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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            <s xml:id="echoid-s117" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="3" file="0015" n="15" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            Truth, which they themſelves were not the
              <lb/>
            firſt Inventors of. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s118" xml:space="preserve">So that I may juſtly expect
              <lb/>
            to be accuſed of a Pragmatical Ignorance, and
              <lb/>
            bold Oſtentation; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s119" xml:space="preserve">eſpecially ſince for this O-
              <lb/>
            pinion, Xenophanes, a Man whoſe Authority
              <lb/>
            was able to add ſome Credit to his Aſſertion,
              <lb/>
            could not eſcape the like Cenſure from others.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s120" xml:space="preserve">For Natales Comes ſpeaking of that Philoſo-
              <lb/>
            pher, and this his Opinion, ſaith thus, Nonnulli
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0015-01" xlink:href="note-0015-01a" xml:space="preserve">Mytholog.
                <lb/>
              lib. 3. c. 17</note>
            ne nihil ſciſſe videantur, aliqua nova monſtr a in
              <lb/>
            Philoſophiam introducunt, ut alicujus rei inven-
              <lb/>
            tores fuiſſe apparent. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s121" xml:space="preserve">‘Some there are, who leſt
              <lb/>
            ‘ they might ſeem to know nothing, will bring
              <lb/>
            ‘ up monſtrous abſurdities in Philoſophy, that
              <lb/>
            ‘ ſo afterward they may be famed for the In-
              <lb/>
            ‘ vention of ſomewhat. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s122" xml:space="preserve">The ſame Author
              <lb/>
            doth alſo in another place accuſe Anaxagoras
              <lb/>
            of Folly for the ſame Opinion. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s123" xml:space="preserve">Eſt enim non
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0015-02" xlink:href="note-0015-02a" xml:space="preserve">Lib. 7. c. 1</note>
            ignobilis gradus ſtultitiæ, vel ſineſcias quid dicas,
              <lb/>
            tamen velle de rebus propoſitis hanc vell illam par-
              <lb/>
            tem ſtabilire. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s124" xml:space="preserve">’Tis none of the worſt kinds of
              <lb/>
            Folly, boldly to affirm one ſide or other when
              <lb/>
            a Man knows not what to ſay.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s125" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s126" xml:space="preserve">If theſe Men were thus cenſur’d, I may juſt-
              <lb/>
            ly expect to be derided of moſt, and to be be-
              <lb/>
            lieved by few or none; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s127" xml:space="preserve">eſpecially ſince this
              <lb/>
            Opinion ſeems to carry in it ſo much ſtrange-
              <lb/>
            neſs, and contradiction to the general conſent
              <lb/>
            of others. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s128" xml:space="preserve">But however, I am reſolved that
              <lb/>
            this ſhall not be any diſcouragement, ſince I
              <lb/>
            know that it is not common Opinion that can
              <lb/>
            either add or detract from the Truth. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s129" xml:space="preserve">For,</s>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s130" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s131" xml:space="preserve">Other Truths have been formerly eſtee-
              <lb/>
            med altogether as ridiculous as this can be.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s132" xml:space="preserve"/>
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