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-s572" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="36" file="0048" n="48" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            Heavens be of one Thickneſs, and the Element
              <lb/>
            of Fire another, and the upper Region of Air
              <lb/>
            diſtinct from both theſe, and the Lower Re-
              <lb/>
            gion ſeveral from all the reſt, there would
              <lb/>
            then be ſuch a Multiplicity of Refractions, as
              <lb/>
            muſt neceſſarily deſtroy the Certainty of all
              <lb/>
            Aſtronomical Obſervations. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s573" xml:space="preserve">All which In-
              <lb/>
            conveniences might be avoided, by ſuppoſing
              <lb/>
            (as we do) that there is only one Orb of Va-
              <lb/>
            porous Air which encompaſſes our Earth, all
              <lb/>
            the reſt being Æthereal, and of the ſame per-
              <lb/>
            ſpicuity.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s574" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s575" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s576" xml:space="preserve">The Scituation of this Element does no
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0048-01" xlink:href="note-0048-01a" xml:space="preserve">2.</note>
            way agree with Ariſtotle's own Principles ;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s577" xml:space="preserve">or that common Providence of Nature, which
              <lb/>
            we may diſcern in ordinary Matters. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s578" xml:space="preserve">For if
              <lb/>
            the Heavens be without all Elementary Qua-
              <lb/>
            lities, as is uſually ſuppoſed, then it would be
              <lb/>
            a very incongruous thing for the Element of
              <lb/>
            Fire to be placed immediately next unto it: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s579" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            Since the Heat of this is the moſt Powerful
              <lb/>
            and Vigorous Quality that is amongſt all the
              <lb/>
            reſt ; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s580" xml:space="preserve">And Nature in her other Works, does
              <lb/>
            not join Extreams, but by ſomething of a mid-
              <lb/>
            dle Diſpoſition. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s581" xml:space="preserve">So in every Frame of our
              <lb/>
            Bodies, the Bones which are of a hard Sub-
              <lb/>
            ſtance, and the Fleſh of a ſoft, are not joined
              <lb/>
            together but by the Interceſſion of Membranes
              <lb/>
            and Griſſels, ſuch as being of a middle Na-
              <lb/>
            ture may fitly come betwixt.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s582" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s583" xml:space="preserve">3. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s584" xml:space="preserve">’Tis not conceivable for what Uſe or Be-
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0048-02" xlink:href="note-0048-02a" xml:space="preserve">3.</note>
            nefit there ſhould be any ſuch Elements in that
              <lb/>
            Place, and certain it is, that Nature does not
              <lb/>
            do any thing in Vain.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s585" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s586" xml:space="preserve">4. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s587" xml:space="preserve">Betwixt two Extreams there can be but
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0048-03" xlink:href="note-0048-03a" xml:space="preserve">4.</note>
            </s>
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