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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        <div xml:id="echoid-div274" type="section" level="1" n="60">
          <pb o="82" file="0262" n="262" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3932" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3933" xml:space="preserve">Though Ariſtotle were a Maſter
              <lb/>
            in the Art of Syllogiſms, and he from whom
              <lb/>
            he received the Rules of Diſputation; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3934" xml:space="preserve">yet
              <lb/>
            in this particular, ’tis very plain that he
              <lb/>
            was deceived with a Fallacy, whilſt his Ar-
              <lb/>
            gument does but only ſuppoſe that which it
              <lb/>
            pretend to prove.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3935" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3936" xml:space="preserve">That light Bodies do aſcend unto ſome
              <lb/>
            Circumſerence which is higher and above
              <lb/>
            the Earth, is plain and undeniable. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3937" xml:space="preserve">But
              <lb/>
            that this Circumference is the ſame with that
              <lb/>
            of the World, or concentrical unto it, can-
              <lb/>
            not be reaſonably aſſirmed, unleſs he ſup-
              <lb/>
            poſes the Earth to be in the Centre of the
              <lb/>
            Univerſe, which is the thing to be pro-
              <lb/>
            ved.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3938" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3939" xml:space="preserve">I would fain know from what grounds
              <lb/>
            our Adverſaries can prove, that the deſcent
              <lb/>
            of heavy Bodies is to the Centre; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3940" xml:space="preserve">or the
              <lb/>
            aſcent of light Bodies, to the Circumference
              <lb/>
            of the World. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3941" xml:space="preserve">The utmoſt experience we
              <lb/>
            can have in this kind, does but extend to
              <lb/>
            thoſe things that are upon our Earth, or in
              <lb/>
            the Air above it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3942" xml:space="preserve">And alas, what is this
              <lb/>
            unto the vaſt frame of the whole Univerſe,
              <lb/>
            but punctulum, ſuch an inſenſible Point,
              <lb/>
            which does not bear ſo great a proportion
              <lb/>
            to the whole, as a ſmall Sand does unto the
              <lb/>
            Earth? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3943" xml:space="preserve">Wherefore it were a ſenſleſs thing,
              <lb/>
            from our experience of ſo little a part, to
              <lb/>
            pronounce any thing inſallibly concerning
              <lb/>
            the ſcituation of the whole.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s3944" xml:space="preserve"/>
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