The First Book.

That the Moon may be a World.

The first Proposition, by way of Preface.

That the strangeness of this opinion is no sufficient reason why it should be rejected; because other certain truths have been formerly esteemed ridiculous, and great absurdities entertained by common consent.

There is an earnestness and hunger after novelty, which still adheres to all our natures; and it is part of that primitive image, that wide extent and infinite capacity at first created in the heart of man. For this, since its corruption in Adam, perceiving itself altogether emptied of any good, now catches after every new thing, conceiving that possibly it may find satisfaction among some of its fellow creatures. But our enemy, the Devil (who still strives to pervert our gifts and beat us with our own weapons), has so contrived it that any truth now seems distasteful for the very reason for which error is entertained: novelty. For let some upstart heresy be set afloat, and presently there are some who, out of a curious humor, or as if they watched an occasion of singularity, will take it up as canonical and make it part of their creed and profession; whereas solitary truth cannot anywhere find so ready an entertainment; but the same novelty which is esteemed the commendation of error, and makes that acceptable, is counted the fault of truth, and causes that to be rejected.