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="93" file="0273" n="273" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4080" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4081" xml:space="preserve">If the fixed Stars be ſo far diſtant from
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0273-01" xlink:href="note-0273-01a" xml:space="preserve">Fromond.
                <lb/>
              Veſt tract.
                <lb/>
              5. cap. 1.</note>
            us, that our approaching nearer unto them
              <lb/>
            by 2000000 German miles, do not make a-
              <lb/>
            ny ſenſible difference in their appearance,
              <lb/>
            then Gallilæus his Perſpective could not make
              <lb/>
            them ſeem of a bigger Form, than they do
              <lb/>
            to the bare Eye, which yet is contrary to
              <lb/>
            common experience.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4082" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4083" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4084" xml:space="preserve">From hence it may be inferred, That
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0273-02" xlink:href="note-0273-02a" xml:space="preserve">Ibid.</note>
            the leaſt fixed Star is bigger than all this Orb
              <lb/>
            wherein we ſuppoſe the Earth to move; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4085" xml:space="preserve">be-
              <lb/>
            cauſe there is none of them but are of a ſen-
              <lb/>
            ſible bigneſs in reſpect of the Firmament;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4086" xml:space="preserve">whereas this it ſeems is not.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4087" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4088" xml:space="preserve">3. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4089" xml:space="preserve">Since God did at firſt create the Stars
              <lb/>
            for the uſe of all Nations that are under the
              <lb/>
            whole Heavens, Deut. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4090" xml:space="preserve">4. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4091" xml:space="preserve">19. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4092" xml:space="preserve">it might have
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0273-03" xlink:href="note-0273-03a" xml:space="preserve">Ibid.</note>
            argued ſome improvidence in him, if he had
              <lb/>
            made them of ſuch vaſt magnitudes: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4093" xml:space="preserve">where-
              <lb/>
            as they might as well beſtow their light and
              <lb/>
            influences, and ſo conſequently be as ſer-
              <lb/>
            viceable to that end for which they were ap-
              <lb/>
            pointed, if they had been made with leſs
              <lb/>
            Bodies, and placed nearer unto us. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4094" xml:space="preserve">And
              <lb/>
            ’tis a common maxime, that Nature in all her
              <lb/>
            Operations, does avoid ſuperfluities, and uſe
              <lb/>
            the moſt compendious way.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4095" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4096" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer:</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4097" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4098" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4099" xml:space="preserve">To the firſt; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4100" xml:space="preserve">whether the Perſpective
              <lb/>
            do make the fixed Stars appear bigger than
              <lb/>
            they do to the bare Eye, cannot certainly
              <lb/>
            be concluded, unlefs we had ſuch an exact
              <lb/>
            Glaſs, by which we might try the experi-
              <lb/>
            ment. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4101" xml:space="preserve">But if in this kind we will truſt </s>
          </p>
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