſe ſmall Stars, that at this
diſtance are ſcarce diſcernable.
Which when
the Soul does ſeriouſly meditate upon, it
will begin to deſpiſe the narrowneſs of its
preſent Habitation, and think of providing
for it ſelf a Manſion in thoſe wider Spaces
above, ſuch as may be more agreeable to the
Nobleneſs and Divinity of its Nature.
Why ſhould any one dream of propaga-
ting his Name, or ſpreading his Report
through the World?
when as though he had
more Glory than Ambition can hope for;
yet as long as all this habitable Earth is but
an inconſiderable Point, what great matter
can there be in that Fame which is included
within ſuch ſtrait contracted Limits?
Quicunq; ſolam mente præcipiti petit
22Boëtius
Ibid.
Summumq; credit gloriam, Late patentes ætheris cernat plagas, Arctumq; terrarum ſitum.

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