The theory of the earth : containing an account of the original of the earth, and of all the general changes which it hath already undergone, or is to undergo till the consummation of all things. The two last books, concerning the burning of the world, and concerning the new heavens and new earth.

Burnet, Thomas, 1635?-1715.

Date:: 1697

Credit: The theory of the earth : containing an account of the original of the earth, and of all the general changes which it hath already undergone, or is to undergo till the consummation of all things. The two last books, concerning the burning of the world, and concerning the new heavens and new earth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$/־·' 184 ΐΑ Review of the Rheory of the Earth. reafon at length, got the upper hand of Literal authority. Then, feveral of the Chriftian Fathers contended , that there were no Antipodes : and made that dextrine irreconcileable to Scripture. But this alfo, after a while, went off, and yielded to reafon and expert- ence. Then, the Motion of the Earth muft by no means be allow'd* as being contrary to Scripture.· for fo it is indeed, according to the Letter and Vulgar ftyle. But all intelligent Perfons fee thorough this Argument, and depend upon it no more in this cafe, than in the former. Laftly, The original of the Earth from a Chaos,drawn according to the rules of Phyftology, will not be admitted : becaufe it does not agree with the Scheme of the Six-days Creation. But why may not this be writ in a Vulgar ftyle, as well as the reft ? Certainly there can be nothing more like a Vulgar ftyle, than to fet God to worl^ by the day, and in Six-days to finiih his task : as he is there represented. We may therefore probably hope that all thefe difguifes of truth will at length fall oft, and that we (hall fee God and his Works in a pure and naked Light. Thus I have finifh’d what I had to fay in confirmation of this Theory from Scripture. I mean of the former part of it, which de- pends chiefly upon the Deluge, and the Ante diluvian Earth. When you have collated the places of Scripture, on either fide, and laid them in the balance, to be weigh’d one againft another ·, If you do but find them equal, or near to an equal poife, you know in whe- ther Scale the Natural Reafons are to be laid: and of what weight they ought to be in an argument of this kind. There is a great dif- ference betwixt Scripture with Philofophy on its fide, and Scrip- ture with Philofophy againft it: when the queftion is concerning the Natural World. And this is our Cafe : which I leave now to the confideration of the unprejudic’d Reader: and proceed to the Proof of the Second Part of the Theory. joatlk 9V/ Dfl.r. .22 ד׳ π i i vV V Iof{ *׳ * v. ־ THE later Part confifts of the Conflagration of ״the World, and the New Heavens and New Earth. And feeing there is no dif- pute concerning the former of thefe two, our task will now lie in a little compafs. Being only this, To prove that there will be New Heavens, and a New Earth, after the Conflagration. This, to my mind, is fuiftciently done already, in the firft, fecond and third Chapters of the 4th. Book, both from Scripture and Antiquity, whether Sacred or Prophane: and therefore, at prefent, we will only make a ftiort and eafie review of Scripture-Teftimonies, with defign chiefly to obviate and difappoint the Evafions of fuch, as would beat down folid Texts into thin Metaphors and Aile- gories. ; Λ. a ποΙΑύλ . TI!*$