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 first books concerning the deluge, and concerning paradise.

  • Burnet, Thomas, 1635?-1715.
Date:
1697
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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 first books concerning the deluge, and concerning paradise. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ■ ■ - -- ,— -------—- that the Natural World was deftroy’d or perifh’d in the Deluge; and feeing it did not periih as to matter and fubilance, it mult be as to the form, frame, and compolition of it, that it periih d-, and confequently, the prefent Earth is of another form and frame from what it had before the Deluge ·, which was the thing to be proved. v·'-' · Laftly, Let us coniider what it is the Apoftle tells thefe Scoffers vthat they were ignorant of: Not that there was a Deluge, they could not be ignorant of that *, nor doth he tell them that they were; But he tells them that they were ignorant that the Heavens and the Earth of old were fo and fo conftituted, after a different man¬ lier than they are now, and that the ftate of Nature was chang’d at the Deluge, if they had known or attended to this, they had made no fuch obje&ion, nor us’d any fuch argument as they did againft the future Conflagration of the World. They pretended that there had been no change in Nature fince the beginning, and .the Apoftle in anfwer tells them, that they are willingly ignorant of the firft conftitution of the Heavens, and the Earth, and of that change and diliolution that happen’d to them in the Deluge ; and haw the prefent Heavens and Earth have another conftitution, .whereby in like manner they are expos’d, in God’s due time, to be .confum’d or dilfolv’d by Fire. This is the plain, eafie and natu¬ ral import of the Apoftle’s difcourfe ·, thus all the parts of it are co¬ herent, and the fence genuine and appoitte, and this is a full con¬ firmation of our firft and general aifertion, That the Ante diluvian Earth iras of another form frcm the-prefent Earth. This hath been obferv’d formerly by fomeof the Ancients from this Text, but that it hath not been generally obferv’d, was partly becaufe they had no Theory to back fuch an interpretation, and make it intelligible 5 •and partly becaufe they did not obfcrve, that the Apoftle’s dif¬ courfe here was an argumentation, and not a bare affirmation, or fimple contradiction to thofe that rais’d the fcruple ; ’tis an anfwer upon a ground taken, he premifeth and then infers ·, in the fifth and fixth Verfes, concerning the Deluge·, and in the feventh, con¬ cerning the Conflagration. And when I had difcover’d in my thoughts from the confideration of the Deluge, and other natural reafons, that the Earth was certainly once in another form, it was a great affurance and confirmation to me, when I reflected on this place of S.Peters; which feems to be fo much directed and inten¬ ded for the fame purpofe, or to teach us the fame conclufion, that though I defign’d chiefly a Philofophical Theory of thefe things, yet I fhould not have thought we had been juft to Providence, if we had neglected to take notice of this paffiige and Sacred evi¬ dence·, which feems to have been left us on purpofe, to excite our enquiries, and ftrengthen our reafonings, concerning the firft ftate of things. Thus much from Divine Authority: We proceed now to prove the fame Propofition from Reafon and Philofophy, and the contemplation of the Chaos, from whence the firft. Earth arofe. - We need not upon this occafion make a particular defcription of the Chaos, but only confider it as a Fluid Mafs, or a Mafs of all forts .of little parts and particles of matter mixt together, and fioa- ting