,the ,sacred ,theory of the ,earth      
,,the ,,sacred ,,theory ,,of ,,the      
,,earth4                                
,containing an ,,account of the         
,original of the ,earth1                
,and of all the                         
,,general ,,changes                     
,which it hath already undergone1 or is 
to                       undergo1 till  
the ,,consummation                      
of all ,things4                         
,the ,,two ,,last ,,books1              
,concerning the ,burning of the ,,world1
                                        
,,and                ,concerning the    
,new ,heavens1 and ,new ,earth4         
,,vol4 ,,ii4                            
,,london3          ,printed for ,j4     
,,hooke1 at the ,flower-de-luce1        
over-against              ,st4          
,dunstan's ,church1 in ,fleetstreet1    
#agbf4                                  
,,to ,,the                              
,,queen',s                              
,most ,,excellent                       

,,majesty4      ,,madam1    ,having had 
the ,honour to present the first ,part  
of this ,theory to your  ,,royal        
,,uncle1 ,i presume to offer the ,second
 to ,your ,majesty4 ,this ,part of  the 
,subject1 ,i hope1 will be no less      
acceptable1 for certainly 'tis of  no   
less ,importance4 ,they both indeed     
agree in this1 that there is a  ,,world 
made and destroy'd in either ,treatise4 
,but we are more concern'd  in what is  
to come1 than what is past4 ,and as the 
former ,books  represented to us the    
,rise and ,fall of the first ,world2 so 
these give an  ,account of the present  
,frame of ,nature labouring under the   
last ,flames1  and of the ,resurrection 
of it in the new ,heavens and new       
,earth2  which1 according to the ,divine
 ,promises1 we are to expect4    ,cities
 that are burnt1 are commonly rebuilt   
more beautiful and regular  than they   
were before4 ,and when this ,world is   
demolish'd by the last  ,fire1 ,he that 
undertakes to rear it up again1 will    

supply the ,defects1  if there were any1
 of the former ,fabrick4 ,this ,theory  
supposes the  present ,earth to be      
little better than an ,heap of ,ruins2  
where yet there  is ,room enough for    
,sea and ,land1 for ,islands and        
,continents1 for several  ,countries and
 ,dominions3 ,but when these are all    
melted down1 and refin'd  in the general
 ,fire1 they will be cast into a better 
,mould1 and the ,form  and ,qualities of
 the ,earth will become ,paradisaical4  
,but1 ,i fear1 it may be thought no very
 proper ,address1 to shew ,your         
,majesty a ,world laid in ,ashes1 where 
,you have so great an ,interest ,your   
,self1 and such fair ,dominions2 and    
then1 to recompense the ,loss1 by       
giving a ,reversion in a future ,earth4 
,but if that future ,earth be a  second 
,paradise1 to be enjoyed for a ,thousand
 ,years2 with ,peace1  ,innocency1 and  
constant ,health2 ,an ,inheritance there
 will be1 an happy  ,exchange for the   
best ,crown in this ,world4    ,i       

confess1 ,i could never persuade myself 
that the ,kingdom of ,christ1 and  of   
his ,saints1 which the ,scripture speaks
 of so frequently1 was designed  to be  
upon this present ,earth4 ,but however1 
upon all ,suppositions1 they  that have 
done some ,good in this ,life1 will be  
,sharers in the ,happiness  of that     
,state4 ,to humble the ,oppressors1 and 
rescue the ,oppressed1 is a  ,work of   
,generosity and ,charity1 that cannot   
want its ,reward2 ,yet1 ,,madam1  they  
are the greatest ,benefactors to        
,mankind1 that dispose the ,world to    
become ,virtuous2 and by their ,example1
 ,influence1 and ,authority1  retrieve  
that ,,truth and ,,justice1 that have   
been lost1 amongst ,men1 for  many      
,ages4 ,the ,school-,divines1 tell us1  
those that act or suffer great  ,things 
for the ,publick ,good1 are             
distinguish'd in ,heaven1 by a ,circle  
of  ,gold about their ,heads4 ,one would
 not willingly vouch for that3 ,but one 
may safely for what the ,prophet says1  

which is far greater3 ,namely1 that     
,they shall shine like ,stars in the    
,firmament1 that turn many to           
,righteousness4 ,which is not to be     
understood1 so much1 of the  ,conversion
 of single ,souls1 as of the turning of 
,nations and ,people2 the  turning of   
the ,world to ,righteousness4 ,they that
 lead on that great and  happy ,work1   
shall be distinguish'd in ,glory from   
the rest of ,mankind4    ,we are        
sensible1 ,,madam1 from ,your ,great    
,example1 that ,piety and ,vertue       
seated upon a ,throne1 draw many to     
,imitation1 whom ill ,principles1 or    
the ,course of the ,world1 might have   
led another ,way4 ,these are the best1  
as well as easiest ,victories1 that are 
gain'd without ,contest4 ,and as        
,princes are the ,vicegerents of ,god   
upon ,earth1 so when their ,majesty is  
in ,conjunction with ,goodness1 it hath 
a double ,character of ,divinity  upon  
it3 ,and we owe them a double ,tribute  
of ,fear and ,love4 ,which1 with        

constant ,prayers for ,your ,,majesty's 
present and future ,happiness1 shall  be
 always ,dutifully paid1 by             
,your ,,majesty's                       
,most ,humble and                       
,most ,obedient ,subject1               
,t4 ,,burnet4                           
,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,reader4      ,i  
have not much to say to the ,reader in  
this ,preface to the ,third ,part  of   
the ,theory2 seeing it treats upon a    
,subject own'd by all1 and out of       
,dispute3 ,the ,conflagration of the    
,world4 ,the ,question will be only     
about the ,bounds and ,limits of the    
,conflagration1 the ,causes and the     
,manner of it4 ,these ,i have fixed1    
according to the truest ,measures ,i    
could take from ,scripture1 and from    
,nature4 ,i differ1 ,i believe1 from    
the common ,sentiment in this1 that1 in 
following ,st4 ,peter's  ,philosophy1 ,i
 suppose1 that the burning of the       
,earth1 will be a true  ,liquefaction or
 ,dissolution of it1 as to the exterior 

,region4 ,and that  this lays a         
,foundation for new ,heavens and a new  
,earth2 which seems  to me as plain a   
,doctrine in ,christian ,religion1 as   
the ,conflagration  itself4    ,i have  
endeavour'd to propose an intelligible  
,way1 whereby the ,earth may  be        
consum'd by ,fire4 ,but if any one can  
propose another1 more probable1  and    
more consistent1 ,i will be the first   
,man that shall give him ,thanks  for   
this ,discovery4 ,he that loves ,truth  
for its own sake1 is willing to  receive
 it from any ,hand2 as he that truly    
loves his ,country1 is glad of  a       
,victory over the ,enemy1 whether       
himself1 or any other1 has the ,glory   
of it4 ,i need not repeat here1 what ,i 
have already said upon several          
,occasions1 that 'tis the ,substance of 
this ,theory1 whether in this ,part1  or
 in other ,parts1 that ,i mainly regard 
and depend upon3 ,being willing  to     
suppose1 that many single ,explications 
and ,particularities may be  rectified1 

upon farther ,thoughts1 and clearer     
,light4 ,i know our best  ,writings1 in 
this ,life1 are but ,essays1 which we   
leave to ,posterity to  review and      
correct4    ,as to the ,style1 ,i always
 endeavour to express myself in a plain 
and  perspicuous manner2 that the       
,reader may not lose ,time1 nor wait too
  long1 to know my ,meaning4 ,to give an
 ,attendant quick ,dispatch1 is a       
,civility1 whether you do his ,business 
or no4 ,i would not willingly give  any 
one the ,trouble of reading a ,period   
twice over1 to know the ,sense of  it2  
lest1 when he comes to know it1 he      
should not think it a ,recompence  for  
his ,pains4 ,whereas1 on the contrary1  
if you are easy to your ,reader1  he    
will certainly make you an ,allowance   
for it1 in his ,censure4    ,you must   
not think it strange however1 that the  
,author sometimes1 in  meditating upon  
this ,subject1 is warm in his ,thoughts 
and ,expressions4  ,for to see a ,world 
perishing in ,flames1 ,rocks melting1   

the ,earth  trembling1 and an ,host of  
,angels in the ,clouds1 one must be very
 much a  ,stoick1 to be a cold and      
unconcerned ,spectator of all this4 ,and
 when we  are mov'd ourselves1 our      
,words will have a ,tincture of those   
,passions  which we feel4 ,besides1 in  
moral ,reflections which are design'd   
for ,use1  there must be some ,heat1 as 
well as dry ,reason1 to inspire this    
cold  ,clod of ,clay1 this dull ,body of
 ,earth1 which we carry about with us2  
and  you must soften and pierce that    
,crust1 before you can come at the      
,soul4  ,but especially when ,things    
future are to be represented1 you cannot
 use  too strong ,colours1 if you would 
give them ,life1 and make them appear   
present to the ,mind4 ,farewel4         
,,contents ,,of ,,the ,,chapters4       
,the ,,third ,,book4    ,,chap4 ,i4     
,the ,introduction2 with the ,contents  
and ,order of this ,treatise 444 #a     
,,chap4 ,,ii4    ,the true ,state of the
 ,question is propos'd4 ',tis the       

general ,doctrine  of the ,antients1    
,that the present ,world1 or the present
 ,frame of ,nature1  is mutable and     
perishable2 to which the sacred ,books  
agree3 ,and natural  ,reason can alledge
 nothing against it 444 #g    ,,chap4   
,,iii4    ,that the ,world will be      
destroyed by ,fire1 is the ,doctrine of 
the  ,antients2 especially of the       
,stoicks4 ,that the same ,doctrine is   
more  antient than the ,greeks1 and     
deriv'd from the ,barbarick ,philosophy2
 and  that probably from ,noah1 the     
,father of all traditionary ,learning4  
,the  same ,doctrine expresly authorized
 by ,revelation1 and inrolled into the  
,sacred ,canon 444 #ai    ,,chap4 ,,iv4 
,concerning the time of the             
,conflagration1 and the ,end of the     
,world4  ,what the ,astronomers say upon
 this ,subject1 and upon what they      
ground  their ,calculations4 ,the true  
,notion of the ,great ,year1 or of the  
,platonick ,year1 stated and explain'd  
444 #ce    ,,chap4 ,v4    ,concerning   

,prophecies that determine the ,end of  
the ,world2 ,of what  ,order soever1    
,prophane or ,sacred1 ,jewish or        
,christian4 ,that no certain  ,judgment 
can be made from any of them1 at what   
,distance we are from the               
,conflagration 444 #de    ,,chap4 ,,vi4 
,concerning the ,causes of the          
,conflagration4 ,the ,difficulty of     
conceiving how this ,earth can be set on
 ,fire4 ,with a general ,answer to  that
 ,difficulty4 ,two suppos'd ,causes of  
the ,conflagration1 by the ,sun's       
drawing nearer to the ,earth1 or the    
,earth's throwing out the central       
,fire1 examin'd and rejected 444 #fj    
,,chap4 ,,vii4    ,the true ,bounds of  
the last ,fire1 and how far it is       
,fatal4 ,the natural  ,causes and       
,materials of it1 cast into three       
,ranks4 ,first1 ,such as are  exterior  
and visible upon ,earth1 where the      
,volcano's of this ,earth1 and  their   
,effects1 are consider'd4 ,secondly1    
,such ,materials as are within  the     

,earth4 ,thirdly1 ,such as are in the   
,air 444 #gc    ,,chap4 ,,viii4    ,some
 new ,dispositions towards the          
,conflagration1 as to the ,matter1      
,form1 and ,situation of the ,earth4    
,concerning miraculous ,causes1 and how 
far the ,ministry of ,angels may be     
engaged in this ,work 444 #ib    ,,chap4
 ,,ix4    ,how the ,sea will be         
diminish'd and consum'd4 ,how the ,rocks
 and  ,mountains will be thrown down and
 melted1 and the whole exterior ,frame  
of the ,earth dissolv'd into a ,deluge  
of ,fire 444 #ajd    ,,chap4 ,x4        
,concerning the ,beginning and ,progress
 of the ,conflagration1 what ,part  of  
the ,earth will first be burnt4 ,the    
,manner of the future ,destruction  of  
,rome1 according to the ,prophetical    
,indications4 ,the last ,state and      
,consummation of the general ,fire 444  
#aag    ,,chap4 ,,xi4    ,an ,account of
 these extraordinary ,phnomena and      
,wonders in ,nature1  that1 according to
 ,scripture1 will precede the ,coming of

 ,christ1 and the  ,conflagration of the
 ,world 444 #acj    ,,chap4 ,,xii4      
,an imperfect ,description of the       
,coming of our ,saviour1 and of the     
,world  on ,fire 444 #adc    ,the       
,conclusion 444 #afj      ,the ,,fourth 
,,book4    ,,chap4 ,i4    ,the          
,introduction2 that the ,world will not 
be annihilated in the last  ,fire4 ,that
 we are to expect1 according to         
,scripture1 and the ,christian          
,doctrine1 new ,heavens and a new       
,earth1 when these are dissolved or     
burnt  up 444 #ahd    ,,chap4 ,,ii4     
,the ,birth of the new ,heavens and the 
new ,earth1 from the second ,chaos1  or 
the ,remains of the old ,world4 ,the    
,form1 ,order1 and ,qualities of the    
new ,earth1 according to ,reason and    
,scripture 444 #aia    ,,chap4 ,,iii4   
,concerning the ,inhabitants of the new 
,earth4 ,that natural ,reason cannot    
determine this ,point4 ,that1 according 
to ,scripture1 the ,sons of the  first  
,resurrection1 or the ,heirs of the     

,millennium1 are to be the  ,inhabitants
 of the new ,earth3 ,the ,testimony of  
the ,philosophers1 and of  the          
,christian ,fathers1 for the ,renovation
 of the ,world4 ,the first  ,proposition
 laid down 444 #bja    ,,chap4 ,,iv4    
,the ,proof of a ,millennium1 or of a   
blessed ,age to come1 from ,scripture4  
,a ,view of the ,apocalypse1 and of the 
,prophecies of ,daniel1 in reference  to
 this ,kingdom of ,christ1 and of his   
,saints 444 #bac    ,,chap4 ,v4    ,a   
,view of other ,places of ,scripture1   
concerning the ,millennium1 or  future  
,kingdom of ,christ4 ,in what ,sense all
 the ,prophets have born  ,testimony    
concerning it 444 #bbi    ,,chap4 ,,vi4 
,the ,sense and ,testimony of the       
,primitive ,church1 concerning the      
,millennium1 or future ,kingdom of      
,christ2 from the ,times of the         
,apostles1  to the ,nicene ,council4    
,the second ,proposition laid down1     
when1 by what  ,means1 and for what     
,reasons1 that ,doctrine was afterwards 

neglected or  discountenanc'd 444 #bdf  
,,chap4 ,,vii4    ,the true ,state of   
the ,millennium1 according to           
,characters taken from  ,scripture4     
,some ,mistakes concerning it rectified 
444 #bfj    ,,chap4 ,,viii4    ,the     
third ,proposition laid down1 concerning
 the ,time and ,place of the            
,millennium4 ,several ,arguments us'd to
 prove1 that it cannot be till  after   
the ,conflagration2 and that the new    
,heavens and new ,earth1 are the  true  
,seat of the blessed ,millennium 444    
#bfi    ,,chap4 ,,ix4    ,the chief     
,employment of the ,millennium          
,,devotion and ,,contemplation 444  #bhg
    ,,chap4 ,x4    ,objections against  
the ,millennium answer'd4 ,with some    
,conjectures  concerning the ,state of  
,things after the ,millennium3 ,and what
 will be  the final ,consummation of    
this ,world 444 #cje                    
,,the ,,theory ,,of ,,the ,,earth4      
,,book ,,iii4                           
,concerning the ,,conflagration4        

,,chap4 ,i4                             
,the ,,introduction3                    
,with the ,contents and ,order of this  
,work4      ,seeing ,providence hath    
planted in all ,men a natural ,desire   
and ,curiosity  of knowing ,things to   
come2 and such ,things especially1 as   
concern our  particular ,happiness1 or  
the general ,fate of ,mankind2 ,this    
,treatise may1  in both respects1 hope  
for a favourable ,reception amongst     
inquisitive  ,persons2 seeing the       
,design of it is1 to give an ,account of
 the greatest  ,revolutions of ,nature  
that are expected in future ,ages3 and  
in the first  ,place1 of the            
,conflagration of the ,world4 ,in which 
universal ,calamity1  when all ,nature  
suffers1 every ,man's particular        
,concern must needs be  involved4    ,we
 see with what ,eagerness ,men pry into 
the ,stars1 to see if they can  read    
there the ,death of a ,king1 or the     
,fall of an ,empire3 ',tis not the  fate
 of any single ,prince or ,potentate1   

that we calculate1 but of all  ,mankind3
 ,nor of this or that particular        
,kingdom or ,empire1 but of the  whole  
,earth4 ,our ,enquiries must reach to   
that great ,period of ,nature1  when all
 ,things are to be dissolv'd2 both      
,human ,affairs1 and the ,stage  whereon
 they are acted2 when the ,heavens and  
the ,earth will pass away1  and the     
,elements melt with fervent ,heat4 ,we  
desire1 if possible1 to know  what will 
be the ,face of that ,day1 that great   
and terrible ,day6 when the  ,regions of
 the ,air will be nothing but mingled   
,flame and ,smoke1 and the  habitable   
,earth turn'd into a ,sea of molten     
,fire4    ,but we must not leave the    
,world in this ,disorder and ,confusion1
 without  examining what will be the    
,issue and ,consequences of it4 ,whether
 this  will be the ,end of all ,things1 
and ,nature1 by a sad ,fate1 lie        
eternally  dissolv'd and desolate in    
this manner8 or1 ,whether we may hope   
for a  ,restoration3 ,new ,heavens and a

 ,new ,earth1 which the ,holy ,writings 
make mention of1 more pure and perfect  
than the former8 ,as if this was  but as
 a ,refiner's ,fire1 to purge out the   
,dross and coarser ,parts1 and  then    
cast the ,mass again into a new and     
better ,mould4 ,these ,things1 with     
,god's ,assistance1 shall be matter of  
our present ,enquiry3 ,these make the   
general ,subject of this ,treatise1 and 
of the remaining ,parts of this  ,theory
 of the ,earth4 ,which now1 you see1    
begins to be a kind of  ,prophecy or    
,prognostication of ,things to come1 as 
it hath been hitherto  an ,history of   
,things past2 of such ,states and       
,changes as ,nature hath  already       
undergone4 ,and if that ,account which  
we have given of the ,origin  of the    
,earth1 its first and ,paradisaical     
,form1 and the ,dissolution of it  at   
the universal ,deluge1 appear fair and  
reasonable2 the second  ,dissolution by 
,fire1 and the ,renovation of it out of 
a second ,chaos1 ,i  hope1 will be      

deduc'd from as clear ,grounds and      
,suppositions4 ,and  ,scripture it self 
will be a more visible ,guide to us in  
these following  ,parts of the ,theory1 
than it was in the former4 ,in the mean 
,time1 ,i take  occasion to declare here
 again1 as ,i have done heretofore1     
,that neither  this1 nor any other great
 ,revolutions of ,nature1 are brought to
 pass1 by  ,causes purely natural1      
without the ,conduct of a particular    
,providence4  ,and 'tis the sacred      
,books of ,scripture that are the       
,records of this  ,providence1 both as  
to ,times past1 and ,times to come2 as  
to all the  signal ,changes1 either of  
the natural ,world1 or of ,mankind1 and 
the  different ,oeconomies of ,religion4
 ,in which respects1 these ,books1 tho' 
they did not contain a moral ,law1      
would1 notwithstanding1 be1 as the  most
 mystical1 so also the most valuable    
,books in the ,world4    ,this          
,treatise1 you see1 will consist of ,two
 ,parts3 ,the former whereof is  to give

 an ,account of the ,conflagration2 and 
the latter1 of the ,new  ,heavens1 and  
,new ,earth following upon it2 together 
with the ,state of  ,mankind in those   
new ,habitations4 ,as to the            
,conflagration1 we first  enquire1 ,what
 the ,antients thought concerning the   
present ,frame of this  ,world3 ,whether
 it was to perish or no3 ,whether to be 
destroyed1 or to  stand eternally in    
this ,posture4 ,then1 in what ,manner   
they thought it  would be destroy'd3 ,by
 what ,force or ,violence3 ,whether by  
,fire or other  ways4 ,and with these   
,opinions of the ,antients we will      
compare the  ,doctrine of the ,prophets 
and ,apostles1 to discover and confirm  
the ,truth  of them4 ,in the second     
,place1 ,we will examine1 ,what         
,calculations or  ,conjectures have been
 made concerning the ,time of this great
  ,catastrophe1 or of the ,end of this  
,world3 ,whether that ,period be        
definable or no2 and whether by natural 
,arguments1 or by ,prophecies4          

,thirdly1 ,we will consider the ,signs  
of the approaching ,conflagration3      
,whether such as will be in ,nature1 or 
in the ,state of human ,affairs2 but    
especially such as are taken notice of1 
and recorded1 in ,scripture4  ,fourthly1
 ,which is the principal ,point1 and yet
 that wherein the  ,antients have been  
most silent1 ,what ,causes there are in 
,nature1 what  ,preparations1 for this  
,conflagration3 ,where are the ,seeds of
 this  universal ,fire1 or ,fuel        
sufficient for the ,nourishing of it8   
,lastly1  ,in what ,order1 and by what  
,degrees1 the ,conflagration will       
proceed3 ,in  what ,manner the ,frame of
 the ,earth will be dissolv'd2 and what 
will be  the dreadful ,countenance of a 
burning ,world4    ,these ,heads are set
 down more fully in the ,arguments of   
each ,chapter2  and seem to be          
sufficient for the ,explication of this 
whole ,matter3  ,taking in some         
additional ,discourses1 which1 in       
pursuing these ,heads1  enter of their  

own accord1 and make the ,work more even
 and intire4 ,in  the ,second ,part1 we 
restore the ,world that we had          
destroy'd3 ,build ,new  ,heavens and a  
,new ,earth1 wherein ,righteousness     
shall dwell4 ,establish  that new ,order
 of ,things1 which is so often          
celebrated by the ,prophets3  ,a        
,kingdom of ,peace and of ,justice1     
where the ,enemy of ,mankind shall be   
bound1 and the ,prince of ,peace shall  
rule4 ,a ,paradise without a ,serpent1  
and a ,tree of ,knowledge1 not to wound1
 but to heal the ,nations3 ,where  will 
be neither ,curse1 nor ,pain1 nor       
,death1 nor ,disease3 ,where  all       
,things are new1 all ,things are more   
perfect1 both the ,world it self1  and  
its ,inhabitants3 ,where the ,first-born
 from the ,dead1 have the  ,first-fruits
 of ,glory4    ,we dote upon this       
present ,world1 and the ,enjoyments of  
it3 ,and 'tis not  without ,pain1 and   
,fear1 and ,reluctancy1 that we are torn
 from them2 as  if our ,hopes lay all   

within the ,compass of this ,life4 ,yet1
 ,i know not by  what good ,fate1 my    
,thoughts have been always fix'd upon   
,things to come1  more than upon ,things
 present4 ,these ,i know1 by certain    
,experience1 to  be but ,trifles2 and if
 there be nothing more considerable to  
come1 the  whole ,being of ,man is no   
better than a ,trifle4 ,but there is    
,room enough  before us in that we call 
,eternity1 for great and noble ,scenes2 
and  the ,mind of ,man feels itself     
lessen'd and straiten'd in this low and 
narrow ,state2 wishes and waits to see  
something greater4 ,and if it could     
discern another ,world a coming1 on this
 side ,eternal ,life3 a beginning       
,glory1 the best that ,earth can bear1  
it would be a kind of ,immortality  to  
enjoy that ,prospect before-hand4 ,to   
see1 when this ,theatre is  dissolv'd1  
where we shall act next1 and what       
,parts2 what ,saints and  ,heroes1 if ,i
 may so say1 will appear upon that      
,stage2 and with what  ,lustre and      

,excellency3 ,how easy would it be1     
under a ,view of these  ,futurities1 to 
despise the little ,pomps and ,honours1 
and the ,momentary  ,pleasures of a     
mortal ,life8 ,but ,i proceed to our    
,subject4                               
,,chap4 ,,ii               ,the true    
,state of the ,question is propos'd4    
',tis the general ,doctrine of the      
,antients1 that the present ,world1     
or the present ,frame of ,nature1 is    
mutable and perishable3 ,to which       
the ,sacred ,books agree2 and natural   
,reason can alledge nothing      against
 it4      ,when we speak of the ,end or 
,destruction of the ,world1 whether by  
,fire or  otherwise1 'tis not to be     
imagin'd that we understand this of the 
,great  ,universe2 ,sun1 ,moon1 and     
,stars1 and the highest ,heavens2 as if 
these  were to perish or be destroy'd   
some few ,years hence1 whether by ,fire 
or  any other ,way4 ,this ,question is  
only to be understood of the sublunary  
,world1 of this ,earth and its          

,furniture2 which had its ,original     
about  ,six thousand ,years ago1        
according to the ,history of ,moses2 and
 hath  once already been destroyed1 when
 the ,exterior ,region of it broke1 and 
the ,abyss1 issuing forth1 as out of a  
,womb1 overflow'd all the habitable     
,earth1 ,gen4 vii4 #ag4 ,job xxxviii4   
#h4 ,the next ,deluge is that of  ,fire2
 which will have the same ,bounds1 and  
overflow the ,surface of the  ,earth1   
much what in the same ,manner4 ,but the 
,clestial ,regions1 where  the ,stars   
and ,angels inhabit1 are not concerned  
in this ,fate3 ,those are  not made of  
combustible ,matter2 nor1 if they were1 
could our ,flames  reach them4 ,possibly
 those ,bodies may have ,changes and    
,revolutions  peculiar to themselves1   
but in ,ways unknown to us1 and after   
long and  unknown ,periods of ,time4    
,therefore1 when we speak of the        
,conflagration  of the ,world1 these    
have no ,concern in the ,question2 nor  
any other ,part  of the ,universe1 than 

the ,earth and its ,dependances4 ,as    
will evidently  appear when we come to  
explain the ,manner and ,causes of the  
,conflagration4    ,and as this         
,conflagration can extend no farther    
than to the ,earth and  its ,elements1  
so neither can it destroy the ,matter of
 the ,earth2 but  only the ,form and    
,fashion of it1 as it is an habitable   
,world4 ,neither  ,fire1 nor any natural
 ,agent1 can destroy ,matter1 that is1  
reduce it to  nothing3 ,it may alter the
 ,modes and ,qualities of it1 but the   
,substance  will always remain4 ,and    
accordingly the ,apostle1 when he speaks
 of the  ,mutability of this ,world1    
says only1 ,the ,figure or ,fashion of  
this  ,world passes away1 #a ,cor4 vii4 
#ca4 ,this ,structure of the ,earth and 
,disposition of the ,elements2 and all  
the ,works of the ,earth1 as ,st4       
,peter says1 #b ,epist4 iii4 all its    
natural ,productions1 and all the       
,works of ,art or human ,industry2 these
 will perish1 be melted or torn in      

,pieces by the ,fire2 but without an    
,annihilation of the ,matter1 any more  
than in the former ,deluge4 ,and this   
will be farther prov'd and  illustrated 
in the ,beginning of the following      
,books4    ,the ,question being thus    
stated1 we are next to consider the     
,sense of  ,antiquity upon these two    
,points3 ,first1 ,whether this sublunary
 ,world is  mutable and perishable3     
,secondly1 ,by the ,force and ,action of
 what  ,causes1 and in what ,manner1 it 
will perish2 whether by ,fire1 or       
otherwise4 ,aristotle is very irregular 
in his ,sentiments about the  ,state of 
the ,world2 he allows it neither        
,beginning nor ,ending1 ,rise nor       
,fall2 but wou'd have it eternal and    
immutable4 ,and this he understands1    
not only of the great ,universe1 but of 
this sublunary ,world1 this ,earth      
which we inhabit2 wherein he will not   
admit there ever have been1 or  ever    
will be1 either general ,deluges or     
,conflagrations4 ,and1 as if he  was    

ambitious to be thought singular in his 
,opinion about the ,eternity  of the    
,world1 he says1 ,all the ,antients     
before him1 gave some  ,beginning or    
,origin to the ,world2 but were not1    
indeed1 so unanimous as  to its future  
,fate3 ,some believing it immutable1 or1
 as the ,philosophers  call it1         
incorruptible2 others1 ,that it had its 
fatal ,times and ,periods1  as lesser   
,bodies have2 and a ,term of ,age       
prefix'd to it by ,providence4    ,but  
before we examine this ,point any       
farther1 it will be necessary to        
reflect upon that which we noted before1
 an ,ambiguity in the ,use of the  ,word
 ,world1 which gives frequent ,occasion 
of ,mistakes in reading the  ,ancients3 
,when that which they speak of the great
 ,universe1 we apply  to the sublunary  
,world3 ,or1 on the contrary1 what they 
speak of this  ,earth1 we extend to the 
whole ,universe4 ,and if some of them1  
besides  ,aristotle1 made the ,world    
incorruptible1 they might mean that of  

the  great ,universe1 which they thought
 would never be dissolv'd or perish  as 
to its ,mass and ,bulk3 ,but single     
,parts and ,points of it 7and our       
,earth is no more7 may be variously     
transform'd1 and made habitable and     
unhabitable1 according to certain       
,periods of ,time1 without any          
,prejudice  to their ,philosophy4 ,so   
,plato1 for ,instance1 thinks this      
,world will  have no ,dissolution3 ,for1
 being a ,work so beautiful and noble1  
the  ,goodness of ,god1 he says1 will   
always preserve it4 ,it is most         
reasonable  to understand this of the   
great ,universe2 ,for1 in our ,earth1   
,plato  himself admits such             
,dissolutions as are made by general    
,deluges and  ,conflagrations2 and we   
contend for no other4 ,so likewise in   
other  ,authors1 if they speak of the   
,immortality of the ,world1 you must    
observe  what ,world they apply it to2  
and whether to the ,matter or the ,form 
of  it3 ,and if you remember that our   

,discourse proceeds only upon the       
sublunary ,world1 and the ,dissolution  
of its ,form1 you will find little  in  
,antiquity contrary to this ,doctrine4  
,i always except ,aristotle 7who        
allow'd of no ,providence in this       
inferior ,world7 and some ,pythagoreans 
falsly so call'd1 being either          
fictitious ,authors1 or ,apostates from 
the  ,doctrine of their ,master4 ,these 
being excepted1 upon a ,view of the     
rest1  you will find very few           
,dissenters from this general ,doctrine4
    ,plato's ,argument against the      
,dissolution of the ,world1 from the    
,goodness and ,wisdom of ,god1 would not
 be altogether unreasonable1 tho'       
apply'd to this ,earth1 if it was so to 
be dissolv'd1 as never to be  restor'd  
again4 ,but we expect ,new ,heavens and 
a ,new ,earth1 upon the  ,dissolution of
 these2 better in all ,respects1 more   
commodious1 and more  beautiful4 ,and   
the several ,perfections of the ,divine 
,nature1 ,wisdom1  ,power1 ,goodness1   

,justice1 ,sanctity1 cannot be so well  
display'd and  exemplify'd in any one   
single ,state of ,nature1 as in a       
,succession of  ,states1 fitted to      
receive one another according to the    
,dispositions of  the moral ,world1 and 
the ,order of ,divine ,providence4      
,wherefore1  ,plato's ,argument from the
 ,divine ,attributes1 all ,things       
consider'd1  doth rather prove a        
,succession of ,worlds1 than that one   
single ,world  should remain the same   
throughout all ,ages1 without ,change or
 ,variation4  ,next to the ,platonists1 
the ,stoicks were most considerable in  
,matters relating to ,morality and      
,providence3 ,and their ,opinion1 in    
this  ,case1 is well known2 they being  
look'd upon by the ,moderns1 as the     
principal ,authors of the ,doctrine of  
the ,conflagration4 ,nor is it less     
known that the ,school of ,democritus   
and ,epicurus1 made all their  ,worlds  
subject to ,dissolution2 and by a new   
,concourse of ,atoms restor'd  them     

again4 ,lastly1 ,the ,ionick            
philosophers1 who had ,thales for  their
 ,master1 and were the first            
,naturalists amongst the ,greeks1       
taught the same ,doctrine4 ,we have1    
indeed1 but an imperfect ,account left  
us of this ,sect1 and 'tis great ,pity2 
for as it was one of the most  antient1 
so it seems to have been one of the most
 considerable amongst  the ,greeks for  
,natural ,philosophy4 ,in those ,remains
 which ,diogenes  ,laertius hath        
preserv'd1 of ,anaxagoras1 ,anaximenes1 
,archelaus1  c4 all great ,men in their 
,time2 we find that they treated much of
 the  ,origin of the ,world1 and had    
many extraordinary ,notions about it1   
which  come lame and defective to us4   
,the ,doctrine of their ,founder1       
,thales1  which made all ,things to     
consist of ,water1 seems to have a great
  ,resemblance to the ,doctrine of      
,moses and ,st4 ,peter about the        
,constitution of the first ,heavens and 
,earth1 ,gen4 i4 #b ,pet4 ii4 #e4  ,but 

there is little in ,laertius1 what their
 ,opinion was about the  ,dissolution of
 the ,world2 other ,authors inform us   
more of that4  ,stobus1 ,ecl4 ,phys4 l4 
#a4 c4 #bd1 joins them with ,leucippus  
and the  ,epicureans3 ,simplicius with  
,heraclitus1 and the ,stoicks1 in this  
,doctrine about the ,corruptibility of  
the ,world4 ,so that all the ,schools   
of the ,greek ,philosophers1 as we noted
 before1 were unanimous in this  ,point1
 excepting the ,peripateticks2 whose    
,master1 ,aristotle1 had  neither       
,modesty enough to follow the ,doctrine 
of his ,predecessors1 nor  ,wit enough  
to invent any ,thing better4    ,besides
 these ,sects of ,philosophers1 there   
were ,theologers amongst the  ,greeks1  
more ,antient than these ,sects1 and    
more ,mystical4 ,aristotle  often       
distinguisheth the ,naturalists1 and the
 ,theologues1   1  4 ,such were ,orpheus
 and his ,followers1 who had  more of   
the antient ,oriental ,learning1 than   
the succeeding ,philosophers4  ,but they

 writ their ,philosophy1 or ,theology   
rather1 ,mythologically and             
,poetically1 in ,parables and           
,allegories1 that needed an             
,interpretation4  ,all these ,theologers
 supposed the ,earth to rise from a     
,chaos2 and as  they said that ,love was
 the ,principle at first1 that united   
the loose  and severed ,elements1 and   
formed them into an habitable ,world2 so
 they  supposed that if ,strife or      
,contention prevail'd1 that would again 
dissolve and disunite them1 and reduce  
,things into a ,chaos2 such as the      
,earth will be in1 upon the             
,conflagration4 ,and it farther appears1
 that  both these ,orders of the        
,learned in ,greece1 suppos'd this      
present  ,frame of ,nature might perish1
 by their ,doctrine of ,periodical      
,revolutions1 or of the ,renovation of  
the ,world after certain ,periods of    
,time2 which was a ,doctrine common     
amongst the ,learned ,greeks1 and       
received by them from the ancient       

,barbarick ,nations3 ,as will appear    
more  at large in the following ,book1  
,ch4 #c4 ,in the mean ,time we may      
observe1 that ,origen in answering      
,celsus1 ,lib4 #i4 about the ,point  of 
the ,resurrection1 tells him1 ,that     
,doctrine ought not to appear so        
strange or ridiculous to him1 seeing    
their own ,authors did believe and      
teach the ,renovation of the ,world1    
after certain ,ages or ,periods4 ,and   
the ,truth is1 this ,renovation of the  
,world1 rightly stated1 is the same     
,thing with the ,first ,resurrection of 
the ,christians4 ,and as to the  second 
and general ,resurrection1 when the     
,righteous shall have ,clestial         
,bodies2 'tis well known1 that the      
,platonists and ,pythagoreans  cloathed 
the ,soul with a ,clestial ,body1 or1 in
 their ,language1 an  thereal ,vehicle1 
as her last ,beatitude or               
,glorification4 ,so that  ,origen might 
very justly tell his ,adversary1 he had 
no ,reason to  ridicule the ,christian  

,doctrine of the ,resurrection1 seeing  
their own  ,authors had the main        
,strokes of it in their ,traditionary   
,learning4    ,i will only add one      
,remark more1 before we leave this      
,subject1 to  prevent a ,mistake in the 
,word ,immortal or ,immortality1 when   
applied  to the ,world4 ,as ,i told you 
before1 the ,equivocation that was in   
that  ,term ,world1 it being us'd       
sometimes for the whole ,universe1      
sometimes  for this inferior ,part of it
 where we live2 so likewise we must     
observe1  that when this inferior ,world
 is said to be ,immortal1 by the        
,philosophers1 as sometimes it is1 that 
commonly is not meant of any  single    
,state of ,nature1 or any single ,world1
 but of a ,succession of  ,worlds1      
consequent one upon another4 ,as a      
,family may be said ,immortal1  not in  
any single ,person1 but in a ,succession
 of ,heirs4 ,so as1 many  ,times1 when  
the ,ancients mention the ,immortality  
of the ,world1 they do  not thereby     

exclude the ,dissolution or ,renovation 
of it2 but suppose a  ,vicissitude1 or  
,series of ,worlds succeeding one       
another4 ,this  ,observation is not     
mine1 but was long since made by        
,simplicius1  ,stobus1 and others1 who  
tell us in what ,sense some of those    
,philosophers who allowed the ,world to 
be perishable1 did yet affirm it  to be 
immortal3 ,namely1 by successive        
,renovations4    ,thus much is          
sufficient to shew the ,sense and       
,judgment of ,antiquity1 as  to the     
,changeableness or ,perpetuity of the   
,world4 ,but ancient ,learning  is like 
ancient ,medals1 more esteem'd for their
 ,rarity1 than their real  ,use2 unless 
the ,authority of a ,prince make them   
currant3 ,so neither will  these        
,testimonies be of any great ,effect1   
unless they be made good and  valuable  
by the ,authority of ,scripture4 ,we    
must therefore add the  ,testimonies of 
the ,prophets and ,apostles1 to these of
 the ,greeks and  ,barbarians1 that the 

,evidence may be full and undeniable4   
,that the  ,heavens and the ,earth will 
perish1 or be chang'd into another      
,form1 is1  sometimes1 plainly          
express'd1 sometimes suppos'd and       
alluded to in  ,scripture4 ,the ,prophet
 ,david's ,testimony is express1 both   
for the  ,beginning and ,ending of the  
,world3 ,in ,psal4 cii4 ver4 #be1 #bf1  
#bg4 ,of  old hast thou laid the        
,foundation of the ,earth1 and the      
,heavens are the  ,work of thy ,hands4  
,they shall perish1 but thou shalt      
endure3 ,yea1 all of  them shall wax old
 like a ,garment2 as a ,vesture shalt   
thou change them1  and they shall be    
changed4 ,but thou art the same1 and thy
 ,years shall  have no ,end4 ,the       
,prophet ,isaiah's ,testimony is no less
 express1 to  the same ,purpose1 ch4 li4
 #f4 ,lift up your ,eyes to the         
,heavens1 and  look upon the ,earth     
beneath3 ,for the ,heavens shall vanish 
away like  ,smoke1 and the ,earth shall 
wax old like a ,garment1 and they that  

dwell  therein shall die in like        
,manner4 ,these ,texts are plain and    
explicit2  and in ,allusion to this ,day
 of the ,lord1 and this ,destruction of 
the  ,world1 the same ,prophet often    
useth ,phrases that relate to it3 ,as   
the  ,concussion of the ,heavens and the
 ,earth1 ,isa4 xiii4 #ac4 ,the shaking  
of the ,foundations of the ,world1 ch4  
xxiv4 #ah1 #ai4 ,the ,dissolution of    
the ,host of ,heaven1 ch4 xxxiv4 #d4    
,and our ,sacred ,writers have          
,expressions of the like ,force1 and    
relating to the same ,effect3 ,as the   
,hills melting like ,wax1 at the        
,presence of the ,lord1 ,psal4 xcvii4   
#e4  ,shattering once more all the      
,parts of the ,creation1 ,hagg4 ii4 #f4 
,overturning the ,mountains1 and making 
the ,pillars of the ,earth to  tremble1 
,job ix4 #e1 #f4 ,if you reflect upon   
the ,explication given of the  ,deluge1 
in the first ,part of this ,theory1 and 
attend to the ,manner of  the           
,conflagration1 as it will be explain'd 

in the ,sequel of this  ,discourse1 you 
will see the ,justness and ,fitness of  
these ,expressions3  ,that they are not 
,poetical ,hyperboles1 or random        
,expressions of great  and terrible     
,things in general1 but a true ,account 
of what hath been1 or  will be1 at that 
great ,day of the ,lord4 ',tis true1 the
 ,prophets  sometimes use such like     
,expressions figuratively1 for          
,commotion in  ,states and ,kingdoms1   
but that is only by way of ,metaphor and
  ,accommodation2 the true ,basis they  
stand upon1 is1 ,that ,ruin1 ,overthrow1
  and ,dissolution of the ,natural      
,world1 which was once at the ,deluge1  
and  will be again1 after another       
,manner1 at the general ,conflagration4 
,as to the ,new ,testament1 our ,saviour
 says1 ,heaven and ,earth shall pass    
away1 but his ,words shall not pass     
away1 ,mat4 xxiv4 #ce4 ,st4 ,paul  says1
 the ,scheme of this ,world2 the        
,fashion1 ,form1 and ,composition of    
it1 passeth away1 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ca4    

,and when mention is made of ,new       
,heavens and a ,new ,earth1 which both  
the ,prophet ,isaiah1 ,isa4 lxv4  #ag4  
lxvi4 #bb4 and the ,apostles ,st4 ,peter
 and ,st4 ,john1 ,rev4 xxi4  #a4 #b     
,pet4 iii4 #ac4 mention1 'tis plainly   
imply'd1 that the ,old ones  will be    
dissolv'd4 ,the same ,thing is also     
imply'd1 when our ,saviour  speaks of a 
,renascency1 or ,regeneration1 ,mat4    
xix4 #bh4 and ,st4  ,peter1 of a        
,restitution of all ,things1 ,acts iii4 
#ba4 ,for what is  now1 must be         
abolish'd1 before any former ,order of  
,things can be  restor'd or reduced4 ,in
 a ,word1 ,if there was nothing in      
,scripture  concerning this ,subject1   
but that ,discourse of ,st4 ,peter's1 in
 his  ,second ,epistle1 and ,third      
,chapter1 concerning the triple ,order  
and  ,successions of the ,heavens and   
the ,earth1 past1 present1 and to come2 
that alone would be a ,conviction1 and  
,demonstration to me1 that this  present
 ,world will be dissolv'd4    ,you will 

say1 it may be1 in the last ,place1 we  
want still the ,testimony  of ,natural  
,reason and ,philosophy1 to make the    
,evidence complete4 ,i  answer1 'tis    
enough if they be silent1 and have      
nothing to say to the  contrary4 ,here  
are ,witnesses1 ,human and ,divine1 and 
if none appear  against them1 we have no
 reason to refuse their ,testimony1 or  
to  distrust it4 ,philosophy will very  
readily yield to this ,doctrine1 that   
all material ,compositions are          
dissolvable2 and she will not wonder to 
see that die1 which she had seen born3  
,i mean this terrestrial ,world4  ,she  
stood upon the ,chaos1 and saw it roll  
itself1 with ,difficulty1 and  after    
many ,strugglings1 into the form of an  
habitable ,earth3 ,and that  ,form she  
saw broken down again at the ,deluge2   
and can as little hope or  expect1 now1 
as then1 that it should be everlasting  
and immutable4 ,there  would be nothing 
great or considerable in this inferior  
,world1 if there  were not such         

,revolutions of ,nature4 ,the ,seasons  
of the ,year1 and the  fresh            
,productions of the ,spring1 are pretty 
in their ,way2 but when the  7,annus    
,magnus7 ,great ,year comes about1 with 
a new ,order of all  ,things1 in the    
,heavens1 and on the ,earth2 and a new  
,dress of ,nature  throughout all her   
,regions1 far more goodly and beautiful 
than the  fairest ,spring2 this gives a 
new ,life to the ,creation1 and shews   
the  ,greatness of its ,author4         
,besides1 these fatal ,catastrophes are 
always a  ,punishment to degenerate     
,mankind1 that are overwhelm'd in the   
,ruins of  these perishing ,worlds4 ,and
 to make ,nature herself execute the    
,divine  ,vengeance against rebellious  
,creatures1 argues both the ,power and  
,wisdom  of that ,providence that       
governs all ,things here below4 ,these  
,things  ,reason and ,philosophy approve
 of2 but if you further require1 that   
they  should shew a ,necessity of this  
future ,destruction of the ,world1 from 

natural ,causes1 with the ,time1 and all
 other ,circumstances of this  ,effect2 
your ,demands are unreasonable1 seeing  
these ,things do not depend  solely upon
 ,nature4 ,but if you will content      
yourself to know what  ,dispositions    
there are in ,nature towards such a     
,change2 how it may  begin1 proceed1 and
 be consummate1 under the ,conduct of   
,providence1 be  pleased to read the    
following ,discourse1 for your further  
,satisfaction4                          
,,chap4 ,,iii4          ,that the ,world
 will be destroy'd by ,fire1 is the     
,doctrine of the      ,ancients1        
especially of the ,stoicks4 ,that the   
same ,doctrine is more      ancient than
 the ,greeks1 and deriv'd from the      
,barbarick ,philosophy2      and ,that  
probably from ,noah1 the ,father of all 
,traditionary      ,learning4 ,the same 
,doctrine expressly authorized by       
,revelation1 and      inroll'd into the 
,sacred ,canon4      ,that the present  
,world1 or the present ,frame of        

,nature1 will be  destroy'd1 we have    
already shewn4 ,in what ,manner this    
,destruction will  be1 by what ,force1  
or what kind of ,fate1 must be our next 
,enquiry4 ,the  ,philosophers have      
always spoken of ,fire and ,water1 those
 ,two unruly  ,elements1 as the only    
,causes that can destroy the ,world1 and
 work our  ,ruin2 and accordingly1 they 
say1 all the great and fatal            
,revolutions of  ,nature1 either past1  
or to come1 depend upon the ,violence of
 these ,two2  when they get the         
,mastery1 and overwhelm all the rest1   
and the whole  ,earth1 in a ,deluge1 or 
,conflagration4 ,but1 as they make these
 ,two the  destroying ,elements1 so they
 also make them the purifying ,elements4
 ,and1  accordingly in their            
,lustrations1 or their ,rites and       
,ceremonies for  purging ,sin2 ,fire and
 ,water were chiefly made use of1 both  
amongst the  ,romans1 ,greeks1 and      
,barbarians4 ,and when these ,elements  
over-run  the ,world1 it is not1 they   

say1 for a final ,destruction of it1 but
 to  purge ,mankind1 and ,nature from   
their ,impurities4 ,as for ,purgation by
  ,fire and ,water1 the ,stile of our   
,sacred ,writings does very much        
accommodate itself to that ,sense2 and  
the ,holy ,ghost1 who is the great      
,purifier of ,souls1 is compared in his 
,operation upon us1 and in our          
,regeneration1 to ,fire or ,water4 ,and 
as for the external ,world1 ,s4  ,peter1
 #a ,ep4 iii4 #ba4 makes the ,flood to  
have been a kind of  ,baptizing or      
,renovation of the ,world4 ,and ,s4     
,paul1 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ac4  and the      
,prophet ,malachi1 c4 iii4 #b1 #c4 makes
 the last ,fire1 to be a  purging and   
refining ,fire4 ,but to return to the   
,ancients4    ,the ,stoicks especially1 
of all other ,sects amongst the ,greeks1
 have  preserved the ,doctrine of the   
,conflagration2 and made it a           
considerable  ,part of their            
,philosophy1 and almost a ,character of 
their ,order4 ,this is  a ,thing so well

 known1 that ,i need not use any        
,citations to prove it4  ,but they      
cannot pretend to have been the first   
,authors of it neither4  ,for1 besides  
that amongst the ,greeks themselves1    
,heraclitus and  ,empedocles1 more      
ancient than ,zeno1 the ,master of the  
,stoicks1  taught this ,doctrine2 'tis  
plainly a ,branch of the ,barbarick     
,philosophy1  and taken from thence by  
the ,greeks4 ,for it is well known1 that
 the  most ancient and mystick ,learning
 amongst the ,greeks1 was not           
originally their own1 but borrowed of   
the more ,eastern ,nations1 by          
,orpheus1 ,pythagoras1 ,plato1 and many 
more1 who travell'd thither1  and traded
 with the ,priests for ,knowledge and   
,philosophy2 and when they  got a       
competent ,stock1 returned home1 and set
 up a ,school1 or a ,sect1 to  instruct 
their ,countrymen4 ,but before we pass  
to the ,eastern ,nations1  let us1 if   
you please1 compare the ,roman          
,philosophy upon this ,subject1  with   

that of the ,greeks4    ,the ,romans    
were a great ,people1 that made a ,shew 
of ,learning1 but had  little1 in       
reality1 more than ,words and           
,rhetorick4 ,their ,curiosity or        
,emulation in ,philosophical ,studies   
was so little1 that it did not make     
different ,sects and ,schools amongst   
them1 as amongst the ,greeks4 ,i        
remember no ,philosophers they had1 but 
such as ,tully1 ,seneca1 and  some of   
their ,poets4 ,and of these ,lucretius1 
,lucan1 and ,ovid1 have  spoken openly  
of the ,conflagration4 ,ovid's ,verses  
are well known1             ,esse quoque
 in fatis reminiscitur1 affore tempus1  
,quo mare1 quo tellus1 correptaque regia
 ,cli           ,ardeat1  mundi moles   
operosa laboret4             ,a ,time   
decreed by ,fate1 at length will come1  
,when ,heavens1 and ,earth1 and ,seas1  
shall have their ,doom2           ,a    
fiery ,doom3 ,and ,nature's mighty      
,frame1           ,shall break1 and be  
dissolv'd into a ,flame4    ,we see     

,tully's ,sense upon this ,matter1 in   
,scipio's ,dream4 ,when the  old ,man   
speaks to his ,nephew ,africanus1 and   
shews him from the ,clouds1  this ,spot 
of ,earth1 where we live2 he tells him1 
tho' our ,actions should  be great1 and 
,fortune favour them with ,success1 yet 
there wou'd be no  ,room for any lasting
 ,glory in this ,world2 for the ,world  
itself1 is  transient and fugitive4 ,and
 a ,deluge1 or a ,conflagration1 which  
necessarily happen after certain        
,periods of ,time1 will sweep away all  
,records of human ,actions4 ,as for     
,seneca1 he being a profess'd  ,stoick1 
we need not doubt of his ,opinion in    
this ,point4 ,we may add  here1 if you  
please1 the ,sybelline ,verses1 which   
were kept1 with great  ,religion1 in the
 ,capitol at ,rome1 and consulted with  
much ,ceremony  upon solemn ,occasions4 
,these ,sybils1 were the ,prophetesses  
of the  ,gentiles2 and tho' their       
,writings now have many spurious        
,additions1  yet none doubt but that the

 ,conflagration of the ,world1 was one  
of their  original ,prophecies4    ,let 
us now proceed to the ,eastern ,nations4
 ,as the ,romans received the  small    
,skill they had in the ,sciences1 from  
the ,greeks2 so the  ,greeks1 receiv'd  
their chief ,mystick ,learning from the 
,barbarians3  ,that is1 from the        
gyptians1 ,persians1 ,phnicians1 and    
other  ,eastern ,nations2 for 'tis not  
only the ,western1 or ,northern ,people1
 that  they called ,barbarians1 but     
indeed1 all ,nations besides themselves4
  ,for that is commonly the ,vanity of  
great ,empires1 to uncivilize1 in a     
,manner1 all the rest of the ,world2 and
 to account all those ,people           
barbarous1 that are not subject to their
 ,dominion4 ,these however1 whom  they  
called so1 were the most ancient        
,people1 and had the first ,learning    
that was ever heard of after the ,flood4
 ,and amongst these1 the  gyptians were 
as famous as any2 whose ,sentiments in  
this particular  of the ,conflagration1 

are well known4 ,for ,plato1 who liv'd  
amongst  them several ,years1 tells us  
in his ,timus1 that it was the ,doctrine
  of their ,priests1 that the fatal     
,catastrophes of the ,world1 were by    
,fire and ,water4 ,in like manner1 the  
,persians made their beloved  ,god1     
,fire1 at length to consume all ,things 
that are capable of being  consum'd3    
,for that is said to have been the      
,doctrine of ,hydaspes1 one  of their   
great ,magi1 or ,wise ,men4 ,as to the  
,phnicians1 ,i suspect  very much1 that 
the ,stoicks had their ,philosophy from 
them 7,just4  ,mar4 ,apol4 #b47 and     
amongst other ,things the               
,conflagration4 ,we shall  take ,notice 
of that hereafter4    ,but to comprehend
 the ,arabians also1 and ,indians1 give 
me leave to  reflect a little upon the  
,story of the ,phnix4 ,a ,story well    
known1 and  related by some ancient     
,authors1 and is in short this3 ,the    
,phnix1  they say1 is a ,bird in        
,arabia1 ,india1 and those ,eastern     

,parts1  single in her ,kind1 never more
 than one at a ,time1 and very          
long-lived2  appearing only at the      
,expiration of the ,great ,year1 as they
 call it3  ,and when she makes herself a
 ,nest of ,spices1 which being set on   
fire by  the ,sun1 or some other secret 
,power1 she hovers upon it1 and consumes
  herself in the ,flames4 ,but1 which is
 most wonderful1 out of these ,ashes    
riseth a second ,phnix1 so that it is   
not so much a ,death1 as a  ,renovation4
 ,i do not doubt but the ,story is a    
,fable1 as to any such kind  of ,bird1  
single in her ,species1 living1 and     
dying1 and reviving in that  ,manner3   
,but 'tis an ,apologue1 or a ,fable with
 an ,interpretation1 and was  intended  
as an ,emblem of the ,world2 which1     
after a long ,age1 will be  consum'd in 
the last ,fire3 ,and from its ,ashes or 
,remains1 will arise  another ,world1 or
 a new-form'd ,heavens and ,earth4      
,this1 ,i think1 is the  true ,mystery  
of the ,phnix1 under which ,symbol the  

,eastern ,nations  preserv'd the        
,doctrine of the ,conflagration1 and    
,renovation of the  ,world4 ,they tell  
somewhat a like ,story of the ,eagle1   
soaring aloft so  near the ,sun1 that by
 his ,warmth and enlivening ,rays1 she  
renews her  ,age1 and becomes young     
again4 ,to this the ,psalmist is thought
 to  allude1 ,psal4 ciii4 #e4 ,thy      
,youth shall be renewed like the        
,eagles3  ,which the ,chaldee           
,paraphrast renders1 ,in mundo venturo  
renovabis1  sicut ,aquil1 juventutem    
tuam4 ,these ,things to me seem plainly 
to be  ,symbolical1 representing that   
,world to come1 which the ,paraphrast   
mentions1 and the firing of this4 ,and  
this is after the ,manner of the        
,eastern ,wisdom2 which always lov'd to 
go fine1 cloath'd in ,figures and       
,fancies4    ,and not only the ,eastern 
,barbarians1 but the ,northern and      
,western  also1 had this ,doctrine of   
the ,conflagration amongst them4 ,the   
,scythians1 in their ,dispute with the  

gyptians about ,antiquity1  argue upon  
both ,suppositions1 of ,fire or ,water1 
destroying the last  ,world1 or         
beginning ,this4 ,and in the ,west1 the 
,celts1 the most ancient  ,people there1
 had the same ,tradition2 for the       
,druids1 who were their  ,priests and   
,philosophers1 derived not from the     
,greeks1 but of the old  ,race of ,wise 
,men1 that had their ,learning          
traditionally1 and1 as it  were1        
hereditary from the first ,ages3 ,these1
 as ,strabo tells us1 lib4  #d4 gave the
 ,world a kind of ,immortality1 by      
repeated ,renovations2 and  the         
,principle that destroy'd it1 according 
to them1 was always ,fire or  ,water4 ,i
 had forgot to mention in this ,list1   
the ,chaldeans1 whose  ,opinion we have 
from ,berosus1 in ,seneca1 ,nat4 ,qust4 
#c4 c4 #bi4  ,they did not only teach   
the ,conflagration1 but also fix'd it to
 a  certain ,period of ,time1 when there
 should happen a great ,conjunction of  
the ,planets in ,cancer4 ,lastly1 we may

 add1 to close the ,account1 the  modern
 ,indian ,philosophers1 the ,reliques of
 the old ,bragmans3 ,these1  as ,maffeus
 tells us1 lib4 #af4 ,hist4 ,ind4       
declare1 ,that the ,world  will be      
renewed after an universal              
,conflagration4    ,you see of what     
,extent and ,universality throughout all
 ,nations1 this  ,doctrine of the       
,conflagration hath been4 ,let us now   
consider1 what  ,defects or ,excesses   
there are1 in these ancient ,opinions1  
concerning  this ,fate of the ,world1   
and how they may be rectified3 ,that we 
may admit  them no further into our     
,belief1 than they are warranted by     
,reason1 or  by the ,authority of the   
,christian ,religion4 ,the first ,fault 
they seem to  have committed about this 
,point1 is this1 ,that they made these  
,revolutions and ,renovations of        
,nature1 indefinite or endless3 ,as if  
there would be such a ,succession of    
,deluges and ,conflagrations to all     
,eternity4 ,this the ,stoicks seem      

plainly to have asserted1 as appears    
from ,numenius1 ,philo1 ,simplicius1 and
 others4 ,s4 ,jerome1 ,ep4  #fj4 imputes
 this ,opinion also to ,origen2 but he  
does not always hit  the true ,sense of 
that ,father1 or is not fair and just in
 the  ,representation of it4 ,whosoever 
held this ,opinion1 'tis a manifest     
,error1 and may be easily rectified by  
the ,christian ,revelation2 which       
teaches us plainly1 that there is a     
final ,period and ,consummation of all  
,things that belong to this ,sublunary  
or ,terrestrial ,world2 ,when the       
,kingdom shall be delivered up to the   
,father2 and ,time shall be no  more4   
,another ,error they committed in this  
,doctrine1 is1 the ,identity1 or        
,sameness1 if ,i may so say1 of the     
,world's succeeding one another4 ,they  
are made1 indeed1 of the same ,lump of  
,matter1 but they supposed them to      
return also in the same ,form4 ,and1    
which is worse1 that there would be  the
 same ,face of human ,affairs2 the same 

,persons and the same ,actions  over    
again2 so as the second ,world would be 
but a bare ,repetition of the  former1  
without any ,variety or ,diversity4     
,such a ,revolution is commonly  call'd 
the ,platonick ,year3 ,a ,period when   
all ,things return to the same  ,posture
 they had been some ,thousand of ,years 
before2 as a ,play acted  over again1   
upon the same ,stage1 and to the same   
,auditory3 ,this is a  groundless and   
injudicious ,supposition4 ,for1 whether 
we consider the  ,nature of ,things1 the
 ,earth1 after a ,dissolution by ,fire1 
or by ,water1  could not return into the
 same ,form and ,fashion it had before2 
,or  whether we consider ,providence1 it
 would no way suit with the ,divine     
,wisdom and ,justice1 to bring upon the 
,stage again1 those very ,scenes1  and  
that very ,course of human ,affairs1    
which it had so lately condemn'd  and   
destroy'd4 ,we may be assur'd therefore1
 that1 upon the ,dissolution  of a      
,world1 a new ,order of ,things1 both as

 to ,nature and ,providence1  always    
appears4 ,and what that new ,order will 
be1 in both respects1 after  the        
,conflagration1 ,i hope we shall1 in the
 following ,book1 give a  satisfactory  
,account4    ,these are the ,opinions1  
true or false1 of the ,ancients2 and    
chiefly of  the ,stoicks1 concerning the
 ,mystery of the ,conflagration4 ,it    
will not  be improper to enquire1 in the
 last ,place1 how the ,stoicks came by  
this ,doctrine3 ,whether it was their   
,discovery and ,invention1 or from  whom
 they learned it4 ,that it was not their
 own ,invention1 we have given          
sufficient ground to believe1 by shewing
 the ,antiquity of it beyond the  ,times
 of the ,stoicks4 ,besides1 what a ,man 
invents himself1 he can give  the       
,reasons and ,causes of it1 as ,things  
upon which he founded his  ,invention3  
,but the ,stoicks do not this1 but1     
according to the ancient  traditional   
,way1 deliver the ,conclusion without   
,proof or ,premises4 ,we  named         

,heraclitus and ,empedocles1 amongst the
 ,greeks1 to have  taught this ,doctrine
 before the ,stoicks2 ,and1 according to
 ,plutarch  7de ,defec4 ,orac47 ,hesiod 
and ,orpheus1 ,authors of the highest   
,antiquity1 sung of this last ,fire in  
their ,philosophick ,poetry4 ,but ,i    
suspect the ,stoicks had this ,doctrine 
from the ,phnicians2 for if we  inquire 
into the ,original of that ,sect1 we    
shall find that their ,founder  ,zeno1  
was a ,barbarian1 or ,semi-barbarian1   
deriv'd from the  ,phnicians1 as        
,laertius and ,cicero give an ,account  
of him4 ,and the  ,phnicians had a great
 ,share in the ,oriental ,knowledge1 as 
we see by  ,sanchoniathion's ,remains in
 ,eusebius4 ,and by their mystical      
,books  which ,suidas mentions1 from    
whence ,pherecydes1 ,pythagoras's       
,master1 had his ,learning4 ,we may     
therefore1 reasonably presume1 that it  
might be from his ,countrymen1 the      
,phnicians1 that ,zeno had the          
,doctrine of the ,conflagration4 ,not   

that he brought it first into  ,greece1 
but strongly reviv'd it1 and made it    
almost peculiar to his  ,sect4    ,so   
much for the ,stoicks in particular1 and
 the ,greeks in general4 ,we  have also1
 you see1 trac'd these ,opinions higher1
 to the first ,barbarick  ,philosophers2
 who were the first ,race of            
,philosophers after the ,flood4  ,but   
,josephus tells a formal ,story1 of     
,pillars set up by ,seth1 before  the   
,flood2 implying the ,foreknowledge of  
this fiery ,destruction of the  ,world1 
even from the ,beginning of it4 ,his    
,words1 lib4 #a4 c4 #c4 are to  this    
,effect1 give what ,credit to them you  
think fit3 ,seth and his  ,fellow       
,students1 having found out the         
,knowledge of the ,clestial ,bodies1    
and the ,order and ,disposition of the  
,universe2 and having also receiv'd     
from ,adam1 a ,prophecy1 that the ,world
 should have a double ,destruction1  one
 by ,water1 another by ,fire3 ,to       
preserve and transmit their ,knowledge1 

in either ,case1 to ,posterity1 they    
raised two ,pillars1 one of ,brick1     
another of ,stone1 and ingrav'd upon    
them their ,philosophy and  ,inventions4
 ,and one of these ,pillars1 the ,author
 says 7   7 was standing in ,syria1 even
 to his ,time4 ,i do not press the      
,belief of this ,story2 there being     
nothing1 that ,i know of1 in ,antiquity1
  ,sacred or ,prophane1 that gives a    
joint ,testimony with it4 ,and those    
that  set up these ,pillars1 do not seem
 to me1 to have understood the ,nature  
of the ,deluge or ,conflagration2 if    
they thought a ,pillar1 either of       
,brick or ,stone1 would be secure1 in   
those great ,dissolutions of the        
,earth4 ,but we have pursued this       
,doctrine high enough1 without the ,help
  of these ante-diluvian ,antiquities3  
,namely1 to the earliest ,people1 and   
the first ,appearances of ,wisdom after 
the ,flood4 ,so that1 ,i think1 we  may 
justly look upon it as the ,doctrine of 
,noah1 and of his immediate  ,posterity4

 ,and1 as that is the highest ,source of
 ,learning to the present  ,world2 so we
 should endeavour to carry our          
,philosophical ,traditions to  that     
,original3 ,for ,i cannot persuade      
myself1 but that they had amongst  them1
 even in those early ,days1 the main    
,strokes1 or ,conclusions of the  best  
,philosophy3 ,or1 if ,i may so say1 a   
,form of sound ,doctrine  concerning    
,nature and ,providence4 ,of which      
,matter1 if you will allow me  a short  
,digression1 ,i will speak my ,thoughts 
in a few ,words4    ,in those first     
,ages of the ,world1 after the ,flood1  
when ,noah and his  ,children peopled   
the ,earth again1 as he gave them       
,precepts of ,morality  and ,piety1 for 
the ,conduct of their ,manners2 which   
are usually call'd  ,prcepta            
,noachidarum1 the ,precepts of ,noah1   
frequently mention'd  both by the ,jews 
and ,christians3 ,so also he deliver'd  
to them1 at  least1 if we judge aright1 
certain ,maxims1 or ,conclusions about  

,providence1 the ,state of ,nature1 and 
the ,fate of the ,world3 ,and these1  in
 ,proportion1 may be call'd ,dogmata    
,noachidarum1 the ,doctrines of  ,noah1 
and his ,children4 ,which made a ,system
 of ,philosophy1 or secret  ,knowledge  
amongst them1 delivered by ,tradition   
from ,father to ,son2 but  especially   
preserv'd amongst their ,priests and    
,sacred ,persons1 or such  others as    
were addicted to ,contemplation4 ,this  
,i take to be more ancient  than ,moses 
himself1 or the ,jewish ,nation4 ,but it
 would lead me too  far out of my ,way1 
to set down1 in this ,place1 the        
,reasons of my  ,judgment4 ,let it be   
sufficient to have pointed only at this 
,fountain-head of ,knowledge1 and so    
return to our ,argument4    ,we have    
heard1 as it were1 a ,cry of ,fire1     
throughout all ,antiquity1 and          
throughout all the ,people of the       
,earth4 ,but those ,alarums are         
sometimes  false1 or make a greater     
,noise than the ,thing deserves4 ,for my

 ,part1 ,i  never trust ,antiquity      
barely upon its own ,account1 but always
 require a  second ,witness1 either from
 ,nature1 or from ,scripture3 ,what the 
,voice of  ,nature is1 we shall hear all
 along in the following ,treatise4 ,let 
us  then examine at present1 what       
,testimony the ,prophets and ,apostles  
give  to this ancient ,doctrine of the  
,conflagration of the ,world4 ,the      
,prophets  see the ,world a ,fire at a  
,distance1 and more imperfectly1 as a   
,brightness in the ,heavens1 rather than
 a burning ,flame3 ,but ,s4 ,peter      
describes it1 as if he had been standing
 by1 and seen the ,heavens and  ,earth  
in a red ,fire2 heard the cracking      
,flames1 and the tumbling  ,mountains1  
#b ,pet4 iii4 #aj4 ,in the ,day of the  
,lord1 ,the ,heavens shall  pass away   
with a great ,noise1 and the ,elements  
shall melt with fervent  ,heat3 ,the    
,earth also1 and the ,works that are    
therein1 shall be burnt  up4 ,then1     
after a pious ,ejaculation1 he adds1    

,ver4 #ab4 ,looking for1  and hastening 
the coming of the ,day of ,god1 wherein 
the ,heavens being on  ,fire1 shall be  
dissolv'd2 and the ,elements shall melt 
with fervent  ,heat4 ,this is as lively 
as a ,man could express it1 if he had   
the  dreadful ,spectacle before his     
,eyes4 ,s4 ,peter had before taught the 
same ,doctrine 7ver4 #e1 #f1 #g47 but in
 a more ,philosophick ,way2  describing 
the double ,fate of the ,world1 by      
,water and ,fire1 with  relation to the 
,nature and ,constitution of either     
,world1 past or  present4 ,the ,heavens 
and the ,earth were of old1 consisting  
of ,water1  and by ,water3 ,whereby1 the
 ,world that then was1 being overflowed 
with  ,water1 perished4 ,but the        
,heavens and the ,earth which are now1  
by the  same ,word are kept in ,store1  
reserved unto ,fire1 against the ,day of
  ,judgment1 and ,perdition of ,ungodly1
 or ,atheistical ,men4 ,this ,testimony 
of ,s4 ,peter being full1 direct1 and   
explicit1 will give ,light and          

,strength to several other ,passages of 
,scripture1 where the same ,thing is    
exprest obscurely1 or by ,allusion4 ,as 
when ,s4 ,paul says1 ,the ,fire  shall  
try every ,man's ,work in that ,day1 #a 
,cor4 iii4 #ab1 #ac4 ,and our  ,saviour 
says1 ,the ,tares shall be burnt in the 
,fire1 at the ,end of the  ,world1      
,matth4 xiii4 #dj1 #da1 #db4            
,accordingly it is said1 both by the    
,apostles and ,prophets1 that ,god will 
come to ,judgment in ,fire4 ,st4  ,paul 
to the ,thessalonians1 #b ,thess4 ii4   
#g1 #h4 promiseth the  persecuted       
,righteous ,rest and ,ease1 ,when the   
,lord shall be revealed  from ,heaven1  
with his mighty ,angels1 in flaming     
,fire2 taking ,vengeance  on them that  
know not ,god1 c4 ,and so to the        
,hebrews1 ,st4 ,paul  says1 ch4 x4 #bg4 
that for wilful ,apostates1 there       
remaineth no more  ,sacrifice for ,sin1 
but a certain fearful looking for of    
,judgment1 and  fiery ,indignation1     
which shall devour the ,adversaries1 or 

,enemies of  ,god4 ,and in ch4 xii4 ver4
 #bf1 #bg1 #bh1 #bi4 he alludes to the  
same  ,thing1 when1 after he had spoken 
of shaking the ,heavens1 and the  ,earth
 once more1 he exhorteth1 as ,st4 ,peter
 does upon the same  ,occasion1 to      
,reverence and godly ,fear2 for our ,god
 is a consuming  ,fire4    ,in like     
manner the ,prophets1 when they speak of
 destroying the ,wicked1  and the       
,enemies of ,god and ,christ1 at the    
,end of the ,world1 represent it  as a  
,destruction by ,fire4 ,psal4 xi4 #f4   
,upon the ,wicked the ,lord shall  rain 
,coals1 ,fire1 and ,brimstone1 and a    
burning ,tempest3 ,this shall be  the   
,portion of their ,cup4 ,and ,psal4 l4  
#c4 ,our ,god shall come1 and will  not 
be slow3 ,a ,fire shall devour before   
him1 and it shall be very  tempestuous  
round about him4 ,and in the ,beginning 
of those two  triumphal ,psalms1 the    
lxviiith1 and xcviith1 we see plain     
,allusions to  this coming of the ,lord 
in ,fire4 ,the other ,prophets speak in 

the same  ,style1 of a fiery            
,indignation against the ,wicked1 in the
 ,day of the  ,lord3 ,as in ,isaiah     
lxvi4 #ae4 ,for behold the ,lord will   
come with ,fire1  and with his ,chariots
 like a ,whirlwind1 to render his ,anger
 with ,fury1  and his ,rebuke with      
,flames of ,fire 7and ch4 xxxiv4 #h1 #i1
 #aj7 ,and in  ,daniel1 c4 vii4 #i1 #aj4
 ,the ,ancient of ,days is placed upon  
his ,seat  of ,judgment1 covered in     
,flames4 ,i beheld till the ,thrones    
were set1 and  the ,ancient of ,days did
 sit1 whose ,garment was white as ,snow1
 and the  ,hair of his ,head like the   
pure ,wool3 ,his ,throne was like the   
fiery  ,flame1 his ,wheels as burning   
,fire4 ,a fiery ,stream issued and came 
forth  from before him3 thousand        
thousands ministred unto him1 and ten   
thousand  times ten thousand stood      
before him3 ,the ,judgment was set1 and 
the ,books  were opened4 ,the ,prophet  
,malachi1 c4 iv4 #a4 describes the ,day 
of the  ,lord to the same ,effect1 and  

in like ,colours2 ,behold the ,day      
cometh1  that shall burn as an ,oven3   
and all the ,proud1 yea1 and all that do
  wickedly1 shall be as ,stubble2 and   
the ,day that cometh shall burn them    
up1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 that it  
shall leave them neither ,root nor      
,branch4 ,and that ,nature herself1 and 
the ,earth shall suffer in that  ,fire1 
the ,prophet ,zephany tells us1 c4 iii4 
#h4 ,all the ,earth shall  be devoured  
with the ,fire of my ,jealousy4 ,lastly1
 this ,consumption of  the ,earth by    
,fire1 even to the ,foundations of it1  
is exprest livelily by  ,moses in his   
,song1 ,deut4 xxxii4 #bb4 ,a ,fire is   
kindled in my ,anger1  and shall burn   
unto the lowest ,hell3 and shall consume
 the ,earth with  her ,increase1 and set
 on ,fire the ,foundations of the       
,mountains4    ,if we reflect upon these
 ,witnesses2 and especially the first   
and last1  ,moses and ,saint ,peter2 at 
what a great ,distance of ,time they    
writ  their ,prophecies1 and yet how    

well they agree1 we must needs conclude 
they were acted by the same ,spirit2 and
 a ,spirit that saw thorough all  the   
,ages of the ,world1 from the ,beginning
 to the ,end4 ,these ,sacred  ,writers  
were so remote in ,time from one        
another1 that they could not  confer    
together1 nor conspire either in a false
 ,testimony1 or to make  the same       
,prediction4 ,but being under one common
 ,influence and  ,inspiration1 which is 
always consistent with itself1 they have
 dictated  the same ,things1 tho' at two
 thousand ,years ,distance sometimes    
from one  another4 ,this1 besides many  
other ,considerations1 makes their      
,authority  incontestable4 ,and upon the
 whole ,account1 you see1 that the      
,doctrine of  the future ,conflagration 
of the ,world1 having run thro' all     
,ages and  ,nations1 is1 by the joint   
,consent of the ,prophets and ,apostles1
 adopted  into the ,christian ,faith4   
,,chap4 ,,iv4          ,concerning the  
,time of the ,conflagration1 and the    

,end of the ,world4      ,what the      
,astronomers say upon this ,subject1 and
 upon what they      ground their       
,calculations3 ,the true ,notion of the 
,great ,year1 or of      the ,platonick 
,year1 stated and explained4            
,having1 in this first ,section1 laid a 
sure ,foundation1 as to the ,subject  of
 our ,discourse2 the ,truth and         
,certainty of the ,conflagration whereof
  we are to treat2 we will now proceed  
to enquire after the ,time1  ,causes1   
and ,manner of it4 ,we are naturally    
more inquisitive after  the ,end of the 
,world1 and the ,time of that fatal     
,revolution1 than after  the ,causes of 
it3 ,for these1 we know1 are            
irresistible1 whensoever they  come1 and
 therefore we are only solicitous that  
they should not overtake  us1 or our    
near ,posterity4 ,the ,romans thought   
they had the ,fates of  their ,empire in
 the ,books of the ,sibyls1 which were  
kept by the  ,magistrates as a ,sacred  
,treasure4 ,we have also our            

,prophetical ,books1  more sacred and   
more infallible than theirs1 which      
contain the ,fate of  all the ,kingdoms 
of the ,earth1 and of that glorious     
,kingdom that is to  succeed4 ,and of   
all ,futurities1 there is none can be of
 such ,importance  to be enquired after1
 as this last ,scene and ,close of all  
human ,affairs4    ,if ,i thought it    
possible to determine the ,time of the  
,conflagration  from the bare ,intuition
 of natural ,causes1 ,i would not treat 
of it in  this ,place1 but reserve it to
 the last2 after we had brought into    
,view  all those ,causes1 weigh'd their 
,force1 and examin'd how and when they  
would concur to produce this great      
,effect4 ,but ,i am satisfied1 that the 
,excitation and ,concourse of those     
,causes does not depend upon ,nature    
only2 and tho' the ,causes may be       
sufficient1 when all united1 yet the    
,union of them at such a ,time1 and in  
such a ,manner1 ,i look upon as the     
,effect of a particular ,providence2 and

 therefore no ,fore-sight of ours1  or  
,inspection into ,nature1 can discover  
to us the ,time of this  ,conjuncture4  
,this ,method1 therefore1 of ,prediction
 from natural ,causes  being laid aside 
as impracticable1 all other ,methods may
 be treated of  in this ,place1 as being
 independent upon any ,thing that is to 
follow in  the ,treatise2 and it will be
 an ,ease to the ,argument to discharge 
it of  this ,part1 and clear the ,way by
 ,degrees to the principal ,point1 which
  is1 ,the ,causes and ,manner of the   
,conflagration4    ,some have thought it
 a ,kind of ,impiety in a ,christian1 to
 enquire after  the ,end of the ,world2 
because of that ,check which our        
,saviour gave his  ,disciples1 when1    
after his ,resurrection1 enquiring of   
him about the ,time  of his ,kingdom1 he
 answer'd1 ,it is not for you to know   
the ,times or the  ,seasons1 which the  
,father hath put in his own ,power1     
,acts i4 #g4 ,and  before his ,death1   
when he was discoursing of the          

,consummation of all  ,things1 ,he told 
them expresly1 that though there should 
be such and such  previous ,signs as he 
had mention'd1 yet1 ,of that ,day and   
,hour knoweth  no ,man2 no1 not the     
,angels that are in ,heaven1 but my     
,father only1 ,matt4  xxiv4 #cf4 ,be it 
so1 that the ,disciples deserv'd a      
,reprimand1 for  desiring to know1 by a 
particular ,revelation from our         
,saviour1 the ,state  of future ,times2 
when many other ,things were more       
necessary for their  ,instruction1 and  
for their ,ministry4 ,be it also        
admitted1 that the  ,angels1 at that    
,distance of ,time1 could not see thorow
 all ,events to the  ,end of the ,world2
 it does not at all follow from thence1 
that they do  not know it now2 when1 in 
the ,course of #afjj ,years1 many       
,things are come  to pass1 that may be  
,marks and ,directions to them to make a
 ,judgment of  what remains1 and of the 
last ,period of all ,things4 ,however1  
there will  be no ,danger in our        

,enquiries about this ,matter1 seeing   
they are not so  much to discover the   
,certainty1 as the ,uncertainty of that 
,period1 as to  human ,knowledge4 ,let  
us therefore consider what ,methods have
 been used1  by those that have been    
curious and busy to measure the         
,duration of the  ,world4    ,the       
,stoicks tell us1 ,when the ,sun and the
 ,stars have drunk up the  ,sea1 then   
the ,earth shall be burnt4 ,a very fair 
,prophecy6 ,but1 how long  will they be 
a drinking8 ,for unless we can determine
 that1 we cannot  determine when this   
,combustion will begin4 ,many of the    
,antients thought  that the ,stars were 
nourish'd by the ,vapours of the ,ocean 
and of the  moist ,earth1 7,cicer4 de   
,nat4 ,d4 lib4 #b47 and when that       
,nourishment was  spent1 being of a     
fiery ,nature1 they would prey upon the 
,body of the  ,earth it self1 and       
consume that1 after they had consum'd   
the ,water4 ,this  is old-fashion'd     
,philosophy1 and now1 that the ,nature  

of those ,bodies is  better known1 will 
scarce pass for current4 ',tis true1 we 
must expect  some ,dispositions towards 
the ,combustion of the ,world1 from a   
great  ,drought and ,desiccation of the 
,earth3 ,but this helps us nothing on   
our  ,way2 for the ,question still      
returns1 ,when will this immoderate     
,drought  or ,dryness happen8 and that's
 as ill to resolve as the former4       
,therefore1 as ,i said before1 ,i have  
no ,hopes of deciding the ,question by  
,physiology or ,natural ,causes2 let us 
then look up from the ,earth to the     
,heavens1 to the ,astronomers and the   
,prophets3 ,these think they can  define
 the ,age and ,duration of the ,world2  
the one by their ,art1 and the  other by
 ,inspiration4    ,we begin with the    
,astronomers2 whose ,calculations are   
founded either  upon the ,aspects and   
,configurations of the ,planets1 or upon
 the  ,revolutions of the fixed ,stars3 
or1 lastly1 upon that which they call   
,annus ,magnus1 or the ,great ,year1    

whatsoever that ,notion proves to be    
when it is rightly interpreted4 ,as to  
the ,planets1 ,berosus tells us1  the   
,chaldeans suppose ,deluges to proceed  
from a great ,conjunction of  the       
,planets in ,capricorn1 7,sen4 ,nat4 qu4
 l4 #c4 c4 #bi47 ,and from a  like      
,conjunction in the opposite ,sign of   
,cancer1 the ,conflagration  will ensue4
 ,so that if we compute by the          
,astronomical ,tables how long it  will 
be to such a ,conjunction1 we find at   
the same ,time how long it will  be to  
the ,conflagration4 ,this ,doctrine of  
the ,chaldeans some  ,christian ,authors
 have owned1 and followed the same      
,principles and  ,method4    ,if these  
,authors would deal fairly with         
,mankind1 they should shew us  some     
,connexion betwixt these ,causes and the
 ,effects which they make  consequent   
upon them4 ,for 'tis an unreasonable    
,thing to require a ,man's  ,assent to a
 ,proposition1 where he sees no         
,dependance or ,connexion of  ,terms2   

unless it come by ,revelation1 or from  
an infallible ,authority4 ,if  you say1 
the ,conflagration will be at the first 
great ,conjunction of the  ,planets in  
,cancer1 and ,i say it will be at the   
next ,eclipse of the  ,moon1 if you shew
 no more ,reason for your ,assertion    
than ,i for mine1 and  neither of us    
pretend to ,revelation or               
,infallibility1 we may justly  expect to
 be equally credited4 ,pray what ,reason
 can you give why the  ,planets1 when   
they meet1 should plot together to set  
on ,fire their  ,fellow-,planet1 the    
,earth1 who never did them any ,harm8   
,but now there is  a plausible ,reason  
for my ,opinion2 for the ,moon1 when    
eclips'd1 may  think herself affronted  
by the ,earth interposing rudely betwixt
 her and  the ,sun1 and leaving her to  
grope her ,way in the ,dark3 ,she       
therefore may  justly take her ,revenge 
as she can4 ,but you'll say1 'tis not in
 the  ,power of the ,moon to set the    
,earth on ,fire1 if she had ,malice     

enough to  do it4 ,no1 nor say ,i1 is it
 in the ,power of the other ,planets    
that are  far more distant from the     
,earth than the ,moon1 and as stark dull
 ,lumps  of ,earth as she is4 ,the plain
 ,truth is1 the ,planets are so many    
,earths2  and our ,earth is as much a   
,planet as the brightest of them4 ',tis 
carried  about the ,sun with the same   
common ,stream1 and shines with as much 
,lustre to them1 as they do to us3      
,neither can they do any more ,harm to  
it1 than it can do to them4 ',tis now   
well known1 that the ,planets are  dark 
opake ,bodies1 generally made up of     
,earth and ,water1 as our ,globe  is2   
and have no ,force or ,action1 but that 
of reverberating the ,light  which the  
,sun casts upon them4 ,this blind       
superstitious ,fear or  ,reverence for  
the ,stars1 had its ,original from the  
antient ,idolaters3  ,they thought them 
,gods1 and that they had ,domination    
over human ,affairs4  ,we do not indeed 
worship them1 as they did2 but some ,men

 retain still  the same ,opinion of     
their ,vertues1 of their ,rule and      
,influence upon us  and our ,affairs1   
which was the ,ground of their ,worship4
 ',tis full ,time  now to sweep away    
these ,cobwebs of ,superstition1 these  
,relicks of  ,paganism4 ,i do not see   
how we are any more concern'd in the    
,postures of  the ,planets1 than in the 
,postures of the ,clouds2 and you may as
 well  build an ,art of ,prediction and 
,divination1 upon the one1 as the other4
  ,they must not know much of the       
,philosophy of the ,heavens1 or little  
consider it1 that think the ,fate1      
either of single ,persons1 or of the    
whole ,earth1 can depend upon the       
,aspects1 or figur'd ,dances of those   
,bodies4    ,but you'll say1 it may be1 
,tho' no ,reason can be given for such  
,effects1  yet ,experience does attest  
the ,truth of them4 ,in the first       
,place1 ,i  answer1 no ,experience can  
be produced for this ,effect we are     
speaking  of1 the ,conflagration of the 

,world4 ,secondly1 ,experience          
fallaciously  recorded1 or wholly in    
favour of one side1 is no ,proof4 ,if a 
publick  ,register was kept of all      
,astrological ,predictions1 and of all  
the ,events  that followed upon them1   
right or wrong1 agreeing or disagreeing1
 ,i  could willingly refer the ,cause to
 the ,determination of such a ,register1
  and such ,experience3 ,but that which 
they call ,experience1 is so stated1    
that if one ,prediction of ten hits     
right1 or near right1 it shall make     
more ,noise1 and be more taken ,notice  
of1 than all the ,nine that are  false4 
,just as in a ,lottery1 where many      
,blanks are drawn for one ,prize1  yet  
these make all the ,noise1 and those are
 forgotten4 ,if any one be so  lucky as 
to draw a good ,lot1 then the ,trumpet  
sounds1 and his ,name is  register'd1   
and he tells his good ,fortune to every 
,body he meets2  whereas those that     
lose1 go silently away with empty       
,pockets1 and are  asham'd to tell their

 ,losses4 ,such a ,thing is the         
,register of  ,astrological             
,experiences2 they record what makes for
 their ,credit1 but  drop all blank     
,instances1 that would discover the     
,vanity or ,cheat of  their ,art4    ,so
 much for the ,planets4 ,they have also 
a pretended ,calculation of the  ,end of
 the ,world1 from the fix'd ,stars and  
the ,firmament4 ,which1 in  short1 is   
this3 ,they suppose these ,bodies1      
besides the ,hurry of their  ,diurnal   
,motion from ,east to ,west1 quite round
 the ,earth in #bd ,hours1 to  have     
another retrograde ,motion from ,west to
 ,east1 which is more slow and          
leisurely3 ,and when they have finished 
the ,circle of this  ,retrogradation1   
and come up again to the same ,place    
from whence they  started at the        
,beginning of the ,world1 then this     
,course of ,nature will  be at an ,end2 
and either the ,heavens will cease from 
all ,motion1 or a  new ,set of ,motions 
will be put a-foot1 and the ,world begin

 again4 ,this  is a ,bundle of ,fictions
 tied up in a pretty ,knot4 ,in the     
first ,place1  there is no such ,thing  
as a solid ,firmament1 in which the     
,stars are  fix'd1 as ,nails in a       
,board4 ,the ,heavens are as fluid as   
our ,air1 and the  higher we go1 the    
more thin and subtle is the ethereal    
,matter4 ,then1 the  fix'd ,stars are   
not all in one ,surface1 as they seem to
 us1 not at an  equal ,distance from the
 ,earth1 but are placed in several ,orbs
 higher and  higher2 there being        
infinite ,room in the great ,deep of the
 ,heavens1  every ,way1 for innumerable 
,stars and ,spheres behind one another1 
to fill  and beautify the immense       
,spaces of the ,universe4 ,lastly1 the  
fix'd ,stars  have no ,motion common to 
them all1 nor any ,motion singly1 unless
 upon  their own ,centres2 and          
therefore1 never leaving their          
,stations1 they can  never return to any
 common ,station1 which they would      
suppose them to  have had at the        

,beginning of the ,world4 ,so as this   
,period they speak of1  whereby they    
would measure the ,duration of the      
,world1 is merely  imaginary1 and hath  
no ,foundation in the true ,nature or   
,motion of the  clestial ,bodies4       
,but in the third ,place1 they speak of 
an ,,annus ,,magnus1 a ,great ,year3 ,a 
,revolution so call'd1 whatsoever it is1
 that is of the same ,extent with  the  
,length of the ,world4 ,this ,notion1 ,i
 confess1 is more antient and           
universal1 and therefore ,i am the more 
apt to believe that it is not           
altogether groundless4 ,but the         
,difficulty is1 to find out the ,notion 
of  this ,great ,year1 what is to be    
understood by it1 and then of what      
,length it is4 ,they all agree that it  
is a ,time of some grand  ,instauration 
of all ,things1 or a ,restitution of the
 ,heavens and the  ,earth to their      
former ,state2 that is1 to the ,state   
and ,posture they had  at the ,beginning
 of the ,world2 such therefore as will  

restore the ,golden  ,age1 and that     
happy ,state of ,nature wherein ,things 
were at first4 ,if so1  if these be the 
,marks and ,properties of this          
,revolution1 which is called  the ,great
 ,year1 we need not go so far to find   
the true ,notion and  ,interpretation of
 it4 ,those that have read the first    
,part of this  ,theory1 may remember1   
that in the #b;d ,book1 ,chap4 #c4 we   
gave an  ,account what the ,posture of  
the ,earth was at the ,beginning of the 
,world1  and what were the ,consequences
 of that ,posture1 a perpetual ,spring  
and  ,equinox throughout all the ,earth3
 ,and if the ,earth was restor'd again  
to  that ,posture and ,situation1 all   
that is imputed to the ,great ,year1    
would immediately follow upon it1       
without ever disturbing or moving the   
fix'd ,stars1 ,firmament1 or ,planets2  
and yet at the same ,time all these     
three would return1 or be restored to   
the same ,posture they had at the       
,beginning of the ,world2 so as the     

whole ,character of the ,great ,year    
would be truly fulfill'd1 tho' not in   
that ,way which they imagin'd2 but  in  
another1 more compendious1 and of easier
 ,conception4 ,my ,meaning is  this1 ,if
 the ,axis of the ,earth was rectified  
and set parallel with the  ,axis of the 
,ecliptick1 upon which the ,planets1    
,firmament1 and fix'd  ,stars are       
suppos'd to move1 all ,things would be  
as they were at first2 a  general       
,harmony and ,conformity of all the     
,motions of the ,universe would         
presently appear1 such as they say1 was 
in the ,golden ,age1 before any         
,disorder came into the ,natural or     
,moral ,world4    ,as this is an easy1  
so ,i do not doubt1 but it is a true    
,account of that  which was originally  
call'd the ,great ,year1 or the ,great  
,instauration2  which ,nature will bring
 to pass in this simple ,method1 by     
rectifying the  ,axis of the ,earth1    
without those operose ,revolutions1     
which some  ,astronomers have fancied4  

,but however1 this ,account being       
admitted1 how  will it help us to define
 what the ,age and ,duration of the     
,world will  be8 ',tis true1 many have  
undertaken to tell us the ,length of    
this ,great  ,year1 and consequently of 
the ,world2 but1 besides that their     
,accounts  are very different1 and      
generally of an extravagant ,length1 if 
we had  the true ,account1 it would not 
assure us when the ,world would end2    
because we do not know when it did      
begin1 or what ,progress we have        
already made in the ,line of ,time4 ,for
 ,i am satisfied1 the ,chronology of    
the ,world1 whether ,sacred or ,profane1
 is lost2 till ,providence shall  please
 to retrieve it by some new ,discovery4 
,as to profane ,chronology1  or that of 
the ,heathens1 the ,greeks1 and the     
,romans knew nothing  above the         
,olympiads2 which fell short many ,ages 
of the ,deluge1 much  more of the       
,beginning of the ,world4 ,and the      
,eastern barbarous ,nations1  as they   

disagreed amongst themselves1 so        
generally they run the ,origin  of the  
,world to such a prodigious ,height1 as 
is neither agreeable to  ,faith1 nor    
,reason4 ,as to sacred ,chronology1 'tis
 well known1 that the  ,difference there
 is betwixt the ,greek1 ,hebrew1 and    
,samaritan  ,copies of the ,bible1 make 
the ,age of the ,world altogether       
undetermin'd3  ,and there is no ,way yet
 found out1 how we may certainly        
discover which  of the three ,copies is 
most ,authentick2 and consequently1 what
 the ,age  of the ,world is1 upon a true
 ,computation4 ,seeing therefore we have
 no  ,assurance how long the ,world hath
 stood already1 neither could we be     
assur'd how long it hath to stand1 tho' 
by this ,annus ,magnus1 or any  other   
,way1 the total ,sum1 or whole ,term of 
its ,duration was truly known2  ,i am   
sorry to see the little ,success we have
 had in our first ,search  after the    
,end of the ,world1 from ,astronomical  
,calculations4 ,but 'tis an  useful     

,piece of ,knowledge to know the ,bounds
 of our ,knowledge2 that so  we may not 
spend our ,time and ,thoughts about     
,things that lie out of our  ,reach4 ,i 
have little or no ,hopes of resolving   
this ,point by the ,light of  ,nature1  
and therefore it only remains now to    
enquire1 whether ,providence  hath made 
it known by any ,sort of ,prophecy or   
,revelation4 ,which shall be  the       
,subject of the following ,chapter4     
,,chap4 ,v4          ,concerning        
,prophecies that determine the ,end of  
the ,world3 ,of what      ,order soever1
 ,profane or ,sacred2 ,jewish or        
,christian4 ,that no      certain       
,judgment can be made from any of them1 
at what ,distance we      are now from  
the ,conflagration4      ,the ,bounds of
 human ,knowledge are so narrow1 and the
 ,desire of knowing  so vast and        
illimited1 that it often puts ,mankind  
upon irregular ,methods  of inlarging   
their ,knowledge4 ,this hath made them  
find out ,arts of  ,commerce with evil  

,spirits1 to be instructed by them in   
such ,events as  they could not of      
themselves discover4 ,we meddle not with
 those  ,mysteries of ,iniquity3 ,but   
what hath appear'd under the ,notion of 
divine  ,prophecy1 relating to the      
,chronology of the ,world3 ,giving      
either the  whole ,extent of it1 or     
certain ,marks of its ,expiration2      
,these we purpose  to examine in this   
,place3 ,how far any ,thing may1 or may 
not1 be  concluded from them1 as to the 
,resolution of our ,problem1 ,how long  
the  ,world will last4    ,amongst the  
,heathens1 ,i do not remember any       
,prophecies of this ,nature1  except the
 ,sibylline ,oracles1 as they are       
usually called4 ,the antient  ,eastern  
,philosophers have left us no ,account  
that ,i can call to mind1  about the    
,time of this ,fatality4 ,they say1 when
 the ,phnix returns1 we  must expect the
 ,conflagration to follow2 but the ,age 
of the ,phnix  they make as various and 
uncertain1 as they do the ,computation  

of their  ,great ,year1 ,symbolum  1    
,phnix4 ,hor4 ,apol4  l4 #b4 c4 #eg4    
which two ,things are indeed1 one and   
the same in ,effect4  ,some of them1 ,i 
confess1 mention #fjjj ,years for the   
whole ,age of the  ,world3 ,which being 
the famous ,prophecy of the ,jews1 we   
shall speak to  it largely hereafter2   
and reduce to that ,head1 what broken   
,traditions  remain amongst the         
,heathens of the same thing4 ,as to the 
,sibylline  ,oracles1 which were so much
 in ,reputation amongst the ,greeks and 
,romans1 they have been tamper'd with so
 much1 and chang'd so often1  that they 
are become now of little ,authority4    
,they seem to have divided  the         
,duration of the ,world into ten ,ages1 
and the last of these they make  a      
,golden ,age1 a ,state of ,peace1       
,righteousness1 and ,perfection3 ,but   
seeing they have not determin'd1 in any 
definite ,numbers1 what the  ,length of 
every ,age will be1 nor given us the    
,sum of all1 we cannot draw  any        

,conclusion from this ,account1 as to   
the ,point in question before us3  ,but 
must proceed to the ,jewish and         
,christian ,oracles4    ,the ,jews have 
a remarkable ,prophecy1 which expresseth
 both the ,whole1  and the ,parts of the
 ,world's ,duration4 ,the ,world1 they  
say1 will stand  ,six thousand ,years3  
,two thousand before the ,law1 ,two     
thousand under the  ,law1 and ,two      
thousand under the ,messiah4 ,this      
,prophecy they derive from  ,elias2 but 
there were two of the ,name1 ,elias the 
,thesbite1 and  ,elias the ,rabbin1 or  
,cabbalist2 and 'tis suppos'd to belong 
immediately to the latter of these4 ,yet
 this does not hinder1 in my  ,opinion1 
but that it might come originally from  
the former ,elias1 and  was preserv'd in
 the ,school of this ,elias the ,rabbin1
 and first made  publick by him4 ,or he 
added1 it may be1 that ,division of the 
,time into  three ,parts1 and so got a  
,title to the whole4 ,i cannot easily   
imagine1  that a ,doctor that lived ,two

 hundred ,years1 or thereabouts1 before 
,christ1 when ,prophecy had ceas'd for  
some ,ages amongst the ,jews1  should   
take upon him to dictate a ,prophecy    
about the ,duration of the  ,world1     
unless he had been supported by some    
antecedent ,cabbalistical  ,tradition3  
,which being kept more secret before1 he
 took the ,liberty to  make ,publick1   
and so was reputed the ,author of the   
,prophecy3 ,as many  ,philosophers      
amongst the ,greeks1 were the reputed   
,authors of such  ,doctrines as were    
much more antient than themselves3 ,but 
they were the  ,publishers of them in   
their ,country1 or the ,revivers of them
 after a  long ,silence2 and so1 by     
forgetful ,posterity1 got the ,honour of
 the  first ,invention4    ,you will    
think1 it may be1 the ,time is too long1
 and the ,distance too  great1 betwixt  
,elias the ,thesbite1 and this ,elias   
the ,rabbin1  for a ,tradition to       
subsist all the while1 or be preserv'd  
with any  competent ,integrity4 ,but it 

appears from ,st4 ,jude's ,epistle1 that
 the  ,prophecies of ,enoch1 7who liv'd 
before the ,flood7 relating to the ,day 
of ,judgment and the ,end of the ,world1
 were extant in his ,time1 either in    
,writing or by ,tradition3 ,and the     
,distance between ,enoch and ,st4 ,jude 
was vastly greater than betwixt the two 
,elias's4 ,nor was any fitter to  be    
inspir'd with that ,knowledge1 or to    
tell the first ,news of that fatal      
,period1 than the old ,prophet ,elias1  
who is to come again and bring the      
,alarum of the approaching              
,conflagration4 ,but however this       
,conjecture may  prove as to the        
original ,author of this ,prophecy1 the 
,prophecy itself  concerning the        
,sexmillennial ,duration of the ,world1 
is very much  insisted upon by the      
,christian ,fathers4 ,which yet ,i      
believe is not so  much for the bare    
,authority of the ,tradition1 as because
 they thought it  was founded in the    
,history of the six ,days ,creation1 and

 the ,sabbath  succeeding3 ,as also in  
some other typical ,precepts and ,usages
 in the ,law  of ,moses4 ,but before we 
speak of that1 give me ,leave to name   
some of  those ,fathers to you1 that    
were of this ,judgment1 and supposed the
 great  ,sabbatism would succeed after  
the ,world had stood ,six thousand      
,years4 ,of  this ,opinion was ,st4     
,barnabas in his ,catholick ,epistle1   
ch4 xv4  ,where he argues1 that the     
,creation will be ended in ,six thousand
 ,years1  as it was finish'd in six     
,days3 ,every ,day according to the     
sacred and  mystical ,account1 being a  
,thousand ,years4 ,of the same ,judgment
 is ,st4  ,irenus1 both as to the       
,conclusion1 and the ,reason of it1 l4  
#e4 c4  #bh1 #bi1 #cj4 ,he saith1 the   
,history of the ,creation in six ,days1 
is a  ,narration as to what it past1 and
 a ,prophecy of what is to come4 ,as the
  ,work was said to be consummated in #f
 ,days1 and the ,sabbath to be the      
,seventh3 ,so the ,consummation of all  

,things will be in #fjjj ,years1 and    
then the great ,sabbatism to come on in 
the blessed ,reign of ,christ4          
,hippolytus ,martyr1 ,disciple of       
,irenus1 is of the same ,judgment1 as   
you may see in ,photius1 c4 #bjb4       
,lactantius in his ,divine              
,institutions1 l4 #g4 c4 #ad4 gives the 
very same ,account of the ,state  and   
,condition of the ,world1 and the same  
,proofs for it1 and so does ,st4        
,cyprian1 in his ,exhortation to        
,martyrdom1 c4 #ah4 ,st4 ,jerome more   
than once declares himself of the same  
,opinion2 and ,st4 ,austin1 ,c4 ,d4  l4 
#bj4 c4 #g4 tho' he wavers1 and was     
doubtful as to the ,millennium1  or     
,reign of ,christ upon ,earth1 yet he   
receives this ,computation without      
,hesitancy1 and upon the foremention'd  
,grounds4 ,so ,johannes ,damascenus  de 
,fide ,orthodox1 takes seven            
,millennaries for the intire ,space of  
the  ,world1 from the ,creation1 to the 
general ,resurrection1 the ,sabbatism   

being included4 ,and that this was a    
receiv'd and approv'd ,opinion in  early
 ,times1 we may collect from the ,author
 of the ,questions and  ,answers1 ad    
,orthodoxos1 in ,justin ,martyr4 ,who1  
giving an ,answer to  that ,enquiry     
about the six thousand ,years ,term of  
the ,world1 says1 ,we  may conjecture   
from many ,places of ,scripture1 that   
those are in the  right1 that say1 six  
thousand ,years is the ,time prefix'd1  
for the  ,duration of this present      
,frame of the ,world4 ,these ,authors ,i
 have  examin'd my self3 ,but there are 
many others brought in ,confirmation of 
this ,opinion3 ,as ,st4 ,hilary1        
,anastasius ,sinaita1 ,sanctus          
,gaudentius1 ,q4 ,julius ,hilarion1     
,junilius ,africanus1 ,isidorus         
,hispalensis1 ,cassiodorus1 ,gregorius  
,magnus1 and others1 which ,i  leave to 
be examin'd by those that have          
,curiosity and ,leisure to do it4    ,in
 the mean time1 it must be confess'd1   
that many of these ,fathers were  under 

a ,mistake1 in one respect1 in that they
 generally thought the  ,world was near 
an ,end in their ,time4 ,an ,error1     
which we need not take  ,pains to       
confute now2 seeing we1 who live twelve 
hundred or fourteen  hundred ,years     
after them1 find the ,world still in    
being1 and likely to  continue so for   
some considerable ,time4 ,but it is easy
 to discern whence  their ,mistake      
proceeded3 ,not from this ,prophecy     
alone1 but because they  reckon'd this  
,prophecy according to the ,chronology  
of the ,septuagint3  ,which setting back
 the ,beginning of the ,world many ,ages
 beyond the  ,hebrew1 these six thousand
 ,years were very near expir'd in the   
,time of  those ,fathers2 and that made 
them conclude1 that the ,world was very 
near  an ,end4 ,we will make no         
,reflections1 in this ,place1 upon that 
,chronology  of the ,septuagint1 lest it
 should too much interrupt the ,thread  
of our  ,discourse4 ,but it is necessary
 to shew how the ,fathers grounded this 

,computation of six thousand ,years1    
upon ,scripture4 ',twas chiefly1 as we  
suggested before1 upon the ,hexameron1  
or the ,creation finish'd in six  ,days1
 and the ,sabbath ensuing4 ,the         
,sabbath1 they said1 was a ,type of  the
 ,sabbatism1 that was to follow at the  
,end of the ,world1 according to  ,st4  
,paul1 ch4 v4 to the ,hebrews2 and then 
by ,analogy and  ,consequence1 the six  
,days preceding the ,sabbath1 must note 
the ,space and  ,duration of the ,world4
 ,if therefore they could discover how  
much a ,day  is reckon'd for1 in this   
mystical ,computation1 the ,sum of the  
six ,days  would be easily found out4   
,and they think1 that1 according to the 
,psalmist 7,psal4 xc4 #d47 and ,st4     
,peter1 7#b ,epist4 iii4 #h47 a ,day    
may be estimated a thousand ,years1 and 
consequently six ,days must be  counted 
six thousand ,years1 for the ,duration  
of the ,world4 ,this is their           
,interpretation1 and their ,inference3  
,but it must be acknowledged1 that      

there is an essential ,weakness in all  
typical and allegorical                 
,argumentations1 in comparison of       
literal4 ,and this being allow'd in     
,diminution of the ,proof1 we may be    
bold to say1 that nothing yet  appears1 
either in ,nature1 or ,scripture1 or    
human ,affairs1 repugnant to  this      
,supposition of six thousand ,years3    
,which hath ,antiquity and the          
,authority of the ,fathers1 on its      
,side4    ,we proceed now to the        
,christian ,prophecies concerning the   
,end of the  ,world4 ,i do not mention  
those in ,daniel1 because ,i am not     
satisfied  that any there 7excepting    
that of the fifth ,kingdom itself7      
extend so  far4 ,but in the ,apocalypse 
of ,st4 ,john1 which is the last        
,revelation  we are to expect1 there are
 several ,prophecies that reach to the  
,consummation of this ,world1 and the   
first ,resurrection4 ,the seven  ,seals1
 the seven ,trumpets1 the seven ,vials1 
do all terminate upon  that great       

,period4 ,but they are rather           
,historical ,prophecies than            
,chronological2 they tell us1 in their  
,language1 the ,events1 but do not      
measure or express the ,time wherein    
they come to pass4 ,others there are    
that may be call'd ,chronological1 as   
the treading under ,foot the ,holy      
,city1 ,forty and two months1 ,apoc4 xi4
 #b4 ,the ,witnesses opposing           
,antichrist ,one thousand ,two hundred  
and sixty ,days1 ,apoc4 xi4 #c4 ,the    
,flight of the ,woman into the          
,wilderness1 for the same ,number of    
,days1  or for a ,time1 ,times1 and half
 a ,time1 ,apoc4 xii4 #f  #ad4 ,and     
lastly1  ,the ,war of the ,beasts       
against the ,saints1 ,forty-two ,months1
 ,apoc4 xiii4  #e4 ,these all1 you see1 
express a ,time for their ,completion2  
and all the  same ,time1 if ,i be not   
mistaken3 ,but they do not reach to the 
,end of the  ,world4 ,or if some of them
 did reach so far1 yet because we do not
  certainly know where to fix their     

,beginning1 we must still be at a ,loss1
  when1 or in what ,year they will      
expire4 ,as for ,instance1 if the ,reign
 of  the ,beast1 or the ,preaching of   
the ,witnesses be #abfj ,years1 as is   
reasonably suppos'd2 yet if we do not   
know certainly when this ,reign1 or     
this ,preaching begun1 neither can we   
tell when it will end4 ,and the         
,epocha's1 or ,beginnings of these      
,prophecies are so differently          
calculated1 and are ,things of so long  
,debate1 as to make the ,discussion  of 
them altogether improper for this       
,place4 ,yet it must be confest1 that   
the best ,conjectures that can be made  
concerning the approaching ,end of  the 
,world1 must be taken from a judicious  
,examination of these ,points3  ,and    
accordingly as we gather up the         
,prophecies of the ,apocalypse1 in a    
successive ,completion1 we see how by   
degrees we draw nearer and nearer  to   
the ,conclusion of all4 ,but till some  
of these enlightening ,prophecies  be   

accomplish'd1 we are as a ,man that     
awakes in the ,night1 all is dark  about
 him1 and he knows not how far the      
,night is spent2 but if he watch  till  
the ,light appears1 the first ,glimpses 
of that will resolve his  ,doubts4 ,we  
must have a little ,patience1 and1 ,i   
think1 but a little2  still eyeing those
 ,prophecies of the ,resurrection of the
 ,witnesses1  and the ,depression of    
,antichrist3 ',till by their            
,accomplishment1 the  ,day dawn1 and the
 ,clouds begin to change their ,colour4 
,then we shall be  able to make a near  
,guess1 when the ,sun of ,righteousness 
will arise4    ,so much for ,prophecies4
 ,there are also ,signs1 which are      
look'd upon as  ,forerunners of the     
,coming of our ,saviour2 and1 therefore1
 may give us  some ,direction how to    
judge of the ,distance or ,approach of  
that great  ,day4 ,thus many of the     
,fathers thought the coming of          
,antichrist would  be a ,sign to give   
the ,world ,notice of its approaching   

,end4 ,but we may  easily see1 by what  
hath been noted before1 what it was that
 led the  ,fathers into that ,mistake4  
,they thought their six thousand ,years 
were  near an ,end1 as they truly were1 
according to that ,chronology they      
followed3 and therefore they concluded  
the ,reign of ,antichrist must be  very 
short1 whensoever he came1 and that he  
could not come long before  the ,end of 
the ,world4 ,but we are very well       
assur'd1 from the ,revelation  of ,saint
 ,john1 that the ,reign of ,antichrist  
is not to be so short and  transient2   
and from the ,prospect and ,history of  
,christendom1 that he  hath been already
 upon his ,throne many hundreds of      
,years4 ,therefore this  ,sign wholly   
falls to the ,ground2 unless you will   
take it from the ,fall  of ,antichrist1 
rather than from his first ,entrance4   
,others expect the  coming of ,elias1 to
 give ,warning of that ,day1 and prepare
 the ,way of  the ,lord4 ,i am very     
willing to admit that ,elias will come1 

according  to the ,sense of the ,prophet
 ,malachi1 ,chap4 iv4 #e1 #f4 but he    
will not  come with ,observation1 no    
more than he did in the ,person of ,john
 the  ,baptist2 ,he will not bear the   
,name of ,elias1 nor tell us he is the  
,man  that went to ,heaven in a fiery   
,chariot1 and is now come down again to 
give us ,warning of the last ,fire4 ,but
 some divine ,person may appear  before 
the second coming of our ,saviour1 as   
there did before his first  coming1 and 
by giving a new ,light and ,life to the 
,christian ,doctrine1  may dissipate the
 ,mists of ,error1 and abolish all those
 little  ,controversies amongst good    
,men1 and the ,divisions and            
,animosities that  spring from them3    
,enlarging their ,spirits by greater    
,discoveries1 and  uniting them all in  
the ,bonds of ,love and ,charity1 and in
 the common  ,study of ,truth and       
,perfection4 ,such an ,elias the        
,prophet seems to  point at2 and may he 
come1 and be the great ,peace-maker and 

,preparer of  the ,ways of the ,lord6   
,but at present1 we cannot from this    
,sign make any  ,judgment when the      
,world will end4    ,another ,sign      
preceding the ,end of the ,world1 is1   
,the ,conversion of the  ,jews2 and this
 is a wonderful ,sign indeed4 ,st4 ,paul
 seems expresly to  affirm it1 ,rom4 xi4
 #be1 #bf4 ,but it is differently       
understood1 either  of their ,conversion
 only1 or of their ,restoration to their
 own ,country1  ,liberties and          
,dominion4 ,the ,prophets bear hard upon
 this ,sense  sometimes1 as you may see 
in ,isaiah1 ,ezekiel1 ,hosea1 ,amos4    
,and  to the same purpose the antient   
,promise of ,moses is interpreted1      
,deut4 xxx4 ,yet this seems to be a     
thing very unconceivable3 ,unless we    
suppose the ten ,tribes to be still in  
some hidden ,corner of the ,world1  from
 whence they may be conducted again to  
their own ,country1 as once  out of     
gypt1 by a miraculous ,providence1 and  
establish'd there3  ,which1 being known1

 will give the ,alarm to all the other  
,jews1 in the  ,world1 and make an      
universal ,confluence to their old      
,home4 ,then our  ,saviour1 by an       
extraordinary ,appearance to them1 as   
once to ,st4 ,paul1  ,john xix4 #cg4 and
 by ,prophets1 ,apoc4 i4 #g4 ,mat4      
xxiii4 #ci4 rais'd  up amongst them for 
that purpose1 may convince them that he 
is the true  ,messiah1 and convert them 
to the ,christian ,faith2 which will be 
no  more strange1 than was the first    
,conversion of the ,gentile ,world4 ,but
  if we be content with a ,conversion of
 the ,jews1 without their  ,restoration2
 and of those two ,tribes only1 which   
are now dispersed  throughout the       
,christian ,world1 and other known      
,parts of the ,earth3 ,that  these      
should be converted to the ,christian   
,faith1 and incorporated into  the      
,christian ,commonwealth1 losing their  
,national ,character and  ,distinction3 
,if this1 ,i say1 will satisfy the      
,prophecies1 it is not a  ,thing very   

difficult to be conceived4 ,for when the
 ,world is reduc'd to a  better and     
purer ,state of ,christianity1 and that 
,idolatry1 in a great  measure remov'd1 
which gave the greatest ,scandal to the 
,jews1 they  will begin to have better  
,thoughts of our ,religion1 and be      
dispos'd to a  more ingenuous and       
unprejudic'd ,examination of their      
,prophecies  concerning the ,messiah3   
,god raising up ,men amongst them of    
divine and  enlarged ,spirits1 ,lovers  
of ,truth more than of any particular   
,sect or  ,opinion2 with ,light to      
discern it1 and ,courage to profess it4 
,lastly1 ,it  will be a cogent ,argument
 upon them1 to see the ,age of the      
,world so far  spent1 and no ,appearance
 yet1 of their long expected ,messiah4  
,so far  spent1 ,i say1 that there is no
 ,room left1 upon any ,computation      
whatsoever1 for the ,oeconomy of a      
,messiah yet to come4 ,this will make   
them reflect more carefully and         
impartially upon him whom the           

,christians  propose1 ,jesus of         
,nazareth1 whom their ,fathers          
,crucified at  ,jerusalem3 ,upon the    
,miracles he wrought in his ,life1 and  
after his  ,death2 and upon the         
wonderful ,propagation of his ,doctrine 
throughout the  ,world1 after his       
,ascension4 ,and lastly1 upon the       
,desolation of  ,jerusalem1 upon their  
own scattered and forlorn ,condition1   
foretold by  that ,prophet1 as a        
,judgment of ,god upon an ungrateful and
 wicked ,people4    ,this ,i have said  
to state the ,case of the ,conversion of
 the ,jews1  which will be a ,sign of   
the approaching ,reign of ,christ4 ,but1
 alas6 what  ,appearance is there of    
this ,conversion in our ,days8 or what  
,judgment can  we make from a ,sign that
 is not come to pass8 ',tis ineffectual 
as to us1  but may be of ,use to        
,posterity4 ,yet even to them it will   
not determine1  at what ,distance they  
are from the ,end of the ,world1 but be 
a ,mark only  that they are not far from

 it4 ,there will be ,signs also1 in     
those last  ,days1 in the ,heavens1 and 
in the ,earth1 and in the ,sea1         
,forerunners of  the ,conflagration2 as 
the ,obscuration of the ,sun and ,moon1 
,earthquakes1 ,roarings of the troubled 
,sea1 and such like ,disorders in  the  
natural ,world1 'tis true2 but these are
 the very ,pangs of ,death1 and  the    
,strugglings of ,nature just before her 
,dissolution1 and it will be  too late  
then to be aware of our ,ruin when it is
 at the ,door4 ,yet these  being ,signs 
or ,prodigies taken ,notice of by       
,scripture1 we intend1 ,god  willing1   
after we have explained the ,causes and 
,manner of the  ,conflagration1 to give 
an ,account also whence these unnatural 
,commotions will proceed1 that are the  
,beginnings or immediate  ,introductions
 to the last ,fire4    ,thus we have    
gone through the ,prophecies and ,signs 
that concern the last  ,day and the last
 ,fate of the ,world4 ,and how little   
have we learned from  them as to the    

,time of that great ,revolution8        
,prophecies rise sometimes  with an even
 gradual ,light1 as the ,day riseth upon
 the ,horizon3 and  sometimes break out 
suddenly like a ,fire1 and we are not   
aware of their  ,approach 'till we see  
them accomplish'd4 ,those that concern  
the ,end of  the ,world1 are of this    
latter ,sort1 to unobserving ,men2 but  
even to the  most observing1 there will 
still be a ,latitude2 we must not expect
 to  calculate the coming of our        
,saviour1 like an ,eclipse1 to ,minutes 
and  half ,minutes4 ,there are ,times   
and ,seasons which the ,father hath put 
in  his own ,power4 ,if it was design'd 
to keep these ,things secret1 we must   
not think to out-wit ,providence1 and   
from the ,prophecies that are given  us1
 pick out a ,discovery that was not     
intended we should ever make4 ,it  is   
determin'd in the ,councils of ,heaven  
just how far we shall know these        
,events beforehand1 and with what       
,degree of ,certainty3 ,and with this we

  must be content1 whatsoever it is4    
,the ,apocalypse of ,st4 ,john is the   
last ,prophetical ,declaration of the   
,will of ,god1 and contains the ,fate   
of the ,christian ,religion to the ,end 
of the ,world1 its ,purity1             
,degeneracy1 and ,reviviscency4 ,the    
,head of this ,degeneracy is call'd ,the
  ,beast1 the false ,prophet1 the ,whore
 of ,babylon1 in ,prophetical ,terms3   
,and in an ,ecclesiastical ,term is     
commonly call'd ,antichrist4 ,those     
that bear ,testimony against this       
,degeneracy1 are call'd the ,witnesses3 
,who1 after they have been a long ,time 
in a mean and persecuted  ,condition1   
are to have their ,resurrection and     
,ascension2 that is1 be  advanc'd to    
,power and ,authority4 ,and this        
,resurrection of the  ,witnesses1 and   
,depression of ,antichrist1 is that     
which will make the  great ,turn of the 
,world to ,righteousness1 and the great 
,crisis1 whereby  we may judge of its   
drawing to an ,end4 ',tis true1 there   

are other ,marks1  as the passing away  
of the second ,woe1 ,apoc4 c4 ix4 which 
is  commonly thought to be the ,ottoman 
,empire2 and the ,effusion of the       
,vials1 ,apoc4 c4 xvi4 ,the first of    
these will be indeed a very  conspicuous
 ,mark1 if it follow upon the           
,resurrection of the ,witnesses1  as by 
the ,prophecy it seems to do1 ch4 xi4   
#ad4 ,but as to the ,vials1  tho' they  
do plainly reach in a ,series to the    
,end of the ,world1 ,i am not  satisfied
 with any ,exposition ,i have yet met   
with1 concerning their  precise ,time or
 ,contents4    ,in a ,word1 though the  
,sum and general ,contents of a         
,prophecy be very  intelligible1 yet the
 ,application of it to ,time and        
,persons may be very  lubricous4 ,there 
must be ,obscurity in a ,prophecy1 as   
well as ,shadow in a  ,picture4 ,all its
 ,lines must not stand in a full ,light4
 ,for if ,prophecies  were open and     
barefac'd as to all their ,parts and    
,circumstances1 they  would check and   

obstruct the ,course of human ,affairs2 
and hinder1 if it  was possible1 their  
own ,accomplishment4 ,modesty and       
,sobriety are in all  ,things           
commendable1 but in nothing more than in
 the ,explication of these  sacred      
,mysteries2 and we have seen so many    
miscarry by a too close and  particular 
,application of them1 that we ought to  
dread the ,rock about  which we see so  
many ,shipwrecks4 ,he that does not err 
above a ,century1  in calculating the   
last ,period of ,time1 from what        
,evidence we have at  present1 hath1 in 
my ,opinion1 cast up his ,accounts very 
well4 ,but the  ,scenes will change fast
 towards the ,evening of this long ,day1
 and when  the ,sun is near setting1    
they will more easily compute how far he
 hath  to run4                          
,,chap4 ,,vi4               ,concerning 
the ,causes of the ,conflagration4      
,the ,difficulty of conceiving how this 
,earth can be set on ,fire4      ,with a
 general ,answer to that ,difficulty4   

,two suppos'd ,causes of the            
,conflagration1 by the ,sun's drawing   
nearer to the ,earth1 or the            
,earth's throwing out the central ,fire1
 examin'd and rejected4      ,we have   
now made our ,way clear to the principal
 ,point1 ,the ,causes of  the           
,conflagration3 ,how the ,heavens and   
the ,earth will be set on ,fire1  what  
,materials are prepared1 or what ,train 
of ,causes1 for that purpose4  ,the     
,antients1 who have kept us ,company    
pretty well thus far1 here quite  desert
 us3 they deal more in ,conclusions than
 ,causes1 as is usual in all            
,traditional ,learning4 ,and the        
,stoicks themselves1 who inculcate so   
much the ,doctrine of the               
,conflagration1 and make the ,strength  
of it  such1 as to dissolve the ,earth  
into a fiery ,chaos1 are yet very short 
and superficial in their ,explications1 
how this shall come to pass4 ,the       
latent ,seeds of ,fire1 they say1 shall 
every where be let loose1 and that      

,element will prevail over all the rest1
 and transform every ,thing into  its   
own ,nature4 ,but these are general     
,things1 that give little  ,satisfaction
 to inquisitive ,persons4 ,neither do   
the modern ,authors1 that  treat of the 
same ,subject1 relieve us in this       
,particular3 ,they are  willing to      
suppose the ,conflagration a superficial
 ,effect1 that so they  may excuse      
themselves the ,trouble of enquiring    
after ,causes4 ',tis no  doubt1 in a    
,sort supernatural2 and so the ,deluge  
was3 ,yet ,moses sets  down the ,causes 
of the ,deluge1 the ,rains from above1  
and the ,disruption  of the ,abyss4 ,so 
there must be ,treasures of ,fire       
provided against that  ,day1 by whose   
,eruption this second ,deluge will be   
brought upon the  ,earth4    ,to state  
the ,case fairly1 we must first         
represent the ,difficulty of  setting   
the ,earth on ,fire2 tye the ,knot1     
before we loose it2 that so we  may the 
better judge whether the ,causes that   

shall be brought into ,view1  may be    
sufficient to overcome so great         
,opposition4 ,the ,difficulty1 no       
doubt1 will be chiefly from the great   
,quantity of ,water that is about  our  
,globe2 whereby ,nature seems to have   
made ,provision against any  ,invasion  
by ,fire1 and secur'd us from that      
,enemy more than any other4 ,we  see    
half of the ,surface of the ,earth      
cover'd with the ,seas1 whose  ,channel 
is of a vast ,depth and ,capacity3      
,besides innumerable ,rivers1  great and
 small1 that water the ,face of the dry 
,land1 and drench it with  perpetual    
,moisture4 ,then within the ,bowels of  
the ,earth1 there are  ,store-,houses of
 subterraneous ,waters2 which are as a  
,reserve1 in case  the ,ocean and the   
,rivers should be overcome4 ,neither is 
,water our only  ,security1 for the hard
 ,rocks1 and stony ,mountains1 which no 
,fire can  bide upon1 are set in long   
,ranges upon the ,continents and        
,islands2 and  must needs give a ,stop  

to the ,progress of that furious ,enemy1
 in case he  should attack us4 ,lastly1 
the ,earth itself is not combustible in 
all its  ,parts4 ',tis not every ,soil  
that is fit ,fewel for the ,fire4 ,clay1
 and  ,mire1 and such like ,soils1 will 
rather choak and stifle it1 than help it
  on its ,way4 ,by these ,means one     
would think the ,body of the ,earth     
secur'd2 and though there may be partial
 ,fires1 or ,inundations of ,fire1  here
 and there1 in particular ,regions1 yet 
there cannot be an universal  ,fire     
throughout the ,earth4 ,at least1 one   
would hope for a safe ,retreat  towards 
the ,poles1 where there is nothing but  
,snow1 and ,ice1 and bitter  ,cold4     
,these ,regions sure are in no ,danger  
to be burnt1 whatsoever  becomes of the 
other ,climates of the ,earth4    ,this 
being the ,state and ,condition of the  
present ,earth1 one would not  imagine  
by these ,preparations1 'twas ever      
intended that it should perish  by an   
universal ,fire4 ,but such is often the 

,method of ,providence1 that  the       
exterior ,face of ,things looks one     
,way1 and the ,design lies another2     
'till at length1 touching a ,spring1 as 
it were1 at a certain ,time1 all  those 
,affairs change ,posture and ,aspect1   
and shew us which way  ,providence      
inclines4 ,we must therefore suppose1   
before the ,conflagration  begins1 there
 will be ,dispositions and ,preparatives
 suitable to so great  a ,work3 and all 
,antiquity1 sacred and prophane1 does so
 far concur with  us1 as to admit and   
suppose that a great ,drought will      
precede1 and an  extraordinary ,heat and
 ,dryness of the ,air1 to usher in this 
fiery ,doom4  ,and these being ,things  
which often happen in a ,course of      
,nature1 we  cannot disallow such easy  
,preparations1 when ,providence intends 
so great  a ,consequence4 ,the ,heavens 
will be shut up1 and the ,clouds yield  
no  ,rain2 and by this1 with an         
immoderate ,heat in the ,air1 the       
,springs of  ,water will become dry1 the

 ,earth chapp'd and parch'd1 and the    
,woods and  ,trees made ready ,fewel for
 the ,fire4 ,we have ,instances1 in     
,history1 that  there have been         
,droughts and ,heats of this ,nature1 to
 that ,degree1 that  the ,woods and     
,forests have taken ,fire1 and the      
outward ,turf and ,surface  of the      
,earth1 without any other ,cause than   
the ,dryness of the ,season1  and the   
,vehemency of the ,sun4 ,and1 which is  
more considerable1 the  ,springs and    
,fountains being dry'd up1 the greater  
,rivers have been  sensibly lessen'd1   
and the lesser quite empty'd1 and       
exhal'd4 ,these  ,things1 which happen  
frequently1 in particular ,countries and
 ,climates1  may1 at an appointed ,time1
 by the ,disposition of ,providence1 be 
more  universal throughout the ,earth2  
and have the same ,effects every where1 
that we see by ,experience they have had
 in certain ,places3 ,and by this       
,means1 we may conceive it as feasible  
to set the whole ,earth on ,fire in     

some little ,space of ,time1 as to burn 
up this1 or that ,country after a  great
 ,drought4 ,but ,i mean this1 with      
,exception still to the main ,body of   
the ,sea2 which will indeed receive a   
greater ,diminution from these  ,causes1
 than we easily imagine2 but the final  
,consumption of it will  depend upon    
other ,reasons1 whereof we must give an 
,account in the  following ,chapters4   
,as to the ,mountains and ,rocks1 their 
lofty ,heads will sink when the         
,earthquakes begin to roar1 at the      
,beginning of the ,conflagration2 as we 
shall see hereafter4 ,and as to the     
,earth itself1 'tis true there are      
several ,sorts of ,earth that are not   
proper ,fuel for ,fire2 but those       
,soils that are not so immediately1 as  
clayey ,soils1 and such like1 may1  by  
the ,strength of ,fire1 be converted    
into ,brick1 or ,stone1 or earthen      
,metal1 and so melted down and          
vitrified4 ,for1 in ,conclusion1 there  
is no  terrestrial ,body that does not  

finally yield to the ,force of ,fire1   
and  may either be converted into       
,flame1 incorporated ,fire1 or into a   
,liquor  more ardent than either of     
them4 ,lastly1 ,as to the ,polar        
,regions1 which  you think will be a    
safe ,retreat and inaccessible to the   
,fire2 'tis  true1 unless ,providence   
hath laid subterraneous ,treasures of   
,fire there  unknown to us1 those ,parts
 of the ,earth will be the last         
consum'd4 ,but  it is to be observ'd1   
that the ,cold of those ,regions        
proceeds from the  ,length of their     
,winter1 and their ,distance from the   
,sun when he is  beyond the quator2 and 
both these ,causes will be removed at   
the  ,conflagration4 ,for we suppose the
 ,earth will then return to its         
primitive ,situation1 which we have     
explain'd in the second ,book of this   
,theory1 chap4 iii4 and will have the   
,sun always in its quator2  whereby the 
several ,climates of the ,earth will    
have a perpetual ,equinox1  and those   

under the ,poles a perpetual ,day3 ,and 
therefore all the ,excess  of ,cold1 and
 all the ,consequences of it1 will soon 
be abated4 ,however1  the ,earth will   
not be burnt in one ,day1 and those     
,parts of the ,earth  being uninhabited1
 there is no ,inconvenience that they   
should be more  slowly consum'd than the
 rest4    ,this is a general ,answer to 
the ,difficulty propos'd about the      
,possibility of the ,conflagration2 and 
being general only1 the ,parts of  it   
must be more fully explain'd and        
confirm'd in the ,sequel of this        
,discourse4 ,we should now proceed      
directly to the ,causes of the          
,conflagration1 and shew in what manner 
they do this great ,execution upon      
,nature3 ,but to be just and impartial  
in this ,enquiry1 we ought first to     
separate the spurious and pretended     
,causes from those that are real and    
genuine2 to make no false ,musters1 nor 
any shew of being stronger than  we are2
 and if we can do our ,work with less   

,force1 it will be more to  our ,credit2
 as a ,victory is more honourable that  
is gain'd with fewer  ,men4    ,there   
are two grand capital ,causes which some
 ,authors make use of1 as  the chief    
,agents in this ,work1 the ,sun1 and the
 ,central ,fire4 ,these  two great      
,incendiaries1 they say1 will be let    
loose upon us at the  ,conflagration2   
the one drawing nearer to the ,earth1   
and the other  breaking out of its      
,bowels into these upper ,regions4      
,these are potent  ,causes indeed1 more 
than enough to destroy this ,earth1 if  
it was a  thousand ,times bigger than it
 is4 ,but for that very ,reason1 ,i     
suspect  they are not the true ,causes2 
for ,god and ,nature do not use to      
employ  unnecessary ,means to bring     
about their ,designs4 ,disproportion and
  ,over-sufficiency is one sort of false
 ,measures1 and 'tis a ,sign we do  not 
thoroughly understand our ,work1 when we
 put more ,strength to it than  the     
,thing requires4 ,men are forward to    

call in extraordinary ,powers1 to  rid  
their ,hands of a troublesome ,argument1
 and so make a short ,dispatch  to save 
themselves the ,pains of further        
,enquiries2 but as such ,methods  as    
these commonly have no ,proof1 so they  
give little ,satisfaction to an         
,inquisitive ,mind4 ,this ,supposition  
of burning the ,earth1 by the ,sun      
drawing nearer and nearer to it1 seems  
to be made in ,imitation of the  ,story 
of ,phaeton1 who driving the ,chariot of
 the ,sun with an unsteady  ,hand1 came 
so near the ,earth1 that he set it on   
,fire4 ,but however1 we  will not reject
 any ,pretensions without a fair ,trial3
 ,let us examine  therefore what        
,grounds they can have for either of    
these ,suppositions1  of the            
,approximation of the ,sun to the       
,earth1 or the ,eruption of the         
,central ,fire4    ,as to the ,sun1 ,i  
desire first to be satisfied in present 
,matter of ,fact3  ,whether by any      
,instrument or ,observation it hath or  

can be discover'd1  that the ,sun is    
nearer to the ,earth now1 than he was in
 former ,ages8 ,or1  ,if by any         
,reasoning or comparing ,calculations1  
such a ,conclusion can be  made8 ,if    
not1 this is but an imaginary ,cause1   
and as easily deny'd as  propos'd4      
,astronomers do very little agree in    
their ,opinions about the  ,distance of 
the ,sun3 ,ptolemy1 ,albategnius1       
,copernicus1 ,tycho1  ,kepler1 and      
others more modern1 differ all in their 
,calculations2 but  not in such a       
,manner or ,proportion1 as should make  
us believe that the  ,sun comes nearer  
to the ,earth1 but rather goes further  
from it4 ,for the  more modern of them  
make the ,distance greater than the more
 ancient do4  ,kepler says1 the         
,distance of the ,sun from the ,earth   
lies betwixt #gjj  and #bjjj            
,semidiameters of the ,earth3 ,but      
,ricciolus makes it betwixt  #gjj and   
#gjjj3 ,and ,gottefred ,wendelme hath   
taken #adfef ,semidiameters1  for a     

middle ,proportion of the ,sun's        
,distance2 to which ,kepler himself     
came very near in his later ,years4 ,so 
that you see how groundless our  ,fears 
are from the ,approaches of an ,enemy1  
that rather flies from us1 if  he change
 ,postures at all4 ,and we have more    
,reason to believe the ,report  of the  
modern ,astronomers1 than of the        
antient1 in this ,matter2 both  because 
the ,nature of the ,heavens and of the  
celestial ,bodies is now  better known1 
and also because they have found out    
better ,instruments  and better ,methods
 to make their ,observations4    ,if the
 ,sun and ,earth were come nearer to one
 another1 either the ,circle  of the    
,sun's diurnal ,arch would be less1 and 
so the ,day shorter2 or the  ,orbit of  
the ,earth's annual ,course would be    
less1 and so the ,year  shorter3        
,neither of which we have any           
,experience of4 ,and those that  suppose
 us in the ,centre of the ,world1 need  
not be afraid 'till they see  ,mercury  

and ,venus in a ,combustion1 for they   
lie betwixt us and  ,danger2 and the    
,sun cannot come so readily at us with  
his fiery ,darts1  as at them who stand 
in his ,way4 ,lastly1 this languishing  
,death1 by the  gradual ,approaches of  
the ,sun1 and that irreparable ,ruin of 
the ,earth1  which at last must follow  
from it1 do neither of them agree with  
that  ,idea of the ,conflagration1 which
 the ,scripture hath given us2 for it   
is to come suddenly and unexpectedly1   
and take us off like a ,violent  ,fever1
 not as a lingring ,consumption4 ,and   
the ,earth is also to be  destroyed by  
,fire1 as not to take away all ,hopes of
 a ,resurrection1 or  ,renovation3 ,for 
we are assur'd by ,scripture1 that there
 will be new  ,heavens and a new ,earth 
after these are burnt up4 ,but if the   
,sun should  come so near us1 as to make
 the ,heavens pass away with a ,noise1  
and  melt the ,elements with fervent    
,heat1 and destroy the ,form1 and all   
the  ,works of the ,earth1 what ,hopes  

or ,possibility would there be of a     
,renovation1 while the ,sun continu'd in
 this ,posture8 ,he would more and  more
 consume and prey upon the ,carcass of  
the ,earth1 and convert it at  length   
either into an ,heap of ,ashes1 or a    
,lump of vitrified ,metal4    ,so much  
for the ,sun4 ,as to the ,central ,fire1
 ,i am very well satisfied  it is no    
imaginary ,thing3 ,all ,antiquity hath  
preserv'd some sacred  ,monument of it3 
,the ,vestal ,fire of the ,romans1 which
 was so  religiously attended3 ,the     
,prytoneia of the ,greeks were to the   
same  purpose1 and dedicated to ,vesta3 
,and the ,pyretheia of the  ,persians1  
where ,fire was kept continually by the 
,magi4 ,these all1 in  my ,opinion1 had 
the same ,origin1 and the same          
,signification4 ,and tho' ,i  do not    
know any particular ,observation1 that  
does directly prove or  demonstrate that
 there is such a ,mass of ,fire in the  
middle of the  ,earth2 yet the best     
,accounts we have of the ,generation of 

a ,planet do  suppose it2 and 'tis      
agreeable to the whole ,oeconomy of     
,nature3 ,as a  ,fire in the ,heart1    
which gives ,life to her ,motions and   
,productions4 ,but1  however1 the       
,question is not at present1 about the  
,existence of this  ,fire1 but the      
,eruption of it1 and the ,effect of that
 ,eruption2 which  cannot be1 in my     
,judgment1 such a ,conflagration as     
describ'd in  ,scripture4    ,this      
,central ,fire must be enclos'd in a    
,shell of great ,strength and           
,firmness2 for being of itself the      
lightest1 and most active of all        
,bodies1 it would not be detained in the
 lowest ,prison without a strong  ,guard
 upon it4 ',tis true1 we can make no    
certain ,judgment of what  ,thickness   
this ,shell is2 but if we suppose this  
,fire to have a twentieth  ,part of the 
,semidiameter of the ,earth1 on either  
side the ,centre1 for  its ,sphere1     
which seems to be a fair ,allowance2    
there would still remain  nineteen      

,parts for our ,safeguard and ,security3
 ,and these nineteen ,parts  of the     
,semidiameter of the ,earth will make   
#cbfh ,miles1 for a  ,partition-,wall   
betwixt us and this ,central ,fire4 ,who
 would be afraid of  an ,enemy lock'd up
 in so strong a ,prison8 ,but you'll    
say1 it may be1  tho' the ,central      
,fire1 at the ,beginning of the ,world1 
might have no more  ,room or ,space than
 what is mention'd2 yet being of that   
,activity that it  is1 and corrosive    
,nature1 it may1 in the ,space of some  
thousands of  ,years1 have eaten deep   
into the ,sides of its ,prison2 and so  
come nearer  to the ,surface of the     
,earth by some hundreds or thousands of 
,miles1 than  it was at first4 ,this    
would be a material ,exception1 if it   
could be made  out4 ,but what ,phnomenon
 is there in ,nature that proves this8  
,how does  it appear by an ,observation1
 that the ,central ,fire gains ,ground  
upon us8  ,or is increased in ,quantity1
 or come nearer to the ,surface of the  

,earth8  ,i know nothing that can be    
offer'd in ,proof of this3 and if there 
be no  ,appearance of a ,change1 nor any
 sensible ,effect of it1 'tis an        
,argument  there is none1 or none       
considerable4 ,if the ,quantity of that 
,fire was  considerably increas'd1 it   
must needs1 besides other ,effects1 have
 made  the ,body of the ,earth          
considerably lighter4 ,the ,earth       
having1 by this  ,conversion of its own 
,substance into ,fire1 lost so much of  
its heaviest  ,matter1 and got so much  
of the lightest and most active ,element
 instead  of it3 and in both these      
respects1 its ,gravity would be         
manifestly  lessen'd4 ,which if it      
really was in any considerable ,degree1 
it would  discover it self by some      
,change1 either as to the ,motion of the
 ,earth1  or as to its ,place or        
,station in the ,heavens4 ,but there    
being no  external ,change observable1  
in this or any other respect1 'tis      
reasonable to presume that there is no  

considerable inward ,change1 or no      
great ,consumption of its inward ,parts 
and ,substance2 and consequently no     
great ,increase of the central ,fire4   
,but if we should admit both an         
,increase and ,eruption of this ,fire1  
it  would not have that ,effect which is
 pretended4 ,it might cause some        
,confusion and ,disorder in those ,parts
 of the ,earth where it broke out1  but 
it would not make an universal          
,conflagration1 such as is represented  
to us in ,scripture4 ,let us suppose the
 ,earth to be open1 or burst in any     
,place2 under the ,pole1 for ,instance1 
or under the quator2 and let it  gape as
 low as the ,central ,fire3 ,at this    
,chasm or ,rupture we suppose the  ,fire
 would gush out2 and what then would be 
the ,consequence of this when  it came  
to the ,surface of the ,earth8 ,it would
 either be dissipated and  lost in the  
,air1 or fly still higher towards the   
,heavens in a ,mass of  ,flame4 ,but    
what ,execution in the mean time would  

it do upon the ,body of  the ,earth8    
',tis but like a ,flash of ,lightning1  
or a ,flame issuing out of  a ,pit1 that
 dies presently4 ,besides1 this ,central
 ,fire is of that  ,subtilty and        
,tenuity1 that it is not able to inflame
 gross ,bodies3 no  more than those     
,meteors we call ,lambent ,fires1       
inflame the ,bodies to  which they      
stick4 ,lastly1 in explaining the       
,manner of the ,conflagration1  we must 
have regard principally to ,scripture2  
for the ,explications given  there are  
more to the purpose1 than all that the  
,philosophers have said  upon that      
,subject4 ,now1 as we noted before1 'tis
 manifest in ,scripture1  that after the
 ,conflagration1 there will be a        
,restauration1 new  ,heavens1 and a new 
,earth4 ',tis the express ,doctrine of  
,st4 ,peter1  besides other ,prophets3  
,we must therefore suppose the ,earth   
reduc'd to  such a ,chaos by this last  
,fire1 as will lay the ,foundation of a 
new  ,world1 #b ,pet4 iii4 #ab1 #ac4    

,which can never be1 if the inward      
,frame of  it be broke1 the ,central    
,fire exhausted1 and the exterior       
,region suck'd  into those central      
,vacuities4 ,this must needs make it    
lose its former  ,poise and ,libration1 
and it will thereupon be thrown into    
some other  ,part of the ,universe1 as  
the useless ,shell of a broken ,granado1
 or as a  dead ,carcass1 and            
unprofitable ,matter4    ,these ,reasons
 may be sufficient why we should not    
depend upon those  pretended ,causes of 
the ,conflagration1 the ,sun's ,advance 
towards the  ,earth1 or such a ,rupture 
of the ,earth as will let out the       
,central ,fire4  ,these ,causes1 ,i     
hope1 will appear superfluous1 when we  
shall have given  an ,account of the    
,conflagration without them4 ,but young 
,philosophers1  like young ,soldiers1   
think they are never sufficiently armed2
 and often  take more ,weapons1 than    
they can make use of1 when they come to 
fight4  ,not that we altogether reject  

the ,influence of the ,sun1 or of the   
,central ,fire2 especially the latter3  
,for in that great ,estuation of        
,nature1 the ,body of the ,earth will be
 much open'd and relaxated2 and  when   
the ,pores are enlarg'd1 the ,steams of 
that ,fire will sweat out more          
plentifully into all its ,parts2 but    
still without any ,rupture in the       
,vessels1 or in the ,skin4 ,and whereas 
these ,authors suppose the very  ,veins 
to burst1 and the vital ,blood to gush  
out1 as at open ,flood-,gates1  we only 
allow a more copious ,perspiration1 and 
think that sufficient for  all ,purposes
 in this ,case4                         
,,chap4 ,,vii4          ,the true       
,bounds of the last ,fire1 and how far  
it is fatal4 ,the      natural ,causes  
and ,materials of it1 cast into three   
,ranks3 ,first1      ,such as are       
exterior and visible upon the ,earth2   
where the ,vulcano's      of the ,earth1
 and their ,effects1 are consider'd4    
,secondly1 ,such      ,materials as are 

within the ,earth4 ,thirdly1 ,such as   
are in the ,air4      ,as we have1 in   
the preceding ,chapter1 laid aside those
 ,causes of the  ,conflagration which we
 thought too great and cumbersome2 so   
now we must1  in like manner1 examine   
the ,effect1 and reduce that to its just
 ,measures  and ,proportions1 that there
 may be nothing left superfluous on     
either  side2 then1 by comparing the    
real ,powers with the ,work they are to 
do1  both being stated within their due 
,bounds1 we may the better judge how    
they are proportion'd to one another4   
,we noted before1 that the              
,conflagration had nothing to do with   
the  ,stars1 and superior ,heavens1 but 
was wholly confin'd to this sublunary   
,world4 ,and this ,deluge of ,fire will 
have much what the same ,bounds1 that   
the ,deluge of ,water had formerly4     
,this is according to ,st4 ,peter's     
,doctrine1 for he makes the same ,parts 
of the ,universe to be the ,subject  of 
both3 ,namely1 the inferior ,heavens and

 the ,earth1 #b ,pet4 iii4 #e1 #f4  ,the
 ,heavens and the ,earth which were     
then1 perish'd in a ,deluge of  ,water3 
ver4 #g4 ,but the ,heavens and the      
,earth that are now1 are  reserv'd to   
,fire4 ,the present ,heavens and ,earth 
are substituted in the  ,place of those 
that perish'd at the ,deluge1 and these 
are to be over-run  and destroy'd by    
,fire1 as those were by ,water4 ,so that
 the ,apostle takes  the same ,regions1 
and the same ,space and ,compass for the
 one1 as for the  other1 and makes their
 ,fate different according to their     
different  ,constitution1 and the       
different ,order of ,providence4 ,this  
is the ,sense  ,st4 ,austin gives us of 
the ,apostle's ,words1 and these are the
 ,bounds  he sets to the last ,fire2    
whereof a modern ,commentator is so well
  assur'd1 that he says1 ,estius in loc4
 ,they neither understand ,divinity1    
nor ,philosophy1 that would make the    
,conflagration reach above the          
elementary ,heavens4    ,let these be   

then its ,limits upwards1 the ,clouds1  
,air1 and ,atmosphere of  the ,earth4   
,but the ,question seems more doubtful1 
,how far it will  extend downwards1 into
 the ,bowels of the ,earth8 ,i answer   
still1 to the  same ,depth that the     
,waters of the ,deluge reach'd3 ,to the 
lowest ,abysses1  and the deepest       
,caverns within the ,ground4 ,and seeing
 no ,caverns are  deeper or lower1 at   
least according to our ,theory1 than the
 ,bottom of  the great ,ocean1 to that  
,depth1 ,i suppose1 the ,rage of this   
,fire will  penetrate1 and devour all   
before it4 ,and therefore we must not   
imagine1  that only the outward ,turf   
and habitable ,surface of the ,earth    
will be  put into a ,flame and laid     
waste3 the whole exterior ,region of the
 ,earth1  to the ,depth of the deepest  
,part of the ,sea1 will suffer in this  
,fire2  and suffer to that ,degree1 as  
to be melted down1 and the ,frame of it 
dissolv'd4 ,for we are not to conceive  
that the ,earth will be only  scorcht or

 charkt in the last ,fire1 there will be
 a ,sort of ,liquefaction  and          
,dissolution2 ,rev4 xv4 #b4 #b ,pet4    
iii4 #aj4 ,psal4 xcvii4 #e4 it  will    
become a molten ,sea mingled with ,fire1
 according to the  ,expression of       
,scripture4 ,and this ,dissolution may  
reasonably be suppos'd  to reach as low 
as the ,earth hath any ,hollownesses1 or
 can give vent to  ,smoak and ,flame4   
,wherefore1 taking these for the ,bounds
 and ,limits of the last great  ,fire1  
the next ,thing to be enquired into1 are
 the ,natural ,causes of  it3 ,how this 
strange ,fate will seize upon the       
sublunary ,world1 and with  an          
irresistible ,fury subdue all ,things to
 it self4 ,but when ,i say  ,natural    
,causes1 ,i would not be so understood1 
as if ,i thought the  ,conflagration was
 a pure ,natural ,fatality1 as the      
,stoicks seem to  do4 ,no1 'tis a mix'd 
,fatality2 the ,causes indeed are       
,natural1 but the  ,administration of   
them is from an higher ,hand4 ,fire is  

the ,instrument1  or the executive      
,power1 and hath no more ,force given it
 than what it  hath naturally2 but the  
,concurrence of these ,causes1 or of    
these fiery  ,powers1 at such a ,time1  
and in such a ,manner1 and the ,conduct 
of them to  carry on and complete the   
whole ,work without ,cessation or       
,interruption1  that ,i look upon as    
more than what material ,nature could   
effect of  itself1 or than could be     
brought to pass by such a ,government of
 ,matter1  as is the bare ,result of its
 own ,laws and ,determinations4 ,when a 
,ship  falls gently before the ,wind1   
the ,mariners may stand idle2 but to    
guide  her in a ,storm1 all ,hands must 
be at ,work4 ,there are ,rules and      
,measures  to be observ'd1 even in these
 ,tumults and ,desolations of ,nature1  
in  destroying a ,world1 as well as in  
making one1 and1 therefore1 in both it  
is reasonable to suppose a more than    
ordinary ,providence to superintend  the
 ,work4 ,let us not1 therefore1 be too  

positive or presumptuous in our         
,conjectures about these ,things2 for if
 there be an invisible ,hand1  ,divine  
or ,angelical1 that touches the ,springs
 and ,wheels2 it will not be  easy for  
us to determine1 with ,certainty1 the   
,order of their ,motions4  ,however1    
'tis our ,duty to search into the ,ways 
and ,works of ,god1 as far  as we can3  
,and we may1 without ,offence1 look into
 the ,magazines of  ,nature2 see what   
,provisions are made1 and what          
,preparations for this  great ,day2 and 
in what ,method 'tis most likely the    
,design will be  executed4    ,but      
before we proceed to mark out ,materials
 for this ,fire1 give me leave  to      
observe one ,condition or ,property in  
the ,form of this present ,earth1  that 
makes it capable of ,inflammation4 ',tis
 the ,manner of its  ,construction1 in  
an hollow cavernous ,form3 ,by reason   
whereof1 containing  much ,air in its   
,cavities1 and having many ,inlets and  
,outlets1 'tis in  most ,places capable 

of ,ventilation1 pervious and passable  
to the ,winds1  and consequently to the 
,fire4 ,those that have read the former 
,part of  this ,theory1 ,book #a4 ch4   
#f1 #g4 know how the ,earth came into   
this  hollow and broken ,form2 from what
 ,causes and at what ,time2 namely1 at  
the universal ,deluge2 when there was a 
,disruption of the exterior ,earth  that
 fell into the ,abyss1 and so1 for a    
,time was overflow'd with ,water4       
,these ,ruins1 recover'd from the       
,water1 we inhabit1 and these ,ruins1   
only  will be burnt up2 for being not   
only unequal in their ,surface1 but also
  hollow1 loose1 and incompact within1  
as ,ruins use to be1 they are made      
thereby capable of a second ,fate1 by   
,inflammation4 ,thereby1 ,i say1  they  
are made combustible2 for if the        
exterior ,regions of this ,earth  were  
as close and compact in all their       
,parts1 as we have ,reason to  believe  
the interior ,regions of it to be1 the  
,fire could have little  ,power over it1

 nor ever reduce it to such a ,state as 
is requir'd in a  compleat              
,conflagration1 such as ours is to be4  
,this being admitted1 that the exterior 
,region of the ,earth stands  hollow1 as
 a well set ,fire1 to receive ,air      
freely into its ,parts1 and  hath       
,issues for ,smoke and ,flame3 ,it      
remains to enquire1 what ,fuel or       
,materials ,nature hath fitted to kindle
 this ,pile1 and to continue it on      
,fire 'till it be consum'd2 or1 in plain
 ,words1 what are the natural  ,causes  
and ,preparatives for a ,conflagration4 
,the first and most obvious             
,preparations that we see in ,nature for
 this ,effect1 are the burning          
,mountains1 or ,volcano's of the ,earth4
 ,these are lesser ,essays or  ,preludes
 to the general ,fire3 set on purpose by
 ,providence to keep us  awake1 and to  
mind us continually1 and forewarn us of 
what we are to  expect at last4 ,the    
,earth1 you see1 is already kindled1    
blow but the  ,coal1 and propagate the  

,fire1 and the ,work will go on1 ,isa4  
xxx4 #cc4  ,tophet is prepared of old2  
and when the ,day of ,doom is come1 and 
the  ,date of the ,world expir'd1 the   
,breath of the ,lord shall make it burn4
    ,but besides these burning          
,mountains1 there are ,lakes of ,pitch  
and  ,brimstone1 and oily ,liquors      
dispers'd in several ,parts of the      
,earth4  ,these are to enrage the ,fire 
as it goes1 and to fortify it against   
any  ,resistance or ,opposition4 ,then  
all the vegetable ,productions upon the 
,surface of the ,earth1 as ,trees1      
,shrubs1 ,grass1 ,corn1 and such like2  
every thing that grows out of the       
,ground1 is ,fewel for the ,fire2 and   
tho' they are now accommodated to our   
,use and ,service1 they will then  turn 
all against us2 and with a mighty       
,blaze1 and rapid ,course1 make a       
,devastation of the outward ,furniture  
of the ,earth1 whether natural or       
artificial4 ,but these ,things deserve  
some further ,consideration1  especially

 that strange ,phnomenon of the         
,volcano's or burning  ,mountains1 which
 we will now consider more particularly4
    ,there is nothing certainly more    
terrible in all ,nature than fiery      
,mountains to those that live within the
 ,view or ,noise of them2 but it is  not
 easy for us1 who never see them1 nor   
heard them1 to represent them  to       
ourselves with such just and lively     
,imaginations as shall excite in  us the
 same ,passions1 and the same ,horror as
 they would excite1 if  present to our  
,senses4 ,the ,time of their ,eruption1 
and of their ,raging1  is1 of all       
others1 the most dreadful2 but1 many    
times1 before their  ,eruption1 the     
,symptoms of an approaching ,fit are    
very frightful to the  ,people4 ,the    
,mountain begins to roar and bellow in  
its hollow ,caverns2  cries out1 as it  
were1 in ,pain to be deliver'd of some  
,burthen too heavy  to be born1 and too 
big to be easily discharged4 ,the ,earth
 shakes and  trembles1 in ,apprehension 

of the ,pangs and ,convulsions that are 
coming  upon her2 and the ,sun often    
hides his ,head1 or appears with a      
discolour'd ,face1 pale1 or dusky1 or   
bloody1 as if all ,nature was to  suffer
 in this ,agony4 ,after these           
,forerunners or ,symptoms of an         
,eruption1 the wide ,jaws of the        
,mountain open3 ,and first1 ,clouds of  
,smoke  issue out1 then ,flames of      
,fire1 and after that a ,mixture of all 
,sorts of  burning ,matter2 red hot     
,stones1 ,lumps of ,metal1              
half-dissolv'd ,minerals1  with ,coals  
and fiery ,ashes4 ,these fall in thick  
,showers round about the  ,mountain1 and
 in all adjacent ,parts2 and not only   
so1 but are carried1  partly by the     
,force of the ,expulsion1 and partly by 
the ,winds when they  are aloft in the  
,air1 into far distant ,countries4 ,as  
from ,italy to  ,constantinople1 and    
cross the ,mediterranean ,sea into      
,africk2 as  the best ,historians1      
,procopius1 ,ammianus ,marcellinus1 and 

,dion  ,cassius1 have attested4         
,these ,vulcano's are planted in several
 ,regions of the ,earth1 and in both    
,continents1 this of ours1 and the other
 of ,america4 ,for by ,report of  those 
that have view'd that new-found ,world1 
there are many ,mountains in  it that   
belch out ,smoke and ,fire2 some        
constantly1 and others by ,fits1  and   
,intervals4 ,in our ,continent1         
,providence hath variously dispers'd    
them1 without any ,rule known to us2 but
 they are generally in ,islands1  or    
near the ,sea4 ,in the ,asiatick        
,oriental ,islands they are in great    
,abundance1 and ,historians tell us of a
 ,mountain in the ,island ,java1  that  
in the ,year #aehf1 at one ,eruption1   
kill'd ten thousand ,people in  the     
neighbouring ,cities and ,country3 ,but 
we do not know so well the  ,history of 
those remote ,vulcano's1 as of such as  
are in ,europe and  nearer ,home4 ,in   
,iseland1 tho' it lie within the polar  
,circle1 and is  scarce habitable by    

reason of the ,extremity of ,cold1 and  
abundance of  ,ice and ,snow1 yet there 
are three burning ,mountains in that    
,island2  whereof the chief and most    
remarkable is ,hecla4 ,this hath its    
,head  always cover'd with ,snow1 and   
its ,belly always fill'd with ,fire2 and
  these are both so strong in their     
kind1 and equally powerful1 that they   
cannot destroy one another4 ,it is said 
to cast out1 when it rages1  besides    
,earth1 ,stones1 and ,ashes1 a ,sort of 
flaming ,water2 as if all               
,contrarieties were to meet in this     
,mountain1 to make it the more perfect  
,resemblance of ,hell1 as the credulous 
,inhabitants fancy it to be4    ,but    
there are no ,vulcano's1 in my ,opinion1
 that deserve our ,observation  so much1
 as those that are in and about the     
,mediterranean ,sea2 ,there  is a ,knot 
of them1 called the ,vulcanian ,islands1
 from their fiery  ,eruptions1 as if    
they were the ,forges of ,vulcan2 as    
,strombolo1  ,lapara1 and others1 which 

are not so remarkable now1 as they have 
been  formerly4 ,however1 without       
dispute1 there are none in the          
,christian  ,world to be compared with  
tna and ,vesuvius2 one in the ,island of
  ,sicily1 and the other in ,campania1  
overlooking the ,port and ,city of      
,naples4 ,these two1 from all ,memory of
 ,man1 and the most antient  ,records of
 ,history1 have been fam'd for the      
,treasures of subterraneous  ,fires1    
which are not yet exhausted1 nor        
diminsh'd1 so far as is  perceivable2   
for they rage still1 upon ,occasion1    
with as much ,fierceness  and ,violence1
 as they ever did in former ,ages2 as if
 they had a  continual ,supply to answer
 their ,expences1 and were to stand till
 the  last ,fire1 as a ,type and        
,prefiguration of it1 throughout all    
,generations4    ,let us therefore take 
these two ,volcano's as a ,pattern for  
the rest2  seeing they are well known1  
and stand in the ,heart of the          
,christian  ,world1 where1 'tis likely1 

the last ,fire will make its first      
,assault4  tna1 of the two1 is more     
spoken of by the ,antients1 both ,poets 
and  ,historians2 and we should scarce  
give ,credit to their ,relations        
concerning it1 if some later ,eruptions 
did not equal1 or exceed the ,fame  of  
all that have been reported from former 
,ages3 ,that it heated the  ,waters of  
the ,sea1 and cover'd them over with    
,ashes2 crack'd1 or  dissolv'd the      
neighbouring ,rocks2 darken'd the ,sun  
and the ,air2 and cast  out1 not only   
mighty ,streams of ,flame1 but a ,flood 
of melted ,ore1 and  other ,materials3  
,these ,things we can now believe1      
having had ,experience  of greater1 or  
and ,account of them from such1 as have 
been ,eye-,witnesses  of these ,fires1  
or of the fresh ,ruins and sad ,effects 
of them4    ,there are two ,things      
especially1 in these ,eruptions of tna1 
that are  most prodigious in themselves1
 and most remarkable for our ,purpose3  
,the  ,rivers of fiery ,matter that     

break out of its ,bowels1 or are spew'd 
out  of its ,mouth2 and the vast burning
 ,stones which it flings into the ,air1 
at a strange ,height and ,distance4 ,as 
to these fiery ,rivers1 or ,torrents1   
and the ,matter whereof they are        
compounded1 we have a full ,account of  
them by ,alphonsus ,borellus1 a learned 
,mathematician at ,pisa2 who1  after the
 last great ,eruption on the ,year      
#affi1 went into ,sicily1  while the    
,fact was fresh1 to view and survey what
 tna had done or  suffer'd2 and he says1
 the ,quantity of ,matter thrown out of 
the ,mountain  at that ,time1 upon      
,survey1 amounted to ninety three       
,millions1 eight  ,hundred thirty eight 
,thousand1 seven ,hundred and fifty     
cubical ,paces4 ,so  that if it had been
 extended in ,length upon the ,surface  
of the ,earth1 it  would reach further  
than ninety three ,millions of ,paces2  
which is more  than four times the      
,circumference of the whole ,earth1     
taking a thousand  ,paces to a ,mile4   

,this is strange to our ,imagination1   
and almost  incredible1 that one        
,mountain should throw out so much fiery
 ,matter1  besides all the ,ashes that  
were disperst through the ,air1 far and 
near1  and could be brought to no       
,account4    ',tis true1 all this       
,matter was not actually inflam'd or    
liquid ,fire2 but  the rest1 that was   
,sand1 ,stone1 and ,gravel1 might have  
run into ,glass1  or some melted ,liquor
 like to it1 if it had not been thrown  
out before  the ,heat fully reach'd it3 
,however1 sixty ,million ,paces of this 
,matter1  as the same ,author computes1 
were liquid ,fire1 or came out of the   
,mouth  of the ,pit in that ,form2 this 
made a ,river of ,fire1 sometimes two   
,miles  broad1 according to his         
,computation2 but1 according to the     
,observation  of others who also viewed 
it1 the ,torrent of ,fire was six or    
seven ,miles  broad1 and sometimes ten  
or fifteen ,fathoms deep2 and forc'd its
 ,way  into the ,sea near a ,mile1      

preserving it self alive in the midst of
 the  ,waters4    ,this is beyond all   
the infernal ,lakes and ,rivers         
,acheron1 ,phlegeton1  ,cocytus2 all    
that the ,poets have talk'd of3 ,their  
greatest ,fictions  about ,hell have not
 come up to the ,reality of one of our  
burning  ,mountains upon ,earth4        
,imagine then1 all our ,volcano's raging
 at once  in this manner----,but ,i will
 not pursue that ,supposition yet3 ,give
 me  leave only to add here1 what ,i    
mentioned in the second ,place1 the vast
  ,burning ,stones which this ,mountain1
 in the time of its ,rage and  stuation1
 threw into the ,air with an incredible 
,force4 ,this same ,author  tells us of 
a ,stone fifteen ,foot long1 that was   
flung out of the ,mouth  of the ,pit1 to
 a ,mile's ,distance2 and when it fell1 
it came from such an  ,height1 and with 
such a ,violence1 that it buried it self
 in the ,ground  eight ,foot deep4 ,what
 ,trifles are our ,mortar-,pieces and   
,bombs1 when  compared with these       

,engines of ,nature8 ,when she flings1  
out of the wide  ,throat of a ,volcano1 
a broken ,rock1 and twirls it in the    
,air like a  little ,bullet2 then lets  
it fall1 to do ,execution here below1 as
  ,providence shall point and direct it6
 ,it would be hard to give an  ,account1
 how so great an ,impulse can be given  
to a ,body so ponderous3  ,but there's  
no disputing against ,matter of ,fact2  
and as the ,thoughts of  ,god are not   
like our ,thoughts1 so neither are his  
,works like our ,works4    ,thus much   
for tna4 ,let us now give an ,instance  
in ,vesuvius1 another  burning ,mountain
 upon the ,coast of the ,mediterranean1 
which hath as  frequent ,eruptions1 and 
some as terrible as those of tna4 ,lib4 
#ff4  ,dion4 ,cassius 7one of the best  
,writers of the ,roman ,history7 hath   
given us an ,account of one that        
happened in the ,time of ,titus         
,vespasian2 and tho' he hath not set    
down ,particulars1 as the former        
,author did1 of the ,quantity of fiery  

,matter thrown out at that ,time3 yet   
supposing that proportionable to its    
,fierceness in other ,respects1 this    
seems to me as dreadful an ,eruption as 
any we read of2 and was  accompanied    
with such ,prodigies and ,commotions in 
the ,heavens and the  ,earth1 as made it
 look like the ,beginning of the last   
,conflagration4 ,as  a ,prelude to this 
,tragedy1 he says1 there were strange   
,sights in the  ,air1 and after that    
followed an extraordinary ,drought3     
,then the ,earth  begun to tremble and  
quake2 and the ,concussions were so     
great1 that the  ,ground seem'd to rise 
and boil up in some ,places1 and in     
others the ,tops  of the ,mountains sunk
 in1 or tumbled down3 ,at the same ,time
 were great  ,noises and ,sounds heard2 
some were subterraneous1 like ,thunder  
within  the ,earth2 others above        
,ground1 like ,groans or ,bellowings4   
,the ,sea  roared1 the ,heavens ratled  
with a fearful ,noise1 and then came a  
sudden  and mighty ,crack1 as if the    

,frame of ,nature had broke1 or all the 
,mountains of the ,earth had fallen down
 at once4 ,at length ,vesuvius  burst1  
and threw out of its ,womb1 first1 huge 
,stones1 then a vast  ,quantity of ,fire
 and ,smoke1 so as the ,air was all     
darkned1 and the ,sun  was hid1 as if he
 had been under a great ,eclipse4 ,the  
,day was turn'd  into ,night1 and ,light
 into ,darkness2 and the frighted       
,people thought the  ,giants were making
 ,war against ,heaven1 and fansied they 
saw the ,shapes  and ,images of ,giants 
in the ,smoke1 and heard the ,sound of  
their  ,trumpets3 ,others thought1 the  
,world was returning to its first       
,chaos1 or  going to be all consumed    
with ,fire4 ,in this general ,confusion 
and  ,consternation1 they knew not where
 to be safe2 some run out of the        
,fields into the ,houses1 others out of 
the ,houses into the ,fields2 those     
that were at ,sea hastened to ,land1 and
 those that were at ,land  endeavoured  
to get to ,sea2 still thinking every    

,place safer than that  where they were4
 ,besides grosser ,lumps of ,matter1    
there was thrown out  of the ,mountain  
such a prodigious ,quantity of ,ashes1  
as cover'd the ,land  and ,sea1 and     
filled the ,air1 so as besides other    
,damages1 the ,birds1  ,beasts and      
,fishes1 with ,men1 ,women1 and         
,children were destroy'd1 within  such a
 ,compass2 and two entire ,cities1      
,herculanium and ,pompeios1 were        
overwhelm'd with a ,shower of ,ashes1 as
 the ,people were sitting in the        
,theatre4 ,nay1 these ,ashes were       
carried1 by the ,winds1 over the        
,mediterranean into ,africk1 and into   
gypt and ,syria4 ,and at ,rome they     
choak'd the ,air on a sudden1 so as to  
hide the ,face of the ,sun2  ,whereupon 
the ,people not knowing the ,cause1 as  
not having yet got the  ,news from      
,campania1 of the ,eruption of          
,vesuvius1 could not imagine what  the  
,reason should be2 but thought the      
,heavens and the ,earth were coming     

together1 the ,sun coming down1 and the 
,earth going to take its ,place  above4 
,thus far the ,historian4    ,you see   
what ,disorders in ,nature1 and what an 
,alarum1 the ,eruption of  one fiery    
,mountain is capable to make4 ,these    
,things1 no doubt1 would  have made     
strong ,impressions upon us1 if we had  
been ,eye-,witnesses of  them2 but ,i   
know1 ,representations made from dead   
,history1 and at a  ,distance1 though   
the ,testimony be never so credible1    
have a much less  ,effect upon us1 than 
what we see ourselves1 and what our     
,senses  immediately inform us of4 ,i   
have only given you an ,account of two  
,volcano's1 and of a single ,eruption in
 either of them3 ,these ,mountains  are 
not very far distant from one another2  
let us suppose two such  ,eruptions1 as 
,i have mentioned1 to happen at the same
 ,time1 and both  these ,mountains to be
 raging at once in this ,manner2 by that
 ,violence  you have seen in each of    
them singly1 you will easily imagine    

what  ,terror and ,desolation they would
 carry round about1 by a ,conjunction of
  their ,fury1 and all their ,effects1  
in the ,air1 and on the ,earth4 ,then1  
if to these two you should join two     
more1 the ,sphere of their ,activity    
would still be enlarged1 and the ,scenes
 become more dreadful4 ,but to  compleat
 the ,supposition1 let us imagine all   
the ,volcano's of the whole  ,earth to  
be prepar'd1 and set to a certain ,time2
 which ,time being come1  and a ,signal 
given by ,providence1 all these ,mines  
begin to play at once2  ,i mean1 all    
these fiery ,mountains burst out1 and   
discharge themselves in  ,flames of     
,fire1 tear up the ,roots of the ,earth1
 throw hot burning  ,stones1 send out   
,streams of flowing ,metals and         
,minerals1 and all other  ,sorts of     
ardent ,matter1 which ,nature hath      
lodg'd in those ,treasuries3 ,if  all   
these ,engines1 ,i say1 were to play at 
once1 the ,heavens and the  ,earth would
 seem to be in a ,flame1 and the ,world 

in an universal  ,combustion4 ,but we   
may reasonably presume1 that against    
that great ,day  of ,vengeance and      
,execution1 not only all these will be  
employ'd1 but  also new ,volcano's will 
be opened1 and new ,mountains in every  
,region  will break out into ,smoke and 
,flame2 just as at the ,deluge1 the     
,abyss  broke out from the ,womb of the 
,earth1 and from those hidden ,stores   
sent  an immense ,quantity of ,water1   
which1 it may be the ,inhabitants of    
that  ,world never thought of before3   
,so we must expect new ,eruptions1 and  
also  new sulphureous ,lakes1 and       
,fountains of ,oyl1 to boyl out of the  
,ground3  and these1 all united with    
that ,fewel that naturally grows upon   
the  ,surface of the ,earth1 will be    
sufficient to give the first ,onset1 and
 to  lay waste all the habitable ,world1
 and the ,furniture of it4    ,but we   
suppose the ,conflagration will go      
lower1 pierce under ,ground1 and        
dissolve the ,substance of the ,earth to

 some considerable ,depth3  ,therefore1 
besides these outward and visible       
,preparations1 we must  consider all the
 hidden invisible ,materials within the 
,veins of the  ,earth2 ,such are all    
,minerals1 or mineral ,juices and       
,concretions that are  igniferous1 or   
capable of ,inflammation2 and these     
cannot easily be  reckoned up1 or       
estimated2 some of the most common are  
,sulphur1 and all  sulphureous ,bodies1 
and ,earths impregnated with ,sulphur1  
,bitumen1 and  bituminous ,concretions2 
inflammable ,salts1 ,coal and other     
,fossils that  are ardent2 with         
innumerable ,mixtures and ,compositions 
of these ,kinds1  which1 being open'd by
 ,heat1 are unctuous and inflammable1 or
 by  ,attrition discover the latent     
,seeds of ,fire4 ,but besides consistent
  ,bodies1 there is also much volatile  
,fire within the ,earth1 in ,fumes1     
,steams1 and ,exudations1 which will all
 contribute to this ,effect4 ,from      
these ,stores under ,ground1 all ,plants

 and ,vegetables are fed and  supplied1 
as to their oily and sulphureous ,parts1
 and all hot ,waters in  ,baths or      
,fountains1 must have their ,original   
from some of these1 some  ,mixture or   
,participation of them2 and as to the   
,british ,soil1 there is  so much ,coal 
incorporated with it1 that when the     
,earth shall burn1 we  have ,reason to  
apprehend no small ,danger from that    
subterraneous ,enemy4    ,these         
,dispositions1 and this ,fewel we find1 
in and upon the ,earth1  towards the    
last ,fire4 ,the third ,sort of         
,provision is in the ,air2 all  fiery   
,meteors and ,exhalations engender'd and
 form'd in those ,regions  above1 and   
discharg'd upon the ,earth in several   
,ways4 ,i believe there  were no fiery  
,meteors in the antedeluvian ,heavens2  
which therefore ,saint  ,peter says1    
were constituted of ,water1 had nothing 
in them but what  was watery2 but he    
says the ,heavens that are now1 have    
,treasures of  ,fire1 or are reserv'd   

for ,fire1 as ,things laid up in a      
,store-,house for  that ,purpose4 ,we   
have ,thunder and ,lightning1 and fiery 
,tempests1 and  there is nothing more   
vehement1 impetuous1 and irresistible1  
where their  ,force is directed4 ,it    
seems to me very remarkable1 that the   
,holy ,writers  describe the ,coming of 
the ,lord1 and the ,destruction of the  
,wicked1 in  the ,nature of a ,tempest1 
or a ,storm of ,fire1 ,psalm xi4 #f4    
,upon the  ,wicked the ,lord shall rain 
,coals1 ,fire and ,brimstone1 and a     
burning  ,tempest2 this shall be the    
,portion of their ,cup4 ,and in the     
lofty ,song  of ,david1 ,psal4 xviii4   
7which1 in my ,judgment1 respects both  
the  past ,deluge and the future        
,conflagration7 'tis said1 ,ver4 #ac1   
#ad1 #ae4  ,the ,lord also thundered in 
the ,heavens1 and the ,highest gave his 
,voice1  ,hail-stones and ,coals of     
,fire4 ,yea1 he sent forth his ,arrows  
and  scattered them1 and he shot out    
,lightnings and discomfited them4 ,then 

the ,channels of ,waters were seen1 and 
the ,foundations of the ,world were     
discover'd2 at thy ,rebuke1 ,o ,lord1 at
 the ,blast of the ,breath of thy       
,nostrils4 ,and a like fiery ,coming is 
described in the #igth ,psalm1 as  also 
by ,isaiah1 ,isa4 lxvi4 #ae4 ,daniel1   
,dan4 vii4 #i1 #aj4 and ,st4  ,paul1 #b 
,thess4 i4 #h4 ,and lastly1 in the      
,apocalypse1 when the ,world  draws to a
 ,conclusion1 as in the seventh ,trumpet
 7,chap4 xi4 #ai47 and  the seventh     
,vial 7,chap4 xvi4 #ah47 we have still  
mention made of this  fiery ,tempest of 
,lightnings and ,thunderings4    ,we may
 therefore reasonably suppose1 that1    
before the ,conflagration1 the  ,air    
will be surcharg'd every where 7by a    
precedent ,drought7 with hot and  fiery 
,exhalations3 ,and as against the       
,deluge those ,regions were  burthen'd  
with ,water and moist ,vapours1 which   
were pour'd upon the  ,earth1 not in    
gentle ,showers1 but like ,rivers and   
,cataracts from ,heaven2  so they will  

now be filled with hot ,fumes and       
sulphureous ,clouds1 which  will        
sometimes flow in ,streams and fiery    
,impressions through the ,air1          
sometimes make ,thunder and ,lightnings1
 and sometimes fall down upon the       
,earth in ,floods of ,fire4 ,in general1
 there is a great ,analogy to be        
observed betwixt the two ,deluges of    
,water and of ,fire1 not only as to  the
 ,bounds of them1 which were noted      
before2 but as to the general  ,causes  
and ,sources upon which they depend1    
from above and from below4 ,at  the     
,flood1 the ,windows of ,heaven were    
open'd above1 and the ,abyss was  open'd
 below2 and the ,waters of these two    
join'd together to overflow  the ,world3
 ,in like manner1 at the ,conflagration1
 ,god will rain down ,fire  from        
,heaven1 as he did once upon ,sodom2 and
 at the same time the  subterraneous    
,store-houses of ,fire will be broken   
open2 which answers to  the ,disruption 
of the ,abyss3 ,and these two meeting   

and mingling  together1 will involve all
 the ,heaven and ,earth in ,flames4     
,this is a short ,account of the        
ordinary ,stores of ,nature1 and the    
ordinary ,preparations for a general    
,fire2 and1 in ,contemplation of  these1
 ,pliny the ,naturalist said boldly1 ,it
 was one of the greatest  ,wonders of   
the ,world1 that the ,world was not     
every ,day set on ,fire4 ,we  will      
conclude this ,chapter with his ,words1 
in the second ,book of his  ,natural    
,hist4 ch4 #ajf1 #ajg4 ,having given an 
,account of some fiery  ,mountains and  
other ,parts of the ,earth that are the 
,seats and ,sources of  ,fire1 he makes 
this ,reflection3 ,seeing this ,element 
is so fruitful1  that it brings forth it
 self1 and multiplies and encreases from
 the  least ,sparks2 what art we to     
expect from so many ,fires already      
kindled  on the ,earth8 ,how does       
,nature feed and satisfy so devouring an
 ,element1  and such a great ,voracity  
throughout all the ,world1 without ,loss

 or  ,diminution of herself8 ,add to    
these ,fires we have mentioned1 the     
,stars  and the great ,sun2 then all the
 ,fires made for human ,uses2 ,fire in  
,stones1 in ,wood1 in the ,clouds1 and  
in ,thunder2 ,,it ,,exceeds ,,all       
,,miracles1  ,,in ,,my ,,opinion1 ,,that
 ,,one ,,day ,,should ,,pass ,,without  
,,setting ,,the ,,world ,,all ,,on      
,,fire4                                 
,,chap4 ,,viii4          ,some new      
,dispositions towards the               
,conflagration1 as to the ,matter1      
,form1 and ,situation of the ,earth4    
,concerning miraculous ,causes1 and     
how far the ,ministry of ,angels may be 
engaged in this ,work4      ,we have    
given an ,account1 in the preceding     
,chapter1 of the ordinary  ,preparations
 of ,nature for a general ,fire2 we now 
are to give an ,account  of the         
extraordinary1 or of any new            
,dispositions1 which1 towards the ,end  
of the ,world1 may be super-added to the
 ordinary ,state of ,nature4 ,i do  not1

 by these1 mean ,things openly          
miraculous and supernatural2 but such  a
 ,change wrought in ,nature1 as shall   
still have the ,face of natural         
,causes1 and yet have a greater         
,tendency to the ,conflagration4 ,as1   
for  ,example1 suppose a great ,drought1
 as we noted before1 to precede this    
,fate1 or a general ,heat and ,dryness  
of the ,air1 and of the ,earth2  because
 this happens sometimes in a ,course of 
,nature1 it will not be  look'd upon as 
prodigious4 ',tis true1 some of the     
,antients speak of a  ,drought of forty 
,years1 that will be a ,fore-runner of  
the ,conflagration2  so that there will 
not be a watery ,cloud1 nor ,rainbow    
seen in the  ,heavens1 for so long a    
,time4 ,and this they impute to ,elias1 
who at his  ,coming1 will stop the      
,rain1 and shut up the ,heavens to make 
way for the  last ,fire4 ,but these are 
excessive and ill-grounded              
,suppositions2 for  half forty ,years   
,drought will bring an universal        

,sterility upon the  ,earth1 and        
thereupon an universal ,famine1 with    
innumerable ,diseases2 so  that all     
,mankind would be destroyed1 before the 
,conflagration could  overtake them4    
,but we will readily admit an           
extraordinary ,drought and ,desiccation 
of  all ,bodies to usher in this great  
,fatality4 ,and therefore1 whatsoever we
  read in natural ,history1 concerning  
former ,droughts1 of their drying up    
,fountains and ,rivers1 parching the    
,earth1 and making the outward ,turf    
take ,fire in several ,places2 filling  
the ,air with fiery ,impressions1       
making the ,woods and ,forests ready    
,fewel1 and sometimes to kindle by the  
,heat of the ,sun1 or a ,flash of       
,lightning3 ,these and what other       
,effects  have come to pass in former   
,droughts1 may come to pass again2 and  
that  in an higher ,measure1 and so as  
to be of more general ,extent4 ,and we  
must also allow1 that by this means1 a  
great degree of ,inflammability1  or    

,easiness to be set on ,fire1 will be   
super-induc'd1 both into the ,body  of  
the ,earth1 and of all ,things that grow
 upon it4 ,the ,heat of the ,sun  will  
pierce deeper into its ,bowels1 when it 
gapes to receive his ,beams1  and by    
,chinks and widened ,pores makes way for
 their ,passage to its very  ,heart4    
,and1 on the other ,hand1 it is not     
improbable1 but that upon this  general 
,relaxation1 and ,incalescency of the   
,body of the ,earth1 the  ,central ,fire
 may have a freer ,efflux1 and diffuse  
itself in greater  abundance every ,way2
 so as to affect even these exterior    
,regions of the  ,earth1 so far as to   
make them still more catching1 and more 
combustible4    ,from this external and 
internal ,heat acting upon the ,body of 
the ,earth1  all ,minerals1 that have   
the ,seeds of ,fire in them1 will be    
open'd1 and  exhale their ,effluviums   
more copiously4 ,as ,spices1 when warm'd
 are more  odoriferous1 and fill the    
,air with their ,perfumes2 so the       

,particles of  ,fire that are shut up in
 several ,bodies1 will easily fly       
abroad1 when1  by a further degree of   
,relaxation1 you shake off their        
,chains1 and open  the ,prison ,doors4  
,we cannot doubt1 but there are many    
,sorts of ,minerals1  and many ,sorts of
 ,fire-stones1 and of ,trees and        
,vegetables of this  ,nature1 which will
 sweat out their oily and sulphureous   
,atoms1 when by a  general ,heat and    
,dryness their ,parts are loosen'd and  
agitated4    ,we have no ,experience    
that will reach so far1 as to give us a 
full  ,account what the ,state of       
,nature will be at that ,time2 ,i mean1 
after  this ,drought1 towards the ,end  
of the ,world2 but we may help our      
,imagination1 by comparing it with other
 ,seasons and ,temperaments of the      
,air4 ,as therefore in the ,spring the  
,earth is fragrant1 and the ,fields  and
 ,gardens are fill'd with the sweet     
,breathings of ,herbs and ,flowers2     
especially after a gentle ,rain2 when   

their ,bodies are softened1 and the     
,warmth of the ,sun makes them evaporate
 more freely3 ,so a greater degree  of  
,heat acting upon all the ,bodies of the
 ,earth1 like a stronger ,fire in  the  
,alembick1 will extract another sort of 
,parts or ,particles1 more  deeply      
incorporated1 and more difficult to be  
disintangled2 ,i mean oily  ,parts1 and 
such undiscover'd ,parcels of ,fire1 as 
lie fix'd and  imprison'd in hard       
,bodies3 ,these1 ,i imagine1 will be in 
a great measure  set afloat1 or drawn   
out into the ,air1 which will abound    
with hot and  dry ,exhalations1 more    
than with ,vapours and ,moisture in a   
wet ,season2  and by this ,means1 all   
,elements and elementary ,bodies will   
stand ready1  and in a proximate        
,disposition to be inflamed4    ,thus   
much concerning the last ,drought1 and  
the general ,effects of it4 ,in  the    
next ,place1 we must consider the       
,earthquakes that will precede the      
,conflagration1 and the ,consequences of

 them4 ,i noted before1 that the        
cavernous and broken ,construction of   
the present ,earth1 was that which  made
 it obnoxious to be destroy'd by ,fire2 
as its former ,construction  over the   
,abyss1 made it obnoxious to be         
destroy'd with ,water4 ,this            
,hollowness of the ,earth is most       
sensible in mountainous and hilly       
,countries1 which therefore ,i look upon
 as most subject to burning2 but  the   
plain ,countries may also be made hollow
 and hilly by ,earthquakes1  when the   
,vapours1 not finding an easy ,vent1    
raise the ,ground1 and make a  forcible 
,eruption1 as at the springing of a     
,mine4 ,and tho' plain  ,countries are  
not so subject to ,earthquakes as       
mountainous1 because they  have not so  
many ,cavities1 and subterraneous       
,vaults1 to lodge the  ,vapours in2 yet 
every ,region hath more or less of them3
 ,and after this  ,drought1 the         
,vacuities of the ,earth being every    
where enlarg'd1 the  ,quantity of       

,exhalations much increas'd1 and the    
,motion of them more  strong and        
violent1 they will have their ,effects  
in many ,places where  they never had   
any before4 ,yet ,i do not suppose that 
this will raise new  ,ridges of         
,mountains1 like the ,alps1 or          
,pyreneans1 in those ,countries  that   
are now plain1 but that they will break 
and loosen the ,ground1 make  greater   
,inequalities in the ,surface1 and      
greater ,cavities within1 than  what are
 at present in those ,places3 and by    
this means the ,fire will  creep under  
them1 and find a ,passage thorough them1
 with more ,ease than  if they were     
compact1 and every where continu'd and  
unbroken4    ,but you will say1 it may  
be1 ,how does it appear that there will 
be more  frequent ,earthquakes towards  
the ,end of the ,world8 ,if this        
precedent  ,drought be admitted1 'tis   
plain that fiery ,exhalation will abound
 every  where within the ,earth1 and    
will have a greater ,agitation than     

ordinary2  and these being the ,causes  
of ,earthquakes1 when they are rarified 
and  inflamed1 'tis reasonable to       
suppose1 that in such a ,state of       
,nature1  they will more frequently     
happen1 than at other ,times4 ,besides1 
,earthquakes are taken ,notice of in    
,scripture1 as ,signs and ,fore-runners 
of the last ,day1 as they usually are of
 all great ,changes and  ,calamities4   
,the ,destruction of ,jerusalem was a   
,type of the ,destruction  of the       
,world1 and the ,evangelists always     
mention ,earthquakes amongst the        
ominous ,prodigies that were to attend  
it4 ,but these ,earthquakes we are      
speaking of at present are but the      
,beginnings of ,sorrow1 and not to be   
compar'd with those that will follow    
afterwards1 when ,nature is  convuls'd  
in her last ,agony1 just as the ,flames 
are seizing on her4 ,of  which we shall 
have ,occasion to speak hereafter4      
,these ,changes will happen as to the   
,matter and ,form of the ,earth1  before

 it is attack'd by the last ,fire3      
,there will be also another  ,change as 
to the ,situation of it2 for that will  
be rectified1 and the  ,earth restor'd  
to the ,posture it had at first1 namely1
 of a right  ,aspect1 and ,conversion to
 the ,sun4 ,but because ,i cannot       
determine at  what ,time this           
,restitution will be1 whether at the    
,beginning1 ,middle1 or  ,end of the    
,conflagration1 ,i will not presume to  
lay any ,stress upon it4  ,plato seems  
to have imputed the ,conflagration to   
this only2 which is  so far true1 that  
the ,revolution1 call'd the ,great      
,year1 is this very  ,revolution1 or the
 ,return of the ,earth1 and the ,heavens
 to their first  ,posture4 ,but tho'    
this may be contemporary with the last  
,fire1 or some  way concomitant2 yet it 
does not follow that it is the ,cause of
 it1 much  less the only ,cause4 ,it may
 be an ,occasion of making the ,fire    
reach more  easily towards the ,poles1  
when by this ,change of ,situation their

 long  ,nights1 and long ,winters shall 
be taken away4    ,the new ,dispositions
 in our ,earth which we expect before   
that great ,day1  may be look'd upon as 
extraordinary1 but not as miraculous1   
because they  may proceed from natural  
,causes4 ,but now in the last ,place1 we
 are to  consider miraculous ,causes3   
,what ,influence they may have1 or what 
,part  they may bear1 in this great     
,revolution of ,nature4 ,by miraculous  
,causes we understand either ,god's     
immediate ,omnipotency1 or the          
,ministry of ,angels2 and what may be   
perform'd by the latter1 is very        
improperly and undecently thrown upon   
the former4 ',tis a great ,step to      
,omnipotency3 and 'tis hard to define   
what ,miracles1 on this side  ,creation1
 require an infinite ,power4 ,we are    
sure that the ,angels are  ,ministring  
,spirits1 and ten thousand times ten    
thousand stand about the  ,throne of the
 ,almighty1 to receive his ,commands and
 execute his  ,judgments4 ,that perfect 

,knowledge they have of the ,powers of  
,nature1 and  of conducting those       
,powers to the best ,advantage1 by      
adjusting ,causes in  a fit             
,subordination one to another1 makes    
them capable of performing1  not only   
things far above our ,force1 but even   
above our ,imagination3  ,besides1 they 
have a radical inherent ,power1         
belonging to the ,excellency  of their  
,nature1 of determining the ,motions of 
,matter1 within a far  greater ,sphere  
than human ,souls can pretend to4 ,we   
can only command our  ,spirits1 and     
determine their ,motions within the     
,compass of our own  ,bodies2 but their 
,activity and ,empire is of far greater 
,extent1 and the  outward ,world is much
 more subject to their ,dominion than to
 ours4 ,from  these ,considerations it  
is reasonable to conclude1 that the     
generality  of ,miracles may be1 and are
 perform'd by ,angels2 it being less    
decorous  to employ a sovereign ,power1 
where a subaltern is sufficient2 and    

when  we hastily cast ,things upon ,god1
 for quick ,dispatch1 we consult our own
  ,ease more than the ,honour of our    
,maker4    ,i take it for granted here1 
that what is done by an angelical ,hand1
 is  truly providential1 and of divine  
,administration2 and also justly bears  
the ,character of a ,miracle4           
,whatsoever may be done by pure material
  ,causes1 or human ,strength1 we       
account natural2 and whatsoever is above
  these1 we call supernatural and       
miraculous4 ,now what is supernatural   
and  miraculous1 is either the ,effect  
of an angelical ,power1 or of a         
sovereign and infinite ,power2 and we   
ought not to confound these two1 no     
more than natural and supernatural2 for 
there is a greater ,difference  betwixt 
the highest angelical ,power and        
,omnipotency1 than betwixt an  human    
,power1 and angelical4 ,therefore1 as   
the first ,rule concerning  ,miracles is
 this1 that we must not fly to          
,miracles1 where ,man and ,nature  are  

sufficient2 so the second ,rule is this1
 that we must not fly to a  sovereign   
infinite ,power1 where an angelical is  
sufficient4 ,and the  ,reason in both   
,rules is the same1 namely1 because it  
argues a ,defect of  ,wisdom in all     
,oeconomies to employ more and greater  
,means than are  sufficient4    ,now to 
make ,application of this to our present
 ,purpose1 ,i think it  reasonable1 and 
also sufficient1 to admit the ,ministry 
of ,angels in the  future ,conflagration
 of the ,world4 ,if ,nature will not lay
 violent ,hands  upon her self1 or is   
not sufficient to work her own          
,destruction1 let us  allow ,destroying 
,angels to interest themselves in the   
,work1 as the  ,executioners of the     
,divine ,justice and ,vengeance upon a  
degenerate  ,world4 ,we have ,examples  
of this so frequently in sacred         
,history1 how the  ,angels have executed
 ,god's ,judgments upon a ,nation or a  
,people1 that it  cannot seem new or    
strange1 that in this last ,judgment1   

which by all the  ,prophets is          
represented as the ,great ,day of the   
,lord1 the ,day of his  ,wrath1 and of  
his ,fury1 the same ,angels should bear 
their ,parts1 and  conclude the last    
,scene of that ,tragedy which they had  
acted in all  along4 ,we read of the    
,destroying ,angel in gypt1 ,gen4 xii4  
#bc4 of  ,angels that presided at the   
,destruction of ,sodom1 ,gen4 xix4 #ac4 
which was a ,type of the future         
,destruction of the ,world1 7,jude vii47
  #b4 ,thess4 i4 #g1 #h4 and of ,angels 
that will accompany our ,saviour when   
he comes in ,flames of ,fire2 not1 we   
suppose1 to be ,spectators only1 but    
,actors and ,superintendants in this    
great ,catastrophe4    ,this ,ministry  
of ,angels may be either in ordering and
 conducting such  natural ,causes as we 
have already given an ,account of1 or in
 adding new  ones1 if ,occasion be2 ,i  
mean1 increasing the ,quantity of ,fire1
 or of  fiery ,materials1 in and about  
the ,earth2 so as that ,element shall be

  more abundant and more predominant1   
and overbear all ,opposition that       
either ,water1 or any other ,body1 can  
make against it4 ,it is not material    
whether of these two ,suppositions we   
follow1 provided we allow that the      
,conflagration is a ,work of            
,providence1 and not a pure natural     
,fatality4  ,if it be necessary that    
there should be an ,augmentation made of
 fiery  ,matter1 'tis not hard to       
conceive how that may be done1 either   
from the  ,heavens1 or from the ,earth1 
,isa4 xxx4 #bf4 ,the ,prophets sometimes
 speak  of multiplying or strengthening 
the ,light of the ,sun1 and it may as   
easily be conceiv'd of his ,heat as of  
his ,light2 as if the ,vial that was  to
 be pour'd upon it1 ,rev4 xxvi4 #h4 and 
gave it a ,power to scorch ,men  with   
,fire1 had something of a natural ,sense
 as well as moral4 ,but there  is       
another ,stream of ethereal ,matter that
 flows from the ,heavens1 and  recruits 
the ,central ,fire with continual       

,supplies2 this may be  encreas'd and   
strengthened1 and its ,effects convey'd 
throughout the  whole ,body of the      
,earth4    ,but if an ,augmentation is  
to be made of terrestrial ,fire1 or of  
such  terrestrial ,principles as contain
 it most1 as ,sulphur1 ,oyl1 and such   
like1 ,i am apt to believe1 these will  
encrease of their own accord1 upon  a   
general ,drought and ,desiccation of the
 ,earth4 ,for ,i am far from the        
,opinion of some ,chymists1 that think  
these ,principles immutable1 and        
incapable of ,diminution or             
,augmentation4 ,i willingly admit that  
all such  ,particles may be broken and  
disfigur'd1 and thereby lose their      
proper  and specifick ,virtue1 and new  
ones may be generated to supply the     
,places  of the former3 ,which          
,supplies1 or new ,productions being    
made in a less1  or greater ,measure1   
according to the general ,dispositions  
of ,nature2  when ,nature is heightened 
into a kind of ,fever and ,ebullition of

 all her  ,juices and ,humours1 as she  
will be at that ,time1 we must expect1  
that  more ,parts than ordinary1 should 
be made inflammable1 and those that are 
inflam'd should become more violent4    
,under these ,circumstances1 when all   
,causes lean that ,way1 a little ,help  
from a superior ,power will have a      
great ,effect1 and make a great ,change 
in the ,state of the ,world4 ,and as  to
 the ,power of ,angels1 ,i am of        
,opinion1 that it is very great as to   
the  ,changes and ,modifications of     
natural ,bodies2 that they can dissolve 
a  ,marble as easily as we can crumble  
,earth and ,moulds1 or fix any ,liquor  
in a ,moment1 into a ,substance as hard 
as ,crystal3 ,that they can either  make
 ,flames more vehement and irresistible 
to all ,sorts of ,bodies2 or as         
harmless as lambent ,fires1 and as soft 
as ,oyl4 ,we see an ,instance of  this  
last1 in ,nebuchadnezzar's fiery        
,furnace1 ,daniel iii4 #bh4 where  the  
three ,children walk'd unconcern'd in   

the midst of the ,flames1 under  the    
,charge and ,protection of an ,angel3   
,and the same ,angel1 if he had         
pleas'd1 could have made the same       
,furnace seven times hotter than the    
,wrath of the ,tyrant had made it4      
,we will therefore leave it to their    
,ministry to manage this great          
,furnace1 when the ,heavens and the     
,earth are on ,fire3 ,to conserve1      
increase1 direct1 or temper the ,flames1
 according to ,instructions given  them1
 as they are to be tutelary or          
destroying4 ,neither let any ,body      
think it a ,diminution of ,providence1  
to put ,things into the ,hands of       
,angels2 'tis the true ,rule and ,method
 of it3 ,for to imploy an ,almighty     
,power where it is not necessary1 is to 
debase it1 and give it a ,task fit  for 
lower ,beings4 ,some think it ,devotion 
and ,piety to have recourse  immediately
 to the ,arm of ,god to salve all       
things2 this may be done  sometimes with
 a good ,intention1 but commonly with   

little ,judgment4 ,god  is as jealous of
 the ,glory of his ,wisdom1 as of his   
,power2 and ,wisdom  consists in the    
,conduct and ,subordination of several  
,causes1 to bring  our ,purposes to     
,effect2 but what is dispatched by an   
immediate supreme  ,power1 leaves no    
room for the ,exercise of ,wisdom4 ,to  
conclude this  ,point1 which ,i have    
touch'd upon more than once2 ,we must   
not be partial  to any of ,god's        
,attributes1 and ,providence being a    
,complexion of many1  ,power1 ,wisdom1  
,justice1 and ,goodness1 when we give   
due ,place and ,honour  to all these1   
then we must honour ,,divine            
,,providence4                           
,,chap4 ,,ix4          ,how the ,sea    
will be diminish'd and consum'd4 ,how   
the ,rocks and      ,mountains will be  
thrown down and melted1 and the whole   
exterior      ,frame of the ,earth      
dissolv'd into a ,deluge of ,fire4      
,we have now taken a ,view of the       
,causes of the ,conflagration1 both     

ordinary and extraordinary3 ,it remains 
to consider the ,manner of it2 how      
these ,causes will operate1 and bring to
 pass an ,effect so great and so        
prodigious4 ,we took ,notice before1    
that the grand ,obstruction would be    
from the ,sea1 and from the ,mountains2 
we must therefore take these to  ,task  
in the first ,place3 and if we can      
remove them out of our ,way1 or         
overcome what ,resistance and           
,opposition they are capable to make1   
the  rest of the ,work will not be      
uneasy to us4    ,the ,ocean indeed is a
 vast ,body of ,waters2 and we must use 
all our ,art  and ,skill to dry it up1  
or consume it in a good measure1 before 
we can  pass our ,design4 ,i remember   
the ,advice a ,philosopher gave ,amasis 
,king  of gypt1 when he had a ,command  
sent him from the ,king of thiopia1     
that he should drink up the ,sea4       
,amasis being very anxious and          
solicitous what ,answer he should make  
to this strange ,command1 the           

,philosopher ,bias advis'd him to make  
this round ,answer to the ,king1  ,that 
he was ready to perform his ,command1   
and to drink up the ,sea1  provided he  
would stop the ,rivers from flowing into
 his ,cup while he was  drinking4 ,this 
,answer baffled the ,king1 for he could 
not stop the  ,rivers2 but this we must 
do1 or we shall never be able to drink  
up the  ,sea1 or burn up the ,earth4    
,neither will this be so impossible as  
it seems at first ,sight1 if we  reflect
 upon those ,preparations we have made  
towards it1 by a general  ,drought all  
over the ,earth4 ,this1 we suppose1 will
 precede the  ,conflagration1 and by    
drying up the ,fountains and ,rivers    
which daily  feed the ,sea1 will by     
degrees starve that ,monster1 or reduce 
it to such  a degree of ,weakness1 that 
it shall not be able to make any great  
,resistance4 ,more than half an ,ocean  
of ,water flows into the ,sea every     
,day1 from the ,rivers of the ,earth1 if
 you take them altogether4 ,this ,i     

speak upon a moderate ,computation4     
,aristotle says1 the ,rivers carry  more
 ,water into the ,sea in the ,space of a
 ,year1 than would equal in ,bulk  the  
whole ,globe of the ,earth4 ,nay some   
have ventur'd to affirm this of  one    
single ,river1 the ,volga1 that runs    
into the ,caspian ,sea4 ',tis a  great  
,river indeed1 and hath seventy ,mouths2
 and so it had need have1 to  disgorge a
 ,mass of ,water equal to the ,body of  
the ,earth1 in a ,year's  ,time4 ,but we
 need not take such high ,measures2     
there are at least an  hundred great    
,rivers that flow into the ,sea from    
several ,parts of the  ,earth1 ,islands 
and ,continents1 besides several        
thousands of lesser ones2  let us       
suppose these1 all together1 to pour as 
much ,water into the  ,sea-,channel     
every ,day1 as is equal to half the     
,ocean3 ,and we shall be  easily        
convinc'd of the ,reasonableness of this
 ,supposition1 if we do but  examine the
 daily ,expence of one ,river1 and by   

that make an ,estimate of  the rest4    
,this we find calculated to our ,hands  
in the ,river ,po1 in  ,italy2 a ,river 
of much what the same ,bigness with our 
,thames1 and  disburthens it self into  
the ,gulpp of ,venice4 ,baptista        
,riccioli hath  computed how much ,water
 this ,river discharges in an ,hour1    
viz4  #ahjjjjjj cubical ,paces of       
,water1 and consequently #dcbjjjjjj in a
 ,day2  which is scarce credible to     
those that do not distinctly compute it4
  ,suppose then an hundred ,rivers as   
great as this1 or greater1 to fall  into
 the ,sea from the ,land2 besides       
thousands of lesser1 that pay their     
,tribute at the same ,time into the     
great ,receipt of the ,ocean3 ,these all
  taken together1 are capable to renew  
the ,sea twice every four and twenty    
,hours4 ,which ,suppositions being      
admitted1 if by a great and lasting     
,drought these ,rivers were dried up1 or
 the ,fountains from whence they  flow1 
what would then become of that vast     

,ocean1 that before was so  formidable  
to us8    ',tis likely1 you will say1   
these great ,rivers cannot be dried up1 
tho'  the little ones may2 and therefore
 we must not suppose such an universal  
,stop of ,waters1 or that they will all 
fail1 by any ,drought whatsoever4  ,but 
great ,rivers being made up of little   
ones1 if these fail1 those must  be     
diminished1 if not quit drain'd and     
exhausted4 ,it may be1 all  ,fountains  
and ,springs do not proceed from the    
same ,causes1 or the same  ,original2   
and some are much more copious than     
others3 ,for such  ,differences1 we will
 allow what is due2 but still the       
,dryness of the ,air  and of the ,earth 
continuing1 and all the ,sources and    
,supplies of  ,moisture1 both from above
 and from below1 being lessen'd1 or     
wholly  discontinued1 a general ,decay  
of all ,fountains and ,rivers must      
necessarily follow1 and consequently of 
the ,sea1 and of its ,fulness1  that    
depends upon them2 and that's enough for

 our present ,purpose4    ,the first    
,step towards the ,consumption of the   
,ocean1 will be the  ,diminution or     
,suspension of the ,rivers that run into
 it2 the next will  be an ,evacuation by
 subterraneous ,passages2 and the last1 
by ,eruptions  of ,fires in the very    
,channel of it1 and in the midst of the 
,waters4 ,as  for subterraneous         
,evacuations1 we cannot doubt but that  
the ,sea hath  ,outlets at the ,bottom  
of it1 whereby it discharges that vast  
,quantity of  ,water that flows into it 
every ,day2 and that could not be       
discharg'd so  fast as it comes from the
 wide ,mouths of the ,rivers1 by        
,percolation1 or  ,straining through the
 ,sands4 ,seas also communicate with one
 another by  these internal ,passages2  
as is manifest from those particular    
,seas that  have no external ,outlet1 or
 ,issue1 though they receive into them  
many  great ,rivers1 and sometimes the  
,influx of other ,seas4 ,so the ,caspian
  ,sea receives not only ,volga1 which  

we mentioned before1 but several  other 
,rivers1 and yet hath no visible ,issue 
for its ,waters4 ,the  ,mediterranean   
,sea1 besides all the ,rivers it        
receives1 hath a ,current  flowing into 
it1 at either ,end1 from other ,seas2   
from the ,atlantick  ,ocean at the      
,streights of ,gibraltar1 and from the  
,black ,sea above  ,constantinople2 and 
yet there is no ,passage above ,ground1 
or visible  ,derivation of the          
,mediterranean ,waters out of their     
,channel2 which  seeing they do not     
overfill1 nor overflow the ,banks1 'tis 
certain they  must have some secret     
,conveyances into the ,bowels of the    
,earth1 or  subterraneous ,communication
 with other ,seas4 ,lastly1 from the    
,whirlpools  of the ,sea1 that suck in  
,bodies that come within their ,reach1  
it seems  plainly to appear1 by that    
,attraction and ,absorption1 that there 
is a  ,descent of ,waters in those      
,places4    ,wherefore when the ,current
 of the ,rivers into the ,sea is        

stopp'd1 or in  a great ,measure        
diminished2 the ,sea continuing to empty
 it self by these  subterraneous        
,passages1 and having little or none of 
those ,supplies that  it used to have   
from the ,land1 it must needs be        
sensibly lessen'd and  both contract its
 ,channel into a narrower ,compass1 and 
also have less  ,depth in the ,waters   
that remain4 ,and in the last ,place1 we
 must expect  fiery ,eruptions in       
several ,parts of the ,sea ,channel1    
which will help to  suck up1 or         
evaporate the remaining ,waters4 ,in the
 present ,state of  ,nature there have  
been several ,instances of such         
,eruptions of ,fire from  the ,bottom of
 the ,sea2 and in that last ,state of   
,nature1 when all ,things  are in a     
,tendency to ,inflammation1 and when    
,earthquakes and ,eruptions  will be    
more frequent every where1 we must      
expect them also more  frequently by    
,sea1 as well as by ,land4 ',tis true1  
neither ,earthquakes  nor ,eruptions can

 happen in the middle of the great      
,ocean1 or in the  deepest ,abyss1      
because there are no ,cavities1 or      
,mines below it1 for the  ,vapours and  
,exhalations to lodge in3 ,but it is not
 so much of the  ,sea-,chanel that is so
 deep2 and in other ,parts1 especially  
in ,streights1  and near ,islands1 such 
,eruptions1 like ,sea-,vulcano's1 have  
frequently  happened1 and new ,islands  
have been made by such fiery ,matter    
thrown up  from the ,bottom of the ,sea4
 ,thus1 they say1 those ,islands in the 
,mediterranean1 call'd the ,vulcanian   
,islands1 had their ,original1  being   
,matter cast up from the ,bottom of the 
,sea1 by the ,force of ,fire1  as new   
,mountains sometimes are raised upon the
 ,earth4 ,another ,island in  the       
,archipelago had the same ,original2    
whereof ,strabo gives an  ,account1     
,lib4 #a4 ,the ,flames1 he says1 sprung 
up through the ,waters  four ,days      
together1 so as the whole ,sea was hot  
and burning2 and they  rais'd by        

degrees1 as with ,engines1 a ,mass of   
,earth1 which made a new  ,island1      
twelve ,furlongs in ,compass4 ,and in   
the same ,archipelago1  ,flames and     
,smoke have several times1 7particularly
 in the ,year #afej7  risen out of the  
,sea1 and fill'd the ,air with          
sulphureous ,scents and  ,vapours4 ,in  
like manner in the ,island of ,st4      
,michael1 one of the  ,tercera's1 there 
have been1 of later ,years1 such        
,eructations of ,fire  and ,flames1 so  
strong and violent1 that1 at the ,depth 
of a hundred and  sixty ,fathoms1 they  
forc'd their ,way through the midst of  
the ,waters1  from the ,bottom of the   
,sea into the open ,air1 as has been    
related by  those that were             
,eyewitnesses4    ,in these three ,ways1
 ,i conceive1 the great ,force of the   
,sea will be  broken1 and the mighty    
,ocean reduced to a standing ,pool of   
putrid  ,waters1 without ,vent1 and     
without ,recruits4 ,but there will still
 remain1  in the midst of the ,channel1 

a great ,mass of troubled ,liquors1 like
  ,dregs in the ,bottom of the ,vessel2 
which will not be drunk up1 'till the   
,earth be all on ,fire1 and ,torrents of
 melted and sulphureous ,matter flow    
from the ,land1 and mingle with this    
dead ,sea4 ,but let us now leave the    
,sea in this humble ,posture1 and go on 
to attack the ,rocks and ,mountains1    
which stand next in our ,way4    ,see   
how scornfully they look down upon us1  
and bid ,defiance to all the  ,elements2
 they have born the ,thunder and        
,lightning of ,heaven1 and all  the     
,artillery of the ,skies1 for           
innumerable ,ages2 and do not fear the  
crackling of ,thorns and of ,shrubs that
 burn at their ,feet3 ,let the ,towns   
and ,cities of the ,earth1 say they1 be 
laid in ,ashes2 let the ,woods and      
,forests blaze away1 and the fat ,soil  
of the ,earth fry in its own ,grease2   
these ,things will not affect us2 we can
 stand naked in the midst of a  ,sea of 
,fire1 with our ,roots as deep as the   

,foundations of the ,earth1 and  our    
,heads above the ,clouds of the ,air4   
,thus they proudly defy ,nature2  and it
 must be confess'd1 that these1 being1  
as it were1 the ,bones of  the ,earth1  
when the ,body is burning1 will be the  
last consum'd2 and ,i am  apt to think1 
if they could keep in the same ,posture 
they stand in now1  and preserve        
themselves from falling1 the ,fire could
 never get an entire  ,power over them4 
,but ,mountains are generally hollow1   
and that makes them  subject to a double
 ,casualty2 first1 of ,earthquakes2     
secondly1 of having  their ,roots eaten 
away by ,water or by ,fire2 but by ,fire
 especially in  this ,case2 ,for we     
suppose there will be innumerable       
subterraneous ,fires  smothering under  
,ground1 before the general ,fire breaks
 out2 and these  by corroding the       
,bowels of the ,earth1 will make it more
 hollow1 and more  ruinous2 and when the
 ,earth is so far dissolv'd1 that the   
,cavities  within the ,mountains are    

fill'd with ,lakes of ,fire1 then the   
,mountains  will sink1 and fall into    
those boiling ,cauldrons1 which in ,time
 will  dissolve them1 though they were  
as hard as ,adamant4    ,there is       
another ,engine that will tear the      
,earth with great ,violence1  and rend  
in pieces whatsoever is above or about  
those ,parts of it2 and  that is the    
,element of ,water1 so gentle in it self
 when undisturb'd3 ,but  'tis found by  
,experience1 that when ,water falls into
 liquid ,metals1 it  flies about with an
 incredible ,impetuosity1 and breaks or 
bears down  every ,thing that would stop
 its ,motion and ,expansion4 ,this      
,force ,i take  to come from the sudden 
and strong ,rarefaction of its ,parts1  
which make  a kind of ,explosion1 when  
it is sudden and vehement2 and this is  
one of  the greatest ,forces we know in 
,nature3 ,accordingly ,i am apt to      
think1  that the marvellous ,force of   
,vulcano's1 when they throw out ,lumps  
of  ,rocks1 great ,fragments of the     

,earth1 and other heavy ,bodies1 to such
 a  vast ,height and ,distance1 that it 
is done by this way of ,explosion3 ,and 
that ,explosion made by the sudden      
,rarefaction of ,sea ,waters1 that fall 
into ,pans or ,receptacles of molten    
,ore and ardent ,liquors1 within the    
,cavities of the ,mountain2 and         
thereupon follow the ,noises1 ,roarings1
 and  ,eruptions of those ,places4 ',tis
 observ'd1 that ,vulcano's are in       
,mountains1 and generally1 if not       
always1 near the ,sea2 and when its     
,waters1 by subterraneous ,passages1 are
 driven under the ,mountain1 either  by 
a particular ,wind1 or by a great       
,agitation of the ,waves1 they meet     
there with ,metals and fiery ,minerals1 
dissolv'd2 and are immediately1         
according to our ,supposition1 rarified1
 and1 by way of ,explosion1 fly  out at 
the ,mouth or ,funnel of the ,mountain1 
bearing before them  whatsoever stands  
in their ,way4 ,whether this be a true  
,account1 or no1  of the present        

,vulcano's and their ,eruptions1 'tis   
manifest1 that such  ,cases as we have  
mention'd1 will happen in the           
,conflagration of the  ,earth1 and that 
such ,eruptions or ,disruptions of the  
,earth will follow  thereupon3 and that 
these will contribute very much to the  
sinking of  ,mountains1 the splitting of
 ,rocks1 and the bringing of all strong 
,holds  of ,nature under the ,power of  
the general ,fire4    ,to conclude this 
,point3 ,the ,mountains will all be     
brought low1 in that  ,state of ,nature 
either by ,earthquakes1 or subterraneous
 ,fires2 ,every  ,valley shall be       
exalted1 and every ,mountain and ,hill  
shall be made low1  ,isa4 xl4 #d4 ,which
 will be literally true at the second   
coming of our  ,saviour1 as it was      
figuratively apply'd to his first       
coming1 ,luke iii4  #e4 ,now1 being once
 levell'd with the rest of the ,earth1  
the ,question  will only be1 how they   
shall be dissolv'd8 ,but there is no    
terrestrial  ,body indissolvable to     

,fire1 if it have a due ,strength and   
,continuance2  and this last ,fire will 
have both1 in the highest degrees2 so   
that it  cannot but be capable of       
dissolving all elementary ,compositions1
 how  hard or solid soever they be4     
',tis true1 these ,mountains and ,rocks1
 as ,i said before1 will have the       
,privilege to be the last destroy'd4    
,these1 with the deep ,parts of the     
,sea1 and the polar ,regions of the     
,earth1 will undergo a slower ,fate1 and
  be consum'd more leisurely4 ,the      
,action of the last ,fire may be        
distinguish'd into two ,times1 or two   
,assaults2 the first ,assault will      
carry off all ,mankind1 and all the     
,works of the ,earth that are easily    
combustible2 and this will be done with 
a quick and sudden ,motion4 ,but  the   
second ,assault1 being employ'd about   
the ,consumption of such ,bodies1  or   
such ,materials1 as are not so easily   
subjected to ,fire1 will be of  long    
,continuance1 and the ,work of some     

,years4 ,and 'tis fit it should be  so2 
that this flaming ,world may be view'd  
and consider'd by the  neighbouring     
,worlds about it1 as a dreadful         
,spectacle1 and ,monument of  ,god's    
,wrath against disloyal1 and disobedient
 ,creatures4 ,that by this  ,example1   
now before their ,eyes1 they may think  
of their own ,fate1 and  what may befal 
them1 as well as another ,planet of the 
same ,elements and  ,composition4       
,thus much for the ,rocks and           
,mountains2 which1 you see1 according to
 our  ,hypothesis1 will be levell'd1 and
 the whole ,face of the ,earth reduc'd  
to  ,plainness and ,equality2 nay1 which
 is more1 melted and dissolv'd into a   
,sea of liquid ,fire4 ,and because this 
may seem a ,paradox1 being more than  is
 usually supposed1 or taken notice of1  
in the ,doctrine of the  ,conflagration1
 it will not be improper1 in this       
,place1 to give an  ,account1 wherein   
our ,idea of the ,conflagration1 and its
 ,effects1 differs  from the common     

,opinion1 and the usual ,representation 
of it4 ',tis  commonly supposed1 that   
the ,conflagration of the ,world is like
 the  burning of a ,city1 where the     
,walls and ,materials of the ,houses are
 not  melted down1 but scorch'd1        
inflam'd1 demolish'd1 and made          
uninhabitable3  ,so they think in the   
burning of the ,world1 such ,bodies1 or 
such ,parts of  ,nature1 as are fit     
,fewel for the ,fire1 will be inflam'd1 
and1 it may be1  consum'd1 or reduc'd to
 ,smoke and ,ashes2 but other ,bodies1  
that are not  capable of ,inflammation1 
will only be scorch'd and defac'd1 the  
,beauty  and ,furniture of the ,earth   
spoil'd1 and by that means1 say they1 it
 will  be laid waste and become         
uninhabitable4 ,this seems to me a very 
short  and imperfect ,idea of the       
,conflagration2 neither agreeable to    
,scripture1  nor to the ,deductions that
 may be made from ,scripture4 ,we       
therefore  suppose that this is but half
 the ,work2 this destroying of the      

outward  ,garniture of the ,earth1 is   
but the first ,onset1 and that the      
,conflagration will end in a            
,dissolution and ,liquefaction of the   
,elements  and all the exterior ,region 
of the ,earth2 so as to become a true   
,deluge  of ,fire1 or a ,sea of ,fire   
overspreading the whole ,globe of the   
,earth4  ,this ,state of the            
,conflagration1 ,i think1 may be plainly
 prov'd2 partly  by the ,expressions of 
,scripture concerning it1 and partly    
from the  ,renovation of the ,earth that
 is to follow upon it4 ,saint ,peter1   
who  is our chief ,guide in the         
,doctrine of the ,conflagration1 says1  
#b ,pet4  iii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,the ,elements 
will be melted with fervent ,heat2      
besides  burning up the ,works of the   
,earth4 ,then adds1 ,seeing all these   
,things  shall be dissolv'd1 c4 ,these  
,terms of ,liquefaction and ,dissolution
  cannot1 without ,violence1 be         
restrained to simple ,devastation1 and  
superficial ,scorching4 ,such           

,expressions carry the ,work a great    
deal  further1 even to that full ,sense 
which we propose4 ,besides1 the         
,prophets  often speak of the melting of
 the ,earth1 or of the ,hills and       
,mountains1  at the ,presence of the    
,lord1 in the ,day of his ,wrath1 ,isa4 
xxxiv4 #c1 #d4   xliv4 #a1 #b4 ,nah4 i4 
#e4 ,psal4 xcvii4 #e4 ,and ,saint ,john 
7,apoc4  xv4 #b47 tells us of a ,sea of 
,glass1 mingled with ,fire2 where the   
,saints stood1 singing the ,song of     
,moses1 and triumphing over their       
,enemies1 the ,spiritual ,pharaoh and   
his ,host1 that were swallowed up in    
it4 ,the ,sea of ,glass1 must be a ,sea 
of molten ,glass2 it must be  fluid1 not
 solid1 if a ,sea2 neither can a solid  
,substance be said to be  mingled with  
,fire1 as this was4 ,and to this answers
 the ,lake of ,fire  and ,brimstone1    
which the ,beast and false ,prophet were
 thrown into  alive1 ,apoc4 xix4 #bj4   
,these all refer to the ,end of the     
,world1 and the  last ,fire1 and also   

plainly imply1 or express rather1 that  
,state of  ,liquefaction which we       
suppose and assert4    ,furthermore1 the
 ,renovation of the ,world1 or the ,new 
,heaven and ,new  ,earth1 which ,st4    
,peter1 out of the ,prophets1 tells us  
shall spring  out of these that are     
burnt and dissolved1 do suppose this    
,earth reduc'd  into a fluid ,chaos1    
that it may lay a ,foundation for a     
second ,world4 ,if  you take such a     
,skeleton of an ,earth1 as your         
scorching ,fire would leave  behind it2 
where the ,flesh is torn from the       
,bones1 and the ,rocks and  ,mountains  
stand naked1 and staring upon you2 the  
,sea1 half empty1 gaping  at the ,sun1  
and the ,cities all in ,ruins1 and in   
,rubbish2 how would you  raise a new    
,world from this8 ,and a ,world fit to  
be an ,habitation for  the ,righteous8  
,for so ,st4 ,peter makes that to be1   
which is to succeed  after the          
,conflagration1 #b ,pet4 iii4 #ac4 ,and 
a ,world also without a  ,sea8 ,so ,st4 

,john describes the new ,earth he saw1  
,apoc4 xxi4 #a4 ,as  these ,characters  
do not agree to the present ,earth1 so  
neither would  they agree to your future
 one2 for if that dead ,lump could      
revive and  become habitable again1 it  
would however retain all the            
,imperfections of  the former ,earth1   
besides some ,scars1 and ,deformities of
 its own4  ,wherefore1 if you would cast
 the ,earth into a new1 and better      
,mould1 you  must first melt it down2   
and the last ,fire1 being as a          
,refiner's ,fire1  will make an         
,improvement in it1 both as to ,matter  
and ,form4 ,to conclude1  it must be    
reduc'd into a fluid ,mass1 in the      
,nature of a ,chaos1 as it  was at      
first2 but this last will be a fiery    
,chaos1 as that was watery2  and from   
this ,state it will emerge again into a 
,paradisaical ,world4 ,but  this being  
the ,subject of the following ,book1 we 
will discourse no more  of it in this   
,place4                                 

,,chap4 ,x4          ,concerning the    
,beginning and ,progress of the         
,conflagration1 what      ,part of the  
,earth will first be burnt4 ,the ,manner
 of the future      ,destruction of     
,rome1 according to prophetical         
,indications4 ,the last      ,state and 
,consummation of the general ,fire4     
,having remov'd the chief ,obstructions 
to our ,design1 and shew'd a ,method    
for weakning the ,strength of ,nature1  
by draining the ,trench1 and beating    
down those ,bulwarks1 wherein she seems 
to place her greatest ,confidence3  ,we 
must now go to ,work2 making ,choice of 
the weakest ,part of ,nature for  our   
first ,attack1 where the ,fire may be   
the easiest admitted1 and the  best     
maintain'd1 and preserv'd4    ,and for  
our better ,direction1 it will be of    
,use to consider what we  noted before1 
viz4 ,that the ,conflagration is not a  
pure natural  ,fatality1 but a mix'd    
,fatality2 or a divine ,judgment        
supported by  natural ,causes4 ,and if  

we can find some ,part of the ,earth1 or
 of the  ,christian ,world1 that hath   
more of these natural ,dispositions to  
,inflammation than the rest2 and is also
 represented by ,scripture as a  more   
peculiar ,object of ,god's ,judgments at
 the coming of our ,saviour1 we  may    
justly pitch upon that ,part of the     
,world1 as first to be destroy'd3       
,nature and ,providence conspiring to   
make that the first ,sacrifice to  this 
fiery ,vengeance4    ,now as to natural 
,dispositions1 in any ,country or       
,region of the ,earth1  to be set on    
,fire1 they seem to be chiefly these    
two2 ,sulphureousness of  the ,soil1    
and1 an hollow mountainous ,construction
 of the ,ground4 ,where  these two      
,dispositions meet in the same ,tract or
 ,territory1 7the one as  to the        
,quality of the ,matter1 and the other  
as to the ,form7 it stands  like a ,pile
 of fit ,materials1 ready set to have   
the ,fire put to it4 ,and  as to divine 
,indications where this general ,fire   

will begin1 the  ,scripture points to   
the ,seat of ,antichrist1 wheresoever   
that is1 for the  ,beginning of it4 ,the
 ,scripture1 ,i say1 points at this two 
,ways3 ,first1  ,in telling us that our 
,saviour at his coming in ,flames of    
,fire shall  consume the wicked ,one1   
the ,man of ,sin1 the ,son of           
,perdition1 with the  ,spirit of his    
,mouth1 and shall destroy him with the  
,brightness of his  ,presence1 #b       
,thess4 i4 #g4 chap4 ii4 #h4 ,secondly1 
under the ,name of  ,mystical ,babylon2 
which is allowed by all to be the ,seat 
of  ,antichrist1 and by ,scripture      
always condemn'd to the ,fire4 ,this we 
find  in plain ,words asserted by ,saint
 ,john1 in the xviiith ,chapter of his  
,revelations 7,verses #h1 #ai47 and in  
the xixth 7,verse #c7 under the  ,name  
of the ,great ,whore2 which is the same 
,city1 and the same ,seat1  according to
 the ,interpretation of ,scripture it   
self1 7,ch4 xvii1  xviii47 ,and the     
,prophet ,daniel1 when he had set the   

,antient of ,days  upon his fiery       
,throne1 says1 ,the ,body of the ,beast 
was given to the  burning ,flame1 ,dan4 
vii4 #i1 #aj1 #aa4 ,which ,i take to be 
the same ,thing  with what ,st4 ,john   
says afterwards1 7,apoc4 xix4 #bj47 ,the
 ,beast and  the false ,prophet1 were   
cast alive into a ,lake of ,fire1       
burning with  ,brimstone4 ,by these     
,places of ,scripture it seems manifest1
 that  ,antichrist1 and the ,seat of    
,antichrist will be consum'd with ,fire1
 at  the coming of our ,saviour4 ,and   
'tis very reasonable and decorous1 that 
the grand ,traytor and ,head of the     
,apostacy1 should be made the first     
,example of the divine ,vengeance4      
,thus much being allow'd from           
,scripture1 let us now return to ,nature
  again2 to seek out that ,part of the  
,christian ,world1 that from its own    
,constitution is most subject to        
burning2 by the ,sulphureousness of its 
,soil1 and its fiery ,mountains and     
,caverns4 ,this we shall easily find to 

be the ,roman ,territory1 or the        
,country of ,italy3 ,which1 by all      
,accounts1 antient and modern1 is a     
,store-house of ,fire2 as if it was     
condemn'd to that ,fate by ,god and     
,nature1 and to be an ,incendiary1 as it
  were1 to the rest of the ,world4 ,and 
seeing ,mystical ,babylon1 the ,seat  of
 ,antichrist1 is the same ,rome1 and its
 ,territory1 as it is  understood by    
most ,interpreters of former1 and latter
 ,ages2 you see both  our ,lines meet in
 this ,point2 and1 that there is        
,fairness1 on both  ,hands1 to conclude1
 that at the glorious ,appearance of our
 ,saviour1 the  ,conflagration will     
begin at the ,city of ,rome1 and the    
,roman  ,territory4    ,nature hath     
sav'd us the ,pains of kindling a ,fire 
in those ,parts of the  ,earth2 for1    
since the ,memory of ,man1 there have   
always been  subterraneous ,fires in    
,italy4 ,and the ,romans did not        
preserve their  ,vestal ,fire with more 
,constancy1 than ,nature hath done her  

fiery  ,mountains in some ,part or other
 of that ,territory4 ,let us then       
suppose1  when the fatal ,time draws    
near1 all these burning ,mountains to be
 fill'd  and replenish'd with fit       
,materials for such a ,design2 and when 
our  ,saviour appears in the ,clouds1   
with an ,host of ,angels1 that they all 
begin to play1 as ,fireworks1 at the    
triumphal ,entry of a ,prince4 ,let     
,vesuvius1 tna1 ,strongyle1 and all the 
,vulcanian ,islands1 break  out into    
,flames2 and by the ,earthquakes1 which 
then will rage1 let us  suppose new     
,eruptions1 or new ,mountains open'd in 
the ,apennines1 and  near to ,rome2 and 
to vomit out ,fire in the same ,manner  
as the old  ,vulcano's4 ,then let the   
sulphureous ,ground take ,fire2 and     
seeing the  ,soil of that ,country1 in  
several ,places1 is so full of          
,brimstone1 that  the ,steams and ,smoke
 of it visibly rise out of the ,earth2  
we may  reasonably suppose1 that it will
 burn openly1 and be inflam'd1 at that  

,time4 ,lastly1 the ,lightenings of the 
,air1 and the flaming ,streams of the   
melting ,skies1 will mingle and join    
with these ,burnings of the ,earth2  and
 these three ,causes meeting together1  
as they cannot but make a  dreadful     
,scene1 so they will easily destroy and 
consume whatsoever lies  within the     
,compass of their ,fury4    ,thus you   
may suppose the ,beginning of the       
general ,fire3 ,and it will be  carried 
on by like ,causes1 though in lesser    
,degrees1 in other ,parts of  the       
,earth3 ,but as to ,rome1 there is      
still1 in my ,opinion1 a more  dreadful 
,fate that will attend it2 namely1 to   
absorp'd1 or swallow'd up1  in a ,lake  
of ,fire and ,brimstone1 after the      
,manner of ,sodom and  ,gomorrah4 ,this1
 in my ,judgment1 will be the ,fate and 
final ,conclusion  of ,mystical         
,babylon1 to sink as a great ,mill-stone
 into the ,sea1 and  never to appear    
more4 ,hear what the ,prophet says1 ,a  
mighty ,angel took  up a ,stone1 like a 

great ,mill stone1 and cast it into the 
,sea1 saying1  ,thus with ,violence     
shall that great ,city ,babylon be      
thrown down1 and  shall be found no more
 at all1 ,apoc4 xviii4 #ba4 ,simply to  
be burnt1  does not at all answer to    
this ,description of its perishing1 by  
sinking  like a ,mill-stone into the    
,sea1 and never appearing more1 nor of  
not  having its ,place ever more found2 
that is1 leaving no ,remains or ,marks  
of it4 ,a ,city that is only burnt1     
cannot be said to fall like a           
,mill-stone into the ,sea2 or1 that it  
can never more be found2 for  after the 
,burning of a ,city1 the ,ruins stand1  
and its ,place is well  known3          
,wherefore1 in both ,respects1 besides  
this exterior ,burning1 there  must be  
an ,absorption of this ,mystical        
,babylon1 the ,seat of the ,beast1  and 
thereupon a total ,disappearance of it4 
,this also agrees with the  ,suddenness 
of the ,judgment1 which is a repeated   
,character of it1 ,chap4  xviii4 #h1    

#aj1 #ag1 #ai4 ,now what kind of        
,absorption this will be1 into  what1   
and in what ,manner1 we may learn from  
what ,saint ,john says  afterwards1     
,chap4 xix4 #bj4 ,the ,beast and the    
false ,prophet were cast  alive into a  
,lake of ,fire and ,brimstone4 ,you must
 not imagine1 that  they were bound     
,hand and ,foot1 and so thrown headlong 
into this ,lake2  but they were         
swallow'd up alive1 they and theirs1 as 
,corah and his  ,company2 or1 to use a  
plainer ,example1 after the manner of   
,sodom and  ,gomorrah1 which perish'd by
 ,fire1 and at the same ,time sunk into 
the  ,dead ,sea1 or a ,lake of          
,brimstone4    ,this was a lively ,type 
of the ,fate of ,rome1 or ,mystical     
,babylon3 ,and  'tis fit it should      
resemble ,sodom1 as well in its         
,punishment1 as in  its ,crimes4        
,neither is it a hard ,thing to conceive
 how such an  ,absorption may come to   
pass1 that being a ,thing so usual in   
,earthquakes1  and ,earthquakes being so

 frequent in that ,region4 ,and lastly1 
,that this  should be1 after the ,manner
 of ,sodom1 turn'd into a ,lake of      
,fire1 will  not be at all strange1 if  
we consider1 that there will be many    
subterraneous ,lakes of ,fire at that   
,time1 when the ,bowels of the ,earth   
begin to melt1 and the ,mountains spew  
out ,streams of liquid ,fire4 ,the      
,ground therefore being hollow and      
rotten in those ,parts1 when it comes   
to be shaken with a mighty ,earthquake1 
the ,foundations will sink1 and  the    
whole ,frame fall into an ,abyss of     
,fire below1 as a ,mill-stone into  the 
,sea4 ,and this will give ,occasion to  
that ,cry1 ,babylon the great is        
fallen1 is fallen1 and shall never more 
be found4    ,this seems to be a        
probable ,account1 according to         
,scripture and ,reason1  of the         
,beginning of the general ,fire1 and of 
the particular ,fate of  ,rome4 ,but it 
may be propos'd here1 as an ,objection  
against this  ,hypothesis1 that the     

,mediterranean ,sea1 lying all along the
 ,coast of  ,italy1 must needs be a     
sufficient ,guard to that ,country      
against the  ,invasion of ,fire1 or at  
least must needs extinguish it1 before  
it can do  much ,mischief there1 or     
propagate itself into other ,countries4 
,i thought  we had in a good measure    
prevented this ,objection before1 by    
shewing how  the ,ocean would be        
diminished before the ,conflagration1   
and especially  the ,arms and ,sinus's  
of the ,ocean2 and of these none would  
be more  subject to this ,diminution1   
than the ,mediterranean2 for1 receiving 
its  ,supplies from the ,ocean and the  
,black ,sea1 if these came to sink in   
their ,channels they would not rise so  
high1 as to be capable to flow  into the
 ,mediterranean at either ,end2 and     
these ,supplies being cut  off1 it would
 soon empty itself so far1 partly by    
,evaporation2 and  partly by            
subterraneous ,passages1 as to shrink   
from all its ,shores1 and  become only a

 standing ,pool of ,water in the ,middle
 of the ,channel3 ,nay1  'tis possible1 
by ,floods of ,fire descending from the 
many ,vulcano's upon  its ,shores1 it   
might itself be converted into a ,lake  
of ,fire1 and rather  help than obstruct
 the ,progress of the ,conflagration4   
,it may indeed be made a ,question1     
,whether this fiery ,vengeance upon the 
,seat of ,antichrist will not precede   
the general ,conflagration1 at some     
,distance of ,time1 as a ,fore-runner   
and ,fore-warner to the ,world1 that    
the rest of the ,people may have ,space 
to repent2 and particularly the  ,jews1 
being ,spectators of this ,tragedy1 and 
of the miraculous  ,appearance of our   
,saviour1 may see the ,hand of ,god in  
it1 and be  convinc'd of the ,truth and 
divine ,authority of the ,christian     
,religion3 ,i  say1 this ,supposition   
would leave ,room for these and some    
other  ,prophetick ,scenes1 which we    
know not well where to place2 but seeing
  ,the ,day of the ,lord is represented 

in ,scripture1 as one entire ,thing1    
without ,interruption or                
,discontinuation1 and that it is to     
begin with  the ,destruction of         
,antichrist1 we have ,warrant enough to 
pursue the rest  of the ,conflagration  
from this ,beginning and ,introduction4 
,let us then suppose the same           
,preparations made in the other ,parts  
of the  ,earth to continue the ,fire2   
for the ,conflagration of the ,world    
being a  ,work of ,providence1 we may be
 sure such ,measures are taken1 as will 
effectually carry it on1 when once      
begun4 ,the ,body of the ,earth will be 
loosen'd and broken by ,earthquakes1 the
 more solid ,parts impregnated  with    
,sulphur1 and the ,cavities fill'd with 
unctuous ,fumes and  ,exhalations1 so as
 the whole ,mass will be but as one     
great ,funeral-,pile1  ready built1 and 
wanting nothing but the ,hand of a      
destroying ,angel to  give it ,fire4 ,i 
will not take upon me to determine which
 ,way this  devouring ,enemy would steer

 his ,course from ,italy1 or in what    
,order he  will advance and enter the   
several ,regions of our ,continent2 that
 would  be an ,undertaking as uncertain 
as useless3 ,but we cannot doubt of his 
,success1 which ,way soever he goes2    
unless where the ,channel of the ,ocean 
may chance to stop him3 ,but as to that1
 we allow1 that different  ,continents  
may have different ,fires3 not          
propagated from one to another1  but of 
distinct ,sources and ,originals2 and so
 likewise in remote  ,islands2 and      
therefore no long ,passage1 or          
,trajection1 will be requir'd  from     
,shore to ,shore3 ,and even the ,ocean  
it self will1 at length1 be as  fiery as
 any ,part of the ,land2 but that1 with 
its ,rocks1 like ,death1  will be the   
last ,thing subdued4    ,as to the      
animate ,world1 the ,fire will over-run 
it with a swift and  rapid ,course1 and 
all living ,creatures will be           
suffocated1 or consumed1  at the first  
,assault2 and at the same ,time all the 

,beauty of the ,fields1  and the        
,external ,decorations of ,nature will  
be defac'd3 ,then the ,cities  and the  
,towns1 and all the ,works of ,man's    
,hands1 will burn like ,stubble  before 
the ,wind4 ,these will soon be          
dispatched2 but the great ,burthen of   
the ,work still remains2 which is1 that 
,liquefaction we mention'd  before1 or a
 melting ,fire1 much more strong and    
vehement than these  transient ,blazes1 
which do but sweep the ,surface of the  
,earth3 ,this  ,liquefaction1 ,i say1 we
 prov'd before out of ,scripture1 as the
 last  ,state of the fiery ,deluge1     
,chap4 ,,ix4 ,and 'tis this which1 at   
length  will make the ,sea itself a     
,lake of ,fire and ,brimstone2 when1    
instead  of ,rivers of ,waters which    
used to flow into it from the ,land1    
there come  ,streams and ,rivulets of   
sulphureous ,liquors1 and purulent      
melted ,matter1  which following the    
,tract of their natural ,gravity1 will  
fall into this  great ,drain of this    

,earth2 upon which ,mixture1 the        
remaining ,parts of  sweet ,water will  
soon evaporate1 and the ,salt mingling  
with the ,sulphur1  will make a ,dead   
,sea1 an ,asphaltites1 a ,lake of       
,sodom1 a ,cup of the  ,dregs of the    
,wine of the ,fierceness of ,god's      
,wrath4    ,we noted before two         
remarkable ,effects of the burning      
,mountains1 which  would contribute to  
the ,conflagration of the ,world1 and   
gave ,instances  of both in former      
,eruptions of tna and ,vesuvius2 one    
was1 of those  ,balls1 or ,lumps of     
,fire1 which they throw about in the    
,time of their  ,rage2 and the other1 of
 those ,torrents of liquid ,fire1 which 
rowl down  their ,sides to the next     
,seas or ,valleys4 ,in the first        
,respect1 these  ,mountains are as so   
many ,batteries1 planted1 by            
,providence1 in several  ,parts of the  
,earth1 to fling those fiery ,bombs into
 such ,places1 or such  ,cities1 as are 
marked out for ,destruction2 and1 in the

 second ,respect1  they are to dry up   
the ,waters1 and the ,rivers1 and the   
,sea it self1 when  they fall into its  
,channel1 ,annal4 ,sic4 dec4 #a4 l4 #b4 
c4 #d4 ,t4  ,fazellas1 a ,sicilian1 who 
writ the ,history of that ,island1 tells
 us  of such a ,river of ,fire 7upon an 
,eruption of tna7 near twenty eight     
,miles long1 reaching from the ,mountain
 to ,port ,longina2 and might have  been
 much longer1 if it had not been stopt  
by the ,sea4 ,many such as  these1 and  
far greater1 we ought in ,reason to     
imagine1 when all the  ,earth begins to 
melt1 and to ripen towards a            
,dissolution3 ,it will then  be full of 
these sulphureous ,juices1 as ,grapes   
with ,wine2 and these will  be squeez'd 
out of the ,earth into the ,sea1 as out 
of a ,wine-press into  the ,receiver1 to
 fill up that ,cup1 as we said before1  
with the ,wine of  the ,fierceness of   
,god's ,wrath4    ,if we may be allowed 
to bring prophetical ,passages of       
,scripture to a  natural ,sense1 as     

doubtless some of those must that       
respect the ,end of  the ,world2 these  
,phrases which we have now suggested1 of
 the ,wine-press  of the ,wrath of ,god1
 ,apoc4 xiv4 #aj1 #ai4 ,ch4 xvi4 #ai4   
,ch4 xix4 #ae4  ,drinking the           
,fierceness of his ,wine1 poured1       
without ,mixture1 into the  ,cup of his 
,indignation2 with ,expressions of the  
like ,nature1 that occur  sometimes in  
the old ,prophets1 but especially in the
 ,apocalypse3  ,these1 ,i say1 might    
receive a full and emphatical           
,explication from this  ,state of       
,things which now lies before us4 ,i    
would not exclude any other             
,explication of less ,force1 as that of 
alluding to the bitter ,cup1 or  mixt   
,potion1 that us'd to be given to       
,malefactors3 ,but that1 methinks1  is a
 low ,sense1 when applied to these      
,places in the ,apocalypse4 ,that  these
 ,phrases signify ,god's remarkable     
,judgments1 all allow2 and here  they   
plainly relate to the ,end of the       

,world1 to the last ,plagues1 and  the  
last of the last ,plagues1 ,chap4 xvi4  
#ai4 ,besides1 the ,angel that  presided
 over this ,judgment1 is said to be an  
,angel that had ,power over  ,fire2 and 
those who are to drink this ,potion are 
said to be tormented  with ,fire and    
,brimstone1 ,chap4 xiv4 #aj4 ,this      
presiding ,angel seems to  be our       
,saviour himself 7,chap4 xix4 #ae47 who1
 when he comes to execute  ,divine      
,vengeance upon the ,earth1 gives his   
,orders in these ,words1  ,gather the   
,clusters of the ,vine of the ,earth1   
for her ,grapes are fully  ripe1 ,ch4   
xiv4 #ah1 #ai4 ,and thereupon the       
destroying ,angel thrust in  his ,sickle
 into the ,earth1 and gather'd the ,vine
 of the ,earth1 and cast  it into the   
great ,wine-press of the ,wrath of ,god4
 ,and this made a  ,potion compounded of
 several ,ingredients1 but not diluted  
with ,water2    1 7,ch4 xiv4 #aj47 and  
was indeed a ,potion of ,fire  and      
,brimstone1 and all burning ,materials  

mixt together4 ,the ,similitudes  of    
,scripture are seldom nice and exact1   
but rather bold1 noble and  great2 and  
according to the ,circumstances which we
 have observed1 this  ,vineyard seems to
 be the ,earth1 and this ,vintage the   
,end of the  ,world2 the pressing of the
 ,grapes into the ,cup or ,vessel that  
receives  them1 the ,distillation of    
burning ,liquors from all ,parts of the 
,earth  into the ,trough of the ,sea2   
and that ,lake of red ,fire1 the ,blood 
of  those ,grapes so flowing into it4   
',tis true1 this ,judgment of the       
,vintage and ,wine-press1 and the       
,effects  of it1 seem to aim more       
especially at some particular ,region of
 the  ,earth1 ,chap4 xiv4 #bj4 ,and ,i  
am not against that1 provided the       
,substance of the ,explication be still 
retained1 and the universal ,sea of     
,fire be that which follows in the next 
,chapter1 under the ,name of a ,sea  of 
,glass1 mingled with ,fire1 ,ch4 xvi4   
#b4 ,this1 ,i think1 expresses the      

highest and complete ,state of the      
,conflagration2 when the ,mountains are 
fled away1 and not only so1 but the     
exterior ,region of the ,earth quite    
dissolv'd1 like ,wax before the ,sun3   
,the ,channel of the ,sea fill'd with a 
,mass of fluid ,fire1 and the same ,fire
 overflowing all the ,globe1 and        
covering the whole ,earth1 as the       
,deluge1 or the first ,abyss4 ,then will
  the triumphal ,songs and ,hallelujahs 
be sung for the ,victories of the  ,lamb
 over all his ,enemies1 and over ,nature
 it self1 ,apoc4 xv4 #c1 #d4  ,great and
 marvellous are thy ,works1 ,lord ,god  
,almighty3 ,just and true  are thy      
,ways1 thou ,king of ,saints4 ,who shall
 not fear thee1 ,o ,lord1 and  glorify  
thy ,name8 for thou only art holy3 for  
all ,nations shall come and  worship    
before thee2 for thy ,judgments are made
 manifest4                              
,,chap4 ,,xi4          ,an ,account of  
those extraordinary ,phnomena and       
,wonders in ,nature1      that1         

according to ,scripture1 will precede   
the coming of ,christ1 and      the     
,conflagration of the ,world4      ,if  
we reflect upon the ,history of burning 
,mountains1 we cannot but  observe1     
that1 before their ,eruptions1 there are
 usually some ,changes in  the ,earth1  
or in the ,air1 in the ,sea1 or in the  
,sun it self1 as ,signs  and            
,forerunners of the ensuing ,storm4 ,we 
may then easily conclude that  when the 
last great ,storm is a coming1 and all  
the ,vulcano's of the  ,earth ready to  
burst1 and the ,frame of the ,world to  
be dissolv'd1 there  will be previous   
,signs1 in the ,heavens1 and on the     
,earth1 to introduce  this tragical     
,fate3 ,nature cannot come to that      
,extremity1 without some  ,symptoms of  
her ,illness1 nor die silently without  
,pangs or ,complaint4  ,but we are      
naturally heavy of ,belief1 as to       
,futurities1 and can scarce  fancy any  
other ,scenes1 or other ,state of       
,nature1 than what is present1  and     

continually before our ,eyes3 ,we will  
therefore1 to cure our  ,unbelief1 take 
,scripture for our ,guide1 and keep     
within the ,limits of  its ,predictions4
    ,the ,scripture plainly tells us of 
,signs1 of ,prodigies1 that will precede
  the ,coming of our ,saviour1 and the  
,end of the ,world3 both in the         
,heavens1 and on the ,earth4 ,the ,sun1 
,moon1 and ,stars1 will be disturb'd  in
 their ,motion1 or ,aspect2 the ,earth  
and the ,sea will roar and tremble1  and
 the ,mountains fall at his ,presence4  
,these things both the ,prophets  and   
,evangelists have told us2 but what we  
do not understand1 we are slow  to      
believe2 and therefore those that cannot
 apprehend how such ,changes  should    
come to pass in the natural ,world1     
chuse rather to allegorize all  these   
,expressions of ,scripture1 and to make 
them signify no more than  political    
,changes of ,governments1 and ,empires1 
and the great ,confusions  that will be 
amongst the ,people and ,princes of the 

,earth1 towards the  ,end of the ,world4
 ,so that darkening of the ,sun1 shaking
 of the  ,earth1 and such like ,phrases 
of ,scripture1 according to these       
,interpreters1 are to be understood only
 in a moral ,sense4    ,and they think  
they have a ,warrant for this           
,interpretation1 from the  prophetick   
,style of the ,old ,testament1 where the
 ,destruction of ,cities1  and ,empires1
 and great ,princes1 is often describ'd 
by such ,figures1  taken from the       
natural ,world4 ,so much is true indeed 
as to the ,phrase of  the old ,prophets 
in some ,places2 but ,i take the true   
,reason and ,design  of that1 to be a   
typical ,adumbration of what was        
intended should  literally come to pass 
in the great and universal ,destruction 
of the  ,world2 whereof these partial   
,destructions were only ,shadows and    
,prefigurations4 ,but to determine this 
,case1 let us take the known and        
approved ,rule for interpreting         
,scripture1 ,not to recede from the     

literal ,sense without ,necessity1 or   
where the ,nature of the ,subject  will 
admit of a literal ,interpretation4     
,now1 as to those ,cases in the  ,old   
,testament1 ,history and ,matter of     
,fact do shew1 that they did not  come  
to pass literally1 therefore must not be
 so understood2 but as for  those that  
concern the ,end of the ,world1 as they 
cannot be determin'd in  that way1      
seeing they are yet future2 so neither  
is there any natural  ,repugnancy or    
,improbability that they should come    
literally to pass3 ,on  the contrary1   
from the ,intuition of that ,state of   
,nature1 one would  rather conclude the 
,probability or ,necessity of them2 that
 there may1  and must be such ,disorders
 in the external ,world1 before the     
general  ,dissolution4 ,besides1 if we  
admit ,prodigies in any ,case1 or       
providential  ,indications of ,god's    
,judgments to come there can be no ,case
 suppos'd1  wherein it will be more     
reasonable or proper to admit them1 than

 when  they are to be the ,messengers of
 an universal ,vengeance and            
,destruction4    ,let us therefore      
consider what ,signs ,scripture hath    
taken notice of1 as  destin'd to appear 
at that ,time1 to publish1 as it were1  
and proclaim  the approaching ,end of   
the ,world2 and how far they will admit 
of a  natural ,explication1 according to
 those ,grounds we have already given1  
in explaining the ,causes and ,manner of
 the ,conflagration4 ,these ,signs  are 
chiefly ,earthquakes1 and extraordinary 
,commotions of the ,seas4 ,then  the    
,darkness or bloody ,colour of the ,sun 
and ,moon2 the shaking of the  ,powers  
of ,heaven1 the ,fulgurations of the    
,air1 and the falling of ,stars4  ,as to
 ,earthquakes1 we have upon several     
,occasions shewn1 that these will       
necessarily be multiplied towards the   
,end of the ,world2 when1 by an  ,excess
 of ,drought and ,heat1 ,exhalations    
will more abound within the  ,earth2    
and1 from the same ,causes1 their       

,inflammation also will be more         
frequent1 than in the ordinary ,state of
 ,nature4 ,and as all ,bodies1 when     
dried1 become more porous and full of   
,vacuities2 so the ,body of the  ,earth 
will be at that ,time3 ,and the ,mines  
or ,cavities wherein the ,fumes  and    
,exhalations lodge1 will accordingly be 
of greater ,extent1 open into  one      
another1 and continued thro' long       
,tracts and ,regions2 by which  means1  
when an ,earthquake comes1 as the ,shock
 will be more strong and  violent1 so it
 may reach to a vast ,compass of        
,ground1 and whole ,islands  or         
,continents be shaken at once1 when     
these ,trains have taken ,fire4 ,the    
,effects also of such ,concussions1 will
 not only affect ,mankind1 but all  the 
,elements1 and the ,inhabitants of them4
    ,i do not wonder that frequent and  
great ,earthquakes should be made a     
,sign of an approaching ,conflagration2 
and the highest ,expressions of the     
,prophets concerning the ,day of the    

,lord1 may be understood in a  literal  
,sense1 if they be finally referr'd to  
the general ,destruction of  the ,world1
 and not terminated solely upon those   
particular ,countries or  ,people1 to   
whom they are at first directed4 ,hear  
what ,ezekiel says  upon this ,subject1 
,chap4 xxxviii4 #ai1 #bj1 #bb4 ,for in  
my ,jealousy and  in the ,fire of my    
,wrath have ,i spoken2 surely in that   
,day there shall be  a great shaking in 
the ,land of ,israel3 ,so that the      
,fishes of the ,sea1  and the ,fowls of 
the ,heaven1 and the ,beasts of the     
,field1 and all  creeping ,things that  
creep upon the ,earth2 and all the ,men 
that are upon  the ,face of the ,earth1 
shall shake at my ,presence2 and the    
,mountains  shall be thrown down1 and   
the steep ,places shall fall1 and every 
,wall  shall fall to the                
,ground4----,and ,i will rain an        
overflowing ,rain1 and  great           
,hail-stones1 ,fire and ,brimstone4 ,the
 ,prophet ,isaias1 7,chap4  xxiv4 #ah1  

#ai1 #bj47 describes these ,judgments in
 ,terms as high1 and  relating to the   
natural ,world2 ,the ,windows from on   
high are open1 and  the ,foundations of 
the ,earth do shake4 ,the ,earth is     
utterly broken down1  the ,earth is     
clean dissolved1 the ,earth is moved    
exceedingly4 ,the ,earth  shall reel to 
and fro like a ,drunkard1 and shall be  
removed like a  ,cottage1 and the       
,transgression thereof shall be heavy   
upon it1 and it  shall fall1 and not    
rise again4    ,to restrain all these   
things to ,judea1 as their adequate and 
final  ,object1 is to force both the    
,words and the ,sense4 ,here are        
manifest  ,allusions and ,footsteps of  
the ,destruction of the ,world1 and the 
,dissolution of the ,earth2 partly as it
 was in the ,deluge1 and partly as  it  
will be in its last ,ruin1 torn1 broken1
 and shatter'd4 ,but most ,men  have    
fallen into that ,error1 to fancy both  
the ,destructions of the ,world  by     
,water and ,fire1 quiet1 noiseless      

,things2 executed without any ,ruins  or
 ,ruptures in ,nature3 ,that the ,deluge
 was but a great ,pool of still  ,waters
 made by the ,rains1 and ,inundation of 
the ,sea2 and the  ,conflagration will  
be only a superficial ,scorching of the 
,earth1 with a  running ,fire4 ,these   
are false ,ideas1 and unsuitable to     
,scripture3 ,for as  the ,deluge is     
there represented a ,disruption of the  
,abyss1 and  consequently of the then   
habitable ,earth2 so the future         
,combustion of  it1 according to the    
,representations of ,scripture1 is to be
 usher'd in  and accompanied with all   
sorts of violent ,impressions upon      
,nature2 and  the chief ,instrument of  
these ,violences will be ,earthquakes4  
,these will  tear the ,body of the      
,earth1 and shake its ,foundations2 rend
 the ,rocks1  and pull down the tall    
,mountains2 sometimes overturn1 and     
sometimes  swallow up ,towns and        
,cities2 disturb and disorder the       
,elements1 and make  a general          

,confusion in ,nature4    ,next to      
,earthquakes1 we may consider the       
,roarings of a troubled ,sea4  ,this is 
another ,sign of a dying ,world4 ,st4   
,luke1 7,chap4 xxi4 #be1 #bf1  #bg47    
hath set down a great many of them      
together3 ,let us hear his  ,words3 ,and
 there shall be ,signs in the ,sun1 and 
in the ,moon1 and in the  ,stars2 and   
upon the ,earth ,distress of ,nations1  
with ,perplexity2 the ,sea  and the     
,waves roaring4 ,mens ,hearts failing   
them for fear1 and for  looking after   
those things which are coming on the    
,earth2 for the ,powers  of ,heaven     
shall be shaken4 ,and then shall they   
see the ,son of ,man coming  in a       
,cloud1 with ,power and great ,glory1 c4
 ,as some would allegorize  these       
,signs1 which we noted before2 so others
 would confine them to the  ,destruction
 of ,jerusalem4 ,but 'tis plain1 by this
 coming of the ,son  of ,man in the     
,clouds1 and the ,redemption of the     
,faithful1 7,verse #bh47  and at the    

same ,time the ,sound of the last       
,trumpet1 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ca7  which all 
relate to the ,end of the ,world1 that  
something further is  intended than the 
,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,and though 
there were  ,prodigies at the           
,destruction of that ,city and ,state1  
yet not of this  ,force1 nor with these 
,circumstances4 ',tis true1 those       
partial  ,destructions and ,calamities1 
as we observ'd before1 of ,babylon1     
,jerusalem1 and the ,roman ,empire1     
being ,types of an universal and  final 
,destruction of all ,god's ,enemies1    
have1 in the ,pictures of them1  some of
 the same ,strokes1 to shew they are all
 from the same ,hand1  decreed by the   
same ,wisdom1 foretold by the same      
,spirit2 and the same  ,power and       
,providence that have already wrought   
the one1 will also work  the other1 in  
due ,time1 the former being still       
,pledges1 as well as  ,prefigurations1  
of the latter4    ,let us then proceed  
in our ,explication of this ,sign1 the  

,roaring of the  ,sea1 and the ,waves1  
applying it to the ,end of the ,world4  
,i do not look  upon this ominous ,noise
 of the ,sea1 as the ,effect of a       
,tempest1 for then  it would not strike 
such a ,terror into the ,inhabitants of 
the ,earth1 nor  make them apprehensive 
of some great ,evil coming upon the     
,world1 as this  will do2 what proceeds 
from visible ,causes1 and such as may   
happen in a  common ,course of ,nature1 
does not so much amaze us1 nor affright 
us3  ,therefore 'tis more likely these  
,disturbances of the ,sea proceed from  
below1 partly by ,sympathy and          
,revulsions from the ,land2 by          
,earthquakes  there1 and exhausting the 
subterraneous ,cavities of ,waters1     
which will  draw again from the ,seas   
what ,supplies they can2 and partly by  
,earthquakes in the very ,sea it self1  
with ,exhalations and fiery  ,eruptions 
from the ,bottom of it3 ,things indeed  
that happen at other  ,times1 more or   
less2 but at this ,conjuncture1 all     

,causes conspiring1  they will break out
 with more ,violence1 and put the whole 
,body of the  ,waters into a tumultuary 
,motion4 ,i do not see any ,occasion1 at
 this  ,time1 for high ,winds2 neither  
can ,i think a superficial ,agitation of
 the  ,waves would answer this          
,phnomenon2 but 'tis rather from        
,contorsions in  the ,bowels of the     
,ocean1 which make it roar1 as it were1 
for ,pain4 ,some  ,causes impelling the 
,waters one ,way1 and some another1 make
 intestine  ,strugglings1 and contrary  
,motions2 from whence proceed unusual   
,noises1  and such a troubled ,state of 
the ,waters1 as does not only make the  
,sea  innavigable1 but also strikes     
,terror into all the maritime           
,inhabitants1  that live within the     
,view or ,sound of it4    ,so much for  
the ,earth and ,sea4 ,the ,face of the  
,heavens also will be  changed in divers
 ,respects2 the ,sun and the ,moon      
darken'd1 or of a  bloody or pale       
,countenance2 the celestial ,powers     

shaken1 and the ,stars  unsettled in    
their ,orbs4 ,as to the ,sun and ,moon1 
their ,obscuration or  ,change of       
,colour is no more than what happens    
commonly before the  ,eruption of a     
fiery ,mountain4 ,dion ,cassius1 you    
see1 hath taken notice  of it in that   
,eruption of tna which he describes2 and
 others upon the  like ,occasions in    
,vesuvius4 ,and 'tis a ,thing of easy   
,explication2 for1  according as the    
,atmosphere is more or less clear or    
turbid1 the  ,luminaries are more or    
less conspicuous2 and1 according to the 
,nature of  those ,fumes1 or            
,exhalations that swim in the ,air1 the 
,face of the ,sun is  discolour'd       
sometimes one ,way1 sometimes another4  
,you see1 in an  ordinary ,experiment1  
when we look upon one another through   
the ,fumes of  ,sulphur1 we appear pale 
like so many ,ghosts2 and in some foggy 
,days1 the  ,sun hangs in the ,firmament
 as a ,lump of ,blood3 ,and both the    
,sun and  ,moon1 at their ,rising1 when 

their ,light comes to us through the    
thick  ,vapours of the ,earth1 are red  
and fiery4 ,these are not ,changes      
wrought  in the ,substance of the       
,luminaries1 but in the ,modifications  
of their  ,light1 as it flows to us3    
,for ,colours are but ,light in a ,sort 
of  ,disguise2 as it passes through     
,mediums of different ,qualities1 it    
takes  different ,forms1 but the ,matter
 is still the same1 and returns to its  
,simplicity1 when it comes again into a 
pure ,air4    ,now the ,air may be      
changed and corrupted to a great        
,degree1 tho' there  appear no visible  
,change to our ,eye4 ,this is manifest  
from infectious  ,airs1 and the ,changes
 of the ,air before ,storms and ,rains1 
which we feel  commonly sooner than we  
see1 and some other ,creatures perceive 
much  sooner than we do4 ',tis no       
,wonder then1 if1 before this mighty    
,storm1  the ,dispositions of the ,air  
be quite alter'd2 especially if we      
consider1  what we have so often noted  

before1 that there will be a great      
,abundance  of ,fumes and ,exhalations1 
thro' the whole ,atmosphere of the      
,earth1  before the last ,fire breaks   
out1 whereby the ,light of the ,sun may 
be  tinctur'd in several ,ways3 ,and    
lastly1 it may be so order'd            
providentially that the ,body of the    
,sun may contract at that ,time some    
,spots1 or ,macul1 far greater than     
usual1 and by that means be really      
darkened1 not to us only1 but to all the
 neighbouring ,planets3 ,and this  will 
have a proportionable ,effect upon the  
,moon too1 for the ,diminution  of her  
,light3 ,so that upon all ,suppositions1
 these ,phnomena are very  intelligible1
 if not necessary ,forerunners of the   
,conflagration4    ,the next ,sign given
 us1 is1 that the ,powers of ,heaven    
will be shaken4  ,by the ,heavens in    
this ,place is either understood the    
,planetary  ,heavens1 or that of the    
fix'd ,stars2 but this latter being     
vastly  distant from the ,earth1 cannot 

be really affected by the               
,conflagration2  nor the ,powers of it1 
that is1 its ,motion1 or the ,bodies    
contained in  it1 any ways shaken or    
disorder'd4 ,but1 in ,appearance1 these 
celestial  ,bodies may seem to be       
shaken1 and their ,motions disorder'd2  
as in a  ,tempest by ,night1 when the   
,ship is toss'd with contrary and       
uncertain  ,motions1 the ,heavens seem  
to fluctuate over our ,heads1 and the   
,stars to  reel to and fro1 when the    
,motion is only in our own ,vessel3 ,so 
possibly  the uncertain ,motions of the 
,atmosphere1 and sometimes of the ,earth
 it  self1 may so vary the ,sight and   
,aspect of this starry ,canopy1 that it 
may seem to shake and tremble4    ,but  
if we understand this of the planetary  
,heavens1 they may really be  shaken2   
,providence either ordering some great  
,changes in the other  ,planets1        
previously to the ,conflagration of our 
,planet2 as1 'tis  probable1 there was a
 great ,change in ,venus at the ,time of

 our  ,deluge3 ,or the great ,shakings  
and ,concussions of our ,globe at that  
,time1 affecting some of the            
neighbouring ,orbs1 or at least that of 
the  ,moon1 may cause ,anomalies and    
,irregularities in their ,motions4 ,but 
the  ,sense that ,i should pitch upon   
chiefly for explaining this ,phrase of  
,shaking the ,powers of ,heaven1        
comprehends1 in a good measure1 both    
these ,heavens of the fix'd ,stars and  
of the ,planets3 ',tis that ,change of  
,situation in the ,axis of the ,earth1  
which we have formerly mention'd1       
whereby the ,stars will seem to change  
their ,places1 and the whole  ,universe 
to take another ,posture4 ,this is      
sufficiently known to those  that know  
the different ,consequences of a strait 
or oblique ,posture of  the ,earth4 ,and
 as the ,heavens and the ,earth were1 in
 this ,sense1 once  shaken1 before1     
namely1 at the ,deluge1 when they lost  
their first  ,situation2 so now they    
will be shaken again1 and thereby return

 to the  ,posture they had before that  
first ,concussion4 ,and this ,i take to 
be the  true literal ,sense of the      
,prophet ,haggai1 repeated by ,st4      
,paul1  7,ch4 ii4 #f41 and ,heb4 xii4   
#bf47 ,yet once more ,i shake not the   
,earth  only1 but also ,heaven4    ,the 
last ,sign we shall take ,notice of1 is 
that of falling ,stars4 ,and  the ,stars
 shall fall from ,heaven1 says our      
,saviour1 ,matt4 xxiv4 #bi4  ,we are    
sure1 from the ,nature of the ,thing1   
that this cannot be  understood either  
of fix'd ,stars1 or ,planets2 for if    
either of these  should tumble from the 
,skies1 and reach the ,earth1 they would
 break it  all in ,pieces or swallow it 
up1 as the ,sea does a sinking ,ship2   
and at  the same ,time would put all the
 inferior ,universe into ,confusion4 ,it
 is  necessary therefore1 by these      
,stars1 to understand either fiery      
,meteors  falling from the ,middle      
,region of the ,air1 or ,comets and     
,blazing ,stars4  ,no doubt1 there will 

be all sorts of fiery ,meteors at that  
,time2 and1  amongst others1 those that 
are call'd falling ,stars2 which1 tho'  
they  are not considerable singly1 yet  
if they were multiplied in great        
,numbers1 falling 7as the ,prophet says1
 ,isa4 xxxiv4 #d47 as ,leafs  from the  
,vine1 or ,figs from the ,fig-tree1 they
 would make an  astonishing ,sight4     
,but1 ,i think1 this ,expression does   
chiefly refer to  ,comets1 which are    
dead ,stars1 and may truly be said to   
fall from ,heaven1  when they leave     
their ,seats above1 and those thereal   
,regions wherein  they were fix'd1 and  
sink into this lower ,world2 where they 
wander about  with a ,blaze in their    
,tail1 or a ,flame about their ,head1 as
 if they came  on purpose to be the     
,messengers of some fiery ,vengeance4   
,if ,numbers of  these blazing ,stars   
should fall into our ,heaven together1  
they would  make a dreadful and         
formidable ,appearance2 and1 ,i am apt  
to think1 that  ,providence hath so     

contriv'd the ,periods of their ,motion1
 that there  will be an unusual         
,concourse of them at that ,time1 within
 the ,view of  the ,earth1 to be a      
,prelude to this last and most tragical 
,scene of the  sublunary ,world4    ,i  
do not know any more in ,scripture      
relating to the last ,fire1 that1  upon 
the ,grounds laid down in this          
,discourse1 may not receive a           
satisfactory ,explication4 ,it reaches  
beyond the ,signs before-mention'd  to  
the highest ,expressions of ,scripture3 
as1 ,lakes of ,fire and  ,brimstone1 a  
molten ,sea mingled with ,fire1 the     
,liquefaction of  ,mountains1 and of the
 ,earth it self4 ,we need not now look  
upon these  ,things as hyperbolical1 and
 poetical ,strains1 but as barefac'd    
,prophesies1 and ,things that will      
literally come to pass as they are      
predicted4 ,one thing more will be      
expected in a just ,hypothesis1 or      
,theory of the ,conflagration2 namely1  
that it should answer1 not only all  the

 ,conditions and ,characters belonging  
to the last ,fire1 but should  also make
 ,way1 and lay the ,foundation of       
another ,world to succeed this1  or of  
new ,heavens and a new ,earth3 ,for ,st4
 ,peter hath taught this  ,doctrine of  
the ,renovation of the ,world1 as       
positively and expresly as  that of its 
,conflagration2 and therefore they that 
so explain the  ,destruction of the     
present ,world1 as to leave it          
afterwards in an  eternal ,rubbish1     
without any ,hopes of ,restoration1 do  
not answer the  ,christian ,doctrine    
concerning it4 ,but as to our           
,hypothesis1 we are  willing to stand   
this farther ,trial1 and be accountable 
for the  ,consequences of the           
,conflagration1 as well as the          
,antecedents and ,manner  of it4 ,and we
 have accordingly1 in the following     
,book1 from the ,ashes of  this1 raised 
a ,new ,earth1 which we leave to the    
,enjoyment of the  ,readers4 ,in the    
mean time1 to close our ,discourse1 we  

will bid farewell  to the present       
,world1 in a short ,review of its last  
,flames4                                
,,chap4 ,,xii4          ,an imperfect   
,description of the ,coming of our      
,saviour2 and of the      ,world on     
,fire4      ,certainly there is nothing 
in the whole ,course of ,nature1 or of  
,human  ,affairs1 so great and so       
extraordinary1 as the two last ,scenes  
of them1  ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,our     
,,saviour1 and the ,,burning ,,of ,,the 
,,world4 ,if we could  draw in our      
,minds the ,pictures of these1 in true  
and lively ,colours1 we  should scarce  
be able to attend to any thing else1 or 
ever divert our  ,imagination from these
 two ,objects3 ,for what can more affect
 us1 than  the greatest ,glory that ever
 was visible upon ,earth1 and at the    
same  ,time the greatest ,terror2 a ,god
 descending at the ,head of an ,army of 
,angels1 and a burning ,world under his 
,feet8    ,these ,things are truly above
 ,expression2 and not only so1 but so   

different and remote from our ordinary  
,thoughts and ,conceptions1 that he     
that comes nearest to a true            
,description of them1 shall be look'd   
upon  as the most extravagant4 ',tis our
 ,unhappiness to be so much used to     
little trifling ,things in this ,life1  
that when any ,thing great is           
represented to us1 it appears           
fantastical1 an ,idea made by some      
contemplative or melancholy ,person3 ,i 
will not venture therefrom1  without    
premising ,grounds out of ,scripture1 to
 say any thing concerning  this glorious
 ,appearance4 ,as to the ,burning of the
 ,world1 ,i think we  have already laid 
a ,foundation sufficient to support the 
highest  ,description that can be made  
of it2 but the ,coming of our ,saviour  
being  wholly out of the way of natural 
,causes1 it is reasonable we should take
  all ,directions we can from           
,scripture1 that we may give a more     
fitting  and just ,account of that      
sacred ,pomp4    ,i need not mention    

those ,places of ,scripture that prove  
the second  ,coming of our ,saviour in  
general1 or his ,return again to the    
,earth at  the ,end of the ,world1      
7,matt4 xxiv4 #cj1 #ca4 ,acts i4 #aa4   
and iii4 #bj1  #ba4 ,apoc4 i4 #g4 ,heb4 
ix4 #bh47 ,no ,christian can doubt of   
this1 'tis  so often repeated in those  
sacred ,writings2 but the ,manner and   
,circumstances of this ,coming1 or of   
this ,appearance1 are the ,things we    
now enquire into4 ,and1 in the first    
,place1 we may observe1 that the        
,scripture tells us1 our ,saviour will  
come in flaming ,fire1 and with an      
,host of mighty ,angels2 so says ,st4   
,paul to the ,thessalonians1 ,the  ,lord
 ,jesus shall be revealed from ,heaven  
with mighty ,angels1 in flaming  ,fire1 
taking ,vengeance on them that know not 
,god1 and obey not the  ,gospel of our  
,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,in the second    
,place1 our ,saviour says  himself1     
7,mat4 xvi4 #bg47 ,the ,son of ,man     
shall come in the ,glory of  his        

,father1 with his ,angels4 ,from which  
two ,places we may learn2 ,first1  that 
the ,appearance of our ,saviour will be 
with ,flames of ,fire4  ,secondly1 with 
an ,host of ,angels4 ,thirdly1 in the   
,glory of his ,father3  ,by which ,glory
 of the ,father1 ,i think1 is understood
 that ,throne of  ,glory represented by 
,daniel for the ,antient of ,days4 ,for 
our ,saviour  speaks here to the ,jews1 
and probably in a ,way intelligible to  
them2  and the ,glory of the ,father1   
which they were most likely to          
understand1  would be either the ,glory 
wherein ,god appeared at ,mount ,sinai1 
upon  the giving of the ,law1 whereof   
the ,apostle speaks largely to the      
,hebrews2 or that which ,daniel         
represents ,him in at the ,day of       
,judgment1 7,chap4 xii4 #ah1 #ai1 #bj1  
#ba47 ,and this latter being more       
proper to the ,subject of our ,saviour's
 ,discourse1 'tis more likely this      
,expression refers to it4 ,give me leave
 therefore to set down that             

,description of the ,glory of the       
,father upon his ,throne1 from the      
,prophet  ,daniel1 ch4 vii4 #i4 ,and ,i 
beheld 'till the ,thrones were set1--and
 the  ,antient of ,days did sit1 whose  
,garment was white as ,snow1 and the    
,hair  of his ,head like the pure       
,wooll3 ,his ,throne was like the fiery 
,flame1  and his ,wheels as burning     
,fire4 ,a fiery ,stream issued and came 
forth  from before him1 thousand        
thousands ministred unto him1 and ten   
thousand  times ten thousand stood      
before ,him4 ,with this ,throne of the  
,glory of  the ,father1 let us1 if you  
please1 compare the ,throne of the ,son 
of ,god1  as it was seen by ,st4 ,john  
in the ,apocalypse1 ,chap4 iv4 #b1 c4   
,and  immediately ,i was in the ,spirit3
 and behold a ,throne was set in        
,heaven1  and one sat on the ,throne4   
,and he that sat1 was to look upon like 
a  ,jasper1 and a ,sardine ,stone3 ,and 
there was a ,rainbow round about the    
,throne1 in ,appearance like unto an    

,emerald4 ,and out of the ,throne       
proceeded ,lightnings1 and ,thunderings1
 and ,voices1 c4 and before the  ,throne
 was a ,sea of ,glass like unto         
,crystal4    ,in these ,representations 
you have some ,beams of the ,glory of   
the ,father1  and of the ,son2 which may
 be partly a ,direction to us1 in       
conceiving the  ,lustre of our          
,saviour's ,appearance4 ,let us further 
observe1 if you  please1 how external   
,nature will be affected at the ,sight  
of ,god1 or of  this approaching ,glory4
 ,the ,scripture often takes ,notice of 
this1 and in  ,terms very high and      
eloquent4 ,the ,psalmist seems to have  
lov'd that  ,subject above others2 to   
set out the ,greatness of the ,day of   
the ,lord1  and the ,consternation of   
all ,nature1 at that ,time4 ,he throws  
about his  ,thunder and ,lightning1     
makes the ,hills to melt like ,wax1 at  
the ,presence  of the ,lord1 and the    
very ,foundations of the ,earth to      
tremble1 as you  may see in the xviiith 

,psalm1 and the xcviith1 and the civth1 
and  several others which are too long  
to be here inserted4 ,so the ,prophet   
,habakkuk1 in his prophetick ,prayer1   
,chap4 iii4 hath many  ,ejaculations to 
the like ,purpose4 ,and the ,prophet    
,nahum says1 ,the  ,mountains quake at  
him1 and the ,hills melt1 and the ,earth
 is burnt at  his ,presence3 yea1 the   
,world1 and all that dwell therein4     
,but more particularly1 as to the ,face 
of ,nature1 just before the coming  of  
our ,saviour1 that may be best collected
 from the ,signs of his coming1         
mention'd in the precedent ,chapter4    
,those all meeting together1 help to    
prepare and make ready a ,theatre1 fit  
for an angry ,god to come down  upon4   
,the ,countenance of the ,heavens will  
be dark and gloomy2 and a ,veil  drawn  
over the ,face of the ,sun4 ,the ,earth 
in a ,disposition every where  to break 
into open ,flames4 ,the ,tops of the    
,mountains smoaking2 the  ,rivers dry1  
,earthquakes in several ,places2 the    

,sea sunk and retir'd into  its deepest 
,channel1 and roaring1 as against some  
mighty ,storm4 ,these  ,things will make
 the ,day dead and melancholy2 but the  
,night-,scenes will  have more of       
,horror in them1 when the blazing ,stars
 appear1 like so  many ,furies1 with    
their lighted ,torches1 threatning to   
set all on ,fire4  ,for ,i do not doubt 
but the ,comets will bear a ,part in    
this ,tragedy1 and  have something      
extraordinary in them1 at that ,time2   
either as to ,number1  or ,bigness1 or  
,nearness to the ,earth4 ,besides1 the  
,air will be full of  flaming ,meteors1 
of unusual ,forms and ,magnitudes2      
,balls of ,fire rowling  in the ,sky1   
and pointed ,lightnings darted against  
the ,earth2 mix'd with  ,claps of       
,thunder1 and unusual ,noises from the  
,clouds4 ,the ,moon and the  ,stars will
 be confus'd and irregular1 both in     
their ,light and ,motions2  as if the   
whole ,frame of the ,heavens was out of 
,order1 and all the ,laws  of ,nature   

were broken or expir'd4    ,when all    
,things are in this languishing or dying
 ,posture1 and the  ,inhabitants of the 
,earth under the ,fears of their last   
,end2 the ,heavens  will open on a      
sudden1 and the ,glory of ,god will     
appear4 ,a ,glory  surpassing the ,sun  
in its greatest ,radiancy2 which1 tho'  
we cannot  describe1 we may suppose it  
will bear some ,resemblance1 or         
,proportion1  with those                
,representations that are made in       
,scripture1 of ,god upon his  ,throne4  
,this ,wonder in the ,heavens1          
whatsoever its ,form may be1 will       
presently attract the ,eyes of all the  
,christian ,world4 ,nothing can more    
affect them than an ,object so unusual1 
and so illustrious2 and1 that           
7probably7 brings along with it their   
last ,destiny1 and will put a  ,period  
to all human ,affairs4    ,some of the  
,antients have thought1 that this coming
 of our ,saviour would  be in the dead  
of the ,night1 and his first glorious   

,appearance in the  midst of ,darkness1 
#b ,pet4 iii4 #aj4 ,god is often        
describ'd in ,scripture  as ,light1 or  
,fire1 with ,darkness round about him4  
,he bowed the ,heavens1  and came down2 
and ,darkness was under his ,feet4 ,he  
made ,darkness his  secret ,place1      
,psal4 xviii4 #i1 #aa1 #ab4 ,his        
,pavilion round about him were  dark    
,waters1 and thick ,clouds of the       
,skies4 ,at the ,brightness that was    
before him1 the thick ,clouds passed1   
,psal4 xcvii4 ,and when ,god appeared   
upon ,mount ,sinai1 the ,mountain burnt 
with ,fire unto the midst of  ,heaven1  
with ,darkness1 ,clouds and thick       
,darkness1 ,deut4 iv4 #aa4 ,or1 as  the 
,apostle expresses it1 with ,blackness1 
and ,darkness1 and  ,tempest1 ,heb4 xii4
 #ah4 ,light is never more glorious than
 when  surrounded with ,darkness2 and1  
it may be1 the ,sun1 at that ,time1 will
 be  so obscure1 as to make little      
,distinction of ,day and ,night4 ,but   
however1  this ,divine ,light           

over-bears1 and distinguishes itself    
from common  ,light1 tho' it be at      
,mid-day4 ',twas about ,noon that the   
,light shin'd  from ,heaven1 and        
surrounded ,st4 ,paul1 ,acts xxii4 #f4  
,and 'twas in the  ,day-time that ,st4  
,stephen saw the ,heavens opened2 ,acts 
vii4 #ee1 #ef4  ,saw the ,glory of ,god1
 and ,jesus standing at the ,right ,hand
 of ,god4 ,this  ,light1 which flows    
from a more vital ,source1 be it ,day or
 ,night1 will  always be predominant4   
,that ,appearance of ,god upon ,mount   
,sinai1 which we mention'd1 if we       
reflect upon it1 will help us a little  
to form an ,idea of this last           
,appearance4 ,when ,god had declar'd1   
that he would come down in the ,sight   
of the ,people1 the ,text says1 ,there  
were ,thunders and ,lightnings1 and a   
thick ,cloud upon the ,mount1 and the   
,voice of the ,trumpet exceeding loud2  
so that all the ,people that was in the 
,camp trembled4 ,and ,mount ,sinai  was 
altogether on a ,smoke1 because the     

,lord descended upon it in ,fire4  ,and 
the ,smoke thereof ascended as the      
,smoke of a ,furnace1 and the whole     
,mount quaked greatly4 ,if we look upon 
this ,mount as an ,epitome of the       
,earth1 this ,appearance gives us an    
imperfect ,resemblance of that which  is
 to come4 ,here are the several ,parts1 
or main ,strokes of it2 first1  the     
,heavens and the ,earth in ,smoke and   
,fire2 then the ,appearance of a        
,divine ,glory1 and the ,sound of a     
,trumpet in the ,presence of ,angels4   
,but  as the second ,coming of our      
,saviour1 is a ,triumph over his        
,enemies1 and  an ,entrance into his    
,kingdom1 and is acted upon the ,theatre
 of the whole  ,earth2 so we are to     
suppose1 in proportion1 all the ,parts  
and  ,circumstances of it1 more great   
and magnificent4    ,when1 therefore1   
this mighty ,god returns again to that  
,earth1 where he  had once been ill     
treated1 not ,mount ,sinai only1 but all
 the ,mountains  of the ,earth1 and all 

the ,inhabitants of the ,world1 will    
tremble at his  ,presence4 ,at the the  
opening of the ,heavens1 the ,brightness
 of his  ,person will scatter the dark  
,clouds1 and shoot ,streams of ,light   
throughout all the ,air4 ,but that first
 ,appearance1 being far from the        
,earth1 will seem to be only a great    
,mass of ,light1 without any distinct   
,form2 till1 by nearer ,approaches1 this
 bright ,body shews it self to be  an   
,army of ,angels1 with this ,king of    
,kings for their ,leader4 ,then you  may
 imagine how guilty ,mankind will       
tremble and be astonished2 and while    
they are gazing at this heavenly ,host1 
the ,voice of the ,archangel is  heard1 
the shrill ,sound of the ,trumpet       
reaches their ,ears1 and this  gives the
 general ,alarum to all the ,world3 ,for
 he cometh1 for he  cometh1 they cry1 to
 judge the ,earth4 ,the crucify'd ,god  
is return'd in  ,glory1 to take         
,vengeance upon his ,enemies3 ,not only 
upon those that  pierced his sacred     

,body1 with ,nails1 and with a ,spear1  
as ,jerusalem2  but those that also     
pierce him every ,day by their          
,profaneness1 and hard  ,speeches1      
concerning his ,person1 and his         
,religion4 ,now they see that  ,god1    
whom they have mock'd1 or blasphem'd1   
laugh'd at his ,meanness1 or  at his    
vain ,threats2 they see ,him1 and are   
confounded with ,shame and  ,fear2 and  
in the ,bitterness of their ,anguish and
 ,despair1 call for the  ,mountains to  
fall upon them1 ,isa4 ii4 #bi4 ,fly into
 the ,clefts of the  ,rocks1 and into   
the ,caves of the ,earth1 for fear of   
the ,lord1 ,rev4 vi4  #af1 #ag4 and the 
,glory of ,his ,majesty1 when he ariseth
 to shake terribly  the ,earth4    ,as  
it is not possible for us to express1 or
 conceive the ,dread1 and  ,majesty of  
this ,appearance2 so neither can we1 on 
the other ,hand1  express the ,passions 
and ,consternation of the ,people that  
behold it4  ,these ,things exceed the   
,measures of ,human ,affairs1 and of    

,human  ,thoughts2 we have neither      
,words1 nor ,comparisons1 to make them  
known by4  ,the greatest ,pomp and      
,magnificence of the ,emperors of the   
,east1 in  their ,armies1 in their      
,triumphs1 in their ,inaugurations1 is  
but like the  ,sport and ,entertainment 
of ,children1 if compar'd with this     
,solemnity4  ,when ,god condescends to  
an external ,glory1 with a visible      
,train and  ,equipage2 when1 from all   
the ,provinces of his vast and boundless
 ,empire1  he summons his ,nobles1 as ,i
 may so say1 the several ,orders of     
,angels1  and ,archangels1 to attend his
 ,person2 tho' we cannot tell the ,form 
or  ,manner of this ,appearance1 we know
 there is nothing in our ,experience1   
or in the whole ,history of this ,world1
 that can be a just ,representation  of 
the least ,part of it4 ,no ,armies so   
numerous as the ,host of ,heaven2  and  
in the midst of those bright ,legions1  
in a flaming ,chariot1 will sit  the    
,son of ,man1 when he comes to be       

glorified in his ,saints1 and triumph   
over his ,enemies3 ,and instead of the  
wild ,noises of the ,rabble1 which      
makes a great ,part of our ,worldly     
,state1 this blessed ,company will      
breathe their ,hallelujahs into the open
 ,air1 and repeated ,acclamations  of   
,salvation to ,god1 which sits upon the 
,throne1 and to the ,lamb1 ,apoc4  vii4 
#aj4 ,now is come ,salvation and        
,strength1 and the ,kingdom of our ,god1
  and the ,power of his ,christ1 ch4    
xii4 #aj4    ,but ,i leave the rest to  
our silent ,devotion and ,admiration4   
,only give me  leave1 whilst this       
,object is before our ,eyes1 to make a  
short ,reflection  upon the wonderful   
,history of our ,saviour2 and the       
different ,states  which that sacred    
,person1 within the ,compass of our     
,knowledge1 hath  undergone4 ,we now see
 him coming in the ,clouds1 in ,glory   
and ,triumph1  surrounded with          
innumerable ,angels3 ,this is the same  
,person1 who1 so  many ,hundred ,years  

ago1 enter'd ,jerusalem1 with another   
sort of  ,equipage1 mounted upon an     
,ass's ,colt1 while the little ,people1 
and the  ,multitude cry'd1 ,hosanna to  
the ,son of ,david4 ,nay1 this is the   
same  ,person1 that1 at his first       
,coming into this ,world1 was laid in a 
,manger1  instead of a ,cradle2 a naked 
,babe dropt in a ,crib at ,bethlehem    
7,luke  ii4 #ab47 his poor ,mother not  
having wherewithal to get her a better  
,lodging1 when she was to be delivered  
of this sacred ,burthen4 ,this  helpless
 ,infant1 that often wanted a little    
,milk to refresh it1 and  support its   
,weakness2 that hath often cry'd for the
 ,breast with ,hunger  and ,tears1 now  
appears to be the ,lord of ,heaven and  
,earth4 ,if this  ,divine ,person had   
fallen from the ,clouds in a ,mortal    
,body1 cloath'd with  ,flesh and ,blood1
 and spent his ,life here amongst       
,sinners1 that alone had  been an       
infinite ,condescension3 ,but1 as if it 
had not been enough to  take upon him   

human ,nature1 he was content1 for many 
,months1 to live the  ,life of an       
,animal1 or of a ,plant1 in the dark    
,cell of a ,woman's ,womb4  ,this is the
 ,lord's ,doing1 it is marvellous in our
 ,eyes6    ,neither is this all that is 
wonderful in the ,story of our ,saviour4
 ,if  the ,manner of his ,death1 be     
compar'd with his present ,glory1 we    
shall  think either the one or the other
 incredible4 ,look up first into the    
,heavens2 see how they bow under him1   
and receive a new ,light from the       
,glory of his ,presence2 then look down 
upon the ,earth1 and see a naked  ,body1
 hanging upon a cursed ,tree in         
,golgotha1 crucified between two        
,thieves1 wounded1 spit upon1 mock'd1   
abus'd4 ,is it possible to believe1     
that one1 and the same ,person can act  
or suffer such different ,parts8  ,that 
he that is now ,lord and ,master of all 
,nature1 not only of ,death and  ,hell1 
and the ,powers of ,darkness1 but of all
 ,principalities in heavenly  ,places1  

is the same ,infant ,jesus1 the same    
crucified ,jesus1 of whose  ,life and   
,death the ,christian ,records give us  
an ,account8 ,the ,history of  this     
,person is the ,wonder of this ,world2  
and not of this ,world only1 but  of the
 ,angels above1 that desire to look into
 it 7#a ,pet4 i4 #aa1 #ab47    ,let us  
now return to our ,subject4 ,we left the
 ,earth in a languishing  ,condition1   
ready to be made a ,burnt ,offering1 to 
appease the ,wrath of  its offended     
,lord4 ,when ,sodom was to be destroy'd 
7,gen4 xviii47  ,abraham interceded with
 ,god1 that he would spare it for the   
,righteous  ,sake2 and ,david 7#b ,sam4 
xxiv4 #ag47 interceded to save his      
guiltless  ,people1 from ,god's         
,judgments1 and the destroying ,angel3  
,but here is no  ,intercessor for       
,mankind in this last ,extremity2 none  
to interpose1 where  the ,mediator of   
our ,peace1 is the ,party offended4     
,shall then1 the  ,righteous perish with
 the ,wicked8 ,shall not the ,judge of  

all the ,earth  do right8 ,or1 if the   
,righteous be translated and deliver'd  
from this  ,fire1 what shall become of  
innocent ,children and ,infants8 ,must  
these all  be given up to the merciless 
,flames1 as a ,sacrifice to ,moloch8    
,and  their tender ,flesh1 like burnt   
,incense1 send up ,fumes to feed the    
,nostrils of ,evil ,spirits8 ,can the   
,god of ,israel smell a sweet ,savour   
from such ,sacrifices8 ,the greater half
 of ,mankind is made up of ,infants  and
 ,children2 and if the ,wicked be       
destroy'd2 yet these ,lambs1 what  have 
they done8 ,are there no ,bowels of     
,compassion for such an harmless        
,multitude8 ,but we leave them to their 
,guardian ,angels1 and to that          
,providence which watches over all      
,things 7,mat4 xviii4 #aj47    ,it only 
remains1 therefore1 to let fall that    
,fire from ,heaven1 which is  to consume
 this ,holocaust4 ,imagine all ,nature  
now standing in a silent  ,expectation  
to receive its last ,doom2 the tutelary 

and destroying ,angels  to have their   
,instructions2 every ,thing to be ready 
for the fatal ,hour2  and then1 after a 
little ,silence1 all the ,host of       
,heaven to raise their  ,voice1 and sing
 aloud1 ,,let ,,god ,,arise1 let his    
,enemies be scattered3 ,as  ,smoke is   
driven away1 so drive them away2 as ,wax
 melteth before the  ,fire1 so ,,let the
 ,wicked perish at the ,presence of     
,god4 ,and upon this1  as upon a ,signal
 given1 all the sublunary ,world breaks 
into ,flames1 and  all the ,treasuries  
or ,fire are open'd in ,heaven1 and in  
,earth4    ,thus the ,conflagration     
begins4 ,if one should now go about to  
represent  the ,world on ,fire1 with all
 the ,confusions that necessarily must  
be in  ,nature1 and in ,mankind upon    
that ,occasion1 it would seem to most   
,men a  ,romantick ,scene3 ,yet we are  
sure there must be such a ,scene2 ,the  
,heavens will pass away with a ,noise1  
and the ,elements will melt with        
fervent ,heat1 and all the ,works of the

 ,earth will be burnt up3 ,and  these   
,things cannot come to pass without the 
greatest ,disorders  imaginable1 both in
 the ,minds of ,men1 and in external    
,nature1 and the  saddest ,spectacles   
that ,eye can behold4 ,we think it a    
great ,matter to  see a single ,person  
burnt alive2 here are ,millions         
shrieking in the  ,flames at once4 ',tis
 frightful to us to look upon a great   
,city in  ,flames1 and to see the       
,distractions and ,misery of the        
,people2 here is an  universal ,fire    
through all the ,cities of the ,earth1  
and an universal  ,massacre of their    
,inhabitants4 ,whatsoever the ,prophets 
foretold of the  ,desolations of ,judea1
 ,jerusalem1 or ,babylon 7,isa4 xxiv4   
,jer4  li4 ,lament47 in the highest     
,strains1 is more than literally        
accomplish'd in this last and general   
,calamity2 and those only that are      
,spectators of it1 can make its         
,history4    ,the ,disorders in ,nature1
 and the inanimate ,world1 will be no   

less1 nor  less strange and             
unaccountable1 than those in ,mankind4  
,every ,element1  and every ,region1 so 
far as the ,bounds of this ,fire extend1
 will be in a  ,tumult and a ,fury1 and 
the whole habitable ,world running into 
,confusion4  ,a ,world is sooner        
destroyed than made2 and ,nature        
relapses hastily into  that             
,chaos-,state1 out of which she came by 
slow and leisurely ,motions3  ,as an    
,army advances into the ,field by just  
and regular ,marches2 but when  it is   
broken and routed1 it flies with        
,precipitation1 and one cannot  describe
 its ,posture4 ,fire is a barbarous     
,enemy1 it gives no ,mercy2  there is   
nothing but ,fury1 and ,rage1 and ,ruin1
 and ,destruction1  wheresoever it      
prevails4 ,a ,storm1 or ,hurricano1 tho'
 it be but the  ,force of ,air1 makes a 
strange ,havock where it comes2 but     
devouring  ,flames1 or ,exhalations set 
on ,fire1 have still a far greater      
,violence1  and carry more ,terror along

 with them4 ,thunder and ,earthquakes   
are the  ,sons of ,fire2 and we know    
nothing in all ,nature more impetuous1  
or more  irresistibly destructive than  
these two4 ,and accordingly in this last
  ,war of the ,elements1 we may be sure1
 they will bear their ,parts1 and do    
great ,execution in the several ,regions
 of the ,world4 ,earthquakes and        
subterraneous ,eruptions will tear the  
,body and ,bowels of the ,earth2 and    
,thunders and convulsive ,motions of the
 ,air rend the ,skies4 ,the ,waters of  
the ,sea will boil and struggle with    
,streams of ,sulphur that run into      
them2 which will make them fume1 and    
smoke1 and roar1 beyond all ,storms  and
 ,tempests2 and these ,noises of the    
,sea will be answer'd again from  the   
,land1 by falling ,rocks and ,mountains4
 ,this is a small ,part of the          
,disorders of that ,day4    ,but 'tis   
not possible1 from any ,station1 to have
 a full ,prospect of this  last ,scene  
of the ,earth2 for 'tis a ,mixture of   

,fire and ,darkness4 ,this  new ,temple 
is fill'd with ,smoke1 while it is      
consecrating1 and none can  enter into  
it4 ,but ,i am apt to think1 if we could
 look down upon this  burning ,world    
from above the ,clouds1 and have a full 
,view of it1 in all  its ,parts1 we     
should think it a lively ,representation
 of ,hell it self4  ,for ,fire and      
,darkness are the two chief ,things by  
which that ,state1 or  that ,place1 uses
 to be described2 and they are both here
 mingled  together1 with all other      
,ingredients that make that ,tophet that
 is  prepared of old1 7,isa4 xxx47 ,here
 are ,lakes of ,fire and ,brimstone2    
,rivers of melted glowing ,matter2 ten  
thousand ,vulcano's vomiting  ,flames   
all at once2 thick ,darkness1 and       
,pillars of ,smoke twisted about  with  
,wreaths of ,flame1 like fiery ,snakes2 
,mountains of ,earth thrown up  into the
 ,air1 and the ,heavens dropping down in
 ,lumps of ,fire4 ,these  ,things will  
all be literally true1 concerning that  

,day1 and that ,state  of the ,earth4   
,and if we suppose ,beelzebub1 and his  
apostate ,crew1 in  the midst of this   
fiery ,furnace 7and ,i know not where   
they can be else27  it will be hard to  
find any ,part of the ,universe1 or any 
,state of  ,things1 that answers to so  
many of the ,properties and ,characters 
of  ,hell1 as this which is now before  
us4    ,but if we suppose the ,storm    
over1 and that the ,fire hath got an    
entire  ,victory over all other ,bodies1
 and subdued every ,thing to itself2 the
  ,conflagration will end in a ,deluge  
of ,fire1 or in a ,sea of ,fire1        
covering the whole ,globe of the ,earth3
 ,for1 when the exterior ,region of  the
 ,earth is melted into a ,fluor1 like   
molten ,glass1 or running ,metal1  it   
will1 according to the ,nature of other 
,fluids1 fill all ,vacuities and        
,depressions1 and fall into a regular   
,surface1 at an equal ,distance every   
where1 from its ,center4 ,this ,sea of  
,fire1 like the first ,abyss1 will      

cover the ,face of the whole ,earth1    
make a kind of second ,chaos1 and  leave
 a ,capacity for another ,world to rise 
from it4 ,but that is not our  present  
,business4 ,let us only1 if you please1 
to take ,leave of this  ,subject1       
reflect1 upon this ,occasion1 on the    
,vanity and transient ,glory  of all    
this habitable ,world2 how1 by the      
,force of one ,element breaking  loose  
upon the rest1 all the ,varieties of    
,nature1 all the ,works of ,art1  all   
the ,labours of ,men1 are reduc'd to    
nothing2 all that we admir'd and  ador'd
 before1 as great and magnificent1 is   
obliterated or vanish'd2 and  another   
,form and ,face of ,things1 plain1      
simple1 and every where the  same1      
overspreads the whole ,earth4 ,where are
 now the great ,empires of  the ,world1 
and their great ,imperial ,cities8      
,their ,pillars1 ,trophies1 and         
,monuments of ,glory8 ,shew me where    
they stood1 read the ,inscription1 tell 
me the ,victor's ,name4 ,what ,remains1 

what ,impressions1 what ,difference or  
,distinction do you see in this ,mass of
 ,fire8 ,rome itself1 eternal  ,rome1   
the great ,city1 the ,empress of the    
,world1 whole ,domination and           
,superstition1 antient and modern1 make 
a great ,part of the ,history  of this  
,earth2 what is become of her now8 ,she 
laid her ,foundations deep1  and her    
,palaces were strong and sumptuous3 ,she
 glorified herself1 and  liv'd          
deliciously2 and said in her ,heart1 ,i 
sit a ,queen1 and shall see  no ,sorrow4
 ,but her ,hour is come1 she is wip'd   
away from the ,face of the  ,earth1 and 
buried in perpetual ,oblivion4 ,but 'tis
 not ,cities only1 and  ,works of ,mens 
,hands1 but the everlasting ,hills1 the 
,mountains and ,rocks  of the ,earth1   
are melted as ,wax before the ,sun2 and 
their ,place is no  where found4 ,here  
stood the ,alps1 a prodigious ,range of 
,stone1 the  ,load of the ,earth1 that  
covered many ,countries1 and reach'd    
their ,arms  from the ,ocean to the     

,black ,sea2 this huge ,mass of ,stone  
is soften'd  and dissolv'd1 as a tender 
,cloud1 into ,rain4 ,here stood the     
,african  ,mountains1 and ,atlas with   
his ,top above the ,clouds4 ,there was  
frozen  ,caucasus1 and ,taurus1 and     
,imaus1 and the ,mountains of ,asia4    
,and  yonder1 towards the ,north1 stood 
the ,riphan ,hills1 cloath'd in ,ice    
and ,snow4 ,all these are vanish'd1     
dropt away as the ,snow upon their      
,heads1 and swallow'd up in a red ,sea  
of ,fire1 7,revel4 xv4 #c47 ,great  and 
marvellous are thy ,works1 ,lord ,god   
,almighty2 just and true are thy  ,ways1
 thou ,king of ,saints4 ,hallelujah4    
,the ,,conclusion4      ,if the         
,conflagration of the ,world be a       
,reality1 as1 both by ,scripture  and   
,antiquity we are assur'd it is2 if we  
be fully persuaded and  convinc'd of    
this2 ',tis a ,thing of that ,nature1   
that we cannot keep it  long in our     
,thoughts1 without making some moral    
,reflections upon it4  ',tis both great 

in itself1 and of universal ,concern to 
all ,mankind4 ,who  can look upon such  
an ,object1 a ,world in ,flames1 without
 thinking with  himself1 ,whether shall 
,i be in the midst of these ,flames1 or 
no8 ,what is  my ,security that ,i shall
 not fall under this fiery ,vengeance1  
which is  the ,wrath of an angry ,god8  
,st4 ,peter1 when he had delivered the  
,doctrine of the ,conflagration1 makes  
this pious ,reflection upon it3 #b  ,ep4
 iii4 #aa4 ,seeing then1 that all these 
,things shall be dissolved1  what manner
 of ,persons ought you to be1 in all    
holy ,conversation and  ,godliness8 ,the
 ,strength of his ,argument depends     
chiefly upon what he  had said before in
 ver4 #g4 where he told us1 that the    
present ,heavens  and ,earth were       
reserved unto ,fire against the ,day of 
,judgment1 and the  ,perdition of       
irreligious ,men4 ,we must avoid the    
,crime then1 if we would  escape the    
,punishment4 ,but this ,expression of   
irreligious or ungodly  ,men1 is still  

very general4 ,st4 ,paul1 when he speaks
 of this fiery  ,indignation1 and the   
,persons it is to fall upon1 is more    
distinct in  their ,characters4 ,he     
seems to mark out for this ,destruction1
 three ,sorts  of ,men chiefly2 ,the    
,atheists1 ,infidels1 and the ,tribe of 
,antichrist3  ,these are his ,words1 #b 
,thess4 i4 #g1 #h4 ,when the ,lord      
,jesus shall be  revealed from ,heaven1 
with his mighty ,angels1 in flaming     
,fire1 taking  ,vengeance on them that  
know not ,god1 and that obey not the    
,gospel of our  ,lord ,jesus ,christ4   
,then as for ,antichrist and his        
,adherents1 he says in  the #b;d        
,chapter1 and viiith ,verse1 ,the ,lord 
shall consume that wicked  ,one1 with   
the ,spirit of his ,mouth1 and shall    
destroy him with the  ,brightness of his
 ,coming1 or of his ,presence4 ,these1  
you see1 all refer  to the same ,time   
with ,st4 ,peter3 ,namely1 to the       
,coming of our ,saviour1  at the        
,conflagration2 and three ,sorts of     

,persons are characteriz'd as  his      
,enemies1 and set out for ,destruction  
at that ,time4 ,first1 ,those  that know
 not ,god2 that is1 that acknowledge not
 ,god1 that will not own  the ,deity4   
,secondly1 ,those that hearken not to   
the ,gospel2 that is1  that reject the  
,gospel1 and ,christian ,religion1 when 
they are preach'd  and made known to    
them3 ,for you must not think1 that it  
is the poor  barbarous and ignorant     
,heathens1 that scarce ever heard of    
,god1 or the  ,gospel1 that are         
threatned with this fiery ,vengeance2   
no1 'tis the  ,heathens that live       
amongst ,christians2 those that are     
,infidels1 as to  the ,existence of     
,god1 or the ,truth of ,christian       
,religion1 tho they have  had a full    
,manifestation of both3 ,these are      
properly the ,adversaries of  ,god and  
,christ4 ,and such ,adversaries1 ,st4   
,paul says in another ,place1  ,a       
fearful ,judgment1 and fiery            
,indignation shall devour3 7,heb4 x4    

#bg47 ,which still refers to the same   
,time1 and the same ,persons we are     
speaking of4 ,then as to the third ,sort
 of ,men1 ,antichrist1 and his          
,followers2 besides1 this ,text of ,st4 
,paul to the ,thessalonians1 'tis  plain
 to me in the ,apocalypse1 that         
,mystical ,babylon is to be  consum'd by
 ,fire2 and the ,beast and ,false       
,prophet1 to be thrown into  the ,lake  
that burns with ,fire and ,brimstone4   
,which ,lake is no where to  be found   
till the ,conflagration4    ,you see    
then1 for whom ,tophet is prepar'd of   
,old2 for ,atheists1  ,infidels1 and    
,antichristian ,persecutors3 ,and they  
will have for their  ,companions1 the   
,devil and his ,angels1 the ,heads of   
the ,apostasy4 ,these  are all in open  
,rebellion against ,god and ,christ1 and
 at ,defiance1 as it  were1 with        
,heaven2 excepting ,antichrist1 who is  
rather in a secret  ,conspiracy1 than an
 open ,rebellion3 ,for1 under a         
pretended ,commission  from ,jesus      

,christ1 he persecutes his ,servants1   
dishonours his ,person1  corrupts his   
,laws and his ,government1 and makes    
,war against his ,saints4  ,and this is 
a greater ,affront and ,provocation1 if 
possible1 than a  barefac'd ,opposition 
would be4    ,there are other ,men1     
besides these1 that are unacceptable to 
,god1 all  ,sorts of ,sinners and wicked
 ,persons2 but they are not so properly 
the  ,enemies of ,god1 as these we have 
mentioned4 ,an intemperate ,man is an   
,enemy to himself2 and an unjust ,man is
 an ,enemy to his ,neighbour2 but  those
 that deny ,god1 or ,christ1 or         
persecute their ,servants1 are          
directly1 and immediately ,enemies to   
,god3 ,and1 therefore1 when the ,lord   
comes in ,flames of ,fire1 to triumph   
over his ,enemies1 to take ,vengeance   
upon all that are ,rebels or            
,conspirators against ,him1 and his     
,christ2  these ,monsters of ,men will  
be the first1 and most exemplary        
,objects of  the ,divine ,wrath and     

,indignation4    ,to undertake to speak 
to these three ,orders of ,men1 and     
convince them of  their ,error1 and the 
,danger of it1 would be too much for the
 ,conclusion  of a short ,treatise4 ,and
 as for the third ,sort1 the ,subjects  
of  ,antichrist1 none but the ,learned  
amongst them are allow'd to be          
inquisitive1 or to read such ,things as 
condemn their ,church1 or the           
,governors of it2 therefore1 ,i do not  
not expect that this ,english           
,translation should fall into many of   
their ,hands4 ,but those of them1  that 
are pleas'd to look into the ,latin1    
will find1 in the ,conclusion  of it1 a 
full and fair ,warning to come out of   
,babylon2 which is there  proved to be  
the ,church of ,rome4 ,then as to those 
that are  ,atheistically inclin'd1 which
 ,i am willing to believe are not many2 
,i  desire them to consider1 how mean a 
,thing it is1 to have ,hopes only in    
this ,life2 and how uneasy a ,thing1 to 
have nothing but ,fears1 as to the      

,future4 ,those1 sure1 must be little1  
narrow ,souls1 that can make  themselves
 a ,portion1 and a ,sufficiency1 out of 
what they enjoy here2  that think of no 
more2 that desire no more3 ,for1 what is
 this ,life1 but  a ,circulation of     
little1 mean ,actions8 ,we lie down and 
rise again2 dress  and undress2 feed and
 wax hungry2 work1 or play1 and are     
weary2 and then  we lie down again1 and 
the ,circle returns4 ,we spend the ,day 
in ,trifles1  and when the ,night comes1
 we throw our selves into the ,bed of   
,folly1  among ,dreams1 and broken      
,thoughts1 and wild ,imaginations4 ,our 
,reason  lies asleep by us2 and we are1 
for the ,time1 as arrant ,brutes1 as    
those  that sleep in the ,stalls1 or in 
the ,field4 ,are not the ,capacities of 
,man  higher than these8 ,and ought not 
his ,ambition and ,expectations to be   
greater8 ,let us be ,adventurers for    
another ,world2 'tis1 at least1 a fair  
and noble ,chance2 and there is nothing 
in this1 worth our ,thoughts1 or  our   

,passions4 ,if we should be             
disappointed1 we are still no worse than
  the rest of our ,fellow-,mortals2 and 
if we succeed in our ,expectations1  we 
are eternally happy4    ,for my ,part1  
,i cannot be persuaded1 that any ,man1  
of atheistical  ,inclinations1 can have 
a great and generous ,soul2 for there is
 nothing  great in the ,world1 if you   
take ,god out of it3 ,therefore1 such a 
,person  can have no great ,thought1 can
 have no great ,aims1 or ,expectations1 
or  ,designs3 ,for all must lie within  
the ,compass of this ,life1 and of this 
dull ,body4 ,neither can he have any    
great ,instincts or noble ,passions2    
for if he had1 they would naturally     
excite in him greater ,ideas1 inspire   
him with higher ,notions1 and open the  
,scenes of the intellectual ,world4     
,lastly1 he cannot have any great ,sense
 of ,order1 ,wisdom1 ,goodness1         
,providence1 or any of the divine       
,perfections3 ,and these are the        
greatest  ,things that can enter into   

the ,thoughts of ,man1 and that do most 
enlarge  and ennoble his ,mind4 ,and    
therefore ,i say again1 that he that is 
naturally inclined to ,atheism1 being   
also naturally destitute of all  these1 
must have a little and narrow ,soul4    
,but you'll say1 it may be1 this is to  
expostulate1 rather than to prove3  or  
to upbraid us with our ,make and        
,temper1 rather than to convince us of  
an ,error in ,speculation4 ',tis an     
,error1 it may be1 in ,practice1 or in  
,point of ,prudence2 but we seek ,truth1
 whether it make for us1 or against  us3
 ,convince us therefore by just         
,reasoning and direct ,arguments1 that  
there is a ,god1 and then we'll         
endeavour to correct these ,defects in  
our  natural ,complexion4 ,you say well1
 and therefore ,i have endeavour'd to do
  this before1 in another ,part of this 
,theory1 in the ,second ,book1 ch4      
,,ii4 concerning the ,author of ,nature3
 ,where you may see1 that the  ,powers  
of ,nature1 or of the material ,world1  

cannot answer all the  ,phnomena of the 
,universe1 which are there represented4 
,this you may  consult at ,leisure3 ,but
 in the mean ,time1 'tis a good         
,persuasive why we  should not easily   
give our selves up to such ,inclinations
 or ,opinions1  as have neither         
,generosity nor ,prudence on their      
,side4 ,and it cannot be  amiss1 that   
these ,persons should often take into   
their ,thoughts this  last ,scene of    
,things1 the ,conflagration of the      
,world3 ,seeing if there  be a ,god1    
they will certainly be found in the     
,number of his ,enemies1 and  of those  
that will have their ,portion in the    
,lake that burns with ,fire  and        
,brimstone4    ,the third ,sort of      
,persons that we are to speak to1 are   
the ,incredulous1  or such as do not    
believe the ,truth of ,christian        
,religion1 though they  believe there is
 a ,god4 ,there are commonly ,men of    
,wit and ,pleasure1 that  have not      
,patience enough to consider1 cooly and 

in due ,order1 the  ,grounds upon which 
it appears that ,christian ,religion is 
from ,heaven1  and of divine ,authority4
 ,they ought1 in the first ,place1 to   
examine  ,matter of ,fact1 and the      
,history of our ,saviour3 ,that there   
was such a  ,person1 in the ,reigns of  
,augustus and ,tiberius1 that wrought   
such  and such ,miracles in ,judea2     
taught such a ,doctrine2 was crucified  
at  ,jerusalem2 rose from the ,dead the 
third ,day1 and visibly ascended into   
,heaven4 ,if these ,matters of ,fact be 
denied1 then the ,controversy turns     
only to an historical ,question1        
,whether the ,evangelical ,history be a 
fabulous1 or true ,history8 which it    
would not be proper to examine in  this 
,place4 ,but if ,matter of ,fact        
recorded there1 and in the ,acts of the 
,apostles1 and the first ,ages of       
,christianity1 be acknowledged1 as ,i   
suppose it is1 then the ,question that  
remains is this1 ,whether such  ,matter 
of ,fact does not sufficiently prove the

 divine ,authority of ,jesus  ,christ   
and of his ,doctrine8 ,we suppose it    
possible1 for a ,person to have  such   
,testimonials of divine ,authority1 as  
may be sufficient to convince  ,mankind1
 or the more reasonable ,part of        
,mankind2 and if that be  possible1     
what1 pray1 is wanting in the           
,testimonies of ,jesus ,christ8 ,the    
,prophecies of the old ,testament bear  
,witness to him3 ,his ,birth was a      
,miracle1 and his ,life a ,train of     
,miracles2 not wrought out of ,levity   
and  vain ,ostentation1 but for useful  
and charitable ,purposes3 ,his ,doctrine
  and ,morality not only blameless1 but 
noble2 designed to remove out of  the   
,world the imperfect ,religion of the   
,jews1 and the false ,religion  of the  
,gentiles2 all ,idolatry and            
,superstition1 and thereby improve      
,mankind1 under a better and more       
perfect ,dispensation4 ,he gave an      
,example of a spotless ,innocency in all
 his ,conversation1 free from ,vice  or 

any ,evil2 and liv'd in a ,neglect of   
all the ,pomp or ,pleasures of this     
,life1 referring his ,happiness wholly  
to another ,world4 ,he prophesied       
concerning his own ,death1 and his      
,resurrection2 and concerning the       
,destruction of ,jerusalem2 which all   
came to pass in a signal ,manner3  ,he  
also prophesied of the ,success of his  
,gospel2 which1 after his ,death1       
immediately took ,root1 and spread      
itself every ,way throughout the ,world1
  maugre all ,opposition or ,persecution
 from ,jews or ,heathens4 ,it was  not  
supported by any temporal ,power for    
above three hundred ,years3 nor  were   
any ,arts used1 or ,measures taken1     
according to human ,prudence1 for  the  
,conservation of it4 ,but1 to omit other
 ,things1 that grand ,article of  his   
rising from the ,dead1 ascending visibly
 into ,heaven1 and pouring  down the    
miraculous ,gifts of the ,holy ,ghost1  
7according as he had  promis'd7 upon his
 ,apostles and their ,followers2 this   

alone is to me a  ,demonstration of his 
divine ,authority4 ,to conquer ,death1  
to mount1 like  an ,eagle1 into the     
,skies1 and to inspire his ,followers   
with inimitable  ,gifts and ,faculties1 
are ,things1 without ,controversy1      
beyond all human  ,power2 and may and   
ought to be esteem'd sure ,credentials  
of a ,person  sent from ,heaven4        
,from these ,matters of ,fact we have   
all possible ,assurance1 that ,jesus    
,christ was no ,impostor or deluded     
,person2 7one of which two ,characters  
all ,unbelievers must fix upon him7 but 
commission'd by ,heaven to  introduce a 
new ,religion2 to reform the ,world1 to 
remove ,judaism and  ,idolatry2 the     
beloved ,son of ,god1 the great ,prophet
 of the later ,ages1  the true ,messiah 
that was to come4    ,it may be1 you    
will confess1 that these are great      
,arguments1 that the  ,author of our    
,religion was a divine ,person1 and had 
supernatural ,powers3  ,but withal1 that
 there are so many ,difficulties in     

,christian ,religion1  and so many      
,things unintelligible1 that a rational 
,man knows not how to  believe it1      
though he be inclined to admire the     
,person of ,jesus ,christ4  ,i answer1  
if they be such ,difficulties as are    
made only by the ,schools  and          
disputacious ,doctors1 you are not to   
trouble your self about them1  for they 
are of no ,authority3 ,but if they be in
 the very ,words of  ,scripture1 then   
'tis either in ,things practical1 or in 
,things merely  speculative4 ,as to the 
,rules of ,practice in ,christian       
,religion1 ,i do not  know any ,thing in
 ,scripture obscure or unintelligible2  
and as to  ,speculations1 great         
,discretion and ,moderation is to be    
used in the  ,conduct of them4 ,if these
 ,matters of ,fact1 which we have       
alledged1 prove  the ,divinity of the   
,revelation1 keep close to the ,words of
 that  ,revelation1 asserting no more   
than it asserts1 and you cannot err3    
,but  if you will expatiate1 and        

determine ,modes1 and ,forms1 and       
,consequences1  you may easily be puzled
 by your own ,forwardness4 ,for besides 
some  ,things that are in their own     
,nature infinite and incomprehensible1  
there  are many other ,things in        
,christian ,religion1 that are          
incompleatly  revealed2 the full        
,knowledge whereof1 it has pleased ,god 
to reserve to  another ,life1 and to    
give us only a summary ,account of them 
at present4  ,we have so much ,deference
 for any ,government1 as not to expect  
that all  their ,counsels and ,secrets  
should be made known to us1 nor to      
censure  every ,action1 whose ,reasons  
we do not fully comprehend2 much more in
 the  providential ,administration of a 
,world1 we must be content to know so   
much of the ,counsels of ,heaven and of 
supernatural ,truths1 as ,god has       
thought fit to reveal to us4 ,and if    
these ,truths be no otherwise than in  a
 general ,manner1 summarily and         
incompletely revealed in this ,life1 as 

commonly they are1 we must not therefore
 throw off the ,government1 or  reject  
the whole ,dispensation2 of whose divine
 ,authority we have  otherways full     
,proof1 and satisfactory ,evidence3 ,for
 this would be1 to  lose the ,substance 
in catching at a ,shadow4    ,but ,men  
that live continually in the ,noise of  
the ,world1 amidst  ,business1 and      
,pleasures1 their ,time is commonly     
shar'd betwixt those  two1 so that      
little or nothing is left for           
,meditation2 at least1 not  enough for  
such ,meditations as require ,length1   
,justness1 and ,order4 ,they  should    
retire from the ,crowd for one ,month or
 two1 to study the ,truth of  ,christian
 ,religion1 if they have any ,doubt of  
it4 ,they retire sometimes  to cure a   
,gout1 or other ,disease1 and diet      
themselves according to ,rule2  but they
 will not be at that ,pains1 to cure a  
,disease of the ,mind1 which  is of far 
greater1 and more fatal ,consequence4   
,if they perish by their  own           

,negligence or ,obstinacy1 the          
,physician is not to blame4 ,burning is 
the last ,remedy in some ,distempers2   
and they would do well to remember1     
that the ,world will flame about their  
,heads one of these ,days2 and  whether 
they be amongst the ,living1 or amongst 
the ,dead1 at that ,time1  the ,apostle 
makes them a ,part of the ,fewel1 which 
that fiery ,vengeance  will prey upon4  
,our ,saviour hath been true to his     
,word hitherto2 whether  in his         
,promises1 or in his ,threatnings4 ,he  
promis'd the ,apostles to send  down the
 ,holy ,ghost upon them after his       
,ascension1 and that was fully          
accomplish'd3 ,he foretold1 and         
threaten'd the ,destruction of          
,jerusalem2 and that came to pass       
accordingly1 soon after he had left  the
 ,world3 ,and he hath told us also1 that
 he will come again in the  ,clouds of  
,heaven1 ,matt4 xxiv4 #cj4 with ,power  
and great ,glory2 and1  xxv4 #cb4 c4 and
 that will be to judge the ,world4 ,when

 the ,son of  ,man shall come in his    
,glory1 and all the holy ,angels with   
him1 then  shall he sit upon the ,throne
 of his ,glory3 and before him shall be 
gathered all ,nations2 and he will      
separate the ,good from the ,bad2 and   
to the ,wicked and ,unbelievers he will 
say1 ,ver4 #da4 ,depart from me1  ye    
,cursed1 into everlasting ,fire1        
prepared for the ,devil and his         
,angels4 ,this is the same ,coming1 and 
the same ,fire1 with that which we      
mention'd before out of ,st4 ,paul1 #b  
,thess4 i4 #g1 #h1 #i2 as you will      
plainly see1 if you compare ,saint      
,matthew's ,words with ,saint ,paul's1  
which are these1 ,when the ,lord ,jesus 
shall be revealed from ,heaven1  with   
his mighty ,angels1 in flaming ,fire1   
taking ,vengeance on them that  know not
 ,god1 and that hearken not to the      
,gospel of our ,lord ,jesus  ,christ3   
,who shall be punish'd with everlasting 
,destruction1 from1 or by1  the         
,presence of the ,lord1 and the ,glory  

of his ,power4 ,this1 methinks1  should 
be an awakening ,thought1 that there is 
such a ,threatning upon  ,record 7by one
 who never yet failed in his ,word7     
against those that do  not believe his  
,testimony4 ,those that reject him now  
as a ,dupe1 or an  ,impostor1 run a     
,hazard of seeing him hereafter coming  
in the ,clouds to  be their ,judge4 ,and
 it will be too late then to correct    
their ,error1  when the bright ,armies  
of ,angels fill the ,air1 and the ,earth
 begins to  melt at the ,presence of the
 ,lord4    ,thus much concerning those  
three ,ranks of ,men1 whom the ,apostle 
,saint  ,paul seems to point at         
principally1 and condemn to the ,flames4
 ,but1 as  ,i said before1 the rest of  
,sinners1 and vicious ,persons1 amongst 
the  ,professors of ,christianity1      
though they are not so directly the     
,enemies  of ,god1 as these are2 yet    
being ,transgressors of his ,law1 they  
must  expect to be brought to ,justice4 
,in every well-govern'd ,state1 not only

  ,traitors and ,rebels that offend more
 immediately against the ,person of  the
 ,prince2 but all others1 that          
notoriously violate the ,laws1 are      
brought to condign ,punishment1         
according to the ,nature and ,degree of 
their ,crime3 ,so in this ,case1 ,the   
,fire shall try every ,man's ,work1 of  
what ,sort it is4 ',tis therefore the   
,concern of every ,man1 to reflect      
often upon that ,day1 and to consider   
what his ,fate and ,sentence is  likely 
to be1 at that last ,trial4 ,the ,jews  
have a ,tradition1 that  ,elias sits in 
,heaven1 and keeps a ,register of all   
,mens ,actions1 good  or bad4 ,he hath  
his ,under-,secretaries for the several 
,nations of the  ,world1 that take      
,minutes of all that passes2 and so hath
 the ,history of  every ,man's ,life    
before him1 ready to be produc'd at the 
,day of  ,judgment4 ,i will not vouch   
for the literal ,truth of this1 but it  
is true  in ,effect3 ,every ,man's ,fate
 shall be determined that ,day1         

according to  the ,history of his ,life2
 according to the ,works done in the    
,flesh1  whether good or bad4 ,and1     
therefore1 it ought to have as much     
,influence  upon us1 as if every single 
,action was formally register'd in      
,heaven4    ,if ,men would learn to     
contemn this ,world1 it would cure a    
great many  ,vices at once4 ,and1       
methinks1 ,st4 ,peter's ,argument1 from 
the  approaching ,dissolution of all    
,things1 should put us out of ,conceit  
with  such perishing ,vanities4 ,lust   
and ,ambition are the two reigning      
,vices of  great ,men2 and those little 
,fires might be soon extinguished1 if   
they  would frequently and seriously    
meditate on this last and universal     
,fire1  which will put an ,end to all   
,passions1 and all ,contentions4 ,as to 
,ambition1 the ,heathens themselves made
 use of this ,argument1 to abate  and   
repress the vain ,affectation of ,glory 
and ,greatness in this ,world4 ,i  told 
you before1 the ,lesson that was given  

to ,scipio ,africanus1 by his  ,uncle's 
,ghost1 upon this ,subject3 ,and upon a 
like ,occasion and  ,consideration1     
,csar hath a ,lesson given him by       
,lucan1 after the  ,battle of           
,pharsalia2 where ,pompey lost the ,day1
 and ,rome its  ,liberty4 ,the ,poet    
says1 ,csar took ,pleasure in looking   
upon the dead  ,bodies1 and would not   
suffer them to be buried1 or1 which was 
their  ,manner of burying1 to be burnt3 
,whereupon he speaks to him in these    
,words4                ,hos1 ,c,,sar1   
populos si nunc non usserit ,ignis1     
,uret cum ,terris1 uret com gurgite     
,ponti4              ,communis mundo    
superest rogus1 ,ossibus astra          
,misturus4 ,quocunque ,tuam ,fortuna    
vocabit1              ,h quoque eunt    
,anim2 non altius ibis in auras1        
,non meliore loco ,stygia sub nocte     
jacebis4              ,libera fortuna   
,mors est3 ,capit omnia ,tellus         
,qu genuit2 ,clo tegitur qui non habet  
urnam4                ,c,,sar1          

,if now these ,bodies want their ,pile  
and ,urn1              ,at last1 with   
the whole ,globe1 they're sure to burn4 
,the ,world expects one general ,fire3  
,and ,thou              ,must go1 where 
these poor ,souls are wand'ring now4    
,thou'lt reach no higher1 in the        
ethereal ,plain1              ,nor      
'mongst the ,shades a better ,place     
obtain4              ,death levels all3 
,and he that has not ,room              
,to make a ,grave1 ,heaven's ,vault     
shall be his ,tomb4    ,these are       
mortifying ,thoughts to ambitious       
,spirits4 ,and surely our own           
,mortality1 and the ,mortality of the   
,world itself1 may be enough to         
convince all considering ,men1 that     
,vanity of ,vanities1 all is ,vanity    
under the ,sun2 any otherwise than as   
they relate to a better ,life4          
,,finis4                                
,,the ,,theory ,,of ,,the ,,earth4      
,containing an ,account of the ,original
 of the ,earth1                         

,and of all the                         
,,general ,,changes                     
,which it hath already undergone1 or is 
to                       undergo1 till  
the ,,consummation                      
of all ,things4                         
,the ,,fourth ,,book1                   
,concerning the ,new ,heavens1 and ,new 
,earth1                                 
,,and                ,concerning the    
,consummation of all ,things4           
,,london3                  ,printed for 
,j4 ,,hooke1 in ,fleet-,street4         
,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,reader4      ,you
 see it is still my ,lot to travel into 
new ,worlds1 having never found  any    
great ,satisfaction in this3 ,as an     
active ,people leaves their             
,habitations in a barren ,soil1 to try  
if they can make their ,fortune  better 
elsewhere4 ,i first look'd backwards1   
and waded through the  ,deluge1 into the
 primval ,world1 to see how they lived  
there1 and how  ,nature stood in that   
original ,constitution4 ,now ,i am going

 forwards1 to  view the new ,heavens and
 new ,earth1 that will be after the     
,conflagration4 ,but1 gentle ,reader1   
let me not take you any farther1 if  you
 be weary2 ,i do not love a querulous   
,companion3 ,unless your ,genius        
therefore press you forwards1 chuse     
rather to rest here1 and be content     
with that ,part of the ,theory which you
 have seen already4 ,is it not fair  to 
have followed ,nature so far1 as to have
 seen her twice in her ,ruins8  ,why    
should we still pursue her1 even after  
,death and ,dissolution1 into  dark and 
remote ,futurities8 ,to whom therefore  
such ,disquisitions seem  needless1 or  
over-curious1 let them rest here2 and   
leave the ,remainder  of this ,work1    
which is a kind of ,,prophecy concerning
 the ,,state of things  after the       
,conflagration1 to those that are of a  
,disposition suited to  such ,studies   
and ,enquiries4    ,not that any part of
 this ,theory requires much ,learning1  
,art1 or  ,science1 to be ,master of it2

 but a ,love and ,thirst after ,truth1  
,freedom  of ,judgment1 and a           
,resignation of our ,understandings to  
clear ,evidence4  ,let it carry us which
 way it will1 an honest ,english        
,reader1 that looks  only at the ,sense 
as it lies before him1 and neither      
considers nor cares  whether it be new  
or old1 so it be true1 may be a more    
competent ,judge  than a great ,scholar 
full of his own ,notions1 and puffed up 
with the  ,opinion of his mighty        
,knowledge2 for such ,men think they    
cannot in  ,honour own any thing to be  
true1 which they did not know before4   
,to be  taught any new ,knowledge1 is to
 confess their former ,ignorance2 and   
that  lessens them in their own         
,opinion1 and1 as they think1 in the    
,opinion of  the ,world1 which are both 
uneasy ,reflections to them4 ,neither   
must we  depend upon ,age only for      
,soundness of ,judgment3 ,men in        
discovering and  owning ,truth seldom   
change their ,opinions after threescore1

 especially  if they be leading         
,opinions3 ,it is then too late1 we     
think1 to begin the  ,world again1 and  
as we grow old1 the ,heart contracts1   
and cannot open  wide enough to take in 
a great ,thought4    ,the ,spheres of   
,mens ,understandings are as different1 
as ,prospects upon  the ,earth3 ,some   
stand upon a ,rock or a ,mountain1 and  
see far round  about2 others are in an  
,hollow1 or in a ,cave1 and have no     
,prospect at  all4 ,some ,men consider  
nothing but what is present to their    
,senses2  others extend their ,thoughts 
both to what is past1 and what is       
future3  ,and yet the fairest ,prospect 
in this ,life is not to be compar'd to  
the  least we shall have in another4    
,our dearest ,day here is misty and     
hazy2  we see not far1 and what we do   
see1 is in a bad ,light3 ,but when we   
have  got better ,bodies in the first   
,resurrection1 whereof we are going to  
treat2 better ,senses and a better      
,understanding1 a clearer ,light and an 

higher ,station1 our ,horizon will be   
enlarged every ,way1 both as to the     
natural ,world1 and as to the           
intellectual4    ,two of the greatest   
,speculations that we are capable of in 
this ,life1  are1 in my ,opinion1 ,the  
,,revolution ,,of ,,worlds1 and the     
,,revolution ,,of  ,,souls2 one for the 
material ,world1 and the other for the  
intellectual4  ,toward the former of    
these1 our ,theory is an ,essay2 and in 
this our  ,planet1 7which ,i hope to    
conduct into a fixed ,star1 before ,i   
have done  with it7 we give an ,instance
 of what may be in other ,planets4 ',tis
 true1  we took our ,rise no higher than
 the ,chaos1 because that was a known   
,principle1 and we were not willing to  
amuse the ,reader with too many  strange
 ,stories2 as that1 ,i am sure would    
have been thought one1 ,,to ,,have      
brought this ,earth from a fixed ,star1 
and then carried it up again into  the  
same ,sphere2 which yet1 ,i believe1 is 
the true ,circle of natural             

,providence4    ,as to the ,revolution  
of ,souls1 the ,footsteps of that       
,speculation are  more obscure than of  
the former2 for though we are assur'd by
 ,scripture1  that all good ,souls will 
at length have clestial ,bodies2 yet1   
that this  is a returning to a primitive
 ,state1 or to what they had at their   
first  ,creation1 that ,scripture has   
not acquainted us with3 ,it tells us    
indeed1  that ,angels fell from their   
primitive clestial ,glory2 and          
consequently  we might be capable of a  
,lapse as well as they1 if we had been  
in that  high ,condition with them2 but 
that we ever were there1 is not declared
  to us by any ,revelation4 ,reason and 
,morality would indeed suggest to us1   
that an innocent ,soul1 fresh and pure  
from the ,hands of its ,maker1 could    
not be immediately cast into ,prison1   
before it had1 by any ,act of its  own  
,will1 or any ,use of its own           
,understanding1 committed either ,error 
or  ,sin4 ,i call this ,body a ,prison1 

both because it is a ,confinement and   
,restraint upon our best ,faculties and 
,capacities1 and is also the ,seat  of  
,diseases and ,loathsomness2 and1 as    
,prisons use to do1 commonly tends  more
 to debauch ,mens ,natures1 than to     
improve them4    ,but though we cannot  
certainly tell under what ,circumstances
 human ,souls  were plac'd at first1 yet
 all ,antiquity agrees1 ,oriental and   
,occidental1  concerning their          
,pr-existence in general1 in ,respect of
 these mortal  ,bodies3 ,and our        
,saviour never reproaches or corrects   
the ,jews1 when they  speak upon that   
,supposition1 ,luke ix4 #ah1 #ai4 ,john 
ix4 #b4 ,besides1 it  seems to me beyond
 all ,controversy1 that the ,soul of the
 ,messiah did  exist before the         
,incarnation1 and voluntarily descended 
from ,heaven to  take upon it a mortal  
,body4 ,and though it does not appear   
that all human  ,souls were at first    
placed in ,glory1 yet1 from the ,example
 of our  ,saviour1 we see something     

greater in them2 namely1 a ,capacity to 
be  united to the ,godhead1 ,john iii4  
#ac4 and vi4 #ch4 and #fb4 and xvii4 #e4
  ,and what is possible to one1 is      
possible to more4 ,but these ,thoughts  
are  too high for us1 while we find our 
selves united to nothing but diseased   
,bodies and ,houses of ,clay4    ,the   
greatest ,fault we can commit1 in such  
speculations1 is to be over  positive   
and dogmatical3 ,to be inquisitive into 
the ,ways of ,providence  and the ,works
 of ,god1 is so far from being a ,fault 
that it is our  greatest ,perfection3   
,we cultivate the highest ,principles   
and best  ,inclinations of our ,nature1 
while we are thus employ'd2 and 'tis    
,littleness or ,secularity of ,spirit1  
that is the greatest ,enemy to          
,contemplation4 ,those that would have a
 true ,contempt of this ,world1 must    
suffer the ,soul to be sometimes upon   
the ,wing1 and1 to raise herself  above 
the ,sight of this little dark ,point1  
which we now inhabit4 ,give  her a large

 and free ,prospect of the ,immensity of
 ,gods ,works1 and of his  inexhausted  
,wisdom and ,goodness1 if you would make
 her great and good2  as the warm       
,philosopher says1                      
,give me a ,soul so great1 so high1     
,let her ,dimensions stretch the ,sky2  
,that comprehends within a ,thought1    
,the whole ,extent1 'twixt ,god and     
,nought2                 ,and from the  
,world's first ,birth and ,date1        
,its ,life and ,death can calculate1    
,with all th' ,adventures that shall    
pass1                 ,to ev'ry ,atom of
 the ,mass4                   ,but let  
her be as ,,good as ,,great1            
,her highest ,throne a ,mercy-,seat2    
,soft and dissolving like a ,cloud1     
,losing herself in doing ,good2         
,a ,cloud that leaves its ,place ,above1
                 ,rather than dry and   
useless move1                 ,falls in 
a ,shower upon the ,earth1              
,and gives ten thousand ,seeds a ,birth2
                 ,hangs on the ,flow'rs1

 and infant ,plants1                    
,sucks not their ,sweets1 but feeds     
their ,wants3                 ,so let   
this mighty ,mind diffuse1              
,all that's her own to others ,use2     
,and1 free from private ,ends1 retain   
,nothing of ,,self1 but a bare ,name4   
,,book ,,iv4       ,concerning the ,new 
,heavens and ,new ,earth1 ,,and         
,concerning the                         
,consummation of all ,things4           
,,chap4 ,i4          ,the ,introduction2
 ,that the ,world will not be           
annihilated in the      last ,fire3     
,that we are to expect1 according to    
,scripture and the      ,christian      
,doctrine1 new ,heavens and a new       
,earth1 when these are      dissolv'd or
 burnt up4      ,we are now so far      
advanc'd in the ,theory of the ,earth1  
as to have seen  the ,end of two        
,worlds2 one destroy'd by ,water1 and   
another by ,fire4 ,it  remains only to  
consider1 whether we be yet come to the 
final ,period of  ,nature2 the last     

,scene of all ,things1 and consequently 
the utmost ,bound  of our ,enquires3    
,or1 whether ,providence1 which is      
inexhausted in ,wisdom  and ,goodness1  
will raise up1 from this dead ,mass1 new
 ,heavens and a new  ,earth2 another    
habitable ,world1 better and more       
perfect than that which  was destroyed3 
,that1 as the first ,world began with a 
,paradise1 and a  ,state of ,innocency2 
so the last may be a kind of ,renovation
 of that  happy ,state1 whose           
,inhabitants shall not die1 but be      
translated to a  blessed ,immortality4  
,i know 'tis the ,opinion of some1 that 
this ,world will be annihilated1 or     
reduc'd to nothing1 at the              
,conflagration1 and that would put an   
,end to  all farther ,enquiries4 ,but   
whence do they learn this8 ,from        
,scripture or  ,reason1 or their own    
,imagination8 ,what ,instance or        
,example can they give  us of this they 
call ,annihilation8 ,or what ,place of  
,scripture can they  produce1 that says1

 the ,world1 in the last ,fire1 shall be
 reduc'd to  nothing8 ,if they have     
neither ,instance nor ,proof of what    
they affirm1  'tis an empty ,imagination
 of their own1 neither agreeable to     
,philosophy1  nor ,divinity3 ,fire does 
not consume any ,substance2 it changes  
the ,form  and ,qualities of it1 but the
 ,matter remains4 ,and if the ,design   
had been  ,annihilation1 the employing  
of ,fire would have been of no ,use or  
,effect3 ,for ,smoke and ,ashes are at  
as great a ,distance from ,nothing1  as 
the ,bodies themselves out of which they
 are made4 ,but these ,authors  seem to 
have but a small ,tincture of           
,philosophy1 and therefore it will  be  
more proper to confute their ,opinion   
from the ,words of ,scripture1  which   
hath left us sufficient ,evidence1 that 
another ,world will succeed  after the  
,conflagration of that we now inhabit4  
,the ,prophets1 both of the ,old and    
,new ,testament1 have left us their     
,predictions concerning new ,heavens and

 a new ,earth4 ,so says the  ,prophet   
,isaiah1 ch4 lxv4 #ag4 ,behold ,i create
 new ,heavens and a new  ,earth1 and the
 former shall not be remembered1 or come
 into ,mind2 as  not worthy our         
,thoughts1 in comparison of those that  
will arise when  these pass away4 ,so   
the ,prophet ,st4 ,john in his          
,apocalypse1 when he  was come to the   
,end of this ,world1 says1 ,and ,i saw a
 new ,heaven and a  new ,earth3 ,for the
 first ,heaven and the first ,earth were
 passed away1  and there was no more    
,sea1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #a4 ,where he does not
 only give us  an ,account of a new     
,heaven and a new ,earth in general2 but
 also gives a  distinctive ,character of
 the new ,earth1 that it shall have no  
,sea4  ,and in the #eth ,verse1 he that 
sate upon the ,throne says1 ,behold ,i  
make all ,things new3 which1 consider'd 
with the ,antecedents and  ,consequents1
 cannot be otherwise understood than of 
a new ,world4    ,but some ,men make    
,evasions here1 as to the ,words of the 

,prophets1 and  say1 they are to be     
understood in a figurative and          
allegorical ,sense2  and to be apply'd  
to the ,times of the ,gospel1 either at 
first or towards  the latter ,end of the
 ,world2 so as this new ,heaven and new 
,earth1  signify only a great ,change in
 the moral ,world4 ,but how can that be1
  seeing ,st4 ,john places them after   
the ,end of the ,world8 ,and the        
,prophet ,isaiah connects such ,things  
with his new ,heavens and new  ,earth1  
as are not compatible to the present    
,state of ,nature1 ch4 lxv4  ,however1  
to avoid all ,shuffling and             
,tergiversation in this ,point1 let us  
appeal to ,st4 ,peter1 who uses a plain 
literal ,style1 and discourses          
downright concerning the natural ,world4
 ,in his #b;d ,epist4 and #c;d  ,chap4  
when he had foretold and explain'd the  
future ,conflagration1 he  adds1 ,but we
 expect new ,heavens and a new ,earth1  
according to his  ,promises4 ,these     
,promises were made by the ,prophets2   

and this gives us  full ,authority to   
interpret their new ,heavens and new    
,earth to be  after the ,conflagration4 
,st4 ,peter1 when he had describ'd the  
,dissolution of the ,world in the last  
,fire1 in full and emphatical ,terms1   
as the passing away the ,heavens with a 
,noise2 the melting of the  ,elements1  
and burning up all the ,works of the    
,earth2 he subjoins1  ,nevertheless     
7notwithstanding this total ,dissolution
 of the present  ,world7 we1 according  
to his ,promises1 look for new ,heavens 
and a new  ,earth1 wherein dwelleth     
,righteousness4 ,as if the ,apostle     
should have  said1 ,notwithstanding this
 strange and violent ,dissolution of the
  present ,heavens and ,earth1 which ,i 
have describ'd to you1 we do not at  all
 distrust ,god's ,promises1 concerning  
new ,heavens and a new ,earth1  that are
 to succeed these1 and to be the ,seat  
of the ,righteous4    ,here's no room   
for ,allegories1 or allegorical         
,expositions1 unless you  will make the 

,conflagration of the ,world an         
,allegory3 ,for1 as ,heavens  and ,earth
 were destroyed1 so ,heavens and ,earth 
are restored2 and if1 in  the first     
,place1 you understand the natural      
material ,world1 you must  also         
understand it in the second ,place2 they
 are both ,allegories1 or  neither4 ,but
 to make the ,conflagration an          
,allegory1 is not only to  contradict   
,st4 ,peter1 but all ,antiquity1 sacred 
or prophane4 ,and ,i  desire no more    
,assurance1 that we shall have new      
,heavens and a new  ,earth1 in a literal
 ,sense1 than we have that the present  
,heavens and  ,earth shall be destroyed 
in a literal ,sense1 and by material    
,fire3 ,let  it therefore rest upon that
 ,issue1 as to the first ,evidence and  
,argument  from ,scripture4    ,some    
will fancy1 it may be1 that we shall    
have new ,heavens and ,earth1  and yet  
that these shall be annihilated3 ,they  
would have these first  reduc'd to      
nothing1 and then others created1 spick 

and span new1 out of  nothing4 ,but why 
so1 pray1 what's the ,humour of that8   
,lest ,omnipotency  should want         
,employment1 you would have it to do1   
and undo1 and do again2  as if new-made 
,matter1 like new ,cloaths1 or new      
,furniture1 had a better  ,gloss1 and   
was more credible4 ,matter never wears2 
as fine ,gold1 melt it  down never so   
often1 it loses nothing of its          
,quantity3 ,the ,substance of  the      
,world is the same1 burnt or unburnt1   
and is of the same ,value and  ,virtue1 
new or old2 and we must not multiply the
 ,actions of ,omnipotency  without      
,necessity4 ,god does not make1 or      
unmake things1 to try  ,experiments3 ,he
 knows beforehand the utmost ,capacities
 of every thing1  and does no vain or   
superfluous ,work4 ,such ,imaginations  
as these1  proceed only from want of    
true ,philosophy1 or the true ,knowledge
 of the  ,nature of ,god and of his     
,works1 which should always be carefully
  attended to in such ,speculations as  

concern the natural ,world4 ,but to     
proceed in our ,subject4    ,if they    
suppose ,part of the ,world to be       
annihilated1 and to continue so1  they  
philosophize still worse and worse3 ,how
 high shall the ,annihilation  reach8   
,shall the ,sun1 ,moon1 and ,stars be   
reduc'd to nothing8 ,but what  have they
 done1 that they should undergo so hard 
a ,fate8 ,must they be  turn'd out of   
,being for our ,faults8 ,the whole      
material ,universe will not  be         
annihilated at this ,bout1 for we are to
 have ,bodies after the  ,resurrection1 
and to live in ,heaven4 ,how much of the
 ,universe then will  you leave         
standing8 or how shall it subsist with  
this great ,vacuum in  the ,heart of it8
 ,this ,shell of a ,world is but the    
,fiction of an empty  ,brain2 for ,god  
and ,nature1 in their ,works1 never     
admit of such gaping  ,vacuities and    
,emptinesses4    ,if we consult         
,scripture again1 we shall find that    
that makes mention of  a ,restitution   

and ,reviviscency of all ,things1 at the
 ,end of the  ,world1 or at the ,coming 
of our ,saviour4 ,st4 ,peter1 whose     
,doctrine we  have hitherto follow'd1 in
 his ,sermon to the ,jews1 after our    
,saviour's  ,ascension1 tells them1 that
 he will come again1 and that there will
 be  then a ,restitution of all ,things1
 such as was promised by the  ,prophets4
 ,the ,heavens1 says he1 must receive   
him until the ,time of  ,restitution of 
all ,things2 which ,god hath spoken by  
the ,mouth of his  holy ,prophets1 since
 the ,world began1 ,acts iii4 #ba4 ,if  
we compare this  ,passage of ,saint     
,peter's1 with that which we alledged   
before1 out of  his ,second ,epistle1 it
 can scarce be doubted but that he      
refers to the  same ,promises in both   
,places2 and what he there calls a new  
,heaven1  and a new ,earth1 he calls    
here a ,restitution of all ,things3 ,for
 the  ,heavens and the ,earth comprehend
 all1 and both these are but different  
,phrases for the ,renovation of the     

,world4 ,this gives us also ,light how  
to  understand what our ,saviour calls  
the ,regeneration or ,reviviscency1     
when he shall sit upon his ,throne of   
,glory1 and will reward his  ,followers 
an hundred-fold1 for all their ,losses  
in this ,world1 besides  everlasting    
,life1 as the ,crown of all1 ,mat4 xix4 
#bh1 #bi4 ,i know1 in  our ,english     
,translation1 we separate the           
,regeneration from sitting  upon his    
,throne1 but without any ,warrant from  
the ,original4 ,and seeing  our ,saviour
 speaks here of bodily ,goods1 and seems
 to distinguish them  from everlasting  
,life1 which is to be the final ,reward 
of his  ,followers2 this ,regeneration  
seems to belong to his ,second ,coming1 
when the ,world shall be renew'd or     
regenerated1 and the ,righteous shall   
possess the ,earth4    ,other ,places of
 ,scripture that foretel the ,fate of   
this material ,world1  represent it     
always as a ,change1 not as an          
,annihilation4 ,st4 ,paul  says1 ,the   

,figure of this ,world passeth away1 #a 
,cor4 vii4 #ca4 ,the ,form1  ,fashion1  
and ,disposition of its ,parts1 but the 
,substance still remains3  ,as a ,body  
that is melted down and dissolv'd1 the  
,form perishes1 but the  ,matter is not 
destroyed4 ,and the ,psalmist says1 the 
,heavens and the  ,earth shall be       
chang'd1 ,psal4 cii4 #bf4 which answers 
to this  ,transformation we speak of4   
,the same ,apostle1 in the eighth       
,chapter to  the ,romans1 ver4 #ba1 #bb1
 #bc1 #bd4 shews also1 that this ,change
 shall  be1 and shall be for the better1
 and calls it a ,deliverance of the     
,creation from ,vanity and ,corruption1 
and a ,participation of the  glorious   
,liberty of the ,children of ,god2 being
 a sort of ,redemption1  as they have a 
,redemption of their ,bodies4    ,but   
seeing the ,renovation of the ,world is 
a ,doctrine generally  receiv'd1 both by
 antient and modern ,authors1 as we     
shall have ,occasion  to shew hereafter1
 we need add no more1 in this ,place1   

for ,confirmation  of it4 ,some ,men are
 willing to throw all ,things into a    
,state of  ,nothing at the              
,conflagration1 and bury them there1    
that they may not  be oblig'd to give an
 ,account of that ,state of things that 
is to succeed  it4 ,those who think     
themselves bound in ,honour to know     
every thing in  ,theology that is       
knowable1 and find it uneasy to answer  
such ,questions  and ,speculations as   
would arise upon their admitting a new  
,world1 think  it more advisable to     
stifle it in the ,birth1 and so to bound
 all  ,knowledge at the ,conflagration4 
,but surely so far as ,reason or        
,scripture  lead us1 we may and ought to
 follow1 otherwise we should be         
ungrateful  to ,providence1 that sent us
 those ,guides1 provided we be always   
duly  sensible of our own ,weakness3    
,and1 according to the ,difficulty of   
the  ,subject1 and the ,measure of      
,light that falls upon it1 proceed with 
that  ,modesty and ,ingenuity1 that     

becomes such fallible ,enquirers after  
,truth1  as we are4 ,and this ,rule ,i  
desire to prescribe to my self1 as in   
all  other ,writings1 so especially in  
this2 where1 though ,i look upon the    
principal ,conclusions as fully prov'd1 
there are several ,particulars1  that   
are rather propos'd to ,examination1    
than positively asserted4               
,,chap4 ,,ii4          ,the ,birth of   
the new ,heavens and the new ,earth1    
from the second      ,chaos1 or the     
,remains of the old ,world3 ,the ,form1 
,order1 and      ,qualities of the new  
,earth1 according to ,reason and        
,scripture4      ,having prov'd from    
,scripture1 that we are to expect new   
,heavens1 and a  new ,earth1 after the  
,conflagration2 it would be some        
,pleasure and  ,satisfaction to see how 
this new ,frame will arise1 and what    
,foundation  there is in ,nature for the
 ,accomplishment of these ,promises4    
,for1 though  the ,divine ,power be not 
bound to all the ,laws of ,nature1 but  

may  dispense with them when there is a 
,necessity2 yet it is an ,ease to us in 
our ,belief1 when we see them both      
conspire in the same ,effect4 ,and in   
order to this1 we must consider in what 
,posture we left the demolish'd  ,world1
 what ,hopes there are of a             
,restauration4 ,and we are not to be    
discourag'd1 because we see ,things at  
present wrapt up in a confus'd  ,mass2  
for1 according to the ,methods of       
,nature and ,providence1 in that  dark  
,womb usually are the ,seeds and        
,rudiments of an ,embryo-,world4        
,neither is there1 possibly1 so great a 
,confusion1 in this ,mass1 as we        
imagine3 ,the ,heart1 an interior ,body 
of the ,earth1 is still entire2 and     
that ,part of it that is consum'd by the
 ,fire1 will be divided1 of its  own    
accord1 into two ,regions4 ,what is     
dissolv'd and melted1 being the         
heaviest1 will descend as low as it can1
 and cover and inclose the  ,kernel of  
the ,earth round about1 as a molten ,sea

 or ,abyss2 according as  it is         
explain'd and set down in the precedent 
,book4 ,but what is more  light and     
volatile1 will float in the ,air2 as    
,fumes1 ,smoke1 ,exhalations1  ,vapours 
of ,water1 and whatsoever terrestrial   
,parts can be elevated and  supported by
 the ,strength of ,fire4 ,these1 all    
mingled together1 of  different ,sizes1 
,figures1 and ,motions1 will constitute 
an opake ,cloud1  or thick ,region of   
,darkness round the ,earth2 so as the   
,globe of the  ,earth1 with its         
,atmosphere1 after the ,conflagration is
 finished1 will  stand much-what in the 
,form represented in this ,scheme4      
,illustration3 ,the regions of the      
,earth1 a series of concentric ,circles1
  with ,a4 ,a4 denoting the ,lower      
,region4    ,now as to the lower of     
these two ,regions1 the ,region of      
melted ,matter1  ,a4 ,a4 we shall have  
little ,occasion to take ,notice of it2 
seeing it will  contribute nothing to   
the ,formation of the new ,world4 ,but  

the upper  ,region1 or all above that   
,orb of ,fire1 is the true ,draught of a
 ,chaos2  or a ,mixture and ,confusion  
of all the ,elements1 without ,order or 
,distinction4 ,here are ,particles of   
,earth1 and of ,air1 and of ,water1 all 
promiscuously jumbled together by the   
,force and ,agitation of the ,fire4     
,but when that ,force ceases1 and every 
one is left to its own  ,inclination1   
they will1 according to their different 
degrees of ,gravity1  separate and sort 
themselves after this manner3 ,first1   
the heaviest and  grossest ,parts of the
 ,earth will subside1 then the watery   
,parts will  follow2 then a lighter sort
 of ,earth1 which will stop1 and rest   
upon the  ,surface of the ,water1 and   
compose there a thin ,film or ,membrane4
 ,this  ,membrane or tender ,orb is the 
first ,rudiment1 or ,foundation of a new
  habitable ,earth3 ,for1 according as  
terrestrial ,parts fall upon it1 from   
all the ,regions and ,heights of the    
,atmosphere1 or of the ,chaos1 this ,orb

  will grow more firm1 strong1 and      
immoveable1 able to support it self and 
,inhabitants too4 ,and having in it all 
the ,principles of a fruitful ,soil1    
whether for the ,production of ,plants1 
or of ,animals1 it will want no         
,property or ,character of an habitable 
,earth4 ,and particularly1 will  become 
such an ,earth1 and of such a ,form1 as 
the first paradisaical  ,earth was1     
which hath been fully describ'd1 in the 
first and second  ,books of this        
,theory4    ,there is no occasion of    
examining more accurately the ,formation
 of this  second ,earth1 seeing it is so
 much the same with that of the first2  
which1 is set down fully and distinctly1
 in the fifth ,chapter of the  first    
,book of this ,theory4 ,nature here     
repeats the same ,work1 and in the  same
 ,method2 only the ,materials are now a 
little more refin'd1 and  purg'd by the 
,fire3 ,they both rise out of a ,chaos1 
and that1 in effect1  the same in both  
,cases2 for though in forming the first 

,earth1 ,i  suppos'd the ,chaos or      
confus'd ,mass1 to reach down to the    
,center1 ,i did  that only for the ,ease
 of our ,imagination2 that so the whole 
,mass might  appear more simple and     
uniform4 ,but in reality1 that ,chaos   
had a solid  ,kernel of ,earth within1  
as this hath2 and that ,matter which    
fluctuated  above in the ,regions of the
 ,air1 was the true ,chaos1 whose       
,parts1 when  they came to a            
,separation1 made the several ,elements1
 and the ,form of an  habitable ,earth1 
betwixt the ,air and ,water4 ,this      
,chaos1 upon ,separation1  will fall    
into the same ,form and ,elements2 and  
so1 in like manner1  create or          
constitute a second ,paradisaical       
,world4    ,i say1 a ,paradisaical      
,world2 for it appears plainly1 that    
this  new-form'd ,earth must agree with 
that primigenial ,earth1 in the two     
principal and fundamental ,properties4  
,first1 it is of an even1 entire1       
uniform1 and regular ,surface1 without  

,mountains or ,sea4 ,secondly1 that  it 
hath a straight and regular ,situation  
to the ,sun1 and the ,axis of  the      
,ecliptick4 ,from the ,manner of its    
,formation1 it appears  manifestly1 that
 it must be of an even and regular      
,surface4 ,for the ,orb  of liquid      
,fire1 upon which the first ,descent was
 made1 being smooth and  uniform every  
where1 the ,matter that fell upon it    
would take the same  ,form and ,mould3  
,and so the second or third ,region1    
that were  superinduc'd1 would still    
imitate the ,fashion of the first2 there
 being  no ,cause or ,occasion of any   
,inequality4 ,then as to the ,situation 
of its  ,axis1 this ,uniformity of      
,figure would determine the ,center of  
its  ,gravity to be exactly in the      
,middle1 and consequently there would be
 no  ,inclination of one ,pole1 more    
than another1 to the general ,center of 
its  ,motion2 but1 upon a free          
,libration in the liquid ,air1 its ,axis
 would  lie parallel with the ,axis of  

the ,ecliptick where it moves4 ,but     
these  ,things having been deduc'd more 
fully in the second ,book about         
,paradise and the primigenial ,earth1   
they need no further ,explication  in   
this ,place4    ,if ,scripture had left 
us several distinct ,characters of the  
,new  ,heavens1 and the ,new ,earth1 we 
might1 by comparing with those1 have    
made a full ,proof of our ,hypothesis4  
,one indeed ,st4 ,john hath left us  in 
very express ,terms2 ,there was no ,sea 
there1 he says3 ,his ,words are  these3 
,and ,i saw a ,new ,heaven1 and a ,new  
,earth2 for the first ,heaven  and the  
first ,earth were passed away2 ,,and    
,,there ,,was ,,no ,,more ,,sea4 ,this  
,character is very particular1 and you  
see it exactly answers to our           
,hypothesis2 for in the new form'd      
,earth1 the ,sea is cover'd and         
inconspicuous1 being an ,abyss2 not a   
,sea2 and wholly lodg'd in the ,womb  of
 the ,earth4 ,and this one ,character1  
being inexplicable upon any other       

,supposition1 and very different from   
the present ,earth1 makes it a  strong  
,presumption that we have hit upon the  
true ,model of the new  ,heavens and new
 ,earth which ,st4 ,john saw4    ,to    
this ,sight of the new ,heavens and new 
,earth1 ,st4 ,john  immediately subjoins
 the ,sight of the new ,jerusalem1 ver4 
#b4 as  being contemporary1 and1 in some
 respects1 the same ,thing4 ',tis true1 
the ,characters of the new ,jerusalem1  
in these two last ,chapters of the      
,apocalypse1 are very hard to be        
understood2 some of them being          
incompatible to a terrestrial ,state1   
and some of 'em to a celestial2  so as  
it seems to me very reasonable to       
suppose1 that the new  ,jerusalem1      
spoken of by ,st4 ,john1 is two-fold3   
,that which he saw  himself1 ver4 #b4   
and that which the ,angel shewed him    
afterwards1  ver4 #i4 ,for ,i do not see
 what need there was of an ,angel1 and  
of  taking him up into a great and high 
,mountain1 only to shew him that  which 

he had seen before1 at the ,foot of the 
,mountain3 ,but however that  be1 we are
 to consider1 in this ,place1 the       
terrestrial new ,jerusalem  only1 or    
that which is the new ,heavens and new  
,earth4 ,and as ,st4  ,john hath joined 
these two together1 so the ,prophet     
,isaiah hath done  the same thing       
before1 ,chap4 lxv4 #ag1 #ah4 when he   
had promised new  ,heavens and a new    
,earth1 he calls them under another     
,name1 ,jerusalem2  and they both use   
the same ,character in ,effect1 in the  
,description of  their ,jerusalem4 ,ver4
 #ai4 ,isaiah says1 ,and ,i will rejoice
 in  ,jerusalem1 and joy in my ,people1 
and the ,voice of weeping shall be no   
more heard in her1 nor the ,voice of    
crying1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #c1 #d4 ,st4  ,john 
says also in his ,jerusalem1 ,god shall 
dwell with them1 and  they shall be his 
,people3 ,and he shall wipe away all    
,tears from their  ,eyes2 and there     
shall be no more ,death1 neither        
,sorrow1 nor ,crying1  neither shall    

there be any more ,pain4 ,now in both   
these ,prophets1 when  they treat upon  
this ,subject1 we find they make        
frequent ,allusions to  ,paradise and a 
paradisaical ,state2 so as they may be  
justly taken as  a ,scripture ,character
 of the new ,heavens and the new ,earth4
 ,the  ,prophet ,isaiah seems plainly to
 point at a paradisaical ,state1        
throughout that ,chapter1 by an         
universal ,innocency1 and ,harmlesness  
of  ,animals2 and ,peace1 ,plenty1      
,health1 ,longevity or ,immortality of  
the  ,inhabitants4 ,st4 ,john also hath 
several ,allusions to ,paradise1 in     
those two ,chapters where he describes  
the new ,jerusalem1 ,ch4 xxi4 and  ,ch4 
xxii4 ,and in his ,discourse to the     
seven ,churches1 in one ,place 7,ch4    
ii4 #g47 ,to him that overcometh is     
promised1 to eat of the ,tree of  ,life1
 which is in the midst of the ,paradise 
of ,god4 ,and in another  ,place 7,ch4  
iii4 #ab47 ,to him that overcometh is   
promised1 to have the  ,name of the new 

,jerusalem writ upon him4 ,these ,i take
 to be the same  ,thing1 and the same   
,reward of ,christian ,victors2 the new 
,jerusalem1 or  the new ,heavens and new
 ,earth1 and the ,paradise of ,god4 ,now
 this  being the general ,character of  
the new ,earth1 that it is              
paradisaical2 and the particular        
,character that it hath no ,sea2 and    
both these agreeing with our            
,hypothesis1 as apparently deducible    
from  those ,principles1 and that       
,manner of its ,formation which we have 
set  down2 we cannot but allow1 that the
 ,holy ,scriptures1 and the natural     
,theory agree in their ,testimony1 as to
 the ,conditions and ,properties of  the
 ,new ,heavens and ,new ,earth4    ,from
 what hath been said in this and the    
precedent ,chapter1 it will not  be hard
 to interpret what ,st4 ,paul meant by  
his habitable ,earth to  come2    2    1
 ,isai4  ix4 #f4 which is to be         
subjected to our ,saviour1 and not to   
the ,angels4  ,in the second ,chapter to

 the ,hebrews1 ver4 #e4 he says1 ,for   
unto the  ,angels hath he not put in    
,subjection the ,,world ,,to ,,come2 so 
we read it1  but1 according to the      
strictest and plainest ,translation1 it 
should be  the habitable ,earth to come4
 ,now1 what ,earth is this1 where our   
,saviour is absolute ,sovereign2 and    
where the ,government is neither        
,human1 nor ,angelical1 but peculiarly  
,theocratical8 ,in the first ,place1    
this cannot be the present ,world1 or   
the present ,earth1 because the         
,apostle calls it future1 or the ,earth 
to come4 ,nor can it be  understood of  
the ,days of the ,gospel2 seeing the    
,apostle acknowledges1  ver4 #h4 that   
this ,subjection1 whereof he speaks1 is 
not yet made4 ,and  seeing ,antichrist  
will not finally be destroyed till the  
,appearance of  our ,saviour1 7#b       
,thess4 ii4 #h47 nor ,satan bound1 while
 ,antichrist is in  ,power2 during the  
,reign of these two 7who are the ,rulers
 of the ,darkness  of the ,world7 our   

,saviour cannot properly be said to     
begin his ,reign  here1 ,ephes4 vi4 #ab4
 ',tis true1 he exercises his           
,providence over his  ,church1 and      
secures it from being destroyed3 ,he    
can1 by a ,power  paramount1 stop the   
,rage either of ,satan or ,antichrist2  
,hitherto ye  shall go1 and no farther4 
,as sometimes when he was upon ,earth1  
he  exerted a ,divine ,power1 which yet 
did not destroy his ,state of           
,humiliation2 so he interposes now when 
he thinks fit1 but he does not  finally 
take the ,power out of the ,hands of his
 ,enemies1 nor out of the  ,hands of the
 ,kings of the ,earth4 ,the ,kingdom is 
not deliver'd up to  him1 and all       
,dominion and ,power2 ,ch4 vii4 #ac1    
#be1 #bf4 ,that all  ,tongues and       
,nations should serve him4 ,for ,st4    
,paul can mean no less  in this ,place  
than that ,kingdom in ,daniel1 ,heb4 ii4
 #h4 seeing he  calls it putting all    
,things in ,subjection under his ,feet1 
and says  that it is not yet done4 ,upon

 this account also1 as well as others1  
our  ,saviour might truly say to        
,pilate1 ,joh4 xviii4 #cf4 ,my ,kingdom 
is  not of this ,world4 ,and to his     
,disciples1 ,the ,son of ,man came not  
to be  ministred unto1 but to minister1 
,matt4 xx4 #bh4 ,when he comes to       
receive his ,kingdom1 he comes in the   
,clouds of ,heaven 7,dan4 vii4 #ac1     
#ad47 not in the ,womb of a ,virgin4 ,he
 comes with the ,equipage of a ,king    
and ,conqueror3 with ,thousands and ,ten
 ,thousands of ,angels2 not in the      
,form of a ,servant1 or of a weak       
,infant1 as he did at his first coming4 
,i allow the ,phrase  1 or in the       
,hebrew  1 the ,world  to come1 is      
sometimes used in a large ,sense1 as    
comprehending all the  ,days of the     
,messiah1 whether at his first or second
 coming1 7for these  two comings are    
often undistinguished in ,scripture7 and
 respect the  moral ,world1 as well as  
the natural4 ,but the ,word 1 ,orbis    
habitabilis1 which ,st4 ,paul here uses1

 does primarily signify the  natural    
,world1 or the habitable ,earth1 in the 
proper use of the ,word  amongst the    
,greeks1 and frequently in ,scripture1  
,luke iv4 #e4 and  xxi4 #bf4 ,rom4 x4   
#ah4 ,heb4 i4 #f4 ,apoc4 iii4 #aj4      
,neither do we  here exclude the moral  
,world1 or the ,inhabitants of the      
,earth1 but  rather necessarily include 
them3 ,both the natural and moral ,world
 to  come1 will be the ,seat and        
,subject of our ,saviour's ,kingdom and 
,empire1  in a peculiar ,manner4 ,but   
when you understand nothing by this     
,phrase but  the present moral ,world1  
it neither answers the proper           
,signification  of 1 nor of 1 of the    
first or second ,part of the            
,expression2 and tho' such like ,phrases
 may be used for the ,dispensation  of  
the ,messiah in ,opposition to that of  
the ,law1 yet the height of that        
,distinction or ,opposition1 and the    
fulfilling of the ,expression1 depends  
upon the second coming of our ,saviour1 

and upon the future ,earth or  habitable
 ,world1 where he shall reign1 and which
 does peculiarly belong  to him and his 
,saints4    ,neither can this ,world to 
come1 or this ,earth to come1 be        
understood  of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 
,for the ,greek ,word will not bear that
 ,sense1  nor is it ever us'd in        
,scripture for ,heaven4 ,besides1 the   
,kingdom of  ,heaven1 when spoken of as 
future1 is not properly till the last   
,resurrection and final ,judgment4      
,whereas this ,world to come1 which our 
,saviour is to govern1 must be therefore
 that ,time1 and will then expire4  ,for
 all his ,government as to this ,world1 
expires at the ,day of ,judgment1  #a   
,cor4 xv4 #bd1 c4 and he will then      
deliver up the ,kingdom into the  ,hands
 of his ,father1 that he may be all in  
all3 ,having reigned first  himself1 and
 put down all ,rule and all ,authority  
and ,power4 ,so that  ,st4 ,paul1 in    
these two ,places of his ,epistles1     
refers plainly to the  same ,time1 and  

the same ,reign of ,christ2 which must  
be in a future  ,world1 and before the  
last ,day of ,judgment1 and therefore1  
according1  to our ,deductions1 in the  
new ,heavens and the new ,earth4        
,,chap4 ,,iii4          ,concerning the 
,inhabitants of the new ,earth4 ,that   
natural ,reason      cannot determine   
this ,point4 ,that according to         
,scripture1 the ,sons      of the first 
,resurrection1 or the ,heirs of the     
,millennium1 are to be      the         
,inhabitants of the new ,earth4 ,the    
,testimony of the ,philosophers1        
and of the ,christian ,fathers1 for the 
,renovation of the ,world4 ,the         
first ,proposition laid down4      ,thus
 we have settled the true ,notion1      
according to ,reason and ,scripture1  of
 the new ,heavens and new ,earth3 ,but  
where are the ,inhabitants1  you'll say8
 ,you have taken the ,pains to make us a
 new ,world1 and now  that it is made1  
it must stand empty4 ,when the first    
,world was  destroyed1 there were eight 

,persons preserv'd1 with a ,set of      
living  ,creatures of every ,kind1 as a 
,seminary or ,foundation of another     
,world2  but the ,fire1 it seems1 is    
more merciless than the ,water2 for in  
this  ,destruction of the ,world1 it    
does not appear that there is one living
  ,soul left1 of any sort1 upon the     
,face of the ,earth4 ,no ,hopes of      
,posterity1 nor of any ,continuation of 
,mankind1 in the usual ,way of          
,propagation2 and ,fire is a barren     
,element1 that breeds no living         
,creatures in it1 nor hath any          
,nourishment proper for their ,food or  
,sustenance4    ,we are perfectly at a  
,loss therefore1 so far as ,i see1 for a
 new ,race of  ,mankind1 or how to      
,people this new-form'd ,world4 ,the    
inhabitants1 if  ever there be any1 must
 either come from ,heaven1 or spring    
from the  ,earth2 there are but these   
two ,ways4 ,but natural ,reason can     
determine  neither of these1 sees no    
,track to follow in these unbeaten      

,paths1 nor  can advance one ,step      
farther4 ,farewell then1 dear ,friend2  
,i must take  another ,guide1 and leave 
you here1 as ,moses upon ,mount ,pisgah1
 only  to look into that ,land1 which   
you cannot enter4 ,i acknowledge the    
good  ,service you have done1 and what a
 faithful ,companion you have been1 in a
  long ,journey2 from the ,beginning of 
the ,world to this ,hour1 in a ,tract   
of ,time of six thousand ,years4 ,we    
have travelled together thro' the dark  
,regions of a first and second ,chaos2  
seen the ,world twice shipwreck'd3      
,neither ,water1 nor ,fire1 could       
separate us2 but now you must give place
  to other ,guides4    ,welcome1 ,holy  
,scriptures1 the ,oracles of ,god1 a    
,light shining in  ,darkness1 a         
,treasury of hidden ,knowledge2 and     
where ,human ,faculties  cannot reach1 a
 seasonable ,help and ,supply to their  
,defects4 ,we are now  come to the      
utmost ,bounds of their ,dominion2 they 
have made us a ,new  ,world1 but1 how it

 shall be inhabited1 they cannot tell2  
know nothing of  the ,history or        
,affairs of it4 ,this we must learn from
 other ,masters1  inspir'd with the     
,knowledge of ,things to come3 ,and such
 ,masters we know  none1 but the holy   
,prophets and ,apostles4 ,we must       
therefore now put our  selves wholly    
under their ,conduct and ,instruction1  
and from them only  receive our         
,information concerning the moral ,state
 of the future  habitable ,earth4    ,in
 the first place therefore1 the ,prophet
 ,isaiah tells us1 as a  ,preparation to
 our farther ,enquiries1 ,the ,lord ,god
 created the ,heavens1  ,god himself    
that formed the ,earth1 he created it   
not in vain1 he formed  it to be        
inhabited1 ,isa4 xlv4 #ah4 ,this is     
true1 both of the present  ,earth and   
the future1 and of every habitable      
,world whatsoever4 ,for to  what purpose
 is it made habitable1 if not to be     
inhabited8 ,that would  be1 as if a ,man
 should manure1 and plough1 and every   

,way prepare his  ,ground for ,seed1 but
 never sow it4 ,we do not build ,houses1
 that they  should stand empty1 but look
 out for ,tenants as fast as we can2 as 
soon  as they are made ready and become 
tenantable4 ,but if ,man could do things
  in vain1 and without ,use or ,design1 
yet ,god and ,nature never do any  thing
 in vain2 much less so great a ,work as 
the making of a ,world2  which if it    
were in vain1 would comprehend ten      
thousand ,vanities or  useless          
,preparations in it4 ,we may therefore1 
in the first place1  safely conclude1   
that the new ,earth will be inhabited4  
,but by whom will it be inhabited8 ,this
 makes the second ,enquiry4 ,st4  ,peter
 answers this ,question for us1 and with
 a particular ,application  to this very
 ,subject of the new ,heavens and new   
,earth3 ,they shall be  inhabited1 he   
says1 by the ,just or the ,righteous4   
,his ,words which we  cited before1 are 
these2 when he had described the        
,conflagration of the  ,world1 he adds1 

,but we expect new ,heavens and a new   
,earth1 ,,wherein  ,,dwelleth           
,,righteousness4 ,by ,righteousness     
here1 it is generally  agreed1 must be  
understood righteous ,persons2 for      
,righteousness cannot  be without       
righteous ,persons4 ,it cannot hang upon
 ,trees1 or grow out of  the ,ground2   
'tis the ,endowment of reasonable       
,creatures4 ,and these  righteous       
,persons are eminently such1 and        
therefore call'd ,righteousness  in the 
,abstract1 or purely righteous without  
,mixture of ,vice4    ,so we have found 
,inhabitants for the new ,earth1        
,persons of an high and  noble          
,character2 like those describ'd by ,st4
 ,peter1 7#a ,eph4 ii4 #i47  ,a chosen  
,generation1 a royal ,priesthood1 an    
holy ,nation1 a peculiar  ,people4 ,as  
if into that ,world1 as into ,st4       
,john's new ,jerusalem1  nothing impure 
or unrighteous was to be admitted1      
,apoc4 xxi4 #bg4 ,these  being then the 
happy and holy ,inhabitants2 the next   

,enquiry is1 ,whence  do they come8     
,from what ,off-spring1 or from what    
,original8 ,we noted  before1 that there
 was no ,remnant of ,mankind left at the
 ,conflagration1  as there was at the   
,deluge2 nor any ,hopes of a            
,restauration that ,way4  ,shall we then
 imagine that these new ,inhabitants are
 a ,colony wafted  over from some       
neigbouring ,world2 as from the ,moon1  
or ,mercury1 or some  of the higher     
,planets8 ,you may imagine what you     
please1 but that seems  to me not       
imaginary only1 but impracticable3 ,and 
that the ,inhabitants of  those ,planets
 are ,persons of so great               
,accomplishments1 is more than ,i  know2
 but ,i am sure they are not the        
,persons here understood2 for these     
must be such as inhabited this ,earth   
before4 ,we look for new ,heavens  and  
new ,earth1 says the ,apostle3 ,surely  
to have some ,share and  ,interest in   
them1 otherwise there would be no       
,comfort in that  ,expectation4 ,and the

 ,prophet ,isaiah said before1 ,i create
 new  ,heavens and a new ,earth1 and the
 former shall come no more in           
,remembrance2 but be ,,you glad and     
rejoyce for ever in that which ,i       
create4 ,the ,truth is1 none can have so
 good ,pretensions to this ,spot of     
,ground we call the ,earth1 as the ,sons
 of ,men1 seeing they once possessed    
it2 and if it be restor'd again1 'tis   
their ,propriety and ,inheritance4  ,but
 'tis not ,mankind in general that must 
possess this new ,world1 but  the       
,israel of ,god1 according to the       
,prophet ,isaiah2 or the ,just1         
according to ,st4 ,peter2 and especially
 those that have suffer'd for  the ,sake
 of their ,religion4 ,for this is that  
,palingenesia1 as we noted  before1 that
 ,renovation1 or ,regeneration of all   
,things1 where our  ,saviour says1 those
 that suffer ,loss for his ,sake1 shall 
be recompensed1  ,matth4 xix4 #bh1 #bi4 
,but they must be then raised from the  
,dead4 ,for all ,mankind was  destroyed 

at the ,conflagration3 and there is no  
,resource for them any  other way1 than 
by a ,resurrection4 ',tis true3 and ,st4
 ,john 7,apoc4  xx47 gives us a fair    
,occasion to make this ,supposition1    
that there  will be some raised from the
 ,dead1 before the general ,day of      
,judgment4  ,for he plainly             
distinguisheth of a first and second    
,resurrection1  and makes the first to  
be a thousand ,years before the second1 
and before  the general ,day of         
,judgment4 ,now1 if there be truly and  
really a  two-fold ,resurrection1 as    
,st4 ,john tells us2 and that a         
,thousand ,years  ,distance from one    
another3 ,it may be very rationally be  
presum'd1 that  those that are raised in
 the first ,resurrection1 are those     
,just that  will inhabit the ,new       
,heavens and ,new ,earth2 or whom our   
,saviour  promis'd to reward in the     
,renovation of the ,world4    ,for      
otherwise1 who are those ,just that     
shall inhabit the ,new ,earth1  and     

whence do they come8 ,or when is that   
,restauration which our ,saviour  speaks
 of1 wherein those that suffer'd for the
 ,sake of the ,gospel shall  be         
rewarded8 ,st4 ,john says1 the ,martyrs1
 at this first ,resurrection1  shall    
live again1 and reign with ,christ3     
,which seems to be the ,reward  promis'd
 by our ,saviour1 to those that suffer'd
 for his sake1 and the  same ,persons in
 both ,places4 ,and ,i saw the ,souls of
 them 7says ,st4  ,john7 that were      
beheaded for the ,witness of ,jesus1 and
 for the ,word  of ,god2 and which had  
not worshipped the ,beast1 c4 and they  
lived and  reigned with ,christ a       
,thousand ,years1 ,apoc4 xx4 #d4 ,these1
 ,i say1 seem  to be the same ,persons1 
to whom ,christ had before promis'd and 
appropriated a particular ,reward4 ,and 
this ,reward of theirs1 or this  ,reign 
of theirs1 is upon ,earth2 upon some    
,earth1 new or old1 not in  ,heaven4    
,for1 besides that we read nothing of   
their ,ascension into ,heaven  after    

their ,resurrection2 there are several  
,marks that shew1 it must  necessarily  
be understood of a ,state upon ,earth4  
,for ,gog and ,magog  came from the four
 ,quarters of the ,earth1 and besieged  
the ,camp of  the ,saints1 and the      
beloved ,city1 ver4 #i4 ,that ,camp and 
that ,city  therefore were upon the     
,earth4 ,and ,fire came down from       
,heaven1 and  devoured them4 ,if it came
 down from ,heaven1 it came upon the    
,earth4  ,farthermore1 those ,persons   
that are raised from the ,dead1 are said
 to  be ,priests of ,god and of ,christ1
 and to reign with him a thousand       
,years1 ver4 #f4 ,now these must be the 
same ,persons with the ,priests  and    
,kings1 mention'd in the fifth ,chapter1
 ver4 #aj4 which are there  said        
expressly to reign upon ,earth1 or that 
they should reign upon  ,earth4 ,it     
remains therefore only to determine1    
what ,earth this is1  where the ,sons of
 the first ,resurrection will live and  
reign4 ,it  cannot be the present       

,earth1 in the same ,state1 and under   
the same  ,circumstances it is now3 ,for
 what ,happiness or ,privilege would    
that be1  to be called back into a      
mortal ,life1 under the ,necessities and
  ,inconveniencies of sickly ,bodies1   
and an incommodious ,world2 such as the 
present ,state of ,mortality is1 and    
must continue to be1 till some ,change  
be made in ,nature4 ,we may be sure     
therefore1 that a ,change will be made  
in ,nature1 before that ,time1 and that 
the ,state they are rais'd into1  and   
the ,earth they are to inhabit1 will be1
 at least1 ,paradisaical2  and          
consequently can be no other than the   
,new ,heavens and ,new ,earth1  which we
 are to expect after the ,conflagration4
    ,from these ,considerations1 there  
is a great ,fairness to conclude1 both  
as to the ,characters of the ,persons1  
and of the ,place or ,state1 that  the  
,sons of the first ,resurrection will be
 ,inhabitants of the ,new  ,earth1 and  
reign there with ,christ a ,thousand    

,years4 ,but seeing this is  one of the 
principal and peculiar ,conclusions of  
this ,discourse1 and  bears a great     
,part in this last ,book of the ,theory 
of the ,earth1 it will  deserve a more  
full ,explication1 and a more ample     
,proof1 to make it out4  ,we must       
therefore take a greater ,compass in our
 ,discourse1 and give a  full ,account  
of that ,state which is usually call'd  
the ,millennium2 the  ,reign of the     
,saints a ,thousand ,years1 or the      
,kingdom of ,christ upon  ,earth4 ,but  
before we enter upon this new ,subject1 
give me leave to close  our present     
,argument1 about the ,renovation of the 
,world1 with some  ,testimonies of the  
antient ,philosophers1 to that purpose4 
',tis plain to  me1 that there were     
among the ,antients several ,traditions1
 or  traditionary ,conclusions1 which   
they did not raise themselves1 by       
,reason  and ,observation1 but received 
them from an unknown ,antiquity4 ,an    
,instance of this is the ,conflagration 

of the ,world2 a ,doctrine as  antient1 
for any ,thing ,i know1 as the ,world it
 self2 at least as antient  as we have  
any ,records1 and yet none of those     
,antients that tell us of  it1 give any 
,argument to prove it4 ,neither is it   
any ,wonder1 for they  did not invent it
 themselves1 but receiv'd it from others
 without ,proof1  by the sole ,authority
 of ,tradition4 ,in like manner the     
,renovation of  the ,world1 which we are
 now speaking of1 is an antient         
,doctrine1 both  amongst the ,greeks and
 ,eastern ,philosophers3 ,but they shew 
us no  ,method how the ,world may be    
renew'd1 nor make any ,proof of its     
future ,renovation2 for it was not a    
,discovery which they first made1 but   
receiv'd it with an implicit ,faith1    
from their ,masters and ,ancestors3     
,and these traditionary ,doctrines were 
all ,fore-runners of that ,light  which 
was to shine more clearly at the        
,opening of the ,christian              
,dispensation2 to give a more full      

,account of the ,fate and ,revolutions  
of  the natural ,world1 as well as of   
the moral4    ,the ,jews1 'tis well     
known1 held the ,renovation of the      
,world1 and a  ,sabbath after ,six      
,thousand ,years2 according to the      
,prophecy that was  current among them2 
whereof we have given a larger ,account 
in the  precedent ,book1 ,chap4 v4 ,and 
that future ,state they called  1  ,olam
 ,hava1 or the ,world to come1 which is 
the very same with ,saint  ,paul's      
habitable ,earth to come1    1 ,heb4 ii4
 #f4  ,neither can ,i easily believe1   
that those ,constitutions of ,moses that
  proceed so much upon a septenary1 or  
the ,number seven1 and have no  ,ground 
or ,reason1 in the ,nature of the       
,thing1 for that particular  ,number4 ,i
 cannot easily believe1 ,i say1 that    
they are either accidental  or          
humoursome1 without ,design or          
,signification2 but that they are       
typical1 or representative of some      
,septenary ,state1 that does  eminently 

deserve and bear that ,character4       
,moses1 in the ,history of  the         
,creation1 makes six ,days ,work1 and   
then a ,sabbath3 ,then1 after six       
,years1 he makes a ,sabbath-,year2 and  
after a ,sabbath of ,years1 a ,year  of 
,jubilee1 ,levit4 xxv4 ,all these lesser
 ,revolutions seem to me to  point at   
the grand ,revolution1 the great        
,sabbath or ,jubilee1 after  six        
,millenaries2 which1 as it answers the  
,type in point of ,time1 so  likewise in
 the ,nature and ,contents of it2 being 
a ,state of ,rest from  all ,labour1 and
 ,trouble1 and ,servitude2 a ,state of  
,joy and ,triumph1 and  a ,state of     
,renovation1 when ,things are to return 
to their first  ,condition and pristine 
,order4 ,so much for the ,jews4    ,the 
,heathen ,philosophers1 both ,greeks and
 ,barbarians1 had the same  ,doctrine of
 the ,renovation of the ,world current  
amongst them1 and  that under several   
,names and ,phrases2 as of the ,great   
,year1 the  ,restauration1 the ,mundane 

,periods1 and such-like4 ,they suppos'd 
stated and fix'd ,periods of ,time1 upon
 ,expiration whereof there would  always
 follow some great ,revolution of the   
,world1 and the ,face of ,nature  would 
be renewed3 particularly after the      
,conflagration1 the ,stoicks  always    
suppos'd a new ,world to succeed1 or    
another ,frame of ,nature to be  erected
 in the ,room of that which was         
destroyed4 ,and they use the same       
,words and ,phrases upon this ,occasion 
that ,scripture useth4 ,chrysippis      
calls it ,apocatastasis 7,lact4 l4 #g4  
c4 #bc47 as ,st4 ,peter does1  ,acts    
iii4 #ba4 ,marcus ,antonius in his      
,meditations1 several times  calls it   
,palingenesia1 as our ,saviour does1    
,matt4 xix4 #bh4 ,and  ,numenius hath   
two ,scripture words1 ,resurrection and 
,restitution1  7,euseb4 prp4 ,ev4 l4 #g4
 c4 #bc47 to express this ,renovation of
 the  ,world4 ,then as to the           
,platonicks1 that ,revolution of all    
,things hath  commonly been call'd the  

,platonick ,year1 as if ,plato had been 
the  first ,author of that ,opinion2 but
 that's a great ,mistake2 he receiv'd it
  from the ,barbarick ,philosophers1 and
 particularly from the gyptian          
,priests1 amongst whom he liv'd several 
,years1 to be instructed in their       
,learning4 ,but ,i do not take ,plato   
neither to be the first that brought    
this ,doctrine into ,greece3 ,for1      
besides that the ,sibylls1 whose        
,antiquity we do not well know1 sung    
this ,song of old1 as we see it  copy'd 
from them by ,virgil in his fourth      
,eclogue2 ,pythagoras taught  it before 
,plato1 and ,orpheus before them both2  
and that's as high as  the ,greek       
,philosophy reaches4    ,the ,barbarick 
,philosophers were more antient2 namely1
 the gyptians1  ,persians1 ,chaldeans1  
,indian ,brackmans1 and other ,eastern  
,nations4  ,their ,monuments indeed are 
in a great measure lost2 yet from the   
,remains  of them which the ,greeks have
 transcribed1 and so preserv'd in their 

,writings1 we see plainly they all had  
this ,doctrine of the future            
,renovation4 ,and to this ,day the      
,posterity of the ,brackmans in the     
,east-,indies retain the same ,notion1  
that the ,world will be renew'd  after  
the last ,fire4 ,you may see the        
,citations1 if you please1 for all      
these ,notions1 in the ,latin ,treatise1
 ,ch4 v4 which ,i thought would  be too 
dry and tedious to be render'd into     
,english4    ,to these ,testimonies of  
the ,philosophers of all ,ages1 for the 
future  ,renovation of the ,world1 we   
might add the ,testimonies of the       
,christian  ,fathers1 ,greek and ,latin1
 antient and modern4 ,i will only give  
you a  bare ,list of them1 and refer you
 to the ,latin ,treatise 7,chap4 ix47   
for the ,words or the ,places4 ,amongst 
the ,greek ,fathers1 ,justin  ,martyr1  
,irenus1 ,origen3 ,the ,fathers of the  
,council of ,nice1  ,eusebius2 ,basil2  
the two ,cyrils1 of ,jerusalem and      
,alexandria3  ,the two ,gregories1      

,nazianzen and ,nyssen2 ,st4            
,chrysostom1  ,zacharias ,mitylenensis2 
and of later ,date1 ,damascen1          
,oecumenius1  ,euthymius1 and others4   
,these have all set their ,hands and    
,seals to  this ,doctrine4 ,of the      
,latin ,fathers1 ,tertullian1           
,lactantius1 ,st4  ,hillary1 ,st4       
,ambrose1 ,st4 ,austin1 ,st4 ,jerome2   
and many later  ,ecclesiastical         
,authors4 ,these1 with the ,philosophers
 before-mention'd1 ,i  count good       
,authority1 sacred and prophane2 which  
,i place here as an  ,out-guard upon    
,scripture1 where our principal ,force  
lies4 ,these three  united1 and acting  
in ,conjunction1 will be sufficient to  
prove this  first ,post1 and to prove   
our first ,proposition1 which is this2  
,that  after the ,conflagration of this 
,world1 there will be new ,heavens and a
  new ,earth2 and that ,earth will be   
inhabited4 7,propos4 ,i47               
,,chap4 ,,iv4          ,the ,proof of a 
,millennium1 or of a blessed ,age to    

come1 from      ,scripture4 ,a ,view of 
the ,apocalypse1 and of the ,prophecies 
of      ,daniel1 in reference to this   
,kingdom of ,christ and of his ,saints4 
,we have given fair ,presumptions1 if   
not ,proofs1 in the precedent  ,chapter1
 that the ,sons of the first            
,resurrection will be the ,persons  that
 shall inhabit the new ,earth1 or the   
,world to come4 ,but to make  that      
,proof complete and unexceptionable1 ,i 
told you1 it would be  necessary to take
 a larger ,compass in our ,discourse1   
and to examine what  is meant by that   
,reign with ,christ a thousand ,years1  
which is promis'd  to the ,sons of the  
first ,resurrection1 by ,st4 ,john in   
the  ,apocalypse2 and in other places of
 ,scripture is usually call'd the       
,kingdom of ,christ1 and the ,reign of  
the ,saints3 ,and by ,ecclesiastical    
,authors1 in ,imitation of ,st4 ,john1  
it is commonly styled1 the  ,millennium4
 ,we shall indifferently use any of     
these ,words or ,phrases2  and examine1 

first1 the ,truth of the ,notion and    
,opinion1 whether1 in  ,scripture1 there
 be any such an happy ,state promised to
 the ,saints under  the ,conduct of     
,christ2 and then we will proceed to    
examine the ,nature1  ,characters1      
,place and ,time of it4 ,and ,i am in   
hopes when these ,things  are duly      
discuss'd and stated1 you will be       
satisfied that we have found  out the   
true ,inhabitants of the new ,heavens   
and new ,earth2 and the  true ,mystery  
of that ,state which is called the      
,millennium1 or the  ,reign of ,christ  
and of his ,saints4    ,we begin with   
,st4 ,john1 whose ,words in the xxth    
,chapter of the  ,apocalypse1 ver4 #a1  
#b1 #d1 #e1 #f4 are express1 both as to 
the first  ,resurrection1 and as to the 
,reign of those ,saints that rise with  
,christ  for a ,thousand ,years2 ,satan 
in the mean ,time being bound1 or       
disabled  from doing ,mischief1 and     
seducing ,mankind4 ,the ,words of the   
,prophet are  these2 ,and ,i saw an     

,angel come down from ,heaven1 having   
the ,key of the  bottomless ,pit1 and a 
great ,chain in his ,hand4 ,and he laid 
hold on the  ,dragon1 that old ,serpent1
 which is the ,devil and ,satan1 and    
bound him a  ,thousand ,years4 ,and ,i  
saw ,thrones1 and they sat upon them1   
and ,judgment  was given unto them2 ,and
 ,i saw the ,souls of them that were    
beheaded for  the ,witness of ,jesus1   
and for the ,word of ,god1 and which had
 not  worshipped the ,beast1 neither his
 ,image1 neither had received his ,mark 
upon their ,foreheads1 or in their      
,hands2 and they lived and reigned with 
,christ a thousand ,years4 ,but the rest
 of the ,dead lived not again until  the
 thousand ,years were finished4 ,this is
 the first ,resurrection4  ,blessed and 
holy is he that hath part in the first  
,resurrection2 on such  the second      
,death hath no ,power1 but they shall be
 ,priests of ,god1 and of  ,christ1 and 
shall reign with him a thousand ,years4 
,these ,words do fully  express a       

,resurrection1 and a ,reign with ,christ
 a thousand ,years4 ,as for  that       
particular ,space of ,time1 of a        
,thousand ,years1 it is not much        
material to our present ,purpose3 but   
the ,resurrection here spoken of1  and  
the ,reign with ,christ1 make the       
,substance of the ,controversy1 and in  
effect prove all that we enquire after  
at present4 ,this ,resurrection1  you   
see1 is call'd the first ,resurrection1 
by way of ,distinction from  the second 
and general ,resurrection2 which is to  
be placed a ,thousand  ,years after the 
first4 ,and both this first             
,resurrection1 and the ,reign  of       
,christ1 seem to be appropriated to the 
,martyrs in this ,place3 ,for the       
,prophet says1 ,the ,souls of those that
 were beheaded for the ,witness of      
,jesus1 c4 they lived and reigned with  
,christ a ,thousand ,years4 ,from  which
 ,words1 if you please1 we will raise   
this ,doctrine2 that those  that have   
suffer'd for the ,sake of ,christ1 and a

 good ,conscience1 shall  be raised from
 the ,dead a ,thousand ,years before the
 general  ,resurrection1 and reign with 
,christ in an happy ,state4 ,this       
,proposition  seems to be plainly       
included in the ,words of ,st4 ,john1   
and to be the  intended ,sense of this  
,vision2 but you must have ,patience a  
little as to  your ,enquiry into        
,particulars1 till1 in the ,progress of 
our ,discourse1  we have brought all the
 ,parts of this ,conclusion into a      
fuller ,light4    ,in the mean time     
there is but one ,way1 that ,i know of1 
to evade the  ,force of these ,words1   
and of the ,conclusion drawn from them2 
and that  is1 by supposing that the     
first ,resurrection here mention'd1 is  
not to  be understood in a literal      
,sense1 but is allegorical and mystical1
  signifying only a ,resurrection from  
,sin to a spiritual ,life3 ,as we are   
said to be dead in ,sin1 and to be risen
 with ,christ1 by ,faith and            
,regeneration4 ,this is a manner of     

,speech which ,st4 ,paul does sometimes 
use1 as ,eph4 ii4 #f4 and ver4 #ad1 and 
,col4 #c4 #a4 ,but how can this be      
applied to the present ,case8 ,were the 
,martyrs dead in ,sin8 ',tis they  that 
are here rais'd from the ,dead3 ,or1    
after they were beheaded for the        
,witness of ,jesus1 naturally dead and  
laid in their ,graves1 were they  then  
regenerate by ,faith8 ,there is no      
,congruity in ,allegories so  apply'd4  
,besides1 why should they be said to be 
regenerate a ,thousand  ,years before   
the ,day of ,judgment8 or to reign with 
,christ1 after this  ,spiritual         
,resurrection1 such a limited ,time1 a  
,thousand ,years8 ,why not  so to       
,eternity8 ,for in this allegorical     
,sense of rising and  reigning1 they    
will reign with him for everlasting4    
,then1 after a  ,thousand ,years1 must  
all the ,wicked be regenerate1 and rise 
into a  ,spiritual ,life8 ',tis said    
here1 the rest of the ,dead lived not   
again1  until the ,thousand ,years were 

finished1 ver4 #e4 ,that implies1 that  
at  the ,end of these ,thousand ,years1 
the rest of the ,dead did live again2   
which1 according to the ,allegory1 must 
be1 that1 after a ,thousand ,years1  all
 the ,wicked will be regenerate1 and    
rais'd into ,spiritual ,life4 ,these    
,absurdities arise upon an allegorical  
,exposition of this ,resurrection1  if  
apply'd to single ,persons4    ,but ,dr4
 ,hammond1 a learned and worthy ,divine1
 7but one that loves to  contract and   
cramp the ,sense of ,prophecies7 making 
this first  ,resurrection allegorical1  
applies it not to single ,persons1 but  
to the  ,state of the ,church in        
general3 ,the ,christian ,church1 he    
says1 shall  have a ,resurrection for a 
,thousand ,years2 that is1 shall rise   
out of  ,persecution1 be in a prosperous
 ,condition1 and an undisturbed         
,profession  of the true ,religion1 for 
so long a ,time4 ,but this agrees with  
the  ,prophecy as little as the former2 
if it be a ,state of the ,church in     

general1 and of the ,church then in     
being1 why is this ,resurrection        
apply'd to the ,martyrs8 ,why are they  
said to rise2 seeing the ,state they    
liv'd in1 was a troublesome ,state of   
the ,church1 and it would be no         
,happiness to have that reviv'd again8  
,then as to the ,time of this           
,resurrection of the ,church1 where will
 you fix it8 ,the ,prophet ,daniel      
places this ,reign of ,christ1 at1 or   
after the ,dissolution of the fourth    
,monarchy2 and ,saint ,john places it a 
,thousand ,years before the last  ,day  
of ,judgment4 ,how will you adjust the  
allegorical ,resurrection of the        
,church to these ,limits8 ,or if1 in    
point of ,time1 you was free1 as to     
,prophecy1 yet how would you adjust it  
to ,history8 ,where will you take  these
 ,thousand ,years of ,happiness and     
,prosperity to the ,church8 ,these      
,authors suppose them past1 and         
therefore must begin them either from   
the  first ,times of the ,gospel1 or    

from the ,time of ,constantine4 ,under  
the  first ,ages of the ,gospel1 were1  
you know1 the great ,persecutions by the
  ,heathen ,emperors2 could those be    
call'd the ,reign of ,christ and of his 
,saints8 ,was ,satan then bound8 ,or was
 this ,epocha but a thousand ,years     
before the ,day of ,judgment8 ,and if   
you begin this ,resurrection of the     
,church from the ,days of ,constantine1 
when the ,empire became ,christian1  how
 will you reckon a thousand ,years from 
that ,time1 for the ,continuance  of the
 ,church in ,peace and ,purity8 ,for the
 ,reign of ,christ and of  his ,saints  
must necessarily imply both those       
,characters4 ,besides1 who  are the rest
 of the ,dead1 7ver4 #e47 that lived    
after the ,expiration of  those thousand
 ,years1 if they began at ,constantine8 
,and why is not the  second             
,resurrection and the ,day of ,judgment 
yet come8 ,lastly1 you ought  to be     
tender of interpreting the first        
,resurrection in an allegorical  ,sense1

 lest you expose the second             
,resurrection to be made an ,allegory   
also4    ,to conclude2 ,the ,words of   
the ,text are plain and express for a   
literal  ,resurrection1 as to the first1
 as well as the second2 and there is no 
allegorical ,interpretation that ,i know
 of1 that will hold through all  the    
,particulars of the ,text1 consistently 
with it self and with ,history4  ,and   
when we shall have proved this future   
,kingdom of ,christ from other  ,places 
of the ,apocalypse1 and of ,holy ,writ1 
you will the more easily  admit the     
literal ,sense of this ,place2 which1   
you know1 according to the  receiv'd    
,rule of ,interpreters1 is never to be  
quitted or forsaken1  without           
,necessity3 ,but when ,i speak of       
confirming this ,doctrine from  other   
,passages of ,scripture1 ,i do not mean 
as to that definite ,time of a          
,thousand ,years1 for that is no where  
else mention'd in the  ,apocalypse1 or  
in ,scripture1 that ,i know of2 and     

seems to be mention'd  here1 in this    
,close of all ,things1 to mind us of    
that ,type that was  propos'd in the    
,beginning of all ,things1 of six ,days 
and a ,sabbath2  whereof each ,day      
comprehends a ,thousand ,years1 and the 
,sabbath1 which  is the ,millennial     
,state1 hath its ,thousand2 according to
 the known  ,prophecy of ,elias1 ,book  
,,iii4 ,ch4 v4 which1 as ,i told you    
before1 was  not only receiv'd among the
 ,jews1 but also own'd by very many of  
the  ,christian ,fathers4    ,to proceed
 therefore to other ,parts of ,st4      
,john's ,prophecies1 that set  forth    
this ,kingdom of ,christ2 the ,vision of
 the ,seven ,trumpets is one  of the    
most remarkable in the ,apocalypse2 and 
the ,seventh ,trumpet1  which plainly   
reaches to the ,end of the ,world1 and  
the ,resurrection of  the ,dead1 opens  
the ,scene to the ,millennium2 hear the 
,sound of it1 ,ch4  xi4 #ae1 #af1 #ag1  
#ah4 ,the seventh ,angel sounded1 and   
there were great  ,voices in ,heaven1   

saying1 ,the ,kingdoms of this ,world   
are become the  ,kingdoms of our ,lord1 
and of his ,christ1 and he shall reign  
for ever and  ever4 ,and the four and   
twenty ,elders1 which sat before ,god on
 their  ,seats1 fell upon their ,faces1 
and worshipped ,god2 saying1 we give    
thee  ,thanks1 ,o ,lord ,god ,almighty1 
which art1 and wast1 and art to come2   
because thou hast taken to thee thy     
great ,power1 and hast reigned4 ,and    
the ,nations were angry1 and thy ,wrath 
is come1 and the ,time of the ,dead1    
that they should be judged1 and that    
thou shouldest give ,reward unto thy    
,servants the ,prophets1 and to the     
,saints1 and them that fear thy ,name1  
small and great1 and shouldest destroy  
them that destroy the ,earth1 c4  ,this 
is manifestly the ,kingdom of ,christ2  
and with this is joined the             
,resurrection of the ,dead1 and the     
rewarding of the suffering ,prophets    
and ,saints1 as in the xxth ,chapter4   
,this is that ,mystery of ,god that  was

 to be finished in the ,days of the     
,voice of the seventh ,angel1 as is     
said in the xxth ,chap4 ver4 #g4 ,as he 
hath declared to his ,servants the      
,prophets2 namely1 the ,mystery of this 
,kingdom1 which was foretold by  the    
,prophets of the ,old ,testament1 and   
more especially by ,daniel1 as  we shall
 see hereafter4    ,the new ,jerusalem  
7as it is set down1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #b1 #c1 
#d1 #e1 #f1 #g47  is another ,instance  
or ,image of this ,kingdom of ,christ4  
,and the  ,palm-bearing ,company1 ,chap4
 vii4 #i1 c4 are some of the ,martyrs   
that  shall enjoy it4 ,they are plainly 
describ'd there as ,christian ,martyrs2 
7ver4 #ad47 and their ,reward1 or the   
,state of ,happiness they are to  enjoy1
 7ver4 #ae1 #af1 #ag47 is the same with 
that of the ,inhabitants of  the new    
,jerusalem1 ,ch4 xxi4 #b1 #c1 #d1 c4 as1
 upon comparing those  two ,places1 will
 easily appear4 ,farthermore1 at the    
,opening of the  ,seals1 ,chap4 v4 which
 is another principal ,vision1 and      

reaches to the  ,end of the ,world1     
there is a ,prospect given us of this   
,kingdom of  ,christ1 and of that       
,reward of his ,saints4 ,for when they  
sing the new  ,song to the ,lamb1 7ver4 
#i1 #aj47 they say1 ,thou art worthy to 
take the  ,book1 and to open the ,seals 
thereof2 for thou wast slain and hast   
redeemed us to ,god1 by thy ,blood2 and 
hast made us into our ,god ,kings  and  
,priests1 and we shall reign on the     
,earth4 ,this must be the same  ,state1 
and the same ,thousand-,years-,reign    
mention'd in the xxth ,chap4  where 'tis
 said1 7,ver4 #f47 the ,partakers of it 
shall be ,priests of  ,god1 and of      
,christ1 and shall reign with him a     
,thousand ,years4    ,another completory
 ,vision1 that extends it self to the   
,end of the ,world1  is that of the     
,seven ,vials1 ,chap4 xv4 and xvi4 ,and 
as at the ,opening  of the ,seals1 so at
 the pouring out the ,vials1 a triumphal
 ,song is sung1  and 'tis call'd the    
,song of ,moses and of the ,lamb1 ,ch4  

xv4 #c4 ',tis  plainly a ,song of       
,thanksgiving for a ,deliverance1 but ,i
 do not look upon  this ,deliverance as 
already wrought1 before the pouring out 
of the  ,vials1 tho' it be plac'd before
 them2 as often the grand ,design and   
,issue of a ,vision is plac'd at the    
,beginning3 ,it is wrought by the ,vials
  themselves1 and by their ,effusion1   
and therefore upon the pouring out of   
the last ,vial1 the ,voice came out of  
the ,temple of ,heaven1 from the        
,throne1 saying1 ,consummatum est2 ,it  
is done1 ,ch4 xvi4 #ag4 ,now the        
,deliverance is wrought1 now the ,work  
is at an ,end2 or1 the ,mystery of  ,god
 is finished1 as the ,phrase was before1
 concerning the #gth ,trumpet1  ,chap4  
x4 #g4 ,you see therefore this          
terminates upon the same ,time1 and     
consequently upon the same ,state1 of   
the ,millennium2 and that they are  the 
same ,persons that triumph here1 and    
reign there1 ,chap4 xx4 you may  see by 
the same ,characters given to both of   

them1 ,ch4 xv4 #b4 ,here1  those that   
triumph1 are said to have gotten the    
,victory over the  ,beast1 and over his 
,image1 and over his ,mark1 and over the
 ,number of  his ,name1 ,ch4 xx4 #d4    
,and there1 those that reign with       
,christ1 are said  to be those that had 
not worshiped the ,beast1 neither his   
,image1  neither had received his ,mark 
upon their ,foreheads1 or in their      
,hands4  ,these are the same ,persons   
therefore1 triumphing over the same     
,enemies1  and enjoying the same        
,reward4    ,and you shall seldom find  
any ,doxology or ,hallelujah in the     
,apocalypse1 but 'tis in ,prospect of   
the ,kingdom of ,christ1 and the        
,millennial ,state3 ,this is still the  
,burthen of the sacred ,song1 the       
,complement of every grand ,vision1 and 
the ,life and ,strength of the whole    
,system of ,prophecies in that ,book3   
,even those ,hallelujahs that are  sung 
at the ,destruction of ,babylon1 in the 
xixth ,chapter1 ver4 #f1 #g4  are rais'd

 upon the succeeding ,state1 the ,reign 
of ,christ4 ,for the  ,text says1 ,and  
,i heard as it were a ,voice of a great 
,multitude1 and as  the ,voice of many  
,waters1 and as the ,voice of mighty    
,thunders1 saying1  ,hallelujah3 ,,for  
,,the ,,lord ,,god ,,omnipotent         
,,reigneth4 ,let us be glad and         
rejoyce1 and give ,honour to him3 ,,for 
,,the ,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,lamb ,,is 
,,come1  ,,and ,,his ,,wife ,,hath      
,,made ,,her ,,self ,,ready4 ,this      
appears plainly to be the  new          
,jerusalem1 if you consult the #bast    
,ch4 ver4 #b4 ,and ,i ,john saw  the    
,holy ,city1 new ,jerusalem1 coming down
 from ,god out of ,heaven1  ,,prepared  
,,as ,a ,,bride ,,adorned ,,for ,,her   
,,husband4 ',tis1 no doubt1 the same    
,bride and ,bridegroom1 in both ,places2
 the same ,marriage or ,preparations    
for ,marriage1 which are compleated in  
the ,millennial ,bliss1 in the  ,kingdom
 of ,christ and of his ,saints4    ,i   
must beg your patience a little longer1 

in pursuing this ,argument  throughout  
the ,apocalypse2 ,as towards the latter 
,end of ,st4 ,john's  ,revelation1 this 
,kingdom of ,christ shines out in a more
 full ,glory2 so  there are the         
,dawnings of it in the very ,beginning  
and ,entrance into his  ,prophecies4 ,as
 at the ,beginning of a ,poem1 we have  
commonly1 in a few  ,words1 the ,design 
of the ,work1 in like ,manner ,ch4 i4   
#e1 #f4 ,st4 ,john  makes this ,preface 
to his ,prophecies1 ,from ,jesus        
,christ1 who is the  faithful ,witness1 
the first begotten of the ,dead1 and the
 ,prince of the  ,kings of the ,earth2  
unto him that loved us1 and washed us   
from our ,sins  in his own ,blood2 and  
hath made us ,kings and ,priests unto   
,god and his  ,father2 to him be ,glory 
and ,dominion for ever and ever1 ,amen4 
,behold1 he  cometh in the ,clouds1 c4  
,in this ,prologue the grand ,argument  
is  pointed at1 and that happy          
,catastrophe and last ,scene1 which is  
to crown  the ,work1 the ,reign of      

,christ and of his ,saints at his second
 ,coming4 ,he  hath made us ,kings and  
,priests unto ,god2 this is always the  
,characteristick of those that are to   
enjoy the ,millennial ,happiness1 as    
you may see at the ,opening of the      
,seals1 ,ch4 v4 #aj4 and in the ,sons of
  the first ,resurrection1 ,ch4 xx4 #f4 
,and this being joined to the ,coming   
of our ,saviour1 puts it still more out 
of ,doubt4 ,that ,expression also1  of  
being washed from our ,sins in his      
,blood1 is repeated again both at  the  
,opening of the ,seals1 chap4 v4 #i4 and
 in the ,palm-bearing  ,company1 chap4  
vii4 #ad4 both which ,places we have    
cited before1 as  referring to the      
,millennial ,state4    ,give me ,leave  
to add farther1 that as in this general 
,preface1 so also  in the introductory  
,visions of the seven ,churches1 there  
are1 covertly  or expresly1 in the      
,conclusion of each1 glances upon the   
,millennium2  as in the first to        
,ephesus1 the ,prophet concludes1 chap4 

ii4 #g4 ,he  that hath an ,ear1 let him 
hear1 what the ,spirit says to the      
,churches3  ,,to ,,him ,,that           
,,overcometh1 ,,will ,i ,,give ,,to     
,,eat ,,of ,,the ,,tree ,,of ,,life1    
,,which ,,is  ,,in ,,the ,,midst ,,of   
,,the ,,paradise ,,of ,,god4 ,this is   
the ,millennial ,happiness  which is    
promised to the ,conqueror2 as we noted 
before concerning that  ,phrase4 ,in    
like manner in the second to ,smyrna1 he
 concludes1 chap4  ii4 #aa4 ,he that    
overcometh1 shall not be hurt of the    
second ,death4  ,this implies1 he shall 
be ,partaker of the first ,resurrection1
 for  that's the ,thing understood2 as  
you may see plainly by their being      
joyn'd in the xxth ,chapter ver4 #f4    
,blessed and holy is he that hath  ,part
 in the first ,resurrection2 on such the
 second ,death hath no ,power1  but they
 shall be ,priests of ,god and of       
,christ1 and shall reign with him  a    
thousand ,years4 ,in the third to       
,pergamus1 the ,promise is1 chap4  ii4  

#g4 ,to eat of the hidden ,manna1 to    
have a white ,stone1 and a new  ,name   
written in it3 ,but seeing the ,prophet 
adds1 which no ,man knoweth1  saving he 
that receiveth it1 we will not presume  
to interpret that new  ,state1          
whatsoever it is1 chap4 ii4 #bf1 #bg4   
,in ,thyatira1 the ,reward  is1 ,to have
 ,power over the ,nations1 and to have  
the ,morning ,star2  which is to reign  
with ,christ1 who is the ,morning ,star1
 in his  ,millennial ,empire3 ,both     
these ,phrases being us'd in that ,sense
 in the  ,close of this ,book1 ,ch4 iii4
 #e4 ,in ,sardis the ,promise is1 ,to be
  cloathed in white ,raiment1 and not to
 be blotted out of the ,book of  ,life4 
,and you see afterwards the ,palme      
bearing ,company are cloathed  in white 
,robes1 ,ch4 vii4 #i1 #ad4 and those    
that are admitted into the  new         
,jerusalem1 ,chap4 iii4 #ab4 are such as
 are written in the ,lamb's  ,book of   
,life1 ,ch4 xxi4 #bg4 ,then as to       
,philadelphia1 the ,reward promised     

there does openly mark the ,millennial  
,state1 by the ,city of ,god2 new       
,jerusalem which cometh down out of     
,heaven from ,god1 compar'd with ,ch4   
xxi4 #b4 ,lastly1 to the ,church of     
,laodicea is said1 ,ch4 iii4 #ba4 ,to   
him that overcometh will ,i grant to sit
 with me in my ,throne4 ,and that  is   
the usual ,phrase to express the        
,dignity of those that reign with       
,christ1 in his ,millennial ,kingdom2 as
 you may see1 ,apoc4 xx4 #d4 ,matt4     
xix4 #bh4 ,dan4 vii4 #i1 #ac1 #ad4 ,so  
all these ,promises to the ,churches    
aim at one and the same thing1 and      
terminate upon the same ,point3 ',tis   
the same ,reward express'd in different 
,ways2 and seeing it is still  fix'd    
upon a ,victory1 and appropriated to    
those that overcome1 it does  the more  
easily carry our ,thoughts to the       
,millennium1 which is the  proper       
,reward of ,victors1 that is1 of        
,martyrs and ,confessors4    ,thus you  
see how this ,notion and ,mystery of the

 ,millennial ,kingdom of  ,christ1 does 
both begin and ,end the ,apocalypse1 and
 run thorough all  its ,parts1 as the   
,soul of that ,body of ,prophecies2 a   
,spirit or ,ferment  that actuates the  
whole ,mass4 ,and if we could thoroughly
 understand that  illustrious ,scene1 at
 the ,opening of this ,apocalyptical    
,theatre in the  ivth and vth ,chapter1 
,i do not doubt but we should find it a 
,representation of the ,majesty of our  
,saviour in the ,glory of his future    
,kingdom2 but ,i dare not venture upon  
the ,explication of it1 there are so    
many ,things of ,difficulty1 and dubious
 ,interpretation1 coucht under  those   
,schemes4 ,wherefore having made these  
,observations upon the  ,prophecies of  
,st4 ,john1 we will now add to them some
 ,reflections upon  the ,prophecies of  
,daniel3 that by the ,agreement and     
,concurrence of  these two great        
,witnesses1 the ,conclusion we pretend  
to prove1 may be  fully established4    
,in the ,prophecies of ,daniel there are

 two grand ,visions1 that of the        
,statue or ,image1 ,chap4 ii4 and that  
of the four ,beasts1 ,chap4 vii4  and   
both these ,visions terminate upon the  
,millennium1 or the ,kingdom  of        
,christ4 ,in the ,vision of the ,statue1
 representing to us the four  great     
,monarchies of the ,world successively1 
whereof by the general  ,consent of     
,interpreters1 the ,roman is the fourth 
and last1 after the  ,dissolution of the
 last of them1 a fifth ,monarchy1 the   
,kingdom of  ,christ1 is openly         
introduc'd1 in these ,words3 ,and in the
 ,days of these  ,kingdoms1 shall the   
,god of ,heaven set up a ,kingdom1 which
 shall never be  destroyed2 and the     
,kingdom shall not be left to other     
,people1 but it  shall break in ,pieces1
 and consume all those ,kingdoms1 and it
 shall  stand for ever1 ,ch4 ii4 ver4   
#dd4 ,this may be verified1 in some     
measure1  by the first coming of our    
,saviour in the ,days of the fourth     
,kingdom1  when his ,religion1 from     

small ,beginnings1 in a short ,time     
over-spread  the greatest ,part of the  
known ,world4 ,as the ,stone cut out    
without  ,hands1 became a great         
,mountain1 and filled the whole ,earth1 
ver4 #cd1  #ce4 but the full and final  
,accomplishment of this ,prophecy cannot
 be  till the second coming of our      
,saviour4 ,for not till then will he1   
,ver4  #ce1 break in pieces and consume 
all those ,kingdoms2 and that in such a 
manner1 that they shall become like the 
,chaff of the ,summer-threshing  ,floor1
 carried away by the ,wind2 so as no    
,place shall be found for  them4 ,this1 
,i say1 will not be done1 nor an        
everlasting ,kingdom erected  in their  
place1 over all the ,nations of the     
,earth1 till his second  coming1 and his
 ,millennial ,reign4    ,but this ,reign
 is declared more expresly1 in the      
,vision of the four  ,beasts1 ,ch4 vii4 
ver4 #ac4 ,for after the ,destruction of
 the fourth  ,beast1 the ,prophet says1 
,i saw in the ,night ,visions1 and      

behold one  like the ,son of ,man1 came 
with the ,clouds of ,heaven1 and came to
 the  ,antient of ,days1 and they       
brought him near before him3 ,and there 
was  given him ,dominion1 and ,glory1   
and a ,kingdom1 that all ,people1       
,nations  and ,languages should serve   
him2 his ,dominion is an everlasting    
,dominion1  which shall not pass away2  
and his ,kingdom that which shall not be
  destroyed4 ,accordingly1 he says1     
,ver4 #ba1 #bb4 ,the last ,beast1 and   
the little ,horn1 made war against the  
,saints1 until the ,antient of ,days    
came1 and ,judgment was given to the    
,saints of the most ,high2 and the      
,time came that the ,saints possessed   
the ,kingdom4 ,and lastly1 in ,pursuit  
still of the same ,argument1 he         
concludes to the same ,effect in fuller 
,words1 ver4 #bf1 #bg4 ,but the         
,judgment shall sit1 and they shall take
  away his ,dominion1 to consume and to 
destroy it unto the ,end4 ,and the      
,kingdom and ,dominion1 and the         

,greatness of the ,kingdom under the    
whole  ,heaven1 shall be given to the   
,people of the ,saints of the most      
,high2  whose ,kingdom is an everlasting
 ,kingdom1 and all ,dominions shall     
serve  and obey him4    ,here is the    
,end of the ,matter1 says the ,prophet1 
,chap4 vii4 ver4 #bh4  ,chap4 xii4 ver4 
#ac4 ,here is the ,upshot and ,result of
 all2 here terminate  both the          
,prophecies of ,daniel and ,st4 ,john1  
and all the ,affairs of  the terrestrial
 ,world4 ,daniel brings in this ,kingdom
 of ,christ1 in the  ,conclusion of two 
or three ,visions2 but ,st4 ,john hath  
interwoven it  every where with his     
,prophecies1 from first to last3 ,and   
you may as well  open a ,lock without a 
,key1 as interpret the ,apocalypse      
without the  ,millennium4 ,but after    
these two great ,witnesses1 the one for 
the ,old  ,testament1 the other for the 
,new1 we must look into the rest of the 
sacred ,writers2 for tho' every single  
,author there1 is an ,oracle1 yet  the  

,concurrence of ,oracles is still a     
farther ,demonstration1 and takes  away 
all ,remains of ,doubt or ,incredulity4 
,,chap4 ,v4          ,a ,view of other  
,places of ,scripture concerning the    
,millennium or      future ,kingdom of  
,christ4 ,in what ,sense all the        
,prophets have borne      ,testimony    
concerning it4      ,the ,wife of       
,zebedee came to our ,saviour1 and      
begg'd of him1 like a  fond ,mother1    
that her two ,sons might sit1 one at his
 ,right ,hand1 the  other at his ,left1 
when he came into his ,kingdom1 ,matt4  
xx4 #ba4 ,our  ,saviour does not deny   
the ,supposition1 or general ,ground of 
her ,request1  that he was to have a    
,kingdom2 but tells her1 the ,honours of
 that  ,kingdom were not then in his    
,disposal4 ,he had not drunk his ,cup1  
nor  been baptiz'd with his last        
,baptism2 which were ,conditions1 both  
to him  and others1 of entring into that
 ,kingdom4 ,yet1 in another place1      
7,matt4 xix4 #bh47 our ,saviour is so   

well assur'd of his ,interest and       
,authority there1 by the ,good-will of  
his ,father1 that he promises to his    
,disciples and ,followers1 that for the 
,losses they should sustain here1  upon 
his ,account1 and for the ,sake of his  
,gospel1 they should receive  there an  
hundred-fold1 and sit upon ,thrones with
 him1 judging the ,tribes  of ,israel4  
,the ,words are these3 ,and ,jesus said 
unto them1 ,verily ,i  say unto you1    
that ye which have followed me1 in the  
,regeneration or  ,renovation1 when the 
,son of ,man shall sit in the ,throne of
 his ,glory1  ye also shall sit upon    
twelve ,thrones1 judging the twelve     
,tribes of  ,israel4 ,these ,thrones1 in
 all ,reason1 must be understood to be  
the same  with those1 which we mention'd
 in the foregoing ,chapter out of       
,daniel  vii4 #i4 and ,apocal4 xx4 #d4  
and therefore mark the same ,time1 and  
the  same ,state4 ,and seeing1 in those 
,places1 they plainly signify the       
,millennial ,state1 or the ,kingdom of  

,christ and of his ,saints1 they must   
here signify the same1 in this ,promise 
of our ,saviour to his suffering        
,followers4 ,and as to the ,word        
,palingenesia1 which is here translated 
,regeneration1 'tis very well known1    
that both the ,greek  ,philosophers1 and
 ,greek ,fathers1 use that very ,word   
for the  ,renovation of the ,world2     
which is to be1 as we shall hereafter   
make  appear1 at or before the          
,millennial ,state4    ,our ,saviour    
also1 in his ,divine ,sermon upon the   
,mount1 makes this one of  his          
,beatitudes1 ,blessed are the ,meek1 for
 they shall inherit the  ,earth3 ,but   
how1 ,i pray1 or where1 or when1 do the 
,meek inherit  the ,earth8 ,neither at  
present1 ,i am sure1 nor in any past    
,ages4 ',tis the  great ones of the     
,world1 ambitious ,princes and ,tyrants1
 that slice the  ,earth amongst them2   
and those that can flatter them best1 or
 serve them  in their ,interests or     
,pleasures1 have the next best ,shares3 

,but a meek1  modest and humble ,spirit1
 is the most unqualified ,person that   
can be1  for a ,court1 or a ,camp2 to   
scramble for ,preferment1 or ,plunder4  
,both he1  and his self denying         
,notions1 are ridicul'd1 as ,things of  
no ,use1 and  proceeding from ,meanness 
and ,poorness of ,spirit4 ,david1 who   
was a  ,person of an admirable          
,devotion1 but of an unequal ,spirit2   
subject to  great ,dejections1 as well  
as ,elevations of ,mind2 was so much    
affected  with the ,prosperity of the   
,wicked in this ,world1 that he could   
scarce  forbear charging ,providence    
with ,injustice4 ,you may see several   
,touches  of a repining ,spirit in his  
,psalms1 and in the lxxiiid ,psalm1     
compos'd upon that ,subject1 you have   
both the ,wound and the ,cure4 ,now     
this ,beatitude pronounc'd here by our  
,saviour1 was spoken before by  ,david1 
,psal4 xxxvii4 #aa4 the same ,david1    
that was always so  sensible of the hard
 ,usage of the ,just in this ,life4 ,our

 ,saviour also1  and his ,apostles1     
preach'd the ,doctrine of the ,cross    
every where1 and  foretell the          
,sufferings that shall attend the       
,righteous in this ,world4  ,therefore  
neither ,david1 nor our ,saviour1 could 
understand this  ,inheritance of the    
,earth1 otherwise than of some future   
,state1 or of a  ,state yet to come4    
,but as it must be a future ,state1 so  
it must be a  terrestrial ,state2 for it
 could not be call'd the ,inheritance of
 the  ,earth1 if it was not so4 ,and    
'tis to be a ,state of ,peace1 as well  
as  ,plenty1 according to the ,words of 
the ,psalmist1 ,but the ,meek shall     
inherit the ,earth1 and shall delight   
themselves in the abundance of  ,peace4 
,it follows therefore from these        
,premisses1 that both our  ,saviour1 and
 ,david1 must understand some future    
,state of the ,earth1  wherein the ,meek
 will enjoy both ,peace and ,plenty2 and
 this will  appear to be the future     
,kingdom of ,christ1 when1 upon a fuller

  ,description1 we shall have given you 
the ,marks and ,characters of it4    ,in
 the mean time1 why should we not       
suppose this ,earth1 which the ,meek    
are to inherit1 to be that habitable    
,earth to come1 which ,st4 ,paul        
mentions 7,heb4 ii4 #f47 and represents 
as subject to our ,saviour in a         
peculiar ,manner1 at his ,disposal1 and 
under his ,government1 as his  ,kingdom8
 ,why should not that ,earth be the     
,subject of this ,beatitude1 the        
promis'd ,land1 the ,lot of the         
,righteous8 ,this ,i am sure of1 that   
both  this ,text and the former deserve 
our serious ,thoughts2 and tho' they do 
not expresly1 and in ,terms1 prove the  
future ,kingdom of our ,saviour1 yet    
upon the fairest ,interpretations they  
imply such a ,state4 ,and it would  be  
very uneasy to give a satisfactory      
,account1 either of the  ,regeneration  
or ,renovation1 when our ,saviour and   
his ,disciples shall  sit upon ,thrones2
 or of that ,earth which the ,meek shall

 inherit3 ,or1  lastly1 of that         
habitable ,world1 which is peculiarly   
subject to the  ,dominion of ,jesus     
,christ1 without supposing1 on this side
 ,heaven1 some  other ,reign of ,christ 
and his ,saints1 than what we see1 or   
what they  enjoy1 at present4    ,but to
 proceed in this ,argument1 it will be  
necessary1 as ,i told you1 to  set down 
some ,notes and ,characters of the      
,reign of ,christ and of his  ,saints1  
whereby it may be distinguish'd from the
 present ,state and  present ,kingdoms  
of the ,world3 ,and these ,characters   
are chiefly three1  ,justice1 ,peace1   
and ,divine ,presence or ,conduct1 which
 uses to be  called ,theocracy4 ,by     
these ,characters it is sufficiently    
distinguish'd  from the ,kingdoms of    
this ,world2 which are generally unjust 
in their  ,titles or ,exercise1 stain'd 
with ,blood1 and so far from being under
 a  particular ,divine ,conduct1 that   
,human ,passions and ,human ,vices are  
the  ,springs that commonly give ,motion

 to their greatest ,designs3 ,but more  
particularly and restrainedly1 the      
,government of ,christ is oppos'd to    
the ,kingdom and ,government of         
,antichrist1 whose ,characters arc      
diametrically opposite to these1 being  
,injustice1 ,cruelty1 and  human or     
diabolical ,artifices4    ,upon this    
short ,view of the ,kingdom of ,christ1 
let us make ,enquiry after  it amongst  
the ,prophets of the ,old ,testament2   
and we shall find1 upon  ,examination1  
that there is scarce any of them1       
greater or lesser1 but  take notice of  
this mystical ,kingdom1 either expresly1
 or under the  ,types of ,israel1 ,sion1
 ,jerusalem1 and such-like4 ,and        
therefore ,i  am apt to think1 that when
 ,st4 ,peter1 in his ,sermon to the     
,jews1  ,acts iii4 says1 all the holy   
,prophets spoke of the ,restitution of  
all  ,things1 he does not mean the      
,renovation of the ,world separately    
from  the ,kingdom of ,christ1 but      
complexly1 as it may imply both4 ,for   

there  are not many of the old ,prophets
 that have spoken of the ,renovation of 
the natural ,world1 but a great many    
have spoken of the ,renovation of  the  
moral1 in the ,kingdom of ,christ4      
,these are ,st4 ,peter's ,words1  ,acts 
iii4 #ai1 #bj1 #ba4 ,repent ye          
therefore1 and be converted1 that  your 
,sins may be blotted out1 when the      
,times of refreshing shall come  from   
the ,presence of the ,lord4 ,and he     
shall send ,jesus ,christ which  before 
was preached unto you2 whom the ,heavens
 must receive until the  ,times of      
,,restitution ,,of ,,all ,,things4 ,the 
,apostle here mentions three  ,things1  
the ,times of refreshing1 the second    
coming of our ,saviour1  and the ,times 
of ,restitution of all ,things3 ,and to 
the last of these  he immediately       
subjoins1 which ,god hath spoken by the 
,mouth of all his  holy ,prophets1 since
 the ,world began4 ,this ,restitution of
 all ,things1  ,i say1 must not be      
understood abstractly from the ,reign of

 ,christ1 but  as in ,conjunction with  
it2 and in that ,sense1 and no other1 it
 is the  general ,subject of the        
,prophets4    ,to enter therefore into  
the ,schools of the ,prophets1 and      
enquire their  ,sense concerning this   
,mystery1 let us first address our      
selves to the  ,prophet ,isaiah1 and the
 royal ,prophet ,david2 who seem to have
 had  many noble ,thoughts or           
,inspirations upon this ,subject4       
,isaiah1 in the  lxvth ,chapter1 from   
the xviith ,verse to the ,end1 treats   
upon this  ,argument2 and joins together
 the ,renovation of the natural and     
moral  ,world1 as ,st4 ,peter1 in the   
,place fore-mentioned1 seems to do3 ,and
  accordingly the ,prophet1 having set  
down several natural ,characters of     
that ,state1 as ,indolency and ,joy1    
,longevity1 ,ease1 and ,plenty1 from    
ver4 #ah4 to the #bdth1 he there begins 
the moral ,characters of ,divine        
,favour1 and such a particular          
,protection1 that they are heard and    

answer'd before they pray4 ,and lastly1 
he represents it as a ,state of         
universal ,peace and ,innocency1 ver4   
#bc4 ,the ,wolf and the ,lamb shall     
feed together1 c4    ,this last         
,character1 which comprehends ,peace1   
,justice and  ,innocency1 is more fully 
display'd by the same ,prophet1 in the  
xith  ,chapter1 where he treats also of 
the ,kingdom of ,christ4 ,give me leave 
to  set down his ,words1 ver4 #d1 #e1   
#f1 #g1 #h1 #i4 ,but with ,righteousness
 shall  he judge the ,poor1 and reprove 
with ,equity1 for the ,meek of the      
,earth3  and he shall smite the ,earth  
with the ,rod of his ,mouth1 and with   
the  ,breath of his ,lips shall he slay 
the ,wicked4 ,and ,righteousness shall  
be  the ,girdle of his ,loins1 and      
,faithfulness the ,girdle of his ,reins4
 ,the  ,wolf also shall dwell with the  
,lamb1 and the ,leopard shall lie down  
with  the ,kid2 and the ,calf and the   
young ,lyon1 and the ,fatling together1 
and  a little ,child shall lead them4   

,and the ,cow and the ,bear shall feed1 
and  their young ,ones shall lie down   
together2 and the ,lyon shall eat ,straw
  like the ,ox4 ,and the sucking ,child 
shall play on the ,hole of the ,asp1    
and the weaned ,child shall put his     
,hand on the ,cockatrice-,den4 ,they    
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my    
holy ,mountain2 for the ,earth shall  be
 full of the ,knowledge of the ,lord1 as
 the ,waters cover the ,sea4 ,thus  far 
the ,prophet4 ,now if we join this to   
what we noted before1 from his  lxvth   
,chapter1 concerning the same ,state1   
'twill be impossible to  understand it  
of any ,order of ,things1 that is now1  
or hath been hitherto  in the ,world2   
,and consequently it must be the ,idea  
of some ,state to  come1 and            
particularly of that which we call the  
future ,kingdom of  ,christ4    ,the    
same pacifick ,temper1 ,innocency and   
,justice1 are celebrated by this        
,prophet1 when the ,mountain of the     
,lord shall be established in the ,top  

of the ,mountains1 ,chap4 ii4 #b1 #d4   
,and he shall judge amongst the         
,nations1 and shall rebuke many ,people2
 and they shall beat their ,swords  into
 ,plow-shares1 and their ,spears into   
,pruning-hooks4 ,nation shall not  lift 
up ,sword against ,nation1 neither shall
 they learn ,war any more4  ,and as to  
,righteousness1 he says1 in the xxiiid  
,chapter1 ,behold a ,king  shall reign  
in ,righteousness1 and ,princes shall   
rule in ,judgment1 c4  ,these ,places1  
,i know1 usually are apply'd to the     
first coming of our  ,saviour2 the      
,peaceableness of his ,doctrine1 and the
 ,propagation of it  thro' all the      
,world4 ,i willingly allow this to be a 
true ,sense1 so far  as it will go3 ,but
 'tis one thing to be a true ,sense to  
such a ,degree1  and another thing to be
 the final ,sense and ,accomplishment of
 a  ,prophecy4 ,the ,affairs of the     
first and second coming of our ,saviour 
are  often mingled together in the      
,prophecies of the ,old ,testament2 but 

in  that ,mixture there are some        
,characters whereby you may distinguish 
what  belongs to his first1 and what to 
his second coming2 what to the ,time    
when he came to suffer1 and what to the 
,time when he shall come to  reign4 ,for
 ,instance1 in these ,prophecies        
recited1 though there are many  ,things 
very applicable to his first coming1 yet
 that ,regality which is  often spoken  
of1 and that universal ,peace and       
,innocency that will  accompany it1     
cannot be verified of his coming in the 
,flesh1 seeing it  is plain1 that in his
 ,state of ,humiliation he did not come 
as a ,king1 to  rule over the ,nations  
of the ,earth1 7,matt4 xx4 #ba4 ,luke   
xxiii4 #db47  ,and he says himself      
expresly1 ,that his ,kingdom is not of  
this ,world1  ,john xviii4 #cf4 ,and the
 ,prayer of ,salome1 and of the good    
,thief upon  the ,cross1 suppose it not 
then present1 but to come4 ,then as to  
the  ,establishment of ,peace in his    
,kingdom1 it does not at all appear to  

me  that there is more ,peace in the    
,world now1 than there was before our   
,saviour came into it2 or that the      
,christian ,parts of the ,world are more
  peaceable than the ,unchristian4      
,therefore these great ,promises of a   
pacifick ,kingdom1 which are express'd  
in ,terms as high and emphatical  as can
 be imagin'd1 must belong to some other 
,days1 and some other ,ages1  than what 
we have seen hitherto4    ,you'll say1  
it may be1 ',tis not the ,fault of the  
,gospel that the ,world  is not         
peaceable1 but of those that profess it1
 and do not practice it4  ,this is true1
 but it does not answer the ,prophecy2  
for that makes no  ,exception1 and by   
such a ,reserve as this1 you may elude  
any ,prophecy4 ,so  the ,jews say1 their
 ,messiah defers his coming beyond the  
,time  appointed by ,prophecy1 because  
of their ,sins2 but we do not allow this
  for a good ,reason4 ,the ,israelites  
had their promised ,canaan1 tho'  they  
had render'd themselves unworthy of it2 

and by this ,method of  interpreting    
,prophecies1 all the ,happiness and     
,glory promised in the  ,millennial     
,kingdom of ,christ may come to nothing1
 upon a pretended  ,forfeiture4         
,threatnings indeed may have a tacit    
,condition2 ,god may be  better than his
 ,word1 and1 upon ,repentance1 divert   
his ,judgments2 but he  cannot be worse 
than his ,word1 or fail of ,performance1
 when1 without any  ,condition          
express'd1 he promises or prophecies    
good ,things to come3 ,this  would      
destroy all ,assurance of ,hope or      
,faith4 ,lastly1 this ,prophecy         
concerning pacifick ,times or a pacifick
 ,kingdom1 is in the lxvth  ,chapter of 
,isaiah1 subjoin'd to the ,renovation of
 the ,heavens and the  ,earth1 and      
several ,marks of a ,change in the      
natural ,world2 which ,things  we know  
did not come to pass at the first coming
 of our ,saviour2 there  was no ,change 
of ,nature then1 nor has been ever      
since3 ,and therefore  this happy       

,change1 both in the natural and moral  
,world1 is yet to come4    ,but1 as we  
said before1 we do not speak this       
exclusively of the first  coming of our 
,saviour1 as to other ,parts of these   
,prophecies2 for no  doubt that was one 
great ,design of them4 ,and in the      
,prophecies of the  ,old ,testament1    
there are often three ,gradations1 or   
gradual  ,accomplishments2 the first1 in
 some ,king of ,israel1 or some ,person 
or  ,affair relating to ,israel1 as     
,national only3 ,the second1 in the     
,messiah at his first coming3 ,and the  
last1 in the ,messiah1 and his  ,kingdom
 at his second coming4 ,and that which  
we affirm and contend for1  is1 that the
 ,prophecies fore-mentioned have not a  
final and total  ,accomplishment1 either
 in the ,nation of the ,jews1 or at the 
first  coming of our ,saviour2 and this 
we abide by4    ,the next ,prophet that 
we mention'd as a ,witness of the future
 ,kingdom of  ,christ1 is ,david2 who1  
in his ,psalms1 seems to be pleas'd with

 this  ,subject above all others3 ,and  
when he is most exalted in his ,thoughts
  and prophetical ,raptures1 the ,spirit
 carries him into the ,kingdom of the   
,messiah1 to contemplate its ,glory1 to 
sing ,praises to its ,king1 and  triumph
 over his ,enemies1 ,psal4 lxviii4 ,let 
,god arise1 let his  ,enemies be        
scattered2 ,let them also that hate him 
flee before him3 ,as  ,smoak is driven  
away1 so drive them away2 at ,wax       
melteth before the  ,fire1 so let the   
,wicked perish at the ,presence of ,god3
 ,but let the  ,righteous be glad1 c4   
,the plain ,ground he goes upon in this 
,psalm1  is the ,deliverance out of     
gypt1 and bringing the ,israelites into 
the ,land of ,canaan2 but when he is    
once upon the ,wing1 he soars to an     
higher ,pitch 7ver4 #ah47 from the ,type
 to the ,antitype2 to the ,days of  the 
,messiah1 the ,ascension of our         
,saviour2 and1 at length1 to his        
,kingdom and ,dominion over all the     
,earth1 ver4 #cb1 c4 ,the xlvth  ,psalm 

is an ,epithalamium to ,christ and the  
,church1 or to the ,lamb  and his       
,spouse4 ,and when that will be1 and in 
what ,state1 we may learn  from ,st4    
,john1 ,apoc41 xix4 #g1 #h4 and chap4   
xix4 #b1 #i4 ,namely1  after the        
,destruction of ,babylon1 in the ,new   
,jerusalem's ,glory4 ,the  ,words and   
,matter of the two ,prophets1 answer to 
one another4 ,here1 in  this ,psalm1    
there is a ,fight and ,victory          
celebrated as well as a  ,marriage2 and 
so there is in that xixth ,chapter of   
,saint ,john4 ,here  the ,prophet says1 
,gird thy ,sword upon thy ,thigh1 ,o    
most ,mighty1 with  thy ,glory and thy  
,majesty4 ,and in thy ,majesty ride     
prosperously because  of ,truth and     
,meekness and ,righteousness2 and thy   
right ,hand shall teach  thee terrible  
,things4 ,thy ,throne1 ,o ,god1 is for  
ever and ever3 ,the  ,scepter of thy    
,kingdom is a right ,scepter1 c4 ,psal4 
xlv4 #c1 #d1 #f4  ,there ,st4 ,john     
says1 having describ'd a ,conqueror on a

 white ,horse1  ,out of his ,mouth goeth
 a sharp ,sword1 that with it he should 
smite the  ,nations1 and he shall rule  
them with a ,rod of ,iron2 and he       
treadeth the  ,wine-press of the        
,fierceness and ,wrath of ,almighty     
,god3 ,and he hath on  his ,vesture1 and
 on his ,thigh a ,name written1 ,,king  
of ,,kings1 and ,,lord of  ,,lords1     
,apoc4 xix4 #ae1 #af4 ,this is the same 
glorious ,conqueror and  ,bridegroom in 
both ,places2 and this ,victory is not  
gain'd1 nor these  ,nuptials compleated1
 till the second ,coming of our         
,saviour4    ,in many other ,psalms     
there are ,reflections upon this happy  
,kingdom1  and the ,triumph of ,christ  
over his ,enemies1 as ,psal4 ii4 ,psal4 
ix4  ,psal4 xxi4 and xxiv4 and xlvii4   
and lxxxv4 and cx4 and others4 ,in      
these1 and such-like ,psalms1 there are 
,lineaments and ,colours of a  fairer   
,state than any we have yet seen upon   
,earth4 ,not but that in their  first   
,instances and ,grounds they may        

sometimes respect the ,state of         
,israel1 or the ,evangelical ,state2 but
 the ,eye of the ,prophet goes  farther2
 this does not terminate his ,sight3    
,his ,divine ,enthusiasm  reaches into  
another ,world2 a ,world of ,peace1 and 
,justice1 and  ,holiness2 of ,joy1 and  
,victory1 and ,triumph over all the     
,wicked2 and  consequently such a       
,world1 as neither we nor our ,fathers1 
have yet seen4  ,this is an ,account of 
two ,prophets ,david1 and ,isaiah2 and  
of what  they have more openly declar'd 
concerning the future ,kingdom of       
,christ4  ,but to verify ,st4 ,peter's  
,words1 in that fore-mention'd ,place1  
,acts  iii4 #ba4 viz4 ,that all of the  
,holy ,prophets since the ,world began1 
have spoken of the ,restauration of all 
,things at the second coming of         
,christ4 ,i say1 to verify this         
,assertion of ,st4 ,peter1 we must      
suppose1  that1 where the ,prophets     
speak of the ,restauration and future   
,glory of  ,judah and ,jerusalem1 they  

do1 under those ,types1 represent to us 
the  ,glory and ,happiness of the       
,church in the future ,kingdom of       
,christ3 ,and  most of the ,prophets1 in
 this ,sense1 and under these ,forms1   
have spoken  of this ,kingdom2 in       
foretelling the ,restauration of        
,jerusalem and  ,sion2 and happy ,days1 
,peace1 ,plenty1 and ,prosperity to the 
,people of  ,israel4    ,most of the    
,prophets1 ,i say1 from ,moses to       
,malachi1 have spoken of  this          
,restauration4 ,moses1 in the xxxth of  
,deut4 ver4 #d1 #e1 #i4  ,david also in 
many of those ,psalms we have cited3    
,isaiah1 besides  the ,places           
fore-mentioned1 treats amply of this    
,subject1 chap4 li4 and  in several     
other ,places4 ,so likewise the         
,prophets ,ezekiel1 ,daniel1  ,hosea1   
,joel1 ,amos1 ,obadiah1 ,micah1         
,zephaniah1 ,haggai1  ,zachary1         
,malachi3 ,all these have1 either       
expresly1 or under the  ,types of       
,jerusalem and ,sion1 foretold happy    

,days1 and a glorious  ,triumph to the  
,church of ,god4 ,and seeing in the ,new
 ,testament1 and in  the ,prophecies of 
,st4 ,john1 the ,christian ,church is   
still represented1  as under            
,persecution and ,distress1 till the    
,fall of ,anti-christ1 and the          
millennial ,kingdom2 'tis then1 and not 
till then1 that we must expect  the full
 ,accomplishment of these ,prophecies2  
the ,restauration that ,st4  ,peter says
 was spoken of1 by all the ,prophets2   
and the ,mystery1  which ,st4 ,john says
 7,apoc4 x4 #g47 was declared by his    
,servants the  ,prophets1 and would be  
finish'd under the seventh ,trumpet1    
which  ushers in the ,kingdom of        
,christ4    ,it would be too long to    
examine all these ,places in the        
,prophets1 which  you may consult at    
,leisure4 ,however1 it cannot seem      
strange that  ,jerusalem should be us'd 
in a typical or allegorical ,sense1     
seeing we  often find such ,applications
 of it in the ,new ,testament2 as ,gal4 

iv4  #bf4 ,heb4 xii4 #bb4 ,apoc4 iii4   
#ab4 ,and 'tis very natural that        
,jerusalem restor'd1 should signify the 
same thing as new ,jerusalem2  and      
therefore that ,st4 ,john1 by his new   
,jerusalem1 intended the same  thing1 or
 the same ,state1 that the antient      
,prophets did by their  ,restauration of
 ,jerusalem4 ,and it neither can be     
understood in a  literal ,sense1 which1 
,i believe1 you will not contend for1   
they must  both be interpreted of the   
future ,happiness and ,glory of the     
,church in  the ,kingdom of ,christ4    
,but to conclude this ,point wholly as  
to ,scripture2 if we make ,reflection   
upon all the ,passages alledged in this 
and the foregoing ,chapter1  whether out
 of the ,old or ,new ,testament1 we must
 at least acknowledge  thus much1 that  
there are happy ,days1 at one time or   
other3 ,days of  ,peace and             
,righteousness2 of ,joy and ,triumph1 of
 external ,prosperity1 and  internal    
,sanctity2 when ,virtue and ,innocency  

shall be in the ,throne1 and  ,vice and 
vicious ,men out of ,power or ,credit4  
,that there are such happy  ,days       
prophesied of in ,scripture1 and        
promised to the ,church of ,god4        
,whether you call this the ,reign of    
,christ and of his ,saints or by any    
other ,name1 it is not material at      
present to determine2 let the ,title be 
what you will1 as to the ,substance it  
cannot be denied to be a general        
,doctrine of prophetical ,scripture4    
,and we must not imagine1 that the      
,prophets wrote like the ,poets2 feigned
 an ,idea of a romantick ,state1  that  
never was1 nor ever will be1 only to    
please their own ,fancies1 or  the      
credulous ,people4 ,neither is it the   
,state of ,heaven and eternal ,life     
that is here meant or intended3 ,for1   
besides that they had little or no      
,light concerning those ,notions1 in the
 ,old ,testament1 the ,prophets         
generally1 in their ,description of this
 ,happiness1 either express the  ,earth1

 or at least give plain ,marks of a     
terrestrial ,state4 ,wherefore1  the    
only ,question that remains1 is this1   
,whether these happy ,days are  past    
already1 or to come8 ,whether this      
blessed ,state of the ,church is  behind
 us1 or before us8 ,whether our         
,predecessors have enjoyed it1 or  our  
,posterity is to expect it8 ,for we are 
very sure that it is not  present4 ,the 
,world is full of ,wars1 and ,rumours of
 ,wars2 of ,vice and  ,knavery1 of      
,oppression and ,persecution3 and these 
are things directly  contrary to the    
,genius and ,characters of the ,state   
which we look after4    ,and if we look 
for it in ,times past1 we can go no     
farther back than the  beginning of     
,christianity4 ,for ,st4 ,john1 the last
 of the ,apostles1  prophesied of these 
,times1 as to come2 and plac'd them at  
the ,end of his  ,system of ,prophecies2
 whereby one might conclude1 that they  
are not only  within the ,compass of the
 ,christian ,ages1 but far advanc'd into

 them4  ,but however1 not to insist upon
 that at present1 where will you find a 
thousand ,years1 from the ,birth of     
,christianity to this present ,age1 that
  deserves the ,name1 or answers to the 
,characters of this pure and  pacifick  
,state of the ,church8 ,the first ,ages 
of ,christianity1 as they  were the most
 pure1 so likewise were they the least  
peaceable2  continually1 more or less1  
under the ,persecution of the ,heathen  
,emperors2 and so far from being the    
,reign and ,empire of ,christ and his   
,saints over the ,nations1 that         
,christians were then1 every where1 in  
,subjection or ,slavery2 a poor1 feeble1
 helpless ,people1 thrust into          
,prisons1 or thrown to the ,lions1 at   
the ,pleasure of their ,princes or      
,rulers4 ',tis true1 when the ,empire   
became ,christian under ,constantine1   
in the fourth ,century1 there was1 for a
 time1 ,peace and ,prosperity in  the   
,church1 and a good ,degree of ,purity  
and ,piety2 but that ,peace was  soon   

disturb'd1 and that ,piety soon         
corrupted4 ,the growing ,pride and      
,ambition of the ,ecclesiasticks1 and   
their easiness to admit or introduce    
superstitious ,practices1 destroy'd the 
,purity of the ,church4 ,and as to  the 
,peace of it1 their ,contests about     
,opinions and ,doctrines1 tore the      
,christians themselves into ,pieces2    
and1 soon after1 an ,inundation of      
barbarous ,people fell into             
,christendom1 and put it all into       
,flames and  ,confusion4 ,after this    
,eruption of the ,northern ,nations1    
,mahometanism  rose in the ,east2 and   
swarms of ,saracens1 like ,armies of    
,locusts1  invaded1 conquer'd1 and      
planted their ,religion in several      
,parts of the  ,roman ,empire1 and of   
the ,christianiz'd ,world4 ,and can we  
call such  ,times the ,reign of ,christ1
 or the ,imprisonment of ,satan8 ,in the
  following ,ages1 the ,turks overran   
the ,eastern ,empire and the ,greek     
,church1 and still hold that miserable  

,people in ,slavery4 ,providence  seems 
to have so order'd ,affairs1 that the   
,christian ,world should be  never      
without a ,,woe upon it1 lest it should 
fancy it self already in  those happy   
,days of ,peace and ,prosperity1 which  
are reserv'd for future  ,times4        
,lastly1 whosoever is sensible of the   
,corruptions and ,persecutions  of the  
,church of ,rome1 since she came to her 
,greatness2 whosoever  allows her to be 
,mystical ,babylon1 which must fall     
before the ,kingdom  of ,christ comes   
on1 will think that ,kingdom duly plac'd
 by ,st4 ,john at  the ,end of his      
,prophecies1 concerning the ,christian  
,church2 and that  there still remains1 
according to the ,words of ,st4 ,paul1  
7,heb4 iv4  #i47 a ,sabbatism to the    
,people of ,god4                        
,,chap4 ,,iv4          ,the ,sense and  
,testimony of the ,primitive ,church    
concerning the      ,millennium1 or     
future ,kingdom of ,christ2 from the    
,times of the      ,apostles to the     

,nicene ,council4 ,the second           
,proposition laid down4      ,when1 by  
what ,means1 and for what ,reasons1 that
 ,doctrine was      afterwards neglected
 or discountenanc'd4      ,you have     
heard the ,voice of the ,prophets and   
,apostles1 declaring the  future        
,kingdom of ,christ3 ,next to these1 the
 ,primitive ,fathers are  accounted of  
good ,authority2 let us therefore now   
enquire into their  ,sense concerning   
this ,doctrine1 that we may give        
,satisfaction to all  ,parties2 and both
 those that are guided by ,scripture    
alone1 and those  that have a           
,veneration for ,antiquity1 may find    
,proofs suitable to their  ,inclinations
 and ,judgment4    ,and to make few     
,words of it1 we will lay down this     
,conclusion2 ,that the  millennial      
,kingdom of ,christ was the general     
,doctrine of the ,primitive  ,church1   
from the ,times of the ,apostles to the 
,nicene ,council1  inclusively4 ,st4    
,john out-liv'd all the rest of the     

,apostles1 and  towards the latter end  
of his ,life1 being banish'd into the   
,isle of  ,pathmos1 he wrote his        
,apocalypse2 wherein he hath given us a 
more  full and distinct ,account of the 
millennial ,kingdom of ,christ1 than any
  of the ,prophets or ,apostles before  
him4 ,papias1 ,bishop of  ,hierapolis1  
and ,martyr1 one of ,st4 ,john's        
,auditors1 as ,ireneus  testifies1      
,iren4 ,lib #e4 c4 #cc4 taught the same 
,doctrine after ,st4  ,john4 ,he was the
 familiar ,friend of ,polycarp1 another 
of ,st4  ,john's ,disciples2 and either 
from him1 or immediately from ,st4      
,john's ,mouth1 he might receive this   
,doctrine4 ,that he taught it in the    
,church1 is agreed on by all ,hands2    
both by those that are his ,followers1  
as ,irenus2 and those that are not      
,well-wishers to this ,doctrine1 as     
,eusebius and ,jerome4    ,there is also
 another ,channel wherein this ,doctrine
 is traditionally  deriv'd from ,st4    
,john1 namely1 by the ,clergy of ,asia2 

as ,irenus  tells us in the same        
,chapter4 ,for1 arguing the ,point1 he  
shews that the  ,blessing promis'd to   
,jacob from his ,father ,isaac1 was not 
made good  to him in this ,life1 and    
therefore he says1 without doubt those  
,words  had a farther ,aim and ,prospect
 upon the ,times of the ,kingdom3 7so   
they  us'd to call the millennial       
,state7 when the ,just rising from the  
,dead1  shall reign2 and when ,nature   
renew'd and set at ,liberty1 shall yield
  ,plenty and ,abundance of all things2 
being blest with the ,dew of ,heaven1   
and a great ,fertility of the ,earth    
according as has been related by  those 
,ecclesiaticks or ,clergy1 who saw ,s4  
,john1 the ,disciple of  ,christ2 and   
heard of him ,,what ,,our ,,lord ,,had  
,,taught ,,concerning ,,those  ,,times4 
,this you see1 goes to the ,fountain    
,head3 ,the ,christian ,clergy  receive 
it from ,st4 ,john1 and ,st4 ,john      
relates it from the ,mouth of  our      
,saviour4    ,so much for the original  

,authority of this ,doctrine1 as a      
,tradition2  that it was from ,st4      
,john1 and by him from ,christ4 ,and as 
to the  ,propagation and prevailing of  
it in the ,primitive ,church1 we can    
bring a  ,witness beyond all exception1 
,justin ,martyr1 cotemporary with       
,irenus1 and his ,senior4 ,he says1 that
 himself1 and all the ,orthodox         
,christians of his ,time1 did           
acknowledge the ,resurrection of the    
,flesh  7suppose the first              
,resurrection7 and a thousand ,years    
reign in  ,jerusalem restor'd1 or in the
 new ,jerusalem1 ,dial4 with ,tryphon   
the  ,jew4 ,according as the ,prophets  
,ezekiel1 and ,isaiah1 and others1      
attest with common ,consent4 ,as ,st4   
,peter had said before1 ,acts iii4  #ba4
 ,that all the ,prophets had spoken of  
it4 ,then he quotes the lxvth  ,chapter 
of ,isaiah1 which is a ,bulwark for this
 ,doctrine1 that never  can be broken4  
,and to shew the ,jew1 with whom he had 
this ,discourse1  that it was the ,sense

 of our ,prophets1 as well as of theirs1
 he tells  him1 that a certain ,man     
amongst us ,christians1 by ,name ,john1 
one of  the ,apostles of ,christ1 in a  
,revelation made to him did prophesy1   
that  the faithful ,believers in ,christ
 should live a thousand ,years in the   
,new ,jerusalem2 and after that should  
be the general ,resurrection and  ,day  
of ,judgment4 ,thus you have the        
,thoughts and ,sentiments of ,justin    
,martyr1 as to himself2 as to all the   
reputed ,orthodox of his ,time2 as  to  
the ,sense of the ,prophets in the ,old 
,testament1 and as to the ,sense  of    
,st4 ,john in the ,apocalypse2 all      
conspiring in ,confirmation of the      
millennary ,doctrine4    ,to these three
 ,witnesses1 ,papias1 ,irenus and       
,justin ,martyr1 we  may add two more   
within the second ,age of the ,church2  
,melito1 ,bishop  of ,sardis1 and ,st4  
,barnabas1 or whosoever was the ,author 
of the  ,epistle under his ,name4 ,this 
,melito1 by some1 is thought to be the  

,angel of the ,church of ,sardis1 to    
whom ,st4 ,john directs the ,epistle  to
 that ,church1 ,apoc4 iii4 #a4 but ,i do
 not take him to be so ancient2         
however1 he was ,bishop of that ,place1 
at least in the second ,century1  and a 
,person of great ,sanctity and          
,learning3 ,he wrote many ,books1 as you
  may see in ,st4 ,jerome2 and1 as he   
notes out of ,tertullian1 was by  most  
,christians reputed a ,prophet 7,de     
,script4 ,eccles4 ,dogm4 ,eccl4 c4  lv47
 ,he was also a declar'd ,millennary1   
and is recorded as such1 both  by       
,jerome and ,gennadius4 ,as to the      
,epistle of ,barnabas1 which we         
mention'd1 it must be very ancient1     
whosoever is the ,author of it1 and     
before the third ,century2 seeing it is 
often cited by ,clemens  ,alexandrinus1 
who was himself within the second       
,century3 ,the ,genius of  it is very   
much ,millennarian1 in the              
,interpretation of the ,sabbath1  the   
promis'd ,land1 a ,day for a thousand   

,years1 and concerning the  ,renovation 
of the ,world4 ,in all which1 he follows
 the ,footsteps of the  ,orthodox of    
those ,times2 that is1 of the           
,millennarians4    ,so much for the     
first and second ,centuries of the      
,church4 ,by which short  ,account it   
appears1 that the millennary ,doctrine  
was ,orthodox and  ,catholick in those  
early ,days2 for these ,authors do not  
set it down as  a private ,opinion of   
their own1 but as a ,christian          
,doctrine1 or an  ,apostolical          
,tradition4 ',tis remarkable what       
,papias says of himself1  and his way of
 ,learning1 in his ,book call'd1 ,the   
,explanation of the  ,words of the      
,lord1 as ,st4 ,jerome gives an ,account
 of it3 7,de ,script4  ,eccles47 ,he    
says in his ,preface1 ,he did not follow
 various ,opinions1  but had the        
,apostles for his ,authors3 ,and that he
 consider'd what  ,andrew1 and what     
,peter said2 what ,philip1 what ,thomas1
 and other  ,disciples of the ,lord2 as 

also what ,aristion1 and ,john the      
,senior1  ,disciples of the ,lord1 what 
they spoke4 ,and that he did not profit 
so  much by reading ,books1 as by the   
living ,voice of these ,persons1 which  
resounded from them to that ,day4 ,this 
hath very much the ,air of ,truth  and  
,sincerity1 and of a ,man that1 in good 
earnest1 sought after the  ,christian   
,doctrine1 from those that were the most
 authentick ,teachers of  it4 ,i know   
,eusebius1 in his ,ecclesiastical       
,history1 gives a double  ,character of 
this ,papias2 in one ,place he calls    
him1 ,a very eloquent  ,man in all      
,things1 and skilful in ,scripture2 and 
in another1 he makes  him a ,man of a   
small ,understanding1 7,vid4 ,hieron4   
,epist4 #bh4 ad  ,lucinium47 ,but what  
,reason there is to suspect ,eusebius of
 ,partiality  in this ,point of the     
,millennium1 we shall make appear       
hereafter4  ,however1 we do not depend  
upon the ,learning of ,papias1 or the   
,depth of  his ,understanding2 allow him

 but to be an honest ,man and a fair    
,witness1  and 'tis all we desire4 ,and 
we have little reason to question his   
,testimony in this ,point1 seeing it is 
back'd by others of good ,credit2  and  
all because there is no                 
,counter-,evidence1 nor any ,witness    
that  appears against him3 ,for there is
 not extant1 either the ,writing1 ,name1
  or ,memory1 of any ,person that       
contested this ,doctrine in the first or
  second ,century3 ,i say1 that call'd  
in question this millennary ,doctrine1  
propos'd after a ,christian ,manner1    
unless such ,hereticks as denied the    
,resurrection wholly1 or such           
,christians as deny'd the ,divine       
,authority  of the ,apocalypse4    ,we  
proceed now to the third ,century2 where
 you find ,tertullian1  ,origen1        
,victorinus1 ,bishop and ,martyr2 ,nepos
 gyptius1 ,cyprian1  and1 at the ,end of
 it1 ,lactantius2 all openly professing1
 or  implicitly favouring1 the          
millennary ,doctrine4 ,we do not mention

  ,clemens ,alexandrinus1 contemporary  
with ,tertullian1 because he hath  not  
any thing1 that ,i know of1 expresly    
either for1 or against the  ,millennium3
 ,but he takes notice that the ,seventh 
,day hath been  accounted ,sacred1 both 
by the ,hebrews and ,greeks1 because of 
the  ,revolution of the ,world1 and the 
,renovation of all ,things4 ,and  giving
 this as a ,reason why they kept that   
,day holy1 seeing there is  not a       
,revolution of the ,world1 every seven  
,days1 it can be in no other  ,sense    
than as the ,seventh ,day represents the
 seventh ,millennary1 in  which the     
,renovation of the ,world and the       
,kingdom of ,christ1 is to be4  ,as to  
,tertullian1 ,st4 ,jerome reckons him1  
in the first place1  amongst the ,latin 
,millennaries4 ,and tho' his ,book1     
about the ,hope of  the ,faithful1 as   
also that about ,paradise1 which should 
have given  us the greatest ,light in   
this ,affair1 be both lost or           
suppress'd2 yet  there are sufficient   

,indications of his millennary ,opinion 
in his ,tracts  against ,marcion1 and   
against ,hermogenes4 ,st4 ,cyprian was  
,tertullian's ,admirer1 and inclines to 
the same ,opinion1 so far as one  can   
judge1 in this particular2 for his      
,period of six thousand ,years1  and    
making the seventh ,millennary the      
consummation of all1 is wholly          
according to the ,analogy of the        
millennary ,doctrine4 ,as to the two    
,bishops1 ,victorinus and ,nepos1 ,st4  
,jerome vouches for them3 ,the          
,writings of the one are lost1 and of   
the other so chang'd1 that the  ,sense  
of the ,author does not appear there    
now4 ,but ,lactantius1 whom we  nam'd in
 the last ,place1 does openly and       
profusely teach this ,doctrine1  in his 
,divine ,institutions1 7,book vii47 and 
with the same ,assurance  that he does  
other ,parts of the ,christian          
,doctrine2 for he concludes  thus1      
speaking of the ,millennium1 ,this is   
the ,doctrine of the holy  ,prophets1   

which we ,christians follow2 this is our
 ,wisdom1 c4 ,yet he  acknowledges      
there1 that it was kept as a ,mystery or
 ,secret amongst the  ,christians1 lest 
the ,heathens should make any perverse  
or odious  ,interpretation of it4 ,and  
for the same or like ,reason1 ,i        
believe1 the  ,book of the ,apocalypse  
was kept out of the ,hands of the       
,vulgar for  some time1 and not read    
publickly1 lest it should be found to   
have  spoken too openly of the ,fate of 
the ,roman ,empire1 or of this          
millennial ,state4    ,so much for the  
first1 second1 and third ,centuries of  
the ,church3 ,but by  our ,conclusion1  
we engag'd to make out this ,proof as   
far as the ,nicene  ,council1           
inclusively4 ,the ,nicene ,council was  
about the ,year of ,christ  #cbe4 and we
 may reasonably suppose ,lactantius was 
then living2 at  least he came within   
the ,time of ,constantine's ,empire4    
,but however1  the ,fathers of that     
,council are themselves our ,witnesses  

in this ,point2  for in their           
,ecclesiastical ,forms or               
,constitutions1 in the ,chapter  about  
the ,providence of ,god1 and about the  
,world1 they speak thus3  ,the ,world   
was made meaner1 or less perfect1       
providentially2 for ,god  foresaw that  
,man would ,sin3 ,wherefore we expect   
new ,heavens and a new  ,earth1         
according to the holy ,scriptures1 at   
the ,appearance and ,kingdom  of the    
great ,god1 and our ,saviour ,jesus     
,christ4 ,and then1 as ,daniel  says    
7chap4 vii4 #ah47 ,the ,saints of the   
most ,high shall take the  ,kingdom1 and
 the ,earth shall be pure1 holy1 the    
,land of the ,living1 not  of the ,dead4
 ,which ,david foreseeing by the ,eye of
 ,faith1 cries out1  7,psal4 xxvii4     
#ac47 ,i believe to see the good ,things
 of the ,lord1 in  the ,land of the     
,living4 ,our ,saviour says1 happy are  
the ,meek1 for they  shall inherit the  
,earth1 ,mat4 v4 #e4 ,and the ,prophet  
,isaiah says1  7,chap4 xxvi4 #f47 the   

,feet of the meek and lowly shall tread 
upon it4  ,so you see1 according to the 
,judgment of these ,fathers1 there will 
be a  ,kingdom of ,christ upon ,earth2  
and moreover1 that it will be in the new
  ,heavens and the new ,earth3 ,and1 in 
both these ,points1 they cite the       
,prophets1 and our ,saviour in          
,confirmation of them4    ,thus we have 
discharg'd our ,promise1 and given you  
an account of the  ,doctrine of the     
,millennium1 or future ,kingdom of      
,christ1 throughout  the three first    
,ages of the ,church1 before any        
considerable ,corruptions  were crept   
into the ,christian ,religion4 ,and     
those ,authorities of single  and       
successive ,fathers1 we have seal'd up  
all together1 with the  ,declaration of 
the ,nicene ,fathers1 in a ,body4 ,those
 that think  ,tradition a ,rule of      
,faith1 or a considerable ,motive to it1
 will find it  hard to turn off the     
,force of these ,testimonies3 ,and those
 that do not  go so far1 but yet have a 

,reverence for ,antiquity and the       
,primitive  ,church1 will not easily    
produce better ,authorities1 more early1
 more  numerous1 or more uncontradicted1
 for any ,article that is not           
fundamental3 ,yet these are but ,seconds
 to the ,prophets and ,apostles1 who    
are truly the ,principals in this       
,cause4 ,i will leave them all together1
  to be examin'd and weigh'd by the     
impartial ,reader4 ,and because they    
seem to me to make a full and undeniable
 ,proof1 ,i will now1 at the ,foot  of  
the ,account1 set down our second       
,proposition1 which is this1 ,that      
there is a millennial ,state1 or a      
future ,kingdom of ,christ and his      
,saints1 prophesied of and promised1 in 
the ,old and ,new ,testament2 and       
receiv'd by the ,primitive ,church as a 
,christian and ,catholick ,doctrin4     
7,propos4 ,i47    ,having dispatch'd    
this main ,point2 to conclude the       
,chapter and this ,head  of our         
,discourse1 it will be some             

,satisfaction possibly to see1 ,how a   
,doctrine so generally receiv'd and     
approv'd came to decay1 and almost  wear
 out of the ,church1 in following ,ages4
 ,the ,christian millennary  ,doctrine  
was not call'd into ,question1 so far as
 appears from ,history1  before the     
middle of the third ,century2 when      
,dionysius ,alexandrinus  wrote against 
,nepos1 an gyptian ,bishop1 who had     
declar'd himself  upon that ,subject4   
,but we do not find that this ,book had 
any great  ,effect2 for the ,declaration
 or ,constitution of the ,nicene        
,fathers was  after2 and in ,st4        
,jerome's ,time1 who wrote towards the  
,end of the  fourth ,century1 this      
,doctrine had so much ,credit1 that he1 
who was its  greatest ,adversary1 yet   
durst not condemn it1 as he says        
himself2 ,qu  licet non sequamur1 tamen 
damnare non possumus2 quia multi        
,ecclesiasticorum virorum  martyres ista
 dixerunt3 ,which ,things or            
,doctrines1 speaking of the ,millennium1

 tho' we do not follow1 yet we  cannot  
condemn2 because many of our ,churchmen1
 and ,martyrs have affirmed  these      
things4 ,and when ,apollinarius reply'd 
to that ,book of  ,dionysius1 ,st4      
,jerome says1 that1 not only those of   
his own ,sect1  but a great ,multitude  
of other ,christians did agree with     
,apollinarius  in that particular3 ,ut  
presag mente jam cernam1 quantorum in me
 rabies  concitanda sit2 ,that now ,i   
foresee1 how many will be enrag'd       
against me1  for what ,i have spoken    
against the millennary ,doctrine4    ,we
 may therefore conclude that in ,st4    
,jerome's ,time the ,millennaries  made 
the greater ,party in the ,church2 for a
 little ,matter would not have  frighted
 him from censuring their ,opinions4    
,st4 ,jerome was a rough and  rugged    
,saint1 and an unfair ,adversary1 that  
usually run down with ,heat  and        
,violence1 what stood in his ,way4 ,as  
to his ,unfairness1 he shews it         
sufficiently in this very ,cause1 for he

 generally represents the  millennary   
,doctrine after a ,judaical1 rather than
 a ,christian  ,manner4 ,and in         
reckoning up the chief ,patrons of it1  
he always skips  ,justin ,martyr2 who   
was not a ,man so obscure as to be      
over-look'd3 ,and  he was a ,man that   
had declar'd himself sufficiently upon  
this ,point2 for  he says1 ,both himself
 and all the ,orthodox of his time1 were
 of that  ,judgment1 and applies both   
the ,apocalypse of ,st4 ,john1 and the  
lxvth ,chapter of ,isaiah1 for the      
,proof of it2 as we noted before4    ,as
 ,st4 ,jerome was an open ,enemy to this
 ,doctrine1 so ,eusebius was a  back    
,friend to it2 and represented every    
thing to its ,disadvantage1 so  far as  
was tolerably consistent with the       
,fairness of an ,historian4 ,he  gives a
 slight ,character of ,papias1 without  
any ,authority for it2 and  brings in   
one ,gaius1 that makes ,cerinthus to be 
the ,author of the  ,apocalypse and of  
the ,millennium 7,eccles4 ,hist4 l4 iii4

 c4  #cb47 and calls the ,visions there1
 1 monstrous ,stories4 ,he  himself is  
willing to shuffle off that ,book from  
,john the ,evangelist  to another ,john 
a ,presbyter2 and to shew his ,skill in 
the  ,interpretation of it1 7l4 #c4 c4  
#cb4 de vit4 ,constan47 he makes the    
new ,jerusalem in the xxith ,chapter to 
be ,constantine's ,jerusalem1  when he  
turn'd the ,heathen ,temples there into 
,christian3 ,a wonderful  ,invention4   
,as ,st4 ,jerome by his ,flouts1 so     
,eusebius1 by sinister  ,insinuations1  
endeavour'd to lessen the ,reputation of
 this ,doctrine2 and  the ,art they both
 us'd was1 to misrepresent it as        
,judaical4 ,but we  must not cast off   
every ,doctrine which the ,jews         
believ'd1 only for  that ,reason2 for we
 have the same ,oracles which they had1 
and the same  ,prophets2 and they have  
collected from them the same general    
,doctrine  that we have1 namely1 that   
there will be an happy and pacifick     
,state of  the ,church1 in future       

,times4 ,but as to the ,circumstances of
 this ,state  we differ very much3 ,they
 suppose the ,mosaical ,law will be     
restor'd1  with all its ,pomp1 ,rites1  
and ,ceremonies3 whereas we suppose the 
,christian ,worship1 or something more  
perfect1 will then take ,place4 ,yet    
,st4 ,jerome has the ,confidence1 even  
there where he speaks of the many       
,christian ,clergy and ,martyrs that    
held this ,doctrine2 has the            
,confidence1 ,i say1 to represent it1 as
 if they held that ,circumcision1       
,sacrifices1 and all the ,judaical      
,rites1 should then be restor'd4  ,which
 seems to me to be a great ,slander1 and
 a great ,instance how far  ,mens       
,passions will carry them1 in           
misrepresenting an ,opinion1 which they 
have a ,mind to disgrace4    ,but as we 
have ,reason to blame the ,partiality of
 those that opposed this  ,doctrine2 so1
 on the other ,hand1 we cannot excuse   
the ,patrons of it from  all            
,indiscretions4 ,i believe they might   

partly themselves make it  obnoxious2 by
 mixing some things with it1 from       
pretended ,traditions1 or  the ,books of
 the ,sybills1 or other private         
,authorities1 that had so  sufficient   
warrant from ,scripture2 and things1    
sometimes1 that ,nature  would not      
easily bear4 ,besides1 in latter ,ages1 
they seem to have dropt  one half of the
 ,doctrine1 namely1 the ,renovation of  
,nature1 which  ,irenus1 ,justin        
,martyr1 and the ,antients1 join        
inseparably with the  ,millennium3 ,and 
by this ,omission1 the ,doctrine hath   
been made less  intelligible1 and one   
,part of it inconsistent with another4  
,and when  their ,pretensions were to   
reign upon this present ,earth1 and in  
this  present ,state of ,nature1 it gave
 a ,jealousy to temporal ,princes1 and  
gave occasion likewise to many of       
,fanatical ,spirits1 under the ,notion  
of  ,saints1 to aspire to ,dominion1    
after a violent and tumultuary ,manner4 
,this ,i reckon as one great ,cause that

 brought the ,doctrine into  ,discredit4
 ,but ,i hope by reducing of it to the  
true ,state1 we shall cure  this and    
other ,abuses for the future4           
,lastly1 ,it never pleas'd the ,church  
of ,rome2 and so far as the  ,influence 
and ,authority of that would go1 you may
 be sure it would be  depress'd and     
discountenanced4 ,i never yet met with a
 ,popish ,doctor that  held the         
,millennium2 and ,baronius would have it
 to pass for an  ,heresy1 and ,papias   
for the ,inventor of it2 whereas1 if    
,irenus may  be credited1 it was        
receiv'd from ,st4 ,john1 and by him    
from the ,mouth  of our ,saviour4 ,and  
neither ,st4 ,jerome1 nor his friend    
,pope ,damasus1  durst ever condemn it  
for an ,heresy4 ,it was always indeed   
uneasy1 and  gave ,offence to the       
,church of ,rome2 because it does not   
suit to that  ,scheme of ,christianity1 
which they have drawn4 ,they suppose    
,christ  reigns already1 by his ,vicar1 
the ,pope2 and treads upon the ,necks of

  ,emperors and ,kings3 ,and if they    
could but suppress the ,northern        
,heresy1 as they call it1 they do not   
know what a ,millennium would  signify1 
or how the ,church could be in an       
happier ,condition than she is4  ,the   
,apocalyse of ,st4 ,john does suppose   
the true ,church under  hardship and    
,persecution1 more or less1 for the     
greatest ,part of the  ,christian ,ages2
 namely1 for #abfj ,years1 while the    
,witnesses are in  sack-cloth4 ,but the 
,church of ,rome hath been in prosperity
 and  ,greatness1 and the commanding    
,church in ,christendom1 for so long1 or
  longer1 and hath rul'd the ,nations   
with a ,rod of ,iron2 so as that ,mark  
of the true ,church does not favour her 
at all4 ,and the ,millennium  being     
properly a ,reward and ,triumph for     
those that come out of  ,persecution1   
such as have liv'd always in ,pomp and  
,prosperity1 can  pretend to no ,share  
in it1 or ,benefit by it4 ,this has made
 the ,church of  ,rome have always an   

ill ,eye upon this ,doctrine1 because it
 seem'd to  have an ill ,eye upon her2  
,and as she grew in ,splendor and       
,greatness1 she  eclips'd and obscur'd  
it more and more2 so that it would have 
been lost  out of the ,world as an      
obsolete ,error1 it it had not been     
revived by  some of the ,reformation4   
,,chap4 ,,vii4          ,the true ,state
 of the ,millennium1 according to       
,characters taken      from ,scripture2 
some ,mistakes concerning it examin'd4  
,we have made sufficient ,proof of a    
millennial ,state1 from ,scripture and  
,antiquity2 and upon that firm ,basis   
have settled our second ,proposition4   
,we should now determine the ,time and  
,place of this future ,kingdom of       
,christ3 not whether it is to be in     
,heaven1 or upon ,earth2 for that we    
suppose determin'd already2 but whether 
it is to be in the present  ,earth1 and 
under the present ,constitution of      
,nature1 or in the new  ,heavens1 and   
new ,earth1 which are promis'd after the

 ,conflagration3  ,this is to make our  
third ,proposition3 ,and ,i should have 
proceeded  immediately to the           
,examination of it1 but that ,i imagine 
it will give us  some ,light in this    
,affair1 if we enquire farther into the 
true ,state of  the ,millennium1 before 
we determine its ,time and ,place4      
,we have already noted some moral       
,characters of the millennial ,state2   
and the great natural ,character of it  
is this in general1 that it will  be    
,paradisaical2 free from all            
,inconveniencies1 either of external    
,nature1 or of our own ,bodies4 ,for my 
part1 ,i do not understand1 how  there  
can be any considerable ,degree of      
,happiness without ,indolency2  nor how 
there can be ,indolency1 while we have  
such ,bodies as we have  now1 and such  
an external ,constitution of ,nature4   
,and as there must be  ,indolency1 where
 there is ,happiness2 so there must not 
be ,indigency1  or want of any due      
,comforts of ,life3 ,for where there is 

,indigency1  there is ,solicitude1 and  
,distraction1 and ,uneasiness1 and      
,fear2 ,passions  that do as naturally  
disquiet the ,soul1 as ,pain does the   
,body4 ,therefore  ,indolency and       
,plenty seem to be two essential        
,ingredients of every happy  ,state2 and
 these two1 in ,conjunction1 make that  
,state we call  ,paradisaical4    ,now  
the ,scripture seems plainly to exempt  
the ,sons of the new  ,jerusalem1 or of 
the ,millennium1 from all ,pain or      
,want1 in those  ,words1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #d4
 ,and ,god shall wipe away all ,tears   
from their  ,eyes3 ,and there shall be  
no more ,death1 neither ,sorrow1 nor    
crying2  neither shall there be any more
 ,pain3 ,for the former ,things are     
passed  away4 ,and the ,lord of that    
,kingdom1 ,he that sat upon the ,throne1
  said1 ,behold ,i make all ,things new1
 ver4 #e4 ,this ,renovation is a        
,restauration to some former ,state2 and
 ,i hope1 not that ,state of  ,indigency
 and ,misery1 and ,diseasedness1 which  

we languish under at  present2 but to   
that pristine ,paradisaical ,state1     
which was the  ,blessing of the first   
,heavens and the first ,earth4    ,as   
,health and ,plenty are the ,blessings  
of ,nature2 so1 in ,civil ,affairs1     
,peace is the greatest ,blessing3 ,and  
this is inseparably annex'd to the      
,millennium2 an indelible ,character of 
the ,kingdom of ,christ4 ,and by        
,peace1 we understand not only ,freedom 
from ,persecution upon religious        
,accounts1 but that ,nation shall not   
rise up against ,nation1 upon any       
,account whatsoever4 ,that bloody       
,monster1 ,war1 that hath devoured so   
many ,millions of the ,sons of ,adam1 is
 now at length to be chain'd up2  and   
the ,furies1 that run throughout the    
,earth1 with their ,snakes and          
,torches1 shall be thrown into the      
,abyss1 to sting and prey upon one      
another3 ,all evil and mischievous      
,passions shall be extinguished2 and    
that not in ,men only1 but even in brute

 ,creatures1 according to the           
,prophets4 ,the ,lamb and the ,lion     
shall lie down together1 and the        
sucking ,child shall play with the      
,basilisk4 ,happy ,days1 when not only  
the ,temple of ,janus shall be shut up  
for a thousand ,years1 and the  ,nations
 shall beat their ,swords into          
,plowshares2 but all ,enmities and      
,antipathies shall cease1 all ,acts of  
,hostility1 throughout all ,nature4     
,and this universal ,peace is a         
,demonstration also of the former       
,character1 universal ,plenty2 for where
 there is a ,want and  ,necessitousness1
 there will be quarrelling4             
,fourthly1 ',tis a ,kingdom of          
,righteousness1 as well as of ,peace3   
these  also must go together3 ,for      
unrighteous ,persons will not live long 
in  ,peace1 no more than indigent       
,persons4 ,the ,psalmist therefore joins
  them together2 and ,plenty1 also1 as  
their necessary ,preservative1 in  his  
,description of the ,kingdom of ,christ1

 ,psal4 lxxxv4 #aj1 #aa1 #ab4  ,mercy   
and ,truth are met together3            
,righteousness and ,peace have kissed   
each other4 ,truth shall spring out of  
the ,earth1 and ,righteousness shall    
look down from ,heaven4 ,yea1 the ,lord 
shall give good1 and our ,land shall    
yield her ,increase4 ,this will not be a
 ,medley-,state1 as the present  ,world 
is1 good and bad mingled together2 but a
 chosen ,generation1 a  royal           
,priesthood1 an holy ,nation1 a peculiar
 ,people4 ,those that  have a ,part in  
the first ,resurrection1 the ,scripture 
pronounceth them  ,holy and ,blessed2   
and says1 ,the second ,death shall have 
no ,power  over them4 ,satan is also    
bound and shut up in the bottomless     
,pit1 and  has no ,liberty of tempting  
or seducing this ,people1 for a thousand
  ,years3 but at the ,end of that ,time1
 he will meet with a degenerate ,crew1  
separate and ,aliens to the holy ,city1 
that will make ,war against it1 and     
perish in the ,attempt4 ,in a word1     

those that are to enjoy this ,state1    
are always distinguish'd from the       
,multitude1 as ,people redeemed from the
  ,earth1 7,apoc4 v4 #i47 that have     
wash'd their ,robes1 and made them white
  in the ,blood of the ,lamb2 and are   
represented as ,victors over the ,world2
  with such other ,characters as are    
incompatible to any but the ,righteous1 
ch4 vii4 #ad4 ch4 xiv4 #c1 #d4 ch4 xxi4 
#bg4    ,fifthly1 ,this will be a ,state
 under a peculiar divine ,presence and  
,conduct4 ,it is not easy indeed to     
determine the ,manner of this ,presence2
  but the ,scripture plainly implies    
some extraordinary divine ,presence to  
enlighten and enliven that ,state4 ,when
 the new ,jerusalem was come  down1 ,st4
 ,john says1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #c4 ,and ,i    
heard a great voice out of  ,heaven1    
saying1 behold the ,tabernacle of ,god  
is with ,men2 and he will  dwell with   
them1 and they shall be his ,people2 and
 ,god himself shall be  with them1 and  
be their ,god4 ,and the like is promis'd

 to the  ,palm-bearing ,company1 ch4    
vii4 #ai4 where they are admitted to the
  ,privileges of the new ,jerusalem4    
,when our ,saviour was incarnate1 and   
vouchsafed to dwell amongst the         
,children of ,men1 the same ,phrase is  
us'd  by this same ,author1 4 ,joh4 i4  
#ad4 ,the ,word was made ,flesh1  and   
tabernacled amongst us2 and we beheld   
his ,glory1 c4 ,we read it1  ,he dwelt  
amongst us1 but render'd more closely1  
it is1 ,he set his  ,tabernacle amongst 
us4 ,and that which the ,hebrews call   
the   ,shekinah1 or divine ,presence1   
,maimon4 ,mor4 ,nev4 par4 #a4 c4 #be    
comes from a ,word of the like          
,signification and ,sound with the      
,greek  ,word here us'd4 ,therefore     
there will be a ,shekinah in that       
,kingdom of  ,christ2 but as to the     
,mode of it1 ,i am very willing to      
confess my  ,ignorance4    ,the last    
,character that belongs to this ,state1 
or rather to those that  enjoy it1 is1  
that they are ,kings and ,priests unto  

,god4 ,this is a  ,character often      
repeated in ,scripture1 and therefore   
the more to be  regarded4 ,it occurs    
thrice in the ,apocalypse in formal     
,terms1 ch4 i4  #f4 ch4 v4 #aj4 ch4 xx4 
#f4 ,and as to the ,regal ,dignity      
apart1 that is  farther exprest1 either 
by the ,donation of a ,kingdom1 as in   
,daniel's  ,phrase1 chap4 vii4 #ah1 #bb1
 #bg4 ,or by placing upon ,thrones1 with
 a  judicial ,power2 which is the ,new  
,testament ,style1 ,mat4 xix4 #bh4 ,luke
  xxii4 #bi1 #cj4 ,rev4 xx4 #d4 ,these  
two ,titles1 no doubt1 are intended to  
comprehend the highest ,honours that we 
are capable of2 these being the  highest
 ,dignities in every ,kingdom2 and such 
as were by the ,antients1  both in the  
,east and in the ,west1 commonly united 
in one and the  same ,person2 ,their    
,kings being ,priests1 like             
,melchisedeck1 or1 as the  ,roman       
,emperor was1 ,pontifex ,maximus4 ,but  
as to the sacerdotal  ,character1 that  
seems chiefly to respect the ,temper of 

the ,mind2 to  signify a ,people        
dedicated to ,god and his ,service1     
separate from the  ,world1 and from     
secular ,affairs1 spending their time in
 ,devotion and  ,contemplation1 which   
will be the great ,employments of that  
happy ,state4  ,for where there is      
,ease1 ,peace1 and ,plenty of all       
,things1 refin'd  ,bodies1 and purified 
,minds1 there will be more ,inclination 
to  intellectual ,exercises and         
,entertainments2 which they may attend  
upon1  without any ,distraction1 having 
neither ,want1 ,pain1 nor worldly       
,business4    ,the ,title of ,king      
implies a ,confluence of all ,things    
that constitute  temporal ,happiness4   
',tis the highest thing we can wish any 
in this  ,world1 to be a ,king2 ,so as  
the ,regal ,dignity seems to comprehend 
all  the ,goods of ,fortune1 or external
 ,felicity1 and the ,sacerdotal1 the    
,goods of the ,mind1 or internal2 both  
which concur in the ,constitution of    
true ,happiness4 ,there is also a       

further ,force and ,emphasis in this    
,notion of the ,saints being made       
,kings1 if we consider it               
comparatively1 with respect to what they
 were before in this ,world2  where they
 were not only mean and despicable1 in  
,subjection and  ,servility1 but often  
under ,persecution1 abus'd and trampled 
upon by the  ,secular and               
,ecclesiastical ,powers4 ,but now the   
,scene is chang'd1 and you  see the     
reverse of ,providence1 according as    
,abraham said to the  ,rich-,man2 ,son1 
remember that thou in thy ,life time    
receivedst thy good  things1 and        
likewise ,lazarus evil things3 ,but now 
he is comforted1 and  thou art          
tormented4 ,now they are set upon       
,thrones and ,tribunals1 who  were      
before arraigned as ,criminals1 and     
brought before tyrannical  ,judicatures3
 ,they are now ,laws and ,law-givers to 
themselves1 in a true  ,state of ,royal 
,liberty1 neither under the ,domination 
of evil ,men1 nor of  their own evil    

,passions4    ,some possibly may think1 
that this high ,character of being made 
,priests and ,kings to ,god1 is not     
general to all that enjoy the           
,millennium2 but a ,prerogative         
belonging to the ,apostles and some of  
the chief ,martyrs1 who are eminently   
rewarded for their eminent  ,services4  
,but ,scripture as far as ,i perceive1  
applies it to all that  inherit that    
,kingdom4 ,the redeemed out of every    
,kindred1 and ,tongue1  and ,people1 and
 ,nation1 are made ,kings and ,priests  
to ,god1 and shall  reign on the ,earth1
 ,apoc4 v4 #i1 #aj1 ,and in the xxth    
chap4 ver4 #f4 all  the ,sons of the    
first ,resurrection are made ,priests of
 ,god1 and shall  reign with him a      
thousand ,years4 ,here is no            
,distinction or  ,discrimination thus   
far3 ,not that we suppose an unversal   
,equality of  ,conditions in the        
millennial ,state2 but as to all these  
,characters which  we have given of it1 
,i do not perceive that they are        

restrain'd or  confin'd by ,scripture to
 single ,persons1 but make the general  
,happiness  of that ,state1 and are the 
,portion of every one that is admitted  
into  the new ,jerusalem4    ,others    
possibly may think that this ,privilege 
of the first  ,resurrection is not      
common to all that enjoy the millennial 
,state4 ,for  tho' ,st4 ,john1 who is   
the only ,person that hath made express 
mention  of the first ,resurrection1 and
 of the thousand ,years ,reign of       
,christ1 does join these two as the same
 thing1 and common to the same          
,persons2 yet ,i know there are some    
that would distinguish them as things   
of a different ,extent1 and also of a   
different ,nature4 ,they suppose the    
,martyrs only will rise from the ,dead1 
and will be immediately translated  into
 ,heaven1 and there pass their          
,millennium in celestial ,glory2 while  
the ,church is still here below1 in her 
,millennium1 such as it is3 ,a  ,state  
indeed better than ordinary1 and free   

from ,persecution1 but  obnoxious to all
 the ,inconveniences of our present     
mortal ,life1 and a  ,medley of good and
 bad ,people1 without ,separation4 ,this
 is such an ,idea  of the ,millennium1  
as1 to my ,eye1 hath neither ,beauty in 
it1 nor  ,foundation in ,scripture4     
,that the ,citizens of the new          
,jerusalem are  not a miscellaneous     
,company1 but a ,community of righteous 
,persons1 we  have noted before1 and    
that the ,state of ,nature will be      
better than it  is at present4 ,but1    
besides this1 what ,warrant have they   
for this  ,ascension of the ,martyrs    
into ,heaven at that ,time8 ,where do we
 read of  that in ,scripture8 ,and in   
those things that are not ,matters of   
natural  ,order1 but of divine          
,oeconomy1 we ought to be very careful  
how we add to  ,scripture4    ,the      
,scripture speaks only of the           
,resurrection of the ,martyrs1 ,apoc4   
xx4 #de4 but not a ,word concerning     
their ,ascension into ,heaven4 ,will    

that  be visible8 ,we read of our       
,saviour's ,resurrection and ,ascension1
 and  therefore we have ,reason to      
affirm them both4 ,we read also of the  
,resurrection and ,ascension of the     
,witnesses1 7,apoc4 xi47 in a           
figurative ,sense2 and in that ,sense we
 may assert them upon good  ,grounds4   
,but as to the ,martyrs1 we read of     
their ,resurrection only1  without any  
thing exprest or imply'd about their    
,ascension4 ,by what  ,authority then   
shall we add this new ,notion to the    
,history or ,scheme of  the ,millennium8
 ,the ,scripture1 on the contrary1 makes
 mention of the  ,descent of the new    
,jerusalem1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #b4 making the  
,earth the  ,theatre of all that        
,affair3 ,and the ,camp of the ,saints  
is upon the  ,earth1 ver4 #i4 and these 
,saints are the same ,persons1 so far as
 can be  collected from the ,text1 that 
rose from the ,dead1 and reign'd with   
,christ1 and were ,priests to ,god1 ver4
 #d1 #e1 #f4 ,neither is there any      

,distinction made1 that ,i find1 by ,st4
 ,john1 of two sorts of ,saints in  the 
,millennium1 the one in ,heaven1 and the
 other upon ,earth4 ,lastly1  the four  
and twenty ,elders1 chap4 v4 #aj4 tho'  
they were ,kings and  ,priests unto     
,god1 were content to reign upon ,earth4
 ,now who can you  suppose of a superior
 ,order to these four and twenty        
,elders8 ,whether  they represent the   
twelve ,patriarchs and twelve ,apostles1
 or whomsoever  they represent1 they are
 plac'd next to him that sits upon the  
,throne1  and they have ,crowns of ,gold
 upon their ,heads1 chap4 iv4 #d4 ch4   
xi4  #af4 ,there can be no ,marks of    
,honour and ,dignity greater than these 
are2  and therefore seeing these highest
 ,dignitaries in the ,millennium or     
future ,kingdom of ,christ1 are to reign
 upon ,earth1 there is no ,ground to    
suppose the ,assumption of any other    
into ,heaven1 upon that ,account1 or    
upon that ,occasion4    ,this is a short
 and general ,draught of the millennial 

,state1 or future  ,reign of the        
,saints1 according to ,scripture4       
,wherein ,i have endeavour'd  to rectify
 some ,mistakes or ,misconceptions about
 it2 that viewing it in  its true       
,nature1 we may be the better able to   
judge1 when and where it  will obtain3  
which is the next ,thing to be          
consider'd4                             
,,chap4 ,,viii4          ,the third     
,proposition laid down1 concerning the  
,time and ,place of      the            
,millennium3 ,several ,arguments us'd1  
to prove1 that it cannot      be till   
after the ,conflagration2 and that the  
new ,heavens and the      new ,earth are
 the true ,seat of the blessed          
,millennium4      ,we now come to the   
third and last ,head of our ,discourse2 
to determine  the ,time and ,place of   
the ,millennium4 ,and seeing it is      
indifferent1 whether the ,proofs lead or
 follow the ,conclusion1 we will  lay   
down the ,conclusion in the first       
,place1 that our ,business may be  more 

in ,view2 and back it with ,proofs in   
the following ,part of the  ,chapter4   
,our third and last ,proposition        
therefore is this1 ,that the  blessed   
,millennium1 ,propos4 #c4 7properly so  
called7 according as it is  describ'd in
 ,scripture1 cannot obtain in the       
present ,earth1 nor under  the present  
,constitution of ,nature and            
,providence2 but it is to be  celebrated
 in the new ,heavens and new ,earth1    
after the ,conflagration4  ,this        
,proposition it may be1 will seem a     
,paradox or ,singularity to many1  even 
of those that believe a ,millennium3 ,we
 will therefore make it the  ,business  
of this ,chapter1 to state it1 and prove
 it1 by such ,arguments  as are         
manifestly founded in ,scripture and in 
,reason4    ,and to prevent ,mistakes1  
we must premise this in the first       
,place2 that  tho' the blessed          
,millennium will not be in this ,earth2 
yet we allow  that the ,state of the    
,church here1 will grow much better than

 it is at  present4 ,there will be a    
better ,idea of ,christianity1 and      
according to  the ,prophecies1 a full   
,resurrection of the ,witnesses1 and an 
,ascension into ,power1 and the tenth   
,part of the ,city will fall2 which     
things imply ease from ,persecution1 the
 ,conversion of some ,part of the       
,christian ,world to the reformed       
,faith1 and a considerable ,diminution  
of  the ,power of ,antichrist4 ,but this
 still comes short of the ,happiness and
  ,glory wherein the future ,kingdom of 
,christ is represented2 which cannot    
come to pass till the ,man of ,sin be   
destroyed1 with a total  ,destruction4  
,after the ,resurrection of the         
,witnesses1 there is a third  ,,woe yet 
to come2 and how long that will last1   
does not appear4 ,if it  bear proportion
 with the preceeding ,,woes1 it may last
 some hundreds of  ,years4 ,and we      
cannot imagine the ,millennium to begin 
till that ,,woe  be finished3 ,as       
neither till the ,vials be pour'd out1  

in the xvth  chap4 which cannot be all  
pour'd out till after the ,resurrection 
of  the ,witnesses2 those ,vials being  
the last ,plagues that compleat the     
,destruction of ,antichrist4 ,wherefore 
allowing that the ,church1 upon the     
,resurrection and ,ascension of the     
,witnesses1 will be advanc'd into a     
better ,condition1 yet that ,condition  
cannot be the millennial ,state2  where 
the ,beast is utterly destroy'd1 and    
,satan bound1 and cast into the         
bottomless ,pit4    ,this being         
premis'd1 let us now examine what       
,grounds there are for the  ,translation
 of that blessed ,state into the new    
,heavens and new  ,earth2 seeing that   
,thought1 it may be1 to many ,persons1  
will appear new  and extraordinary4 ,in 
the first ,place1 we suppose it out of  
,dispute1  that there will be new       
,heavens and a new ,earth after the     
,conflagration4 ,this was our first     
,proposition1 and we depend upon it1 as 
sufficiently prov'd both from ,scripture

 and ,antiquity4 ,this being  admitted1 
how will you flock this new ,earth8     
,what use will you put it  to8 ',twill  
be a much nobler ,earth1 and better     
built than the present2  and 'tis a pity
 it should only float about1 empty and  
useless in the  wild ,air4 ,if you will 
not make it the ,seat and ,habitation of
 the ,just in  the blessed ,millennium1 
what will you make it8 ,how will it turn
 to  ,account8 ,what hath ,providence   
design'd it for8 ,we must not suppose   
new  ,worlds made without ,counsel or   
,design4 ,and as1 on the one ,hand1 you 
cannot tell what to do with this new    
,creation1 if it be not thus  employ'd2 
so1 on the other ,hand1 it is every way 
fitted and suited to be  an happy and   
paradisaical ,habitation1 and answers   
all the natural  ,characters of the     
millennial ,state2 which is a great     
,presumption that it  is design'd for   
it4    ,but to argue this more closely  
upon ,scripture-grounds3 ,st4 ,peter    
says1  the ,righteous shall inhabit the 

new ,heavens and the new ,earth3 #b     
,pet4  iii4 #ac4 ,nevertheless1         
according to his ,promise1 we look for  
new  ,heavens and new ,earth1 ,,wherein 
,,dwelleth ,,righteousness3 that is1 a  
righteous ,people1 as we have shewn     
before4 ,but who are these righteous    
,people8 ,that's the great ,question4   
,if you compare ,st4 ,peter's new       
,heavens and new ,earth with ,st4       
,john's ,apoc4 xxi4 #a1 #b4 it will go  
far towards the ,resolution of this     
,question3 ,for ,st4 ,john seems        
plainly to make the ,inhabitants of the 
new ,jerusalem to be in this  new       
,earth4 ,i saw1 says he1 new ,heavens   
and a new ,earth1 and the  new          
,jerusalem descending from ,god out of  
,heaven2 therefore descending  into this
 new ,earth1 which he had mention'd     
immediately before4 ,and  there the     
,tabernacle of ,god was with ,men1 ver4 
#c4 and there he that  sat upon the     
,throne1 said1 ,behold ,i make all      
,things new4 ,referring  still to the   

new ,heavens and new ,earth1 as the     
,theatre where all these  ,things are   
acted1 or all these ,scenes exhibited2  
from the first ,verse to  the eighth3   
,now the new ,jerusalem ,state being the
 same with the  ,millennial1 if the one 
be in the new ,heavens and new ,earth1  
the  other is there also4 ,and this     
,interpretation of ,st4 ,john's ,word is
  confirm'd and fully assur'd to us by  
the ,prophet ,isaiah2 who also  placeth 
the ,joy and ,rejoicing of the new      
,jerusalem in the new ,heavens  and new 
,earth1 ,chap4 lxv4 #ag1 #ah4 ,for      
behold ,i create new ,heavens and a  new
 ,earth2 and the former shall not be    
remembred3 but be you glad and  rejoice 
for ever in that which ,i create2 for   
behold1 ,i create ,jerusalem  a         
,rejoicing1 and her ,people a ,joy3     
,namely1 in that new ,heavens and new   
,earth2 which answers to ,st4 ,john's   
,vision of the new ,jerusalem being  let
 down upon the new ,earth4    ,to these 
,reasons1 and ,deductions from          

,scripture1 we might add the  ,testimony
 of several of the ,fathers2 ,i mean of 
those that were  ,millennaries3 ,for we 
are speaking now to such as believe the 
,millennium1 but place it in the present
 ,earth before the ,renovation2  whereas
 the antient ,millennaries suppos'd the 
,regeneration and  ,renovation of the   
,world before the ,kingdom of ,christ   
came3 ,as you may  see in #a;,irenus1   
#b;,justin ,martyr1 #c,tertullian1      
#d,lactantius1 and #ethe ,author ad     
,orthodoxos4 ,and the ,neglect of  this1
 ,i look upon as one ,reason1 as we     
noted before1 that brought that         
,doctrine into ,discredit and ,decay4   
,for when they plac'd the ,kingdom of   
the ,saints upon this ,earth1 it became 
more capable of being abus'd1 by        
fanatical ,spirits1 to the ,disturbance 
of the ,world1 and the ,invasion of  the
 ,rights of the ,magistrates1 ,civil or 
,ecclesiastical1 under that  ,notion of 
,saints2 and made them also dream of    
sensual ,pleasures1 such as  they see in

 this ,life3 ,or at least gave an       
,occasion and ,opportunity to  those1   
that had a ,mind to make the ,doctrine  
odious1 of charging it with  these      
,consequences4 ,all these ,abuses are   
cut off1 and these ,scandals  prevented1
 by placing the ,millennium aright3     
,namely1 not in this present  ,life1 or 
on this present ,earth1 but in the new  
,creation1 where ,peace and             
,righteousness will dwell4 ,and this is 
our first ,argument why we place  the   
,millennium in the new ,heavens and new 
,earth2 and 'tis taken partly1  you see1
 from the ,reason of the ,thing itself1 
the ,difficulty of  assigning any other 
use of the new ,earth1 and its fitness  
for this2 and  partly from              
,scripture-evidence1 and partly from    
,antiquity4    ,the second ,argument for
 our ,opinion1 is this2 the present     
,constitution  of ,nature will not bear 
that ,happiness1 that is promis'd in the
  ,millennium1 or is not consistent with
 it4 ,the ,diseases of our ,bodies1  the

 ,disorders of our ,passions1 the       
,incommodiousness of external ,nature2  
,indigency1 ,servility1 and the         
,unpeaceableness of the ,world2 these   
are  things inconsistent with the       
,happiness that is promis'd in the      
,kingdom  of ,christ4 ,but these are    
constant ,attendants upon this ,life1   
and  inseparable from the present ,state
 of ,nature4 ,suppose the ,millennium   
was  to begin nine or ten ,years hence1 
as some pretend it will2 how shall  this
 ,world1 all of a sudden1 be            
metamorphos'd into that happy ,state8   
,apoc4 xxi4 #d4 ,no more ,sorrow1 nor   
crying1 nor ,pain1 nor ,death1 says     
,st4 ,john3 ,all former ,things are past
 away4 ,but how past away8 ,shall  we   
not have the same ,bodies2 and the same 
external ,nature2 and the same          
,corruptions of the ,air2 and the same  
,excesses and ,intemperature of         
,seasons8 ,will there not be the same   
,barrenness of the ,ground1 the same    
,number of ,people to be fed2 and must  

they not get their living by the  ,sweat
 of their ,brows1 with servile ,labour  
and ,drudgery8 ,how then are all  former
 ,evils past away8 ,and as to publick   
,affairs1 while there are the  same     
,necessities of human ,life1 and a      
,distinction of ,nations1 those         
,nations sometimes will have contrary   
,interests1 will clash and interfere    
one with another2 whence ,differences1  
and ,contests1 and ,wars will arise1    
and the thousand ,years ,truce1 ,i am   
afraid1 will be often broken4 ,we  might
 add also1 that if our ,bodies be not   
chang'd1 we shall be subject  to the    
same ,appetites1 and the same ,passions2
 and upon those ,vices will  grow1 as   
bad ,fruit upon a bad ,tree3 ,to        
conclude1 so long as our ,bodies  are   
the same1 external ,nature the same1 the
 ,necessities of human ,life  the same2 
which things are the ,roots of ,evil2   
you may call it a  ,millennium1 or what 
you please1 but there will be still     
,diseases1  ,vices1 ,wars1 ,tears and   

,cries1 ,pain and ,sorrow in this       
,millennium2 and  if so1 'tis a         
,millennium of your own making1 for that
 which the  ,prophets describe1 is quite
 another thing4    ,farthermore1 if you 
suppose the ,millennium will be upon    
this ,earth1 and  begin1 it may be1 ten 
or twenty ,years hence1 how will it be  
introduc'd8  ,how shall we know when we 
are in it1 or when we enter upon it8 ,if
 we  continue the same1 and all ,nature 
continue the same1 we shall not  discern
 when we slip into the ,millennium4 ,and
 as to the moral ,state of  it1 shall we
 all1 on a sudden1 become ,kings and    
,priests to ,god8  ,wherein will that   
,change consist1 and how will it be     
wrought8 ,st4 ,john  makes the first    
,resurrection introduce the ,millennium2
 and that's a  conspicuous ,mark and    
,boundary3 ,but as to the modern or     
vulgar  ,millennium1 ,i know not how    
'tis usher'd in4 ,whether they suppose a
  visible ,resurrection of the ,martyrs1
 and a visible ,ascension2 and that  to 

be a ,signal to all the ,world that the 
,jubilee is beginning2 or  whether 'tis 
gradual1 and creeps upon us insensibly2 
or the ,fall of the  ,beast marks it3   
,these things need both ,explication and
 ,proof3 for to me  they seem either    
arbitrary or unintelligible4    ,but to 
pursue our ,design and ,subject3 ,that  
which gives me the greatest  ,scandal in
 this ,doctrine of the vulgar           
,millennium1 is their joining  ,things  
together that are really inconsistent2 a
 natural ,world of one  ,colour1 and a  
moral ,world of another4 ,they will make
 us happy in spight  of ,nature2 as the 
,stoicks would make a ,man happy in     
,phalaris his  ,bull2 so must the       
,saints be in full ,bliss in the        
,millennium1 tho' they  be under a ,fit 
of the ,gout1 or the ,stone4 ,for my    
part1 ,i could never  reconcile ,pain to
 ,happiness2 it seems to me to destroy  
and drown all  ,pleasure1 as a loud     
,noise does a still ,voice3 ,it affects 
the ,nerves with  ,violence1 and        

over-bears all other ,motions4 ,but if1 
according to this  modern ,supposition1 
they have the same ,bodies1 and breath  
the same ,air  in the ,millennium1 as we
 do now1 there will be both private and 
epidemical ,distempers1 in the same     
,manner as now4 ,suppose then a ,plague 
comes and sweeps away half an hundred   
thousand ,saints in the ,millennium1  is
 this no ,prejudice or ,dishonour to the
 ,state8 ,or a ,war makes a ,nation     
desolate2 or1 in single ,persons1 a     
lingring ,disease makes ,life a         
,burthen2 or a burning ,fever1 or a     
violent ,cholick tortures them to       
,death2 where such ,evils as these      
reign1 christen the thing what you      
will1 it can be no better than a        
,mock-,millennium4 ,nor shall ,i ever be
  persuaded that such a ,state as our   
present ,life1 where an aking ,tooth1   
or an aking ,head1 does so discompose   
the ,soul1 as to make her unfit for     
,business1 ,study1 ,devotion1 or any    
useful ,employment2 and that all the    

,powers of the ,mind1 all its ,virtue1  
and all its ,wisdom1 are not able to    
stop these little ,motions1 or to       
support them with ,tranquillity3 ,i can 
never persuade my self1 ,i say1 that    
such a ,state was design'd by ,god or   
,nature1 for a ,state of ,happiness4    
,our third ,argument is this2 the future
 ,kingdom of ,christ will not take      
place1 till the ,kingdom of ,antichrist 
be wholly destroy'd3 ,but that will  not
 be wholly destroy'd till the ,end of   
the ,world1 and the appearing of  our   
,saviour2 therefore the ,millennium will
 not be till then4 ,christ and          
,antichrist cannot reign upon ,earth    
together2 their ,kingdoms are  opposite1
 as ,light and ,darkness3 ,besides1 the 
,kingdom of ,christ is  universal1      
extends to all the ,nations1 and leaves 
no room for other  ,kingdoms at that    
time4 ,thus it is describ'd in ,daniel1 
in the ,place  mention'd before1 chap4  
vii4 #ac1 #ad4 ,i saw in the ,night     
,visions1 and  behold1 one like the ,son

 of ,man1 came with the ,clouds of      
,heaven1 and  came to the ,ancient of   
,days2 and there was given him ,dominion
 and ,glory1  and a ,kingdom2 that all  
,people1 ,nations1 and ,languages1      
should serve  him4 ,and again ver4 #bg4 
,and the ,kingdom and ,dominion1 and the
  ,greatness of the ,kingdom under the  
whole ,heaven1 shall be given to the    
,people of the ,saints of the most      
,high2 whose ,kingdom is an everlasting 
,kingdom1 and all ,dominion shall serve 
and obey him4 ,the same ,character  of  
,universality is given to the ,kingdom  
of ,christ by ,david1 ,psal4  ii4 and   
,psal4 lxxii4 ,isaiah ii4 #b4 and other 
,prophets4 ,but the most  direct ,proof 
of this1 is from the ,apocalypse1 where 
the ,beast and  false ,prophet are      
thrown into the ,lake of ,fire and      
,brimstone1 7chap4  xix4 #bj47 before   
the ,millennium comes on1 chap4 xx4     
,this1 being cast  into a ,lake of ,fire
 burning with ,brimstone1 must needs    
signify utter  ,destruction3 ,not a     

,diminution of ,power only1 but a total 
,perdition and  ,consumption4 ,and that 
this was before the ,millennium1 of the 
,beast and  false ,prophets being in the
 ,lake of ,fire1 as of a ,thing past1   
and  formerly transacted4 ,for when     
,satan1 at length1 is thrown into the   
same  ,lake 'tis said1 he is thrown into
 the ,lake of ,fire and ,brimstone1     
where  the ,beast and the false         
,prophets are1 ,apoc4 xx4 #aj4 ,they    
were there  before1 it seems2 namely1 at
 the beginning of the ,millennium2 and  
now at  the ,conclusion of it1 the      
,devil is thrown in to them3 ,besides1  
the  ,ligation of ,satan proves this    
,point effectually2 for so long as      
,antichrist reigns1 ,satan cannot be    
said to be bound2 but he is bound at    
the ,beginning of the ,millennium1      
therefore ,antichrist's ,reign was then 
totally expir'd4 ,lastly1 the           
,destruction of ,babylon1 and the       
,destruction of ,antichrist go together2
 but you see ,babylon utterly and       

finally destroy'd1 7,apoc4 xviii4 and   
xix47 before the ,millennium comes  on3 
,i say1 utterly and finally destroy'd4  
,for she is not only said to  be made an
 utter ,desolation1 but to be consum'd  
by ,fire2 and absorpt as  a ,millstone  
thrown into the ,sea2 and that he shall 
be found no more at  all1 chap4 xviii4  
#ba4 ,nothing can express a total and   
universal  ,destruction more            
effectually1 or more emphatically4 ,and 
this is before  the ,millennium begins2 
as you may see both by the ,order of the
  ,prophesies1 and particularly1 in that
 upon this ,destruction1 the            
,hallelujah's are sung1 ch4 xix4 and    
concluded thus1 ver4 #f1 #g4            
,hallelujah1 for the ,god omnipotent    
reigneth4 ,let us be glad and  rejoice1 
and give ,honour to him2 for the        
,marriage of the ,lamb is come1  and his
 ,wife hath made her self ready4 ,this1 
,i suppose1 every one  allows to be the 
millennial ,state1 which now approaches1
 and is making  ready1 upon the         

,destruction of ,babylon4    ,thus much 
for the first ,part of our ,argument1   
that the ,kingdom of ,christ  will not  
take place1 till the ,kingdom of        
,antichrist be wholly destroy'd4  ,we   
are now to prove the second ,part1 that 
the ,kingdom of ,antichrist will  not be
 wholly destroy'd till the ,end of the  
,world1 and the coming of our  ,saviour4
 ,this1 one would think1 is sufficiently
 prov'd from ,st4 ,paul's  ,words alone1
 #b ,thess4 ii4 #h4 ,the ,lord shall    
consume the ,man of ,sin1  who is       
suppos'd the same with ,antichrist1 with
 the ,spirit of his ,mouth1  and shall  
destroy him with the ,brightness of his 
coming4 ,he will not  then be destroyed 
before the coming of our ,saviour2 and  
that will not be  till the ,end of the  
,world4 ,for ,st4 ,peter says1 ,acts    
iii4 #ba4 ,the  ,heaven must receive    
him1 speaking of ,christ1 until the     
,times of  ,restitution of all things2  
that is1 the ,renovation of the ,world4 
,and if  we consider that our ,saviour's

 coming will be in ,flames of ,fire1 as 
the same ,apostle ,st4 ,paul tells us1  
#b ,thess4 i4 #g1 #h4 'tis plain1  that 
his coming will not be till the         
,conflagration2 in which last ,flames   
,antichrist will be universally         
destroy'd4 ,this ,manner of ,destruction
  agrees also with the ,apocalypse and  
with ,daniel1 and the ,prophets of  the 
,old ,testament4 ,as to the ,apocalypse1
 ,babylon1 the ,seat of  ,antichrist1 is
 represented there as destroy'd by      
,fire1 ch4 xviii4 #h1  #ah4 ch4 xiv4    
#aa4 ch4 xix4 #c1 #bj4 ,and in ,daniel1 
when the ,beast is  destroy'd1 ch4 vii4 
#aa4 ,his ,body was given to the burning
 ,flame4  ,then as to the other         
,prophets1 they do not1 you know1 speak 
of  ,antichrist or the ,beast in ,terms1
 but under the ,types of ,babylon1      
,tyre1 and such-like2 and these ,places 
or ,princes are represented by  them as 
to be destroy'd by ,fire1 ,isa4 xiii4   
#ai4 ,jer4 ii4 #be4 ,ezek4  xxviii4 #ah4
    ,so much for this third ,argument2  

the fourth ,argument is this2 the future
  ,kingdom of ,christ will not be till  
the ,day of ,judgment and the           
,resurrection2 but that will not be till
 the ,end of the ,world3 ,therefore1    
neither the ,kingdom of ,christ4 ,by the
 ,day of ,judgment here1 ,i do not  mean
 the final and universal ,judgment2 nor 
by the ,resurrection1 the  final and    
universal ,resurrection2 for these will 
not be till after the  ,millennium4 ,but
 we understand here the first ,day of   
,judgment and the  first ,resurrection1 
which will be at the ,end of this       
present ,world2  according as ,st4 ,john
 does distinguish them1 in the xxth     
chap4 of  the ,apocalypse4 ,now that the
 ,millennium will not be till the ,day  
of  ,judgment in this ,sense1 we have   
both the ,testimonies of ,daniel and of 
,st4 ,john4 ,daniel1 in chap4 vii4 ver4 
#i1 c4 ver4 #bf1 c4  supposes the ,beast
 to rule till ,judgment shall sit1 and  
then they  shall take away his          
,dominion1 and it shall be given to the 

,people of  the ,saints of the most     
,high4 ,st4 ,john makes an explicit     
,declaration of  both these1 in his xxth
 chap4 of the ,apocalypse1 which is the 
great  ,directory in this point of the  
,millennium2 he says there were ,thrones
  set1 as for a ,judicature1 ver4 #d4   
,then there was a ,resurrection from    
the ,dead1 and those that rise1 reigned 
with ,christ a thousand ,years3  ,here's
 a judicial ,session1 a ,resurrection1  
and the ,reign of ,christ  joined       
together4 ,there is also another        
,passage in ,st4 ,john that joins  the  
,judgment of the ,dead with the ,kingdom
 of ,christ2 'tis in the xith  ,chapter1
 under the seventh ,trumpet2 the ,words 
are these1 ver4 #ae4 ,and  the seventh  
,angel sounded1 and there were great    
,voices in ,heaven1  saying1 the        
,kingdoms of this ,world are become the 
,kingdoms of our ,lord  and of his      
,christ2 and he shall reign for ever and
 ever1 ,and the four  and twenty        
,elders1 c4 ,and the ,nations were      

angry1 and thy ,wrath is  come1 and the 
time of the ,dead1 that they should be  
judged1 and that  thou shouldst give    
,reward unto thy ,servants the          
,prophets1 and to the  ,saints1 and them
 that fear thy ,name4 ,here are two     
things plainly  express'd and link'd    
together1 ,the judging of the ,dead1 and
 the  ,kingdom of ,christ2 wherein the  
,prophets and ,saints are rewarded4 ,now
  as the judging of the ,dead is not in 
this ,life1 so neither is the  ,reward  
of the ,prophets and ,saints in this    
,life2 as we are taught  sufficiently in
 the ,gospel1 and by the ,apostles1     
,mat4 xix4 #bh4 #a  ,thess4 i4 #g4 #b   
,tim4 iv4 #h4 #a ,pet4 i4 #g4 and ch4 v4
 #d4 ,therefore  the ,reign and ,kingdom
 of ,christ1 which is joined with these 
two1 cannot  be in this ,life1 or before
 the ,end of the ,world3 ,and as a      
farther  ,testimony and ,confirmation of
 this1 we may observe that ,st4 ,paul to
  ,timothy hath joined together these   
three things2 the ,appearance of        

,christ1 the ,reign of ,christ1 and the 
judging of the ,dead4 ,i charge  thee   
therefore before ,god and the ,lord     
,jesus ,christ1 who shall judge the     
quick and the dead1 at his appearing1   
and his ,kingdom1 #b ,tim4 iv4 #a4      
,this might also be prov'd from the     
,order1 ,extent and ,progress of the    
,prophesies of the ,apocalypse2 whereof 
some are such as reach to the  ,end of  
the ,world1 and yet must be accomplish'd
 before the ,millennium  begins1 as the 
,vials4 ,others are so far already      
advanc'd towards the ,end  of the       
,world1 as to leave no room for a       
thousand ,years ,reign2 as the          
,trumpets4 ,but because every one hath  
his own ,interpretation of these        
,prophesies1 and it would be tedious    
here to prove any single ,hypothesis  in
 ,contradistinction to all the rest1 we 
will therefore leave this  ,remark1 to  
have more or less ,effect1 according to 
the ,minds it falls  upon2 and proceed  
to our fifth ,argument4    ,fifthly1    

,the new ,jerusalem ,state is the same  
with the millennial  ,state2 but the new
 ,jerusalem ,state will not be till the 
,end of the  ,world1 or till after the  
,conflagration2 therefore neither the   
,millennium3 ,that the new ,jerusalem   
,state is the same with the             
,millennium1 is agreed upon1 ,i think1  
by all ,millennaries1 ancient and       
modern3 ,justin ,martyr1 ,irenus and    
,tertullian1 speak of it in that        
,sense2 and so do the latter ,authors1  
so far as ,i have observed4 ,and ,st4   
,john seems to give them good ,authority
 for it2 in the xxth chap4 of  the      
,apocalypse1 he says1 the ,camp of the  
,saints1 and the beloved  ,city were    
besieg'd by ,satan and his gigantick    
,crew at the ,end of the  ,millennium3  
,that beloved ,city is the new          
,jerusalem1 and you see it  is the same 
with the ,camp of the ,saints1 or1 at   
least1 contemporary with  it4 ,besides1 
the ,marriage of the ,lamb was in1 or at
 the ,appearance of  the new ,jerusalem1

 for that was the ,spouse of the ,lamb1 
,apoc4 xxi4  #b4 ,now this ,spouse was  
ready1 and this ,marriage was said to be
 come1 at  the ,destruction of ,babylon1
 which was the ,beginning of the        
,millennium1  chap4 xviii4 #g4          
,therefore the new ,jerusalem run all   
along with the  ,millennium1 and was    
indeed the same thing under another     
,name4 ,lastly1  what is this new       
,jerusalem1 if it be not the same with  
the millennial  ,state8 ,it is promis'd 
a ,reward to the ,sufferers for ,christ 
,apoc4 iii4  #ab4 and you see its       
wonderful ,privileges1 chap4 xxi4 #c1   
#d4 and yet it  is not ,heaven and      
eternal ,life2 for it is said to come   
down from ,god out  of ,heaven1 ch4 xxi4
 #b4 and ch4 iii4 #ab4 ,it can therefore
 be nothing  but the glorious ,kingdom  
of ,christ upon ,earth1 where the       
,saints shall  reign with him a thousand
 ,years4    ,now as to the second ,part 
of our ,argument1 that the new          
,jerusalem will  not come down from     

,heaven till the ,end of the ,world2 of 
this ,st4 ,john  seems to give us a     
plain ,proof or ,demonstration2 for he  
places the new  ,jerusalem in the new   
,heaven and new ,earth1 which cannot be 
till  after the ,conflagration4 ,let us 
hear his ,words1 ,apoc4 xxi4 #a1 #b4    
,and  ,i saw a new ,heaven and a new    
,earth1 for the first ,heaven and the   
first  ,earth were passed away1 and     
there was no more ,sea4 ,and ,i ,john   
saw the  holy ,city1 new ,jerusalem1    
coming down from ,god out of ,heaven2   
prepared  as a ,bride adorned for her   
,husband4 ,when the new ,earth was made1
 he  sees the new ,jerusalem coming down
 upon it2 and this ,renovation of the   
,earth not being till the               
,conflagration1 the new ,jerusalem could
 not be  till then neither4 ,the        
,prophet ,isaiah had long before said   
the same  thing1 though not in terms so 
express2 he first says1 ,behold ,i      
create  new ,heavens and a new ,earth1  
wherein you shall rejoice3 ,then        

subjoins  immediately1 ,behold1 ,i      
create ,jerusalem a rejoicing1 ,isa4    
lxv4 #ag1 #ah4  ,this rejoicing is still
 in the same ,place2 in the new ,heavens
 and new  ,earth1 or in the new         
,jerusalem4 ,and ,st4 ,john1 in a like  
,method1  first sets down the new       
,earth1 then the new ,jerusalem2 and    
expresses  the ,mind of the ,prophet    
,isaiah more distinctly4    ,this leads 
me to a sixth ,argument to confirm our  
,conclusion3 ,the ,time of  the         
,restitution or ,restauration of all    
,things1 spoken of by ,st4  ,peter and  
the ,prophets1 is the same with the     
,millennium2 but that  ,restauration    
will not be till the coming of ,christ1 
and the ,end of the  ,world2 therefore  
neither the ,millennium4 ,that this     
,restitution of all  things will not be 
till the coming of our ,saviour1 ,st4   
,peter declares  in his ,sermon1 ,acts  
iii4 #ba4 and that the coming of our    
,saviour will  not be till the ,end of  
the ,world1 or till the ,conflagration1 

both ,st4  ,paul and ,st4 ,peter signify
 to us1 #a ,thess4 i4 #g1 #h4 #b ,pet4  
iii4  #aj4 therefore it remains only to 
prove1 that this ,restitution of all    
,things spoken of here by the ,apostle1 
is the same with the ,millennium4 ,i    
know that which it does directly and    
immediately signify1 is the  ,renovation
 of the ,world3 but it must include the 
moral ,world as well as  the ,natural2  
otherwise it cannot be truly said1 as   
,st4 ,peter does  there1 that all the   
,prophets have spoken of it4 ,and what  
is the  ,renovation of the natural and  
moral ,world1 but the new ,jerusalem or 
the ,millennium8    ,these ,arguments1  
taken together1 have1 to me1 an         
irresistible ,evidence  for the ,proof  
of our ,conclusion2 that the blessed    
,millennium cannot  obtain in the       
present ,earth1 or before the           
,conflagration2 but when  ,nature is    
renew'd1 and the ,saints and ,martyrs   
rais'd from the ,dead1 then  they shall 
reign together with ,christ1 in the new 

,heavens and new  ,earth1 or in the new 
,jerusalem2 ,satan being bound for a    
thousand  ,years4    ,footnote #a3      
,lib4 #e4 ch4 #cb1 c4    ,footnote #b3  
,dial4 cum ,tryph4    ,footnote #c3     
,contra ,marc4    ,footnote #d3         
,lib4 #g4    ,footnote #e3      ,quest4 
respon4 #ic4                            
,,chap4 ,,ix4          ,the chief       
,employment of the ,millennium1         
,,devotion and      ,,contemplation4    
,we have now done with the ,substance of
 our ,discourse2 which is  comprehended 
in these three ,propositions3        ,i4
 ,after the ,conflagration of this      
,world1 there will be new ,heavens      
and a new ,earth1 and that ,earth will  
be inhabited4        ,,ii4 ,that there  
is an happy millennial-,state1 or a     
future ,kingdom of      ,christ and his 
,saints1 prophesied of and promis'd in  
the ,old and ,new      ,testament2 and  
receiv'd by the ,primitive ,church1 as a
 ,christian and      ,catholick         
,doctrine4        ,,iii4 ,that this     

blessed millennial-,state1 according as 
it is      describ'd in ,scripture1     
cannot take place in the present ,earth1
 nor      under the present             
,constitution of ,nature and            
,providence2 ,but is to      be         
celebrated in the new ,heavens and new  
,earth1 after the      ,conflagration4  
,these three ,propositions support this 
,work1 and if any of them be  broken1 ,i
 confess my ,design is broken1 and this 
,treatise is of no  ,effect3 ,but what  
remains to be spoken to in these last   
,chapters1 is more  circumstantial or   
modal2 and an ,error or ,mistake in such
 things1 does  not wound any vital ,part
 of the ,argument4 ,you must not        
therefore lay  aside your ,severity and 
rigorous ,censures2 we are very happy1  
if1 in  this ,life1 we can attain to the
 ,substance of ,truth2 and make rational
  ,conjectures concerning ,modes and    
,circumstances1 where every one hath    
,right to offer his ,sense1 with        
,modesty and ,submission4 ,revelations  

made  to us from ,heaven in this present
 ,state1 are often incompleat1 and do   
not tell us all2 as if it was on purpose
 to set our ,thoughts a-work to  supply 
the rest2 which we may lawfully do1     
provided it be according to  the        
,analogy of ,scripture and ,reason4     
,to proceed therefore2 we suppose1 as   
you see1 the new ,heavens and the  new  
,earth to be the ,seat of the           
,millennium1 and that new ,creation to  
be ,paradisiacal3 ,its ,inhabitants also
 to be righteous ,persons1 the  ,saints 
of the most ,high4 ,and seeing the      
ordinary ,employments of our  present   
,life will then be needless and         
superseded1 as ,military-,affairs1      
,sea-,affairs1 most ,trades and         
,manufactures1 ,law1 ,physick1 and the  
laborious part of ,agriculture2 it may  
be wonder'd1 how this happy ,people     
will bestow their ,time2 what           
,entertainment they will find in a      
,state of  so much ,ease1 and so little 
,action4 ,to this one might answer in   

short1  by another ,question1 ,how would
 they have entertain'd themselves in    
,paradise1 if ,man had continued in     
,innocency8 ,this is a ,revolution of   
the  same ,state1 and therefore they may
 pass ,time as well now as they could   
have done then4 ,but to answer more     
particularly1 besides all innocent      
,diversions1 ingenuous ,conversations1  
and ,entertainments of ,friendship1  the
 greatest part of their ,time will be   
spent in ,devotion and  ,contemplation4 
,o happy ,employment1 and next to that  
of ,heaven it self6  ,what do the       
,saints ,above1 but sing ,praises unto  
,god1 and contemplate his  ,perfections6
 ,and how mean and despicable1 for the  
most part1 are the  ,employments of this
 present ,life1 if compar'd with those  
intellectual  ,actions6 ,if ,mankind was
 divided into ten ,parts1 nine of those 
ten employ  their ,time to get ,bread to
 their ,belly1 and ,cloaths to their    
,back2 and  what ,impertinences are     
these to a reasonable ,soul1 if she was 

free from  the ,clog of a mortal ,body1 
or if that could be provided for1       
without  ,trouble or lots of ,time8     
,corporeal ,labour is from ,need and    
,necessity1  but intellectual ,exercises
 are matter of ,choice1 that please and 
perfect  at the same ,time4    ,devotion
 warms and opens the ,soul1 and disposes
 it to receive divine  ,influences4 ,it 
sometimes raises the ,mind into an      
heavenly ,ecstasy1 and  fills it with a 
,joy that is not to be express'd4 ,when 
it is pure1 it  leaves a strong         
,impression upon the ,heart1 of ,love to
 ,god2 and inspires  us with a ,contempt
 of this ,world1 having tasted the      
,pleasures of the  ,world to come4 ,in  
the ,state which we speak of1 seeing the
 ,tabernacle of  ,god will be with ,men1
 ,apoc4 xxi4 #c4 we may reasonably      
suppose that  there will be greater     
,effusions and ,irradiations of the     
,holy ,spirit1  than we have or can     
expect in this ,region of ,darkness2 and
 consequently1  all the ,strength and   

,comfort that can arise from private    
,devotion4    ,and as to their publick  
,devotions1 all ,beauties of ,holiness1 
all  ,perfection of divine ,worship1    
will shine in their ,assemblies4        
,whatsoever  ,david says of ,sion and   
,jerusalem1 ,psal4 lxxxiv4 are but      
,shadows  of this ,new ,jerusalem1 and  
of the ,glory that will be in those     
,solemnities1 ,psal4 lxxxvii4 ,imagine  
what a ,congregation will be there  of  
,patriarchs1 ,prophets1 ,apostles1      
,christian ,martyrs1 and ,saints of the 
first ,rank1 throughout all ,ages3 ,and 
these all known to one another by  their
 ,names and ,history4 ,this very meeting
 together of such ,persons1  must needs 
create a ,joy unspeakable3 ,but when    
they unite in their  ,praises to ,god   
and to the ,lamb1 with pure ,hearts full
 of divine ,love2  when they sing their 
,hallelujahs to him that sits upon the  
,throne1 that  hath wash'd them in his  
,blood1 and redeem'd them out of every  
,kingdom1  and ,tongue1 and ,people1 and

 ,nation3 ,when1 with their ,palms in   
their  ,hands1 they triumph over ,sin   
and ,death1 and ,hell1 and all the      
,powers of  ,darkness2 can there be any 
thing1 on this side ,heaven1 and a      
,choir of  ,angels1 more glorious or    
more joyful8    ,but why did ,i except  
,angels8 ,why may not they be thought to
 be present  at these ,assemblies8 ,in a
 ,society of ,saints and purified       
,spirits1 why  should we think their    
,converse impossible8 ,in the ,golden   
,age1 the ,gods  were always            
represented1 as having freer            
,intercourse with ,men2 and  before the 
,flood1 we may reasonably believe it so4
 ,i cannot think1  ,enoch was translated
 into ,heaven without any ,converse with
 its  ,inhabitants before he went       
thither3 ,and seeing the ,angels        
vouchsafed  often1 in former ,ages1 to  
visit the ,patriarchs upon ,earth1 we   
may with  ,reason judge1 that they will 
much more converse with the same        
,patriarchs  and holy ,prophets1 now    

they are risen from the ,dead1 and      
cleans'd from  their ,sins1 and seated  
in the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,i cannot but   
call to  mind1 upon this ,occasion1 that
 ,representation which ,st4 ,paul makes 
to  us1 of a glorious ,state and a      
glorious ,assembly1 too high for this   
present ,earth3 ',tis1 7,hebr4 xii4 #bb1
 c47 in these ,words3 ,but you  are come
 unto ,mount ,sion1 and unto the ,city  
of the living ,god1 the  heavenly       
,jerusalem1 and to an innumerable       
,company of ,angels2 to the  general    
,assembly and ,church of the            
,first-born1 which are written in       
,heaven2 and to ,god the ,judge of all1 
and to the ,spirits of just ,men made   
perfect4 ,this1 ,i know1 several apply  
to the ,times and ,state of the         
,gospel1 in ,opposition to that of the  
,law2 and it is introduc'd in that      
manner2 but here are several            
,expressions too high for any present   
,state  of ,things2 they must respect a 
future ,state1 either of ,heaven1 or of 

the  ,millennial ,kingdom of ,christ3   
,and to the latter of these ,expressions
  agree1 and have a peculiar ,fitness   
and ,applicability to it4 ,and what     
follows in the ,context1 ver4 #bf1 #bg1 
#bh4 ,about shaking the ,heavens  and   
the ,earth once more2 removing the      
former ,scenes1 and bringing on a  new  
,kingdom that cannot be shaken3 ,all    
this1 ,i say1 answers to the  ,kingdom  
of ,christ1 which is to be establish'd  
in the new ,heavens and new  ,earth4    
,but to proceed in their publick        
,devotions2 ,suppose this ,august       
,assembly1  inflam'd with all divine    
,passions1 met together to celebrate the
 ,name of  ,god1 with ,angels intermixt1
 to bear a ,part in this holy ,exercise3
 ,and  let this ,concourse be1 not in   
any ,temple made with ,hands1 but under 
the  great ,roof ,heaven1 7the true     
,temple of the most ,high17 so as all   
the ,air  may be fill'd with the        
chearful ,harmony of their ,hymns and   
,hallelujahs3  ,then1 in the height of  

their ,devotion1 as they sing ,praises  
to the ,lamb1  and to him that sits upon
 the ,throne1 suppose the ,heavens to   
open1 and  the ,son of ,god to appear in
 his ,glory1 ,apoc4 v4 #aa4 with        
thousands and  ten thousands of ,angels 
round about him2 that their ,eyes may   
see him1  who1 for their ,sakes was     
crucified upon ,earth1 now encircled    
with ,light  and ,majesty4 ,this will   
raise them into as great ,transports as 
human  ,nature can bear3 ,they will wish
 to be dissolv'd1 they will strive to   
fly  up to him in the ,clouds1 or to    
breathe out their ,souls in repeated    
,doxologies of ,blessing1 ,ch4 v4 #ac4  
and ,honour1 and ,glory1 and ,power1 to 
him that sits upon the ,throne1 and to  
the ,lamb1 for ever and ever4    ,but we
 cannot live always in the ,flames of   
,devotion2 the ,weakness of our  ,nature
 will not suffer us to continue long    
under such strong ,passions1  and such  
,intenseness of ,mind4 ,the ,question is
 therefore1 ,what will be  the ordinary 

,employment of that ,life8 ,how will    
they entertain their  ,thoughts1 or     
spend their ,time8 ,for we suppose they 
will not have that  multiplicity of     
frivolous ,business that we have now2   
about our ,bodies1  about our ,children2
 in ,trades and ,mechanicks2 in         
,traffick and  ,navigation2 or ,wars by 
,sea or ,land4 ,these things being swept
 away  wholly1 or in a great ,measure1  
what will come in their ,place8 ,how    
will  they find ,work or ,entertainment 
for a long ,life8 ,if we consider1 who  
they are that will have a ,part in this 
first ,resurrection1 and be             
,inhabitants of that ,world that is to  
come1 we may easily believe that  the   
most constant ,employment of their ,life
 will be ,,contemplation4 ,not  that ,i 
exclude any innocent ,diversions1 as ,i 
said before2 the  ,entertainments of    
,friendship1 or ingenuous ,conversation2
 but the great  ,business and ,design of
 that ,life is ,contemplation1 as       
preparatory to  ,heaven and eternal     

,glory4 ,ut paulatim assueseant capere  
,deum1 ,l4 #e4 c4  #cb4 as ,irenus says1
 that they may1 by ,degrees1 enlarge    
their  ,capacities1 fit and accustom    
themselves to receive ,god4 ,or1 as he  
says  in another ,place1 ,that they may 
become capable of the ,glory of the     
,father2 that is1 capable of bearing the
 ,glory and ,presence of ,god2  capable 
of the highest ,enjoyment of him1 which 
is usually call'd the  ,beatifical      
,vision2 and is the ,condition of the   
,blessed in ,heaven4    ,it cannot be   
deny'd1 that in such a ,millennial      
,state1 where we shall be  freed from   
all the ,incumbrances of this ,life1 and
 provided of better  ,bodies and greater
 ,light of ,mind3 ,it cannot be doubted1
 ,i say1 but that  we shall then be in a
 ,disposition to make greater           
,proficiency in the  ,knowledge of all  
,things1 divine and intellectual2 and   
consequently of  making happy           
,preparations for our entring upon a    
further ,state of ,glory3  ,for there is

 nothing certainly does more prepare the
 ,mind of ,man for the  highest         
,perfections1 than ,contemplation1 with 
that ,devotion which  naturally flows   
from it1 as ,heat follows ,light4 ,and  
this ,contemplation  hath always a      
greater or less ,effect upon the ,mind  
according to the  ,perfection of its    
,object2 so as the ,contemplation of the
 divine ,nature  is1 of all others1 the 
most perfective in it self1 and to us1  
according  to our ,capacities and       
,decree of ,abstraction4 ,an immense    
,being does  strangely fill the ,soul2  
and ,omnipotency1 ,omnisciency1 and     
infinite  ,goodness1 do enlarge and     
dilate the ,spirit1 while it fixily     
looks upon  them4 ,they raise strong    
,passions of ,love and ,admiration1     
which melt our  ,nature1 and transform  
it into the ,mould and ,image of that   
which we  contemplate3 ,what the        
,scripture says of our ,transformation  
into the  divine ,likeness2 what ,st4   
,john and the ,platonists say of our    

,union  with ,god2 and whatever is not  
cant in the mystical ,theology1 when    
they  tell us of being deified2 all this
 must spring from these ,sources of     
,devotion and ,contemplation3 ,they will
 change and raise us from  ,perfection  
to ,perfection1 as from ,glory to       
,glory1 into a greater  ,similitude and 
nearer ,station to the divine ,nature4  
,the ,contemplation of ,god and his     
,works comprehends all ,things2 for the 
one makes the uncreated ,world1 and the 
other the created3 ,and as the  divine  
,essence and ,attributes are the        
greatest ,objects that the ,mind of     
,man can set before it self2 so next to 
that are the ,effects and  ,emanations  
of the ,divinity1 or the ,works of the  
divine ,goodness1 ,wisdom  and ,power in
 the created ,world4 ,this hath a vast  
,extent and ,variety1 and  would be     
sufficient to entertain their ,time1 in 
that happy ,state1 much  longer than a  
thousand ,years2 as you will easily     
grant1 if you allow me  but to point at 

the several ,heads of those             
,speculations4    ,the ,contemplation of
 the created ,world divides it self into
 three  ,parts2 that of the intellectual
 ,world2 that of the corporeal2 and  the
 ,government and ,administration of     
both1 which is usually call'd           
,providence4 ,these three1 drawn into   
one ,thought1 with the ,reasons and     
,proportions that result from them1     
compose that ,,grand ,,idea1 which is   
the  ,treasury and ,comprehension of all
 ,knowledge2 whereof we have spoken more
  largely in the last ,chapter of the   
second ,book of this ,theory1 under  the
 ,name of the ,mundane ,idea4 ,but at   
present we shall only mention  such     
,particulars1 as may be thought proper  
,subjects for the ,meditations  and     
,enquiries of those who shall enjoy that
 happy ,state which we now  treat of4   
,as to the intellectual ,world1         
excepting our own ,souls1 we know       
little1  in this ,region of ,darkness   
where we are at present1 more than bare 

,names3 ,we hear of ,angels and         
,archangels1 of ,cherubins and          
,seraphins1 of  ,principalities and     
,powers1 and ,thrones1 and ,dominions3  
,we hear the ,sound  of these ,words    
with ,admiration1 but we know little of 
their ,natures2  wherein their general  
,notion1 and wherein their ,distinction 
consists2  what peculiar ,excellencies  
they have1 what ,offices and            
,employments1 of  all this we are       
ignorant2 only in general1 we cannot but
 suppose that  there are more ,orders   
and ,degrees of intellectual ,beings1   
betwixt us and  the ,almighty1 than     
there are ,kinds or ,species of living  
,creatures upon  the ,face of the       
,earth2 betwixt ,man their ,lord and    
,master1 and the least  ,worm that      
creeps upon the ,ground2 nay1 than there
 are ,stars in ,heaven1  or ,sands upon 
the ,sea-shore4 ,for there is an        
infinite ,distance and  ,interval       
betwixt us and ,god ,almighty1 and all  
that is fill'd with  created ,beings of 

different ,degrees of ,perfection1 still
 approaching  nearer and nearer to their
 ,maker4 ,and when this invisible ,world
 shall be  open'd to us1 when the       
,curtain is drawn1 and the ,celestial   
,hierarchy set  in order before our     
,eyes1 we shall despise our selves1 and 
all the petty  ,glories of a mortal     
,life1 as the ,dirt under our ,feet4    
,as to the corporeal ,universe1 we have 
some ,share already in the              
,contemplation and ,knowledge of that2  
though little in ,comparison of what    
will be then discover'd4 ,the ,doctrine 
of the ,heavens1 fixed ,stars1  ,planets
 and ,comets1 both as to their ,matter1 
,motion and ,form1 will be  then clearly
 demonstrated2 and what are ,mysteries  
to us now1 will become  matter of       
ordinary ,conversation3 ,we shall be    
better acquainted with our  neighbouring
 ,worlds1 and make new ,discoveries as  
to the ,state of their  ,affairs4 ,the  
,sun especially1 the great ,monarch of  
the planetary ,worlds2  whose ,dominion 

reaches from ,pole to ,pole1 and the    
,greatness of his  ,kingdom is under the
 whole ,heaven3 ,who sends his bright   
,messengers every  ,day through all the 
,regions of his vast ,empire2 throwing  
his ,beams of  ,light round about him1  
swifter and farther than a ,thought can 
follow3  ,this noble ,creature1 ,i say1 
will make a good part of their ,study in
 the  succeeding ,world4 ,eudoxus1 the  
,philosopher1 wish'd he might dye like  
,phaeton1 in approaching too near to the
 ,sun1 provided he could fly so  near   
it1 and endure it so long1 till he had  
discover'd its ,beauty and  ,perfection4
 ,who can blame his ,curiosity8 ,who    
would not venture far to  see the ,court
 of so great a ,prince1 who hath more   
,worlds under his  ,command than the    
,emperors of the ,earth have ,provinces 
or ,principalities8  ,neither does he   
make his ,subjects ,slaves to his       
,pleasure1 or ,tributaries  to serve and
 supply his ,wants3 ,on the contrary1   
they live upon him1 he  nourishes and   

preserves them2 gives them ,fruits every
 ,year1 ,corn1 and  ,wine1 and all the  
,comforts of ,life3 ,this glorious      
,body1 which now we can  only gaze upon 
and admire1 will be then better         
understood4 ,a ,mass of  ,light and     
,flame1 and ethereal ,matter1 ten       
thousand times bigger than  this ,earth2
 enlightning and enlivening an ,orb that
 exceeds the ,bulk of  our ,globe1 as   
much as that does the least ,sand upon  
the ,sea-shore1 may  reasonably be      
presum'd to have some great ,being at   
the ,centre of it2 but  what that is we 
must leave to the ,enquiries of another 
,life4    ,the ,theory of the ,earth    
will be a common ,lesson there2 carried 
through  all its ,vicissitudes and      
,periods from first to last1 till its   
entire  ,revolution be accomplish'd4 ,i 
told you in the ,preface1 the           
,revolution  of the ,world was one of   
the greatest ,speculations that we are  
capable  of in this ,life2 and this     
little ,world where we are1 will be the 

first  and easiest ,instance of it1     
seeing we have ,records1 ,historical1 or
  ,prophetical1 that reach from the     
,chaos to the ,end of the new ,heavens  
and  new ,earth2 which course of ,time  
makes up the greatest part of the       
,circle  or ,revolution4 ,and as what   
was before the ,chaos1 was but1 in my   
,opinion1  the first ,remove from a     
fixed ,star1 so what is after the       
thousand ,years  ,renovation1 is but the
 last ,step to it again4    ,the ,theory
 of human ,nature is also an useful and 
necessary  ,speculation1 and will be    
carried on to ,perfection in that       
,state4 ,having  fix'd the true         
,distinction betwixt ,matter and        
,spirit1 betwixt the ,soul  and the     
,body1 and the true ,nature and ,laws of
 their ,union1 the original  ,contract1 
and the ,terms ratified by ,providence  
at their first  ,conjunction1 it will   
not be hard to discover the ,springs of 
,action and  ,passion2 how the ,thoughts
 of our ,mind and the ,motions of our   

,body act in  dependance one upon       
another4 ,what are the primary          
,differences of  ,genius's and          
,complexions1 and how our ,intellectuals
 or ,morals depend  upon them8 ,what is 
the ,root of ,fatality1 and how far it  
extends8 ,by  these ,lights they will   
see into their own and every ,man's     
,breast1 and  trace the ,foot-steps of  
the divine ,wisdom in that strange      
,composition of  ,soul and ,body4       
,this indeed is a mix'd ,speculation1 as
 most others are1 and takes in          
something of both ,worlds1 intellectual 
and corporeal2 and may also  belong in  
part to the third ,head we mention'd1   
,providence3 ,but there  is no need of  
distinguishing these ,heads so nicely1  
provided we take in1  under some or     
other of them1 what may be thought best 
to deserve our  ,knowledge now1 or in   
another ,world4 ,as to ,providence1 what
 we intend  chiefly by it here1 is the  
general ,oeconomy of our ,religion1 and 
what is  reveal'd to us in ,scripture1  

concerning ,god1 ,angels1 and ,mankind4 
,these  ,revelations1 as most in ,sacred
 ,writ1 are short and incompleat2 as    
being  design'd for ,practice more than 
for ,speculation1 or to awaken and      
excite  our ,thoughts rather than to    
satisfy them4 ,accordingly1 we read in  
,scripture of a ,triune ,deity2 of ,god 
made ,flesh in the ,womb of a ,virgin2  
barbarously crucified by the ,jews2     
descending into ,hell2 rising again     
from the ,dead2 visibly ascending into  
,heaven2 and sitting at the ,right      
,hand of ,god the ,father1 above ,angels
 and ,archangels4 ,these great things   
are imperfectly revealed to us in this  
,life2 which we are to believe so  far  
as they are revealed1 in hopes these    
,mysteries will be made more            
intelligible in that happy ,state to    
come1 where ,prophets1 ,apostles and    
,angels1 will meet in ,conversation     
together4    ,in like manner1 how little
 is it we understand concerning the     
,holy  ,ghost8 that he descended like a 

,dove upon our ,saviour1 ,mat4 iii4     
#af4 ,like cloven ,tongues of ,fire upon
 the ,apostles the ,place being  fill'd 
with a rushing mighty ,wind1 ,acts ii4  
,that he over shadow'd the  blessed     
,virgin1 and begot the ,holy ,infant1   
,mat4 i4 #ah4 ,that he made  the        
,apostles speak all sorts of ,tongues   
and ,languages ex tempore1 and  pour'd  
out strange ,virtues and miraculous     
,gifts upon the ,primitive  ,christians1
 ,luke i4 #ce4 ,these things we know as 
bare ,matter of ,fact1  but the ,method 
of these ,operations we do not at all   
understand4 ,who can  tell us now1 what 
that is which we call ,,inspiration8    
,what ,change is  wrought in the ,brain1
 and what in the ,soul1 and how the     
,effect follows8  ,who will give us the 
just ,definition of a ,miracle8 ,what   
the proximate  ,agent is above ,man1 and
 whether they are all from the same     
,power8 ,how  the ,manner and ,process  
of those miraculous ,changes in ,matter 
may be  conceiv'd8 ,these ,things we see

 darkly1 and hope they will be set in a 
clearer ,light1 and the ,doctrines of   
our ,religion more fully expounded to   
us1 in that future ,world4 ,for as      
several things obscurely express'd in   
the ,old ,testament1 are more clearly   
reveal'd in the ,new2 so the same       
,mysteries1 in a succeeding ,state1 may 
still receive a farther  ,explication4  
,the ,history of the ,angels1 good or   
bad1 makes another ,part of this        
providential ,system4 ,christian        
,religion gives us some ,notices of both
  ,kinds1 but very imperfect2 what      
,interest the good ,angels have in the  
,government of the ,world1 and in       
ordering the ,affairs of this ,earth and
  ,mankind8 ,what ,subjection they have 
to our ,saviour8 ,and what ,part in his 
,ministry8 ,whether they are ,guardians 
to particular ,persons1 to ,kingdoms1   
to ,empires8 ,all that we know at       
present1 concerning these ,things1 is   
but  conjectural4 ,and as to the bad    
,angels1 who will give us an ,account of

  their ,fall and of their former       
,condition8 ,i had rather know the      
,history  of ,lucifer1 than of all the  
,babylonian and ,persian ,kings2 nay1   
than of all the ,kings of the ,earth4   
,what the ,birth-right was of that      
mighty ,prince8 ,what his ,dominions8   
,where his ,imperial ,court and         
,residence8 ,how he was depos'd8 ,for   
what ,crime1 and by what ,power8 ,how he
  still wages ,war against ,heaven1 in  
his ,exile8 ,what ,confederates he hath8
  ,what is his ,power over ,mankind1 and
 how limited8 ,what ,change or ,damage  
he suffer'd by the ,coming of ,christ1  
and how it alter'd the ,posture of  his 
,affairs8 ,where he will be imprison'd  
in the ,millennium2 and what  will be   
his last ,fate and final ,doom8 whether 
he may ever hope for a  ,revolution or  
,restauration8 ,these things lie hid in 
the secret ,records  of ,providence1    
which then1 ,i hope1 will be open'd to  
us4    ,with the ,revolution of ,worlds1
 we mention'd before the ,revolution of 

,souls2 which is another great ,circle  
of ,providence1 to be studied           
hereafter3 ,we know little here1 either 
of the ,pre-existence or                
,post-existence of our ,souls4 ,we know 
not what they will be1 till the  loud   
,trump awakes us1 and calls us again    
into the corporeal ,world4 ,who  knows  
how many ,turns he shall take upon this 
,stage of the ,earth1 and how  many     
,trials he shall have1 before his ,doom 
will be finally concluded8  ,who knows  
where1 or what1 is the ,state of ,hell8 
,where the ,souls of the  ,wicked are   
said to be for ever8 ,what is the true  
,state of ,heaven8 ,what  our celestial 
,bodies8 and1 what that sovereign       
,happiness that is call'd  the          
,beatifical ,vision8 ,our ,knowledge and
 ,conceptions of these things  are1 at  
present1 very general and superficial2  
but in the future ,kingdom  of ,christ1 
which is introductory to ,heaven it     
self1 these ,imperfections1  in a great 
measure1 will be done away2 and such    

,preparations wrought1  both in the     
,will and ,understanding1 as may fit us 
for the ,life of  ,angels1 and the      
,enjoyment of ,god in eternal ,glory4   
,thus you see in general1 what will be  
the ,employment of the ,saints in  the  
blessed ,millennium3 ,and tho' they have
 few of the trifling  ,businesses of    
this ,life1 they will not want the best 
and noblest of  ,diversions4 ',tis an   
happy thing when a ,man's ,pleasure is  
also his  ,perfection2 for most ,men's  
,pleasures are such as debase their     
,nature4 ,we  commonly gratify our lower
 ,faculties1 our ,passions1 and our     
,appetites2  and these do not improve1  
but depress the ,mind2 and besides they 
are so  gross that the finest ,tempers  
are surfeited in a little time4 ,there  
is  no lasting ,pleasure but            
,contemplation2 all others grow flat and
  insipid upon frequent ,use2 and when a
 ,man hath run thorow a ,set of         
,vanities1 in the ,declension of his    
,age he knows not what to do with       

himself1 if he cannot ,think2 he        
saunters about1 from one dull ,business 
to another to wear out time2 and hath no
 ,reason to value ,life1 but  because he
 is afraid of ,death3 ,but              
,contemplation is a continual ,spring   
of fresh ,pleasures4 ,truth is          
inexhausted1 and when once you are in   
the  right ,way1 the farther you go1 the
 greater ,discoveries you make1 and     
with the greater ,joy4 ,we are sometimes
 highly pleased1 and even  transported1 
with little inventions in ,mathematicks1
 or ,mechanicks1 or  natural            
,philosophy2 all these things will make 
part of their ,diversion  and           
,entertainment in that ,state1 all the  
,doctrine of ,sounds and ,harmony1  of  
,light1 ,colours1 and ,perspective1 will
 be known in ,perfection3 ,but  these ,i
 call ,diversions1 in comparison of     
their higher and more serious           
,speculations1 which will be the        
,business and ,happiness of that ,life4 
,do but imagine1 that they will have the

 ,scheme of all humane ,affairs  lying  
before them1 from the ,chaos to the last
 ,period2 the universal  ,history and   
,order of ,times2 the whole ,oeconomy of
 the ,christian  ,religion1 and of all  
the ,religions in the ,world2 the ,plan 
of the  ,undertaking of the ,messiah1   
with all other ,parts and ,ingredients  
of the  ,providence of this ,earth3 ,do 
but imagine this1 ,i say1 and you will  
easily allow1 that when they contemplate
 the ,beauty1 ,wisdom and ,goodness  of 
the whole ,design1 it must needs raise  
great and noble ,passions1 and a  far   
richer ,joy than either the ,pleasures  
or ,speculations of this ,life  can     
exite in us2 and this being the last    
,act and ,close of all human  ,affairs1 
it ought to be the more exquisite and   
elaborate1 that it may  crown the ,work1
 satisfy the ,spectators1 and end in a  
general ,applause2  the whole ,theatre  
resounding with the ,praises of the     
great ,dramatist1  and the wonderful    
,art and ,order of the ,composition4    

,,chap4 ,x4          ,objections against
 the ,millennium1 answer'd4 ,with some  
,conjectures      concerning the ,state 
of ,things after the ,millennium2 and   
what will      be the final             
,consummation of this ,world4      ,you 
see how ,nature and ,providence have    
conspir'd1 to make the  ,millennium as  
happy a ,state1 as any terrestrial      
,state can be3 ,for1  besides ,health   
and ,plenty1 ,peace1 ,truth1 and        
,righteousness will flourish  there1 and
 all the ,evils of this ,life stand     
excluded4 ,there will be no  ambitious  
,princes1 studying ,mischief one against
 another1 or contriving  ,methods to    
bring their own ,subjects into ,slavery2
 no mercenary ,statesmen  to assist and 
intrigue with them1 no ,oppression from 
the ,powerful1 no  ,snares or ,traps    
laid for the ,innocent1 no treacherous  
,friends1 no  malicious ,enemies1 no    
,knaves1 ,cheats1 ,hypocrites2 the      
,vermin of this  ,earth1 that swarm     
every where4 ,there will be nothing but 

,truth1 ,candor1  ,sincerity and        
,ingenuity2 as in a ,society or         
,commonwealth of ,saints and            
,philosophers3 ,in a ,word1 'twill be   
,paradise restor'd1 both as to          
,innocency of ,temper1 and the ,beauties
 of ,nature4    ,i believe you will be  
apt to say1 if this be not true1 'tis   
pity but it  should be true3 ,for 'tis a
 very desirable ,state1 where all good  
,people  would find themselves mightily 
at ease4 ,what is it that hinders it    
then8  ,it must be some ill ,genius2 for
 ,nature tends to such a ,renovation1 as
  we suppose2 and ,scripture speaks     
loudly of an happy ,state to be some    
time or other on this side ,heaven3 ,and
 what is there1 pray1 in this  present  
,world1 ,natural and ,moral1 if ,i may  
ask with ,reverence1 that  could make it
 worth the while for ,god to create it1 
if it never was  better1 nor ever will  
be better8 ,is there not more ,misery   
than  ,happiness8 ,is there not more    
,vice than ,virtue in this ,world8 ,as  

if it  had been made by a ,manichean    
,god4 ,the ,earth barren1 the ,heavens  
inconstant2 ,men wicked and ,god        
offended3 ,this is the ,posture of our  
,affairs1 such hath our ,world been     
hitherto1 with ,wars and ,bloodshed1    
,sickness1 and ,diseases1 ,poverty1     
,servitude and perpetual ,drudgery for  
the ,necessaries of a mortal ,life4 ,we 
may therefore reasonably hope1 from  a  
,god infinitely good and powerful1 for  
better ,times and a better ,state1      
before the last ,period and             
,consummation of all ,things4    ,but it
 will be objected1 it may be1 that1     
according to ,scripture1 the  ,vices and
 ,wickedness of ,men will continue to   
the ,end of the ,world2 and  so there   
will be no room for such an happy       
,state1 as we hope for1 ,luk4  xviii4   
#h4 ,our ,saviour says1 ,when the ,son  
of ,man cometh1 shall he find  ,faith   
upon the ,earth8 ,they shall eat and    
drink and play1 as before  the          
,destruction of the old ,world1 or of   

,sodom1 7,luke xvii4 #bf1  c47 and the  
,wickedness of those ,men1 you know1    
continued to the last4  ,this ,objection
 may pinch those that suppose the       
,millennium to be in the  present       
,earth1 and a thousand ,years before the
 coming of our ,saviour2  for his ,words
 seem to imply that the ,world will be  
in a ,state of  ,wickedness even till   
his coming4 ,accordingly ,antichrist or 
the ,man of  ,sin1 is not said to be    
destroy'd till the coming of our        
,saviour1 #b  ,thess4 ii4 #h4 and till  
he be destroy'd1 we cannot hope for a   
,millennium4 ,lastly1 ,the coming of our
 ,saviour is always represented in      
,scripture as sudden1 surprizing and    
unexpected2 as ,lightning breaking      
suddenly out of the ,clouds1 7,luke     
xvii4 #bd4 and ch4 xxi4 #cd1 #ce47 or   
as a ,thief in the ,night1 #a ,thess4 v4
 #b1 #c1 #d4 #b ,pet4 iii4 #aj4  ,apoc4 
xvi4 #ae4 ,but if there be such a       
,fore-runner of it as the  millennial   
,state1 whose ,bounds we know1 according

 as that expires and  draws to an ,end1 
,men will be certainly advertis'd of the
 approaching of  our ,saviour3 ,but this
 ,objection1 as ,i told you1 does not   
affect our  ,hypothesis1 for we suppose 
the ,millennium will not be till after  
the  coming of our ,saviour1 and the    
,conflagration4 ,and also that his      
coming  will be sudden and surprising2  
and that ,antichrist will continue in   
being1 tho' not in the same degree of   
,power1 till that time3 ,so that  they  
that place the ,millennium in the       
present ,earth1 are chiefly  concern'd  
to answer this first ,objection4    ,but
 you will object1 it may be1 in the     
second ,place1 that this  ,millennium1  
wheresoever it is1 would degenerate at  
length into  ,sensuality1 and a         
,mahometan ,paradise3 ,for where there  
are earthly  ,pleasures and earthly     
,appetites1 they will not be kept always
 in order  without any ,excess or       
,luxuriancy2 especially as to the       
,senses to ,touch  and ,taste4 ,i am apt

 to think this is true1 if the ,soul    
have no more  ,power over the ,body than
 she hath at present1 and our ,senses1  
,passions1  and ,appetites be as strong 
as they are now3 ,but according to our  
,explication of the ,millennium1 we have
 great ,reason to hope1 that the  ,soul 
will have a greater ,dominion over the  
,resurrection-,body1 than she  hath over
 this2 and you know we suppose that none
 will truly inherit the  ,millennium1   
but those that rise from the ,dead3 ,nor
 do we admit any  ,propagation there1   
nor the ,trouble or ,weakness of        
,infants4 ,but that all  rise in a      
perfect ,age1 and never die2 being      
translated1 at the final  ,judgment1 to 
meet our ,saviour in the ,clouds1 and to
 be with him for  ever3 ,thus we easily 
avoid the ,force of this ,objection4    
,but those that  place the ,millennium  
in this ,life1 and to be enjoy'd in     
these ,bodies1  must find out some new  
,preservatives against ,vice1 otherwise 
they will  be continually subject to    

,degeneracy4    ,another ,objection may 
be taken from the personal ,reign of    
,christ upon  ,earth1 which is a thing  
incongruous1 and yet asserted by many   
modern  ,millennaries2 that ,christ     
should leave that ,right-,hand of his   
,father1 to  come and pass a thousand   
,years here below1 living upon ,earth in
 an  heavenly ,body3 ,this1 ,i confess1 
is a thing ,i never could digest1 and   
therefore ,i am not concern'd in this   
,objection2 not thinking it  necessary  
that ,christ should be personally       
present and resident upon  ,earth in the
 ,millennium4 ,i am apt to believe that 
there will be then a  celestial         
,presence of ,christ1 or a ,shekinah1 as
 we noted before2 as  the ,sun is       
present to the ,earth1 yet never leaves 
its ,place in the  ,firmament2 so       
,christ may be visibly conspicuous in   
his heavenly ,throne1  as he was to ,st4
 ,stephen1 ,acts vii4 #ee1 #ef4 and yet 
never leave the  ,right ,hand of his    
,father4 ,and this would be a more      

glorious and  illustrious ,presence1    
than if he should descend1 and converse 
amongst  ,men in a personal ,shape3 ,but
 these things not being distinctly      
reveal'd  to us1 we ought not to        
determine any thing concerning them1 but
 with  ,modesty and ,submission4    ,we 
have thus far pretty well escap'd1 and  
kept our selves out of the  reach of the
 ordinary ,objections against the       
,millennium3 ,but there  remains one1   
concerning a double ,resurrection1 which
 must fall upon  every ,hypothesis1 and 
'tis this4 ,the ,scripture1 they say1   
speaks but of  one ,resurrection2       
whereas the ,doctrine of the ,millennium
 supposes two2  one at the ,beginning of
 the ,millennium1 for the ,martyrs1 and 
those that  enjoy that happy ,state1 and
 the other at the ,end of it2 which is  
universal and final1 in the last ,day of
 ,judgment4 ',tis true1 ,scripture      
generally speaks of the ,resurrection in
 gross2 without distinguishing  first   
and second2 and so it speaks of the     

,coming of our ,saviour1  without       
,distinction of first or second yet it  
does not follow from that1  that there  
is but one coming of our ,saviour1 so   
neither that there is  but one          
,resurrection4 ,and seeing there is one 
place of ,scripture that  speaks        
distinctly of two ,resurrections1       
namely1 the xxth chap4 of the           
,apocalypse1 that is to us a sufficient 
,warrant for asserting two2 as  there   
are some things in one ,evangelist that 
are not in another1 yet we  think them  
authentick if they be but in one3 ,there
 are also some things  in ,daniel1      
concerning the ,messiah1 and concerning 
the  ,resurrection1 that are not in the 
rest of the ,prophets2 yet we look  upon
 his single ,testimony as good          
,authority4 ,st4 ,john wrote the last   
of all the ,apostles1 and as the whole  
,series of his ,prophecies is new1      
reaching through the latter ,times to   
the ,consummation of all ,things2 so  we
 cannot wonder if he had something more 

particular reveal'd to him  concerning  
the ,resurrection3 ,that which was      
spoken of before in general1  being     
distinguish'd now into first and second1
 or particular and  universal1 in this  
last ,prophet4 ,see ,mr4 ,mede4 ,some   
think ,st4 ,paul  means no less1 when he
 makes an ,order in the ,resurrection2  
some rising  sooner1 some later1 #a     
,cor4 xv4 #bc1 #bd1 #a ,thess44 iv4 #ad1
 #ae1 c4  but whether that be so or no1 
,st4 ,john might have a more distinct   
,revelation concerning it1 than ,st4    
,paul had1 or any one before him4       
,after these ,objections1 a great many  
,queries and ,difficulties might be     
propos'd relating to the ,millennium3   
,but that's no more than what is  found 
in all other ,matters1 remote from our  
,knowledge4 ,who can answer  all the    
,queries that may be made concerning    
,heaven1 or ,hell1 or  ,paradise8 ,when 
we know a ,thing as to the ,substance1  
we are not to let  go our ,hold1 tho'   
there remain some ,difficulties         

unresolv'd2 otherwise  we should be     
eternally sceptical in most ,matters of 
,knowledge4  ,therefore1 tho' we cannot1
 for ,example1 give a full ,account of  
the  ,distinction of ,habitations and   
,inhabitants in the future ,earth2 or1  
of  the ,order of the first             
,resurrection1 whether it be perform'd  
by  degrees and successively1 or all the
 ,inhabitants of the new ,jerusalem     
rise at once1 and continue throughout   
the whole ,millennium3 ,i say1 tho'  we 
cannot give a distinct ,account of      
these1 or such like ,particulars1 we    
ought not therefore to deny or doubt    
whether there will be a new  ,earth1 or 
a first ,resurrection4 ,for the         
,revelation goes clearly so  far1 and   
the ,obscurity is only in the           
,consequences and ,dependences of  it2  
which ,providence thought fit1 without  
farther ,light1 to leave to our  ,search
 and ,disquisition4    ,scripture       
mentions one ,thing1 at the ,end of the 
,millennium1 which is a  common         

,difficulty to all2 and every one must  
contribute their best  ,thoughts and    
,conjectures towards the ,solution of   
it3 ',tis the strange  ,doctrine of ,gog
 and ,magog1 ,apoc4 xx4 #h1 #i4 which   
are to rise up in  ,rebellion against   
the ,saints1 and besiege the holy ,city1
 and the holy  ,camp3 ,and this is to be
 upon the ,expiration of the thousand   
,years1 when  ,satan is loosen'd2 for no
 sooner will his ,chains be knock'd off1
 but he  will put himself in the ,head  
of this ,army of ,giants1 or ,sons of   
the  ,earth1 and attack ,heaven1 and the
 ,saints of the most ,high3 ,but with   
ill  ,success1 for there will come down 
,fire and ,lightning from ,heaven1 and  
consume them4 ,this1 methinks1 hath a   
great ,affinity with the ,history of    
the ,giants1 rebelling and assaulting   
,heaven1 and struck down by             
,thunder-,bolts3 ,but that of setting   
,mountains upon ,mountains1 or tossing  
them into the ,sky1 that's the poetical 
,part1 and we must not expect to  find  

it in the ,prophecy4 ,the ,poets told   
their ,fable1 as of a thing past1  and  
so it was a ,fable2 but the ,prophets   
speak of it1 as of a ,thing to  come1   
and so it will be a ,reality3 ,but how  
and in what ,sense it is to be          
understood and explain'd1 every one has 
the ,liberty to make the best  ,judgment
 he can4    ,ezekiel mentions ,gog and  
,magog1 ch4 xxxviii4 and xxxix4 which ,i
  take to be only ,types and ,shadows of
 these which we are now speaking of1    
and not yet exemplify'd1 no more than   
his ,temple4 ,and seeing this ,people   
is to be at the ,end of the ,millennium1
 and in the same ,earth with it1  we    
must1 according to our ,hypothesis1     
plant them in the future ,earth1  and   
therefore all former ,conjectures about 
the ,turks1 or ,scythians1  or other    
,barbarians1 are out of ,doors with us1 
seeing the ,scene of  this ,action does 
not lie in the present ,earth3 ,they are
 also represented  by the ,prophet1 as a
 ,people distinct and separate from the 

,saints1 not  in their ,manners only1   
but also in their ,seats and            
,habitations2 for  7,apoc4 xx4 #h1 #i47 
they are said to come up from the four  
,corners of  the ,earth1 upon the       
,breadth of the ,earth1 and there to    
besiege the ,camp  of the ,saints and   
the beloved ,city3 ,this makes it seem  
probable to me1  that there will be a   
double ,race of ,mankind in that future 
,earth2 very  different one from        
another1 both as to their ,temper and   
,disposition1 and  as to their ,origin3 
,the one born from ,heaven1 ,sons of    
,god1 and of the  ,resurrection1 who are
 the true ,saints and ,heirs of the     
,millennium4 ,the  other born of the    
,earth1 ,sons of the ,earth1 generated  
from the ,slime of  the ,ground1 and the
 ,heat of the ,sun1 as brute ,creatures 
were at first3  ,this second ,progeny or
 ,generation of ,men in the future      
,earth1 ,i  understand to be signified  
by the ,prophet under these borrowed or 
feigned ,names of ,gog and ,magog3 ,and 

this ,earth-born ,race1 increasing  and 
multiplying after the ,manner of ,men1  
by carnal ,propagation1 after a         
thousand ,years1 grew numerous1 as the  
,sand by the ,sea2 and thereupon  made  
an ,irruption or ,inundation upon the   
,face of the ,earth1 and upon the       
,habitations of the ,saints2 as the     
barbarous ,nations did formerly upon    
,christendom2 or as the ,giants are said
 to have made ,war against the  ,gods3  
,but they were soon confounded in their 
impious and sacrilegious  ,design1 being
 struck and consum'd by ,fire from      
,heaven4    ,some will think1 it may be1
 that there was such a double ,race of  
,mankind  in the first ,world also3 ,the
 ,sons of ,adam1 and the ,sons of ,god2 
because it is said1 ,gen4 vi4 ,when ,men
 began to multiply upon the ,face  of   
the ,earth1 that the ,,sons ,,of ,,god  
,,saw ,,the ,,daughters ,,of ,,men1 that
 they  were fair1 and they took them    
,wives of all that they lik'd4 ,and it  
is  added1 presently1 ver4 #d4 ,there   

were ,giants in the ,earth in those     
,days2 and also after that1 when the    
,sons of ,god came in unto the          
,daughters of ,men1 and they bare       
,children to them2 the same became      
mighty  ,men1 which were of old1 ,men of
 ,renown4 ,here seem to be two or three 
,orders or ,races in this ,ante-diluvian
 ,world4 ,the ,sons of ,god2 the ,sons  
and ,daughters of ,adam2 and a third    
,sort arising from the ,mixture and     
,copulation of these1 which are call'd  
,mighty ,men of old1 or ,heroes4        
,besides1 here are ,giants mention'd1   
and to which they are to be reduc'd1  it
 does not certainly appear4    ,this    
,mixture of these two ,races1 whatsoever
 they were1 gave1 it seems1  so great   
,offence to ,god1 that he destroy'd that
 ,world upon it1 in a  ,deluge of       
,water4 ,it hath been matter of great   
,difficulty to determine1  who these    
,sons of ,god were1 that fell in ,love  
with and married the  ,daughters of     
,men4 ,there are two ,conjectures that  

prevail most2 one1 that  they were      
,angels2 and another1 that they were of 
the ,posterity of  ,seth1 and           
distinguished from the rest1 by their   
,piety1 and the ,worship  of the true   
,god2 so that it was a great ,crime for 
them to mingle with  the rest of        
,mankind1 who are suppos'd to have been 
,idolaters3 ,neither of  these ,opinions
 is to me satisfactory4 ,for as to      
,angels1 good ,angels  neither marry1   
nor are given in ,marriage1 ,mat4 xxii4 
#cj4 and bad  ,angels are not called the
 ,sons of ,god4 ,besides1 if ,angels    
were capable  of those mean ,pleasures1 
we ought in ,reason to suppose1 that    
there are  ,female ,angels1 as well as  
,male2 for surely those ,capacities are 
not in  vain through a whole ,species of
 ,beings4 ,and if there be ,female      
,angels1  we cannot imagine1 but that   
they must be of a far more charming     
,beauty  than the dowdy ,daughters of   
,men4 ,then as to the ,line of ,seth1 it
 does  not appear that there was any    

such ,distinction of ,idolaters and true
  ,worshipers before the ,flood1 or that
 there was any such thing as  ,idolatry 
at that time1 nor for some ,ages after4 
,besides1 it is not said1  that the     
,sons of ,god fell in ,love with the    
,daughters of ,cain1 or of  any         
degenerate ,race1 but with the          
,daughters of ,adam2 which may be the   
,daughters of ,seth1 as well as of any  
other3 ,these ,conjectures  therefore   
seem to be shallow and ill-grounded4    
,but what the ,distinction  was of those
 two ,orders1 remains yet very          
uncertain4    ,st4 ,paul to the         
,galatians1 7chap4 iv4 #ba1 #bb1 c47    
makes a  ,distinction also of a double  
,progeny2 that of ,sarah1 and that of   
,hagar3 ,one was born according to the  
,flesh1 after a natural ,manner2  and   
the other by the divine ,power1 or in   
virtue of the divine ,promise4  ,this   
,distinction of a natural and           
supernatural ,origin1 and of a double   
,progeny2 the one born to ,servitude1   

the other to ,liberty1 represents  very 
well either the ,manner of our present  
,birth1 and of our future1 at  the      
,resurrection2 or that double ,progeny  
and double manner of ,birth1  which we  
suppose in the future ,earth4 ',tis     
true1 ,st4 ,paul applies  this to the   
,law and the ,gospel2 but typical       
,things1 you know1 have  different      
,aspects and ,complexions1 which are not
 exclusive of one  another2 and so it   
may be here4 ,but however1 this double  
,race of ,mankind  in the future ,earth1
 to explain the ,doctrine of ,gog and   
,magog1 is  but a ,conjecture2 and does 
not pretend to be otherwise considered4 
,the last ,thing that remains to be     
considered and accounted for1 is the    
,upshot and ,conclusion of all2 namely1 
what will become of the ,earth  after   
the thousand ,years expir'd8 ,or after  
the ,day of ,judgment past1 and  the    
,saints translated into ,heaven1 what   
will be the ,face of ,things here       
below8 ,there being nothing expresly    

reveal'd concerning this1 we must  not  
expect a positive ,resolution of it3    
,and the ,difficulty is not  peculiar to
 our ,hypothesis2 for though the        
,millennium1 and the final  ,judgment1  
were concluded in the present ,earth1   
the ,qure would still  remain1 ,what    
would become of this ,earth after the   
last ,day8 ,so that  all ,parties are   
equally concern'd1 and equally free1 to 
give their  ,opinion1 ,what will be the 
last ,state and ,consummation of this   
,earth3  ,scripture1 ,i told you1 hath  
not defin'd this ,point2 and the        
,philosophers  say very little          
concerning it4 ,the ,stoicks indeed     
speak of the final  ,resolution of all  
things into ,fire1 or into ,ether3 which
 is the  purest and subtlest sort of    
,fire3 ,so that the whole ,globe or     
,mass of the  ,earth1 and all particular
 ,bodies1 will1 according to them1 be at
 last  dissolv'd into a liquid ,flame4  
,neither was this ,doctrine first       
invented  by the ,stoicks2 ,heraclitus  

taught it long before them1 and ,i take 
it  to be as ancient as ,orpheus        
himself2 who was the first ,philosopher 
amongst the ,greeks3 ,and he deriving   
his ,notions from the ,barbarick        
,philosophers1 or the ,sages of the     
,east1 that ,school of ,wisdom may be   
look'd upon as the true ,seminary of    
this ,doctrine1 as it was of most  other
 natural ,knowledge4    ,but this       
,dissolution of the ,earth into ,fire1  
may be understood two ,ways2  either    
that it will be dissolv'd into a loose  
,flame1 and so dissipated  and lost as  
,lightning in the ,air1 and vanish into 
nothing2 or that it  will be dissolv'd  
into a fix'd ,flame1 such as the ,sun   
is1 or a fix'd  ,star4 ,and ,i am of    
,opinion1 that the ,earth after the last
 ,day of  ,judgment1 will be chang'd    
into the ,nature of a ,sun1 or of a     
fix'd ,star1  and shine like them in the
 ,firmament3 ,being all melted down into
 a ,mass  of thereal ,matter1 and       
enlightning a ,sphere or ,orb round     

about it4 ,i  have no direct and        
demonstrative ,proof of this ,i confess1
 but if ,planets  were once fixed       
,stars1 as ,i believe they were1 their  
,revolution to the  same ,state again1  
in a great ,circle of ,time1 seems to be
 according to  the ,methods of          
,providence1 which loves to recover what
 was lost or  decay'd1 after certain    
,periods1 and what was originally good  
and happy1  to make it so again1 all    
,nature1 at last1 being transform'd into
 a like  ,glory with the ,sons of ,god1 
7,rom4 viii4 #ba47    ,i will not tell  
you what ,foundation there is in        
,nature1 for this ,change  or           
,transformation from the interiour      
,constitution of the ,earth1 and the    
,instances we have seen of new ,stars   
appearing in the ,heavens4 ,i should    
lead the ,english ,reader too far out of
 his ,way1 to discourse of these        
things3 ,but if there be any ,passages  
or ,expressions in ,scripture1 that     
countenance such a ,state of things     

after the ,day of ,judgment1 it will    
not be improper to take ,notice of them4
 ,that radiant and illustrious          
,jerusalem1 describ'd by ,st4 ,john     
,apoc4 xxi4 ver4 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 c4      
compos'd all of ,gemms and bright       
,materials1 clear and sparkling1 as a   
,star in the ,firmament3 ,who can give  
an ,account what that is8 ,its          
,foundations1 ,walls1 ,gates1 ,streets1 
all the ,body of it1 resplendent as     
,light or ,fire8 ,what is there in      
,nature1 or in this ,universe1 that     
bears  any ,resemblance with such a     
,phnomenon as this1 unless it be a ,sun 
or a  fix'd ,star8 ,especially if we add
 and consider what follows1 ver4 #bc4   
,that the ,city had no need of the ,sun1
 nor of the ,moon to shine in it1  ver4 
#be4 ,and that there was no ,night      
there4 ,this can be no  terrestrial     
,body2 it must be a ,substance luminous 
in it self1 and a  ,fountain of ,light1 
as a fix'd ,star3 ,and upon such a      
,change of the ,earth1  or              

,transformation1 as this1 would be      
brought to pass the ,saying that is     
written1 ,,death ,,is ,,swallowed ,,up  
,,in ,,victory4 ,which indeed ,st4 ,paul
  seems to apply to our ,bodies in      
particular1 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ed4 ,but in   
the  eighth ,chap4 to the ,romans he    
extends it to all ,nature1 ver4 #ba4    
,the ,creation it self also shall be    
deliver'd from the ,bondage of          
,corruption1 into the glorious ,liberty 
of the ,sons of ,god4 ,and  accordingly 
,st4 ,john1 speaking of the same ,time  
with ,st4 ,paul in  that ,place to the  
,corinthians1 namely1 of the general    
,resurrection and  ,day of ,judgement1  
says1 ,death and ,hades1 which we render
 ,hell1 were  cast into the ,lake of    
,fire1 ,apoc4 xx4 #ad4 ,this is their   
being  swallowed up in ,victory1 which  
,st4 ,paul speaks of2 when ,death and   
,hades1 that is1 all the ,region of     
,mortality1 the ,earth and all its      
,dependences1 are absorpt into a ,mass  
of ,fire2 and converted1 by a  glorious 

,victory over the ,powers of ,darkness1 
into a luminous ,body and a  ,region of 
,light4    ,this great ,issue and       
,period of the ,earth1 and of all human 
,affairs1 tho'  it seem to be founded in
 ,nature1 and supported by several      
,expressions of  ,scripture2 yet we     
cannot1 for want of full ,instruction1  
propose it  otherwise than as a fair    
,conjecture3 ,the ,heavens and the      
,earth shall  flie away at the ,day of  
,judgment1 says the ,text1 ,apoc4 xx4   
#aa4 ,and  their ,place shall not be    
found4 ,this must be understood of our  
,heavens  and our ,earth2 and their     
flying away must be their removing to   
some  other ,part of the ,universe1 so  
as their ,place or ,residence shall not 
be  found any more here below4 ,this is 
the easy and natural ,sense of the      
,words2 and this ,translation of the    
,earth will not be without some ,change 
preceeding1 that makes it leave its     
,place1 and1 with a lofty ,flight1      
takes its ,seat amongst the             

,stars4----,there we leave it2 having   
conducted  it for the ,space of seven   
thousand ,years thro' various ,changes1 
from a  dark ,chaos to a bright ,star4  
,,finis4                        ,a      
,,review ,of the ,,sacred ,theory of the
 ,earth1                                
,and of its                             
,,proofs3                               
,especially in ,reference to            
,,scripture4                            
,,london3                  ,printed for 
,j4 ,,hooke in ,fleet-street4           
,a ,review4          ,to take a ,review 
of this ,theory of the ,earth1 which we 
have now  finish'd1 we must consider1   
first1 the ,extent of it1 and then the  
principal ,parts whereof it consists3   
,it reaches1 as you see1 from one  ,end 
of the ,world to the other2 from the    
first ,chaos to the last ,day1 and  the 
,consummation of all ,things4 ,this     
probably1 will run the length of  seven 
thousand ,years2 which is a good        
competent ,space of ,time to  exercise  

our ,thoughts upon1 and to observe the  
several ,scenes which  ,nature and      
,providence bring into ,view within the 
,compass of so many  ,ages4    ,the     
,matter and principal ,parts of this    
,theory are such things as are  recorded
 in ,scripture3 ,we do not feign a      
,subject1 and then discant upon  it1 for
 ,diversion2 but endeavour to give an   
intelligible and rational  ,account of  
such ,matters of ,fact1 past or future1 
as are there specified  and declared4   
,what it hath seem'd good to the ,holy  
,ghost to communicate  to us1 by        
,history or ,prophecy1 concerning the   
several ,states and general  ,changes of
 this ,earth1 makes the ,argument of our
 ,discourse3 ,therefore  the ,things    
themselves must be taken for granted1 in
 one ,sense or other1  seeing1 besides  
all other ,proofs1 they have the        
,authority of a  ,revelation2 and our   
,business is only to give such an       
,explication of  them1 as shall approve 
it self to the ,faculties of ,man1 and  

be  conformable to ,scripture4    ,we   
will therefore first set down the       
,things themselves1 that make the       
subject ,matter of this ,theory2 and    
remind you of our ,explication of  them3
 ,then recollect the general ,proofs of 
that ,explication1 from ,reason  and    
,nature2 but more fully and particularly
 shew how it is grounded upon           
,scripture4 ,the primary ,phnomena      
whereof we are to give an ,account1  are
 these five or six4        ,i4 ,the     
,original of the ,earth from a ,chaos4  
,,ii4 ,the ,state of ,paradise1 and the 
antediluvian ,world4        ,,iii4 ,the 
universal ,deluge4        ,,iv4 ,the    
universal ,conflagration4        ,v4    
,the ,renovation of the ,world1 or the  
new ,heavens and new ,earth4            
,,vi4 ,the ,consummation of all ,things4
    ,these are unquestionably in        
,scripture2 and these all relate1 as you
 see1  to the several ,forms1 ,states   
and ,revolutions of this ,earth4 ,we are
  therefore oblig'd to give a clear and 

coherent ,account of these  ,phnomena1  
in that ,order and ,consecution wherein 
they stand to one  another4    ,there   
are also in ,scripture some other       
,things1 relating to the same           
,subjects1 that may be call'd the       
secondary ,ingredients of this ,theory1 
and are to be referr'd to their         
respective primary ,heads4 ,such are1   
for  ,instance1        ,i4 ,the         
,longevity of the ,ante-diluvians4      
,,ii4 ,the ,rupture of the great ,abyss1
 at the ,deluge4        ,,iii4 ,the     
appearing of the ,rainbow after the     
,deluge1 as a ,sign that      there     
never should be a second ,flood4        
,these things ,scripture hath also left 
upon ,record1 as ,directions and        
,indications how to understand the      
ante-diluvian ,state1 and the ,deluge it
  self4 ,whosoever therefore shall      
undertake to write the ,theory of the   
,earth1 must think himself bound to give
 us a just ,explication of these        
secondary ,phnomena1 as well as of the  

primary2 and that in such a  ,dependance
 and ,connexion1 as to make them give   
and receive ,light from  one another4   
,the former ,part of the ,task is       
concerning the ,world behind us1 ,times 
and  ,things past1 that are already come
 to ,light3 ,the latter is concerning   
the ,world before us1 ,times and ,things
 to come2 that lie yet in the ,bosom  of
 ,providence1 and in the ,seeds of      
,nature4 ,and these are chiefly the     
,conflagration of the ,world1 and the   
,renovation of it4 ,when these are  over
 and expir'd1 then comes the ,end1 as   
,st4 ,paul says1 #a ,cor4 xv4  ,then the
 ,heavens and the ,earth fly away1 as   
,st4 ,john says1 ,apoc4  xx4 ,then is   
the ,consummation of all ,things1 and   
the last ,period of  this sublunary     
,world1 whatsoever it is3 ,thus far the 
,theorist must go1  and pursue the      
,motions of ,nature1 till all ,things   
are brought to ,rest  and ,silence3 ,and
 in this latter ,part of the ,theory1   
there is also a  collateral ,phnomenon1 

the ,millennium1 or thousand ,years     
,reign of  ,christ and his ,saints upon 
,earth1 to be consider'd4 ,for this1    
according  as it is reported in         
,scripture1 does imply a ,change in the 
natural  ,world1 as well as in the      
,morals and therefore must be accounted 
for in  the ,theory of the ,earth3 ,at  
least it must be there determin'd1      
whether that ,state of the ,world1 which
 is singular and extraordinary1  will be
 before or after the ,conflagration4    
,these are the ,principals and          
,incidents of this ,theory of the       
,earth1  as to the ,matter and ,subject 
of it2 which1 you see1 is both          
important1  and wholly taken out of     
,scripture3 ,as to our ,explication of  
these  ,points1 that is sufficiently    
known1 being set down at large in four  
,books of this ,theory2 ,therefore it   
remains only1 having seen the ,matter   
of the ,theory1 to examine the ,form of 
it1 and the ,proofs of it2 for from     
these two things it must receive its    

,censure4 ,as to the ,form1 the         
,characters of a regular ,theory seem to
 be these three2 ,few and easy          
,postulatums2 ,union of ,parts2 and a   
,fitness to answer1 fully and  clearly1 
all the ,phnomena to which it is to be  
apply'd4    ,we think our ,hypothesis   
does not want any of these ,characters3 
,as to the  first1 we take but one      
single ,postulatum for the whole        
,theory1 and  that an easy one1         
warranted both by ,scripture and        
,antiquity2 namely1  ,that this ,earth  
rise1 at first1 from a ,chaos3 ,as to   
the second1 ,union  of ,parts1 the whole
 ,theory is but one ,series of ,causes  
and ,effects from  that first ,chaos4   
,besides1 you can scarce admit any one  
,part of it1  first1 last1 or           
intermediate1 but you must1 in          
,consequence of that1  admit all the    
rest4 ,grant me but that the ,deluge is 
truly explain'd1 and  ,i'll desire no   
more ,proof for all the ,theory3 ,or1 if
 you begin at the  other ,end1 and grant

 the new ,heavens and new ,earth after  
the  ,conflagration1 you will be led    
back again to the first ,heavens and    
first  ,earth that were before the      
,flood4 ,for ,st4 ,john says1 that new  
,earth  was without a ,sea1 ,apoc4 xxi4 
#a4 ,and it was a ,renovation1 or       
,restitution to some former ,state of   
,things3 ,there was therefore some      
former ,earth without a ,sea2 which not 
being the present ,earth1 it must  be   
the ante-diluvian4 ,besides1 both ,st4  
,john1 and the ,prophet  ,esaias1 have  
represented the new ,heavens and new    
,earth1 as  paradisiacal1 according as  
it proved1 ,book ,,iv4 ,chap4 #b4 ,and  
having  told us the ,form of the        
new-future-,earth1 that it will have no 
,sea1 it  is a reasonable ,inference    
that there was no ,sea in the           
paradisiacal  ,earth4 ,however1 from the
 ,form of this future ,earth1 which ,st4
 ,john  represents to us1 we may at     
least conclude1 that an ,earth without a
  ,sea is no ,chimra1 or ,impossibility2

 but rather a fit ,seat and  ,habitation
 for the ,just and the ,innocent4       
,thus you see the ,parts of the ,theory 
link and hold fast one another1         
according to the ,second ,character3    
,and as to the third1 of being suited   
to the ,phnomena1 we must refer that to 
the next ,head of ,proofs4 ,it  may be  
truly said1 that bare ,coherence and    
,union of ,parts is not a  sufficient   
,proof2 the ,parts of a ,fable or       
,romance may hang aptly  together1 and  
yet have no ,truth in them3 ,this is    
enough indeed to give  the ,title of a  
just ,composition to any ,work1 but not 
of a true one2 till  it appear that the 
,conclusions and ,explications are      
grounded upon good  natural ,evidence1  
or upon good ,divine ,authority4 ,we    
must therefore  proceed now to the third
 thing to be consider'd in a ,theory1   
,what its  ,proofs are8 ,or the ,grounds
 upon which it stands1 whether ,sacred  
or  ,natural8    ,according to natural  
,evidence1 things are proved from their 

,causes or  their ,effects2 and we think
 we have this double ,order of ,proofs  
for the  ,truth of our ,hypothesis3 ,as 
to the ,method of ,causes1 we proceed   
from  what is more simple1 to what is   
more compound1 and build all upon one   
,foundation4 ,go but to the ,head of the
 ,theory1 and you will see the  ,causes 
lying in a ,train before you1 from first
 to last2 and tho' you did  not know the
 natural ,history of the ,world1 past or
 future1 you might1 by  ,intuition1     
foretel it1 as to the grand ,revolutions
 and successive ,faces  of ,nature1     
through a long ,series of ,ages4 ,if we 
have given a true  ,account of the      
,motions of the ,chaos1 we have also    
truly form'd the first  habitable       
,earth2 and if that be truly form'd we  
have thereby given a  true ,account of  
the ,state of ,paradise1 and of all that
 depends upon  it2 and not of that only1
 but also of the universal ,deluge4     
,both these  we have shewn in their     
,causes2 ,the one from the ,form of that

 ,earth1 and  the other from the ,fall  
of it into the ,abyss3 ,and tho' we had 
not been  made acquainted with these    
things by ,antiquity1 we might1 in      
,contemplation of the ,causes1 have     
truly conceiv'd them as ,properties or  
,incidents to the first ,earth4 ,but as 
to the ,deluge1 ,i do not say1 that  we 
might have calculated the ,time1        
,manner1 and other ,circumstances of    
it3 ,these things were regulated by     
,providence1 in subordination to the    
moral ,world2 but that there would be1  
at one ,time or other1 a ,disruption  of
 that ,earth1 or of the great ,abyss1   
and in ,consequence of it1 an  universal
 ,deluge2 so far1 ,i think1 the ,light  
of a ,theory might carry us4            
,farthermore1 in ,consequence of this   
,disruption of the primval ,earth1 at   
the ,deluge1 the present ,earth was made
 hollow and cavernous1 ,theor4  ,book   
iii4 chap4 #g1 and #h4 and by that      
means1 7due ,preparations being  used7  
capable of ,combustion1 or of perishing 

by an universal ,fire3  ,yet1 to speak  
ingenuously1 this is as hard a ,step to 
be made1 in virtue  of natural ,causes1 
as any in the whole ,theory4 ,but in    
,recompence of  that ,defect1 the       
,conflagration is so plainly and        
literally taught us in  ,scripture1 and 
avow'd by ,antiquity1 that it can fall  
under no dispute1  as to the ,thing it  
self2 and as to a ,capacity or          
,disposition to it in  the present      
,earth1 that ,i think is sufficiently   
made out4    ,then1 the ,conflagration  
admitted1 in that way it is explain'd in
 the  third ,book2 the ,earth1 you see1 
is1 by that ,fire1 reduc'd to a second  
,chaos4 ,a ,chaos truly so call'd2 and  
from that1 as from the first1 arises    
another ,creation1 or new ,heavens and a
 new ,earth2 by the same  ,causes1 and  
in the same ,form1 with the             
paradisiacal4 ,this is the  ,renovation 
of the ,world2 the ,restitution of all  
,things mention'd  both by ,scripture   
and ,antiquity2 and by the ,prophet     

,isaiah1 ,st4  ,peter and ,st4 ,john1   
call'd the new ,heavens and new ,earth3 
,with  this1 as the last ,period1 and   
most glorious ,scene of all human       
,affairs1  our ,theory concludes1 as to 
this ,method of ,causes1 whereof we are 
now  speaking4    ,i say1 here it ,ends 
as to the ,method of ,causes3 ,for tho' 
we pursue the  ,earth still farther1    
even to its last ,dissolution1 which is 
call'd the  ,consummation of all        
,things2 yet all that we have superadded
 upon that  ,occasion1 is but           
problematical1 and may1 without         
,prejudice to the  ,theory1 be argued   
and disputed on either ,hand4 ,i do not 
know1 but that  our ,conjectures there  
may be well grounded2 but however1 not  
springing  so directly from the same    
,root1 or1 at least1 not by ,ways so    
clear and  visible1 ,i leave that ,part 
undecided3 ,especially seeing we pretend
 to  write no more than the ,theory of  
the ,earth1 and therefore as we begin   
no higher than the ,chaos1 so we are not

 oblig'd to go any farther than  to the 
last ,state of a terrestrial            
,consistency2 which is that of the new  
,heavens and the new ,earth4    ,this is
 the first natural ,proof1 from the     
,order of ,causes3 ,the second is  from 
the ,consideration of ,effects2 namely1 
of such ,effects as are  already in     
being3 ,and therefore this ,proof can   
extend only to that ,part  of the       
,theory1 that explains the present and  
past ,form and ,phnomena  of the ,earth4
 ,what is future1 must be left to a     
farther ,trial1 when the  ,thing comes  
to pass1 and present themselves to be   
examin'd and compar'd  with the         
,hypothesis4 ,as to the present ,form of
 the ,earth1 we call all  ,nature to    
,witness for us2 the ,rocks and the     
,mountains1 the ,hills and the          
,valleys1 the deep and wide ,sea1 and   
the ,caverns of the ,ground3 ,let these 
speak1 and tell their ,origin3 ,how the 
,body of the ,earth came to be thus     
torn and mangled8 ,if this strange and  

irregular ,structure was not the        
,effect of a ,ruin2 and of such a ,ruin 
as was universal over the ,face of  the 
whole ,globe4 ,but we have given such a 
full ,explication of this1 in  the first
 ,part of the ,theory1 from chap4 ix4 to
 the ,end of that  ,treatise1 that we   
dare stand to the ,judgment of any that 
reads those  four ,chapters to determine
 if the ,hypothesis does not answer to  
all  those ,phnomena1 easy and          
adequately4    ,the next ,phnomenon to  
be consider'd1 is the ,deluge1 with its 
,adjuncts3 ,this also is fully explain'd
 by our ,hypothesis1 in the iid1  iiid1 
and vith ,chapters of the first ,book3  
,where it is shewn1 that the  ,mosaical 
,deluge1 that is1 an universal          
,inundation of the whole ,earth1  above 
the ,tops of the highest ,mountains1    
made by a breaking open of the  great   
,abyss1 7for thus far ,moses leads us7  
is fully explain'd by this  ,hypothesis1
 and cannot be conceiv'd in any other   
,method hitherto  propos'd4 ,there are  

no ,sources or ,stores of ,water        
sufficient for such an  ,effect1 that   
may be drawn upon the ,earth1 and drawn 
off again1 but by  supposing such an    
,abyss1 and such a ,disruption of it1 as
 the ,theory  represents4    ,lastly1   
,as to the ,phnomena of ,paradise1 and  
the ante-diluvian ,world1  we have set  
them down in ,order in the second ,book2
 and apply'd to each  of them its proper
 ,explication1 from the same            
,hypothesis4 ,we have also  given an    
,account of that ,character which       
,antiquity always assign'd to  the first
 ,age of the ,world1 or the ,golden     
,age1 as they call'd it2  namely1       
,equality of ,seasons throughout the    
,year1 or a perpetual  ,equinox4 ,we    
have also taken in all the ,adjuncts or 
,concomitants of these  ,states1 as they
 are mention'd in ,scripture4 ,the      
,longevity of the  ,ante-diluvians1 and 
the ,declension or their ,age by        
degrees1 after the  ,flood3 ,as also    
that wonderful ,phnomenon1 the ,rainbow2

 which appear'd  to ,noah for a ,sign1  
that the ,earth should never undergo a  
second  ,deluge4 ,and we have shewn     
,theor4 ,book ii4 ch4 #e4 wherein the   
,force  and ,propriety of that ,sign    
consisted1 for confirming ,noah's ,faith
 in  the ,promise and in the ,divine    
,veracity4    ,thus far we have         
explain'd the past ,phnomena of the     
natural ,world3 ,the  rest are          
,futurities1 which still lie hid in     
their ,causes2 and we cannot  properly  
prove a ,theory from ,effects that are  
not yet in ,being3 ,but so  far as they 
are foretold in ,scripture1 both as to  
,substance and  ,circumstance1 in       
,prosecution of the same ,principles we 
have ante-dated  their ,birth1 and      
shew'd how they will come to pass4 ,we  
may therefore1 ,i  think1 reasonably    
conclude1 that this ,theory has         
perform'd its ,task and  answer'd its   
,title2 having given an ,account of all 
the general ,changes  of the natural    
,world as far as either ,sacred ,history

 looks backwards1 or  ,sacred ,prophecy 
looks forwards2 so far as the one tells 
us what is past  in ,nature1 and the    
other what is to come2 ,and if all this 
be nothing but  an ,appearance of       
,truth1 'tis a kind of ,fatality upon us
 to be deceiv'd4    ,so much for natural
 ,evidence1 from the ,causes or         
,effects3 ,we now proceed  to           
,scripture1 which will make the greatest
 ,part of this ,review4 ,the  ,sacred   
,basis upon which the whole ,theory     
stands1 is the ,doctrine of ,st4        
,peter1 deliver'd in his second ,epistle
 and third ,chapter1  concerning the    
triple ,order and ,succession of the    
,heavens and the  ,earth2 that          
comprehends the whole ,extent of our    
,theory2 which indeed is  but a large   
,commentary upon ,st4 ,peter's ,text4   
,the ,apostle sets out a  three-fold    
,state of the ,heavens and ,earth1 with 
some general ,properties  of each1 taken
 from their different ,constitution and 
different ,fate4 ,the  ,theory takes the

 same three-fold ,state of the ,heavens 
and the ,earth2 and  explains more      
particularly1 wherein their different   
,constitution  consists2 and how1 under 
the ,conduct of ,providence1 their      
different ,fate  depends upon it4 ,let  
us set down the ,apostle's ,words1 with 
the ,occasion  of them2 and their plain 
,sense1 according to the most easy and  
natural  ,explication4        #b ,pet4  
iii4 ver4 #c4 ,knowing this first1 that 
there shall come in      the last ,days 
,scoffers1 walking after their own      
,lusts4        #d4 ,and saying1 where is
 the ,promise of his coming8 ,for since 
the      ,fathers fell asleep1 all      
,things continue as they were from the  
,beginning of the ,creation4        #e4 
,for this they willingly are ignorant   
of1 that by the ,word of      ,god1 the 
,heavens were of old1 and the ,earth    
consisting of ,water and      by ,water4
        #f4 ,whereby the ,world that    
then was1 being overflowed with ,water1 
perished4        #g4 ,but the ,heavens  

and the ,earth that are now1 by the same
 ,word1      are kept in ,store1        
reserved unto ,fire against the ,day of 
,judgment1      and ,perdition of       
ungodly ,men4--        #aj4 ,the ,day of
 the ,lord will come as a ,thief in the 
,night1 in which      the ,heavens shall
 pass away with a great ,noise1 and the 
,elements      shall melt with fervent  
,heat2 the ,earth also and the ,works   
that are      therein shall be burnt up4
        #ac4 ,nevertheless we1 according
 to his ,promise1 look for new ,heavens 
and a new ,earth1 wherein dwelleth      
,righteousness4    ,this is the whole   
,discourse so far as relates to our     
,subject3 ,st4  ,peter1 you see1 had met
 with some that scoff'd at the future   
,destruction of the ,world1 and the     
coming of our ,saviour2 and they were   
,men1 it seems1 that pretended to       
,philosophy and ,argument2 and they use 
this ,argument for their ,opinion1      
,seeing there has been no ,change in    
,nature1 or in the ,world1 from the     

,beginning to this ,time1 why should we 
think there will be any ,change for the 
future8    ,the ,apostle answers to     
this1 that they willingly forget1 or are
  ignorant1 that there were ,heavens of 
old1 and an ,earth1 so and so           
constituted2 consisting of ,water and by
 ,water2 by reason whereof that  ,world1
 or those ,heavens and that ,earth1     
perish'd in a ,deluge of ,water4  ,but1 
saith he1 the ,heavens and the ,earth1  
that are now1 are of another            
,constitution1 fitted and reserved to   
another ,fate2 namely to perish by      
,fire3 ,and after these are perish'd1   
there will be new ,heavens and a new    
,earth1 according to ,god's ,promise4   
,this is an easy ,paraphrase1 and the   
plain and genuine ,sense of the         
,apostle's ,discourse2 and no ,body1 ,i 
think1 would ever look after any  other 
,sense1 if this did not carry them out  
of their usual ,road1 and  point to     
,conclusions which they did not fancy4  
,the ,sense1 you see1 hits  the         

,objection directly1 or the ,cavil which
 these ,scoffers made2 and  tells them1 
that they vainly pretend that there hath
 been no change in  the ,world since the
 ,beginning2 for there was one sort of  
,heavens and  ,earth before the ,flood1 
and another ,sort now1 the first having 
been  destroy'd at the ,deluge4 ,so that
 the ,apostle's ,argument stands upon   
this  ,foundation1 that there is a      
,diversity betwixt the present ,heavens 
and  ,earth1 and the ante-diluvian      
,heavens and ,earth2 take away that1 and
 you  take away all the ,force of his   
,answer4    ,then as to his new ,heavens
 and new ,earth after the               
,conflagration1  they must be material  
and natural1 in the same ,sense and     
,signification  with the former ,heavens
 and ,earth2 unless you will offer open 
,violence  to the ,text4 ,so that this  
,triplicity of the ,heavens and the     
,earth1 is  the first1 obvious1 plain   
,sense of the ,apostle's ,discourse2    
which every  one would readily accept1  

if it did not draw after it a long      
,train of  ,consequences1 and lead them 
into other ,worlds than they ever       
thought of  before1 or are willing to   
enter upon now4    ,but we shall have   
,occasion by and by1 to examine this    
,text more fully in  all its            
,circumstances3 ,give me leave in the   
mean time to observe1 that  ,st4 ,paul  
also implies that triple ,creation which
 ,st4 ,peter  expresses4 ,st4 ,paul1 ,i 
say1 in the viiith ,chapter to the      
,romans1  ver4 #bj1 #ba4 tells us of a  
,creation that will be redeem'd from    
,vanity1 which are the new ,heavens and 
new ,earth to come4 ,a ,creation in     
,subjection to ,vanity2 which is the    
present ,state of the ,world2 and a     
,creation that was subjected to ,vanity1
 in hopes of being restored1  which was 
the first ,paradisiacal ,creation3 ,and 
these are the three  ,states of the     
natural ,world1 which make the ,subject 
of our ,theory4    ,to these two ,places
 of ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 ,i might

 add that  third in ,st4 ,john1         
concerning the new ,heavens and new     
,earth1 with that  distinguishing       
,character1 that the ,earth was without 
a ,sea3 ,as this  distinguisheth it from
 the present ,earth1 so1 being a        
,restitution or  ,restauration1 as we   
noted before1 it must be the same with  
some former  ,earth2 and consequently it
 implies1 that there was another        
precedent  ,state of the natural ,world1
 to which this is a ,restitution4 ,these
 three  ,places ,i alledge1 as          
comprehending and confirming the ,theory
 in its full  ,extent2 ,but we do not   
suppose them all of the same ,force and 
,clearness2  ,st4 ,peter leads the ,way1
 and gives ,light and ,strength to the  
other  two3 ,when a ,point is prov'd by 
one clear ,text1 we allow others1 as    
,auxiliaries1 that are not of the same  
,clearness2 but being open'd1  receive  
,light from the primary ,text1 and      
reflect it upon the ,argument4    ,so   
much for the ,theory in general3 ,we    

will now take one or two principal      
,heads of it1 which virtually contain   
all the rest1 and examine them more     
strictly and particularly1 in reference 
to their ,agreement with  ,scripture4   
,the two ,heads we pitch upon1 shall be 
our ,explication of the  ,deluge1 and   
our ,explication of the new ,heavens and
 new ,earth3 ,we told  you before1 these
 two were as the ,hinges1 upon which all
 the ,theory  moves1 and which hold the 
,parts of it in firm ,union one with    
another4 ,as  to the ,deluge1 if ,i have
 explain'd that aright1 by the          
,disruption of the  great ,abyss1 and   
the ,dissolution of the ,earth that     
cover'd it1 all the  rest follows in    
such a ,chain of ,consequences as cannot
 be broken4  ,wherefore1 in order to the
 ,proof of that ,explication1 and of all
 that  depends upon it1 ,i will make    
bold to lay down this ,proposition1     
,that  our ,hypothesis concerning the   
universal ,deluge1 is not only more     
agreeable to ,reason and ,philosophy1   

than any other yet propos'd to the      
,world1 but is also more agreeable to   
,scripture3 ,namely1 to such ,places  of
 ,scripture as reflect upon the ,deluge1
 the ,abyss1 and the ,form of  the first
 ,earth3 ,and particularly to the       
,history of ,noah's ,flood1 as  recorded
 by ,moses4 ,if ,i can make this good1  
it will1 doubtless1 give  ,satisfaction 
to all that are free and intelligent2   
and ,i desire their  ,patience1 if ,i   
proceed slowly and by several ,steps4   
,we will divide our  ,task into ,parts1 
and examine them separately2 first1 by  
,scripture in  general1 and then by     
,moses his ,history and ,description of 
the ,flood4    ,our ,hypothesis of the  
,deluge consists of three principal     
,heads1 or  differs remarkably in three 
,things from the common ,explication4   
,first1  in that we suppose the         
ante-diluvian ,earth to have been of    
another ,form  and ,constitution from   
the present ,earth2 with the ,abyss     
placed under it4    ,secondly1 ,in that 

we suppose the ,deluge to have been     
made1 not by any  ,inundation of the    
,sea1 or overflowing of ,fountains and  
,rivers2 nor  7principally7 by an       
,excess of ,rains2 but by a real        
,dissolution of the  exteriour ,earth1  
and ,disruption of the ,abyss which it  
cover'd3 ,these are  the two principal  
,points2 to which may be added1 as a    
,corollary1    ,thirdly1 ,that the      
,deluge was not in the nature of a      
standing ,pool2 the  ,waters lying every
 where level1 of an equal ,depth1 and   
with an uniform  ,surface2 but was made 
by a ,fluctuation and ,commotion of the 
,abyss upon  the ,disruption3 ,which    
,commotion being over1 the ,waters      
retired into  their ,channels1 and let  
the dry ,land appear4    ,these are the 
most material and fundamental ,parts of 
our ,hypothesis2 and  these being prov'd
 consonant to ,scripture1 there can be  
no doubt of the  rest4    ,we begin with
 the first3 ,that the ante-diluvian     
,earth was of another  ,form and        

,constitution from the present ,earth1  
with the ,abyss placed  under it3 ,this 
is confirm'd in ,scripture1 both by such
 ,places as assert  a ,diversity in     
general2 and by other ,places that      
intimate to us1 wherein  that ,diversity
 consisted1 and what was the form of the
 first ,earth4 ,that  ,discourse of ,st4
 ,peter's1 which we have set before you 
concerning the  past1 present and future
 ,heavens and ,earth1 is so full a      
,proof of this  ,diversity in general1  
that you must either allow it1 or make  
the  ,apostle's ,argumentation of no    
,effect3 ,he speaks plainly of the      
natural  ,world1 ,the ,heavens and the  
,earth2 and he makes a plain            
,distinction1 or  rather ,opposition1   
betwixt those before and after the      
,flood4 ,so that the  least we can      
conclude from his ,words1 is a          
,diversity betwixt them2 in  answer to  
that ,identity or ,immutability of      
,nature1 which the ,scoffers  pretended 
to have been ever since the ,beginning4 

,but tho' the ,apostle1 to me1 speaks   
plainly of the natural ,world1  and     
distinguishes that which was before the 
,flood1 from the present2  yet there are
 some that will allow neither of these  
to be contain'd in  ,st4 ,peter's       
,words2 and by that means would make    
this whole ,discourse  of little or no  
,effect1 as to our ,purpose3 ,and seeing
 we1 on the  contrary1 have made it the 
chief ,scripture-,basis of the whole    
,theory  of the ,earth1 we are oblig'd  
to free it from those false ,glosses or 
,mis-interpretations1 that lessen the   
,force of its ,testimony1 or make  it   
wholly ineffectual4    ,these           
,interpreters say1 that ,st4 ,peter     
meant no more than to mind  these       
,scoffers1 that the ,world was once     
destroy'd by a ,deluge of ,water2       
meaning the ,animate ,world1 ,mankind   
and living ,creatures3 ,and that it     
shall be destroyed again by another     
,element1 namely1 by ,fire4 ,so as      
there is no ,opposition or ,diversity   

betwixt the two natural ,worlds1  taught
 or intended by the ,apostle2 but only  
in reference to their  different ,fate  
or ,manner of perishing1 and not of     
their different ,nature  or             
,constitution4    ,here are two main    
,points1 you see1 wherein our           
,interpretations of this  ,discourse of 
the ,apostle's differ4 ,first1 in that  
they make the ,apostle  7in that sixth  
verse7 to understand only the ,world    
,animate1 or ,men  in brute ,creatures3 
,that these were indeed destroy'd1 but  
not the  natural ,world1 or the ,form   
and ,constitution of the then ,earth and
  ,heavens4 ,secondly1 that there is no 
,diversity or ,opposition made by ,st4  
,peter betwixt the antient ,heavens and 
,earth1 and the present1 as to  their   
,form and ,constitution4 ,we pretend    
that these are ,mis-apprehensions  or   
,mis-representations of the ,sense of   
the ,apostle in both respects1 and      
offer these ,reasons to prove them to be
 so4    ,for the first ,point2 ,that the

 ,apostle speaks here of the natural    
,world1  particularly in the #fth verse2
 and that it perished1 as well as the   
animate1 these ,considerations seem to  
prove4    ,first1 because the ,argument 
or ,ground these ,scoffers went upon1   
was  taken from the natural ,world1 its 
,constancy and ,permanency in the same  
,state from the ,beginning2 therefore if
 the ,apostle answers ad idem1  and     
takes away their ,argument1 he must     
understand the same natural  ,world1 and
 shew that it hath been chang'd1 or hath
 perish'd4    ,you will say1 it may be1 
the ,apostle doth not deny1 nor take    
away the  ,ground they went upon1 but   
denies the ,consequence they made from  
it2  that therefore there would be no   
,change because there had been none4    
,no1 neither doth he do this1 if by the 
,world in the #fth verse1 he            
understands ,mankind only2 for their    
,ground was this1 ,there hath been no   
,change in the natural ,world2 their    
,consequence this1 ,therefore there     

will be none1 nor any ,conflagration4   
,now the ,apostle's ,answer according   
to you1 is this1 ,you forget that       
,mankind hath been destroy'd in a       
,deluge4 ,and what then8 ,what's this to
 the natural ,world1 whereof they  were 
speaking8 ,this takes away neither      
,antecedent nor ,consequent1  neither   
,ground nor ,inference nor any way      
toucheth their ,argument1 which         
proceeded from the natural ,world1 to   
the natural ,world4 ,therefore you  must
 either suppose that the ,apostle takes 
away their ,ground1 or he  takes away   
nothing4    ,secondly1 ,what is it that 
the ,apostle tells these ,scoffers they 
were  ignorant of8 ,that there was a    
,deluge that destroy'd ,mankind8 ,they  
could  not be ignorant of that1 nor     
pretend to be so3 ,it was therefore the 
,constitution of those old ,heavens and 
,earth1 and the ,change or  ,destruction
 of them at the ,deluge1 that they were 
ignorant of1 or did  not attend to2 and 
of this the ,apostle minds them4 ,these 

,scoffers appear  to have been ,jews by 
the ,phrase they use1 ,since the        
,fathers fell  asleep1 which in both    
,parts of it is a ,judaical ,expression2
 and does  ,st4 ,peter tell the ,jews   
that had ,moses read to them every      
,sabbath1  that they were ignorant that 
,mankind was once destroyed with a      
,deluge  in the ,days of ,noah8 ,or     
could they pretend to be ignorant of    
that  without making themselves         
ridiculous both to ,jews and            
,christians#f8  ,besides1 these do not  
seem to have been of the ,vulgar amongst
 them1 for  they bring a ,philosophical 
,argument for their ,opinion2 and also  
in their  very ,argument they refer to  
the ,history of the ,old ,testament1 in 
saying1  ,since the ,fathers fell       
asleep1 amongst which ,fathers1 ,noah   
was one  of the most remarkable4        
,thirdly1 ,the ,design of the ,apostle  
is to prove to them1 or to dispose  them
 to the ,belief of the ,conflagration1  
or future destruction of the  ,world2   

which ,i suppose you will not deny to be
 a ,destruction of the  natural ,world2 
therefore to prove or persuade this1 he 
must use an  ,argument taken from a     
precedent ,destruction of the natural   
,world2 for to  give an instance of the 
perishing of ,mankind only1 would not   
reach home  to his ,purpose4 ,and you   
are to observe here1 that the ,apostle  
does not  proceed against them barely by
 ,authority2 for what would that have   
booted8 ,if these ,scoffers would have  
submitted to ,authority1 they had       
already the ,authority of the ,prophets 
and ,apostles in this ,point3 but he    
deals with them at their own ,weapon1   
and opposes ,reasons to ,reasons2  ,what
 hath been done may be done1 and if the 
natural ,world hath been once           
destroyed1 'tis not hard1 nor           
unreasonable to suppose those           
,prophecies  to be true1 that say1 it   
shall be destroyed again4    ,fourthly1 
,unless we understand here the natural  
,world1 we make the  ,apostle both      

redundant in his ,discourse1 and also   
very obscure in an  easy ,argument3 ,if 
his ,design was only to tell them that  
,mankind was once  destroy'd in a       
,deluge1 what's that to the ,heavens and
 the ,earth8 ,the #eth  verse would be  
superfluous2 which yet he seems to make 
the foundation of  his ,discourse4 ,he  
might have told them how ,mankind had   
perished before  with a ,deluge1 and    
aggravated that ,destruction as much as 
he pleas'd1  without telling them how   
the ,heavens and the ,earth were        
constituted  then2 what was that to the 
,purpose1 if it had no ,dependence or   
,connection with the other8 ,in the     
precedent ,chapter1 ver4 #e4 when he    
speaks only of the ,floods destroying   
,mankind1 he mentions nothing of the    
,heavens or the ,earth2 and if you make 
him to intend no more here1 what  he    
says more is superfluous4    ,i also    
add1 that you make the ,apostle very    
obscure and operose in a very  easy     
,argument3 ,how easy had it been for    

him1 without this ,apparatus1  to have  
told them1 as he did before1 that ,god  
brought a ,flood upon the  ,world of the
 ungodly2 and not given us so much      
,difficulty to understand  his ,sense1  
or such a ,suspicion and ,appearance1   
that he intended  something more8 ,for  
that there is at least a great          
,appearance and  ,tendency to a farther 
,sense1 ,i think none can deny2 ,and    
,st4 ,austin1  ,didymus ,alex4 ,bede1 as
 we shall see hereafter1 understood it  
plainly  of the natural ,world2 also    
modern ,expositors and ,criticks2 as    
,cajetan1  ,estius1 ,drusius1 ,heinsius1
 have extended it to the natural ,world1
  more or less1 tho' they had no ,theory
 to mislead them1 nor so much as an     
,hypothesis to support them2 but        
attended only to the ,tenor of the      
,apostle's ,discourse1 which constrained
 them to that ,sense1 in whole or  in   
,part4    ,fifthly1 ,the ,opposition    
carries it upon the natural ,world3 ,the
  ,opposition lies betwixt the      and 

the ,heavens that were of old1 and the  
,earth1 and the present  ,heavens and   
,earth1 or the two natural ,worlds3 ,and
 if they will not allow  them to be     
oppos'd in their ,natures 7which yet we 
shall prove by and by7  at least they   
must be oppos'd in their ,fate2 and as  
this is to perish by  ,fire1 so that    
perished by ,water2 and if it perish'd  
by ,water1 it  perish'd2 which is all we
 contend for at present4    ,lastly1 ,if
 we would be as easily govern'd in the  
,exposition of this  ,place1 as we are  
of other ,places of ,scripture1 it would
 be enough to  suggest1 that in ,reason 
and ,fairness of ,interpretation1 the   
same ,world  is destroy'd in the #fth   
verse1 that was describ'd in the        
foregoing  verse2 but it is the natural 
,world that is describ'd there1 the     
,heavens and the ,earth1 so and so      
constituted2 and therefore in ,fairness 
of ,interpretation they ought to be     
understood here2 that ,world being the  
,subject that went immediately before1  

and there being nothing in the  ,words  
that restrains them to the animate      
,world or to ,mankind4 ,in the iid  ch4 
ver4 #e4 the ,apostle does restrain the 
,word  by adding  1 the ,world of the   
ungodly2 but here 'tis not only         
illimited1  but1 according to the       
,context1 both preceding and following1 
to be  extended to the natural ,world4  
,i say by the following ,context too2   
for  so it answers to the ,world that is
 to perish by ,fire2 which will reach   
the ,frame of ,nature as well as        
,mankind4    ,for a ,conclusion of this 
first ,point1 ,i will set down ,st4     
,austin's  ,judgment in this ,case2 who 
in several ,parts of his ,works hath    
interpreted this ,place of ,st4 ,peter1 
of the natural ,world4 ,as to the       
,heavens1 he hath these ,words in his   
,expositian upon ,genesis1 ,hos  etiam  
arios clos quondam periisse ,diluvio1 in
 qudam earum1 qu  ,canonica appellantur1
 ,epistol legimus4 ,we read in one of   
the ,epistles  called ,canonical1       

meaning this of ,st4 ,peter's1 that the 
arial  ,heavens perished in the ,deluge4
 ,and he concerns himself there to let  
you know that it was not the starry     
,heavens that were destroy'd2 the       
,waters could not reach so high1 but the
 ,regions of our ,air4 ,then  afterwards
 he hath these ,words1 ,facilis eos     
7clos7 secundum illius  ,epistol        
authoritatem credimus periisse1  alios1 
sicut ibi scribitur  repositos4 ,we do  
more easily believe1 according to the   
,authority of that  ,epistle1 those     
,heavens to have perished2 and others1  
as it is there  written1 substituted in 
their ,place4 ,in like manner1 and to   
the same  ,sense1 he hath these ,words  
upon ,psal4 ci4 ,aerii utique cli       
perierunt  ut propinqui ,terris1        
secundum quod dicuntur volucres cli2    
sunt autem   cli clorum1 superiores in  
,firmamento1 sed utrm  ipsi perituri    
sint  igne1 an hi soli1 qui etiam       
diluvio perierunt1 disceptatio est      
aliquanto  scrupulosior inter doctos4   

,and in his ,book de ,civ4 ,dei1 he hath
  several ,passages to the same purpose1
 ,quemadmodum in ,apostolic ill         
,epistol  toto ,pars accipitur1 quod    
diluvio periisse dictus est mundus1     
quamvis sola ejus cum suis clis pars ima
 perierit4 ,these being to the  same    
,effect with the first ,citation1 ,i    
need not make them ,english2 and  this  
last ,place refers to the ,earth as well
 as the ,heavens1 as several  other     
places in ,st4 ,austin do1 whereof we   
shall give you an ,account1  when we    
come to shew his ,judgment concerning   
the second ,point1 the  diversity of the
 ante-diluvian and post-diluvian ,world3
 ,this being but  a ,foretaste of his   
good ,will and ,inclinations towards    
this ,doctrine4    ,these               
,considerations alledg'd1 so far as ,i  
can judge1 are full and  unanswerable   
,proofs1 that this ,discourse of the    
,apostle's comprehends  and refers to   
the natural ,world2 and consequently    
they warrant our  ,interpretation in    

this ,particular1 and destroy the       
contrary4 ,we have but  one ,step more  
to make good1 ,that there was a ,change 
made in this  natural ,world at the     
,deluge1 according to the ,apostle2 and 
this is to  confute the second ,part of 
their ,interpretation1 which supposeth  
that  ,st4 ,peter makes no ,distinction 
or ,opposition betwixt the ante-diluvian
  ,heavens and ,earth1 and the present  
,heavens and ,earth1 in that respect4   
,this second ,difference betwixt us1    
methinks is still harsher than the      
first2 and contrary to the very ,form1  
as well as to the ,matter of the        
,apostle's ,discourse4 ,for there is a  
plain ,antithesis1 or ,opposition made  
betwixt the ,heavens and the ,earth of  
old 7ver4 the #eth7 and the  ,heavens   
and the ,earth that are now 7ver4 the   
#gth7       1 and      1 and the        
adversitive ,particle1   but1 you see   
marks the ,opposition2 so that it is    
full and plain  according to ,grammar   
and ,logick4 ,and that the ,parts or    

,members of this  ,opposition differ in 
,nature from one another1 is certain    
from this1  because otherwise the       
,apostle's ,argument or ,discourse is of
 no ,effect1  concludes nothing to the  
,purpose2 he makes no ,answer to the    
,objection1  nor proves any thing       
against the ,scoffers1 unless you admit 
that  ,diversity4 ,for they said1 ,all  
,things had been the same from the      
,beginning in the natural ,world2 and   
unless he say1 as he manifestly  does1  
that there hath been a ,change in       
,nature1 and that the ,heavens and      
,earth that are now1 are different from 
the ancient ,heavens and ,earth  which  
perish'd at the ,flood1 he says nothing 
to destroy their ,argument1  nor to     
confirm the prophetical ,doctrine of the
 future ,destruction of the  natural    
,world4    ,this1 ,i think1 would be    
enough to satisfy any clear and free    
,mind  concerning the ,meaning of the   
,apostle2 but because ,i desire to give 
as  full a ,light to this ,place as ,i  

can1 and to put the ,sense of it out of 
,controversy1 if possible1 for the      
future1 ,i will make some farther       
,remarks to confirm this ,exposition4   
,and we may observe that several of     
those ,reasons which we have given to   
prove1 that the natural ,world is       
understood by ,st4 ,peter1 are double   
,reasons2 and do also prove the other   
,point in ,question1 a ,diversity       
betwixt the two natural ,worlds1 the    
ante-diluvian and the present4 ,as  for 
,instance1 unless you admit this        
,diversity betwixt the two natural      
,worlds1 you make the #eth verse in this
 ,chapter superfluous and  useless2 and 
you must suppose the ,apostle to make an
 ,inference here  without ,premises4 ,in
 the vith verse he makes an ,inference1 
#g,whereby the ,world1 that then was    
perish'd in a ,deluge2 ,what does  this 
whereby relate to8 by ,reason of what8  
,sure of the particular  ,constitution  
of the ,heavens and the ,earth          
immediately before describ'd4  ,neither 

would it have signified any thing to the
 ,scoffers1 for the  ,apostle to have   
told them how the ante-diluvian ,heavens
 and ,earth were  constituted1 if they  
were constituted just in the same       
,manner as the  present4    ,besides1   
what is it1 as ,i ask'd before1 that the
 ,apostle tells these  ,scoffers they   
were ignorant of8 does he not say       
formally and expresly  7ver4 #e47 that  
they were ignorant that the ,heavens and
 the ,earth were  constituted so and so1
 before the ,flood8 ,but if they were   
constituted as  these present ,heavens  
and ,earth are1 they were not ignorant  
of their  ,constitution8 ,nor did       
pretend to be ignorant1 for their own   
7mistaken7  ,argument supposeth it4     
,but before we proceed any further1 give
 me leave to note the ,impropriety  of  
our ,translation1 in the #eth verse1 or 
latter ,part of it2       7vel  7 4     
,this we translate standing in  the     
,water1 and out of the ,water1 which is 
done manifestly in compliance  with the 

present ,form of the ,earth1 and the    
,notions of the ,translators1  and not  
according to the natural ,force and     
,sense of the ,greek ,words4  ,if one   
met with this ,sentence#h in a ,greek   
,author1 who would ever  render it      
standing in the ,water1 and out of the  
,water8 ,nor do ,i know  any ,latin     
,translator that hath ventur'd to render
 them in that ,sense1  nor any ,latin   
,father2 ,st4 ,austin and ,st4 ,jerome  
,i'm sure do not1  but ,consistens ex   
aqu1 or de aqu1  per aquam2 for that    
later  ,phrase also   1 does not with so
 good ,propriety signify  to stand in   
the ,water1 as to consist or subsist by 
,water1 or by the  ,help of ,water1     
,tanquam per causam sustinentem1 as ,st4
 ,austin and  ,jerome render it4        
,neither does that ,instance they give  
from #a ,pet4  iii4 #bj4 prove any thing
 to the contrary1 for the ,ark was      
sustain'd by  the ,waters1 and the      
,english does render it accordingly4    
,the ,translation being thus rectified1 

you see the ante-diluvian ,heavens  and 
,earth consisted of ,water1 and by      
,water2 which makes ,way for a second   
,observation to prove our ,sense of the 
,text2 for if you admit no  ,diversity  
betwixt those ,heavens and ,earth1 and  
the present1 shew us  pray1 how the     
present ,heavens and ,earth consist of  
,water1 and by ,water8  ,what watry     
,constitution have they8 ,the ,apostle  
implies rather1 that the  new ,heavens  
and ,earth have a fiery ,constitution4  
,we have now ,meteors of  all ,sorts in 
the ,air1 ,winds1 ,hail1 ,snow1         
,lightning1 ,thunder1 and all  ,things  
engender'd of fiery ,exhalations1 as    
well as we have ,rain2 but  according to
 our ,theory1 ,book ii4 c4 #e4 the      
ante-diluvian ,heavens1 of  all these   
,meteors had none but ,dews and         
,vapours1 or watry ,meteors only2  and  
therefore might very aptly be said by   
the ,apostle to be constituted  of      
,water1 or to have a watry 4 ,then the  
,earth was said to  consist by ,water1  

because it was built upon it1 and at    
first was  sustain'd by it4 ,and when   
such a ,key as this is put into our     
,hands1 that  does so easily unlock this
 hard ,passage1 and makes it            
intelligible1  according to the just    
,force of the ,words1 why should we     
pertinaciously  adhere to an#i          
,interpretation1 that neither agrees    
with the ,words1 nor  makes any ,sense  
that is considerable4    ,thirdly1 ,if  
the ,apostle had made the ante-diluvian 
,heavens and ,earth the  same with the  
present1 his ,apodosis in the #gth      
verse1 should not have  been    1 but   
1  c4 ,i say1 it would not have been by 
way of ,antithesis1 but of ,identity  or
 ,continuation2 ,and the same ,heavens  
and ,earth are kept in store  reserv'd  
unto ,fire1 c4 ,accordingly we see the  
,apostle speaks thus1 as  to the ,logos1
 or the ,word of ,god1 ver4 #g4   1 by  
the same  ,word of ,god2 where the      
,thing is the same1 he expresseth it as 
the same2  and if it had been the same  

,heavens and ,earth1 as well as the same
 ,word  of ,god1 why should he use a    
,mark of ,opposition for the one1 and of
  ,identity for the other8 ,to this ,i  
do not see what can be fairly  answer'd4
    ,fourthly1 ,the ante-diluvian       
,heavens and ,earth were different from 
the  present1 because1 as the ,apostle  
intimates1 they were such1 and so       
constituted1 as made them obnoxious to a
 ,deluge2 whereas ours are of  such a   
,form1 as makes them incapable of a     
,deluge1 and obnoxious to a             
,conflagration2 the just contrary ,fate1
 ,theor4 ,book i4 c4 #b4    ,if you say 
there was nothing of natural ,tendency  
or ,disposition in  either ,world to    
their respective ,fate1 but the first   
might as well have  perished by ,fire as
 ,water1 and this by ,water as by ,fire1
 you unhinge all  ,nature and natural   
,providence in that ,method1 and        
contradict one main  ,scope of the      
,apostle in this ,discourse4 ,his first 
,scope is to assert1  and mind them of  

that ,diversity there was betwixt the   
antient ,heavens  and ,earth1 and the   
present2 and from that1 to prove against
 those  ,scoffers1 that there had been a
 ,change and ,revolution in ,nature3    
,and his  second ,scope seems to be     
this1 to shew that ,diversity to be     
such1 as1  under the divine ,conduct1   
leads to a different ,fate1 and expos'd 
that  ,world to a ,deluge2 for when he  
had describ'd the ,constitution of the  
first ,heavens and ,earth1 he subjoins1 
4 ,quia talis erat1 saith ,grotius1     
qualem  diximus1 constitutio  ,terr     
,cli4 ,,whereby the then ,world perish'd
  in a ,flood of ,water4 ,this whereby  
notes some kind of casual  ,dependance1 
and must relate to some ,means or       
,conditions precedent4 ,it  cannot      
relate to ,logos1 or the ,word of ,god1 
,grammar will not permit  that2         
therefore it must relate to the ,state  
of the ante-diluvian ,heavens  and      
,earth immediately premis'd3 ,and to    
what purpose indeed should he  premise  

the ,description of those ,heavens and  
,earth1 if it was not to lay  a ,ground 
for this ,inference8    ,having given   
these ,reasons for the ,necessity of    
this interpretation3 in  the last place1
 let us consider ,st4 ,austin's         
,judgment and his ,sense  upon this     
,place1 as to the ,point in ,question2  
as also the ,reflections  that some     
other of the ,ancients have made upon   
this ,doctrine of ,st4  ,peter's4       
,didymus ,alexandrinus1 who was for some
 time ,st4 ,jerome's  ,master1 made such
 a severe ,reflection upon it1 that he  
said this ,epistle  was corrupted1 and  
should not be admitted into the ,canon1 
because it  taught the ,doctrine of a   
triple or triform ,world in this third  
,chapter2 as you may see in his ,enarr4 
in ,epist4 ,canonicas4 ,now this        
three-fold ,world is first that in the  
#fth verse1 ,the ,world that then  was4 
,in the #gth verse1 ,the ,heavens and   
the ,earth that are now4 ,and  in the   
#acth verse1 ,we expect new ,heavens and

 a new ,earth1 according  to his        
,promise4 ,this seems to be a fair      
,account that ,st4 ,peter taught  the   
,doctrine of a triple ,world2 and ,i    
quote this ,testimony1 to shew what     
,st4 ,peter's ,words do naturally       
import1 even in the ,judgment of one    
that was not of his ,mind2 and a ,man is
 not prone to make an ,exposition       
against his own ,opinion1 unless he     
thinks the ,words very pregnant and     
express4    ,but ,st4 ,austin owns the  
,authority of this ,epistle1 and of this
  ,doctrine1 as deriv'd from it1 taking 
notice of this ,text of ,st4  ,peter's  
in several ,parts of his ,works4 ,we    
have noted three or four  ,places       
already to this purpose1 and we may     
further take notice of  several         
,passages in his ,treatise1 de ,civ4    
,dei1 which confirm our  ,exposition4   
,in his xxth ,book1 ch4 xxiv4 he        
,disputes against  ,porphyry1 who had   
the same ,principles with these         
,eternalists in the  ,text2 or1 if ,i   

may so call them ,incorruptarians2 and  
thought the ,world  never had1 nor ever 
would undergo any ,change1 especially1  
as to the  ,heavens4 ,st4 ,austin could 
not urge ,porphyry with the ,authority  
of  ,st4 ,peter1 for he had no          
,veneration for the ,christian ,oracles1
 but it  seems he had some for the      
,jewish2 and arguing against him1 upon  
that  ,text in the ,psalms1 ,cli        
peribunt1 he shews1 upon ,occasion1 how 
he  understands ,st4 ,peter's           
,destruction of the old ,world4 ,legitur
 ,clum   ,terra transibunt1 ,mundus     
transit1 sed puto quod prterit transit1 
transibunt aliquant mitius dicta sunt   
quam peribunt4 ,in ,epistol quoque      
,petri ,apostoli1 ubi aqu inundatus1 qui
 tum erat1 periisse dictus est  ,mundus1
 satis clarum est qu pars mundi a toto  
significata est1   quatenus periisse    
dicta sit1  qui ,cli repositi igni      
reservandi4 ,this  he explains more     
fully afterwards by subjoining a        
,caution 7which we  cited before7 that  

we must not understand this ,passion of 
,st4 ,peter's  concerning the           
,destruction of the ante-diluvian       
,world1 to take in the  whole ,universe1
 and the highest ,heavens1 but only the 
aerial ,heavens1  and the sublunary     
,world4 ,in ,apostolic ill ,epistola a  
toto pars  accipitur1 quod ,diluvio     
periisse dictus est ,mundus quamvis sola
 ejus1  cum suis ,clis pars ima         
perierit4 ,in that ,apostolical         
,epistle1 a part is  signified by the   
whole1 when the ,world is said to have  
perished in the  ,deluge1 although the  
lower part of it only1 with the ,heavens
 belonging  to it1 perished2 that is1   
the ,earth with the ,regions of the ,air
 that  belong to it4 ,and consonant to  
this1 in his ,exposition of that ci4    
,psalm1 upon those ,words1 ,the ,heavens
 are the work of thy ,hands2 they  shall
 perish1 but thou shalt endure4 ,this   
perishing of the ,heavens1 he  says1    
,st4 ,peter tells us1 hath been once    
done already1 namely1 at the  ,deluge3  

,apert dixit hoc ,apostolus ,petrus1    
,cli erant olim  ,terra1 de  aqu  per   
aquam constituti1 ,dei verbo2 per quod  
qui factus est mundus1  aqu inundatus   
deperiit2 ,terra autem  ,cli qui nunc   
sunt1 igni  reservantur4 ,jam ergo dixit
 periisse ,clos per ,diluvium4    ,these
 ,places shew us1 that ,st4 ,austin     
understood ,st4 ,peter's  ,discourse to 
aim at the natural ,world1 and his      
periit or periisse  7ver4 #f7 to be of  
the same ,force as peribunt in the      
,psalms1 when  'tis said the ,heavens   
shall perish2 and consequently that the 
,heavens  and the ,earth1 in this       
,father's ,opinion1 were as really      
changed and  transformed at the ,time of
 the ,flood1 as they will be at the     
,conflagration4 ,but we must not expect 
from ,st4 ,austin1 or any of the        
,antients1 a distinct ,account of this  
,apostolical ,doctrine1 as if they  knew
 and acknowledg'd the ,theory of the    
first ,world2 that does not at  all     
appear1 but what they said was either   

from broken ,tradition1 or  extorted    
from them by the ,force of the          
,apostle's ,words and their own         
,sincerity4    ,there are yet other     
,places in ,st4 ,austin worthy our      
,consideration upon  this ,subject2     
especially his ,exposition of this iiid 
,chapter of ,st4  ,peter1 as we find it 
in the same ,treatise1 de ,civ4 ,dei1   
cap4  xviii4 ,there he compares again1  
the ,destruction of that ,world at the  
,deluge1 with that which shall be at the
 ,conflagration1 and supposeth  both the
 ,heavens and ,earth to have perish'd3  
,apostolus commemorans  factum ante     
,diluvium1 videtur admonuisse quodammodo
 quatens in fine  hujus seculi mundum   
istum periturum esse credamus4 ,nam     
illo tempore  periisse dixit1 qui tunc  
erat1 mundum2 nec solum orbem terr1     
verum  etiam clos4 ,then giving his     
usual ,caution1 that the ,stars and     
starry  ,heavens should not be          
comprehended in that mundane            
,destruction1 he goes  on1 ,atque hoc   

modo 7pen totus ar7 cum terra perierat2 
cujus ,terr  utique prior facies 7nempe 
ante-diluviana7 fuerat deleta ,diluvia4 
,qui  autem nunc sunt cli  terra eodem  
verba repositi sunt igni reservandi2    
,proinde qui ,cli  qu ,terra id est1 qui
 mundus1 pro eo mundo qui  ,diluvio     
periit1 ex edem aqu repositus est1 ipse 
igni novissimo  reservatur4 ,here you   
see ,st4 ,austin's ,sense upon the whole
 ,matter2  which is this1 that the      
natural ,world1 the ,earth with the     
,heavens about  it1 was destroyed and   
chang'd at the ,deluge into the present 
,heavens and  ,earth2 which shall again1
 in like ,manner1 be destroyed and      
chang'd by  the last ,fire4             
,accordingly1 in another place1 to add  
no more1 he saith1  the ,figure of the  
7sublunary7 ,world shall be changed at  
the  ,conflagration1 as it was chang'd  
at the ,deluge3 ,tunc figura hujus      
mundi1 c4 cap4 xvi4    ,thus you see1 we
 have ,st4 ,austin on our side1 in both 
,parts of our  ,interpretation2 that    

,st4 ,peter's ,discourse is to be       
referr'd to the  natural inanimate      
,world1 and that the present natural    
,world is distinct  and different from  
that which was before the ,deluge4 ,and 
,st4 ,austin  having applied this       
expresly to ,st4 ,peter's ,doctrine by  
way of  ,commentary1 it will free us    
from any ,crime or ,affectation of      
,singularity  in the ,exposition we have
 given of that ,place4    ,venerable    
,bede hath followed ,st4 ,austin's      
,footsteps in this  ,doctrine2 for1     
interpreting ,st4 ,peter's original     
,world 7  7 #b ,pet4 ii4 #e4 he refers  
both that and this 7chap4 iii4 #f47  to 
the natural inanimate ,world1 which he  
supposeth to have undergone a  ,change  
at the ,deluge4 ,his ,words are these1  
,idem ipse mundus est 7nempe  quoad     
materiam7 in quo nunc humanum genus     
habitat1 quem inhabitaverunt  hi qui    
ante diluvium fuerunt1 sed tamen rect   
,originalis ,mundus1 quasi  alius       
dicitur2 quia sicut in consequentibus   

hujus ,epistol scriptum  continetur1    
,ille tunc mundus aqu inundatus periit4 
,clis videlicet qui  erant prius1 id    
est1 cunctis aris hujus turbulenti      
spatiis1 aquarum  accrescentiun         
altitudine consumptis1 ac ,terr in      
alteram faciem1  excedentibus aquis1    
immutat4 ,nam etsi montes aliqui atque  
convalles ab  initio facti creduntur1   
non tamen tanti quanti nunc in orbe     
cernuntur  universo4 ',tis the same     
,world 7namely1 as to the ,matter and   
,substance  of it7 which ,mankind lives 
in now1 and did live in before the      
,flood1  but yet that is truly called   
the ,,original ,,world1 being as it were
  another from the present4 ,for it is  
said in the ,sequel of this ,epistle1   
that the ,world that was then1 perished 
in the ,deluge2 namely1 the  ,regions of
 the ,air were consumed by the ,height  
and ,excess of the ,water2  and by the  
same ,waters the ,earth was changed into
 another ,form or ,face4  ,for although 
some ,mountains and ,valleys are thought

 to have been made  from the ,beginning1
 yet not such great ones as now we see  
throughout the  whole ,earth4    ,you   
see this ,author does not only own a    
,change made at the ,deluge1 but  offers
 at a farther ,explication wherein that 
,change consisted1 viz4  ,that the      
,mountains and ,inequalities of the     
,earth were made greater than  they were
 before the ,flood2 and so he makes the 
,change1 or the  ,difference betwixt the
 two ,worlds gradual1 rather than       
specifical1 if ,i  may so term it4 ,but 
we cannot wonder at that1 if he had no  
,principles to  carry it farther1 or to 
make any other ,sort of ,change         
intelligible to  him4 ,bede ,de #f dier4
 creat4 also pursues the same ,sense and
 ,notion  in his ,interpretation of that
 ,fountain1 ,gen4 ii4 #e4 that watered  
the  ,face of the ,earth before the     
,flood4 ,and many other ,transcribers of
  ,antiquity have recorded this         
,tradition concerning a ,difference1    
gradual  or specifical1 both in the     

ante-diluvian ,heavens 7,gloss4 ,ordin4 
,gen4  ix4 de ,iride4 ,lyran4 ibid4     
,hist4 ,scholast4 c4 #ce4 ,rab4 ,maurus 
,gloss4 ,inter4 ,gen4 ii4 #e1 #f4       
,alcuin4 ,qust4 in ,gen4 inter4 #ace47  
and  in the ante-diluvian ,earth1 as the
 same ,authors witness in other ,places3
  ,as ,hist4 ,schol4 c4 #cd4 ,gloss4    
,ord4 in ,gen4 vii4 ,alcuin4 ,inter4    
#aah1  c4 ,not to ,instance those that  
tell us the ,properties of the          
ante-diluvian ,world under the ,name and
 ,notion of ,paradise4    ,thus much    
concerning this remarkable ,place in    
,st4 ,peter1 and the true  ,exposition  
of it2 which ,i have the more largely   
insisted upon1 because ,i  look upon    
this ,place as the chief ,repository of 
that great natural  ,mystery1 which in  
,scripture is communicated to us        
concerning the triple  ,state or        
,revolution of the ,world4 ,and of those
 ,men that are so  scrupulous to admit  
the ,theory we have propos'd1 ,i would  
willingly know1  whether they believe   

the ,apostle in what he says concerning 
the new  ,heavens and the new ,earth to 
come8 ver4 #ac4 and if they do1 why they
  should not believe him as much        
concerning the old ,heavens and the old 
,earth past8 ver4 #e1 and #f4 which he  
mentions as formally1 and  describes    
more distinctly than the other4 ,but if 
they believe neither  past nor to come1 
in a natural ,sense1 but an unchangeable
 ,state of  ,nature from the ,creation  
to its ,annihilation1 ,i leave them then
 to their  ,fellow-,eternalists in the  
,text1 and to the ,character or ,censure
 the  ,apostle gives them1      1 ,men  
that  go by their own private ,humour   
and ,passions1 and prefer that to all   
other ,evidence4    ,they deserve this  
,censure1 ,i am sure1 if they do not    
only disbelieve1  but also scoff1 at    
this ,prophetick and ,apostolick        
,doctrine concerning  the ,vicissitudes 
of ,nature and a triple ,world4 ,the    
,apostle in this  ,discourse does       
formally distinguish three ,worlds 7for 

'tis well known  that the ,hebrews have 
no ,word to signify the natural ,world1 
but use  that ,periphrasis1 the ,heavens
 and the ,earth7 and upon each of them  
engraves a ,name and ,title that bears a
 ,note of ,distinction in it3 ,he  calls
 them the old ,heavens and ,earth1 the  
present ,heavens and ,earth1  and the   
new ,heavens and ,earth4 ',tis true1    
these three are one1 as to  ,matter and 
,substance2 but they must differ as to  
,form and ,properties2  otherwise what  
is the ,ground of this ,distinction and 
of these three  different ,appellations8
 ,suppose the ,jews had expected        
,ezekiel's  ,temple for the third1 and  
last1 and most perfect2 and that in the 
,time  of the second ,temple they had   
spoke of them with this ,distinction1 or
  under these different ,names1 the old 
,temple1 the present ,temple1 and  the  
new ,temple we expect2 would any have   
understood those three of one  and the  
same ,temple2 never demolish'd1 never   
chang'd1 never rebuilt2  always the     

same1 both as to ,materials and ,form8  
,no1 doubtless1 but of  three several   
,temples succeeding one another4 ,and   
have we not the same  ,reason to        
understand this ,temple of the ,world1  
whereof ,st4 ,peter  speaks1 to be      
three-fold in ,succession2 seeing he    
does as plainly  distinguish it into the
 old ,heavens and ,earth1 the present   
,heavens  and ,earth8 and the new       
,heavens and ,earth4 ,and ,i do the more
 willingly  use this ,comparison of the 
,temple1 because it hath been thought an
  ,emblem of the outward ,world4    ,i  
know we are naturally averse to         
entertain any ,thing that is            
inconsistent with the general ,frame and
 ,texture of our own ,thoughts2  that's 
to begin the ,world again2 and we often 
reject such things without              
,examination4 ,neither do ,i wonder that
 the generality of ,interpreters  beat  
down the ,apostle's ,words and ,sense to
 their own ,notions2 they had  no other 
,grounds to go upon1 and ,men are not   

willing1 especially in  natural and     
comprehensible things1 to put such a    
,meaning upon ,scripture1  as is        
unintelligible to themselves2 they      
rather venture to offer a  little       
,violence to the ,words1 that they may  
pitch the ,sense at such a  convenient  
,height1 as their ,principles will reach
 to3 ,and therefore  though some of our 
modern ,interpreters1 whom ,i mention'd 
before1 have  been sensible of the      
natural ,tendency of this ,discourse of 
,st4  ,peter's1 and have much ado to    
bear off the ,force of the ,words1 so as
  not to acknowledge that they import a 
real ,diversity betwixt the two  ,worlds
 spoken of2 yet having no ,principles to
 guide or support them in  following    
that ,tract1 they are forc'd to stop or 
divert another way4  ',tis like entring 
into the ,mouth of a ,cave1 we are not  
willing to  venture farther than the    
,light goes3 ,nor are they much to blame
 for  this1 the ,fault is only in those 
,persons that continue wilfully in their

  ,darkness2 and when they cannot       
otherwise resist the ,light1 shut their 
,eyes against it1 or turn their ,head   
another ,way4--,but ,i am afraid ,i have
  staid too long upon this ,argument2   
not for my own sake1 but to satisfy     
others4    ,you may please to remember  
that all that ,i have said hitherto1    
belongs  only to the first ,head3 ,to   
prove a ,diversity in general betwixt   
the  ante-diluvian ,heavens and ,earth1 
and the present2 not expressing what    
their particular ,form was4 ,and this   
general ,diversity may be argued also   
by ,observations taken from ,moses his  
,history of the ,world1 before and      
after the ,flood3 ,from the ,longevity  
of the ,ante-diluvians2 the ,rainbow    
appearing after the ,deluge2 and the    
breaking open an ,abyss capable to      
overflow the ,earth4 ,the ,heavens that 
had no ,rain-bow1 and under whose       
benign and steady ,influence1 ,men liv'd
 seven1 eight1 nine hundred ,years  and 
upwards1 ,see ,theor4 ,book ii4 ch4 #e4 

must have been of a  different ,aspect  
and ,constitution from the present      
,heavens3 ,and that  ,earth that had    
such an ,abyss1 that the ,disruption of 
it made an  universal ,deluge1 must have
 been of another ,form than the present 
,earth2  and those that will not admit a
 ,diversity in the two ,worlds1 are     
bound  to give us an intelligible       
,account of these ,phnomena3 ,how they  
could  possibly be in ,heavens and      
,earth1 like the present8 ,or if they   
were  there once1 why they do not       
continue so still1 if ,nature be the    
same8    ,we need say no more1 as to the
 ante-diluvian ,heavens2 but as to the  
,earth1 we must now1 according to the   
second part of the first ,head1         
enquire1 if that particular ,form1 which
 we have assign'd it before the  ,flood1
 be agreeable to ,scripture4 ,you know  
how we have described the  ,form and    
,situation of that ,earth2 namely1 that 
it was built over the  ,abyss1 as a     
regular ,orb1 covering and incompassing 

the ,waters round  about1 and founded1  
as it were1 upon them4 ,there are many  
,passages of  ,scripture that favour    
this ,description2 some more expresly1  
others upon  a due ,explication4 ,to    
this purpose there are two express      
,texts in the  ,psalms2 as ,psal4 xxiv4 
#a1 #b4 ,the ,earth is the ,lord's1 and 
the  ,fulness thereof2 the habitable    
,world1 and they that dwell therein4    
,,for  he has founded it upon the#aj    
,sea1 and established it upon the       
,floods4  ,an ,earth founded upon the   
,seas1 and establish'd upon the ,waters1
 is not  this ,earth we have describ'd8 
,the first ,earth1 as it came from the  
,hands  of its ,maker8 ,where can we now
 find in ,nature such an ,earth1 as the 
,seas  and the ,water for its           
,foundation8 ,neither is this ,text     
without a second1  as a ,fellow ,witness
 to confirm the same ,truth2 for in     
,psal4 cxxxvi4  ver4 #d1 #e1 #f4 we read
 to the same ,effect1 in these ,words1  
,to him who  alone does great ,wonders2 

to him that by ,wisdom made the         
,heavens2 to him  that stretched out the
 ,earth above the ,waters4 ,we can      
hardly express  that ,form of the       
ante-diluvian ,earth1 in ,words more    
determinate than  these are3 ,let us    
then1 in the same ,simplicity of ,heart1
 follow the  ,words of ,scripture2      
seeing this literal ,sense is not       
repugnant to  ,nature1 but1 on the      
contrary1 agreeable to it upon the      
strictest  ,examination4 ,and we cannot1
 without some ,violence1 turn the ,words
 to any  other ,sense4 ,what tolerable  
,interpretation can these admit of1 if  
we do  not allow the ,earth once to have
 encompass'd and over-spread the ,face  
of  the ,waters8 ,to be founded upon the
 ,waters1 to be establish'd upon  the   
,waters1 to be extended upon the        
,waters1 what rational or  satisfactory 
,account can be given of these ,phrases 
and ,expressions from  any thing we find
 in the present ,situation of the       
,earth8 ,or how can they  be verified   

concerning it8 ,consult ,interpreters1  
antient or modern1 upon  these two      
,places2 see if they answer your        
,expectation1 or answer the  natural    
,importance of the ,words1 unless they  
acknowledge another ,form of  the       
,earth1 than the present4 ,because a    
,rock hangs its ,nose over the ,sea1    
must the ,body of the ,earth be said to 
be stretched over the ,waters8  ,or1    
because there are ,waters in some       
subterraneous ,cavities1 is the  ,earth 
therefore founded upon the ,seas8 ,yet  
such lame ,explications as  these you   
will meet with2 and while we have no    
better ,light1 we must  content our     
selves with them2 but when an           
,explication is offer'd1 that  answers  
the ,propriety1 ,force and ,extent of   
the ,words1 to reject it1 only  because 
it is not fitted to our former          
,opinions1 or because we did not  first 
think of it1 is to take an ill ,method  
in expounding ,scripture4  ,this        
,foundation or ,establishment of the    

,earth upon the ,seas1 this  ,extention 
of it above the ,waters1 relates plainly
 to the ,body1 or  whole ,circuit of the
 ,earth1 not to ,parcels and ,particles 
of it2 as  appears from the ,occasion1  
and its being join'd with the ,heavens1 
the  other ,part of the ,world4         
,besides1 ,david is speaking of the     
,origin of  the ,world1 and of the      
divine ,power and ,wisdom in the        
,constitution and  ,situation of our    
,earth2 and these ,attributes do not    
appear from the  ,holes of the ,earth1  
and broken ,rocks1 which have rather the
 ,face of a  ,ruin1 than of ,wisdom2 but
 in that wonderful ,libration and       
,expansion of  the first ,earth over the
 ,face of the ,waters1 sustained by its 
own  ,proportions1 and the ,hand of his 
,providence4    ,these two ,places in   
the ,psalms being duly consider'd1 we   
shall more  easily understand a third   
,place1 to the same effect1 in the      
,proverbs2  delivered by ,,wisdom1      
concerning the ,origin of the ,world1   

and the ,form  of the first ,earth1 in  
these ,words1 ,chapter viii4 #bg4 ,when 
he  prepared the ,heavens ,i was there1 
when ,,he ,,set an ,orb or ,sphere upon 
the  ,face of the ,abyss4 ,we render it1
 when we set a ,compass upon the ,face  
of  the ,abyss2 but if we have rightly  
interpreted the ,prophet ,david1 'tis   
plain enough what ,compass is here to be
 understood2 not an imaginary  ,circle1 
7for why should that be thought one of  
the wonderful ,works of  ,god87 but that
 exterior ,orb of the ,earth that was   
set upon the ,waters3  ,that was the    
,master-piece of the divine ,art in     
framing of the first  ,earth1 and       
therefore very fit to be taken ,notice  
of by ,wisdom4 ,and  upon this          
,occasion1 ,i desire you to reflect upon
 ,st4 ,peter's  ,expression1 concerning 
the first ,earth1 and to compare it with
  ,solomon's1 to see if they do not     
answer one another4 ,st4 ,peter calls   
it1    1 an ,earth consisting1 standing1
 or  sustained by the ,waters4 ,and     

,solomon calls it     ,an  ,orb drawn   
upon the ,face of the ,abyss4 ,and ,st4 
,peter says1 that was  done    1 by the 
,wisdom of ,god2 which is the same   or 
,wisdom1 that here declares her self to 
have been present at this  ,work4 ,add  
now to these two ,places1 the two       
foremention'd out of the  ,psalmist2 ,an
 ,earth founded upon the ,sea1 7,psal4  
xxiv4 #b47 and an  ,earth stretched out 
above the ,waters2 7,psal4 cxxxvi4 #f47 
,can any  ,body doubt or question2 but  
all these four ,texts refer to the same 
,thing8 ,and seeing ,st4 ,peter's       
,description refers certainly to the    
ante-diluvian ,earth1 they must all     
refer to it2 and do all as certainly    
and evidently agree with our ,theory    
concerning the ,form and ,situation of  
it4    ,the pendulous ,form and ,posture
 of that first ,earth being prov'd from 
these four ,places1 'tis more easy and  
emphatical to interpret in this  ,sense 
that ,passage in ,job ch4 xxvi4 #g4 ,he 
stretcheth out the ,north  over the     

,tohu1 7for so it is in the ,original7  
and hangeth the ,earth  upon nothing4   
,and this strange ,foundation or no     
,foundation of the  exterior ,earth     
seems to be the ,ground of those noble  
,questions propos'd  to ,job by ,god    
,almighty1 chap4 xxxviii4 ,where wast   
thou1 when ,i laid  the ,foundations of 
the ,earth8 ,declare if thou hast       
understanding1  whereupon are the       
,foundations thereof fastned1 and who   
laid the  ,corner-,stone8 ,there was    
neither ,foundation1 nor ,corner-,stone1
 in that  piece of ,architecture2 and   
that was it which made the ,art and     
,wonder of  it4 ,but ,i have spoken more
 largely to these ,places in the ,theory
 it  self1 ,book i4 p4 #aai4 ,and if the
 four ,texts before mention'd be        
consider'd without ,prejudice1 ,i think 
there are few ,matters of natural       
,speculation that can be so well prov'd 
out of ,scripture1 as the ,form  which  
we have given to the ante-diluvian      
,earth4    ,but yet it may be thought a 

just1 if not a necessary ,appendix to   
this  ,discourse1 concerning the ,form  
of the ante-diluvian ,earth1 to give an 
,account also of the ante-diluvian      
,abyss1 and the ,situation of it        
according to ,scripture2 for the        
,relation which these two have to one   
another1 will be a farther ,means to    
discover1 if we have rightly  determined
 the ,form of that ,earth4 ,the ,abyss  
or ,tehom ,rabbah is a  ,scripture      
,notion1 and the ,word is not us'd1 that
 ,i know of1 in that  distinct and      
peculiar ,sense in ,heathen ,authors4   
',tis plain that in  ,scripture it is   
not always taken for the ,sea 7as ,gen4 
i4 #b4 and vii4  #aa4 and xlix4 #be4    
,deut4 xxxiii4 #ac4 ,job xxviii4 #ad4   
and xxxviii4 #af4  ,psal4 xxxiii4 #g4   
and lxxi4 #bj4 and lxxviii4 #ae4 and    
cxxxv4 #f4 ,apoc4  xx4 #a1 #c47 but for 
some other ,mass of ,waters1 or         
subterraneous  ,store-house4 ,and this  
being observ'd1 we may easily discover  
the ,nature1  and set down the ,history 

of the ,scripture-,abyss4    ,the       
,mother-,abyss is no doubt that in the  
,beginning of ,genesis1 v4 #b4  which   
had nothing but ,darkness upon the ,face
 of it1 or a thick  caliginous ,air4    
,the next ,news we hear of this ,abyss  
is at the ,deluge1  7,gen4 vii4 #aa47   
where 'tis said to be broke open1 and   
the ,waters of it  to have drowned the  
,world4 ,it seems then1 this ,abyss was 
clos'd up some  ,time betwixt the       
,creation and the ,deluge1 and had got  
another ,cover than  that of ,darkness4 
,and if we will believe ,wisdom1 7,prov4
 viii4 #bg47  who was there present at  
the ,formation of the ,earth1 an ,orb   
was set  upon the ,face of the ,abyss1  
at the ,beginning of the ,world4        
,that these three ,places refer to the  
same ,abyss1 ,i think1 cannot be        
questioned by any that will compare them
 and consider them4 ,that of the        
,deluge1 ,moses calls there             
,tehom-,rabbah1 the great ,abyss2 and   
can  there be any greater than the      

forementioned ,mother-,abyss8 ,and      
,,wisdom1  in that ,place in the        
,proverbs1 useth the same ,phrase and   
,words with  ,moses1 ,gen4 i4 #b4       
upon the ,face of the ,deep1 or of the  
,abyss2 changing ,darkness for that ,orb
 of the exterior ,earth1 which  was made
 afterwards to inclose it4 ,and in this 
,sort it lay1 and under  this ,cover1   
when the ,psalmist speaks of it in these
 ,words1 ,psal4  xxxiii4 #g4 ,he        
gathereth the ,waters of the ,sea1 as in
 a#aa ,bag2 he  layeth up the ,abyss in 
,store-houses4 ,lastly1 we may observe1 
that 'twas  this ,mother-,abyss1 whose  
,womb was burst at the ,deluge1 when the
 ,sea was  born1 and broke forth as if  
it had issued out of a ,womb2 as ,god   
expresseth it to ,job1 ch4 xxxviii4 #h4 
in which ,place the ,chaldee            
,paraphrase reads it1 when it broke     
forth1 coming out of the ,abyss4  ,which
 ,disruption at the ,deluge seems also  
to be alluded to ,job xii4  #ad1 #ae4   
and more plainly1 ,prov4 iii4 #bj4 by   

his ,knowledge the ,abysses  are broken 
up4    ,thus you have already a         
three-fold ,state of the ,abyss1 which  
makes a  short ,history of it2 first1   
open1 at the ,beginning2 then covered   
till the ,deluge2 then broke open again1
 as it is at present4 ,and we  pursue   
the ,history of it no farther2 but we   
are told1 ,apoc4 xx4 #c4  ,that it shall
 be shut up again1 and the great ,dragon
 in it1 for a  thousand ,years4 ,in the 
mean time we may observe from this ,form
 and  ,posture of the ante-diluvian     
,abyss1 how suitable it is and coherent 
with  that ,form of the ante-diluvian   
,earth which ,st4 ,peter and the        
,psalmist had described1 sustained by   
the ,waters2 founded upon the  ,waters2 
stretched above the ,waters2 for if it  
was the ,cover of this  ,abyss 7and it  
had some ,cover that was broke at the   
,deluge7 it was spread  as a ,crust of  
,ice upon the ,face of those ,waters1   
and so made an ,orbis  ,terrarum1 an    
habitable ,sphere of ,earth about the   

,abyss4    ,so much for the ,form of the
 ante-diluvian ,earth and ,abyss2 which 
as they  aptly correspond to one        
another1 so1 you see1 our ,theory       
answers1 and is  adjusted to both2 and1 
,i think1 so fitly1 that we have no     
reason  hitherto to be displeased with  
the ,success we have had in the         
,examination of it1 according to        
,scripture4 ,we have dispatch'd the two 
main ,points in ,question1 first1 to    
prove a ,diversity in general betwixt   
the two natural ,worlds1 or betwixt the 
,heavens and the ,earth before and      
after the ,flood4 ,secondly1 to prove   
wherein this ,diversity consisted2 or   
that the particular ,form of the        
ante-diluvian ,heavens and ,earth was   
such  according to ,scripture1 as we    
have describ'd it in the ,theory4       
,you'll  say1 then the ,work is done2   
what needs more1 all the rest follows of
  ,course8 ,for if the ante-diluvian    
,earth had such a ,form as we have      
propos'd and prov'd it to have had1     

there could be no ,deluge in it but  by 
a ,dissolution of its ,parts and        
exterior ,frame3 ,and a ,deluge so made1
  would not be in the ,nature of a      
,standing-,pool1 but of a violent       
,agitation and ,commotion of the        
,waters4 ,this is true2 these ,parts of 
the  ,theory are so cemented1 that you  
must grant all1 if you grant any4       
,however we will try1 if even these two 
,particulars also may be prov'd  out of 
,scripture2 that is1 if there be any    
,marks or ,memorandums left  there by   
the ,spirit of ,god1 of such a ,fraction
 or ,dissolution of the  ,earth at the  
,deluge2 and also such ,characters of   
the ,deluge it self1 as  shew it to have
 been by a ,fluctuation and impetuous   
,commotion of the  ,waters4    ,to      
proceed then2 that there was a ,fraction
 or ,dissolution of the ,earth  at the  
,deluge1 the ,history of it by ,moses   
gives us the first ,account1  seeing he 
tells us1 as the principal ,cause of the
 ,flood1 that the  ,fountains of the    

great ,abyss were cloven or burst       
asunder2 and  upon this ,disruption the 
,waters gush'd out from the ,bowels of  
the ,earth1  as from the widen'd ,mouths
 of so many ,fountains4 ,i do not take  
,fountains there to signify any more    
than ,sources or ,stores of ,water2     
noting also this ,manner of their       
,eruption from below1 or out of the     
,ground1 as ,fountains do4 ,accordingly 
in the ,proverbs1 7chap4 iii4  #bj47    
'tis only said1 the ,abysses were broken
 open4 ,i do not doubt1 but  this refers
 to the ,deluge1 as ,bede1 and others   
understand it2 the very  ,word being    
us'd here1 both in the ,hebrew and      
,septuagint1    that express the        
,disruption of the ,abyss at the        
,deluge4    ,and this breaking up of the
 ,earth at that ,time1 is elegantly     
exprest in  ,job1 by the bursting of the
 ,womb of ,nature1 when the ,sea was    
first  brought to ,light2 ch4 xxxviii4  
when after many ,pangs and ,throws and  
,dilacerations of her ,body1 ,nature was

 delivered of a ,burthen1 which she  had
 born in her ,womb sixteen hundred      
,years4    ,these three ,places ,i take 
to be ,memorials and ,proofs of the     
,disruption  of the ,earth1 or of the   
,abyss1 at the universal ,deluge4 ,and  
to these we  may add more out of the    
,prophets1 ,job1 and the ,psalms1 by    
,way of  ,allusion commonly to the      
,state of ,nature at that ,time4 ,the   
,prophet  ,isaiah1 in describing the    
future ,destruction of the ,world1 chap4
  xxiv4 #ah1 #ai4 seems plainly to      
allude and have respect to the past     
,destruction of it at the ,deluge2 as   
appears by that leading ,expression1    
the ,windows from on high are open1     
1 taken manifestly from ,gen4 vii4 #aa4 
,then see how  the ,description goes on2
 the ,windows from on high are open1 and
 the  ,foundations of the ,earth do     
shake1 the ,earth is utterly broken     
down1 the  ,earth is quite dissolved1   
the ,earth is exceedingly moved4 ,here  
are  ,concussions1 and ,fractions1 and  

,dissolutions1 as there were in the     
mundane ,earthquake and ,deluge2 which  
we had exprest before only by  breaking 
open the ,abyss4 ,by the ,foundations of
 the ,earth here and  elsewhere1 ,i     
perceive many understand the ,center2 so
 by moving or  shaking the ,foundations1
 or putting them out of ,course1 must be
  understood a displacing of the        
,center2 which was really done at the   
deluge1 as we have shewn in its proper  
,place1 ,theor4 ,book ii4  ,chap4 #c4   
,if we therefore remember1 that there   
was both a ,dislocation1  as ,i may so  
say1 and a ,fraction in the ,body of the
 ,earth1 by that great  ,fall2 a        
,dislocation as to the ,center1 and a   
,fraction as to the ,surface  and       
exterior ,region1 it will truly answer  
to all those ,expressions in  the       
,prophet1 that seem so strange and      
extraordinary4 ',tis true1 this  ,place 
of the ,prophet respects also and       
foretels the future ,destruction  of the
 ,world2 but that being by ,fire1 when  

the ,elements shall melt with  fervent  
,heat1 and the ,earth with the ,works   
therein shall be burnt up1  these       
,expressions of ,fractions and          
,concussions1 seem to be taken          
originally from the ,manner of the      
,world's first distruction1 and to be   
transferr'd1 by way of ,application1 to 
represent and signify the second        
,destruction of it1 though1 it may be1  
not with the same ,exactness and        
,propriety4    ,there are several other 
,places that refer to the ,dissolution  
and  ,subversion of the ,earth at the   
,deluge1 ,amos ix4 #e1 #f4 ,the ,lord of
  ,hosts is he1 that toucheth the       
,earth1 and it shall melt1 or be        
dissolv'd4----and it shall rise up      
wholly like a ,flood1 and shall be      
drowned as by the ,flood of gypt4 ,by   
this and by the next verse the  ,prophet
 seems to allude to the ,deluge1 and to 
the ,dissolution of the  ,earth that was
 then4 ,this in ,job seems to be called 
breaking down the  ,earth1 and          

overturning the ,earth1 chap4 xii4 #ad1 
#ae4 ,behold he  breaketh down and it   
cannot be built again1 ,he shutteth upon
 ,man1 and  there can be no opening4    
,behold1 he with-holdeth the ,waters1   
and they  dry up2 also he sendeth them  
out1 and they overturn the ,earth3      
,which  ,place you may see paraphras'd1 
,theo4 ,book i4 p4 #abd1 #abe4 ,we have 
already cited1 and shall hereafter cite1
 other ,places out of ,job2 and  as that
 ancient ,author 7who is thought to have
 liv'd before the  ,judaical ,oeconomy1 
and nearer to ,noah than ,moses7 seems  
to have  had the ,prcepta ,noachidarum1 
so also he seems to have had the        
,dogmata ,noachidarum2 which were       
deliver'd by ,noah to his ,children  and
 ,posterity1 concerning the ,mysteries  
of natural ,providence1 the  ,origin and
 ,fate of the ,world1 the ,deluge and   
ante-diluvian ,state1 c4  and           
accordingly we find many ,strictures of 
these ,doctrines in the ,book  of ,job4 
,lastly1 ,in the ,psalms there are      

,texts that mention the  shaking of the 
,earth1 and the ,foundations of the     
,world1 in reference  to the ,flood1 if 
we judge aright2 whereof we will speak  
under the next  ,head1 concerning the   
raging of the ,waters in the ,deluge4   
,these ,places of ,scripture may be     
noted1 as left us to be ,remembrancers  
of that general ,ruin and ,disruption of
 the ,earth at the ,time of the         
,deluge4 ,but ,i know it will be said of
 them1 that they are not strict         
,proofs1 but ,allusions only3 ,be it so2
 yet what is the ,ground of those       
,allusions8 ,something must be alluded1 
and something that hath past in         
,nature1 and that is recorded in ,sacred
 ,history2 and what is that1 unless  it 
be the universal ,deluge1 and that      
,change and ,disturbance that was  then 
in all ,nature8 ,if others say1 that    
these and such like ,places are  to be  
understood morally and allegorically1 ,i
 do not envy them their                 
,interpretation2 but when ,nature and   

,reason will bear a literal ,sense1  the
 ,rule is1 that we should not recede    
from the ,letter4 ,but ,i leave  these  
,things to every one's ,thoughts2 which 
the more calm they are1 and  the more   
impartial1 the more easily they will    
feel the ,impressions of  ,truth3 ,in   
the mean ,time1 ,i proceed to the last  
particular mention'd1  ,the ,form of the
 ,deluge it self4    ,this we suppose to
 have been1 not in the ,way of a        
standing ,pool1 the  ,waters making an  
equal ,surface1 and an equal ,height    
every where2 but  that the extream      
,height of the ,waters was made by the  
extream ,agitation  of them2 caus'd by  
the ,weight and ,force of great ,masses 
or ,regions of  ,earth falling at once  
into the ,abyss2 by which ,means1 as the
 ,waters in  some ,places were press'd  
out1 and thrown at an excessive ,height 
into the  ,air1 so they would also in   
certain ,places gape1 and lay bare even 
the  ,bottom of the ,abyss2 which would 
look as an open ,grave ready to swallow 

up the ,earth1 and all it bore4 ,whilst 
the ,ark1 in the mean time1 falling  and
 rising by these ,gulphs and            
,precipices1 sometimes above ,water1 and
  sometimes under1 was a true ,type of  
the ,state of the ,church in this       
,world3 ,and to this ,time and ,state   
,david alludes in the ,name of the      
,church1 ,psalm4 xlii4 #g4 ,abyss calls 
unto ,abyss at the ,noise of thy        
,cataracts or ,water-,spouts2 all thy   
,water and ,billows have gone over me4  
,and again1 ,psal4 xlvi4 #b1 #c4 in the 
,name of the ,church1 ,therefore  will  
not we fear tho' the ,earth be removed1 
and tho' the ,mountains be  carried into
 the midst of the ,seas4 ,the ,waters   
thereof roar and are  troubled1 the     
,mountains shake with the swelling      
thereof4    ,but there is no            
,description more remarkable or more    
eloquent1 than of  that ,scene of       
,things represented1 ,psalm4 xviii4 #g1 
#h1 #i1 c4 which  still alludes1 in my  
,opinion1 to the ,deluge-,scene1 and in 

the ,name of  the ,church4 ,we will set 
down the ,words at large4        ,ver4  
#f4 ,in my distress ,i called upon the  
,lord1 and cryed unto my      ,god2 ,he 
heard my ,voice out of his ,temple1 and 
my ,cry came before him      into his   
,ears4        #g4 ,then the ,earth shook
 and trembled1 the ,foundations also of 
the      ,hills moved and were shaken1  
because he was wroth4        #h4 ,there 
went up a ,smoak from his ,nostrils1 and
 ,fire out of his      ,mouth devoured2 
,coals were kindled by it4        #i4   
,he bowed the ,heavens also and came    
down1 and ,darkness was under      his  
,feet4        #aj4 ,and he rode upon a  
,cherub and did fly1 he did fly upon the
      ,wings of the ,wind4        #aa4  
,he made ,darkness his secret ,place2   
his ,pavilion round about him      was  
dark ,waters and thick ,clouds of the   
,sky4        #ab4 ,at the ,brightness   
before him the thick ,clouds passed1    
,hail and      ,coals of ,fire4         
#ac4 ,the ,lord also thunder'd in the   

,heavens1 and the ,highest gave      his
 ,voice1 ,hail and ,coals of ,fire4     
#ad4 ,yea1 he sent out his ,arrows1 and 
scattered them2 and he shot      out    
,lightnings and discomfited them4       
#ae4 ,then the ,channels of ,waters were
 seen1 and the ,foundations of      the 
,world were discovered2 at thy rebuke1  
,o ,lord1 at the blast of      the      
,breath of thy ,nostrils4        ,he    
sent from above1 he took me2 he drew me 
out of great ,waters4           ,this is
 a rough1 ,i think1 ,draught of the     
,face of the ,heavens and the  ,earth at
 the ,deluge1 as the last ,verses do    
intimate2 and 'tis apply'd to  express  
the ,dangers and ,deliverances of the   
,church3 ,the ,expressions are  so far  
too high to be apply'd to ,david in his 
,person1 and to his  ,deliverance from  
,saul2 no such ,agonies or ,disorders of
 ,nature as are  here instanc'd1 were   
made in ,david's ,time1 or upon his     
,account2 but  'tis a ,scheme of the    
,church1 and of her ,fate1 particularly1

 as  represented by the ,ark1 in that   
dismal ,distress1 when all ,nature was  
in  ,confusion4 ,and though there may be
 some ,things here intermixt to make up 
the ,scene1 that are not so close to the
 ,subject as the rest1 or that  they may
 be refer'd to the future ,destruction  
of the ,world2 yet that is  not unusual1
 nor amiss1 in such ,descriptions1 if   
the great ,strokes be  fit and rightly  
placed4 ,that there was ,smoak1 and     
,fire1 and ,water1 and  ,thunder1 and   
,darkness1 and ,winds1 and ,earthquakes1
 at the ,deluge1 we  cannot doubt1 if we
 consider the ,circumstances of it3     
,waters dash'd and  broken made a ,smoak
 and ,darkness1 and no ,hurricane could 
be so violent  as the ,motions of the   
,air at that ,time3 ,then the ,earth was
 torn in  pieces1 and its ,foundations  
shaken4 ,and as to ,thunder and         
,lightning1 the  ,encounters and        
,collisions of the mighty ,waves1 and   
the ,cracks of a  falling ,world1 would 
make ,flashes and ,noises1 far greater  

and more  terrible1 than any that can   
come from ,vapours and ,clouds4 ,there  
was an  universal#ab ,tempest1 a        
,conflict and ,clashing of all the      
,elements2 and  ,david seems to have    
represented it so2 with ,god ,almighty  
in the midst  of it1 ruling them all4   
,but ,i am apt to think1 some will say1 
all this is ,poetical in the  ,prophet1 
and these are hyperbolical and          
figurative ,expressions1 from  which we 
cannot make any ,inference1 as to the   
,deluge and the natural  ,world3 ',tis  
true1 those that have no ,idea of the   
,deluge1 that will  answer to such a    
,scene of things1 as is here            
represented1 must give such  a slight   
,account of this ,psalm4 ,but on the    
other hand1 if we have  already an ,idea
 of the ,deluge1 that is rational1 and  
also consonant to  ,scripture upon other
 ,proofs1 and the ,description here made
 by the  ,prophet answer to that ,idea1 
whether then is it not more reasonable  
to  think1 that it stands upon that     

,ground1 than to think it a mere ,fancy 
and poetical ,scene of ,things8 ,this is
 the true ,state of the ,case1 and  that
 which we must judge of4 ,methinks 'tis 
very harsh to suppose all  this a bare  
,fiction1 grounded upon no matter of    
,fact1 upon no sacred  ,story1 upon no  
,appearance of ,god in ,nature4 ,if you 
say it hath a moral  ,signification1 so 
let it have1 we do not destroy that3 ,it
 hath  reference1 no doubt1 to the      
,dangers and ,deliverances of the       
,church2 but  the ,question is1 whether 
the ,words and natural ,sense be a      
,fancy only1 a  ,bundle of random       
,hyperboles8 or1 whether they relate to 
the ,history of  the ,deluge1 and the   
,state of the ,ark there representing   
the ,church8 ,this  makes the ,sense    
doubly rich1 ,historically and ,morally2
 and grounds it  upon ,scripture and    
,reason1 as well as upon ,fancy4        
,that violent ,eruption of the ,sea out 
of the ,womb of the ,earth1 which  ,job 
speaks of1 is1 in my ,judgment1 another 

,description of the ,deluge2  'tis ch4  
xxxviii4 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa4 ,who shut up 
the ,sea with ,doors1 when  it broke    
forth1 as if it had issued out of a     
womb2 when ,i made the ,cloud  the      
,garment thereof1 and thick ,darkness a 
swadling ,band for it4 ,and  broke up   
for it my decreed ,place4----,hitherto  
shalt thou come1 c4 ,here  you may see  
the ,birth and ,nativity of the ,sea1 or
 of ,oceanus1  describ'd#ac1 how he     
broke out of the ,womb1 and what his    
first ,garment  and ,swadling-,cloaths  
were2 namely1 ,clouds and thick         
,darkness4 ,this  cannot refer to any   
thing1 that ,i know of1 but to the ,face
 of ,nature at  the ,deluge2 when the   
,sea was born1 and wrapt up in ,clouds  
and broken  ,waves1 and a dark          
impenetrable ,mist round the ,body of   
the ,earth4 ,and  this seems to be the  
very same1 that ,david had express'd in 
his  ,description of the ,deluge1 ,psal4
 xviii4 #aa4 ,he made ,darkness his     
secret ,place1 his ,pavilion round about

 him were dark ,waters and thick        
,clouds of the ,skies4 ,for this was    
truly the ,face of the ,world in the    
,time of the ,flood1 tho' we little     
reflect upon it4 ,and this dark         
,confusion every where1 above and below1
 arose from the violent and  confus'd   
,motion of the ,abyss2 which was dash'd 
in pieces by the falling  ,earth2 and   
flew into the ,air in misty ,drops1 as  
,dust flies up in a great  ,ruin4 ,see  
,theor4 ,book i4 p4 #acf4    ,but ,i am 
afraid1 we have stay'd too long upon    
this ,particular1 ,the ,form  of the    
,deluge2 seeing 'tis but a ,corollary   
from the precedent ,article  about the  
,dissolution of the ,earth4 ,however1   
,time is not ill spent about  any thing 
that relates to natural ,providence1    
whereof the two most  signal ,instances 
in our sacred ,writings1 are1 the       
,deluge and the  ,conflagration4 ,and   
seeing ,job and ,david do often reflect 
upon the  ,works of ,god in the external
 ,creation1 and upon the                

,administrations of  ,providence1 it    
cannot be imagin'd1 that they should    
never reflect upon  the ,deluge2 the    
most remarkable ,change of ,nature that 
ever hath been1  and the most remarkable
 ,judgment upon ,mankind4 ,and if they  
have  reflected upon it any where1 'tis1
 ,i think1 in those ,places and those   
,instances1 which ,i have noted2 and if 
those ,places do relate to the  ,deluge1
 they are not capable1 in my ,judgment1 
of any fairer or more  natural          
,interpretation1 than that which we have
 given them2 which you  see1 how much it
 favours and confirms our ,theory4    ,i
 have now finished the ,heads ,i        
undertook to prove1 that ,i might shew  
our ,theory to agree with ,scripture in 
these three principal ,points2  first1  
in that it supposeth a ,diversity and   
,difference betwixt the  ante-diluvian  
,heavens and ,earth1 and the present    
,heavens and ,earth3  ,secondly1 in     
assigning the particular ,form of the   
ante-diluvian ,earth  and ,abyss2       

,thirdly1 in explaining the ,deluge by a
 ,dissolution of that  ,earth1 and an   
,eruption of the ,abyss4 ,how far ,i    
have succeeded in this  ,attempt1 as to 
others1 ,i cannot tell2 but ,i am sure  
,i have convinced my  self1 and am      
satisfied that my ,thoughts1 in that    
,theory1 have run in the  same ,tract   
with the ,holy ,writings1 with the true 
,intent and ,spirit of  them4 ,there are
 some ,persons that are wilfully        
ignorant in certain  things1 and others 
that are willing to be ignorant1 as the 
,apostle  phraseth it2 speaking of those
 ,eternalists that denied the ,doctrine 
of  the ,change and ,revolutions of the 
natural ,world3 ,and 'tis not to be     
expected but there are many still of the
 same ,humour1 and therefore may  be    
called willingly ignorant2 that is1 they
 will not use that ,pains  and          
,attention that is necessary for the    
,examination of such a ,doctrine1  nor  
,impartiality in judging after          
,examination2 they greedily lay hold on 

all ,evidence on one side1 and willingly
 forget1 or slightly pass over1  all    
,evidence for the other4 ,this1 ,i      
think1 is the ,character of those  that 
are willingly ignorant2 for ,i do not   
take it to be so deep as a  downright   
wilful ,ignorance1 where they are       
plainly conscious to  themselves of that
 ,wilfulness3 but where an insensible   
,mixture of human  ,passions inclines   
them one ,way1 and makes them averse to 
the other2 and  in that ,method draws on
 all the ,consequences of a willing     
,ignorance4    ,there remains still1 as 
,i remember1 one ,proposition that ,i am
 bound to  make good2 ,i said1 at first1
 that our ,hypothesis concerning the    
,deluge  was more agreeable not only to 
,scripture in general1 but also to the  
particular ,history of the ,flood left  
us by ,moses2 ,i say1 more  agreeable to
 it than any other ,hypothesis1 that    
hath yet been propos'd4  ,this may be   
made good in a few ,words2 for in       
,moses's ,history of the  ,deluge1 there

 are two principal ,points1 the ,extent 
of the ,deluge1 and  the ,causes of it2 
and in both these we do fully agree with
 that sacred  ,author4 ,as to the       
,extent of it1 he makes the ,deluge     
universal2 ,all  the high ,hills under  
the whole ,heaven were cover'd fifteen  
,cubits  upwards4 ,we also make it      
universal1 over the ,face of the whole  
,earth2  and in such a ,manner as must  
needs raise the ,waters above the ,top  
of the  highest ,hills every where4 ,as 
to the ,causes of it1 ,moses makes them 
to be the ,disruption of the ,abyss1 and
 the ,rains1 and no more2 and  in this  
also we exactly agree with him2 we know 
no other ,causes1 nor  pretend to any   
other but those two4 ,distinguishing    
therefore ,moses his  ,narration as to  
the ,substance and ,circumstances of it1
 it must be  allowed that these two     
,points make the ,substance of it1 and  
that an  ,hypothesis that differs from  
it in either of these two1 differs from 
it  more than ours2 which1 at the worst1

 can but differ in ,matter of           
,circumstance4 ,now seeing the great    
,difficulty about the ,deluge is the    
,quantity of ,water required for it1    
there have been two ,explications       
proposed1 besides ours1 to remove or    
satisfy this ,difficulty2 one  whereof  
makes the ,deluge not to have been      
universal1 or to have reach'd  only     
,judea and some neighbouring ,countries1
 and therefore less ,water  would       
suffice2 the other owning the ,deluge to
 be universal1 supplies it  self with   
,water from the divine ,omnipotency1 and
 says new ,waters were  created then for
 the nonce1 and again annihilated1 when 
the ,deluge was  to cease4 ,both these  
,explications1 you see1 7and ,i know no 
more of ,note  that are not obnoxious to
 the same ,exceptions7 differ from      
,moses in  the ,substance1 or in one of 
the two substantial ,points1 and        
consequently  more than ours doth4 ,the 
first changeth the ,flood into a kind of
  ,national ,inundation2 and the second 

assigns other ,causes of it than  ,moses
 had assign'd2 ,and as they both differ 
apparently from the  ,mosaical ,history1
 so you may see them refuted upon other 
,grounds also1  in the third ,chapter of
 the first ,book of the ,theory4        
,this may be sufficient as to the       
,history of the ,flood by ,moses3 ,but  
possibly it may be said1 the principal  
,objection will arise from ,moses  his  
six ,days ,creation in the first        
,chapter of ,genesis2 where another     
sort of ,earth1 than what we have form'd
 from the ,chaos1 is represented  to us2
 namely1 a terraqueous ,globe such as   
our ,earth is at present4 ',tis  indeed 
very apparent1 that ,moses hath         
accommodated his six ,days  ,creation to
 the present ,form of the ,earth1 or to 
that which was before  the ,eyes of the 
,people1 when he wrote4 ,but it is a    
great ,question  whether that was ever  
intended for a true ,physical ,account  
of the ,origin  of the ,earth2 or       
whether ,moses did either ,philosophize 

or ,astronomize  in that ,description4  
,the antient fathers1 when they answer  
the ,heathens1  and the ,adversaries of 
,christianity1 do generally deny it2 as 
,i am ready  to make good upon another  
,occasion4 ,and the ,thing it self bears
 in it  evident ,marks of an            
,accommodation and ,condescension to the
 vulgar  ,notions concerning the ,form  
of the ,world3 ,those that think        
otherwise1  and would make it literally 
and physically true in all the ,parts of
 it1  ,i desire them1 without entring   
upon the strict ,merits of the ,cause1  
to  determine these ,preliminaries4     
,first1 whether the whole ,universe rise
  from a terrestrial ,chaos8 ,secondly1 
what ,system of a ,world this six ,days 
,creation proceeds upon2 whether it     
supposes the ,earth1 or the ,sun1 for   
the ,center8 ,thirdly1 whether the ,sun 
and fix'd ,stars are of a later  ,date1 
and a later ,birth1 than this ,globe of 
,earth8 ,and lastly1 where is  the      
,region of the ,super-celestial ,waters8

 ,when they have determin'd  these      
,fundamentals1 we will proceed to other 
,observations upon the six  ,days ,work1
 which will farther assure us1 that 'tis
 a ,narration suited to  the ,capacity  
of the ,people1 and not to the strict   
and physical ,nature of  ,things4       
,besides1 we are to remember1 that      
,moses must be so interpreted  in the   
first ,chapter of ,genesis1 as not to   
interfere with himself in  other ,parts 
of his ,history2 nor to interfere with  
,st4 ,peter1 or the  ,prophet ,david1 or
 any other sacred ,authors1 when they   
treat of the  same ,matter4 ,nor lastly1
 so1 as to be repugnant to clear and    
uncontested  ,science4 ,for1 in things  
that concern the natural ,world1 that   
must always  be consulted4    ,with     
these ,precautions1 let them try if they
 can reduce that ,narrative  of the     
,origin of the ,world1 to physical      
,truth2 so as to be consistent1  both   
with ,nature1 and with ,divine          
,revelation every where4 ,it is easily  

reconcileable to both1 if we suppose it 
wrote in a vulgar ,style1 and to  the   
,conceptions of the ,people2 and we     
cannot deny that a vulgar ,style is     
often made use of in the holy ,writings4
 ,how freely and unconcernedly  does    
,scripture speak of ,god ,almighty1     
according to the ,opinions of the       
,vulgar8 ,of his ,passions1 local       
,motions1 ,parts and ,members of his    
,body3 ,which all are things that do not
 belong1 or are not compatible  with the
 ,divine ,nature1 according to ,truth   
and ,science4 ,and if this  ,liberty be 
taken1 as to ,god himself1 much more may
 it be taken as to his  ,works4 ,and    
accordingly we see1 what ,motion the    
,scripture gives to the  ,sun2 what     
,figure to the ,earth2 what ,figure to  
the ,heavens3 ,all according  to the    
,appearance of ,sense and popular       
,credulity without any ,remorse for     
having transgressed the ,rules of       
intellectual ,truth4    ,this vulgar    
,style of ,scripture1 in describing the 

,nature of ,things1 hath  been often    
mistaken for the real ,sense1 and so    
become a ,stumbling-,block  in the ,way 
of ,truth4 ,thus the ,anthropomorphites 
of old contended for  the human ,shape  
of ,god1 from the ,letter of ,scripture1
 and brought many  express ,texts for   
their purpose2 but sound ,reason1 at    
length1 got the  upper hand of literal  
,authority4 ,then several of the        
,christian ,fathers  contended1 that    
there were no ,antipodes2 and made that 
,doctrine  irreconcilable to ,scripture2
 ,but this also1 after a while1 went    
off1 and  yeilded to ,reason and        
,experience4 ,then1 the ,motion of the  
,earth must by  no means be allow'd1 as 
being contrary to ,scripture2 for so it 
is  indeed1 according to the ,letter and
 vulgar ,style4 ,but all intelligent    
,persons see thorough this ,argument1   
and depend upon it no more in this      
,case1 than in the former4 ,lastly1 the 
,original of the ,earth from a  ,chaos1 
drawn according to the ,rules of        

,phisiology1 will not be admitted2      
because it does not agree with the      
,scheme of the six ,days ,creation4 ,but
  why may not this be wrote in a vulgar 
,style1 as well as the rest8  ,certainly
 there can be nothing more like a vulgar
 ,style1 than to set ,god  to work by   
the ,day1 and in six ,days to finish his
 ,task2 as he is there  represented4 ,we
 may therefore probably hope that all   
these ,disguises of  ,truth will at     
length fall off1 and that we shall see  
,god and his ,works  in a pure and naked
 ,light4    ,thus ,i have finished what 
,i had to say in ,confirmation of this  
,theory  from ,scripture2 ,i mean of the
 former ,part of it1 which depends      
chiefly  upon the ,deluge1 and the      
ante-diluvian ,earth4 ,when you have    
collated the  ,places of ,scripture1 on 
either side1 and laid them in the       
,balance1 to be  weigh'd one against    
another2 if you do but find them equal1 
or near to  an equal ,poise1 you know in
 whether ,scale the natural ,reasons are

 to be  laid2 and of what ,weight they  
ought to be in an ,argument of this     
kind4  ,there is a great ,difference    
betwixt ,scripture with ,philosophy on  
its  side1 and ,scripture with          
,philosophy against it1 when the        
,question is  concerning the natural    
,world3 ,and this is our ,case2 which ,i
 now leave to  the ,consideration of the
 unprejudic'd ,reader1 and proceed to   
the ,proof  of the second ,part of the  
,theory4    ,the latter ,part consists  
of the ,conflagration of the ,world1 and
 the  new ,heavens and new ,earth2 and  
seeing there is no ,dispute concerning  
the former of these two1 our ,task will 
now lie in a little ,compass2  being    
only this1 to prove that there will be  
new ,heavens1 and a new  ,earth1 after  
the ,conflagration4 ,this1 to my ,mind1 
is sufficiently done  already1 in the   
first1 second and third ,chapters of the
 ivth book1 both  from ,scripture and   
,antiquity1 whether ,sacred or          
,prophane2 and therefore1  at present1  

we will only make a short and easy      
,review of  ,scripture-,testimonies1    
with design chiefly to obviate and      
disappoint the  ,evasions of such1 as   
would beat down solid ,texts into thin  
,metaphors and  ,allegories4    ,the    
,testimonies of ,scripture concerning   
the ,renovation of the ,world1  are     
either express1 or implicit3 ,those ,i  
call express1 that mention the  new     
,heavens and new ,earth2 and those      
implicit1 that signify the same  ,thing1
 but not in express ,terms4 ,so when our
 ,saviour speaks of a  ,palingenesia1 or
 ,regeneration2 7,matt4 xix4 #bh1 #bi47 
or ,st ,peter1  of an ,apocatastasis or 
,restitution2 7,acts iii4 #ba47 these   
being  ,words used by all ,authors1     
,prophane or ,ecclesiastical1 for the   
,renovation of the ,world1 ought1 in    
reason1 to be interpreted in the  same  
,sense in the ,holy ,writings4 ,and in  
like ,manner1 when ,st4 ,paul  speaks of
 his future ,earth1 or an habitable     
,world to come1 ,hebr4 ii4  #e4     or  

of a ,redemption or ,melioration of the 
present ,state of ,nature1 ,rom4 iii4   
#ba1 #bb4 these lead us again1 in  other
 ,terms1 to the same ,renovation of the 
,world4 ,but there are also  some       
,places of ,scripture1 that set the new 
,heavens and new ,earth in  such a full 
and open ,view1 that we must shut our   
,eyes not to see them4  ,st4 ,john says1
 he saw them1 and observed the ,form of 
the new ,earth1  ,apoc4 xxi4 #a4 ,isa4  
lxv4 #ag4 ,the ,seer ,isaiah spoke of   
them in  express ,words1 many hundred   
,years before4 ,and ,st4 ,peter marks   
the ,time  when they are to be          
introduc'd1 namely1 after the           
,conflagration1 or  after the           
,dissolution of the present ,heavens and
 ,earth1 #b ,pet4 iii4  #ab1 #ac4       
,these later ,texts of ,scripture being 
so express1 there is but one ,way  left 
to elude the ,force of them2 and that   
is1 by turning the ,renovation  of the  
,world into an ,allegory2 and making the
 new ,heavens and new ,earth  to be     

allegorical ,heavens and ,earth1 not    
real and material1 as ours are4  ,this  
is a bold ,attempt of some modern       
,authors1 who chuse rather to  strain   
the ,word of ,god1 than their own       
,notions4 ,there are ,allegories1 no    
doubt1 in ,scripture1 but we are not to 
allegorize ,scripture without some      
,warrant2 either from an ,apostolical   
,interpretation1 or from the  ,necessity
 of the ,matter2 and ,i do not know how 
they can pretend to  either of these1 in
 this ,case4 ,however1 that they may    
have all fair  ,play1 we will lay aside1
 at present1 all the other ,texts of    
,scripture1  and confine our selves     
wholly to ,st4 ,peter's ,words2 to see  
and examine  whether they are1 or can be
 turn'd into an ,allegory1 according to 
the  best ,rules of ,interpretation4    
,st4 ,peter's ,words are these1 #b ,pet4
 iii4 #aa1 #ab1 #ac4 ,seeing then  all  
these ,things shall be dissolved1 what  
manner of ,persons ought ye to  be in   
all holy ,conversation and ,godliness8  

,looking for1 and hasting the  ,coming  
of the ,day of ,god2 wherein the        
,heavens being on ,fire shall be        
dissolved1 and the ,elements shall melt 
with fervent ,heat4 ,nevertheless  we1  
according to his ,promise1 look for new 
,heavens and a new ,earth2  wherein     
,righteousness shall dwell4 ,the        
,question is concerning this last       
,verse1 ,whether the new ,heavens and   
,earth here promis'd1 are to be real    
and material ,heavens and ,earth1 or    
only figurative and allegorical4 ,the   
,words1 you see1 are clear2 and the     
general ,rule of ,interpretation is     
this1 ,that we are not to recede from   
the ,letter1 or the literal ,sense1     
unless there be a ,necessity from the   
,subject-matter2 such a ,necessity1  as 
makes a literal ,interpretation absurd4 
,but where is that ,necessity in  this  
,case8 ,cannot ,god make new ,heavens   
and a new ,earth1 as easily as he  made 
the old ones8 ,is his ,strength decayed 
since that ,time1 or is ,matter  grown  

more disobedient8 ,nay1 does not ,nature
 offer her self voluntarily  to raise a 
new ,world from the second ,chaos1 as   
well as from the first2  and1 under the 
,conduct of ,providence1 to make it as  
convenient an  ,habitation as the       
primval ,earth8 ,therefore no ,necessity
 can be  pretended of leaving the       
litteral ,sense1 upon an ,incapacity of 
the  ,subject-matter4    ,the second    
,rule to determine an ,interpretation to
 be literal or  allegorical1 is the use 
of the same ,words or ,phrase in the    
,context1 and  the ,signification of    
them there3 ,let's then examine our     
,case according  to this ,rule4 ,st4    
,peter had us'd the same ,phrase of     
,heavens and  ,earth twice before in the
 same ,chapter4 ,the old ,heavens and   
,earth1  ver4 #e4 ,the present ,heavens 
and ,earth1 ver4 #g4 and now he uses it 
again1 ver4 #ac4 the new ,heavens and   
,earth4 ,have we not then ,reason  to   
suppose1 that he takes it here in the   
same ,sense1 that he had done  twice    

before1 for real and material ,heavens  
and ,earth8 ,there is no ,mark  set of a
 new ,signification1 nor why we should  
alter the ,sense of the  ,words4 ,that  
he used them always before for the      
material ,heavens and  ,earth1 ,i think 
none will question2 and therefore1      
unless they can give  us a sufficient   
,reason1 why we should change the       
,signification of the  ,words1 we are   
bound by this second ,rule also1 to     
understand them in a  litteral ,sense4  
,lastly1 ,the very ,form of the ,words1 
and the ,manner of their ,dependence    
upon the ,context1 leads us to a        
litteral ,sense1 and to material        
,heavens  and ,earth4 ,nevertheless1    
says the ,apostle1 we expect new        
,heavens1  c4 ,why ,nevertheless6 that  
is1 notwithstanding the ,dissolution of 
the  present ,heavens and ,earth4 ,the  
,apostle foresaw1 what he had said might
  raise a ,doubt in their ,minds1       
whether all ,things would not be at an  
,end2  nothing more of ,heavens and     

,earth1 or of any habitable ,world1     
after the  ,conflagration3 ,and to      
obviate this1 he tells them1            
,notwithstanding  that wonderful        
,desolation that ,i have describ'd1 we  
do1 accordding to  ,god's ,promises1    
expect new ,heavens and a new ,earth1 to
 be an ,habitation  for the ,righteous4 
,you see then the new ,heavens and new  
,earth1 which the ,apostle speaks of1   
are substituted in the ,place of those  
that were destroyed at the              
,conflagration2 and would you substitute
 allegorical ,heavens and ,earth in  the
 ,place of ,material8 ,shadow for a     
,substance8 ,what an ,equivocation      
would it be in the ,apostle1 when the   
,doubt was about the material  ,heavens 
and ,earth1 to make an ,answer about    
allegorical4 ,lastly1 ,the  timing of   
the ,thing determines the ,sense3 ,when 
shall this new ,world  appear8 after the
 ,conflagration1 the ,apostle says3     
,therefore it cannot  be understood of  
any moral ,renovation1 to be made at1 or

 in the ,times of  the ,gospel1 as these
 ,allegorists pretend4 ,we must         
therefore1 upon all  ,accounts1 conclude
 that the ,apostle intended a literal   
,sense2 real and  material ,heavens1 to 
succeed these after the ,conflagration2 
which was  the ,thing to be prov'd4 ,and
 ,i know not what ,bars the ,spirit of  
,god can  set1 to keep us within the    
,compass of a literal ,sense1 if these  
be not  sufficient4    ,thus much for   
the ,explication of ,st4 ,peter's       
,doctrine concerning the  new ,heavens  
and new ,earth2 which secures the second
 ,part of our ,theory3  ,for the ,theory
 stands upon two ,pillars1 or two       
,pedestals1 the  ante-diluvian ,earth   
and the future ,earth2 or in ,st4       
,peter's ,phrase1  the old ,heavens and 
,earth1 and the new ,heavens and ,earth2
 and it cannot  be shaken1 so long as   
these two continue firm and immoveable4 
,we might  now put an ,end to this      
,review1 but it may be expected possibly
 that we  should say something          

concerning the ,millennium8 which we    
have1  contrary to the general          
,sentiment of the modern ,millennaries1 
plac'd  in the future ,earth4 ,our      
,opinion hath this ,advantage above     
others1  that all fanatical ,pretensions
 to ,power and ,empire in this ,world1  
are1  by these ,means1 blown away1 as   
,chaff before the ,wind4 ,princes need  
not  fear to be dethroned1 to make way  
to the ,saints2 nor ,governments        
unhinged1 that they may rule the ,world 
with a ,rod of ,iron4 ,these are the    
,effects of the wild ,enthusiasm2 seeing
 the very ,state which they aim at1  is 
not to be upon this ,earth4    ,but that
 our ,sense may not be mistaken or      
misapprehended in this  ,particular1 as 
if we thought the ,christian ,church    
would never1 upon this  ,earth1 be in a 
better and happier ,posture than it is  
in at present3 ,we  must distinguish    
betwixt a ,melioration of the ,world1 if
 you will allow  that ,word2 and a      
,millennium4 ,we do not deny a          

,reformation and  ,improvement of the   
,church1 both as to ,peace1 ,purity1 and
 ,piety3 ,that  ,knowledge may increase1
 ,mens ,minds be enlarged1 and          
,christian ,religion  better understood3
 ,that the ,power of ,antichrist shall  
be diminish'd1  ,persecution cease1     
,liberty of ,conscience allow'd amongst 
the ,reformed2  and a greater ,union and
 ,harmony established3 ,that ,princes   
will mind the  publick ,good1 more than 
they do now2 and be themselves better   
,examples  of ,virtue and true ,piety4  
,all this may be1 and ,i hope will be   
e'er long4  ,but the apocalyptical      
,millennium1 or the new ,jerusalem1 is  
still  another ,matter3 ,it differs not 
in ,degree only from the present ,state1
  but in a new ,order of ,things2 both  
in the moral ,world and in the  natural2
 and that cannot be till we come into   
the new ,heavens and new  ,earth4       
,suppose what ,reformation you can in   
this ,world1 there will still  remain   
many ,things inconsistent with the true 

millennial ,state2  ,antichrist1 tho'   
weakned1 will not be finally destroyed  
till the coming  of our ,saviour1 nor   
,satan bound4 ,and there will be always 
,poverty1 ,wars1  ,diseases1 ,knaves and
 ,hypocrites1 in this ,world1 which are 
not consistent  with the new ,jerusalem1
 as ,st4 ,john describes it1 ,apoc4 xxi4
 #b1 #c1  #d1 c4    ,you see now what   
our ,notion is of the ,millennium1 as we
 deny this ,earth  to be the ,seat of   
it3 ',tis the ,state that succeeds the  
first  ,resurrection1 when ,satan is    
lock'd up in the bottomless ,pit3 ,the  
,state  when the ,martyrs are to return 
into ,life1 and wherein they are to have
  the first ,lot and chief ,share3 ,a   
,state which is to last a thousand      
,years4 ,and ,blessed and ,holy is he1  
that hath a ,part in it2 on such the    
second ,death hath no ,power2 but they  
shall be ,priests of ,god and ,christ1  
and shall reign with him a thousand     
,years4 ,if you would see more          
particular ,reasons of our ,judgment in 

this ,case1 why such a ,millennium  is  
not to be expected in this ,world2 they 
are set down in the #hth  ,chap4 of the 
#dth ,book1 and we do not think it      
necessary that they  should be here     
repeated4    ,as to that ,dissertion    
that follows the ,millennium1 and       
reaches to the  ,consummation of all    
,things seeing it is but problematical1 
we leave it  to stand or fall by the    
,evidence already given2 and should be  
very glad  to see the ,conjectures of   
others more learned1 in ,speculations so
  abstruse and remote from common       
,knowledge4 ,they cannot surely be      
thought  unworthy or unfit for our      
,meditations1 seeing they are suggested 
to us  by ,scripture it self3 ,and to   
what end were they propos'd to us there1
 if  it was not intended1 that they     
should be understood1 sooner or later8  
,i have done with this ,review2 and     
shall only add one or two ,reflections  
upon the whole ,discourse1 and so       
conclude4 ,you have seen the ,state of  

the ,theory of the ,earth1 as to the    
,matters1 ,form1 and ,proofs of  it1    
both natural and sacred3 ,if any one    
will substitute a better in its  ,place1
 ,i shall think my self more obliged to 
him1 than if he had shewed  me the      
,quadrature of the ,circle4 ,but it is  
not enough to pick ,quarrels  here and  
there2 that may be done by any ,writing1
 especially when it is  of so great     
,extent and ,comprehension3 ,they must  
build up1 as well as  pull down2 and    
give us another ,theory instead of this1
 fitted to the  same natural ,history of
 the ,earth1 according as it is set down
 in  ,scripture2 and then let the ,world
 take their ,choice4 ,he that cuts down 
a  ,tree1 is bound in ,reason to plant  
two2 because there is an ,hazard in     
their ,growth and ,thriving4    ,then as
 to those that are such rigorous        
,scripturists1 as to require  plainly   
demonstrative and irresistible ,texts   
for every thing they  entertain or      
believe2 they would do well to reflect  

and consider1  whether1 for every       
,article in the three ,creeds 7which    
have no ,support  from natural ,reason7 
they can bring such ,texts of ,scripture
 as they  require of others2 or a fairer
 and juster ,evidence1 all things       
consider'd1 than we have done for the   
,substance of this ,theory4 ,we have    
not indeed said all that might be said1 
as to ,antiquity2 that making no  part  
in this ,review1 and being capable still
 of great ,additions4 ,but as  to       
,scripture and ,reason ,i have no more  
to add3 ,those that are not  satisfied  
with the ,proofs already produc'd upon  
these two ,heads1 are  under a ,fate1   
good or bad1 which is not in my ,power  
to overcome4  ,,finis4    ,footnote #f3 
,there was a ,sect amongst the ,jews    
that held this ,perpetuity and          
,immutability of ,nature2 and           
,maimonides himself was of this         
,principle1 and gives the same ,reason  
for it with the ,scoffers here in    the
 ,text1 ,quod mundus retinet  sequitur  

,consuetudinem suam4 ,and as    to those
 of the ,jews that were ,aristoteleans1 
it was very suitable    to their        
principles to hold the ,incorruptibility
 of the ,world1 as    their ,master did4
 ,vid4 ,med4 in loc4    ,footnote #g3   
1 per que4 ,vulgat4 ,quamobrem1 ,beza4  
,qu de caus1 ,grot4    ,nemo interpretum
 reddidit  1 per quas2 subintelligendo  
aquas4    ,hoc enim argumentationem     
,apostolicana tolleret1 supponeretque   
illusores illos ignorsse quod olim      
fuerit ,diluvium2 ,quod supponi non     
posse supra ostendimus4    ,footnote #h3
      ,this ,phrase or manner of ,speech
   vel  is not usual in    ,greek       
,authors2 and upon a like ,subject1     
,plato saith1          1 1 1 but he that
 should translate    ,plato1 the ,world 
stands out of ,fire1 ,water1 c4 would be
 thought    neither ,grecian1 nor       
,philosopher4 ,the same ,phrase is us'd 
in    reciting ,heraclitus his ,opinion1
     1       4 ,and also in ,thales his 
which is still nearer to    the         

,subject1   1 1  1 which ,cicero        
renders1 ex aqu1 dixit1 constare omnia4 
,so that it is easy to know    the true 
,importance of this ,phrase1 and how it 
is ill render'd in the    ,english1     
standing out of the ,water4    ,footnote
 #i3      ,whether you refer the ,words 
4    separately to the    ,heavens and  
the ,earth1 or both to the ,earth1 or   
both to both1 it will    make no great  
,difference as to our ,interpretation4  
,footnote #aj3      ,i know some would  
make this ,place of no effect by        
rendering the    ,hebrew ,particle      
juxta1 by or near to2 so they would read
 it    thus1 he had founded the ,earth  
by the ,sea-side1 and establish'd it    
by the ,floods4 ,what is there wonderful
 in this1 that the ,shores should    lie
 by the ,sea-side8 ,where could they lie
 else8 ,what ,reason or    ,argument is 
this1 why the ,earth should be the      
,lord's8 ,the ,earth is the    ,lord's1 
for he hath founded it near the ,seas4  
,where is the    ,consequence of this8  

,but if he founded it upon the ,seas1   
which could    not be done by any other 
,hand but his1 it shews both the        
,workman and    the ,master4 ,and       
accordingly in that other1 ,psal4       
cxxxvi4 #f1 if you    render it1 ,he    
stretched out the ,earth near the       
,waters1 ,how is that    one of ,god's  
great ,wonders1 as it is there          
represented to be8 ,because    in some  
few ,places this ,particle is rendered  
otherwise1 where the    ,sense will bear
 it1 must we therefore render it so when
 we please1 and    where the ,sense will
 not bear it8 ,this being the most usual
    ,signification of it1 and there     
being no other ,word that signifies     
above more frequently or determinately  
than this does1 why must it    signify  
otherwise in this ,place8 ,men will     
wriggle any way to get from    under the
 ,force of a ,text1 that does not suit  
to their own ,notions4    ,footnote #aa3
      ,this reading or translating is   
generally followed1 7,theor4 ,book i4   

p4 #hf47 though the ,english            
,translation read on a heap1            
unsuitably to the ,matter and to the    
,sense4    ,footnote #ab3      ,see     
,philo ,judus his ,description of the   
,deluge1 both as to the    ,commotions  
of the ,heavens1 and the ,fractions of  
the ,earth4 ,in his    first ,treatise  
de ,abrahamo1 mih1 p4 #bgi4    ,footnote
 #ac3      ,uti comparatio prcedens1    
ver4 #d1 #e1 #f4 de ortu ,telluris1     
sumitur    ab dificio1 ita hc altera de 
orsu maris1 sumitur  partu2             
exhibetur ,oceanus1 primm1 ut ftus      
inclusus in utero1 dein ut    erumpens  
prodeuns1 denique ut fasciis  primus    
suis panniis    involvutus4 ,atque ex   
aperto ,terr utero prorupit aquarum     
moles1 ut    proluties ill1 quam simul  
cum ftu profundere solet puerpera4      
,,an ,,answer ,,to ,,the ,,exceptions   
,,made ,,by ,mr4 ,,erasmus ,,warren1    
,against the ,,sacred ,,theory ,,of     
,,the ,,earth4                          
,,the ,,fourth ,,edition4               

,,london3                ,printed for   
,j4 ,,hooke1 at the ,flower de ,luce in 
,fleetstreet1 ,,mdccxxvi4           ,,an
 ,,answer ,,to ,,the ,,exceptions ,,made
 ,,by ,mr4 ,,erasmus ,,warren1 ,,against
 ,,the                          ,,theory
 of the ,,earth4      ,if it be         
,civility to return a speedy ,answer to 
a ,demand or ,message1 ,i  will not fail
 to pay that ,respect to the late       
,author of the ,exceptions  against the 
,theory of the ,earth4 ,i know1 short   
,follies1 and short  ,quarrels1 are the 
best3 ,and to offer ,satisfaction at the
 first  ,opportunity1 is the fairest    
,way to put an ,end to ,controversies4  
,besides1  such personal ,altercations  
as these1 are but ,res peritur1 which do
  not deserve much ,time or ,study2 but1
 like ,repartees1 are best made off     
hand1 and never thought on more4 ,i only
 desire that ,friendliness1 that  some  
,allowance may be made as to ,unaccuracy
 of ,style3 ,which is always  allow'd in
 hasty ,dispatches4    ,i shall make no 

,excursions from the ,subject1 nor use  
any other ,method  than to follow the   
learned ,exceptor from ,chapter to      
,chapter1 and  observe his ,steps and   
,motions1 so far as they are contrary to
 the  ,theory4 ,but if he divert out of 
his ,way1 for his ,pleasure1 or other   
,reasons best known to himself1 ,i may  
take notice of it perhaps1 but  shall   
not follow him any farther than my      
,business leads me2 having no  design to
 abridge his ,liberty1 but to defend my 
own ,writings where they  are attack'd4 
,give me leave therefore1 without any   
other ,preface or  ,ceremony1 to fall to
 our ,work4                             
,,chap4 ,i4      ,this ,chapter is only 
an ,introduction1 and treats of other   
,things1  without any particular        
,opposition to the ,theory4 ,and        
therefore ,i shall  only give you the   
,conclusion of it1 in the ,author's own 
,words3 ,so much  for the first         
,chapter2 which may be reckoned as an   
,introduction to the  following         

,discourse4 ,which if any shall look    
upon as a ,collection of  ,notes1       
somewhat confusedly put together1 rather
 than a formal1 well  digested          
,treatise1 they will entertain the best 
or truest ,idea of it4 ,a  severe       
,censure3 ,but every ,man best          
understands his own ,works4             
,,chap4 ,,ii4      ,here he begins to   
enter upon particular ,exceptions3 ,and 
his first ,head  is against the         
,formation of the ,earth1 pag4 #de4 as  
explained by the  ,theory4 ,to this he  
gives but one ,exception in this        
,chapter3 ,namely1 ,that  it would have 
taken up too much ,time2 the ,world     
being made in six  ,days4 ,whereas many 
,separations of the ,chaos1 and of the  
,elements1 were  to be made1 according  
to the ,theory1 which could not be      
dispatch'd in so  short a ,time4 ,to    
this ,exception1 the general ,answer may
 be this2 either  you take the          
,hypothesis of an ordinary ,providence1 
or of an  extraordinary1 as to the ,time

 allowed for the ,formation of the      
,earth3 ,if  you proceed according to an
 ordinary ,providence1 the ,formation of
 the  ,earth would require much more    
,time than six ,days3 ,but if according 
to an  extraordinary1 you may suppose it
 made in six ,minutes1 if you please4   
',twas plain ,work1 and a simple        
,process1 according to the ,theory2     
consisting only of such and such        
,separations1 and a ,concretion3 ,and   
either of these might be accelerated1   
and dispatch'd in a longer or  shorter  
,time1 as ,providence thought fit4      
,however1 this ,objection does not come 
well from the ,hands of this  ,author1  
who makes all the ,mountains of the     
,earth 7the most operose ,part  of it1  
as one would think7 to be rais'd in a   
small ,parcel of a ,day by  the ,heat   
and ,action of the ,sun2 as we shall    
find in the tenth ,chapter1  hereafter4 
,he seems to proceed by natural ,causes2
 for such are the ,heat  and ,action of 
the ,sun3 ,and if so1 he will find      

himself as much  straiten'd for ,time1  
as the ,theorist can be4 ,but if he say1
 the ,work of  ,nature and of the ,sun  
was accelerated by an extra-ordinary    
,power1 he  must allow us to say the    
same ,thing of the ,separations of the  
,chaos1 and  the first ,concretion of   
the ,earth4 ,for he cannot reasonably   
debar us  that ,liberty which he takes  
himself1 unless we have debarr'd and    
excluded our selves4 ,now 'tis plain1   
the ,theorist never excluded an         
extraordinary ,providence in the        
,formation and ,construction of the     
,earth2  as appears1 and is openly      
express'd in many ,parts of the ,theory1
 ,eng4  ,theor4 p4 #hh4 ,see1 if you    
please1 the ,conclusion of the fifth    
,chapter1 which treats about the        
,formation of the ,earth4 ,the last     
,paragraph is this3 ,give me leave only1
 before we proceed any farther1  to     
annex here a short ,advertisement1      
concerning the ,causes of this          
wonderful ,structure of the first       

,earth3 ',tis true1 we have propos'd the
  natural ,causes of it1 and ,i do not  
know wherein our ,explication is false  
or defective2 but in ,things of this    
,kind we may easily be too credulous3   
,and this ,structure is so marvellous1  
that it ought rather to be  consider'd  
as a particular ,effect of the ,divine  
,art1 than as the ,work of  ,nature4    
,the whole ,globe of the ,water vaulted 
over1 and the exterior  ,earth hanging  
above the ,deep1 sustain'd by nothing   
but its own ,measures  and ,manner of   
,construction3 ,a ,building without     
,foundation or  ,corner-stone4 ,this    
seems to be a ,piece of ,divine         
,geometry or  ,architecture2 and to     
this1 ,i think1 is to be referr'd that  
magnificent  ,challenge which ,god      
,almighty made to ,job2 ,where wast     
thou1 when ,i laid  the ,foundations of 
the ,earth8 ,declare1 c4 ,moses also1   
when be had  describ'd the ,chaos1      
saith1 ,the ,spirit of ,god mov'd upon1 
or sat  brooding upon1 the ,face of the 

,waters2 without all doubt1 to produce  
some ,effects there4 ,and ,st4 ,peter1  
when he speaks of the ,form of the      
,anti-deluvian ,earth1 how it stood1 in 
reference to the ,waters1 adds1 ,by  the
 ,word of ,god1 or by the ,wisdom of    
,god1 it was made so4 ,and this  same   
,wisdom of ,god1 in the ,proverbs1 as we
 observed before1 takes  notice of this 
very ,piece of ,work in the ,formation  
of the ,earth3 ,when  he set an ,orb    
over the ,face of the ,deep1 ,i was     
there4 ,wherefore to the  great         
,architect1 who made the boundless      
,universe out of nothing1 and  form'd   
the ,earth out of a ,chaos1 let the     
,praise of the whole ,work1 and         
particularly1 of this ,master-piece1 for
 ever1 with all ,honour1 be  given4 ,in 
like ,manner1 there is a larger ,account
 of ,providence1 both  ordinary and     
extraordinary1 as to the ,revolutions of
 the natural ,world1  in the last       
,paragraph of the eighth ,chapter2 and  
like ,reflections are  made in other    

,places1 when ,occasion is offer'd4     
,we have not1 therefore1 any where      
excluded the ,influence and ,benefit of 
superior ,causes1 where the ,case       
requires it3 ,especially1 when 'tis only
  to modify the ,effect1 as to ,time and
 ,dispatch4 ,and in that ,case1 none    
will have more need of it than himself2 
as we shall find in the  ,examination of
 his tenth ,chapter1 about the ,origin  
of ,mountains4    ,the rest of this     
second ,chapter is spent in three       
,excursions4 ,one in  justifying the    
,cartesian ,way of forming ,light and   
the ,sun1 as  agreeable to ,moses4 ,the 
second about the ,jewish ,cabala1 and   
,cabalistical ,interpretations4 ,and the
 third about mystical ,numbers4  ,but   
the ,theory not being concern'd in these
 ,things1 ,i leave them to the  ,author1
 and his ,readers1 to enjoy the         
,pleasure and ,profit of them4 ,and     
proceed to the third ,chapter4          
,,chap4 ,,iii4      ,in this ,chapter a 
second ,exception against the ,formation

 of the ,earth1  as propos'd in the     
,theory1 is alledg'd3 ,and 'tis this2   
,the ,fluctuation  of the ,chaos1 or of 
that first watery ,globe1 would hinder1 
he says1 any  ,concretion of ,earth upon
 its ,surface4 ,not that there were     
,winds or  ,storms then1 to agitate     
those ,waters2 neither would the ,motion
 of the  ,earth1 or the ,rotation of    
that ,globe1 disturb them1 as he allows 
there2  but the ,disturbance would have 
,rise from ,tides1 p4 #gd4 lin4 #ah1    
#ai4  or the ,ebbings and ,flowings of  
that great ,ocean1 which1 he says1 must 
have been then1 as well as now2 ,and the
 ,reason he gives1 is this2  because the
 ,flux and ,reflux of the ,sea depend   
upon the ,moon2 and the  ,moon was then 
present1 as he says1 in our ,heavens1 or
 in our ,vortex3 ,and  therefore1 would 
have the same ,effect then1 upon that   
,body of ,waters  which lay under it1   
that it hath now upon the ,sea4    ,that
 the ,moon was in the ,heavens1 and in  
our ,neighbourhood1 when the  ,earth was

 form'd1 he proves from the six ,days   
,creation3 and spends two  or three     
,pages in ,wit and ,scolding upon this  
,subject1 p4 #gg1 #gh1 #gi4  ,but1 with 
his leave1 when all is done1 his        
,argument will be of no ,force1  unless 
he can prove1 that the fourth ,day's    
,creation was before the  third4 ,i     
confess1 ,i have heard of a ,wager that 
was lost upon a like  ,case1 namely1    
,whether ,henry ,,viii4 was before      
,henry ,,vii8 ,but that was  done by    
,complot in the ,company1 to whom it was
 referr'd to decide the  ,question4 ,we 
have no ,plot here1 but appeal fairly to
 that ,judge the  ,exceptor hath chosen1
 namely1 to ,scripture1 which tells us1 
that the  ,moon was made the fourth     
,day1 and the ,earth was form'd the     
third4  ,therefore1 unless the fourth   
,day was before the third1 the ,moon    
could  not hinder the ,formation of the 
,earth4    ,but ,i hope1 say you1 this  
is a ,misrepresentation4 ,the           
,animadverter sure  would not put the   

,matter upon this ,issue4 ,yes1 he does4
 ,for when he had  oppos'd to our       
,formation of the ,earth1 the           
,fluctuation of the ,waters1  caus'd1 as
 he phrases it1 by the bulky ,presence  
of the ,moon1 he  concludes with these  
,words1 7p4 #gg4 ,parag4 #c47 ,but in   
reference to  this ,matter1 there is a  
,doubt made by the ,theorist1 which must
 be  consider'd and removed2 otherwise  
most of what hath been said1 touching   
the ,instability and ,fluctuation of    
these ,waters1 will be vain and         
groundless3 ,the ,doubt is1 ,whether the
 ,moon were then in our  ,neighbourhood4
 ,you see that ,matter is put upon this 
,issue1 ,whether the  ,moon was in the  
,neighbourhood of the ,earth1 at the    
,time of its  ,formation4 ,we say she   
was not2 and prove it by this plain     
,argument1 ,if  she was not in ,being at
 that ,time1 she was not in our         
,neighbourhood3 ,but  unless the fourth 
,day was before the third1 she was not  
in ,being4  ,ergo4    ,but after all1 if

 the ,moon had been present then1 and   
there had been  ,tides1 or any other    
,fluctuation towards the ,poles1 we have
 no ,reason to  believe1 according to   
the ,experiences we have now1 that that 
would have  hinder'd the ,formation of  
the ,earth1 upon the ,surface of the    
,chaos4 ,for  why should they have      
hinder'd that more1 than they do the    
,formation of  ,ice upon the ,surface of
 the ,sea8 ,we know1 in cold ,regions1  
the ,seas are  frozen1 notwithstanding  
their ,tides2 and in the ,mouths of     
,rivers1 where  there is both the       
,current and ,stream of the ,river on   
one hand1 and the  ,counter-,current of 
the ,tides on the other2 these1         
together1 cannot  hinder the ,concretion
 that is made on the ,surface of the    
,water3 ,and our  ,water is a ,substance
 more thin1 and easily broken1 than that
 tenacious  ,film was1 that cover'd the 
,chaos4 ,,wherefore1 upon all           
,suppositions1 we  have ,reason to      
conclude1 that no ,fluctuations of the  

,chaos could hinder  the ,formation of  
the first ,earth4    ,lastly1 ,the      
,observator opposes the ,reasons that   
are given by the  ,theorist1 why the    
,presence of the ,moon was less needful 
in the first  ,world4 ,namely1 because  
there were no long ,winter ,nights2 nor 
the great  ,pool of the ,sea to move or 
govern4 ,as to the second ,reason1 'tis 
only  hypothetical2 and if the          
,hypothesis be true1 ,that there was no 
open  ,sea at that ,time1 7which must be
 elsewhere examin'd17 the ,consequence  
is  certainly true4 ,but as to the first
 ,reason1 he will not allow the         
,consequence1 tho' the ,hypothesis be   
admitted4 ,for he says1 p4 #gi4 ,as     
there were no long ,winter ,nights then1
 so there were no short ,summer  ones   
neither3 ,so that set but the one       
against the other1 and the  ,presence of
 the ,moon may seem to have been as     
needful then1 in regard of  the ,length 
of ,nights1 as she is now4 ,this looks  
like a witty  ,observation1 but it does 

not reach the ,point4 ,is there as much 
need of  the ,moon in ,spain1 as in     
,lapland1 or the ,northern ,countries8  
,there  is as much ,night in one ,place 
as another1 within the ,compass of a    
,year1  but the great ,inconvenience is1
 when the ,night falls upon the ,hours  
of  ,travel1 or the ,hours of ,work and 
,business2 for if it fall only upon     
,hours of ,sleep1 or of ,rest and       
,retirement1 as it does certainly more  
in  ,spain1 and in those ,climates that 
approach nearer to an ,equinox2 the     
,moon is there less necessary in that   
,respect3 ,we can sleep without         
,moonshine1 or without ,light1 but we   
cannot travel1 or do ,business  abroad1 
without ,hazard and great               
,inconvenience1 if there be no ,light4  
,so  that the ,reason of the ,theorist  
holds good1 viz4 ,that there would be   
more ,necessity of ,moon-shine in long  
,winter ,nights1 than in a perpetual    
,equinox4    ,we proceed now to the rest
 of this ,chapter1 which is made up of  

some  secondary ,charges against this   
,part of the ,theory1 concerning the    
,chaos  and the ,formation of the first 
,earth4 ,as1 ,first1 ,that it is1 p4    
#hj1  #ha4 ,precarious3 ,secondly1 p4   
#hc4 ,unphilosophical3 ,and1 ,thirdly1  
,antiscriptural2 which we shall answer  
in order4 ,he seems to offer at  three  
or four ,instances of ,precariousness1  
as to the ,ingredients of  the ,chaos1  
their ,proportions and ,separations2 but
 his ,quarrel is chiefly  with the oily 
,particles3 ,these he will scarce allow 
at all2 nor that  they could separate   
themselves in due ,time to receive the  
terrestrial1  at least in due           
,proportions4    ,first1 ,he would have 
no oily ,particles in the ,chaos4 ,but  
why so1 ,i pray8  ,what ,proof or just  
,exception is there against them8 ,why  
may not there be  original oily         
,particles1 as well as original salt    
,particles8 ,such as  your great ,master
 ,des ,cartes supposes1 ,prin4 ph4 l4   
#d4 4 #hd4  ,meteor4 c4 #a4 4 #h4 ,he   

who considers that vast ,quantity of    
oleaginous ,matter that is dispers'd    
every where1 in ,vegetables1 in         
,animals1 and in many sorts of ,earths1 
and that this must have been from  the  
,beginning1 or as soon as the ,earth had
 any ,furniture2 will see  ,reason to   
believe that such ,particles must be    
thought original and  primeval2 not     
forg'd below the ,abyss1 and extracted  
from the inferior  ,regions of the      
,earth3 ,for that would require a       
,process of many ,ages2  whereas1 these 
being the ,principles of ,fertility1 it 
is reasonable to  suppose1 that a new   
,world abounds with them more than an   
old one4  ,lastly1 ,if we suppose oily  
,particles to be tenuious and branchy1  
as your  ,philosopher does1 too gross to
 be ,air1 and too light for ,water2 why 
should we imagine that in that vast     
,mass and ,variety of ,particles1       
whereof the ,chaos consisted1 there     
should not be any of this ,figure1 as   
well as of others8 ,or1 what ,reason is 

there to suppose1 that there are  none  
of that ,figure1 but what are brought   
from the inferior ,regions of  the      
,earth8 ,for1 of all others1 these seem 
to be the most unlikely1 if  not        
incapable1 of being extracted from      
thence4 ,and if there be only a  gradual
 ,difference1 in ,magnitude and         
,mobility1 betwixt the ,particles of    
,air and ,oil1 as that ,philosopher     
seems to suppose1 ,prin4 phil4 l4 #d4  4
 #gf4 why must we exclude these         
,degrees1 and yet admit the higher and  
lower8    ,the second ,thing which he   
charges with ,precariousness1 is the    
,separation of this oily ,matter1 in due
 time1 so as to make a ,mixture and     
,concretion with the terrestrial        
,particles that fell from above4 ,this  
,objection was both made and answered by
 the ,theorist2 ,eng4 ,theor4 p4  #gi4  
which the ,observator might have        
vouchsaf'd to have taken notice of2  and
 either confuted the ,answer1 or spar'd 
himself the ,pains of repeating  the    

,objection4    ,the third               
,precariousness is1 concerning the      
,quantity and ,proportion of  these     
,particles3 ,and the fourth1 concerning 
the ,quantity and ,proportion  of the   
,water4 ,the ,exceptor1 it seems1 would 
have had the ,theorist to  have gauged  
these ,liquors1 and told him the just   
,measure and ,proportion  of each2 but1 
in what ,theory or ,hypothesis is that  
done8 ,has his great  ,philosopher1 in  
his ,hypothesis of ,three ,elements1    
7which the ,exceptor  makes use of1 p4  
#eb47 or in his several ,regions of the 
unform'd ,earth1  the ,fourth ,book of  
his ,principles1 defin'd the ,quantity  
and ,dimensions  of each8 ,or in the    
mineral ,particles and ,juices1 which he
 draws from the  lower ,regions1 does he
 determine the ,quantity of them8 ,and  
yet these1 by  their ,excess1 or        
,defect1 might be of great              
,inconvenience to the ,world3  ,neither 
do ,i censure him for these ,things1 as 
precarious4 ,for1 when  the ,nature of a

 ,thing admits a ,latitude1 the original
 ,quantity of it is  left to be         
determin'd by the ,effects2 and the     
,hypothesis stands good1 if  neither any
 ,thing antecedent1 nor any present     
,phnomena1 can be  alledged against it4 
,but if these ,examples1 from his great 
,philosopher be not sufficient1 ,i  will
 give him one from an ,author beyond all
 ,exceptions2 ,and that is from         
himself4 ,does the ,animadverter1 in his
 new ,hypothesis concerning the         
,deluge1 ,ch4 #ae4 give us the just     
,proportions of his ,rock-,water1 and   
the just ,proportions of his            
,rain-,water1 that concurred to make the
  ,deluge8 ,i find no ,calculations     
there1 but general ,expressions1 that   
the  one was far greater than the other2
 and that may be easily presumed1       
concerning the oily ,substance1 and the 
watery ,chaos3 ,what ,scruples          
therefore1 p4 #hj1 #ha4 he raises1 in   
reference to the ,chaos1 against  the   
,theorist1 for not having demonstrated  

the ,proportions of the ,liquors  of the
 ,abyss1 fall upon his own ,hypothesis2 
for the same or greater  ,reasons4 ,and 
you know what the old ,verse says1      
,turpe est ,doctori1 cum culpa redurguit
 ipsum4    ,but1 however1 he will have  
such ,exceptions1 p4 #ha4 to stand good 
against the ,theorist1 though they are  
not good against other ,persons2        
because the ,theorist stands upon       
,terms#ad of ,certainty1 and in one     
,place of his ,book1 has this ,sentence1
 ,ego quidem1 c4 ,these ,words1 ,i      
think1 are very exceptionable1 if they  
be taken with the ,context3 ,for  this  
,evidence and ,certainty1 which the     
,theorist speaks of1 is brought in      
there in ,opposition to such uncertain  
,arguments1 as are taken from the       
,interpretation of ,fables and ,symbols2
 or from ,etymologies and  ,grammatical 
,criticisms1 which are expresly         
mention'd in the preceding  ,discourse3 
,and yet this ,sentence1 because it     
might be taken in too great  an ,extent1

 is left out in the second ,edition of  
the ,theory1 and  therefore1 none had   
,reason to insist upon it4 ,but ,i see  
the ,exceptor  puts himself into a      
,state of ,war1 and thinks there is no  
foul ,play  against an ,enemy4    ,so   
much for his ,charge of ,precariousness4
 ,we now come to the second1  which is  
call'd ,unphilosophicalness4 ,and1 why  
is the ,theorist1 in this  ,case1       
unphilosophical8 ,because1 says the     
,exceptor1 he supposes  terrestrial     
,particles to be dispers'd through the  
whole ,sphere of the  ,chaos1 as high as
 the ,moon3 ,and why not1 pray1 if it be
 a mere ,chaos8  ,where1 antecedently to
 ,separations1 all ,things are mix'd and
 blended  without ,distinction of       
,gravity or ,levity2 otherwise it is not
 a mere  ,chaos3 ,and when ,separations 
begin to be made1 and ,distinction of   
,parts  and ,regions1 so far it is      
ceasing to be a mere ,chaos4 ,but then1 
says the  ,observator1 why did not the  
,moon come down1 as well as these       

terrestrial  ,particles8 ,i answer by   
another ,question1 ,why does not the    
,moon come down  now8 ,seeing she is    
still in our ,vortex1 and at the same   
,distance2 and so  the same ,reason     
which keeps her up now1 kept her up     
then3 ,which ,reason  he will not be at 
a loss to understand1 if he understand  
the ,principles  of his great           
,philosopher4    ,we come now to the    
last ,charge3 ,that the ,theory1 in this
 ,part of it1 is  antiscriptural4 ,and  
why so8 ,because it supposes the ,chaos 
dark1  whereas the ,scripture says1     
there was ,light the first ,day4 ,well1 
but  does the ,scripture say1 that the  
,chaos was throughly illuminated the    
first ,day8 ,the ,exceptor1 p4 #eb4 as  
,i remember1 makes the primigenial      
,light to have been the ,rudiment of a  
,sun2 and calls it there1 lin4 #ag4  a  
faint ,light1 and a feeble ,light2 and  
in this ,place1 lin4 #bg4 a  faint      
,glimmering4 ,if then the ,sun1 in all  
its ,strength and ,glory1  cannot       

sometimes dispel a ,mist out of the     
,air1 what could this faint1  feeble    
,glimmering do1 towards the ,dissipation
 of such a gross  caliginous ,opacity1  
as that was8 ,this ,light might be      
sufficient to make  some ,distinction of
 ,day and ,night in the ,skies2 and we  
do not find any  other ,mark of its     
,strength in ,scripture1 nor any other  
,use made of it4    ,so we have done    
with this ,chapter4 ,give me leave only1
 without ,offence1  to observe the      
,style of the ,exceptor1 in reference to
 ,scripture1 and the  ,theory4 ,he is   
apt to call every ,thing antiscriptural1
 that suits not  his ,sense2 neither is 
that enough1 but he must also call it1  
p4 #gh4 a  bold ,affront to ,scripture4 
,he confesses1 he hath made1 p4 #bii4   
pen4 a little bold with ,scripture      
himself1 in his new ,hypothesis2  how   
much that little will prove1 we shall   
see hereafter4 ,but however1  as to that
 hard ,word1 ,affront1 a discreet ,man1 
as he is not apt to  give an ,affront1  

so neither is he forward to call every  
cross ,word1 an  ,affront3 ,both those  
,humours are ,extreams1 and breed       
,quarrels4 ,suppose a  ,man should say  
boldly1 ,god ,almighty hath no ,right   
,hand4 ,oh1 might the  ,animadverter    
cry1 ,that's a bold ,affront to         
,scripture3 ,for ,i can shew  you many  
and plain ,texts of ,scripture1 both in 
the ,old ,testament1 and  in the ,new   
,testament1 where express ,mention is   
made of ,god's ,right  ,hand4 ,and will 
you offer to oppose ,reason and         
,philosophy to express  ,words of       
,scripture1 often repeated1 and in both 
,testaments8 ,o ,tempora1  ,o ,mores6   
,so far as my ,observation reaches1 weak
 ,reasons commonly  produce strong      
,passions4 ,when a ,man hath clear      
,reasons1 they satisfy and  quiet the   
,mind2 and he is not much concern'd1    
whether others receive his  ,notions1 or
 no3 ,but when we have a strong         
,aversion to an ,opinion1 from  other   
,motives and ,considerations1 and find  

our ,reasons doubtful or  insufficient2 
then1 according to the ,course of human 
,nature1 the  ,passions rise for a      
farther ,assistance2 and what is        
wanting1 in point of  ,argument1 is made
 up by ,invectives and ,aggravations4   
,footnote #ad3      ,eg3 quidem i et sum
 sententis1 so in barum resum de quibus 
agnt    regnitienem1 a alarum qunque1   
quo mements snt1 sum s ,des aut ,natur  
ut    pat estes perviniendi1 ratio i ce 
est1 aliq claris invi3 ,non             
eujecturatis1 v1 ,quetras nimpe i1 que  
opesmi sui1 qui meimi sicavent    ab1   
quam amcteren4                          
,,chap4 ,,iv4      ,this ,chapter is    
chiefly concerning the ,central ,fire1  
and the ,origin  of the ,chaos2 of both 
which1 the ,theorist had declared he    
would not  treat3 ,and 'tis an          
unreasonable ,violence to force an      
,author to treat of  what ,things we    
please1 and not allow him to prescribe  
,bounds to his own  ,discourse4 ,as to  
the first of these1 see what the        

,theorist hath said1  ,engl4 ,theor4 p4 
#dea1 and #hf1 #fg4 ,by which ,passages 
it is evident1  that he did not meddle  
with the central ,parts of the ,earth2  
nor thought  it necessary for his       
,hypothesis3 ,as is also more fully     
express'd in the  ,latin ,theory1 p4    
#de4 ,for1 do but allow him a ,chaos    
from the ,bottom  of the ,abyss1 upwards
 to the ,moon1 and he desires no more   
for the  ,formation of an habitable     
,earth3 ,neither is it the ,part of     
,wisdom1 to  load a new ,subject with   
unnecessary ,curiosities4    ,then as to
 the ,origin of the ,chaos1 see how the 
,theorist bounds his  ,discourse as to  
that1 #ae;,engl4 ,theor4 p4 #dea4 ,i did
 not think it  necessary to carry the   
,story and ,original of the ,earth1     
higher than the  ,chaos1 as ,zoroaster  
and ,orpheus seem to have done2 but     
taking that  for our ,foundation which  
,antiquity1 sacred and profane1 does    
suppose1  and natural ,reason approve   
and confirm1 we have form'd the ,earth  

from  it4 ,to form an habitable ,earth  
from a ,chaos given1 and to shew all the
  great ,periods and general ,changes of
 that ,earth1 throughout the whole      
,course of its ,duration1 or while it   
remain'd an ,earth1 was the adequate    
,design of the ,theorist4 ,and was this 
,design so short or shallow1 that it    
could not satisfy the great ,soul of the
 ,exceptor1 p4 #hh4 but it must  be a   
,flaw in the ,hypothesis1 that it did go
 higher than the ,chaos8 ,we  content   
our selves with these ,bounds at        
present4 ,and when a ,man  declares1    
that he will write only the ,roman      
,history1 will you say his  ,work's     
imperfect1 because it does not take in  
the ,persian and  ,assyrian8    ,these  
,things consider'd1 to speak freely of  
this ,chapter1 it seems to  me1 in a    
great ,measure1 impertinent2 unless it  
was design'd to shew the  ,learning of  
the ,observator1 who loves1 ,i perceive1
 to dabble in  ,philosophy1 though      
little to the ,purpose3 ,for1 as far as 

,i see1 his  ,disquistions generally end
 in ,scepticism2 he disputes first one  
way1  then another2 and1 at last        
determines nothing4 ,he rambles betwixt 
,des  ,cartes and ,moses1 the ,rabbies1 
the ,septuagint1 the ,platonists1       
,magnetisme1 striate ,particles1 and    
,pr-existence of ,souls3 ,and  ends in  
nothing1 as to the ,formation of the    
,earth1 which was to be the  ,subject of
 the ,chapter4 ,we proceed therefore to 
the next1 in hopes to  meet with closer 
,reasoning4    ,footnote #ae3      ,si  
admittamus insupor ,ignam ,centratem1   
sive ,maisom ignir in centra    ,terra1 
quod quidem ain est basus argumenti4    
,neque partem intimam    ,chaos1 niji   
ibiter  pro formo1 conjiaeravi1 cum ad  
um1 nesram non    spestet4 ,vid4 etiam  
p4 #ahf4                                
,,chap4 ,v4      ,from the manner of the
 ,earth's ,formation1 the ,exceptor1 p4 
#ajf4 now  proceeds to the ,form of it1 
if compleated4 ,and his first ,exception
 is1  ,that it would want ,waters1 or   

,rivers to water it4 ,he says1 there    
would  either be no ,rivers at all1 or  
none1 at least1 in due time4    ,the    
,theorist hath replenish'd that ,earth  
with ,rivers1 flowing from the  extreme 
,parts of it1 towards the middle1 in    
continual ,streams2 and  watering1 as a 
,garden1 all the intermediate ,climates4
 ,and this constant  ,supply of ,water  
was made from the ,heavens1 by an       
uninterrupted ,stream of  ,vapours1     
which had their ,course through the     
,air1 from the middle ,parts  of the    
,earth towards the extreme2 and falling 
in ,rains1 return'd again  upon the     
,surface of the ,earth1 from the extreme
 ,parts to the middle3 ,for  that ,earth
 being of an oval or something oblong   
,figure1 there would be a  ,declivity   
all along1 or ,descent1 from the ,polar 
,parts towards the  ,equinoctial2 which 
gave ,course and ,motion to these       
,waters4 ,and the  ,vapours above never 
falling in their ,course1 the ,rivers   
would never fail  below2 but a perpetual

 ,circulation would be establish'd1     
betwixt the  ,waters of the ,heavens and
 of the ,earth4    ,this is a short     
,account of the ,state of the ,waters in
 the primeval  ,earth4 ,which you may   
see represented and explain'd more at   
large1 in the  second ,book of the      
,theory1 ,chap4 #e4 ,and this1 ,i       
believe1 is an ,idea  more easily       
conceiv'd1 than any we could form       
concerning the ,waters and  ,rivers of  
the present ,earth1 if we had not       
,experience of them4 ,suppose a         
,stranger1 that had never seen this     
terraqueous ,globe1 where we live at    
present1 but was told the general ,form 
of it2 how the ,sea lies1 how the       
,land1 and what was the ,constitution of
 the ,heavens3 ,if this ,stranger was   
asked his ,opinion1 whether such an     
,earth was habitable2 and  particularly1
 whether they could have ,waters        
commodiously in such an  ,earth1 and how
 the inland ,countries would be         
supplied8 ,i am apt to  think1 he would 

find it more difficult 7upon an ,idea   
only1 without  ,experience7 to provide  
,waters for such an ,earth1 as ours is  
at present1  than for such an one as the
 primeval ,earth was4 ',tis true1 he    
would  easily find ,rains1 possible and 
natural1 but with no ,constancy or      
,regularity2 and these1 he might        
imagine1 would only make transient      
,torrents1 not any fix'd and permanent  
,rivers4 ,but as for ,fountains  deriv'd
 from the ,sea1 and breaking out in     
higher ,grounds1 ,i am apt to  believe1 
all his ,philosophy would not be able to
 make a clear ,discovery  of them3 ,but 
,things that are familiar to us by      
,experience1 we think easy  in          
,speculation1 or never enquire into the 
,causes of them4 ,whereas1 other        
,things1 that never fall under our      
,experience1 though more simple and     
intelligible in themselves1 we reject   
often as ,paradoxes or ,romances4  ,let 
this be applied to the present ,case1   
and we proceed to answer the            

,exceptions4    ,let us take that       
,exception first1 as most material1 p4  
#aad4 that  pretends there would have   
been no ,rivers at all in the primeval  
,earth1  if it was of such a ,form as   
the ,theorist had describ'd4 ,and for   
this1 he  gives one grand ,reason1      
,because the ,regions towards the       
,poles1 where the  ,rains are suppos'd  
to fall1 and the ,rivers to rise1 would 
have been all  frozen and congeal'd2 and
 consequently1 no fit ,sources of ,water
 for the  rest of the ,earth4 ,why we   
should think those ,regions would be    
frozen1  and the ,rains that fell in    
them1 he gives two ,reasons1 the        
,distance1 and  the ,obliquity of the   
,sun4 ,as also the ,experience we have  
now1 of the  ,coldness and ,frozenness  
of those ,parts of the ,earth4 ,but as  
to the  ,distance of the ,sun1 ,he      
confesses1 p4 #aah4 that is not the     
,thing that  does only or chiefly make a
 ,climate cold4 ,he might have added1   
particularly in that ,earth1 where the  

,sun was never at a greater  ,distance  
than the ,equator4 ,then1 as to the     
,obliquity of the ,sun1  neither was    
that so great1 nor so considerable1 in  
the first ,earth1 as  in the present4   
,because the ,body of that lay in a     
direct ,position to the  ,sun2 whereas  
the present ,earth lies in an oblique4  
,and though the ,polar  ,circles or     
,circumpolar ,parts of that ,earth1 did 
not lie so perpendicular  to the ,sun as
 the ,equinoctial1 and consequently were
 cooler1 yet there  was no ,danger of   
their being frozen or congeal'd4 ,it was
 more the  ,moisture and excessive      
,rains of those ,parts that made them   
uninhabitable1 than the extreme         
,coldness of the ,climate1 of it self4  
,and  if the ,exceptor had well         
consider'd the ,differences betwixt the 
present  and primitive ,earth1 as to    
,obliquity of ,position1 and that which 
follows  from it1 the ,length of        
,nights1 he would have found no ,reason 
to have  charg'd that ,earth with       

nipping and freezing ,cold2 where there 
was  not1 ,i believe1 one ,morsel of    
,ice1 from one ,pole to another3 ,but   
that  will better appear1 if we consider
 the ,causes of ,cold4    ,there are    
three general ,causes of ,cold3 ,the    
,distance of the ,sun1 his  ,obliquity1 
and his total ,absence2 ,i mean in the  
,nights4 ,as to ,distance1  that alone  
must be of little ,effect1 seeing there 
are many ,planets  7which must not be   
look'd upon as mere ,lumps of ,ice7 at a
 far greater  ,distance from the ,sun1  
than ours3 ,and as to ,obliquity1 you   
see it was  much less considerable in   
the respective ,parts of the ,primitive 
,earth1  than of the present4           
,wherefore1 these are to be consider'd  
but as  secondary ,causes of ,cold1 in  
respect of the third1 the total ,absence
 of  the ,sun in the ,night ,time3 ,and 
where this happens to be long and       
tedious1 there you must expect ,excess  
of ,cold4 ,now1 in the primitive  ,earth
 there was no such ,thing as long       

,winter ,nights1 but every where a      
perpetual ,equinox1 or a perpetual ,day4
 ,and consequently1 there was no  ,room 
or ,cause of excessive ,cold in any     
,part of it4 ,but on the contrary1  the 
,case is very different in the present  
,earth2 for in our ,climate1 we  have   
not the ,presence of the ,sun1 in the   
,depth of ,winter1 half as long  as he  
is absent2 and towards the ,poles they  
have ,nights that last  several ,weeks  
or ,months together3 ,and then 'tis that
 the ,cold rages1  binds up the ,ground1
 freezes the ,ocean1 and makes those    
,parts more or  less uninhabitable4 ,but
 where no such ,causes are1 you need not
 fear any  such ,effects4    ,thus much 
to shew that there might be ,rains1     
,waters1 and ,rivers1 in the            
primigenial ,earth1 and towards the     
extreme ,parts of it1 without any       
,danger of freezing4 ,but however1 says 
the other ,part of the ,exception1      
,these ,rivers would not be made in due 
,time4 ,that's wholly according to  the 

,process you take2 if you take a mere   
natural ,process1 the ,rivers  could not
 flow throughout the ,earth1 all on a   
sudden2 but you may  accelerate that    
,process1 as much as you please1 by a   
,divine ,hand4 ,as to  this ,particular 
indeed of the ,rivers1 one would think  
there should be no  ,occasion for their 
sudden flowing through the ,earth1      
because ,mankind  could not be suddenly 
propagated throughout the ,earth3 ,and  
if they did  but lead the ,way1 and     
prepare the ,ground in every ,country1  
before  ,mankind arrived there1 that    
seems to be all that would be necessary 
upon  their ,account3 ,neither can it be
 imagined1 but that the ,rivers would   
flow faster than ,mankind could follow2 
for it is probable1 in the first        
hundred ,years1 ,men did not reach an   
hundred ,miles from ,home1 or from      
their first ,habitations3 ,and we cannot
 suppose the ,defluxion of ,water1  upon
 any ,declivity1 to be half so slow4 ,as
 to the ,channels of these  ,rivers1 the

 ,manner of their ,progress1 and other  
,circumstances1 those  ,things are set  
down fully enough in the fifth ,chapter 
of the second  ,book of the ,english    
,theory1 and it would be needless to    
repeat them  here4    ,but the          
,anti-,theorist says1 this slow         
,production and ,propagation of  ,rivers
 is contrary to ,scripture2 both because
 of the ,rivers of ,paradise1  and also1
 because ,fishes were made the sixth    
,day4 ,as to that of the  ,fishes1 he   
must first prove that those were        
,river-,fishes2 for the  ,scripture1    
,gen4 i4 #ba4 and #bb4 makes them       
,sea-,fish1 and instances in  great     
,whales4 ,but he says 7p4 #aac1 #aad47  
it will appear in the ,sequel  of his   
,discourse1 that the ,abyss could be no 
,receptacle of ,fishes4 ,to  that       
,sequel of his ,discourse therefore we  
must refer the ,examination of  this    
,particular4 ,then as to ,paradise1 that
 was but one single ,spot of  ,ground1  
ch4 xiii4 according to the ordinary     

,hypothesis2 which he seems  to adhere  
to3 ,and ,rivers might be there as soon 
as he pleases1 seeing  its ,seat is not 
yet determin'd4 ,but as for the ,lands  
which they are said  to traverse or     
encompass1 that they might be the ,work 
of ,time1 when  their ,channels and     
,courses were extended and settled2 as  
they would be1  doubtless1 long before  
the ,time that ,moses writ that         
,description3 ,but  as to the ,rivers of
 ,paradise1 it would be a long ,story to
 handle that  ,dispute here4 ,and 'tis  
fit the ,authors should first agree     
amongst  themselves1 before we determine
 the ,original of its ,river1 or        
,rivers4                                
,,chap4 ,,vi4      ,we come now to the  
,deluge1 where the great ,exception is  
this1 p4 #aba4  ,that according to the  
,theory1 the ,deluge would have come to 
pass1  whether ,mankind had been        
degenerate1 or no4    ,we know ,mankind 
did degenerate1 and 'tis a dangerous    
,thing to argue upon  false             

,suppositions2 and to tell what would   
have come to pass1 in case  such a      
,thing had not come to pass3 ,suppose   
,adam had not sinn'd1 what  would have  
become of the ,messiah8 ,eph4 i4 #d4 #a 
,pet4 i4 #bj4 ,apoc4  xiii4 #h4 and the 
,dispensation of the ,gospel1 which yet 
is said to have  been determin'd more   
early than the ,deluge8 ,let the        
,anti-,theorist answer  himself this    
,question1 and he may answer his own4   
,but to take a gentler ,instance1       
suppose ,adam had not eaten the         
forbidden ,fruit1 how could he and all  
his ,posterity have liv'd in  ,paradise8
 ,a few ,generations would have fill'd  
that ,place2 and should the  rest have  
been turn'd out into the wide ,world1   
without any sin or ,fault  of theirs8   
,you suppose the ,ante-diluvian ,heavens
 and ,earth to have been  the same with 
the present1 and1 consequently1 subject 
to the same  ,accidents and             
,inconveniences4 ,the ,action of the    
,sun would have been the  same then as  

now1 according to your ,hypothesis3 ,the
 same ,excesses of  ,heat and ,cold1 in 
the several ,regions and ,climates2 the 
same ,vapours and  ,exhalations         
extracted out of the ,earth2 the same   
,impurities and  ,corruptions in the    
,air3 ,and in ,consequence of these1 the
 same external  ,disposition to         
epidemical ,distempers4 ,besides1 there 
would be the same  ,storms and ,tempests
 at ,sea1 the same ,earthquakes1 and    
other ,desolations  at ,land4 ,so that  
had all the ,sons and ,daughters of     
,men1 to use the  ,exceptor's elegant   
,style1 p4 #abb4 been as pure and bright
 as they  could possibly have dropt out 
of the ,mint of ,creation1 they should  
still have been subject to all these    
,inconveniences and ,calamities4 ,if    
,mankind had continued spotless and     
undegenerate 'till the ,deluge1 or for  
sixteen hundred ,years1 they might as   
well have continued so for sixteen      
hundred more4 ,and in a far less ,time1 
according to their ,fruitfulness  and   

,multiplication1 the whole ,face of the 
,earth would have been thick  covered   
with ,inhabitants3 ,every ,continent and
 every ,island1 every  ,mountain and    
every ,desert1 and all the ,climates    
from ,pole to ,pole4 ,but  could naked  
,innocency have liv'd happy in the      
frozen ,zones1 where ,bears  and ,foxes 
can scarce subsist8 in the midst of     
,snows and ,ice1 thick ,fogs1  and more 
than gyptian ,darkness1 for some ,months
 together8 ,would all  this have been a 
,paradise1 or a paradisaical ,state1 to 
these virtuous  ,creatures8 ,i think it 
would be more advisable for the         
,exceptor1 not to  enter into such      
,disputes1 grounded only upon           
,suppositions4 ,god's  ,prescience is   
infallible1 as his ,counsels are        
immutable4    ,but the ,exceptor further
 suggests1 p4 #aba4 that the ,theory    
does not  allow a judicial and          
extraordinary ,providence in bringing on
 the ,deluge1  as a ,punishment upon    
,mankind4 ,which1 ,i must needs say1 is 

an untrue and  uncharitable ,suggestion1
 as any one may see1 both in the ,latin 
,theory  #af ,chap4 #f4 and in the      
,english1 in several ,places4 ,so at the
  ,entrance upon the ,explication of the
 ,deluge 7,theor4 p4 #ib47 are  these   
,words1 ,let us then suppose1 that at a 
,time appointed by ,divine  ,providence1
 and from ,causes made ready to do that 
great ,execution upon a  sinful ,world1 
that this ,abyss was open'd1 and the    
,frame of the ,earth  broke1 c4 ,and    
accordingly in the ,conclusion of that  
,discourse about  the ,deluge1 are these
 ,words1 7,theor4 p4 #add47 ,in the mean
 time ,i do not  know any more to be    
added in this ,part1 unless it be to    
conclude with an  ,advertisement to     
prevent any ,mistake or                 
,misconstruction1 as if this  ,theory1  
by explaining the ,deluge in a natural  
,way1 or by natural ,causes1  did       
detract from the ,power of ,god1 by     
which that ,,great ,,judgment ,,was     
,,brought ,,upon ,,the ,,world1 ,,in ,a 

,,providential ,,and ,,miraculous       
,,manner4 ,and in  the three following  
,paragraphs 7,theor4 p4 #add1 #ade1     
#adf47 which  conclude that ,chapter1   
there is a full ,account given both of  
an ordinary  and extraordinary          
,providence1 in reference to the        
,deluge1 and other  great ,revolutions  
of the natural ,world4    ,but it is a  
,weakness however to think1 that1 when a
 ,train is laid in  ,nature1 and        
,methods concerted1 for the execution of
 a ,divine ,judgment1  therefore it is  
not providential4 ,god is the ,author   
and ,governor of  the natural ,world1 as
 well as of the ,moral3 ,and he sees    
thorough the  ,futuritions of both1 and 
hath so dispos'd the one1 as to serve   
him in  his just ,judgments upon the    
other4 ,which ,method1 as it is more to 
the  ,honour of his ,wisdom1 so it is in
 no way to the ,prejudice of his ,power 
or ,justice4 ,and what the ,exceptor    
suggests concerning ,atheists1 and      
their presum'd ,cavils at such an       

,explication of the ,deluge1 is a ,thing
  only said at random and without       
,grounds4 ,on the contrary1 so to       
represent the ,sense of ,scripture1 in  
natural ,things1 as to make it          
unintelligible1 and inconsistent with   
,science and ,philosophick ,truth1 is   
one great ,cause1 in my ,opinion1 that  
breeds and nourishes ,atheism4          
,footnote #af3      ,notandum ver1      
quamvis mundi veteris dissolutionem     
rationes ,diluvii    secundum ordinem   
causarum naturalium1 explicemus1 qud eo 
modo magis    clar  distinct            
intelligantur2 non ide in pnam humani   
generis    ordinatum suisse diluvium1   
singulisque ipsius motibus prfuisse     
providentiam1 inficiamur3 im in eo      
elucet maxim ,sapientia divina1    qud  
mundum naturalem morali ita coaptet     
attemperet1 ut hujus    ingenio1 illius 
ordo  dispositio semper respondeat3     
amberum    libratis momentis1 simul     
concurrant  un compleantur utriusque    
tempora  vicissitudines2 ipse etiam     

,apostolus ,petrus diluvii     excidii  
mundani causas naturales assignat1 cm   
ait1  1 c4                              
,,chap4 ,,vii4      ,this ,chapter is   
about the ,places of ,scripture1        
alledg'd in ,confirmation  of the       
,theory3 ,and chiefly concerning that   
remarkable ,discourse in ,st4  ,peter1  
#b ,epist4 iii4 which treats of the     
,difference of the  ,ante-diluvian      
,world1 and the present ,world4 ,that   
,discourse is so fully  explain'd in the
 ,review of the ,theory1 that ,i think  
it is plac'd  beyond all ,exception4    
,and the ,animadverter here makes his   
,exception only  against the first      
,words1 ver4 #e4     1  which we thus   
render1 ,for this they willingly are    
ignorant of4 ,but he  generally renders 
it1 wilfully ignorant of1 and lays a    
great ,stress  upon that word wilfully4 
,but if he quarrel with the ,english    
,translation1 in this particular1 he    
must also fault the ,vulgate1 and       
,beza1 and all others that ,i have yet  

met withal4 ,and it had been very       
proper for him1 in this ,case1 to have  
given us some ,instances or ,proofs1    
out of ,scripture or ,greek ,authors1   
where this ,phrase signifies a  wilful  
and obstinate ,ignorance4 ,he says it   
must have been a wilful  ,ignorance1    
otherwise it was not blameable3 ,whereas
 ,st4 ,peter gives it  a sharp ,reproof4
 ,i answer1 ,there are many ,kinds and  
,degrees of blameable  ,ignorance2 a    
contented ,ignorance1 an ,ignorance from
 ,prejudices1 from  ,non-attendance1 and
 want of due ,examination4 ,these are   
all blameable in  some ,degree1 and all 
deserve some ,reproof2 but it was not   
their  ,ignorance that ,st4 ,peter      
chiefly reproves1 but their deriding and
  scoffing at the ,doctrine of the      
coming of our ,saviour1 and the         
,conflagration of the ,world4 ,and      
therefore he calls them1 ,scoffers1     
walking after their own ,lusts4    ,but 
the ,exceptor seems at length inclinable
 to render the forementioned  ,words    

thus1 p4 #acg4 ,they are willingly      
mindless or forgetful4 ,and ,i  believe 
the ,translation would be proper enough4
 ,and what gentler ,reproof  can one    
give1 than to say1 you are willing to   
forget such an ,argument1  or such a    
,consideration2 which implies little    
more than ,non-attention1  or an        
,inclination of the ,will towards the   
contrary ,opinion8 ,we cannot  tell what
 ,evidence1 or what ,traditions they    
might have then concerning  the ,deluge1
 but we know they had the ,history of it
 by ,moses1 and all  the ,marks in      
,nature1 that we have now1 of such a    
,dissolution4 ,and they1  that pretended
 to philosophize upon the ,works of     
,nature1 and the  ,immutability of them1
 might very well deserve that modest    
,rebuke1 that  they were willing to     
forget the first ,heavens and first     
,earth1 and the  ,destruction of them at
 the ,deluge1 when they talk'd of an    
immutable  ,state of ,nature4           
,neither is there any ,thing in all     

this1 contrary to what the ,theorist    
had said1 ,theor4 c4 #a4 concerning the 
ancient ,philosophers3 ,that  none of   
them ever invented or demonstrated from 
the ,causes1 the true  ,state of the    
first ,earth4 ,this must be granted2 but
 it is one ,thing to  demonstrate from  
the ,causes1 or by way of ,theory1 and  
another ,thing to  know at large3       
,whether by ,scripture1 ,tradition1 or  
,collection from  ,effects4 ,the        
,mutability and ,changes of the ,world1 
which these  ,pseudo-,christians would  
not allow of1 was a knowable ,thing1    
taking all  the ,means which they might 
and ought to have attended to3 ,at      
least1  before they should have         
proceeded so far as to reject the       
,christian  ,doctrine concerning the    
future ,changes of the ,world1 with     
,scorn and  ,derision4 ,which is the    
very ,thing the ,apostle so much        
censor'd them for4    ,so much for what 
is said by the ,exceptor concerning this
 place of ,st4  ,peter4 ,to all the rest

 he gives an easy ,answer1 7in the      
,contents of  this ,chapter7 viz41 ,that
 they are figurative1 and so not        
argumentative4 ,the ,places of          
,scripture upon which the ,theory       
depends1  are fixed distinctly and in   
order1 in the ,,review3 ,and1 to avoid  
,repetitions1 we must sometimes refer to
 that1 ,review1 p4 #cga1 #cgb4          
particularly1 as to two remarkable      
,places1 ,psal4 xxiv4 #b4 and ,psal4    
cxxxvi4 #f4 concerning the ,foundation  
and ,extension of the ,earth upon  the  
,seas4 ,which the ,exceptor quickly     
dispatches by the ,help of a  ,particle 
and a ,figure4 4    ,the next he        
proceeds to1 is1 ,psal4 xxxiii4 #g4 ,he 
gathereth the ,waters  of the ,sea1 as  
in a ,bag3 ,he layeth up the ,abyss in  
,store-,houses4 ,but1  he says1 it      
should be render'd1 as on an ,heap3     
,which is the ,english  ,translation4   
,whether the ,authorities produced1 in  
this case1 by the  ,theorist1 ,eng4     
,theor4 p4 #aag4 or by the ,exceptor1   

are more  considerable1 ,i leave the    
,reader to judge4 ,but1 however1 he     
cites  another place1 ,psal4 lxxviii4   
#ac4 where the same ,word is us'd and   
apply'd to the ,red ,sea1 which could   
not be enclos'd as in a ,bag4 ,take     
whether ,translation you please for this
 second place2 it is no ,prejudice  to  
the ,theory1 if you render it on an     
,heap3 ,for it was a ,thing done by     
,miracle4 ,but the other ,place speaks  
of the ordinary ,posture and            
,constitution of the ,waters1 which is  
not on an ,heap1 but in a ,level or     
spherical ,convexity with the rest of   
the ,earth4 ,this ,reason the           
,animadverter was not pleas'd to take   
notice of1 tho' it be intimated in  that
 same ,place of the ,theory which he    
quotes1 p4 #hf4 ,but that which ,i      
might complain of most1 is his unfair   
,citation of the next ,paragraph of  the
 ,theory1 ,excep4 p4 #adj4 which he     
applies peculiarly to this ,text  of    
,psal4 xxxiii4 #g4 whereas it belongs to

 all the ,texts alledg'd out  of the    
,psalms1 and is a modest ,reflection    
upon the ,explication of  them1 as the  
,reader may plainly see1 if he please to
 look the ,theory1  and compare it with 
his ,citation4    ,the next ,place he   
attacks1 is1 ,job xxvi4 #g4 ,he         
stretches the ,north  over the ,tohu1   
or1 as we render it1 over the empty     
,places3 ,and hangeth  the ,earth upon  
nothing4 ,here he says1 p4 #ada4 ,job   
did either  accommodate himself to the  
,vulgar1 or else was a perfect          
,platonist4  ,methinks ,plato should    
rather be a ,jobist1 if you would have  
them to  imitate one another4 ,then he  
makes an ,objection1 and answers it     
himself3  concluding1 however1 that ,job
 could not but mean this of the present 
,earth1 because in the next ,verse he   
mentions ,clouds4 ,but how does it      
appear1 that every ,thing that ,job     
mentions in that ,chapter1 refers to    
the same time8    ,the next ,place1 is1 
,job xxxviii4 #d1 #e1 #f4 ,where wast   

thou when ,i laid  the ,foundations of  
the ,earth8 c4 ,these eloquent          
,expostulations of the  ,almighty1 he   
applies all to the present ,form of the 
,earth3 ,where he  says1 there are the  
,embossings of ,mountains1 the          
,enamelling of lesser  ,seas1 the open  
,work of the vast ,ocean1 and the fret  
,work of ,rocks1 c4  ,these make a great
 ,noise1 but they might all be apply'd  
to the ,ruins of  an old ,bridge1 fallen
 into the ,water4 ,then he makes a large
 ,harangue in  ,commendation of         
,mountains1 and of the present ,form of 
the ,earth3 ,which1  if you please1 you 
may compare with the tenth ,chapter of  
the ,latin  ,theory1 and then make your 
,judgment upon both4    ,but it is not  
enough for the ,exceptor to admire the  
,beauty of ,mountains1  but he1 p4 #adf4
 will make the ,theorist to do so too1  
because he hath  exprest himself much   
pleas'd with the ,sight of them4 ,can we
 be pleas'd  with nothing in an ,object 
but the ,beauty of it8 ,does not the    

,theorist  say there1 in the very ,words
 cited by the ,exceptor1 ,spe loci      
ipsius  insolentia  spectaculorum       
novitas delectat magis quam venustas in 
rebus  notis  communibus4 ,we are       
pleas'd in looking upon the ,ruins of a 
,roman ,amphitheatre1 or a triumphal    
,arch1 tho' time have defac'd its       
,beauty4 ,a ,man may be pleas'd in      
looking upon a ,monster1 will you       
conclude therefore that he takes it for 
a ,beauty8 ,there are many ,things  in  
,objects1 besides ,beauty1 that may     
please2 but he that hath not ,sense  and
 ,judgment enough to see the ,difference
 of those ,cases1 and whence the        
,pleasures arise1 it would be very      
tedious to beat it into him by          
,multitude of ,words4    ,after his     
,commendation of ,mountains1 he falls   
upon the ,commendation of  ,rain3       
,making those ,countries1 that enjoy it1
 to be better water'd than  by ,rivers2 
and consequently the present ,earth     
better than that  paradisaical ,earth   

describ'd by the ,theorist4 ,and in this
 he says1 he  follows the ,rule of      
,scripture1 for these are his ,words1 p4
 #adh1 ,and  that these ,rules1 whereby 
we measure the ,usefulness of this      
,earth1 and  shew it to be more         
excellent than that of the ,theory1 are 
the most true  and proper ,rules1 is    
manifest from ,god's making use of the  
same1 in a  ,case not unlike3 ,for he1  
comparing gypt and ,palestine1 prefers  
the  latter before the former2 because  
in gypt the ,seed sown was watered  with
 the ,foot1 as a ,garden of ,herbs2 but 
,palestine was a ,land of ,hills  and   
,valleys1 and drank ,water of the ,rain 
of ,heaven1 ,deut4 xi4 #aj1 #aa4    ,let
 this rest a while3 ,in the mean time   
let us take notice how unluckily  it    
falls out for the ,observator1 that a   
,country that had no ,rain1 should  be  
compared in ,scripture1 or join'd in    
,privilege1 with ,paradise it self1  and
 the ,garden of ,god4 ,for so is this   
very gypt1 ,gen4 xiii4 #aj1  tho' it had

 no ,rain1 but was water'd by ,rivers4  
,the ,words of ,scripture  are these4   
,and ,lot lifted up his ,eyes1 and      
beheld all the ,plain of  ,jordan1 that 
it was well-watered every where 7before 
the ,lord destroyed  ,sodom and         
,gomorrah7 even as the ,garden of the   
,lord1 like the ,land of  gypt4 ,the    
,plain of ,jordan you see is commended  
for its ,fruitfulness1  and being well  
watered3 ,and as the height of its      
,commendation1 it is  compar'd with     
gypt1 and with the ,paradise of ,god4   
,now in gypt we  know there was little  
or no ,rain3 ,and we read of none in    
,paradise3 ,but  they were both water'd 
by ,rivers4 ,therefore the greatest     
,commendation of  a ,land1 for ,pleasure
 and ,fertility1 according to           
,scripture1 is its being  well water'd  
with ,rivers3 ,which makes it like a    
,paradise4 ,surely then  you cannot     
blame the ,theorist1 having this        
,authority besides all other  ,reasons1 
for making the paradisaical ,earth to   

have been thus water'd4    ,now let the 
,exceptor consider how he will interpret
 and apply his place  in ,deuteronomy1  
and make it consistent with this        
,genesis4 ,till ,i see  a better        
,interpretation1 ,i like this very well1
 tho' quite contrary to  his3 ,namely1  
,that they were not to expect such a    
,land as gypt1 that  was a ,plain       
naturally fruitful1 as being well       
water'd2 but the ,land they  were to    
possess1 depended upon the ,benediction 
of ,heaven3 ,and therefore  they might  
expect more or less ,fertility1         
according as they kept ,god's           
,commandments4 ,and so much for those   
two ,texts of ,scripture4    ,lastly1   
,the ,exceptor1 p4 #adi4 in the         
,conclusion of his ,discourse about     
that place in ,job1 makes a ,reflection 
upon the ,impropriety of those          
,expressions made in ,job1 about        
,foundations and ,corner-stones1 if     
they be apply'd to the first ,earth     
describ'd by the ,theorist4 ,but this   

seems to me an ,elegancy in that        
,discourse1 which he makes a ,fault3    
,whether it be understood as an         
,allusion only to our manner of         
,building1  by deep ,foundations1 and   
strong ,corner-stones3 ,or an ironical  
,interrogation1 as it seems to me2      
implying1 that there was no ,foundation 
7strictly so call'd7 nor ,corner-stone1 
in that great ,work1 tho' we  cannot    
build a ,cottage or little ,bridge1     
without such ,preparations4    ,he      
proceeds then to the following ,verses  
in that thirty-eighth ,chapter4  ,who   
shut up the ,sea with ,doors1 when it   
broke forth as if it had issued  out of 
a ,womb8 ,this the ,theorist understands
 of the ,disruption of the  ,abyss at   
the ,deluge1 when the ,sea broke forth  
out of the ,womb of the  ,earth3 ,or out
 of that subterraneous ,cavity1 where it
 was enclosed as in  a ,womb4 ',tis     
plainly imply'd in the ,words of the    
,text1 that the ,sea was  shut up in    
some ,womb1 before it broke forth4 ,i   

desire therefore to  know in what ,womb 
that was4 ,you will find ,interpreters  
much at a loss  to give a fair ,answer  
to that ,question3 ,what was that       
enclos'd ,state of  the ,sea8 ,and what 
,place1 or ,part of ,nature1 was that   
,receptacle where it  lay8 ,but the     
,exceptor hath found out a new ,answer4 
,he says1 it was that  ,womb of         
,non-entity4 ,these are his ,words1 ,it 
just then 7at its  ,creation7 gushed out
 of the ,womb of ,nothing1 into         
,existence4 ,this is a  subtle and      
far-fetch'd ,notion4 ,methinks the ,womb
 of ,nothing1 is  much-what the same as 
no ,womb4 ,and so this is no ,answer4   
,but however  let us consider how far it
 would suit this ,case1 if it was       
admitted4 ,if  you understand the ,womb 
of ,non-entity1 ,gen4 i4 #b4 the ,sea   
broke out  of that ,womb the first ,day1
 and had no ,bars or ,doors set to it1  
but  flow'd over all the ,earth without 
,check or ,control4 ,therefore that     
could  not be the ,time or ,state here  

spoken of4 ,and to refer that           
,restraint1 or  those ,bars and ,doors1 
to another ,time1 which are spoken of   
here in the  same ,verse1 would be very 
inexcusable in the ,exceptor3 p4 #aej4  
seeing  he will not allow the ,theorist 
to suppose those ,things that are spoken
  of in different ,verses1 to be        
understood of different ,times4 ,to     
conclude1 this metaphysical ,notion of  
the ,womb of ,nothing1 is  altogether   
impertinent1 at least in this ,case3    
,for the ,text is plainly  speaking of  
,things local and corporeal1 and this   
,prison of the ,sea must  be understood 
as such4    ,he proceeds now to the last
 ,place alleg'd1 ,prov4 viii4 #bg1 #bh4 
,when  he prepared the ,heavens1 ,i was 
there3 ,when he set a ,compass upon the 
,face of the ,deep4 ,the word  which we 
tender ,compass1 he says1  signifies no 
more than the ,rotundity or spherical   
,figure of the ,abyss4  ,and so the     
,sense will run thus1 ,when ,god set a  
,rotundity1 or  spherical ,figure1 upon 

the ,face of the ,abyss4 ,but whereas   
the ,word may  as well signify a ,sphere
 or ,orb1 the ,theorist thinks it more  
reasonable that it should be so         
translated3 ,and so the ,sentence would 
run thus1 ,when ,god set an ,orb upon   
the ,face of the ,deep4 ,and this       
,discourse of ,solomon's1 referring to  
the ,beginning of the ,world1 he  thinks
 it rational to understand it of the    
first habitable ,earth3  ,which is      
really an ,orb set over the ,face of the
 ,deep4    ,one cannot swear for the    
,signification of a ,word in every      
particular  ,place1 where it occurs3    
,but when there are two ,senses whereof 
it is  capable1 and the one is much more
 important than the other1 it is a fair 
,presumption to take it in the more     
important ,sense2 especially in such a  
,place1 and upon such an ,occasion1     
where the great ,works of the ,divine   
,wisdom and ,power are celebrated3 ,as  
they are here by ,solomon4 ,and it      
cannot be deny'd1 that our ,sense of the

 ,words is more important than the      
other3 ,for of what ,consequence is it  
to say1 ,god made the ,body of the      
,abyss round4 ,every one knows1 that    
,fluids of their own accord run into    
that ,figure4 ,so as that would be a    
small ,remark upon a great ,occasion4   
,the ,construction of this ,orb we speak
 of1 minds me of an ,injustice which    
the ,exceptor hath done the ,theory1 in 
the precedent ,part of this  ,chapter1  
by a false ,accusation4 ,for he says1   
the ,theory makes the  ,construction of 
the first ,earth to have been merely    
mechanical4 ,at  least1 his ,words seem 
to signify as much1 which are these1 p4 
#adc4  ,and so its ,formation1 speaking 
of the first ,earth1 had been merely    
mechanical1 as the ,theory makes it4    
,that the ,construction was not  merely 
mechanical1 in the ,opinion of the      
,theorist1 you may see1 ,eng4  ,theor4  
p4 #hh4 which1 because we have cited it 
before1 we will not  here repeat4 ,the  
,theorist might also complain1 that the 

,exceptor cites  the first ,edition of  
the ,theory for such ,things as are left
 out in the  second3 ,which yet was     
printed a ,twelvemonth before his       
,animadversions4  ,and therefore in     
,fairness he ought always to have       
consulted the last  ,edition1 and last  
,sense of the ,author1 before he had    
censured him1 or  his ,work4 ,but this  
unfair ,method1 it seems1 pleas'd his   
,humour better3  p4 #ha4 p4 #ajj1 last  
,part1 as you may see in this ,chapter1 
p4 #aed4  p4 #bbg1 #bbh4 p4 #bdd4 and in
 several other ,places2 where ,passages 
are  cited and insisted upon1 that are  
no where to be found in the second      
,edition4 ,not to mention his defective 
,citations1 omitting that ,part that    
qualifies the ,sentence1 as p4 #ii4 last
 ,citation1 and elsewhere1 p4  #bgi1    
#bhj4 p4 #bhh4 ,i make this ,note1 that 
the ,reader may judge1 how  well this   
answers that ,sincerity1 with which he  
profest he would  examine this ,work3   
,only as a ,friend and ,servant to      

,truth4 ,and therefore  with such       
,candor1 ,meekness1 and ,modesty1 as    
becomes one who assumes and  glories in 
so fair a ,character1 p4 #dc4    ,the   
rest of this ,chapter is a general      
,censure of ,citations out of           
,scripture1 that are only tropical or   
figurative ,schemes of ,speech4 ,these  
must be made so indeed1 if our ,sense of
 them be not allow'd4 ,but what         
,necessity is there of a figurative     
interpretation of all these ,texts8     
,the ,rule we go by1 and ,i think all   
good ,interpreters1 is this1 that we    
are not to leave the literal ,sense1    
unless there be a ,necessity1 from  the 
,subject-,matter4 ,and there is no such 
,necessity in this ,case1 upon  our     
,hypothesis3 ,for it suits with the     
literal ,sense4 ,and 'tis to beg the    
,question1 to say1 the literal ,sense is
 not to be admitted1 because it         
complies too much with the ,theory4 ,but
 as for that ,text of his own1  which he
 instances in1 ,the ,pillars of the     

,earth tremble1 that cannot  be         
understood 7by the same ,rule7 of       
,pillars literally2 because there  are  
no such ,pillars of the ,earth1 upon any
 ,hypothesis4                           
,,chap4 ,,viii4      ,this ,chapter is  
concerning that grand ,property of the  
ante-diluvian  ,earth1 a perpetual      
,equinox1 or a right ,position to the   
,sun4 ,this  perpetual ,equinox the     
,exceptor will by no means admit4 ,but  
,i'm afraid he  mistakes the ,notion3   
,for as he explains it in the two first 
,sections of  this ,chapter1 he seems to
 have a false ,idea of the whole        
,matter4 ,he  thinks1 ,i perceive1 that 
when the ,earth chang'd its ,situation1 
it was  translated from the ,equator    
into the ,ecliptick3 ,and that before   
that  ,change in the ante-diluvian      
,state1 it moved directly under the     
,equator4  ,for these are his ,words1 p4
 #aeh4 ,so that in her annual ,motion   
about  the ,sun1 namely1 the ,earth1    
before that ,change1 she was carried    

directly under the ,equinoctial1 without
 any ,manner of ,obliquity in her       
,site1 or ,declination towards either of
 the ,tropicks in her ,course2 and      
therefore could never cut the           
,equinoctial1 by passing 7as now she is 
presumed to do7 from one ,tropick to the
 other4 ,by which ,words1 you see1  he  
imagines that the ,earth mov'd          
perpetually under the ,equator1 when it 
had a perpetual ,equinox4 ,and when it  
came out of that ,state1 into this      
wherein it is now1 it did not only      
change its ,position1 and the ,posture  
of its ,axis1 but was also really       
translated from one ,part of the        
,heavens  into another1 namely1 from    
under the ,equator to the ,ecliptick1   
and so  took another ,road in its annual
 ,course about the ,sun4 ,this is a     
great  ,mistake3 ,and ,i cannot blame   
him1 if he was so averse to admit this  
,change1 seeing it lay so cross in his  
,imagination4 ,for what ,pullies or     
,leavers should we employ to remove the 

,earth out of the ,equator into the     
,ecliptick8 ,archimedes pretended1 if he
 had ,ground to plant his ,engines      
upon1 that he would move the ,earth out 
of its ,place2 but that it was  done    
before1 ,i never knew1 nor heard of3    
,and if the ,exceptor had  consider'd   
what is said in the ,theory upon that   
,occasion1 ,lat4 ,theor4  li4 #b4 c4 #d4
 he might easily have prevented his     
,mistake4 ,but we shall  meet with the  
same ,error again in another ,place4    
,let us consider now1  what ,arguments  
he uses against this ,change4    ,he    
says1 p4 #aei4 ,if there had been such a
 ,change1 either ,providence1  or       
,mankind1 would have preserv'd the      
,memory of it4 ,how far the ,memory of  
it hath been preserv'd1 we shall see    
hereafter4 ,in the mean ,time1 we  will 
give him ,instances of other ,things to 
reflect upon1 that are lost  out of     
,memory1 unless he be the happy ,man    
that shall retrieve them4 ,the  ,age of 
the ,world hath been preserv'd1 either  

by the ,memory of ,man1 or  by the ,care
 of ,providence4 ,and was not that both 
a ,thing of ,importance1  and of easy   
,preservation8 ,noah could not but know 
the ,age of the  ,world1 for he was     
contemporary with five or six           
,generations1 that were  contemporary   
with ,adam4 ,and knowing the ,age of the
 ,world himself1 he  could not easily   
forbear1 one would think1 to tell it to 
his ,sons and  ,posterity4 ,but1 to this
 ,day1 we do not know what the true ,age
 of the  ,world is4 ,there are three    
,bibles1 if ,i may so say1 or three     
,pentateuchs1 the ,hebrew1 ,samaritan1  
and ,greek3 ,which do all  differ very  
considerably in their ,accounts1        
concerning the ,age of the  ,world3 ,and
 the most learned ,men are not yet able 
to determine with  ,certainty1 which of 
the three ,accounts is most authentick4 
,then1 what  think you of the ,place of 
,paradise8 ,how well is the ,memory or  
,knowledge of that preserv'd8 ,could    
,noah be ignorant of it8 ,and was it    

not a fit ,subject to discourse of1 and 
entertain his ,sons and ,nephews1  and  
by them to communicate it to ,posterity8
 ,yet we seek it still in  vain4 ,the   
,jews were as much at a ,loss as we are3
 p4 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bfe4  and the          
,christian ,fathers1 you think1 were out
 in their ,opinions1 both  about the    
,place and ,conditions of it3 ,neither  
do you venture to  determine them your  
self3 ,so that ,paradise is lost in a   
,manner out of  the ,world4 ,what       
,wonder then if this single ,property of
 it be lost8 ,if  the ,exceptor had well
 consider'd 7,eng4 ,theor4 p4 #djj1     
#dja47 what the  ,theorist has said     
concerning the providential ,conduct of 
,knowledge in  the ,world1 this ,doubt  
or ,objection might have been spar'd4   
,after a long ,excursion1 little to the 
,purpose1 but to shew his ,reading1  p4 
#aff4 he tells us next1 that ,scripture 
does not favour this ,notion  of a      
perpetual ,equinox before the ,flood3   
,and cites ,gen4 viii4 #bb4  which the  

,theorist had cited as a ,place that did
 suggest to us that  ,vicissitude of    
,seasons that was established after the 
,flood4 ,the ,words  indeed are not so  
determinate in themselves1 but that they
 may be  understood1 either of the      
,restoration of a former ,order in the  
,seasons  of the ,year1 or of the       
,establishment of a new one4 ,and in    
whether ,sense  they are to be taken1 is
 to be determin'd by collateral ,reasons
 and  ,considerations4 ,such the        
,theorist had set down1 to make it      
probable1  that they ought to be        
understood as a ,declaration of such an 
,order of  the ,seasons of the ,year1 as
 was brought in at that ,time1 and was  
to  continue to the ,end of the ,world4 
,the ,exceptor hath not thought fit to  
take notice of1 or refute those         
,reasons1 and therefore they stand good1
  as formerly4 ,besides1 the ,exceptor  
must remember1 that this ,text stands   
betwixt two remarkable ,phnomena1 the   
,longevity of the ,ante-diluvians in    

the old ,world1 and the ,appearance of  
the ,rainbow in the new4 ,both which    
were ,marks of a different ,state of    
,nature in the two ,worlds4    ,he      
further excepts1 p4 #afh4 against that  
perpetual ,equinox before the  ,flood1  
for another ,scripture-reason3 viz4     
,because the ,earth was curst  before   
that ,time1 and consequently1 he says1  
had not a perpetual  ,equinox4 ,but if  
that ,curse was supernatural1 it might  
have its ,effect in  any ,position of   
the ,earth4 ,for ,god can make a ,land  
barren1 if he think  fit1 in spite of   
the ,course of ,nature4 ,and so he also 
must suppose it to  have been in this   
,case4 ,for1 upon all ,suppositions1    
whether of a  perpetual ,equinox1 or no1
 the ,earth is granted to have been very
  fruitful at first3 ,and so would have 
continued1 if that ,curse had not       
interven'd4    ,lastly1 ,he makes that  
an ,argument1 p4 #afi4 that the ,air was
 cold and  intemperate in ,paradise1 and
 consequently no constant ,equinox1     

because  ,adam and ,eve made themselves 
,aprons to cover their ,nakedness4 ,so1 
he  confesses1 ,interpreters generally  
understand1 that it was to cover  their 
,nakedness4 ,but he will not allow that 
to be the true ,sense1 but  says those  
,fig-,leaves were to keep them warm4    
,and the other  ,interpretation of      
covering their ,nakedness1 he will not  
admit1 for  three ,reasons3 ,first1     
because the ,scripture1 as he pretends1 
does not  declare it so4 ,see1 pray1    
,gen4 iii4 #g4 ,secondly1 ,what ,shame1 
says  he1 need there have been betwixt  
,husband and ,wife8 ,thirdly1 ,if it was
  ,modesty2 when they were innocent1    
they should have been more modest4      
,some ,arguments answer themselves1 and 
,i do not think these deserve a         
,confutation4 ,but1 he says1 p4 #agj4   
however ,god made them ,coats of  ,skins
 afterwards1 and that was to be a       
,defence against ,cold4 ,he must  tell  
us in what ,climate he supposes         
,paradise to have stood3 ,and which     

way1 and how far ,adam and ,eve were    
banish'd from it4 ,when those  ,things  
are determin'd1 we shall know what to   
judge of this ,argument1 and  of ,coats 
of ,skins4    ,after ,lastly1 ,i        
expected no more3 ,but he hath two or   
three ,reasons  after the ,last4 ,as    
first1 he says1 p4 #aga4 upon our       
,hypothesis1 one  ,hemisphere of the    
,globe must have been unpeopled3        
,because the torrid  ,zone was          
unpassable4 ,and was not the ,ocean as  
unpassable1 upon your  ,hypothesis8 ,how
 got they into ,america8 ,and not only  
into ,america1  but into all the        
,islands of the ,earth1 that are remote 
from ,continents8  ,will you not allow  
us one ,miracle1 for your many8 ,i'm    
sure the ,theorist  never excluded the  
,ministry of ,angels2 and they could as 
easily carry  them thorough the torrid  
,zone1 as over the ,ocean4 ,but         
secondly1 he says1  ,there could be no  
,rains to make the ,flood1 if there was 
a perpetual  ,equinox4 ,were not those  

,rains1 that made the ,flood1           
extraordinary1 and  out of the ,course  
of ,nature8 ,you would give one angry   
,words that should  deny it4 ,besides1  
the ,flood-,gates of ,heaven were open'd
 when the  great ,deep was broken up1   
7,gen4 vii4 #aa47 and no ,wonder the    
,disruption of the ,earth should cause  
some extraordinary ,commotions in  the  
,air1 ,eng4 ,theor4 p4 #ace4 and either 
compress the ,vapours1 or  stop their   
usual ,course towards the ,poles1 and   
draw them down in ,streams  upon several
 ,parts of the ,earth4 ,but the         
,exceptor says1 this could not  be1     
because the ,theorist makes the ,rains  
fall before the ,disruption of  the     
,abyss4 ,but he does not suppose the    
,cataracts of ,heaven to have  been     
open'd before1 which made the grand     
,rains4 ,and how unfairly that  ,passage
 of the ,theory is represented1 we shall
 see hereafter in the  fourteenth       
,chapter4    ,lastly1 ,he concludes all 
with this ,remark1 p4 #agf4 ,that all   

sorts of  ,authors have disputed in what
 ,season of the ,year the ,deluge came1 
and in  what ,season of the ,year the   
,world began3 ,therefore they thought   
there  were then different ,seasons of  
the ,year4 ,these ,disputes1 he         
confesses1  did manifestly proceed from 
,inadvertency1 or something worse3      
,because  there could not be any one    
,season throughout all the ,earth at    
once4 ,he  might have added1 unless upon
 the ,supposition of the ,theory1 which 
makes  an universal ,equinox at that    
,time4 ,and why may not that have given 
,occasion to the general ,belief1 ,that 
the ,world begun in the ,spring8  ,and  
when the true ,reason of the ,tradition 
was lost1 they fell into those          
impertinent ,questions1 ,in what ,season
 of the ,year the ,world began4 ,but    
however1 we do not depend upon the      
,belief1 either of the ,antients or the 
,moderns1 as to the ,generality3 ,for we
 know they had other ,notions of  these 
,things than what the ,theory proposes2 

otherwise it would have been  a needless
 ,work4 ,but notwithstanding the general
 ,error1 that ,providence  did preserve 
some ,traditions and ,testimonies1      
concerning that ancient  ,truth1 we     
shall see in the next following         
,discourse4    ,so much for ,scripture  
and ,reasons4 ,he now comes to examine  
,authorities3  ,namely1 such            
,testimonies as are alledg'd by the     
,theorist1 to shew that  there was a    
,tradition among the ,antients1 of a    
,change that had been1 as  to the       
,position of the ,earth3 ,and           
consequently1 as to the ,form and       
,seasons of the ,year4 ,the first       
,testimony that he excepts against1 is1 
that of ,diogenes and ,anaxagoras2 who  
witness plainly1 p4 #agg4 ,that  there  
had been an ,inclination of the ,earth1 
or a ,change of ,posture1  since it was 
form'd and inhabited4 ,but the ,exceptor
 says1 they have not  assign'd a true   
final ,cause1 nor such as agrees with   
the ,theory4 ,the  second ,testimony1   

is1 that of ,empedocles1 p4 #agh4 which 
he excepts  against1 because he hath not
 given a good efficient ,cause of that  
,change4 ,the third ,witness is         
,leucippus2 against whom he makes the   
same  ,exception1 p4 #agi4 that he doth 
not assign the ,causes a-right4 ,the    
fourth ,witness1 is ,democritus2 whom   
he1 p4 #ahj4 quarrels with upon  the    
same ,account4 ,but is this a fair      
hearing of ,witnesses8 ,or are these    
just and legal ,grounds of rejecting    
their ,testimony1 as to matter of       
,fact1 because they are unskilful in    
giving the ,causes and ,reasons of  that
 matter of ,fact8 ,that is not requir'd 
in ,witnesses3 ,and they are  often     
impertinent when they attempt to do it4 
,the ,theorist does not cite  these     
,authors to learn of them the ,causes1  
either efficient or final1 of  that     
,inclination1 or ,change of ,posture in 
the ,earth1 but only matter  of ,fact3  
,to let you see1 that according to their
 ,testimony1 there was a  ,tradition in 

that ,time1 which they took for true1   
concerning a ,change  made in the       
,posture of the ,earth4 ,and this is all
 we require from them4  ,if you pretend 
to invalidate their ,testimony1 because 
they do not  philosophize well about    
that ,change2 that's as if you should   
deny that  there was such a ,war as the 
,peloponnesian ,war1 because the        
,historian  hath not assigned the true  
,causes and ,reasons of it3 ,or as if a 
,man  should give you the ,history of a 
,comet1 that appear'd in such a ,year1  
was of such a ,form1 and took such a    
,course in the ,heavens2 and you  should
 deny there was any such ,comet1 because
 the same ,author had not  given a good 
,account of the ,generation of that     
,comet1 nor of the ,causes  of its ,form
 and ,motion4 ,the ,exceptions made     
against the ,testimonies of  these      
,philosophers1 seem to me to be no less 
injudicious4    ,after these            
,testimonies1 he p4 #aha4 makes three or
 four ,remarks or  ,reflections upon    

them4 ,but they all concern1 either the 
,time of this  ,change1 or the ,causes  
of it4 ,neither of which the ,theorist  
either  engag'd or intended to prove    
from these ,witnesses4    ,there is     
still one ,testimony behind1 which the  
,exceptor hath separated  from the rest1
 that he might encounter it singly4     
',tis another ,passage  from            
,anaxagoras1 which both notes this      
,inclination1 and the ,posture  of the  
,heavens and ,earth before that         
,inclination4 ,but here the ,exceptor   
quarrels1 first1 with the word 3        
,because ,ambrosius the ,monk1  would   
have it to be 1 but without the         
,authority of any  ,manuscript3 ,and1 as
 ,casaubon says1 mal4 ,then1 he says1   
,aldobrandinus translates it turbulent1 
but gives no ,reason for that           
,translation1 in his ,notes4 ,therefore 
he cannot rest in this1 but in the      
third ,place1 he gives another ,sense to
  4 ,and if that will  not please you1  
he hath still a fourth ,answer in       

reserve4 ,i do not like  when a ,man    
shifts ,answer so often2 'tis a sign he 
has no great  ,confidence in any one4   
,but let us have his fourth ,answer4    
',tis this1  ,that ,anaxagoras was a    
kind of heterodox ,philosopher1 and what
 he says  is not much to be heeded4     
,these are the ,words of the ,exceptor1 
p4 #ahd4  ,if this will not satisfy1 ,i 
have one ,thing more to offer4 ,grant   
that  ,anaxagoras should mean that very 
,declination1 which the ,theory would   
have him1 yet this truly would          
contribute little towards the ,proof of 
the ,thing4 ,for he was a ,man as like  
to be heterodox2 as like to broach  and 
maintain false and groundless ,opinions1
 as any of the learned  ,antients4 ,had 
he made this ,exception against this    
,witness at first1 it  might have sav'd 
both himself and us a great deal of     
,pains4 ,for we do  allow1 if you can   
prove a ,witness to be persona infamis1 
or non  compos mentis1 'tis sufficient  
to invalidate his ,testimony4    ,but   

this is a rude and groundless ,censure2 
shall that famous  ,anaxagoras1 that was
 call'd ,,mens1  1 not be thought so    
much  as mentis compos2 nor have ,credit
 enough for an honest ,witness8 ,i am   
apt to think1 from those ,sentences1 and
 those ,remains we have left of  him1   
that there was not a more considerable  
,man amongst the ,antients1  for        
,nobleness of ,mind and natural         
,knowledge4 ,i could bring the          
,testimonies of many antient ,authors1  
and of many ,christian ,fathers1 to     
clear his ,reputation1 and place it     
above ,envy4 ',tis generally            
acknowledg'd1 that he first introduc'd  
an intellectual ,principle1 in the      
,formation of the ,universe1 to dispose 
and order confus'd ,matter4 ,and        
accordingly ,eusebius gives him this    
fair ,character1 ,prp4 ,evan4 l4  #aj4  
c4 ult4 p4 #ejd4 ,col4   1 c4 ,he first 
rectified the ,doctrine of ,principles3 
,for he did not only discourse  about   
the ,matter or ,substance of the        

,universe1 as other ,philosophers3  ,but
 also of the ,cause and ,principle of   
its ,motion4 ,and the same ,author1  in 
his fourteenth ,book1 ch4 #ad4 p4 #gej4 
repeats and enlarges this  ,character4  
,i wonder the ,exceptor1 of all ,men1   
should lessen the ,name of  ,anaxagoras4
 ,for1 besides his ,orthodoxy as to the 
intellectual ,world2  he was one that   
establish'd the ,notion of ,vortices1 in
 the ,corporeal4  ,as you may see in    
,clem4 ,alexandrinus1 ,strom4 #b4 p4    
#cfd4 and in  ,plato's ,phdo ,phd4 p4   
#ii4 ,and tho' the ,father1 and         
,socrates1  7who never was a ,friend to 
natural ,philosophy7 both blame him for 
it1  yet the ,exceptor1 who is          
deservedly pleas'd with that system of  
,vortices1 ought to have shew'd him some
 ,favour and ,esteem1 for the  ,sake of 
this ,doctrine4 ,lastly1 as to his moral
 ,temper1 his ,contempt of  the ,world1 
and his ,love of ,contemplation2 you may
 have many ,instances of  it in the     
short ,story of his ,life in ,laertius4 

,and ,i shall always  remember that     
excellent ,saying of his in ,clemens    
,alexandrinus1 ,strom4  p4 #daf4      1 
4 ,that the ,end of ,life is            
,contemplation2 and that ,liberty1  that
 accompanies it1 or flows from it4      
,but we are not to imagine1 that all the
 ,opinions of the ancient               
,philosophers1 are truly convey'd or    
represented to us4 ,neither can we1  in 
,reason or ,justice1 believe that they  
could be guilty of such absurd          
,notions1 as are sometimes fathered upon
 them4 ,the ,exceptor instances in  an  
extravagant ,assertion1 7as the ,story  
is told to us7 ascrib'd to  ,anaxagoras1
 of a ,stone that fell from the ,sun4   
,this cannot be  literally true1 nor    
literally the ,opinion of ,anaxagoras1  
if he  believed ,vortice2 therefore     
methinks so witty a ,man as the         
,exceptor1  and so well versed in the   
modern ,philosophy1 should rather       
interpret  this of the ,incrustation of 
a fix'd ,star1 and its ,descent into the

 lower  ,world3 ,that a ,star fell from 
the etherial ,regions1 and became an    
opake  and terrestrial ,body3           
,especially seeing ,diogenes1 as he     
says1 supposes  it a ,star4 ,some       
,things were nigmatically spoken at     
first3 ,and some  ,things afterwards so 
much corrupted1 in passing through      
unskilful ,hands1  that we should be    
very injurious to the ,memory of those  
great ,men1 if we  should suppose every 
,thing to have come so crudely from     
them1 as it is  now delivered to us4    
,and as to this ,philosopher in         
particular2 as the  ,ionick ,physiology1
 in my ,opinion1 was the most           
considerable amongst  the ,antients2 so 
there was none1 of that ,order1 more    
considerable than  ,anaxagoras4 ,whom1  
tho' you should suppose extravagant1    
quoad hoc1  that it would not invalidate
 his ,testimony in other ,things4       
,upon the whole ,matter1 let us now sum 
up the ,evidence1 and see what it  will 
amount to4 ,here are five or six        

,testimonies of considerable            
,philosophers3 ,anaxagoras1 ,diogenes1  
,empedocles1 ,leucippus and             
,democritus4 ,to which he might have    
added ,plato1 both in his  ,politicus   
and ,phdo1 ,li4 #b4 c4 #aj4 p4 #bgd4 if 
he had pleased  to have look'd into the 
second ,edition of the ,latin ,theory4  
,these  ,philosophers do all make       
mention of a ,change that hath been in  
the  ,posture of the ,earth and the     
,heavens4 ,and tho' they differ in      
assigning  ,causes1 or other            
,circumstances1 yet they all agree as to
 ,matter of ,fact2  that there was such 
a ,thing1 or1 at least1 a ,tradition of 
such a ,thing4  ,and this is all that   
the ,defendant desir'd or intended to   
prove from  them1 as ,witnesses in this 
,cause4    ,to these ,philosophers1 he  
might have added the ,testimonies of the
  ,poets1 who may be admitted as        
,witnesses of a ,tradition1 though it be
  further questioned1 whether that      
,tradition be true or false4 ,these     

,poets1 when they speak of a ,golden    
,age1 or the ,reign of ,saturn1 tell  us
 of a perpetual ,spring1 or a ,year     
without ,change of ,seasons4 ,this is   
expresly said by ,ovid1 ,ver erat       
ternum1 c4 ,and upon the ,expiration  of
 the ,golden ,age1 he says2             
,jupiter ,antiqui contraxit tempora     
,veris1                 ,perque ,hyemes1
 stusque1  inquales ,autumnos1          
,et breve ,ver1 spatiis exegit quatuer  
annum4    ,ovid liv'd in the ,time of   
our ,saviour4 ,and the ,tradition1 it   
seems1  was then a-foot1 and very       
express too4 ,plato1 who was much more  
antient1 hath said the same ,thing in   
his ,politicus1 concerning the  ,reign  
of ,saturn4 ,and if we may have any     
,regard to ,mythology1 7vid4  ,theor4   
,lat4 li4 #b4 c4 #aj4 in fine47 and make
 ,janus the same  with ,noah1 which is  
now an ,opinion generally received1 that
 ,power1  that is given him by the      
,antients1 of changing ,times and       
,seasons1  cannot be better expounded1  

than by that great ,change of ,time1 and
 of  the ,seasons of the ,year1 that    
happened in the ,days of ,noah4 ,neither
  must we count it a mere ,fable1 what  
is said by the ,antients1 concerning    
the ,inhabitability of the ,torrid      
,zone3 ,and yet that never was1 if the  
,earth was never in any other ,posture1 
than what it is in now4    ,lastly1 as  
the ,philosophers and ,poets are        
,witnesses of this ,tradition1  so many 
of the ,christian ,fathers have given   
such a ,character of  ,paradice1 as     
cannot be understood upon any other     
,supposition1 than of  a perpetual      
,equinox4 ,this ,card4 ,bellarmine#ag   
hath noted to our  ,hands2 and also     
observ'd1 that there could not be a     
perpetual ,equinox in  the ,countries of
 ,asia1 nor indeed in any topical       
,paradise1 7unless it  stood in the     
middle of the ,torrid ,zone7 nisi alius 
tunc fuerit cursus  solis1 quam nunc    
est2 unless the ,course of the ,sun1 or1
 which is all  one1 the ,posture of the 

,earth1 was otherwise at that ,time than
 what it  is now3 ,which is a true      
,observation4 ,the ,jewish ,doctors     
also1 as well  as the ,christian1 seem  
to go upon the same ,supposition1 when  
they place  ,paradise under the         
,equinoctial2 see ,eng4 ,theor4 p4 #cea4
 ,because they  suppos'd it certain1 as 
,eben ,ezra tells us1 that the ,days and
 ,nights  were always equal in          
,paradise4    ,we have now done with the
 ,examination of ,witnesses3            
,philosophers1  ,poets1 ,jews1 and      
,christians4 ,from all these we collect1
 that there  was an ,opinion1 or        
,tradition1 amongst the ,antients1 of a 
,change made in  the ,state of the      
natural ,world1 as to the ,diversity of 
,seasons in the  ,year3 ,and that this  
did arise from the ,change of the       
,posture of the  ,earth4 ,whether this  
,opinion1 or this ,tradition1 was de    
jure1 as well  as de facto1 is a        
,question of another ,nature1 that did  
not lie before  us at present4 ,but the 

,thing that was only in ,debate in this 
,chapter1  was matter of ,fact1 which ,i
 think we have sufficiently prov'd4     
,in the ,close of this ,chapter1 the    
,exceptor makes two ,queries3 ,still by 
way of ,objection to the ante-diluvian  
,equinox4 ,the first is this1 p4  #ahe4 
,supposing an ,equinox in the ,beginning
 of the ,world1 would it 7in            
,likelyhood7 have continued to the      
,flood4 ,if you grant the first ,part1  
,i  believe few will scruple the second4
 ,for why should we suppose a ,change   
before there appear any ,cause for it8  
,he says1 the ,waters might possibly    
have weigh'd more towards one ,pole1    
than towards another4 ,but why the      
,waters more than the ,air8 ,the ,waters
 were not more rarified towards one     
,pole than towards another1 no more than
 the ,air was3 ,for which the           
,exceptor1 p4 #ahj4 had justly blam'd   
,leucippus before4 ,but however1  says  
he1 that ,earth would be very unstable1 
because1 in ,process of  ,time1 there   

would be an empty ,space betwixt the    
exterior ,region of the  ,earth1 and the
 ,abyss below4 ,but that empty ,space   
would be fill'd with  such gross        
,vapours1 that it would be little purer 
than ,water3 ,and would  stick to the   
,earth much closer than its ,atmosphere 
that is carried about  with it4 ,we have
 no ,reason to change the ,posture of   
the ,earth1 till we  see some antecedent
 ,change that may be a ,cause of it4    
,and we see not any  till the ,earth    
broke4 ,but then indeed1 whether its    
,posture depended  barely upon its      
quilibrium1 or upon its ,magnetism1     
either1 or both  of them1 when its      
,parts were thrown into another         
,situation1 might be  changed4 ,for the 
,parts of a ,ruin seldom lie in the same
 ,libration the  ,fabrick stood in4 ,and
 as to the ,magnetism of the ,earth1    
that would  change1 according as the    
,parts and ,regions of the ,earth       
changed their  ,situation4    ,the      
second ,query is this1 granting there   

was such an ,equinox in the  first      
,world1 p4 #ahg4 ,would not the natural 
,world1 towards the latter  ,end of that
 ,world1 have been longer1 than in the  
former ,periods of the  same8 ,suppose  
this was true1 which yet we have no     
,reason to believe1  that the ,days were
 longer towards the ,flood1 than towards
 the beginning  of the ,world2 why is   
this contrary to ,scripture8 ,he tells  
you how1 in  these ,words1 p4 #ahh4     
,that the ,days just before the ,flood  
were of no  unusual ,length1 is evident 
in the very ,story of the ,flood2 the   
,duration  of which we find computed by 
,months1 consisting of thirty ,days     
a-piece4  ,whereas had ,days been grown 
longer1 fewer of them would have made a 
,month4 ,this is a mere ,paralogism1 or 
a mere ,blunder4 ,for if thirty ,days   
were to go to a ,month1 whether the     
,days were longer or shorter1 there     
must be thirty of them2 and the         
,scripture does not determine the       
,length  of the ,days4 ,if thirty       

,circumgyrations of the ,earth makes a  
,month1  whether these ,circumgyrations 
are slow or swift1 thirty are still     
thirty4 ,but ,i suppose that which he   
would have said and which he had        
confusedly in his ,mind1 was this1 that 
the ,month would have been  longer at   
the ,flood than it was before4 ,longer1 
,i say1 as to extent of  ,time1 or      
,duration in general1 but not as to     
number of ,days4 ,and you  could not cut
 off a slip of one ,day1 and tack it to 
the next1 through  the intermediate     
,night1 to make an ,abridgment for the  
,whole4 ,therefore  this ,objection is  
grounded upon a ,mistake1 and ill       
,reasoning1 which is  now sufficiently  
detected4    ,footnote #ag3      ,de    
,grat4 prim4 tm4 c4 #ab4      ,accedit  
adbat1 quad ,paradisus ita deferiditus  
,sinsto ,basilio1 in    ,i4 'to de      
,paradiso2  ,joan4 ,damasceno1 ,libre   
secundo1 de fide1    capit2  ,sano      
,augustino ,libre decim3 quarto et cevit
 ete ,dei1 capit4    #aj4 ,ab ,a1 ,a    

,claud4 ,ma4                            
,,chap4 ,,ix4      ,this ,chapter is    
against the oval ,figure of the first   
,earth1 p4 #ahi4  which the ,theorist   
had asserted1 and grounded upon a       
general ,motion of  the ,waters1 forc'd 
from the ,equinoctial ,parts towards the
 ,polar4 ,but  before we proceed to his 
,objections against this ,explication1  
we must  rectify one ,principle4 ,the   
,exceptor seems to suppose1 p4 #aij4    
that  terrestrial ,bodies have a        
,nitency inwards or downwards1 towards  
their  central ,point4 ,whereas the     
,theorist supposes1 that all ,bodies    
moving  round1 have1 more or less1 a    
,nitency from the ,centre of their      
,motion3  ,and that 'tis by an external 
,force that they are prest down1 against
  their first ,inclination or ,nitency4 
,this being premised1 we proceed to his 
,exceptions3 ,where his first and  grand
 ,quarrel is about the ,use of a ,word2 
whether the ,motion of the  ,water from 
the middle of the ,earth towards the    

,poles1 can be call'd  defluxus2 seeing 
those polar ,parts1 in this supposed    
,case1 were as  high1 or higher than the
 ,equinoctial4 ,i think we do not       
scruple to say  und defluunt ad littora3
 ,tho' the ,shores be as high1 or higher
 than  the ,surface of the ,sea4 ,for we
 often respect1 as the ,theorist did1   
the  middle and the sides1 in the use of
 that ,word2 ,and so1 defluere   medio  
ad latera1 is no more than prolabi ad   
latera4 ,but 'tis not  worth the while  
to contest about a ,word2 especially    
seeing 'tis  explained in the second    
,edition of the ,theory1 p4 #ahf1 by    
adding  detrusione3 ,but it would have  
spoil'd all this ,pedantry1 and all his 
little ,triumphs1 if he had taken notice
 of that ,explication4    ,wherefore    
setting aside the ,word1 let us consider
 his ,reasons  against this ,motion of  
the ,waters towards the ,poles2 which1  
he says1  could not be1 because it would
 have been an ,ascent1 not a ,descent4  
,we  allow and suppose that4 ,but may   

not ,waters ascend by ,force and        
,detrusion2 when it is the easiest way  
they can take to free themselves  from  
that ,force1 and persevere in their     
,motion8 ,and this is the ,case we  are 
speaking to4 ,they were impell'd to     
ascend1 or recede from the  ,centre1 and
 it was easier for them to ascend       
laterally1 than to ascend  directly3    
,upon an inclined ,plain1 than upon a   
perpendicular one4 ,why  then should we 
not suppose that they took that ,course8
 ,methinks the  ,observator1 who seems  
to be much conversant in the ,cartesian 
,philosophy1 might have conceived this  
,detrusion of the ,waters towards  the  
,poles by the ,resistance of the        
superambient ,air1 as well as their     
flowing towards1 and upon the ,shores1  
by the ,pressure of the ,air under  the 
,moon4 ,and if the ,moon continued      
always in the same ,place1 or over  the 
middle of the ,sea1 that ,posture of the
 ,waters would be always the  same3     
,though it be an ,ascent1 both upon the 

,land and into the ,rivers4  ,and this1 
methinks1 is neither ,contradiction1 nor
 ,absurdity4 ,but an  ,enemy1 that is   
little us'd to ,victory1 makes a great  
,noise upon a small  ,advantage4    ,he 
proceeds now to shew1 p4 #aie4 that it  
was improbable that the  ,figure of the 
first ,earth should be oval1 upon other 
,considerations4 ,as  first1 because of 
its ,position2 which would be cross to  
the ,stream of  the ,air1 that turns it 
round1 or carries it about the ,sun3 ,as
 a ,ship1 he  says1 that stands         
side-ways against a ,stream1 cannot     
sail4 ,but if that  ,ship was to turn   
round upon her ,axis1 as a ,mill-,wheel1
 and as the ,earth  does1 what ,posture 
more likely to have such an ,effect1    
than to stand  cross to the ,stream that
 turns it8 ,and the ,stream would take  
more hold  of an oblong ,body1 than of a
 round4 ,then1 as to its annual ,course1
 which  he mentions1 that's nothing1 but
 so many ,circumvolutions3 ,for in      
turning  round it is also progressive1  

as a ,cylinder in rowling a ,garden3    
,and  three hundred sixty five          
,circumgyrations compleat its annual    
,course4 ,so  that this ,argument turns 
wholly against him1 and does rather     
confirm the  oval ,figure of the ,earth4
    ,his second ,argument against the   
oval ,figure of the first ,earth1 is the
  spherical ,figure of the present      
,earth4 ,and how does he prove that8    
,first  from ,authorities1 ,anaximander1
 ,pythagoras1 and ,perminedes thought   
so4 ,but how does he prove that their   
asserting the ,earth to be round1  was  
not meant in ,opposition to its being   
plain2 as the ,epicureans  and the      
,vulgar would have it8 ,that was the    
,question ,socrates promis'd  himself to
 be resolv'd in by ,anaxagoras1 ,plat4  
in ,phd4      1  4 ,whether the ,earth  
was flat or round4 ,and  'tis likely the
 ,dispute was generally understood in   
that ,sense4 ,however  the ,theorist    
hath alledg'd many more ,authorities    
than these1 in favour  of the oval      

,figure of the ,earth4 ,for besides     
,empedocles in particular1  and those   
whom ,plutarch mentions in general1 the 
,philosophy of  ,orpheus1 the ,phnician1
 gyptian1 and ,persian ,philosophers1   
did  all compare the ,earth to an ,egg2 
with respect to its oval external ,form1
  as well as internal ,composition4     
,these you may see fully set down in the
  ,theory3 ,lat4 ,theor4 li4 #b4 c4 #aj4
 ,and it had been fair in the ,exceptor 
to have taken some notice of them1 if he
 would contend in that way of           
,authorities4 ,but he has thought fit   
rather to pass them over wholly in      
,silence4    ,his ,reasons1 p4 #aig4 to 
prove the ,figure of the present ,earth 
to be  spherical1 and not oval1 are     
taken first from the ,conical ,figure of
 the  ,shadow of the ,earth1 cast upon  
the ,moon4 ,but that cannot make a      
,difference sensible to us at this      
,distance1 whether the ,body that cast  
the ,shadow was exactly spherical or    
oval4 ,his second ,reason is from the   

,place of the ,waters2 which1 he says1  
would all retire from the ,poles to  the
 ,equator1 if the polar ,parts were     
higher4 ,but this has been answer'd     
before4 ,the same ,cause that drives the
 ,waters thither1 would make them  keep 
there3 ,as we should have a perpetual   
,flood1 if the ,moon was always  in our 
,meridian3 ,and whereas he suggests1    
that by this ,means the ,sea  should be 
shallowest under the ,poles2 which1 he  
says1 is against  ,experience3 ,we tell 
him just the contrary1 ,that1 according 
to our  ,hypothesis1 the ,sea should be 
deepest towards the ,poles2 which agrees
  with ,experience4 ,that the ,sea      
should be deepest under the ,poles1 if  
it  was of an oval ,form1 p4 #ahf4 he   
may see plainly by his own ,scheme1 or  
by the ,theory ,scheme3 ,theor4 ,lat4   
li4 #b4 c4 #e4 ,so that if his          
,observation be true1 of an             
extraordinary ,depth of the ,ocean in   
those  ,parts1 it confirms our          
,suspicion1 that the ,sea continues     

still oval4  ,lastly1 he urges1 p4 #aih4
 ,if this ,earth was oval1 ,navigation  
towards  the ,poles would be extremely  
difficult1 if not impossible1 because   
upon  an ,ascent4 ,but if there be a    
continual ,draught of ,waters from the  
,equator towards the ,poles1 this will  
ballance the ,difficulty1 and be        
equivalent to a gentle ,tide1 that      
carries ,ships into the ,mouth of a     
,river1 though upon a gradual ,ascent4  
,thus much we have said in ,complacency 
to the ,exceptor4 ,for the ,theorist    
was not oblig'd to say any ,thing in    
,defence of the oval ,form of the       
present ,earth1 seeing he had no where  
asserted it3 ,it not being  possible1 as
 to what ,evidence we have yet1 to      
determine in what ,order  the ,earth    
fell1 and in what ,posture the ,ruins   
lay after their ,fall4 ,but  however1 to
 speak my ,mind freely upon this        
,occasion1 ,i am inclinable to  believe1
 that the ,earth is still oval or       
oblong4 ,what ,things the               

,anti-theorist hath suggested1 will not 
decide the ,controversy2 nor1 it  may   
be1 any natural ,history1 nor any of    
those ,observations that we have        
already4 ,the ,surface of the ,sea lies 
more regular than that of the ,land1    
and therefore ,i should think that      
,observations made there would have the 
best ,effect4 ,i should particularly    
recommend these two3 ,first1 ,that they 
would observe toward the ,poles1 whether
 the ,sun rise and set1 according  to   
the ,rules of a true ,globe1 or of a    
,body exactly spherical4 ,secondly1     
,that they would observe whether the    
,degrees of ,latitude are of equal      
,extent in all the ,parts of a          
,meridian2 that is1 if the ,quantity of 
,sea  or ,land that answers to a ,degree
 in the ,heavens1 be of equal ,extent   
towards the ,equator as towards the     
,poles4 ,these two ,observations would  
go the nearest of any ,i know1 to       
determine whether the ,figure of the    
,earth be truly spherical or oblong4    

,,chap4 ,x4      ,this ,chapter is      
concerning the original ,mountains1 and 
that they were  before the ,flood1 or   
from the ,beginning2 which the ,exceptor
 endeavours  to prove from ,scripture2  
not directly1 but because ,mention is   
made of  them in the same ,places where 
the ,beginning of the ,earth is         
mentioned1  p4 #bia4 as ,psal4 xc4 #a1  
#b4 and ,prov4 viii4 #be4 therefore they
 must  be co-eval and contemporary4 ,we 
have1 ,i think1 noted before1 that      
,things  are not always ,synchronal that
 are mentioned together in ,scripture4  
,the  ,style of ,scripture is not so    
accurate1 as not to speak of ,things in 
the  same ,place1 that are to be        
referr'd to different ,times4 ,otherwise
 we  must suppose the ,destruction of   
,jerusalem1 and of the ,world1 to have  
been intended for the same ,time2 seeing
 our ,saviour joins them in the  same   
,discourse1 7,mat4 xxiv47 without any   
,distinction of ,time2 or with  such a  
,distinction1 as rather signifies an    

immediate ,succession1 7ver4  #bi47 than
 so great a ,distance as we now find to 
be betwixt the  ,destruction of         
,jerusalem and the ,end of the ,world4  
,greater than that1  betwixt the        
,beginning and the ,flood3 ,so in the   
,prophets sometimes1 in  the same       
,discourse1 one ,part is to be referr'd 
to the first ,coming of  our ,saviour1  
and another ,part to the second4 ,isa4  
ix4 #f1 #g4 ,isa4 ix4  #a4 c4 ,luke i4  
#ca1 #cb1 #cc4 without making any       
,distinction of ,time1 but  what is to  
be gather'd from the ,sense4 ,neither is
 there any ,incongruity  in the ,sense1 
or in the ,tenor of the ,words1 if those
 ,expressions in the  ,psalmist be      
referr'd to different ,times4 ,god      
existed before the  ,mountains were     
brought forth1 and the ,earth and the   
,world were made4  ,this is certainly   
true1 whether you take it of the same or
 different  ,times4 ,and if you take it 
of different ,times1 'tis a way of      
,speaking we  often use4 ,as suppose a  

,man should say1 concerning the         
,antiquity of  ,troy1 that it existed   
before ,rome and ,carthage2 that does   
not  necessarily imply1 that ,rome and  
,carthage were built at the same  ,time2
 but only that ,troy was before them    
both4 ,and so this of the  ,psalmist may
 be very well thus exprest1 by a        
,gradation from a lower  ,epocha to an  
higher4 ,then as for that ,place1 ,prov4
 ch4 viii4 it  would be very hard to    
reduce all those ,things that are       
mentioned there1  7from ver4 #bb4 to    
#cj47 to the same ,time of ,existence2  
and there is no  ,necessity from the    
,words that they should be so           
understood4 ,the ,design  and ,intention
 of the ,holy ,ghost is plain in both   
these ,places3 ,in the  one to set out  
the ,eternity of ,god1 and in the other1
 of the ,logos in  particular4 ,and this
 is done by shewing their ,pr-existence 
to this  ,earth1 and to all its greatest
 and most remarkable ,parts4    ,he     
mentions also1 p4 #bjb4 ,deut4 xxxiii4  

#ae4 where the ,hills are  call'd       
,lasting1 and the ,mountains ,antient4  
,and therefore they were  before the    
,flood4 ,this is a hard ,consequence4   
,the ,river ,kishon is  call'd the      
antient ,river1 ,judg4 v4 #ba4 but ,i do
 not therefore think  it necessary1 that
 that ,brook should have been before the
 ,flood4 ,things  may very well deserve 
that ,character of lasting or antient1  
though  they be of less ,antiquity than 
the ,deluge4 ,if one should say the     
lasting ,pyramids1 and antient ,babylon1
 none could blame the  ,expression1 nor 
yet think that they were therefore from 
the ,beginning of  the ,world4    ,after
 these ,allegations from ,scripture1 p4 
#bje4 he descends to a  natural         
,argument taken from the ,mountains in  
the ,moon2 which1 he says1  are much    
higher than the ,mountains upon the     
,earth3 ,and therefore1 seeing  her     
,body is less1 they could not be made by
 a ,dissolution of that  ,planet1 as    
these of the ,earth are said to have    

been4 ,though we are not  bound to      
answer for the ,mountains in the ,moon1 
yet however1 'tis easy to  see that this
 is no good ,argument3 ,for1 besides    
that the ,orb there might  be more      
thick1 all ,ruins do not fall alike4    
,they may fall double1 or in  ,ridges   
and ,arches1 or in steep ,piles1 some   
more than others1 and so  stand at a    
greater ,height4 ,and we have ,reason to
 believe that those in  the ,moon fell  
otherwise than those of the ,earth2     
because we do not see  her turn round3  
,nor can we ever get a ,sight of her    
,backside1 that we  might better judge  
of the ,shapes of her whole ,body4      
,from this natural ,argument1 p4 #bjf4  
he proceeds to an historical  ,argument1
 taken from the ,talmudists and         
,josephus4 ,the ,talmudists  say1 that  
many ,giants sav'd themselves from the  
,flood upon ,mount ,sion4  ,but this1   
the ,exceptor confesses1 is wholly      
fabulous4 ,what need it  then be        
mentioned as an ,argument8 ,then he     

says1 ,josephus reports1 that  many     
sav'd themselves from the ,flood upon   
the ,mountain ,baris in  ,armenia4 ,but 
this also1 p4 #bjg4 he says1 is false in
 the ,gross1 and  a formal ,fiction4    
,why then1 say ,i1 is it brought in as  
an ,argument8  ,lastly1 he quotes a     
,passage out of ,plato1 who says1 when  
the ,gods  shall drown the ,earth1 the  
,herdsmen and ,shepherds shall save     
themselves  upon ,mountains4 ,and this  
7ibid47 the ,exceptor calls a ,piece of 
confus'd ,forgery4 ,why then1 say ,i    
still1 is it alledged as an ,argument   
against the ,theory8 ,but however1 says 
the ,exceptor1 these ,things argue  that
 many thought there were ,mountains     
before the ,flood4 ,but did the         
,theorist ever deny1 that it was the    
vulgar and common ,opinion8 ,therefore  
such ,allegations as these may be of    
some ,use to shew ,reading1 but of no   
,effect at all to confute the ,theory4  
,yet the ,exceptor is not content with  
these ,stories1 but he must needs  add a

 ,fourth2 which1 he says1 p4 #bjh4 is a 
plain ,intimation that  there were      
,mountains in the ,beginning of the     
,world4 ,take his own ,words  for the   
,story1 and the ,application of it4 ,i  
will only add that  traditional ,story  
which is told of ,adam2 namely1 how that
 after his  ,fall1 and when he repented 
of his ,sin1 he bewailed it for several 
hundred of ,years1 upon the ,mountains  
of ,india4 ,another plain  ,intimation  
that ,,there ,,were ,,mountains in the  
,beginning of the ,world4  ,this is a   
plain ,intimation indeed1 that those    
that made this ,fable1  thought there   
were ,mountains then3 ,but is it a      
,proof that there really  was so8 ,as   
you seem to infer4 ,does the ,exceptor  
really believe1 that  ,adam wander'd an 
hundred ,years upon the ,mountains of   
,india8 ,if the  ,matter of ,fact be    
false1 the ,supposition it proceeds upon
 may as well be  false4 ,and he does not
 so much as cite an ,author here1 for   
the one or  the other4    ,we are now   

come to the main ,point1 a new          
,hypothesis concerning the  ,original of
 ,mountains1 which the ,exceptor1 p4    
#bjh1 #bji1 c4 hath  vouchsafed to make 
for us3 ,and1 in short1 it is this4     
,when the ,waters  were drain'd off the 
,land on the third ,day1 while it was   
moist and full  of ,vapours1 the ,sun1  
by his ,heat1 made the ,earth heave and 
rise up in  many ,places1 which         
thereupon became ,mountains4 ,but lest  
we mistake or  misrepresent the         
,author's ,sense1 p4 #bji4 we will give 
it in his own  ,words4 ,now the ,earth1 
by this ,collection of the ,waters into 
one ,place1  being freed from the ,load 
and ,pressure of them1 and laid open to 
the  ,sun1 the ,moisture within1 by the 
,heat of his ,beams1 might quickly be   
turn'd into ,vapours4 ,and these        
,vapours being still increased by the   
continued rarifying ,warmth from above1 
at length they wanted ,space  wherein to
 expand or dilate themselves4 ,and at   
last1 not enduring the  ,confinement    

they felt1 by ,degrees heaved up the    
,earth above2 somewhat  after the       
,manner that ,leaven does ,dough1 when  
it is laid by a ,fire2 but  much more   
forcibly and unevenly4 ,and lifting it  
up thus in numberless  ,places1 and in  
several ,quantities1 and in various     
,figures1 ,mountains  were made of all  
,shapes and ,sizes2 whose ,origin and   
,properties1 he  says1 upon this        
,hypothesis1 will be obvious1 or at     
least intelligible1  to thinking and    
philosophick ,minds4    ,i must confess 
,i am none of those thinking and        
philosophick ,minds1 to  whom this is   
either obvious or intelligible3 ,for    
there seem to me to be  a great many    
palpable ,defects or ,oversights in this
 new ,hypothesis3  ,whereof this is one 
of the grossest1 that he supposes the   
,sun1 by his  ,heat1 the third ,day to  
have raised these ,mountains upon the   
,earth2  whereas the ,sun was not       
created till the fourth ,day1 p4 #ea4   
the fourth  ,day was the first ,day of  

the ,sun's ,existence3 ,so that it had  
this  powerful ,effect1 it seems1 one   
,day before it came into ,being4    ,but
 suppose the ,sun had then existed3     
,this is a prodigious ,effect for  the  
,sun to perform1 in so short a ,time1   
and with so little ,force4 ,the         
greatest ,part of that ,day was spent in
 draining the ,waters from off the      
,land2 which had a long ,way to go1 from
 some inland ,countries1 to reach  the  
,sea1 or their common ,receptacle4 ,and 
he says1 p4 #bji1 without an            
extraordinary ,power1 perhaps they could
 not have been drained off the  ,earth  
in one ,day4 ,let us then allow1 at     
least1 half a ,day for clearing  the    
,ground2 for the ,sun might begin his   
,work about ,noon2 and before  ,night he
 had rais'd all the ,mountains of one   
,hemisphere4 ,it will require  a strong 
philosophick ,faith1 to believe this    
could be all done by the  ,action of the
 ,sun1 an in so short a ,time4 ,besides1
 we must consider1  that the ,sun1 by   

,noon1 had past all the ,eastern        
,countries1 yet covered  with ,water1 or
 not well drain'd3 ,so that after they  
were dried1 he could  only look back    
upon them with faint and declining      
,rays4 ,yet the  ,mountains of the ,east
 are as great and considerable as       
elsewhere4 ,but  there is still another 
great ,difficulty in the ,case1 as to   
the ,northern  and ,southern ,mountains 
of the ,earth2 for they lie quite out of
 the ,road  of the ,sun2 being far      
remov'd towards either ,pole2 where1 by 
reason of  his ,distance and ,obliquity1
 his ,beams have little ,force4 ,how    
would he  heave up the ,riphan          
,mountains1 those vast ,heaps of ,stone 
and ,earth1  that lie so far to the     
,north8 ,you see what ,observations the 
,exceptor  hath made7p4 #aai1 #abj47    
concerning the ,cold of those           
,countries3 ,and it  falls out very     
untowardly for this new ,hypothesis1    
that the ,northern  ,parts of the       
,earth1 as ,norway1 ,swedeland1         

,iseland1 ,scythia1  ,sarmatia1 c4      
should be such mountainous and rocky    
,countries2 where he  had before        
declar'd the ,sun had so little ,force4 
,and1 indeed1 according  to his ,scheme1
 all the great ,mountains of the ,earth 
should have been  under the ,equator1   
or1 at least1 betwixt the ,tropicks4    
,but to examine a little the ,manner and
 ,method of this great ,action1 and     
what kind of ,bodies these new          
,mountains would be2 either the ,sun    
drew up  only the ,surface and outward  
,skin of the ,earth1 as                 
,cupping-,glasses raise  ,blisters2 or  
his ,beams penetrated deep into the     
,earth1 and heaved up the  ,substance of
 it1 as ,moles cast up ,mole-,hills4 ,if
 you take the first  ,method1 these     
superficial ,mountains would be nothing 
but so many ,bags of  ,wind2 and not at 
all answerable to those huge ,masses of 
,earth and ,stone1  whereof our         
,mountains consist4 ,and if you take the
 second ,method1 and  suppose them      

push'd out of the solid ,earth1 and     
thrown up into the ,air1  imagine then  
how deep these ,rays of the ,sun must   
have penetrated in a  few ,hours ,time1 
and what ,strength they must have had1  
to agitate the  ,vapours to that        
,degree1 that they should be able to do 
such ,prodigies as  these4 ,several     
,mountains1 upon a moderate             
,computation1 are a ,mile high  from the
 ,level of the ,earth4 ,so that it was  
necessary that the ,beams of  the ,sun  
should penetrate at least a ,mile deep1 
in so short a ,time2 and  there loosen  
and rarify the ,vapours1 and then tear  
up by the ,roots vast  ,loads and       
,extents of ,ground1 and heave them a   
,mile high into the open  ,air3 ,and all
 this in less than half a ,day4 ,such   
,things surely are beyond  all          
imagination1 and so extravagant1 that   
one cannot1 in ,conscience1  offer them 
to the ,belief of a ,man4 ,can we think 
that the ,sun1 who is two  or three     
,hours in licking up the ,dew from the  

,grass in a ,may ,morning1  should be   
able1 in as many more ,hours1 to suck   
the ,alps and  ,pyreneans out of the    
,bowels of the ,earth2 and not to spend 
all his  ,force upon them neither8 ,for 
he would have as much ,work in other    
,countries4 ,to raise up ,taurus1 for   
instance1 and ,imaus1 and frozen        
,caucasus in ,asia2 and the mighty      
,atlas1 and the ,mountains of the  ,moon
 in ,africk2 besides the ,andes in      
,america1 which1 they say1  far exceed  
all the ,mountains of our ,continent4   
,one would be apt to  think1 that this  
,gentleman never saw the ,face of a     
mountainous ,country2  for he writes of 
them1 as if he had taken his ,idea of   
,mountains1 and the  great ,ridges of   
,mountains1 upon the ,earth1 from the   
,devil's ,ditch1 and  ,hogmagog ,hills3 
,and he raises them faster than         
,mushrooms out of the  ,ground4 ,if the 
newborn ,sun1 at his first ,appearance1 
could make such  great ,havock1 and so  
great ,changes upon the ,face of the    

,earth1 what hath  he been doing ever   
since8 ,we never heard nor read of a    
,mountain1 since  the ,memory of ,man1  
rais'd by the ,heat of the ,sun4 ,we may
 therefore  enquire1 in the last ,place1
    ,why have we no ,mountains made now 
by the same ,causes8 ,we have no ,reason
  to believe that the ,heat or ,strength
 of the ,sun is lessen'd since that     
,time2 why then does it not produce like
 ,effects8 ,but ,i imagine he hath  an  
,answer for this3 ,namely1 that the     
,moisture of the first ,earth1 when  it 
was new drain'd and marshy1 contributed 
much to this ,effect2 which  now its    
,dryness hinders4 ,but besides1 that the
 ,dryness of the ,earth  should rather  
give an ,advantage1 by the ,collection  
of ,vapours within its  ,cavities3      
,however1 we might expect1 according to 
this ,reason1 that all  our drain'd     
,fens and marshy ,grounds1 should       
presently be rais'd into  ,mountains2   
whereas we see them all to continue     
arrand ,plains1 as they  were before4   

,but if you think these are too little  
,spots of ,ground to  receive a strong  
,influence from the ,sun1 take gypt for 
an ,instance3  ,that's capacious enough1
 and 'tis overflow'd every ,year1 and by
 that  ,means made soft and moist to    
your ,mind1 as the new ,earth when it   
rises  from under the ,abyss4 ,why then 
is not gypt converted into ,mountains1  
after the ,inundation and ,retirement of
 ,nile8 ,i do not see any               
,qualification wanting1 according to the
 ,exceptor's ,hypothesis3 gypt  hath a  
moist ,soil1 and a strong ,sun1 much    
stronger than the ,alps or  ,pyreneans  
have2 and yet it continues one of the   
plainest ,countries  upon the ,earth4   
,but there is still a greater ,instance 
behind against  this ,hypothesis1 than  
any of the former2 and that is1 of the  
whole ,earth  after the ,deluge3 ,when  
it had been overflow'd a second ,time by
 the  ,abyss1 upon the ,retirement of   
those ,waters it would be much what in  
the  same ,condition1 as to ,moisture1  

that it was in the third ,day1 when it  
first became dry ,land4 ,why then should
 not the same ,effect follow again1  by 
the ,heat of the ,sun2 and as many new  
,mountains be rais'd upon this  second  
,draining of the ,earth1 as upon the    
first8 ,these are plain and  obvious    
,instances1 and as plainly unanswerable4
 ,and the whole ,hypothesis  which this 
,virtuoso hath propos'd concerning the  
,origin of ,mountains1  is such an ,heap
 of ,incredibilities1 and ,things       
inconsistent one with  another1 that    
,i'm afraid ,i shall be thought to have 
spent too much ,time  in ,confutation of
 it4    ,in the ,conclusion of this     
,chapter1 p4 #bae4 he hath an ,attempt  
to prove  that there were ,mountains    
before the ,flood1 because there were   
,metals2  which are commonly found about
 the ,roots of ,mountains4 ,but the     
,theorist1  he says1 to shun this great 
,inconvenience1 fairly consents to the  
abolishing of ,metals out of the first  
,state of ,nature4 ,yet he is hard  put 

to it1 to prove that the ,theorist hath 
any where asserted1  whatsoever he      
thought1 that there were no ,metals     
then4 ,the first  ,citation he produces1
 only recites the ,opinion of others1   
and says1 p4  #baf4 he thinks they do   
not want their ,reasons4 ,of the two    
other  ,citations out of the ,preface1  
the first does not reach home1 making no
  mention of ,metals4 ,and the second is
 wholly misconstrued1 and perverted  to 
a ,sense quite contrary to what the     
,author intended1 or the ,context  will 
bear4 ,but however the ,theorist appears
 doubtful1 whether there were  ,metals  
or no in in the first ,world3 ,and1 upon
 this ,doubt1 the ,exceptor  lays this  
heavy ,charge1 p4 #bae4 li4 #bd4 ,thus  
the ,fidelity of  ,moses is assaulted1  
and another intolerable ,affront put    
upon the ,,holy  ,,ghost3 ,for do not   
both inform us1 that the ,city ,enoch   
was built1 and  the ,ark prepared1      
before the ,flood8 ,but how could either
 be done without  ,iron-,tools8 ,but    

does either ,moses1 or the ,holy ,ghost 
tell us1 that  there were ,iron-,tools  
in building that ,city1 or the ,ark8 ,if
 they do not1  we only affront the      
,consequence1 which the ,exceptor draws 
from the  ,words1 and not the ,authors  
of them4 ,by what divine ,authority does
 the  ,animadverter assert1 that there  
was ,iron1 or ,iron-,tools1 in ,building
  this ,city1 or that ,ark8 ,i'm sure   
,scripture does not mention either1 upon
  those ,occasions4 ,and seeing it      
mentions only ,gopher ,wood and ,pitch  
for the ,building of the ,ark1 ,gen4 vi4
 #ad4 'tis a ,presumption rather1  that 
there were no other ,materials us'd4    
,and as to the ,city1 'tis true1  if he 
fancy the ,city which ,enoch built1 to  
have been like ,paris1 or  ,london1 he  
has ,reason to imagine1 that they had   
,iron-,tools to make it4  ,but suppose  
it was a ,number of ,cottages1 made of  
,branches of ,trees1 of  ,osiers and    
,bulrushes1 7and what needed they any   
other ,house1 when the  ,air was so     

temperate87 or1 if you will1 of         
,mud-,walls1 and a ,roof of  ,straw1    
with a ,fence about it to keep out      
,beasts1 there would be no such         
,necessity of ,iron-,tools4 ,consider1  
pray1 how long the ,world was without   
knowing the ,use of ,iron1 in several   
,parts of it1 as in the ,north1 and in  
,america3 ,and yet they had ,houses and 
,cities after their ,fashion4 ,for  the 
,northern ,countries you may see ,olaus 
,magnus1 li4 #ab4 c4 #ac4  ,for         
,america1 ,pet4 ,martyr4 ,dec4 #a4 ,but 
the ,exceptor will save you  your       
,pains1 as to the ,indians1 for he says 
himself1 p4 #bej4 in  another ,place1   
that they had no ,instruments of ,iron1 
when the  ,spaniards came amongst them4 
,and if in those late ,ages of the      
,world1  they were still without the    
,use of ,iron1 or ,iron-,tools1 we have 
less  ,reason to believe that the       
,children of ,cain had them four or five
  thousand ,years before4    ,it is also
 worthy our ,consideration1 how many    

,things must have been  done1 before    
they could come at these ,iron-,tools4  
,how came the ,children  of ,cain to dig
 into the ,earth1 ,i know not to what   
,depth1 to seek for a  ,thing they had  
never heard of before1 when it was so   
difficult to dig  into the ,earth       
without such ,tools8 ,more difficult1   
methinks1 than to  build an ,house      
without them4 ,but suppose they did     
this1 we know not how2  and1 amongst    
many other ,stones1 or ,earths1 found   
that which we call  ,iron-,ore3 ,how did
 they know the ,nature and ,use of it8  
,or1 if they  guess'd at that1 how did  
they know the ,way and ,manner of       
preparing it1  by ,furnaces1            
,wind-,forges1 and ,smelting-mills8     
,these would be as hard to  make or     
build1 without ,iron ,tools1 as dwelling
 ,houses4 ,and when they had  got a     
,lump of ,iron1 till they knew how to   
temper it1 they could not make  ,tools  
of it still4 ,unless ,cain's ,children  
had an ,inspiration from  ,heaven1 ,i do

 not see how they could discover all    
these ,things1 in so  short a ,time4    
,and this is only to make good what the 
,theorist said1 that  such an           
,hypothesis does not want its ,reasons4 
,and as to ,tubal-,cain1  let those that
 positively assert that there was no    
,iron in the first  ,world1 tell us in  
what ,sense that ,place is to be        
understood4 ,for1 ,i  believe1 ,iron or 
,brass is not once mention'd in all the 
,theory4                                
,,chap4 ,,xi4      ,this ,chapter is to 
prove that the ,sea was open before the 
,deluge4 ',tis  something barren of     
philosophical ,arguments1 but we will   
begin with such  as it has1 which are   
taken from this ,topick1 ,that the      
,fishes could not  live in our ,abyss3  
p4 #bbd4 and that for three ,reasons4   
,first1 because  it was too dark4       
,secondly1 too close2 and thirdly1 too  
cold4 ,as for  ,coldness1 methinks he   
might have left that out1 unless he     
suppose that  there are no ,fish in the 

frozen ,seas1 towards the ,north and    
,south2 which  is against all ,sense and
 ,experience3 ,for cold ,countries      
abound most in  ,fish4 ,and according to
 ,reason1 there would be more ,danger of
 too much  ,warmth1 in those            
subterraneous ,waters1 than of too much 
,cold1 in respect  of the ,fishes4      
,then as to ,darkness and ,closeness1   
this minds me of the ,saying of         
,maimonides3 ,that no ,man ever would   
believe1 that a ,child could live  so   
many ,months1 shut up in its ,mother's  
,belly1 if he had never seen the        
,experience of it4 ,there's ,closeness  
and ,darkness1 in the ,highest ,degree4 
,and in ,animals1 that1 as soon as born1
 cannot live without ,respiration4      
,whereas ,fishes1 of all ,creatures1    
have the least need of ,respiration1 if 
they have any4 ,and as for ,darkness1   
how many subterraneous ,lakes have  we  
still1 wherein ,fishes live8 ,and we can
 scarce suppose the main and  fathomless
 ,ocean to have ,light to the ,bottom2  

at least when it is  troubled or        
tempestuous4 ,how the ,eyes of ,fish    
are1 or might be1 form'd  or conform'd1 
we cannot tell1 but we see they feed and
 prey on the ,night  ,time1 and take    
,baits as greedily as on the ,day4 ,but 
it is likely they  were less active and 
agile in that ,abyss1 than they are now2
 their ,life  was more sluggish then1   
and their ,motions more slow1 ,job      
xxxviii4 #h4  as being still in that    
,womb of ,nature that was broke up at   
the ,deluge4  ,and as to ,air1 they     
would have enough for their imperfect   
way of  breathing in that ,state4 ,but  
if they have a more perfect now1 which  
is  still a ,question1 they might have  
some ,passages in their ,body open'd1   
7at the ,disruption of the ,abyss7 when 
they were born into the ,light and  free
 ,air1 which were not open'd before4 ,as
 we see in ,infants1 upon their  ,birth1
 a new ,passage is made into their      
,lungs1 and a new ,circulation of  the  
,blood1 which before took another       

,course4    ,so much for pretended      
,reasons and ,philosophy4 ,the rest of  
this long  ,chapter is spent either in  
,consequences made from ,scripture1 or  
in a  prolix ,discourse about ,rain4 ,as
 to ,scripture1 p4 #bai1 #bbj4 he makes 
this the first ,objection1 that1 whereas
 ,adam had a ,dominion given him  over  
the ,fish of the ,sea1 it could have no 
,effect1 if they were inclosed  in the  
,abyss4 ,adam had no more ,dominion     
given him over the ,fish of the  ,sea1  
than over the ,fowls of the ,air2 which 
he could not come at1 or  seize at his  
,pleasure1 unless he could fly into the 
,air after them4  ,adam was made ,lord  
of all ,animals upon this ,earth1 and   
had a ,right to  use them for his       
,conveniency1 when they came into his   
,power3 ,but ,i do  not believe that    
,adam was made stronger than a ,lyon1   
nor could master  the ,leviathan1 or    
command him to the ,shore4 ,he had a    
,right1 however1 and  his ,posterity1 to
 dispose of all ,creatures for their    

,use and ,service1  whensoever1 upon    
,occasion offered1 they fell into their 
,power4    ,next he says1 p4 #bbe1 #bbf4
 ,the ,waters were gather'd into one    
,place1  and a ,firmament was made to   
divide the ,waters from the ,waters4    
,well1  allow this1 tell us then what   
was that ,firmament8 ,for it is said    
there1  ,gen4 i4 #ag4 that ,god set the 
,sun1 ,moon1 and ,stars1 in the         
,firmament4  ,therefore you can argue   
nothing from this1 unless you suppose   
supercelestial ,waters3 ,which1 when you
 have prov'd1 we will give you an       
,account of the subcelestial1 and of the
 subterraneous4 ,and here the  ,exceptor
 cites some ,things from the ,theory1   
that are not in the second  ,edition1   
and therefore the ,theorist is not      
concern'd to answer them4    ,lastly1   
,the ,exceptor comes to his long        
,harangue in ,commendation of the       
,clouds and of ,rain3 ,which takes up a 
great ,part of this ,chapter4 ,in  his  
,exordium he makes this ,compliment to  

the ,clouds1 p4 #bcd4  ,sometimes they  
mount up and fly aloft1 as if they      
forgat1 or disdain'd  the ,meanness of  
their ,origin4 ,sometimes again they    
sink and stoop so  low1 as if they      
repented of their former proud          
,aspirings1 and did  remorseful humble  
,penance for their high ,presumption4   
,and though ,i may  not say they weep to
 expiate their ,arrogance1 or kiss the  
,earth with  bedewed ,cheeks1 in ,token 
of their ,penitence1 yet they often     
prostrate in  the ,dust1 and sweep the  
lowest ,grounds of all1 with their misty
 foggy  ,trains4 ,one while they1 c4    
,this ,harangue about the ,clouds and   
,rain1 is  pursued for fourteen or      
fifteen ,pages1 and1 with ,submission to
 better  ,judgments1 ,i take it to be a 
,country ,sermon1 about the ,usefulness 
of  ,rain3 ,and1 ,i believe1 whosoever  
reads it1 will1 both from its ,matter   
and ,form1 be of the same ,opinion4 ,i  
do not speak this in ,derogation to  his
 ,sermon1 but he would have done better1

 methinks1 to have printed it  in a     
,pamphlet by it self2 there being no    
,occasion for it in this ,theory4       
,towards the ,conclusion of the         
,chapter1 p4 #bdf4 he answers an        
,objection  made by the ,theorist       
against the supposed ,islands and       
,continents in the  first ,earth4       
,namely1 ,that it would render the      
,propagation of ,mankind  difficult1    
into those broken ,parts of the ,world4 
,and the many imperfect  shifting       
,answers which the ,exceptor gives1 or  
conjectures without  ,authority1 do but 
confirm the ,objection of the ,theorist1
 or make his  ,words true1 quod ,res    
esset difficilis explicatu4 ,which is   
all that the  ,theorist said upon that  
,subject4                               
,,chap4 ,,xii4      ,this is a short    
,chapter1 and will be soon dispatch'd4  
',tis to prove that  the ,rainbow was   
before the ,flood4 ,and notwithstanding 
that1 a good  ,sign that there should   
never be a ,flood again4 ,this is to me 

a ,paradox1  but he confirms it by a    
greater ,paradox3 ,for he says1 ,god    
might as well  7as to ,significancy1 or 
,authenticalness7 have appointed the    
,sun1 as the  ,rainbow1 for a ,sign that
 there never should have been another   
,flood4 ,so  that if ,god had said to   
,noah1 ,i do assure thee there shall    
never be a  second ,deluge1 and for a   
,sign of this1 ,behold ,i set the ,sun  
in the  ,firmament3 ,this would have    
done as well1 he says1 as the ,rainbow4 
,that  is1 in my ,judgment1 it would    
have done nothing at all more than the  
bare  ,promise4 ,and if it had done no  
more than the bare ,promise1 it was     
superfluous4 ,therefore if the ,rainbow 
was no more than the ,sun would  have   
been1 it was a superfluous ,sign4 ,they 
to whom these two ,signs are  of equal  
,significancy and ,effect1 lie without  
the ,reach of all  ,conviction1 and ,i  
am very willing to indulge them in their
 own ,opinions4    ,but he says1 p4     
#beg4 ,god sometimes has made things to 

be ,signs1 that  are common and usual4  
,thus the ,fruit of a ,tree growing in  
,paradise1 was  made a ,sign of ,man's  
,immortality4 ,but how does it appear   
that this was  a common ,tree2 or that  
it was given to ,adam as a ,sign that he
 should  be immortal8 ,neither of these 
appear from ,scripture4 ,secondly1 he   
says1  #b ,kings xiii4 #ag4 ,shooting   
with ,bow and ,arrows upon the ,ground1 
was  made a ,sign to ,joash of his      
prevailing against the ,syrians4 ,this  
was  only a ,command to make war against
 ,syria1 and a ,prophecy of ,success2   
both deliver'd in a symbolical or       
hieroglyphical ,way4 ,the ,command was  
signify'd by bidding the ,king shoot an 
,arrow1 which was the ,sign of ,war4    
,and the ,sign of ,victory or of divine 
,assistance1 was the ,prophet's         
strengthening the ,king's ,hands to draw
 the ,bow4 ,this is nothing as to a     
,sign given in ,nature1 or from the     
natural ,world1 in ,confirmation of a   
divine ,promise3 ,which is the thing we 

are only to consider4    ,all the rest  
of this ,chapter is lax ,discourse      
without ,proof4 ,and as to  the         
,significancy of the ,rainbow1 upon     
,supposition that it was a new          
,appearance2 and its ,insignificancy    
upon ,supposition that it was an old    
,appearance1 we have spoken so fully in 
the ,theory it self1 ,eng4 ,theor4      
,book #b4 ch4 #e4 that it would be      
needless here to make any longer  ,stay 
upon this ,argument4                    
,,chap4 ,,xiii4      ,this ,chapter is  
concerning ,paradise2 but our ,author   
fairly baulks all  the ,difficulties in 
that ,doctrine1 and contents himself    
with a few  ,generals1 which every body 
knows4 ,the ,doctrine of ,paradise      
consists  chiefly of two ,parts2 the    
,site or ,place of it2 and the ,state or
  ,properties of it4 ,as to the first1  
if the ,exceptor would have confuted    
the ,theory1 he should have let down the
 ,conclusions that are advanc'd by  the 
,theory1 7,eng4 ,theor4 ,book4 #b4 c4   

#g47 concerning the ,place of           
,paradise1 which are these2 first1 the  
,place of ,paradise cannot be           
determin'd by ,scripture only4 ,neither 
the ,word ,mekeddem1 7,gen4 ii4  #h47   
nor the four ,rivers mentioned there1   
make the ,place of it  defineable4      
,secondly1 ,the ,place of ,paradise     
cannot be determin'd by the  ,theory4   
,seeing then neither ,scripture1 nor    
,reason determine the ,place of         
,paradise1 if we will determine it1 it  
must be by ,antiquity4 ,and if we       
appeal to ,antiquity in this ,case1 we  
shall find1 ,first1 ,that it was not  in
 ,mesopotamia4 ,secondly1 ,that         
according to the ,plurality of ,votes1  
both amongst the ,heathen and ,christian
 ,authors1 it was plac'd in the  other  
,hemisphere4 ,and this is all the       
,theory says upon that ,point4 ,as  you 
may see1 ,eng4 ,theor ,book #b4 ch4 #g4 
and ,lat4 ,theor4 ,edit4  #b4 p4 #aid4  
and p4 #bad1 #bae4 ,wherefore if the    
,animadverter would  undertake to       

confute the ,theory in this ,point1 he  
should have confuted  those four        
,particulars4 ,but he slips over these1 
p4 #bfe4 and gives us  only a           
,paraphrase upon ,verses in the second  
and third ,chapters of  ,genesis1 which 
says little to this ,purpose1 and yet   
more than it  proves4    ,in the second 
,place1 as to the ,state and ,properties
 of ,paradise1 or the  ante-diluvian    
,world2 the ,longevity of the           
,ante-diluvians is the ,thing  he       
insists upon4 ,but this he handles so   
loosely1 p4 #bgc4 that in the           
,conclusion of his ,discourse1 one      
cannot tell whether he affirms it1 or   
denies it4 ,this sceptical ,humour of   
the ,exceptor hath been taken notice  of
 before1 and 'tis continued in this     
,chapter1 where there is little or      
nothing positively determin'd4 ,the     
,theorist1 on the contrary1 expressly   
affirms the ,longevity of the           
,ante-diluvians1 and gives these        
,reasons for  his ,assertion4 ,first1   

,because all the ,lives1 and all the    
,generations  recorded in ,scripture1   
before the ,flood1 from ,father to ,son1
 in a ,line  of sixteen hundred ,years1 
are longeval3 ,of six1 seven1 eight1    
nine  hundred ,years a-piece4 ,secondly1
 ,antiquity1 both ,greek and ,barbarian 
have attested the same thing1 and       
recorded the ,tradition2 see the ,table 
of both4 ,thirdly1 ,the ,generations    
recorded in ,scripture after the ,flood1
  as they exceed the ,term of succeeding
 ,ages1 ,eng4 ,theor4 p4 #bjd4 so  they 
decline by degrees from the             
ante-diluvian ,longevity4 ,lastly1      
,jacob complains of the ,shortness of   
his ,life1 and lowness of his ,days1  in
 ,comparison of his ,forefathers1 when  
he had liv'd one hundred and  thirty    
,years2 ,gen4 xlvii4 #i4 which had been 
a groundless ,complaint1 if  his        
,ancestors had not lived much longer4   
,these two last ,reasons the ,exceptor  
has not thought fit to take notice  of4 
,and1 in ,answer to the two former1 he  

hath only the usual  ,subterfuges3 ,as1 
that the long ,lives of the             
ante-diluvian ,patriarchs was  a ,thing 
extraordinary and providential1 confin'd
 to their ,persons2 not  of a general   
,extent1 nor according to the ,course of
 ,nature4 ,but how does  this appear8   
,it must be made out1 either by         
,scripture or ,reason4  ,scripture makes
 no ,distinction1 nor ,exception of     
,persons in this ,case2  all1 whereof it
 hath left any ,account1 as to ,term of 
,life1 are declar'd  to have liv'd      
several hundred of ,years4 ,and why     
should we not conclude  the same ,thing 
concerning the rest8 ,then as to        
,reason1 you cannot  suppose ,longevity1
 in that ,world1 against ,reason or     
,nature1 unless you  first suppose the  
,form and ,constitution of that ,world  
to have been the  same with the present3
 ,which is to beg the ,question4        
,admitting that ,form  and ,constitution
 of the first ,heavens and ,earth1 which
 the ,theory hath  given1 ,longevity    

will be a natural ,consequence of it4   
,theor4 ,book #b4  ch4 #c1  #d4 ,and    
having such a ,course of ,nature laid   
before us1 as  agrees with the ,reports 
of ,scripture1 and with general         
,tradition1 why  should we quit that1 to
 comply with an imaginary ,presumption2 
that these  were miraculously preserv'd1
 and all the rest were short-liv'd8 ,i  
know  he pretends1 p4 #bgg4 we may as   
well conclude all ,men were ,giants in  
those ,days1 because ,moses says1 ,there
 were ,giants upon the ,earth in  those 
,days1 ,gen4 vi4 #d4 as conclude that   
all ,men were long liv'd in  those      
,days1 because ,moses mentions some that
 were so4 ,there had been  some         
,pretence for this1 if ,moses had made a
 ,distinction of two ,races  of ,men in 
the first ,world1 long ,livers and short
 ,livers2 as he hath  distinguish'd the 
,giant from the common ,race of         
,mankind3 ,or1 as he hath  said in one  
,case1 ,there were ,giants on the ,earth
 in those ,days2 so if  he had said in  

the other1 ,there were long ,livers upon
 the ,earth in  those ,days1 and upon   
that1 had given us a ,list of the       
long-liv'd  ,patriarchs3 ,this indeed   
would have made the ,cases pretty       
parallel4 ,but1  on the contrary1 ,moses
 makes no such ,distinction of          
long-living and  short-living ,races1   
before the ,flood2 nor yet notes it as a
 ,mark of  divine ,favour1 or           
extraordinary ,benediction upon those   
,persons that  liv'd so long4           
,therefore1 not to suppose it general to
 ,mankind at that  ,time1 is a          
groundless ,restriction1 which is       
neither founded upon  ,scripture nor    
,reason4    ,as to the second ,argument 
for ante-diluvian ,longevity1 taken from
  ,tradition and the ,testimony of the  
,antients1 he objects1 p4 #bgf1 #bgg4   
that ,josephus does not seem to be firm 
in that ,opinion himself4 ,but  what    
then8 ,the ,theorist lays no ,stress    
upon ,josephus's single ,opinion1  but  
refers to the ,testimonies of those     

,authors1 whether ,greeks1 or  such as  
have given on ,account of the gyptian1  
,chaldean1 and  ,phnician ,antiquities3 
,which are call'd in by ,josephus1 as   
,witnesses  of this ,truth or           
,tradition1 concerning the long ,lives  
of the first ,men4  ,and at last1 the   
,exceptor seems content1 this ,tradition
 should be  admitted1 p4 #bgh4 seeing   
the ,authors are too many1 or too       
considerable1 to have their ,testimonies
 question'd or rejected4 ,but  then he  
will make a further ,question1 ,why     
there should not also be a  ,tradition  
concerning the perpetual ,equinox1 or   
perpetual ,spring1  upon which this     
,longevity depended8 ,but this ,question
 is fully answer'd1  and the ,tradition 
fully made out before1 in the eighth    
,chapter1 which ,i  need not here       
repeat4 ,in like manner1 all the        
secondary ,questions1 which  he then    
mentions1 depending upon1 and being     
included in this first1  receive their  
,resolution from it4 ,for when a        

perpetual ,equinox is once  truly       
stated1 there is no ,difficulty         
concerning the rest4    ,after these    
,contests about ,traditions1 he hath one
 or two ,reasons  against this          
ante-diluvian ,longevity1 p4 #bgi1 #bhj4
 ,first1 because the  ,earth1 by this   
,means1 would have been over-stock'd    
with ,people before  the ,time of the   
,deluge4 ,secondly1 ,they should all    
have been of the same  ,longevity before
 the ,flood4 ,neither of these1         
me-thinks1 have any  ,strength in them4 
,as to the first1 ,that ,earth was much 
more capacious  than this is1 where the 
,sea takes away half of its ,surface1   
and renders  it uninhabitable4 ,and     
whereas he suggests1 as a ,recompence1  
ibid4  ,that ,mountains have more       
,surface and ,capacity than ,plains2    
that's  true1 but they are also less    
habitable1 by ,reason of their          
,barrenness  and ,ruggedness4 ,who can  
believe that there are as many ,people  
in  ,wales1 as in other ,parts of       

,england1 upon the same ,compass of     
level  ,ground8 ,or no more in ,holland1
 than upon a like ,number of ,acres upon
  the ,alps or ,pyreneans8 ,there would 
be room enough for twice as many        
,people as there are in the ,world1 and 
twice as many ,animals1 if there  was   
,food enough to nourish them4 ,but here 
,i have two things to complain  of1 as  
foul ,play3 ,first1 the ,exceptor cites 
the ,theory partially4  ,secondly1 he   
does not mark the ,place whence he takes
 that ,citation2 as  if it was on       
purpose to hide his ,partiality4 ,the   
,words he cites are  these3 ,if we allow
 the first ,couple1 at the end of one   
hundred ,years1  or of the first        
,century1 to have left ten ,pair of     
,breeders1 which is an  easy            
,supposition1 there would arise from    
these in fifteen hundred ,years1  a     
greater ,number than the ,earth was     
capable of2 allowing every ,pair to     
multiply in the same decuple ,proportion
 the first ,pair did1 ,eng4 ,theor4  p4 

#cb4 ,here the ,exceptor stops1 and     
makes this ,inference2 that upon an     
easy ,supposition1 which the ,theorist  
makes and allows1 the ,earth would  have
 been over-stock'd in fifteen hundred   
,years4 ,this is an easy  ,supposition  
for the first ,century1 as the ,theorist
 put it2 but it  would be a very uneasy 
one for the following ,centuries1 when  
they came  to be at any considerable    
,distance from the ,beginning4 ,and     
therefore the  ,theorist tells you1 in  
that very ,page1 ,the same ,measure     
cannot run  equally through all the     
,ages4 ,and in his ,calculation you see1
 after the  first ,century1 he hath     
taken only a quadruple ,proportion for  
the  ,increase of ,mankind4 ,as judging 
that a moderate and reasonable ,measure 
betwixt the highest and the lowest4     
,this the ,exceptor might easily have   
observ'd1 ibid4 and as easily avoided   
this ,misapplication of the ,words  of  
the ,theorist4    ,his second ,reason   
against the ante-diluvian ,longevity is 

slighter than  the first1 p4 #bhj4 ,for 
he pretends that all ,ante-diluvians1   
upon that  ,supposition1 should have    
been equally long-liv'd4 ,you may as    
well say1  that all the ,children of the
 same ,parents1 and that live in the    
same  ,place1 should now be equally     
long-liv'd2 the external ,world being   
the  same to them all4 ,but1 besides    
,accidents1 their ,stamina and          
,constitutions might then be of a       
different ,strength1 as well as now2    
tho' they were born of the same         
,parents1 and liv'd in the same ,air4   
,lastly1 he moves a ,difficulty about   
the ,multiplication of ,animals in the  
first ,world1 p4 #bha4 that they would  
have been too numerous before the       
,flood4 ,i can say nothing to that1 nor 
he neither1 upon good ,grounds3  ,unless
 we knew what ,species of ,animals were 
then made1 and in what  ,degrees they   
multiplied4 ,the ,theorist always       
supposes a divine  ,providence to       
superintend1 proportion1 and determine1 

both the ,number  and ,food of ,animals 
upon the ,earth2 suitably to the        
,constitution and  ,circumstances of    
every ,world4 ,and seeing that ,earth   
was no less under  the ,care and        
,direction of ,providence1 than the     
present1 we may conclude  that due      
,measures were taken for adjusting the  
,numbers and ,food of  ,animals in such 
manner1 as neither to be a ,burden to   
one another1 nor to  ,man4              
,,chap4 ,,xiv4      ,this ,chapter is   
against the ,explication of the ,deluge 
by the  ,dissolution of the ,earth4     
,that ,dissolution1 as is pretended1    
being  unfit or insufficient to produce 
such an ,effect4 ,and to prove this1 the
  ,ante-theorist gives us five          
,arguments1 whereof the first is this2  
p4  #bhe4 ,moses having left us an      
accurate ,description of ,paradise1     
according to the proper ,rules of       
,topography1 such a ,description would  
have been improper and insufficient to  
determine the ,place of ,paradise1  and 

consequently useless1 if the ,earth had 
been dissolv'd2 and by that  means the  
,bounds of those ,countries1 and the    
,channels of those ,rivers1  broken and 
chang'd4 ,this ,objection1 ,i'm afraid1 
will fall heavier upon  ,moses1 or upon 
the ,exceptor himself1 than upon the    
,theorist4 ,however1  one would have    
expected that the ,exceptor should have 
determin'd here  the ,place of ,paradise
 in virtue of that ,description4 ,so    
learned and  sagacious a ,person1 having
 before him an exact ,draught of        
,paradise1  according to the proper     
,rules of ,topography1 could not fail to
 lay his  ,finger upon the very ,spot of
 ,ground where it stood4 ,yet ,i do not 
find  that he has ventur'd to determine 
the ,place of ,paradise1 either in this 
,chapter1 or in the preceding3 ,which   
gives me a great ,suspicion1 that he    
was not satisfy'd where it stood1       
notwithstanding the ,mosaical           
,topography4 ,now if it cannot be       
understood or determin'd by that        

,topography1 one of these two things    
must be allow'd1 either that the        
,description was insufficient and       
ineffectual2 or that there has been     
some great ,change in the ,earth1       
whereby the ,marks of it are destroy'd2 
namely1 the ,bounds of ,countries1 and  
the ,courses of the the ,rivers4 ,if  he
 take the second of these ,answers1 he  
joins with the ,theorist4 ,if the       
first1 he reflects1 according to his way
 of arguing1 upon the ,honour of        
,moses1 or confutes himself4    ,but    
here is still a further ,charge1 p4     
#bhf4 ,moses's ,description of          
,paradise would have been told 7which he
 notes for horrid ,blasphemy7  if the   
,earth was broken at the ,deluge3 ,for  
then those ,rivers1 by which  ,moses    
describes ,paradise1 could not have been
 before the ,flood4 ,but  why so1 ,i    
pray8 ,the ,theorist supposes ,rivers   
before the ,flood1 in great  ,plenty2   
and why not like to these8 ,and if their
 ,channels were very much  chang'd by   

the ,flood1 that's no more than what    
good ,interpreters  suppose4 ,being     
unable1 upon any other ,submission1 to  
give an ,account why  it is so hard     
7notwithstanding ,moses's ,description7 
to determine the  ,place of ,paradise4  
,now where is the ,blasphemy of this8   
,ibid4 ,horrid  ,blasphemy against the  
,holy ,ghost8 ,a rude and injudicious   
,defence of  ,scripture1 by ,railing and
 ill ,language1 is the true ,way to     
lessen and  disparage it3 ,especially   
when we make our own ,consequences to be
 of the  same ,authority with the ,word 
of ,god2 and whatsoever is against them1
  must be charg'd with ,blasphemy       
against the ,holy ,ghost4 ,is it not a  
strange ,thing1 that the ,dissolution of
 the ,earth should be made  ,blasphemy1 
when the ,prophets and inspir'd ,authors
 speak so often of the  ,disruptions1   
,fractions1 ,concussions1 and           
,subversions of the  ,earth8 ,see       
,review1 p4 #chj1 c4 ,and that very     
,expression1 that the  ,earth is        

dissolv'd1 is a ,scripture ,expression1 
7,psal4 lxxv4 #c4  ,isai4 xxiv4 #ai4    
,amos ix4 #e7 which1 methinks1 might    
have been enough  to have protected it  
from the ,imputation of ,blasphemy4 ,but
 there is  nothing safe against blind   
,zeal1 and opinionative ,ignorance2     
which1 by  how much they find themselves
 weaker in ,reasons1 by so much they    
become  more violent in ,passions4      
,but to return to the ,objection2 upon  
the whole ,matter1 he casts the  ,burden
 of the ,charge upon ,moses himself1 as 
we noted before3 ,for take  whether     
,hypothesis you will1 that the ,earth   
was1 or was not broken1 the  ,question  
still returns1 if the ,mosaical         
,topography was exact and  sufficient1  
why can we not yet find out the         
,situation of ,paradise8 ',tis  now     
above three thousand ,years since ,moses
 died1 and ,men have been  curious and  
very inquisitive in all ,ages1 to find  
out the ,place of  ,paradise2 but it is 
not found out to this ,day to any       

,satisfaction3 ,so  that1 methinks1 upon
 the whole1 the ,theory1 which supposeth
 the ,earth  very much chang'd1 makes   
the fairest ,apology both for ,moses and
  ,mankind1 in this ,particular4 ,but to
 proceed to his second ,argument4       
,secondly1 says the ,exceptor1 p4 #bhh4 
,the ,dissolution of the ,earth could   
not be the ,cause of the general ,flood1
 because it would have utterly          
destroy'd ,noah's ,ark1 and all that    
were in it4 ,i thought the ,theorist    
had effectually prevented this          
,objection1 by putting the ,ark under   
the  ,conduct of its ,guardian ,angels1 
and of a miraculous ,providence2 ,eng4  
,theor4 p4 #adg4 ,these are his ,words3 
,i think it had been impossible  for the
 ,ark to have liv'd upon the raging     
,abyss1 or for ,noah and his  ,family to
 have been preserv'd1 if there had not  
been a miraculous ,hand  of ,providence 
to take ,care of them4 ,now1 either the 
,exceptor did not  take notice of this  
,passage in the ,theory1 or he does not 

allow that a  miraculous ,hand was      
sufficient to preserve the ,ark2 or     
thirdly1 he made  an ,objection1 which  
he knew himself to be impertinent4 ,and1
 ,i confess1 ,i  am inclinable to think 
the last is true3 ,for as to the first1 
he  confesses 7p4 #ced47 that the       
,theory represents the ,ark1 with its   
,guardian ,angels about it1 in the      
,extremity of the ,flood4 ,and as to the
  second1 he himself makes use of a     
miraculous ,power to preserve the ,ark  
upon his ,hypothesis2 in ,answer to the 
eighth ,objection1 p4 #cea1 #ceb1  c4   
,why then may not we make use of the    
same ,power1 and with the same  ,effect8
 ,it remains therefore1 that he was     
conscious to himself that he  made this 
,objection to no purpose4    ,but that  
is not all3 ,he has also us'd foul ,play
 in his ,citation3 ,for  whereas the    
great ,danger of the ,ark would be at   
the first ,fall of the  ,earth1 or the  
,disruption of the ,abyss2 the          
,theorist1 he says1 to prevent  this1   

makes the ,ark to be a-float by the     
,rains1 before the ,abyss was  broken4  
,but is that all the ,theorist says in  
that ,place8 ,does he not  assign       
another ,way how the ,ark might be      
a-float8 ,namely1 in a ,river1 or  in a 
,dock4 ,these are the ,words of the     
,theory1 p4 #acc1 #acd4 ,so as the      
,ark1 if it could not float upon these  
,rain-,waters1 at least taking the      
,advantage of a ,river1 or of a ,dock or
 ,cistern made to receive them1 it      
might be a-float before the ,abyss was  
broken open4 ,and these ,words  being in
 the same ,place whence he makes his    
,citation1 it must be a  wilful         
,dissimulation not to take notice of    
them4 ,but he saw they would  have taken
 off the ,edge of his ,objection1 and   
therefore thought fit not  to touch upon
 them4 ,but after all1 there is no      
,necessity that the ,ark  should be     
a-float before the ,earth broke3 ,those 
,things1 were premis'd in  the ,theory1 
only to soften the ,way to ,men that are

 of hard ,belief in  such extraordinary 
,matters3 ,for the ,angels 7whose       
,ministry we openly  own1 upon these    
grand ,occasions7 could as easily have  
held the ,ark  a-float1 in the ,air1 as 
on the ,water4 ,and the ,ark1 being an  
,emblem of  the ,church1 ,god certainly 
did give his ,angels ,charge over it2   
that they  should bear it up in their   
,hands1 that it might not be dash'd     
against a  ,stone4 ,and this having been
 more than once profess'd by the        
,theorist1  we must again conclude this 
,objection superfluous and useless4     
,the third ,objection is this4 ,if the  
,earth had been thus dissolv'd1 p4      
#bhi4 ,the present ,earth would have    
been1 in likelihood of another  ,figure1
 than what now it bears4 ,these are his 
,words2 but ,i suppose he  means1 that  
it would have been of another ,form1 as 
to ,sea and ,land4 ,and  the ,reason he 
gives is this3 ,because1 says he1 it    
would have broke first  in the ,equator1
 and consequently that ,part falling    

down first1 would  have been swallowed  
up by the ,waters1 and become all ,sea4 
,whereas we  find1 that under the       
,equator that then was 7which he        
supposeth 7ibid47  the present          
,ecliptick7 the dry ,ground is of most  
spacious ,extent and  ,continuity4 ,we  
need not examine his ,account of ,sea   
and ,land1 because it  proceeds upon a  
false ,supposition1 7,see p4 #bg4       
before47 ,he relapses  here into his    
former astronomical ,error1 or to his   
first adds a second2  viz4 ,that the    
,earth1 when it chang'd its ,situation1 
chang'd its ,poles  and ,circles4 ,this 
is a great ,mistake2 the ,change of     
,position in ,respect  of the ,heavens1 
did not change the ,places of its       
,circles in ,respect to  its own ,globe4
 ,as when you change a ,sphere or a     
,globe out of a right  ,situation into  
an oblique1 the ,circles do not change  
their ,places1 as  to that ,sphere or   
,globe2 but have only another ,position 
to the ,heavens4  ,the ,earth's         

,ecliptick runs thorough the same       
,places it did before2 and  the         
equinoctial ,regions of that ,earth were
 the same with the equinoctial  ,regions
 of this1 only bear another ,posture to 
the ,heavens and the ,sun4  ,these      
,circles have not chang'd ,places with  
one another1 as he imagines2  and which 
is worse1 would father this imagination 
upon the ,theory1 in  these ,words1     
,under the ,ecliptick 7which1 in the    
present ,situation of  the ,earth1      
7,,according ,,to ,,the ,,theory7 was   
its ,equinoctial1 and divided  the      
,globe into two ,hemispheres1 as the    
,equator does now7 the dry  ,ground1 c4 
,he that affirms this1 with ,respect to 
the ,earth1 neither  understands the    
,theory1 nor the ,doctrine of the       
,sphere4 ,but let's  press no further   
upon a ,mistake4    ,the fourth         
,objection is this2 p4 #bij4 ,that such 
a ,dissolution of the  ,earth1 would    
have caus'd great ,barrenness after the 
,flood3 ,partly by  turning up some dry 

and unfruitful ,parts of the ,earth2 and
 partly by the  ,soil and ,filth that   
would be left upon its ,surface4 ,as to 
the first1 ,i  willingly allow1 that    
some of the interior and barren ,parts  
of the ,earth  might be turn'd up2 as we
 now see in mountainous and wild        
,countries2 but  this rather confirms   
the ,theory1 than weakens it4 ,but as to
 the second1  that the ,filth and ,soil 
would have made the ,earth more barren1 
,i cannot  allow that4 ,for good        
,husbandmen overflow their ,grounds1 to 
make their  ,crop more rich4 ,and 'tis  
generally suppos'd1 that the ,inundation
 of  ,nile1 and the ,mud it leaves      
behind it1 makes gypt more fruitful4    
,besides1 this ,part of the ,objection  
lies against the common ,explication  of
 the ,deluge1 as well as against that   
which is given by the ,theory4 ,for  if 
you suppose an universal ,deluge1 let it
 come from what ,causes you  please1 it 
must overflow all the ,earth1 and leave 
,mud and ,slime and  ,filth upon the    

,surface of it3 ,and consequently cause 
,barrenness1  according to this         
,argumentation4    ,he adds another     
,consideration under this ,head1 p4     
#bib4 namely1 that if  the ,earth had   
been dissolv'd in this manner1 ,all the 
,buildings erected  before the ,flood1  
would have been shaken down1 or else    
overwhelm'd4 ,yet  we read of some that 
outstood the ,flood1 and were not       
demolish'd4 ,such  were the ,pillars of 
,seth1 and the ,cities ,henochia and    
,joppa4 ,as to  ,seth's ,pillars1 they  
are generally accounted fabulous2 and ,i
 perceive  the ,exceptor will not vouch 
for them3 ,for he concludes1 7p4 #bie7  
,i  know the very ,being is question'd  
of ,seth's ,pillars1 c4 ,if he will  not
 defend them1 why should ,i take the    
,pains to confute them8 ,i do not  love 
to play with a ,man1 that will put      
nothing to the ,stake2 that will  have  
his ,chance to win1 but can lose        
nothing1 because he stakes nothing4     
,then as to the ,city ,henochia1 it hath

 no ,authority1 but that of  ,annius    
,viterbiensis1 and his ,berosus3 ,a     
,book generally exploded1 as            
fictitious4 ,lastly1 ,as to ,joppa1 the 
,authority indeed is better1 tho'  still
 uncertain4 ,but however1 suppose the   
,ruins of one ,town remain'd  after the 
,flood1 does this prove that the ,earth 
was not dissolv'd8 ,i do  not doubt1 but
 there were several ,tracts of the      
,earth1 much greater than  that ,town1  
that were not broken all to ,pieces by  
their ,fall4 ,but you and  your ,english
 ,historian1 are mistaken1 if you       
suppose the ,altars and  ,inscriptions  
mention'd by ,mela1 to have been        
ante-diluvian ,altars and               
,inscriptions3 ,unless you will make the
 ,fable of ,perseus and  ,andromeda1 and
 the ,sea-,monster1 to have been an     
ante-diluvian ,fable4  ,neither hath    
your ,historian been lucky in           
translating those ,words of  ,mela1 cum 
religione plurima1 with the ,grounds and
 ,principles of their  ,religion1 which 

signify only1 with a religious ,care of 
,superstition4  ,but to leave ,fables1  
and proceed3    ,his last ,argument     
against the ,dissolution is this1 p4    
#bif4 ,had the  ,dissolution of the     
,earth been the ,cause of the ,deluge1  
,it would have  made ,god's ,covenant   
with ,noah1 a very vain and trifling    
,thing4 ,so  much is true1 ,that the    
,deluge1 in the course of ,nature1 will 
not return  again in the same ,way4 ,but
 unless ,god prevent it1 it both may1   
and will  return in another ,way4 ,that 
is1 if the ,world continue long enough1 
the  ,mountains will wear and sink1 and 
the ,waters in ,proportion rise1 and    
overflow the whole ,earth2 as is plainly
 shewn1 by a parallel ,case1 in  the    
first ,book of the ,theory1 ch4 iv4     
,besides1 ,god might1 when he  pleas'd1 
by an extraordinary ,power1 and for the 
,sins of ,men1 bring  another ,deluge   
upon the ,world4 ,and that is the ,thing
 which ,noah seems  to have fear'd1 and 
which ,god1 by his ,covenant1 secur'd   

him against4  ,for1 as the ,exceptor    
hath said himself1 in answering an      
harder  ,objection1 7p4 #aeb47 ,when    
,god assigned to the ,waters the ,place 
of their  ,abode1 he did not intend to  
fortify them in it against his own      
,omnipotence1 or to divest himself of   
his ,soveraign ,prerogative of  calling 
them forth when he pleased4 ,this being 
allowed1 with what we  said before1 that
 ,covenant was not vain nor trifling1   
either in ,respect  of an ordinary or   
extraordinary ,providence4    ,thus we  
have done with all the ,exceptions      
against the ,theory3 ,for the  two next 
,chapters are concerning a new          
,hypothesis of his own2 and the  last of
 all excepts not against the ,truth of  
the ,theory1 but the  ,certainty of it4 
,in ,reflection upon this whole ,matter1
 give me leave to  declare two ,things3 
,first1 ,that ,i have not knowingly     
omitted any  ,objection that ,i thought 
of moment3 ,secondly1 ,that ,i have not1
 from  these ,exceptions1 found ,reason 

to change any ,part of the ,theory1 nor 
to  alter my ,opinion1 as to any        
,particular in it4 ,no doubt there are  
several  ,texts of ,scripture1 which1   
understood according to the ,letter in a
  vulgar ,way1 stand cross1 both to     
this1 and other natural ,theories4 ,and 
a  ,child1 that had read the first      
,chapters of ,genesis1 might have       
observ'd this as well as the ,exceptor2 
but could not have loaded his  ,charge  
with so much ,bitterness4 ,some ,men1   
they say1 though of no great  ,valour1  
yet will fight excellently well behind a
 ,wall4 ,the ,exceptor1  behind a ,text 
of ,scripture1 is very fierce and       
rugged3 ,but in the open  ,field of     
,reason and ,philosophy1 he's gentle and
 tractable4 ,eng4 ,theor4  ,book #b4 c4 
#i4 at the ,end4 ,the ,theorist had     
declar'd his  ,intentions1 and oblig'd  
himself1 to give a full ,account of     
,moses his  ,cosmopia1 or six ,day's    
,creation2 but did not think it proper  
to be  done in the vulgar ,language1 nor

 before the whole ,theory was           
compleated4  ,this might have spared    
much of the ,exceptor's ,pains2 but till
 that  ,account be given1 if the        
,exceptor thinks fit to continue his    
,animadversions1 and go through the two 
last ,books1 as he hath done the  two   
first1 it will not be unacceptable to   
the ,theorist2 provided it be  done with
 ,sincerity1 in reciting the ,words1 and
 representing the ,sense  of the        
,author4                                
,,chap4 ,,xv4      ,in this ,chapter the
 ,ante-theorist lays down a new         
,hypothesis for the  ,explication of the
 ,deluge1 p4 #bii4 ,and the ,war is     
chang'd1 on his  ,side1 from offensive1 
to defensive4 ',tis but fair that he    
should lie  down in his ,turn2 and if   
some ,blows smart a little1 he must not 
complain1 because he begun the ,sport4  
,but let's try his ,hypothesis1  without
 any further ,ceremony1 p4 #bii1 #cjj4  
,the first ,proposition laid  down for  
the establishing of it1 is this3 ,that  

the ,flood was but  fifteen ,cubits     
high1 above the ordinary ,level of the  
,earth4 ,this is an  unmerciful         
,paradox1 and a very unlucky ,beginning2
 for under what ,notion  must this      
,proportion be received8 ,as a          
,postulatum1 or as a  ,conclusion8 ,if  
it be a ,postulatum1 it must be clear   
from its own  ,light1 or acknowledg'd by
 general ,consent4 ,it cannot pretend to
 be clear  from its own ,light1 because 
it is matter of ,fact1 which is not     
known1  but by ,testimony4 ,neither is  
it generally acknowleg'd2 for the       
general  ,opinion is1 that the ,waters  
covered the ,tops of the ,mountains2    
nay1 that  they were fifteen ,cubits    
higher than the ,tops of the ,mountains4
 ,and this  he confesses himself1 in    
these ,words1 p4 #cjj4 ,we shall find   
there is a  great ,mistake in the common
 ,hypothesis1 touching their ,depth3    
,namely1  of the ,waters4 ,for whereas  
they have been supposed to be fifteen   
,cubits  higher than the highest        

,mountains3 ,they were indeed but       
fifteen ,cubits  high in all1 above the 
,surface of the ,earth4 ,and this       
,opinion1 or  ,doctrine1 he calls1 p4   
#cbi4 lin4 #ai4 c4 #ca4 ,the general    
standing  ,hypothesis3 ,the usual       
,hypothesis3 p4 #cci4 lin4 #ah4 ,the    
usual ,sense  they have put upon the    
,sacred ,story4 ,it must not therefore  
be made a  ,postulatum1 that such an    
,hypothesis is false1 but the ,falsity  
of it  must be demonstrated by good     
,proofs4 ,now ,i do not find that this  
new  ,hypothesis1 of a fifteen ,cubit   
,deluge1 offers at any more than one    
single ,proof1 namely1 from ,gen4 vii4  
#bj4 ,but before we proceed to the      
,examination of that1 give me leave to  
note one or two ,things1 wherein  the   
new ,theorist seems to be inconsistent  
with himself1 or with good  ,sense4     
,at his ,entrance upon this new         
,hypothesis1 he hath these ,words1 7p4  
#cjj47 ,not that ,i will be bound to    
defend what ,i say1 as true and real1   

c4 ,but why then does he trouble himself
 or the ,world1 with an  ,hypothesis1   
which he does not believe to be true and
 real8 ,or1 if he  does believe it to be
 so1 why will he not defend it8 ,for we 
ought to  defend ,truth4 ,but he says   
moreover1 7p4 #cjb4 lin4 #ai47 ,our     
,supposition stands supported by ,divine
 ,authority2 as being founded upon      
,scripture4 ,which tells us1 as plainly 
as it can speak1 that the ,waters       
prevailed but fifteen ,cubits upon the  
,earth4 ,if his ,hypothesis be  founded 
upon ,scripture2 and upon ,scripture1 as
 plainly as it can  speak1 why will not 
he defend it as true and real8 ,for to  
be  supported by ,scripture1 and by     
plain ,scripture1 is as much as we can  
alledge for the ,articles of our ,faith2
 which every one surely is bound  to    
defend4    ,but this is not all the     
,difficulty we meet with4 ,the whole    
,period which  we quoted1 runs thus3    
,not that ,i will be bound to defend    
what ,i say1 as  true or real2 any more 

than to believe 7what ,i cannot well    
endure to  speak7 that the ,church of   
,god has ever gone on in an irrational  
way of  explaining the ,deluge3 ,which  
yet the must needs have done1 if there  
be  no other rational ,method of        
explaining it1 and no other intelligible
  ,causes of it1 than what the ,theory  
has propos'd4 ,now for the ,word        
,theory1 put the ,word ,exceptor1 or    
,exceptor's ,hypothesis1 and see  if    
this ,charge1 that the ,church of ,god  
has ever gone on in an  irrational way  
of explaining the ,deluge1 does not fall
 as much upon the  ,exceptor's new      
,hypothesis1 as upon the ,theory4 ,if   
the ,church ,hypothesis  was rational1  
what need he have invented a new one8   
,why does he not  propose that          
,hypothesis1 and defend it8 ,i'm afraid 
it will be found that  he does not only 
contradict the ,church ,hypothesis1 but 
reject it as  mistaken and irrational4  
,for what is the ,church ,hypothesis1   
but the  common ,hypothesis8 7p4 #cjj4  

l4 #bd47 ,the general standing          
,hypothesis2 the usual ,hypothesis2 the 
usual ,sense they put upon the  sacred  
,story2 all these he rejects and        
disputes against1 as you may see  in the
 ,places fore-cited3 ,and also he calls 
them1 p4 #cab4 ult4 such  ,inventions1  
as have been1 and justly may be         
disgustful1 not only to  nice and       
squeamish1 but to the best and soundest 
philosophick  ,judgments4 ,and p4 #cai4 
he says1 by his ,hypothesis1 ,we are    
excused  from running to those ,causes  
or ,methods1 which seem unreasonable to 
some1 and unintelligible to others1 and 
unsatisfactory to most4 ,and to  name no
 more1 he says1 p4 #ccj4 the ordinary   
,supposition1 that the  ,mountains were 
cover'd with ,water in the ,deluge1     
brings on a ,necessity  of setting up a 
new ,hypothesis for explaining the      
,flood4 ,now1 whose  ,methods1          
,inventions1 and ,suppositions are      
these1 which he reflects upon8  ,are    
they not the commonly receiv'd ,methods 

and ,suppositions8 ',tis plain1  most of
 those which he mentions1 7p4 #caj1     
#caa1 #cac1 #cad1 #cah47 are not  the   
,theorist's3 ,for the ,theorist had     
rejected before1 7,eng4 ,theor4  ch4 #b1
 and #c47 those very ,methods and       
,inventions1 which the ,exceptor        
rejects now2 and so far he justifies the
 ,theory#ah3 ,these ,reflections        
therefore must fall upon some other     
,hypothesis2 and what ,hypothesis is    
that1 if it be not the ,church          
,hypothesis8 ,to conclude1 ,i argue     
thus1 in  short1 to shew the ,exceptor  
inconsistent with himself in this       
,particular4 ,the ,church ,way of       
explaining the ,deluge1 is either       
rational1 or irrational4 ,if he say it  
is rational1 why does he  desert it1 and
 invent a new one8 ,and if he says it is
 irrational1 then  that dreadful ,thing1
 which he cannot well endure to speak1  
that the  ,church of ,god has ever gone 
on in an irrational ,way of explaining  
the  ,deluge1 falls flat upon himself4  

,thus much in general1 for his          
,introduction4 ,we proceed now to       
examine  particularly his new           
,hypothesis3 ,which1 as we told you     
before1 consists  chiefly in this1 ,that
 the ,waters of the ,deluge were but    
fifteen ,cubits  higher than the common 
unmountainous ,surface of the ,earth4   
,this1  which seems so odd and          
extravagant1 he says1 p4 #cja4 is the   
,foundation of the ,hypothesis4 ,and1   
which is still more surprizing1 he  says
 this ,depth1 or rather ,shallowness of 
the ,waters of the ,deluge1 is  told us 
by ,scripture1 as plainly as it can     
speak1 p4 #cjb4 l4 #bc4 ,this  must     
needs raise our ,curiosity1 to see that 
,place of ,scripture1 which  has been   
overlook'd by all the ,learned hitherto4
 ,well1 'tis ,gen4 vii4  #bj4 in these  
words1 ,fifteen ,cubits upwards did the 
,waters prevail4  ,this1 methinks1 is   
somewhat general2 for the ,basis of     
these fifteen  ,cubits not express'd in 
these ,words4 ,but why does our ,author 

stop in  the middle of a ,verse8 ,why   
does he not transcribe the whole ,verse2
 for  the last ,part of it is as good   
,scripture as the first8 ,and that says 
plainly1 that the ,mountains were       
cover'd with the ,waters4 ,the whole    
,verse runs thus3 ,fifteen ,cubits      
upwards did the ,waters prevail2 ,,and  
,,the  ,,mountains ,,were ,,covered4    
,now1 if the ,basis of these fifteen    
,cubits was  the common ,surface1 or    
plain ,level of the ,earth1 as this new 
,hypothesis  will have it2 how could    
fifteen ,cubits1 from that ,basis1 reach
 to the  ,tops of the ,mountains8 ,are  
the highest ,mountains but fifteen      
,cubits  higher than the common ,surface
 of the ,earth8 #a ,sam4 xvii4 #d4      
,goliah  was six ,cubits and a ,span    
high2 so ,pic ,tenariff would not be    
thrice as  high as ,goliah3 ,yet ,david 
flung a ,stone up to his ,forehead4     
,take  what ,cubit you please1 sacred or
 common1 it does not amount to two      
,foot4  ,so the ,height of the greatest 

,mountains1 from ,bottom to ,top1 must  
not be  thirty ,foot1 or ten ,paces1    
according to this new ,hypothesis4 ,who 
ever  measured ,mountains at this ,rate8
 ,the modern ,mathematicians allow for  
their ,height a ,mile perpendicular1    
upon a moderate ,computation2 and that  
makes three thousand ,foot3 ,how then   
could ,waters that were not thirty      
,foot high1 cover ,mountains that were  
three thousand ,foot high8 ,that the    
highest ,mountains of the ,earth were   
cover'd with the ,waters1 you may see   
express'd more fully in the precedent   
,verse1 ,gen4 vii4 #ai4 ,and the        
,waters prevailed exceedingly upon the  
,earth4 ,and all the high ,hills that   
were under the whole ,heavens were      
cover'd4 ,there can scarce be ,words    
more plain and comprehensive4 ,the      
,exceptor says1 the ,scripture tells us1
  as plainly as it can speak1 that the  
,waters were but fifteen ,cubits  high  
from the common ,surface of the ,earth3 
,and ,i say1 the ,scripture  tells us as

 plainly as it can speak1 ,that all the 
high ,hills under  the whole ,heaven    
were covered with ,water4 ,and it must  
be a strange sort  of ,geometry1 that   
makes fifteen ,cubits of ,water reach to
 the ,top of the  highest ,hills4       
,lastly1 the same ,history of ,moses    
says1 the ,tops of the  ,mountains were 
discover'd1 when the ,waters begun to   
decrease1 ,gen4  viii4 #e4 ,is not that 
a plain ,demonstration that they were   
cover'd  before1 and cover'd with those 
,waters8    ,we may therefore safely    
conclude two ,things3 ,first1 that this 
new  ,hypothesis1 besides all other     
,faults1 is contrary to the general     
,exposition of the ,text of ,moses#ai4  
,secondly1 that it is contrary to  the  
general receiv'd ,doctrine of the       
,deluge4 ,and if he has deliver'd a     
,doctrine1 contrary to the two1 methinks
 it should be hard for him to  maintain 
his ,ground1 and not pronounce1 at the  
same ,time1 what he dreads  so much to  
speak1 ,that the ,church of ,god has    

ever gone on in an  irrational ,way of  
explaining the ,deluge4 ,but let's      
reflect a little  upon this             
fifteen-cubit ,deluge2 to see what      
,figure it would make1 or  what         
,execution it would do upon ,mankind1   
and upon other ,creatures4 ,if  you will
 not believe ,moses as to the           
overflowing of the ,mountains1 at  least
 ,i hope you will believe him1 as to the
 universal ,destruction made  by the    
,deluge4 ,hear his ,words1 ,gen4 vii4   
#ba1 #bb1 #bc4 we'll take only  the last
 ,verse1 which is this1 ,and every      
living ,substance was  destroyed1 which 
was upon the ,face of the ,ground1 both 
,man and ,cattle1  and creeping ,things1
 and the ,fowl of the ,heavens2 and they
 were  destroyed from the ,earth2 and   
,noah only remained alive1 and they that
  were with him in the ,ark4 ,now ,i    
would gladly know1 how this could be    
verified in a fifteen-cubit ,deluge8    
,the ,birds would naturally fly to the  
,tops of ,trees1 when the ,ground was   

wet2 and the ,beasts would retire1 by   
,degrees1 to the ,mountains and higher  
,parts of the ,earth1 as the lower      
begun to be overflow'd3 ,and if no      
,waters could reach them there1 how     
were they all destroy'd1 while they had 
so many ,sanctuaries and ,places  of    
,refuge8    ,or if you suppose some of  
these ,creatures had not ,wit enough to 
save  themselves1 7though their ,wit and
 ,instincts lie chiefly in that7 at     
least ,mankind would not be so stupid2  
when ,men see the ,waters begin to      
rise1 they could not fail to retire into
 ,mountains3 ,and tho' the upper        
,stories of their ,houses might be      
sufficient to save them from fifteen    
,cubits of ,water2 yet if ,fear made    
them think themselves not secure  there1
 whither could it drive them1 but still 
into higher ,places8 ,and an  ,house    
seated upon an ,eminency1 or a ,castle  
upon a ,rock1 would be always  a safe   
,retreat from this diminutive ,deluge4  
,i speak all this upon the              

,suppositions of the ,exceptor1 p4 #bae1
 #baf1 #bib1 c4 who allows1 not  only   
,mountains and ,rocks1 but also ,castles
 and ,cities before the ,deluge1  built 
of good ,timber1 and ,stone1 and ,iron1 
and such substantial  ,materials4 ,but  
how1 in such a ,case1 and in such a     
,state of ,things1 all  ,mankind 7except
 ,noah and his ,family7 should be       
destroy'd by fifteen  ,cubits of ,water1
 is a ,lump of ,incredibilities1 too    
hard and big for me  to swallow4    ,but
 there is still another ,difficulty1    
that we have not mention'd3 ,as  those  
that were upon the ,land might easily   
save themselves from ,ruin1 so  those   
that were upon the ,sea in ,ships1 would
 never come in ,danger4 ,for  what would
 it signify to them1 if the ,sea was    
made a few ,fathoms deeper1  by these   
new ,waters8 ,it would bear their       
,vessels as well as it did  before1 and 
would be no more to them than a         
,spring-,tide4 ,and lastly1 how  shall  
we justify the ,divine ,wisdom1 which   

gave such punctual ,orders1 for  the    
,building of an ,ark1 to save ,noah1 and
 a ,set of ,creatures for a new  ,world1
 when there were so many more easy and  
obvious ,ways to preserve  them without 
that ,trouble8    ,these ,objections1 in
 my ,opinion1 are so plain and full1    
that it is not  needful to add any more3
 ,nor to answer such ,evasions as the   
new ,theorist  attempts to make to some 
of them4 ,as1 for ,instance1 to that    
plain  ,objection from ,moses's ,words1 
p4 #ccj4 that the ,mountains were       
covered with the ,waters2 he says1      
first1 that it is a ,synecdoche1  where 
the ,whole is put for a ,part3 ,or1     
secondly1 'tis an ,hyperbole1  where    
more is said than understood3 ,or1      
thirdly1 'tis a poetical  ,history3 ,or1
 lastly1 if none of these will do1 by   
the ,tops of the  ,mountains is to be   
understood the ,bottoms of the          
,mountains1 p4 #cca1  #ccc4 and that    
cures all4 ,the ,truth is1 he has taken 
a great deal of  ,pains in the next     

,chapter1 to cure an incurable          
,hypothesis4 ,we will give  you but one 
,instance more3 ',tis about the         
,appearance of the ,tops of the         
,mountains at the ,decrease of the      
,deluge2 which argue strongly that they 
were cover'd in the ,deluge4 ,but take  
it in his own ,words1 with the  ,answer1
 p4 #ccg4 ,it is recorded1 ,gen4 viii4  
#e4 that the ,waters  decreased         
continually until the tenth ,month1 and 
on the first ,day of the  ,month ,,were 
,,the ,,tops ,,of ,,the ,,mountains     
,,seen4 ,now if the ,mountains had not  
been quite under ,water1 and so         
invisible for the ,time they were       
overwhelmed1 how could they be said to  
become visible again1 or to be  seen    
upon the ,floods going off8 ,this is a  
plain and bold ,objection3 ,and  after  
two ,answers to it1 which he seems to   
distrust1 his third and last  is this1  
p4 #cci4 ,if these two ,considerations  
will not satisfy1 we  must carry on the 
,enquiry a little farther1 and seek for 

a third4 ,and  truly some one or other  
must needs be found out4--,thirdly1     
therefore we  consider1 that the ,tops  
of the ,mountains may be said to be seen
 at the  ,time mentioned1 upon account  
of their ,,emergency ,,out ,,of         
,,darkness1 ,,not ,,out  ,,of ,,waters4 
,this is his final ,answer4 ,the ,tops  
of the ,mountains1 at the  ,decrease of 
the ,deluge1 were seen2 not that they   
were covered before  with ,water1 says  
he1 but with ,darkness4 ,where finds he 
this ,account3  ',tis neither in the    
,text1 nor in ,reason4 ,if it was always
 so dark1 and  the ,tops of the         
,mountains and ,rocks naked and         
prominent every where1 how  could the   
,ark avoid them in that ,darkness8      
,moreover1 if the ,deluge was  made in  
that gentle way that he supposes1 ,i see
 no ,reason to imagine  that there would
 be ,darkness1 after the forty ,days    
,rain4 ,for these ,rains  being fallen1 
and all the ,vapours and ,clouds of the 
,air discharg'd1  methinks there should 

have ensued an extraordinary ,clearness 
of the ,air1  as we often see after     
rainy ,seasons4 ,well1 'tis true3 ,but  
the ,rains he  supposes were no sooner  
fallen1 but the ,sun retracted them     
again in  ,vapours1 with that ,force and
 ,swiftness1 that it kept the ,air in   
perpetual ,darkness4 ,thus he says      
afterwards1 p4 #cda4 ,he's mightily     
beholden to the ,sun1 upon many         
,accounts2 and the ,sun is no less      
beholden  to him2 for he gave him a     
miraculous ,power to raise ,mountains1  
and draw  up ,waters4 ',tis well the    
,sun did not presently fall to his old  
,work  again1 of raising ,mountains out 
of this moist ,earth1 as the ,exceptor  
says he did1 when the ,earth was first  
drain'd4 ,see ,chap4 #aj4 ,that he      
contented himself to suck up the ,waters
 only1 and let the ,earth alone3  ,we   
are not a little beholden to him for    
this4 ,for he seems to have had  the    
same ,power and ,opportunity1 at the    
,decrease of the ,deluge1 of making  new

 ,ravages upon the ,earth1 that he had  
before when it was first  drain'd4 ,but 
let's see how1 or when1 these ,waters   
were suck'd up1 or  resolv'd into       
,vapours4    ,upon the ,expiration of   
the forty ,days ,rain1 whether was the  
,air purg'd  of ,vapours and clear1 or  
no8 ,yes1 it was purg'd1 he says1 7p4   
#cdc47 ,the  ,atmosphere was never so   
exhausted of ,vapours1 and never so     
thin1 as when  the ,waters were newly   
come down4 ,then1 in that clear ,air the
 ,tops of  the ,mountains might have    
been seen1 if they lay above ,water4    
,but ,moses  says1 ,gen4 viii4 #e4 it   
was in the tenth ,month that they begun 
to be  seen1 when the ,waters were      
decreas'd2 'twas therefore the ,waters1 
not  the gross ,air1 that hinder'd the  
,sight of them before4 ,and according to
  this ,method of the ,exceptor1 after  
the first forty ,days1 the ,deluge      
begun to decrease4 ,for the ,sun        
forthwith set his ,engines a-work1 and  
resolv'd the ,waters into ,vapours and  

,exhalations at such a ,rate1 p4  #cda4 
that he presently made the ,atmosphere  
dark with thick ,mists and  ,clouds2    
and1 in ,proportion1 lessen'd the       
,waters of the ,deluge4 ,but we do  not 
read in ,moses1 of any ,abatement in the
 ,deluge1 till the ,end of one  hundred 
and fifty ,days2 7,gen4 viii4 #c47 which
 is four ,months after  this ,term4 ,the
 ,truth is1 the whole ,notion of        
spending the ,waters of the  ,deluge by 
,evaporation1 is no better than what the
 ,exceptor suspected it  would be       
thought1 p4 #cdc4 ,a mere ,fancy1 a     
whimsical groundless  ,figment4 ,for    
what could the ,sun do1 in the ,northern
 and ,southern ,parts  of the ,world1   
towards the exhaling of these ,waters8  
,and in the temperate  ,climates1 why   
should they not fall again in ,rains1   
7if he had a ,power to  exhale them7 as 
they do now8 ,was not the ,earth in the 
same ,position1 and  the ,sun of the    
same force8 ,besides1 where does he find
 this ,notion in  ,scripture1 that the  

,waters of the ,deluge were consum'd by 
,evaporation8  ,moses says1 the ,waters 
returned from off the ,earth1 in going  
and  returning1 ,gen4 viii4 #c1 #e4     
,that is1 after frequent                
,reciprocations1  they settled at length
 in their ,channels2 where ,bounds were 
set them1  that they might not pass     
over2 that they return not again to     
cover the  ,earth4 ,seeing therefore    
this ,notion hath no ,foundation1 either
 in  ,scripture or ,reason1 'tis rightly
 enough stil'd1 in the ,exceptor's      
,words1 a mere ,fancy1 and groundless   
,figment4    ,but ,i think we have had  
enough of these ,shifts and ,evasions4  
,let us now  proceed to the second ,part
 of his new ,hypothesis1 which is this1 
p4  #cjc4 ,that the ,abyss1 or          
,tehom-,rabbah1 which was broken open at
 the  ,deluge1 and 7together with the   
,rains7 made the ,flood1 was nothing but
  the ,holes and ,caverns of ,rocks and 
,mountains2 which open'd their ,mouths  
at that ,time1 and pour'd out a great   

,quantity of ,water4 ,to support this   
new ,notion of ,tehom-,rabbah1 he       
alledgeth but one single ,text of       
,scripture1 ,psal4 lxxviii4 #ae4 ,he    
clave the ,rocks in the ,wilderness1    
and gave them ,drink1 as out of the     
great ,depths2 that is1 copiously and   
abundantly1 as if it were out of the    
great ,deep4 ,so the next ,verse        
implies1 and so it is generally         
understood3 ,as you may see both by     
,interpreters1 and also by the          
,septuagint and ,vulgate ,translations1 
and those of the ,chaldee ,paraphrase1  
and the ,syriack4 ,but the  ,exceptor1  
by all ,means1 will have these ,holes in
 the ,rocks to be the  same with the    
,mosaical ,abyss1 or great ,deep1 that  
was broken open at  the ,deluge3 ,so the
 great ,deep was not one ,thing1 or one 
continued  ,cavity1 as ,moses represents
 it1 but ten thousand ,holes1 separate  
and  distant one from another4 ,neither 
must the great ,deep1 according to him1 
signify a low ,place1 but an high       

,place3 ,for he confesses these         
,caverns were higher than the common    
,level of the ,earth#bj4 ,but ,i do not 
see how1 with any tolerable ,propriety1 
or good ,sense1 that which is  higher   
than the ,surface of the ,earth can be  
called the great ,deep4 ,an  ,abyss in  
the ,earth1 or in the ,water1 is        
certainly downwards1 in  respect of     
their common ,surface1 as much as a ,pit
 is downwards2 and  what is downwards   
from us1 we cannot suppose to be above  
us1 without  confounding all            
,dimensions1 and all ,names of ,things2 
calling that low  which is high1 a      
,mountain a ,valley1 or a ,garret a     
,cellar4    ,neither is there any ,thing
 in this ,text1 ,psal4 lxxviii4 #ae4    
that can  justly induce us to believe   
the great ,abyss to be the same ,thing  
with  ,caverns in ,rocks4 ,for whether  
you suppose it to be noted here as a    
miraculous ,thing1 that ,god should give
 them ,water out of a ,rock1 or out  of 
a ,flint#ba1 as plentifully as if it had

 been out of the great  ,abyss2 or      
whether you understand the ,original of 
,fountains to be noted  here1 which are 
said in ,scripture to come from the     
,sea1 or the great  ,abyss2 neither of  
these ,senses make any ,thing to the    
,purpose of the new  ,hypothesis1 and   
yet they are the fairest and easiest    
,sense that can be  put upon the ,words2
 and that which agrees best with other  
,places of  ,scripture1 where the same  
,matter of ,fact1 or the same ,history  
is  related3 ,and therefore there can be
 no ,necessity1 from this ,text1 of     
changing the general ,notion and        
,signification of ,deep1 or ,abyss2     
both from that which it hath in common  
,use1 and that which it hath in         
,scripture ,use4    ,i say1 as in the   
common ,use of ,words1 ,deep1 or ,abyss1
 signifies some  low or inferior ,place2
 so the general ,use of it in ,scripture
 is1 in the  same ,sense1 either to     
signify the ,sea1 or some subterraneous 
,place4 ,who  shall descend into the    

7,abyss1 or7 ,deep8 says the ,apostle1  
,rom4 x4  #g4 ,is that as much as if he 
had said1 ,who shall ascend into the    
,holes  of the ,rocks8 ,and when ,jacob 
speaks of the ,blessings of the ,abyss1 
or  of the ,deep1 he calls them the     
,blessings of the ,deep that lyeth      
under1  ,gen4 xix4 #be4 ,in like        
,manner1 ,moses himself calls it the    
,deep that  couched beneath1 ,deut4     
xxxiii4 #ac4 ,and ,i know no ,reason why
 we should  not understand the same     
,deep there1 that he mentioned before in
 the  ,history of the ,deluge2 which    
therefore was subterraneous1 as this is4
  ,then1 as for the other ,use of the   
,word1 namely1 for the ,sea1 or any     
,part  of the ,sea1 7whose ,bottom is   
always lower than the ,level of the     
,earth17  that is the most common ,use  
of it in ,scripture4 ,and ,i need not   
give you  ,instances which are every    
where obvious4    ,one must needs think 
it strange1 therefore1 that any ,man of 
,judgement  should break thorough both  

the common ,use of a ,word1 and so many 
plain  ,texts of ,scripture1 that show  
the ,signification of it1 for the sake  
of  one ,text1 which1 at most1 is but   
dubious2 and then lay such ,stress upon 
that new ,signification1 as to found a  
new ,doctrine upon it3 ,and a  ,doctrine
 that is neither supported by ,reason1  
nor agrees with the  ,history of the    
,deluge4 ,for1 as we noted before1 at   
the ,decrease of the  ,deluge1 the      
,waters are said to return from off the 
,earth1 ,gen4 viii4  #c4 ,did they not  
return to the ,places from whence they  
came8 ,but if  those ,places were the   
,caverns in the ,rocks1 whose ,mouths   
lay higher than  the ,surface of the    
,deluge1 as he says they did1 p4 #cjc1  
#cje4 ,i see no  ,possibility of the    
,waters returning into them4 ,but the   
,exceptor hath  found out a marvellous  
,invention to invade this ,argument4 ,he
 will have  the returning of the ,waters
 to be understood of their returning    
into  their ,principles1 7that is1 into 

,vapours17 not to their ,places3 ,in    
good  ,time3 ,so the ,dove's returning  
was her returning into her ,principles2 
that is1 into an ,egg1 not into the     
,ark4 ,subtleties ill-founded1 argue    
two ,things1 ,wit and ,want of          
,judgment4 ,moses speaks as plainly of  
the  local ,return of the ,waters1 in   
going and returning2 as of the local    
going and returning of the ,raven and   
,dove4 ,see ,gen4 viii4 #c1 and #e4     
compar'd with ,verse seventh and ninth4 
,lastly1 ,that we end this ,discourse2  
the whole ,notion of these ,water-,pots 
in the ,tops of ,mountains1 and of the  
broaching of them at the ,deluge1 is  a 
groundless ,imagination4 ,what ,reason  
have we to believe1 that there  were    
such ,vessels then1 more than now1 if   
there was no ,fraction of the  ,earth at
 the ,deluge1 to destroy them8 ,and he  
ought to have gag'd these  ,casks1      
7according to his own ,rule1 ,ch4 #c47  
and told us the ,number and  ,capacity  
of them1 that we might have made some   

,judgment of the ,effect4  ,besides1 if 
the opening the ,abyss at the ,deluge   
had been the opening of  ,rocks1 why did
 not ,moses express it so2 and tell us1 
that the ,rocks  were cloven1 and the   
,waters gushed out1 and so made the     
,deluge8 ,this  would have been as      
intelligible1 if it had been true1 as to
 tell us that  the ,tehom-,rabbah was   
broken open4 ,but there is not one ,word
 of  ,rocks1 or the cleaving of ,rocks1 
in the ,history of the ,flood4 ,upon    
all ,accounts1 therefore1 we must       
conclude1 that this ,virtuoso might have
  as well suspected1 that his whole     
,theory of the ,deluge1 as one ,part of 
it1 p4 #cdc4 would be accounted a mere  
,fancy1 and groundless  ,figment4       
,footnote #ah3      ,the ,exceptor      
rejects1 first the ,waters of the ,sea3 
,then the ,waters    in the ,bowels of  
the ,earth3 ,then the supercelestial    
,waters3 ,then a    new ,creation of    
,waters3 ,then the ,mass of ,air chang'd
 into ,water3    ,and lastly1 a partial 

,deluge4 ,and therefore he puts ,men    
fatally1    either upon the ,theory1 or 
upon his new ,hypothesis4    ,footnote  
#ai3      ,this he acknowledges1 p4     
#cbe4 7,we expound a ,text or two of    
,scripture so as none ever did2 and     
deferring the common received    ,sense1
 put an unusual ,gloss upon them1 not to
 say1  1 a    private ,interpretation17 
and p4 #cei4    ,footnote #bj3      ,p4 
#cjc4 ,but though these ,caverns be     
called ,deeps1 we must not take    them 
for profound ,places1 that went down    
into the ,earth1 below the    common    
,surface of it3 ,on the contrary1 they  
were situate above it4    ,footnote #ba3
      ,psal4 cxiv4 #g1 #h4 ,tremble1    
then ,earth1 at the ,presence of the    
,lord1    at the ,presence of the ,god  
of ,jacob3 ,which turned the ,rock into 
a    standing ,water1 the ,flint into a 
,fountain of ,waters4      ,numb4 xx4   
#aj1 #aa4 ,and ,moses and ,aaron        
gathered the ,congregation    together  
before the ,rock1 and he said unto them1

 ,hear now1 you ,rebels2    must we     
fetch you ,water out of this ,rock8 ,and
 ,moses lift up his    ,hand1 and with  
his ,rod he smite the ,rock twice1 and  
the ,water came out    abundantly4      
,,chap4 ,,xvi4      ,this ,chapter is   
made up of eight ,objections1 against   
his own ,hypothesis4  ,and those that   
have a mind to see them1 may read them  
in the ,author4 ,i  have taken as much  
,notice of them as ,i thought necessary1
 in the  precedent ,chapter2 and        
therefore leave the ,exceptor now to    
deal with  them all together4 ,i omitted
 one ,objection 7p4 #caa47 concerning   
the  shutting up of the ,abyss1 and the 
,fountains of the ,abyss1 because it was
  answerd before in the ,english        
,theory1 p4 #adc4 namely1 there were    
,fountains in the ,abyss1 as much as    
,windows in ,heaven2 and those were     
shut up1 as well as these2 that is1     
ceas'd to act1 and were put into a      
,condition to continue the ,deluge no   
longer4                                 

,,chap4 ,,xvii4      ,there is nothing  
in this ,chapter against the ,truth of  
the ,theory2 but  the ,author is blam'd 
for believing it to be true3 ,i think it
 had been  more blame-worthy1 if he had 
troubled the ,world with a ,theory which
 he  did not believe to be true1 and    
taken so much ,pains to compose what he 
thought himself no better than a        
,romance4 ,as to what the ,theorist has 
said in ,reference to his ,assurance or 
,belief of the ,theory1 which the       
,exceptor calls ,positiveness1 upon     
,examination1 ,i cannot find any ,thing 
amiss in his ,conduct1 as to that       
,particular4 ,for1 first1 he imposes his
  ,sentiments upon no ,man2 he leaves   
every one their full ,liberty of        
dissenting4 ,preface to the ,reader at  
the ,end4 ,lastly1 in ,things  purely   
speculative1 as these are1 and no       
,ingredients of our ,faith1 it is  free 
to differ from one another in our       
,opinions and ,sentiments2 and so ,i    
remember ,st4 ,austin hath observed upon

 this very ,subject of ,paradise4       
,wherefore1 as we desire to give no     
,offence our selves1 so neither shall   
we take any at the ,difference of       
,judgment in others2 provided this      
,liberty be mutual1 and that we all     
agree to study ,,peace1 ,,truth1 and a  
,,good ,,life4 ,and as the ,theorist    
imposes his ,sentiments upon no ,man2   
so1  as to ,matter of ,certainty1 he    
distinguisheth always betwixt the       
,substance of the ,theory1 and          
,particularities4 ,so1 at the latter    
,end  of the first ,book1 this          
,profession is made1 ,eng4 ,theor4 p4   
#bjg4 ,i  mean this only1 speaking about
 ,certainty1 as to the general ,parts of
  the ,theory4 ,for as to               
,particularities1 ,i look upon them only
 as  problematical2 and accordingly ,i  
affirm nothing therein1 but with a      
,power of ,revocation1 and a ,liberty to
 change my ,opinion when ,i shall be    
better inform'd4 ,and accordingly he    
says in another ,place1 ,eng4  ,theor4  

p4 #ab4 ,i know how subject we are to   
,mistakes1 in these great  and remote   
,things1 when we descend to             
,particularities4 ,but ,i am willing  to
 expose the ,theory to a full ,trial1   
and to shew the ,way for any to  examine
 it1 provided they do it with ,equity   
and ,sincerity4 ,i have no  other       
,design than to contribute my           
,endeavours to find out ,truth1 c4      
,lastly1 to cite no more ,places1 he    
says1 ,eng4 ,theor4 p4 #djb4 ,there  are
 many particular ,explications that are 
to be consider'd with more  ,liberty and
 ,latitude2 and may1 perhaps1 upon      
better ,thoughts1 and better            
,observations1 be corrected1 c4 ,the    
,theorist having thus stated and        
bounded his ,belief or ,assurance1 and  
given ,liberty of dissenting to all     
others1 according to their particular   
,judgments or ,inclinations1 ,i see     
nothing unfair or undecent in this      
,conduct4 ,how could the ,observator    
have made it more unexceptionable8      

,would he have had the ,theorist to     
have profess'd ,scepticism1 and declar'd
 that he believ'd his own  ,theorist no 
more than a ,romance or fantastical     
,idea8 that had been both  to bely his  
own ,conscience1 and to mock the ,world4
 ,i remember ,i have  heard a good      
,author once with1 that there were an   
,act of ,parliament1  that whoever      
printed a ,book1 should1 when he took a 
,license1 swear1 that  he thought the   
,contents of his ,book to be true1 as to
 ,substance3 ,and ,i  think such a      
,method would keep off a great many     
,impertinencies4 ,we ought  not to      
trouble the ,world with our roving      
,thoughts1 merely out of an ,itch  of   
,scripturiency1 when we do not believe  
our selves what we write4 ,i  must      
always profess my ,assent to the        
,substance of that ,theory2 and am  the 
more confirm'd in it by the ,weakness   
and ,inefficacy of these  ,exceptions4  
,we need not take ,notice of the        
particular ,citations he makes use of1  

to  prove this ,positiveness of the     
,theorist2 for they only affirm what we 
still own3 ,that the ,theory is more    
than an ,idea1 or that it is not an     
imaginary ,idea1 or that it is a        
,reality3 ,and1 together with its       
,proofs from ,scripture1 especially from
 ,st4 ,peter1 hath more than the        
,certainty of a bare ,hypothesis1 or a  
moral ,certainty4 ,these are the        
,expressions he cites1 and we own all1  
that1 in fair ,construction1 they       
amount to2 and find no ,reason1 either  
from the ,nature of the ,thing1 or  from
 his ,objections1 to change our         
,opinion1 or make any ,apology for too  
much ,positiveness4    ,i wish the      
,exceptor had not more to answer for1 as
 to his ,partiality1  than the ,theorist
 hath1 for his ,positiveness4 ,and now1 
that we draw to  a ,conclusion1 it will 
not be amiss to observe1 how well the   
,exceptor  hath answered that           
,character1 which he gave himself at the
 ,beginning of  his ,work4 ,these are   

his ,words1 p4 #dc4 ,this ,i will       
endeavour to do1  namely1 ,to examine   
the ,theory1 with all ,sincerity2 and   
that only as a  ,friend and ,servant to 
,truth3 ,and therefore1 with such       
,candor1 ,meekness1  and ,modesty1 as   
becomes one who assumes and glories in  
so fair a  ,character3 ,and also with   
such ,respect to the ,virtuoso who wrote
 the  ,theory1 as may testify to the    
,world1 that ,i esteem his ,learning1   
while ,i  question his ,opinion4 ',tis  
of little ,consequence what ,opinion he 
has of  the ,virtuoso1 as he calls him3 
,but let us see with what ,sincerity    
and ,meekness1 he has examin'd his      
,work4 ,as to his ,sincerity1 we have   
given you some ,proofs of it before1 7p4
 #bf47 both in his defective and        
partial ,citations2 and also1 in his    
never taking ,notice of the last        
,edition of the ,theory2 where several  
,citations he has made use of1 are  not 
extant4 ,now1 by his own ,rule1 he ought
 to have had regard to this2  for he    

says1 7p4 #cef47 he will there take     
,notice only of the ,english  ,edition1 
as coming out after the other2 and so   
with more ,deliberation  and mature     
,thoughts of ,things4 ,by the same      
,reason1 say ,i1 he ought to  have taken
 ,notice of the last ,edition of the    
,theory1 as being the last  ,product1   
and the most deliberate and mature      
,thoughts of the ,author4  ,but this1 it
 seems1 was not for his ,purpose4    ,so
 much for his ,sincerity3 ,now for his  
,meekness4 ,so impatient he is to  fall 
upon his ,adversary1 that he begins his 
,charge in the ,preface1 and a  very    
fierce one it is1 7p4 #c47 ,the         
,theorist hath assaulted ,religion1  and
 that in the very ,foundation of it4    
,here ,i expected to have found  two or 
three ,articles of the ,creed assaulted 
or knock'd down by the  ,theory4 ,but   
that is not the ,case1 it seems1 he     
understands something  more general1    
namely1 our contradicting ,scripture3   
,for so he explains  himself in the next

 ,page4 ,in several ,things 7as will    
appear by our  ,discourse7 it           
contradicts ,scripture2 and by too      
positive asserting the  ,truth of its   
,theorems1 makes that to be false1 upon 
which our ,religion  is founded4 ,let us
 remember1 that this contracting        
,scripture here  pretended1 is only in  
natural ,things2 and also observe1 how  
far the  ,exceptor himself1 in such     
,things1 hath contradicted ,scripture4  
,as for  other ,reproofs which he gives 
us1 those that are more gentle1 ,i      
easily  pass over2 but somewhere he     
makes our ,assertions1 p4 #gh4 too bold 
an  ,affront to ,scripture4 ,and in     
another ,place represents them1 as      
7either  directly1 or consequentially7  
p4 #bhf4 ,blasphemy against the ,holy   
,ghost1 which is the unpardonable ,sin1 
,matt4 xii4 #ca4    ,there is no        
,pleasure in repeating such             
,expressions1 and dreadful  ,sentences4 
,let us rather observe1 if the ,exceptor
 hath not made himself  obnoxious to    

them4 ,but first1 we must state the     
,case truly1 that so the  ,blame may not
 fall upon the ,innocent4 ,the ,case    
therefore is this1  ,whether1 to go     
contrary to the ,letter of ,scripture1  
in ,things that  relate to the natural  
,world1 be destroying the ,foundations  
of  ,religion1 affronting ,scripture1   
and blaspheming the ,holy ,ghost8 ,in   
the ,case propos'd1 ,we take the        
,negative1 and stand upon that ,plea4   
,but the ,exceptor hath taken the       
,affirmative2 and therefore1 all those  
heavy ,charges must fall upon himself1  
if he go contrary to the literal  ,sense
 of ,scripture1 in his philosophical    
,opinions or ,assertions4 ,and  that he 
hath done so1 we will give you some     
,instances1 out of this  ,treatise of   
his2 p4 #cad4 ,he says1 ,it it most     
absurd to think1 that  the ,earth is the
 ,center of the ,world4 ,then the ,sun  
stands still1 and  the ,earth moves1    
according to his ,doctrine4 ,but this is
 expressly  contrary to ,scripture1 in  

many ,places4 ,the ,sun rejoices1 as a  
strong  ,man1 to run his ,race1 says    
,david ,ps4 xix4 #e1 #f4 ,his going     
forth is  from the ,end of the ,heaven1 
and his ,circuit unto the ,ends of it1  
,josh4 x4 #ab1 #ac4 #b ,kings xx4 #aj1  
#aa4 ,isa4 xxxviii4 #h4 ,no such        
,thing1 says the ,exceptor2 the ,sun    
hath no ,race to run2 he is fix'd in    
his ,seat1 without any progressive      
,motion4 ,he hath no ,course from one   
,end  of the ,heavens to the other4 ,in 
like manner1 ,sun1 stand thou still     
upon ,gibeon1 says the sacred ,author1  
and the ,sun stood still4 ,no1  says the
 ,exceptor1 'twas the ,earth stood      
still1 upon that ,miracle2 for  the ,sun
 always stood still4 ,and 'tis absurd1  
yea1 most absurd1 to  think otherwise1  
p4 #aeg4 ,and he blames ,tycho ,brahe   
for following  ,scripture in this       
,particular4 ,now1 is not this1 in the  
,language of the  ,exceptor1 to destroy 
the ,foundations of ,religion1 to       
affront  ,scripture1 and blaspheme      

against the ,holy ,ghost8 ,but this is  
not all3  ,the ,exceptor says1 7,chap4  
#aj47 the ,sun rais'd up the ,mountains 
on the  third ,day2 and the ,sun was not
 in being till the fourth ,day1         
according  to ,scripture1 ,gen4 i4 #ad4 
,the ,moon also1 which1 according to    
,scripture1 was not created till the    
fourth ,day1 he says1 would hinder  the 
,formation of the ,earth1 which was done
 the third ,day4 ,lastly1 in  this new  
,hypothesis1 p4#gd4 he makes the ,waters
 of the ,deluge to be but  fifteen      
,cubits higher than the ,plain1 or      
common ,surface of the ,earth2  which   
,scripture affirms expressly to have    
cover'd the ,tops of the  highest       
,hills1 or ,mountains1 under ,heaven1   
,gen4 vii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,these two  ,things
 are manifestly inconsistent4 ,the      
,scripture says1 ,gen4 viii4 #e4  they  
cover'd the ,tops of the highest        
,mountains3 ,and the ,exceptor says     
they reached but fifteen ,cubits about1 
or upon the ,skirts of them4 ,this1  ,i 

think1 is truly to contradict           
,scripture2 or1 according to his ,talent
  of loading ,things with great ,words1 
p4 #baf4 ,this is not only flatly1  but 
loudly contradictory to the most express
 ,word of the infallible  ,god4         
,these ,observations1 ,i know1 are of   
small ,use1 unless1 perhaps1 to the     
,exceptor himself4 ,but1 if you please1 
upon this ,occasion1 let us reflect  a  
little upon the literal ,style of       
,scripture2 and the different           
,authority of that ,style1 according to 
the ,matter that it treats of4 ,the     
,subject ,matter of ,scripture is either
 such as lies without the  ,cognizance  
and ,comprehension of human ,reason1 or 
such as lies within it3  ,if it be the  
former of these1 'tis what we call      
properly and purely  ,revelation2 and   
there we must adhere to the literal     
,style1 because we  have nothing to     
guide us but that4 ,such is the         
,doctrine of the ,trinity1  and the     
,incarnation2 wherein we have nothing to

 authorize our ,deviation  from the     
,letter and ,words of ,scripture3 ,and  
therefore the  ,school-,divines1 who    
have spun those ,doctrines into a       
,multitude of  ,niceties and            
,subtleties1 had no ,warrant for what   
they did1 and their  ,conclusions are of
 no ,authority4    ,the second ,matter  
or ,subject of ,scripture is such as    
falls under the  ,view and              
,comprehension of ,reason1 more or less2
 and1 in the same  ,proportion1 gives us
 a ,liberty to examine the literal      
,sense2 how far it  is consistent with  
,reason4 and the ,faculties of our      
,mind4 ,of this ,nature  there are      
several ,things in the holy ,writings1  
both moral1 theological1  and natural1  
wherein we recede from the ,letter1 when
 it is manifestly  contrary to the      
,dictates of ,reason4 ,i will give some 
,instances in every  kind3 ,first1 as to
 moral ,things4 ,our ,saviour says1     
,mat4 v4 #bi1 #cj4 ,if  thy right ,eye  
offend thee1 pluck it out3 ,if thy      

,right ,hand offend thee1  cut it off4  
,there is no ,man that thinks himself   
obliged to the literal  ,practice of    
this ,doctrine2 and yet it is plainly   
delivered1 you see1 in  these ,terms in 
the ,gospel4 ,nay1 which is more1 our   
,saviour backs and  enforces the ,letter
 of this ,doctrine with a ,reason3 ,for 
it is  profitable for thee that one of  
thy ,members should perish1 and not that
  thy whole ,body should be cast into   
,hell3 ,as if he had intended1 that  his
 ,precept should have been really       
executed according to the ,letter4 ,in  
like manner our ,saviour says1 ,if any  
,man wilt sue thee at ,law1 and take    
away thy ,coat1 let him have thy ,cloak 
also4 ,and yet there is no  ,christian  
so good-natur'd as to practice this1 nor
 any ,casuist so rigid  as to enjoy it1 
according to the ,letter4 ,other        
,instances you may see in  our          
,saviour's ,sermon upon the ,mount1     
where we do not scruple to lay  aside   
the ,letter1 when it is judg'd contrary 

to the ,light of ,nature1 or            
impracticable in human ,society4    ,in 
all other ,things also1 that lie within 
the ,sphere of human ,reason1 we  are   
allowed to examine their                
,practicability1 or their ,credibility4 
,to instance in something theological1  
the ,words of ,consecration in the      
,sacrament4 ,our ,saviour1 when he      
instituted the last ,supper1 us'd these 
,words3 ,this is my ,body1 taking the   
,bread into his ,hand2 which ,words1    
join'd with that ,action1 are very      
formal and expressive2 yet we do not    
scruple to forsake the literal ,sense1  
and take the ,words in another ,way3    
,but upon what ,warrant do we this8     
because the literal ,sense contains an  
,absurdity2 because it contradicts the  
,light of ,nature2 because it is        
inconsistent with the ,idea of a ,body1 
and so destroys it self4 ,in like       
,manner1 upon the ,idea of the ,divine  
,nature1 we dispute absolute            
,reprobation1 and ,eternity of          

,torments1 against the ,letter of       
,scripture4  ,and1 lastly1 whether the  
,resurrection ,body consists of the same
  individual ,parcels and ,particles1   
whereof the mortal ,body consisted1     
before it was putrefied or dispers'd8   
,and1 ,phil4 iv4 #c4 ,apoc4 iii4 #e  and
 xx4 #ab4 whether the ,books of ,life   
are to be understood in a  literal      
,sense8    ,the last ,head is of such   
,things as belong to the natural ,world4
 ,and to  this may be reduced           
innumerable ,instances1 where we leave  
the literal  ,sense1 if inconsistent    
with ,science or ,experience4 ,and the  
,truth is1 if  we should follow the     
vulgar ,style and literal ,sense of     
,scripture1 we  should all be           
,anthropomorphites1 as to the ,nature of
 ,god3 ,and as to  the ,nature of his   
,works in the external ,creation1 we    
must renounce  ,philosophy and natural  
,experience1 if the ,descriptions and   
,accounts  given in ,scripture1         
concerning the ,heavens1 the ,earth1 the

 ,sea1  and other ,parts of the ,world1 
be received as accurate and just        
,representations of the ,state and      
,properties of those ,bodies4 ,neither  
is  there any ,danger1 lest this should 
affect or impeach the ,divine           
,veracity2 for ,scripture never         
undertook1 nor was ever designed to     
teach  us ,philosophy1 or the ,arts and 
,sciences3 ,and whatsoever the ,light of
  ,nature can reach and comprehend1 is  
improperly the ,subject of  ,revelation4
 ,but some ,men1 out of ,love to their  
own ,ease1 and in ,defence  of their    
,ignorance1 are not only for a          
,scripture ,divinity1 but also for  a   
,scripture ,philosophy4 ',tis a cheap   
and compendious ,way1 and saves them    
the ,trouble of farther ,study or       
,examination4    ,upon the whole1 you   
see1 it is no ,fault to recede from the 
literal ,sense  of ,scripture2 but the  
,fault is1 when we leave it without a   
just ,cause3  ,as it is no ,fault for a 
,man to separate from a ,church1 or for 

a ,prince  to make ,war against his     
,neighbour1 but to do the one or the    
other1  without a just ,cause1 is a real
 ,fault4 ,we all leave the literal      
,sense in  certain ,cases1 and therefore
 that alone is no sufficient ,charge    
against  any ,man4 ,but he that makes a 
,separation1 if ,i may so call it1      
without  good ,reasons1 he is truly     
obnoxious to ,censure4 ,the great       
,result of all1  therefore1 is this1 to 
have some common ,rule to direct us1    
when every  one ought to follow1 and    
when to leave1 the literal ,sense4 ,and 
that ,rule  which is generally agreed   
upon by good ,interpreters1 is this1    
,not to  leave the literal ,sense1 when 
the ,subject-,matter will bear it1      
without  ,absurdity or ,incongruity4    
,this ,rule ,i have always proposed to  
my self1  and always endeavoured to keep
 close to it4 ,but some inconsiderate   
,minds  make every ,departure from the  
,letter1 let the ,matter or ,cause be   
what it  will1 to be an ,affront to     

,scripture3 ,and there1 where we have   
the  greatest ,liberty1 ,i mean in      
,things that relate to the natural      
,world1  they have no more ,indulgence  
or ,moderation1 than if it was an       
,intrenchment upon the ,articles of     
,faith4 ,in this ,particular ,i cannot  
excuse the present ,animadverter2 yet1  
,i must needs say1 he is a very  ,saint 
in ,comparison of another ,animadverter1
 who hath writ upon the same  ,subject2 
but neither like a ,gentleman1 nor like 
a ,christian1 nor like a  ,scholar4 ,and
 such ,writings answer themselves4      
,a ,,short ,,consideration ,,of ,mr4    
,,erasmus ,,warren',s ,,defence ,,of    
,,his              ,,exceptions         
,,against ,,the ,,theory of the ,,earth4
      ,in a ,,letter to a ,friend4      
,,sir1      ,i have read over ,mr4      
,erasmus ,warren's ,defence of his      
,exceptions  against the ,theory of the 
,earth2 which1 it may be1 few will do   
after  me2 as not having ,curiosity or  
,patience enough to read such a long    

,pamphlet1 of private or little ,use4   
,such ,altercations as these1 are to    
you1 ,i believe1 as they are to me1 a   
sort of ,folly2 but the ,aggressor  must
 answer for that1 who makes the ,trouble
 unavoidable to the  ,defendant4 ,and   
'tis an unpleasant ,exercise1 a kind of 
,wild-goose-chase2  where he that leads 
must be followed1 through all his       
,extravagancies4    ,the ,author of this
 ,defence must pardon me1 if ,i have    
less ,apprehensions  both of his        
,judgment and ,temper1 than ,i had      
before3 ,for1 as he is too  verbose and 
long-winded ever so make a close        
,reasoner2 so it was  unexpected to me  
to find his ,style so captious and      
angry1 as it is in  this last ,paper4   
,and the same ,strain continuing to the 
,end1 ,i was sorry  to see that his     
,blood had been kept upon the ,fret1 for
 so many ,months  together1 as the      
,pamphlet was a making4    ,he might    
have made his ,work much shorter1       
without any ,loss to the ,sense4  ,if he

 had left out his popular ,enlargements1
 juvenile ,excursions1  ,stories and    
,strains of ,country-,rhetorick1        
7whereof we shall give you  some        
,instances hereafter7 his ,book would   
have been reduc'd to half the  ,compass3
 ,and if from that reduc'd half1 you    
takeaway again trifling  ,altercations  
and pedantick ,repartees1 the ,remainder
 would fall into the  ,compass of a few 
,pages4 ,for my part1 ,i am always apt  
to suspect a ,man  that makes me a long 
,answer2 for the precise ,point to be   
spoken to1 in a  multitude of ,words1 is
 easily lost1 and ,words are often      
multiplied for  that very ,purpose4     
,however1 if his ,humour be verbose1 it 
might have been1 at least1 more  easy   
and inoffensive2 there having been no   
,provocation given him in that  kind4   
,but let us guess1 if you please1 as    
well as we can1 what it was in  the late
 ,answer1 that so much discomposed the  
,exceptor and altered his  ,style3      
,either it must be the ,words and       

,language of that ,answer1 or the       
,sense of it1 without ,respect to the   
,language4 ,as to the ,words1 'tis      
true1 he gives some instances of        
,expressions offensive to him2 yet they 
are but three or four1 and those1       
methinks1 not very high1 p4 #ca4 tho'   
he calls them the ,brats of ,passion2   
they are these1 indiscreet1  rude1      
injudicious and uncharitable4 ,these    
,characters1 it seems1  are applied to  
the ,exceptor1 in some part of the      
,answer1 upon ,occasion  offer'd2 and   
whether those ,occasions were just or   
no1 ,i dare appeal to  your ,judgment4  
,as to the ,word rude1 which seems the  
most harsh1 ,i had  said indeed1 that he
 was rude to ,anaxagoras2 and so he was1
 not to  allow him to be a competent    
,witness in matter of ,fact1 whom all   
,antiquity1 sacred and prophane1 hath   
represented to us as one of the         
greatest ,men amongst the ,antients4 ,i 
had also said in another ,place1  that a
 rude1 and injudicious ,defence of      

,scripture1 by ,railing and  ill        
,language1 is the true way to lessen and
 disparage it4 ,this ,i  still justify  
as true2 and if he apply it to himself1 
much good may it  do him4 ,i do not     
remember that it is any where said1 that
 he was rude  to the ,theorist2 if it   
be1 'tis possibly upon his charging him 
with  ,blasphemy1 horrid ,blasphemy     
against the ,holy ,ghost1 for saying1   
the  ,earth was dissolv'd at the        
,deluge4 ,and ,i appeal to any ,man1    
whether  this is not an uncharitable1   
and a rude ,charge4 ,if a ,man had      
cursed  ,god1 or call'd our ,saviour an 
,impostor1 what could he have been      
charg'd  with more1 than ,blasphemy1    
horrid ,blasphemy8 ,and if the same     
things be  charg'd upon a ,man1 for     
saying1 the ,earth was dissolv'd at the 
,deluge1  either all ,crimes and ,errors
 must be equal1 or the ,charge must be  
rude4  ,but however it must be rude in  
the ,opinion of the ,theorist1 who      
thinks  this neither ,crime nor ,error4 

,what says the ,defence of the          
,exceptions to this2 p4 #aec4 it makes  
use of ,distinctions for ,mitigation of 
the ,censure2 and says1 it will         
indirectly1 consequentially1 or         
reductively be of blasphemous           
,importance4 ,here ,blasphemy is changed
 into blasphemous ,importance1  and     
horrid ,blasphemy into consequential1 c4
 ,but taking all these  ,mitigations1 it
 seems however1 according to his        
,theology1 all ,errors in  ,religion are
 ,blasphemy or of blasphemous           
,importance4 ,for all ,errors  in       
,religion must be against ,scripture one
 way or other2 at least                 
consequentially1 indirectly1 or         
reductively2 and all that are so1       
according to the ,doctrine of this      
,author1 must be ,blasphemy1 or of      
blasphemous ,importance4 ,this is crude 
,divinity1 and the ,answerer had        
,reason to subjoin what he cited before1
 that a rude and injudicious  ,defence  
of ,scripture1 is the true way to lessen

 and disparage it4    ,thus much for    
rude and uncharitable2 as for the other 
two ,words1  indiscreet and injudicious1
 ,i cannot easily be induc'd to make any
  ,apology for them4 ,on the contrary1  
,i'm afraid ,i shall have ,occasion to  
repeat these ,characters again1         
especially the latter of them1 in the   
,perusal of this ,pamphlet4 ,however1   
they do not look like ,brats of         
,passion1 as he calls them2 but rather  
as cool and quiet ,judgments1 made  upon
 ,reasons and ,premisses4 ,i had forgot 
one ,expression more3 ,the  ,answer1 it 
seems1 somewhere calls the ,exceptor a  
,dabler in  ,philosophy1 which he takes 
ill3 ,but that he is a ,dabler1 both in 
,philosophy and ,astronomy1 ,i believe  
will evidently appear upon this  second 
,examination of the same ,passages upon 
which that ,character was  grounded4 ,we
 will therefore leave that to the       
,trial1 when we come to  those ,passages
 again1 in the following ,discourse4    
,these1 ,sir1 as far as ,i remember1 are

 the ,words and ,expressions which  he  
hath taken ,notice of1 as offensive to  
him1 and ,effects of ,passion4  ,but1   
methinks1 these cannot be of ,force     
sufficient to put him so much  out of   
,humour1 and change his ,style so much1 
as we find it to be in this  last       
,pamphlet3 ,and therefore ,i am         
inclinable to believe1 that 'tis the    
,sense1 rather than the ,words1 or      
,language of the ,answer1 that hath had 
this ,effect upon him2 and that some    
unhappy ,passages1 that have expos'd    
his ,mistakes1 were the true ,causes of 
these ,resentments4 ,such ,passages ,i  
will guess at1 as well as ,i can1 and   
note them to you as they occur to  my   
,memory4    ,but give me leave1 first1  
upon this occasion of his new way of    
,writing1  to distinguish and mind you  
of three sorts of arguing1 which you may
  call reasoning1 wrangling1 and        
scolding4 ,in fair reasoning1 ,regard   
is had to ,truth only1 not to ,victory1 
let it fall on whether side it  will4   

,but in wrangling and scolding1 'tis    
,victory that is pursued and  aim'd at  
in the first ,place1 with little ,regard
 to ,truth4 ,and if the  ,contention be 
managed in civil terms1 'tis but        
wrangling2 if in uncivil1  'tis         
scolding4 ,i will not so far anticipate 
your ,judgment1 as to rank  this ,arguer
 in any of the three ,orders3 ,it you   
have ,patience to read  over his        
,pamphlet1 you will best see how and    
where to set him in his  proper ,place4 
,we now proceed to those ,passages in   
the ,answer1 which probably have most   
exasperated the ,author of the          
,exceptions and the ,defence1 ,exc4 p4  
#gg1 c4 ,in his ,exceptions he had said1
 the ,moon being present1 or in  her    
present ,place in the ,firmament1 at the
 time of the ,chaos1 she would          
certainly trouble and discompose it1 as 
she does now the ,waters of the  ,sea2  
and1 by that ,means1 hinder the         
,formation of the ,earth4 ,to this we   
answer'd1 that the ,moon that was made  

the fourth ,day1 could not hinder  the  
formation of the ,earth1 which was made 
the third ,day4 ,this was a  plain      
intelligible ,answer1 and at the same   
time discover'd such a  manifest        
,blunder in the ,objection1 as could not
 but give an uneasy  ,thought to him    
that made it4    ,however we must not   
deny1 but that he makes some ,attempt to
 silence it  off in his ,reply2 for he  
says1 ,def4 p4 #ab4 ,the ,earth formed  
the  third ,day was ,moses's ,earth1    
which the ,exceptor contends for2 but   
the  ,earth he disputes against is the  
,theorist's1 which could not be formed  
the third ,day4 ,he should have added1  
and therefore would be hinder'd  by the 
,moon1 otherwise this takes off nothing4
 ,and now the ,question  comes to a     
clear ,state2 for when the ,exceptor    
says1 the ,moon would have  hinder'd the
 ,formation of the ,earth1 either he    
speaks upon ,moses's  ,hypothesis1 or   
upon the ,theorist's ,hypothesis4 ,not  
upon the ,theorist's  ,hypothesis1 for  

the ,theorist does not suppose the ,moon
 present then2  ,eccl4 p4 #gg1 #gh4     
,def4 p4 #gc4 l4 #ab1 #ac4 ,and if he   
speaks upon  ,moses's ,hypothesis1 the  
,moon that was made the fourth ,day1    
must have  hinder'd the ,formation of   
the ,earth the third ,day4 ,so that the 
,objection  is a ,blunder upon either   
,hypothesis4    ,furthermore1 whereas he
 suggests that the ,answerer makes use  
of  ,moses's ,hypothesis to confute his 
,adversary1 but does not follow it      
himself3 ',tis so far true1 that the    
,theorist never said that ,moses's  six 
,days ,creation was to be understood    
literally2 but however it is  justly    
urged against those that understand it  
literally1 and they must  not contradict
 that ,interpretation1 which they own   
and defend4    ,so much for the ,moon1  
and this first ,passage1 which ,i       
suppose was  troublesome to our ,author4
 ,but he makes the same ,blunder in     
another  ,place1 as to the ,sun3 ,both  
the ,luminaries1 it seems1 stood in his 

,way4  ,in the tenth ,chapter of his    
,exceptions1 he gives us a new          
,hypothesis  about the ,origin of       
,mountains1 which1 in short1 is this2   
that they  were drawn or suck'd out of  
the ,earth by the ,influence and        
,instrumentality of the ,sun3 ,whereas  
the ,sun was not made1 according to     
,moses1 till the fourth ,day1 and the   
,earth was form'd the third ,day4  ',tis
 an unhappy ,thing to split twice upon  
the same ,rock1 and upon a ,rock  so    
visible4 ,he that can but reckon to     
four1 can tell whether the third  ,day1 
or fourth ,day came sooner4    ,to cure 
this ,hypothesis about the ,origin of   
,mountains1 he takes great  pains in his
 ,defence1 pag4 #ig1 #ih1 #ii1 #ajj1    
#aja4 and attempts to do  it by help of 
a ,distinction1 dividing ,mountains into
 ,maritime and  ,inland4 ,now 'tis true1
 says he1 ,these maritime ,mountains1   
and such as  were made with the ,hollow 
of the ,sea1 must rise when that was    
sunk or  deprest2 namely1 the third     

,day4 ,yet inland ones1 he says1 might  
be  raised some earlier1 and some later1
 and by the ,influence of the ,sun4     
,this is a weak and vain ,attempt to    
defend his ,notion2 for1 betides that   
this ,distinction of maritime and inland
 ,mountains1 as arising from  different 
,causes1 and at different ,times1 is    
without any ,ground1 either  in         
,scripture or ,reason1 if their         
different ,origin was admitted1 the     
,sun's extracting these inland          
,mountains out of the ,earth1 would     
still be  absurd and incongruous upon   
other ,accounts4    ,scripture1 ,i say1 
makes no such ,distinction of           
,mountains1 made at  different ,times1  
and from different ,causes4 ,this is    
plain1 seeing  ,moses does not mention  
,mountains at all in his six ,days      
,creation1 nor  any where else1 till the
 ,deluge3 ,what ,authority have we then 
to make  this ,distinction2 or to       
suppose that all the great ,mountains of
 the  ,earth were not made together8    

,besides1 what length of ,time would you
  require1 for the ,production of these 
inland ,mountains8 ,were they not all   
made within the six ,days ,creation8    
,hear what ,moses says at the end of    
the sixth ,day4 ,thus the ,heavens and  
the ,earth were finished1 and all  the  
,host of them1 ,gen4 c4 xxi4 ,and on the
 seventh ,day1 ,god ended his  ,work    
which he had made4 ,now if the ,exceptor
 says1 that the ,mountains  were all    
made within these six ,days1 we will not
 stand with him for a  ,day or two2 for 
that would make little ,difference as to
 the ,action of  the ,sun4 ,but if he   
will not confine their ,production to   
,moses's six  ,days1 how does he keep to
 the ,mosaical ,hypothesis8 ,or how     
shall we  know where he will stop in his
 own ,way8 ,for if they were not made   
within  the six ,days1 for any thing he 
knows1 they might not be made till the  
,deluge2 seeing ,scripture no where     
mentions ,mountains before the ,flood4  
,and as ,scripture makes no ,distinction

 of maritime and inland ,mountain1  so  
neither hath this ,distinction any      
,foundation in ,nature or ,reason3 ,for 
there is no apparent or discernable     
,difference betwixt maritime and  inland
 ,mountains1 nor any ,reason why they   
should be thought to proceed  from      
different ,causes1 or to be rais'd at   
different ,times4 ,the maritime         
,mountains are as rocky1 as ruderous1   
and as irregular and various in  their  
,shape and ,posture1 as the inland      
,mountains4 ,they have no  distinctive  
,characters1 nor any different          
,properties1 internal or  external1 in  
their ,matter1 ,form1 or ,composition1  
that can give us any  ,ground to        
believe1 that they came from a different
 ,original4 ,so that  this ,distinction 
is merely precarious1 neither founded in
 ,scripture nor  ,reason1 but made for  
the nonce to serve a ,turn4    ,besides1
 what ,bounds will you give to these    
maritime ,mountains8 ,are they          
distinguished from inland ,mountains    

barely by their ,distance from the      
,sea1 or by some other ,character8 ,if  
barely by ,distance1 tell us then how   
far from the ,sea do the maritime       
,mountains reach1 and where do the      
inland begin1 and how shall we know the 
,terminalis ,lapis8 ,especially  in a   
continued ,chain of ,mountains1 that    
reach from the ,sea many hundreds  of   
,miles1 inland2 as the ,alps from the   
,ocean to ,pontus ,euxinus1 and         
,taurus1 as he says1 ,def4 p4 #adc4     
fifteen hundred ,miles in length1  from 
the ,chinese ,ocean to the ,sea of      
,pamphylia4 ,in such an  uninterrupted  
,ridge of ,mountains1 where do the      
,land-,mountains end1 and               
,sea-,mountains begin8 ,or what ,mark is
 there1 whereby we may know that  they  
are not all of the same ,race1 or do not
 all spring from the same  ,original8   
,such obvious ,enquiries as these1 shew 
sufficiently1 that the  ,distinction is 
merely arbitrary and ficticious4    ,but
 suppose this ,distinction was admitted1

 and the maritime ,mountains  made the  
third ,day1 but inland ,mountains ,i    
know not when3 ,the great  ,difficulty  
still remains1 ,how the ,sun rear'd up  
these inland  ,mountain's afterward8 ,or
 if his ,power be sufficient for such   
,effects1  why have we not ,mountains   
made still to this ,day8 ,seeing our    
,mountain-maker1 the ,sun1 is still in  
the ,firmament1 and seems to be as  busy
 at ,work as ever4 ,the ,defender hath  
made some ,answer to this  ,question1 in
 these ,words1 ,def4 p4 #ii4 ,the       
,question is put1 why have  we no       
,mountains made now8 ,it might as well  
have been ask'd1 says he1  ,why does not
 the ,fire make a ,dough-bak'd ,loaf    
swell and puff up8 ,and1  he says1 this 
,answer must be satisfactory to the     
,question propounded4  ,it must be1 that
 is1 for want of a better2 for otherwise
 this  ,dough-comparison is             
unsatisfactory upon many ,accounts4     
,first1 there was  no ,ferment in the   
,earth1 as in this ,dough-cake3 at least

 it is not  prov'd1 or made appear1 that
 there was any4 ,nay1 when this         
,hypothesis  was propos'd1 there was no 
,mention at all made of any ,ferment or 
,leaven  in the ,earth2 but the ,effect 
was wholly imputed to ,venus and the    
,sun4 ,but to supply their ,defects1 he 
now ventures to add the ,word1          
fermentive1 as he calls it4 ,a          
fermentive1 flatulent ,principle1 which 
heav'd up the ,earth1 as ,leaven does   
,dough4 ,but1 besides1 that this is a   
mere groundless and gross ,postulatum1  
to suppose any such ,leaven in  the     
,earth2 if there had been such a        
,principle1 it would have swollen the   
whole ,mass uniformly1 heav'd up the    
exterior ,region of the ,earth every    
where1 and so not made ,mountains1 but a
 swollen bloated ,globe4    ,this1 ,sir1
 is a second ,passage1 which ,i thought 
might make the ,defender  uneasy4 ,we   
proceed now to a third and fourth in his
 ,geography and  ,astronomy4 ,in the    
#adth ,chapter of his ,exceptions1 p4   

#bhi4 speaking of  the ,change of the   
,situation of the ,earth1 from a right  
,posture to an  oblique1 he says1       
according to the ,theory1 the ,ecliptick
 in the  primitive ,earth1 was its      
,equinoctial now4 ,this1 he is told by  
the  ,answer1 is a great ,mistake2      
namely1 to think that the ,earth1 when  
it  chang'd its ,situation1 chang'd its 
,poles and ,circles4 ,what is now       
reply'd to this8 ,he speaks against a   
,change1 says the ,defence1 in the      
,poles and ,circles of the ,earth2 a    
needless ,trouble1 and occasioned by    
his own ,oversight4 ,for had he but     
looked into the ,errata's1 he might     
have seen there1 that these             
,parentheses1 upon which he grounded    
what he  says1 should have been left    
out4 ,so this is acknowledg'd an        
,erratum  it seems1 but an ,erratum     
,typographicum2 not in the ,sense1 but  
only in  the ,parentheses1 which1 he    
says1 should have been left out4 ,let us
  then lay aside the ,parentheses1 and  

the ,sentence stands thus3 ,for under   
the ,ecliptick1 which in the primitive  
,situation of the ,earth1 according  to 
the ,theory1 was its ,equinoctial1 and  
divided the ,globe into two             
,hemispheres1 as the ,equator does now4 
,the dry ,ground1 c4 ,how does this     
alter or mend the ,sense8 ,is it not    
still as plainly affirm'd1 as before1   
that according to the ,theory1 the      
,ecliptick in the primitive ,earth was  
equinoctial8 ,and the same thing is     
suppos'd throughout all this            
,paragraph1 ,exc4 p4 #bhi1 #bij4 ,and if
 he will own the ,truth1 and give       
,things their proper ,name1 'tis        
downright ,ignorance1 or gross ,mistake 
in  the ,doctrine of the ,sphere1 which 
he would first father upon the  ,theory1
 and then upon the ,parentheses4    ,and
 this leads me to a fourth ,passage1    
much-what of the same ,nature1  where he
 would have the ,earth to have been     
translated out of the quator  into the  
,ecliptick1 and to have chang'd the     

,line of its ,motion about the  ,sun1   
when it chang'd its ,situation4 ,his    
,words are these1 ,exc4 p4 #aeh1  #aei4 
,so that in her annual ,motion about the
 ,sun1 she1 namely the  ,earth1 before  
her ,change of ,situation1 was carried  
directly under the  ,equinoctial4 ,this 
is his ,mistake2 the ,earth mov'd in the
 ,ecliptick1  both before and after her 
,change of ,situation2 for the ,change  
was not  made in the ,circle of her     
,motion about the ,sun1 but in her      
,posture or  ,inclination in the same   
,circle3 ,whereas he supposes that she  
shifted  both ,posture1 and also her    
,circuit about the ,sun1 ,ibid4 p4 #aei4
 as  his ,words are in the next         
,paragraph4 ,but we shall have ,occasion
 to  reflect upon this again in its     
proper ,place4 ,we proceed now to       
another  astronomical ,mistake4    ,a   
fifth ,passage1 which probably might    
disquiet him1 is his false              
,argumentation at the end of the eighth 
,chapter concerning ,days and  ,months1 

,exc4 p4 #ahg4 ,he says there1 if the   
natural ,days were longer  towards the  
,flood than at first1 7which no body    
however affirms7 fewer  than thirty     
would have made a ,month2 whereas the   
,duration of the ,flood  is computed by 
,months1 consisting of thirty ,days     
a-piece2 ,therefore1  says he1 they were
 no longer than ordinary4 ,this         
,argumentation the  ,answer told him1   
was a mere ,paralogism1 or a mere       
,blunder3 ,for  thirty ,days are thirty 
,days1 whether they are longer or       
shorter2 and  ,scripture does not       
determine the ,length of the ,days4     
,there are several  ,pages spent in the 
,defence1 to get off the ,blunder3      
,let's hear how he  begins1 p4 #gh1 #gi1
 #hj1 #ha4 ,tho' ,scripture does not    
limit or account  for the ,length of    
,days expresly1 yet it does it          
implicitly1 and withal  very plainly and
 intelligibly4 ,this is deny'd3 ,and if 
he makes this  out1 that ,scripture does
 very plainly and intelligibly determine

 the  ,length of ,days at the ,deluge1  
and makes them equal with ours at       
present1  then1 ,i acknowledge1 he hath 
remov'd the ,blunder2 otherwise it      
stands  the same1 unmov'd and unmended4 
,now observe how he makes this out3     
,for1 says he1 ,scripture gives us to   
understand1 that ,days before the       
,flood1 were of the same ,length1 that  
they are of now1 ,,by ,,informing ,,us1 
that ,months and ,years1 which were of  
the same ,length then that they are  of 
at present1 were made up of the same    
,number of ,days4 ,here the  ,blunder is
 still continued1 or1 at best1 it is but
 transferr'd from ,days  to ,months1 or 
from ,months to ,years4 ,he says1       
,scripture informs us that  ,months and 
,years were of the same ,length then1   
that they are of at  present4 ,if he    
mean by the same ,length1 the same      
,number of ,days1 he  relapses into the 
old ,blunder1 and we still require the  
,length of those  ,days4 ,but if        
,scripture informs us that the ,months  

and ,years at the  ,flood1 were of the  
same ,length that they are of now1      
according to any  absolute and known    
,measure1 distinct from the ,number of  
,days1 then the  ,blunder is sav'd4     
,let's see therefore by whether of these
 two ,ways he  proves it in the next    
,words1 which are these3 ,for how could 
there be  just twelve ,months in the    
,year1 at the time of the ,deluge2 and  
thirty  ,days in each of those ,months1 
if the ,days then had not consisted1 as 
they do now1 of twenty four ,hours      
a-piece8 ,we allow a ,day might then    
consist of twenty four ,hours1 if the   
,distinction of ,hours was so  ancient4 
,but what then8 the ,question returns   
concerning the ,length of  those ,hours1
 as it was before concerning the ,length
 of the ,days2 and  this is either idem 
per idem1 or the same ,error in another 
,instance4  ,if you put but ,hours in   
the place of ,days1 the ,words of the   
,answer  have still the same ,force3    
,twenty four ,hours were to go to a     

,day1  whether the ,hours were longer or
 shorter1 and ,scripture does not       
determine the ,length of the ,hours4    
,this1 you see1 is still the same       
,case1 and the same ,paralogism hangs   
upon both ,instances4    ,but he goes on
 still in this false ,tract1 in these   
,words3 ,and as  ,providence hath so    
ordered ,nature1 that ,days 7that depend
 upon its  diurnal ,motion7 should be   
measur'd by ,circumgyrations of the     
,earth----,so  it hath taken ,care that 
each of these ,circumrotations should be
  performed in twenty four ,hours2 and  
consequently that every ,day should  be 
just so long1 that thirty of them 7in   
way of round reckoning7 might  complete 
a ,month4 ,admit all this1 that thirty  
,days complete a ,month2  still if      
,scripture hath not determin'd the      
,length of those ,days1 nor the         
,slowness or ,swiftness of the          
,circumgyrations that make them1 it hath
 not  determin'd the ,length of those   
,months1 nor of the ,years that depend  

upon  them4 ,this one would take to be  
very intelligible2 yet he goes on in the
  same ,maze1 thus3 ,but now had the    
,circumgyrations of the ,earth grown    
more slow towards the ,deluge 7by such  
,causes as the ,exceptor suggested7  so 
as every ,day had consisted of thirty   
,hours1 c4 ,but how so1 ,i pray8  ,this 
is a wild ,step2 why thirty ,hours8     
,where does ,scripture say so1 or  where
 does the ,theorist say so8 ,we say the 
,day consisted then1 as now1  of twenty 
four ,hours1 whether the ,hours were    
longer or shorter2 and that  ,scripture 
hath not determin'd the ,length of those
 ,hours1 nor  consequently of those     
,months1 nor consequently of those      
,years4 ,so after  all this ado1 we are 
just where we were at first1 namely1    
that ,scripture  not having determin'd  
the absolute ,length of any one1 you    
cannot by that  determine the ,length of
 any other4 ,and by his shifting and    
multiplying  ,instances1 he does but    
absurda absurdis accumulare1 ne         

perpluant4    ,we offer'd before1 in our
 ,answer1 to give the ,exceptor some    
,light into  his ,mistake1 by           
distinguishing in these ,things1 what is
 absolute from  what is relative3 ,the  
former whereof cannot1 under these or   
any such  like ,circumstances1 be       
determin'd by the latter4 ,for          
,instance3 ,a ,man  hath ten ,children1 
and he will not say absolutely and      
determinatively  what ,portion he will  
give with any one of them2 but he says1 
,i will give  my eldest ,child a tenth  
,part more than my second2 and my second
 a ninth  ,part more than my third2 and 
my third an eighth ,part more than my   
fourth2 and so downwards1 in proportion 
to the youngest3 ,not telling  you1 in  
any absolute ,sum1 what ,money he will  
give the youngest1 or any  other2 you   
cannot1 by this1 tell what ,portion the 
,man will give with any  of his         
,children4 ,i leave you to apply this1  
and proceed to a nearer  ,instance1 by  
comparing the ,measures of ,time and    

,longitude4 ,if you  know how many      
,inches make a ,foot1 how many ,feet a  
,pace1 how many ,paces a  ,mile1 c4 you 
cannot by these ,numbers determine the  
absolute ,quantity  of any one of the   
aforesaid ,measures1 but only their     
relative ,quantity  as to one another4  
,so if ,scripture had determin'd1 of how
 many ,hours a  ,day consisted2 of how  
many ,days a ,month2 of how many ,months
 a ,year2 you  could not by this alone  
determine the absolute ,duration or     
,quantity of  any one of these1 nor     
whether they were longer or shorter than
 our  present ,hours1 ,days1 ,months1 or
 ,years4 ,and therefore1 ,i say still1  
as ,i  said at first1 thirty ,days are  
thirty ,days1 whether they are longer or
  shorter2 and thirty ,circumgyrations  
of the ,earth are thirty1 whether  they 
be slower or swifter3 ,and that no      
,scripture-,proof can be made from      
this1 either directly or                
consequentially1 that the ,days before  
the ,flood  were1 or were not1 longer   

than they are at present4 ,but we have  
been too  long upon this ,head4    ,we  
proceed now from his ,astronomy to his  
,philosophy4 ',twas observ'd in  the    
,answer1 p4 #ch4 that the ,exceptor in  
the ,beginning of the ninth  ,chapter1  
suppos'd terrestrial ,bodies to have    
,nitency inwards1 or  downwards1 towards
 the ,center4 ,this was noted as a false
 ,principle in  ,philosophy1 and to     
rectify his ,mistake1 he now replies1   
,def4 p4 #hb4  ,that he understood that 
,expression only of self-central and    
quiescent  ,bodies3 ,whereas1 in truth1 
the ,question he was speaking to1 was   
about a  fluid ,body turning upon its   
,axis4 ,but however1 let us admit his   
new  ,sense1 his ,principle1 ,i'm       
afraid1 will still need ,rectification2 
namely1  he affirms now1 that quiescent 
earthly ,bodies are impregnated with a  
,nitency inward1 or downward towards the
 ,center4 ,i deny also this  reform'd   
,principle2 if ,bodies be turn'd round1 
they have a ,nitency  upwards1 or from  

the ,center of their ,motion4 ,if they  
be not turn'd  round1 nor mov'd1 but    
quiescent1 they have no ,nitency at all1
 neither  upwards nor downwards1 but are
 indifferent to all ,lines of ,motion1  
according as an external ,impulse shall 
carry them1 this ,way or that ,way4  ,so
 that his ,impregnation with a ,nitency 
downwards1 is an occult and  fictitious 
,quality1 which is not in the ,nature of
 ,bodies1 whether in  ,motion or in     
,rest4 ,the ,truth is1 the ,author of   
the ,exceptions makes a  great ,flutter 
about the ,cartesian ,philosophy1 and   
the ,copernican  ,system1 but the       
frequent ,mistakes he commits in both1  
give a just  ,suspicion that he         
understands neither4    ,lastly1 we come
 to the grand ,discovery of a           
fifteen-cubit ,deluge1  which1 it may   
be1 was as uneasy to him upon second    
,thoughts1 as any of  the rest2 at least
 one would guess so1 by the ,changes he 
hath made in  his ,hypothesis4 ,for he  
hath now1 in this ,defence1 p4 #aha1    

#ahb4 reduc'd  the ,deluge to a         
,destruction of the ,world by ,famine1  
rather than by  ,drowning4 ,i do not    
remember in ,scripture any ,mention made
 of ,famine  in that great ,judgment of 
,water brought upon ,mankind2 but he    
thinks he  hath found out something that
 favours his ,opinion2 namely1 that a   
good  ,part of ,mankind at the ,deluge1 
were not drown'd1 but starv'd for want  
of  ,victuals4 ,and the ,argument is    
this1 because in the ,story of the      
,deluge1  ,men are not said to be       
drown'd1 but to perish1 die1 or be      
destroy'd4 ,but are they said any where 
in the ,story of the ,deluge1 to  have  
been famish'd8 ,and when ,god says to   
,noah1 ,gen4 vi4 #ag4 ,i will  bring a  
,flood of ,waters upon the ,earth1 to   
destroy all ,flesh2 does it  not plainly
 signify1 that that ,destruction should 
be by drowning8 ,but  however1 let us   
hear our ,author2 when he had been      
making use of this new  ,hypothesis of  
starving1 to take off some ,arguments   

urged against his  fifteen-cubit        
,deluge1 7particularly1 that it would   
not be sufficient to  destroy all       
,mankind7 he adds these ,words by way of
 ,proof3 ,def4 p4 #ahb4  ,and methinks  
there is one ,thing which seems to      
insinuate1 that a good  ,part of the    
animal ,world might perhaps came to an  
,end thus2 by being  driven to such     
,straights by the overflowing ,waters1  
as to be ,,famish',d or  ,,starv',d to  
,death4 ,the ,thing is this1 in the     
,story of the ,deluge1 it is  no where  
said of ,men and living ,creatures1 that
 they were drown'd1 but  they died1 or  
were destroyed4 ,those that are drown'd 
are destroy'd1  ,i imagine1 as well as  
those that are starv'd2 so this proves  
nothing4  ,but that the ,destruction    
here spoken of1 was by drowning1 seems  
plain  enough1 both from ,god's ,word to
 ,noah before the ,flood1 and by his    
,words after the ,flood1 when he makes  
his ,covenant with ,noah1 in this       
,manner3 ,i will establish my ,covenant 

with you1 neither shall all ,flesh  be  
cut off any more by the ,waters of a    
,flood1 ,gen4 ix4 #aa4 ,now1 to be  cut 
off1 or destroy'd by the ,waters of a   
,flood1 is1 methinks1 to be  drown'd2   
,and ,i take all ,flesh to comprehend   
the animal ,world1 or1 at  least1 all   
,mankind4 ,accordingly our ,saviour     
says1 ,matth4 xxiv4 #ci4 in  ,noah's    
,time1 the ,flood came and took them all
 away2 namely1 all  ,mankind4    ,this  
is one ,expedient our ,author hath found
 out1 to help to bear off the           
,inconveniencies that attend his        
fifteen-cubit ,deluge2 namely1 by       
converting a good ,part of it into a    
,famine4 ,but he hath another           
,expedient to join to this1 by          
increasing the ,waters2 and that is done
 by  making the common ,surface of the  
,earth1 or the highest ,parts of it1  as
 he calls them1 ,def4 #afe and #ahj1 to 
signify ambiguously1 or any  ,height    
that pleases him2 and consequently      
fifteen ,cubits above that1  signifies  

also what ,height he thinks fit4 ,but in
 reality1 there is no  ,surface common  
to the ,earth1 but either the exterior  
,surface1 whether  it be high or low2 or
 the ordinary ,level of the ,earth1 as  
it is a  ,globe or ,convex ,body4 ,if by
 his common ,surface he mean the        
exterior  ,surface1 that takes in       
,mountains as well as ,lowlands1 or any 
other  superficial ,parts of the ,earth4
 ,and therefore1 if the ,deluge was     
fifteen  ,cubits above this common      
,surface1 it was fifteen ,cubits above  
the  highest ,mountains1 as we say it   
was4 ,but1 if by the common ,surface he 
mean the common ,level of the ,earth1 as
 it is a ,globular or ,convex ,body1    
then we gave it a right ,name1 when we  
call'd it the ordinary ,level of  the   
,earth2 namely1 that ,level or ,surface 
that lies in an equal ,convexity  with  
the ,surface of the ,sea3 ,and his      
fifteen ,cubits of ,water from that     
,level1 would never drown the ,world4   
,lastly1 if by the common ,surface of   

the ,earth1 he understand a third       
,surface1 different from both these1 he 
must define it1 and define the ,height  
of it2 that we may know how far  this   
fifteen-cubit ,deluge rise1 from some   
known ,basis4 ,one known ,basis  is the 
,surface of the ,sea1 and that ,surface 
of the ,land that ties in an  equal     
,convexity with it3 ,tell us then1 if   
the ,waters of the ,deluge were  but    
fifteen ,cubits higher than the ,surface
 of the ,sea1 that we may know  their   
,height by some certain and determinate 
,measure2 and upon that  examine the    
,hypothesis3 ,but tell us they were     
fifteen ,cubits above1 not  the         
,mountains or the ,hills1 but the       
,highlands1 or the highest ,parts of    
the common ,surface of the ,earth1 and  
not to tell us the ,height of these     
highest ,parts from any known ,basis2   
nor how they are distinguish'd from     
,hills and ,mountains1 which incur our  
,senses1 and are the ,measures given  us
 by ,moses3 ,this1 ,i say1 is but to    

cover his ,hypothesis with              
,ambiguities1 when he had made it       
without ,grounds1 and to leave room to  
set his ,water-,mark higher or lower1 as
 he should see ,occasion or  ,necessity4
 ,and of this indeed we have an         
,instance in his last ,pamphlet2  for he
 has rais'd his ,water-,mark there1 more
 than an hundred ,cubits  higher than it
 was before4 ,in his ,exceptions1 he    
said1 p4 #cjj4 not  that the ,waters    
were no where higher than just fifteen  
,cubits above the  ,ground1 they might  
in most ,places be thirty1 forty1 or    
fifty ,cubits  higher4 ,but1 in his     
,defence1 he says1 p4 #ahj4 the ,waters 
might be  an hundred or two hundred     
,cubits higher than the general ordinary
  ,plain of the ,earth4 ,now what       
,security have we1 but that1 in the next
  ,pamphlet they may be five hundred or 
a thousand ,cubits higher than the      
ordinary ,surface of the ,earth8        
,this is his second ,expedient1 raising 
his ,water-,mark indefinitely4 ,but  if 

these two ,methods be not sufficient to 
destroy ,mankind1 and the  animate      
,world1 he hath yet a third1 which      
cannot fail2 and that is1  destroying   
them by evil ,angels1 ,def4 p4 #ij4     
,flectere si nequeo--,this  is his last 
,refuge2 to which ,purpose he hath these
 ,words1 ,when ,heaven  was pleas'd to  
give ,satan leave1 he caus'd the ,fire  
to consume ,job's  ,sheep1 and caused   
the ,wind to destroy his ,children4 ,and
 how easily could  these ,spirits1 that 
are ,ministers of ,god's ,vengeance1    
have made the  ,waters of the ,flood    
fatal to those ,creatures that might    
have escaped  them1 if any could have   
done it8 ,as suppose an ,eagle1 or a    
,faulcon2 the  ,devil and his ,crew     
catch them all1 and held their ,noses   
under ,water3  ,however1 methinks1 this 
is not fair ,play to deny the ,theorist 
the  ,liberty to make use of the        
,ministry of good ,angels1 when he      
himself  makes use of evil ,spirits4    
,these1 ,sir1 and such like ,passages1  

where the ,notions of the ,exceptor     
have been exposed1 were the ,causes1 ,i 
imagine1 of his angry ,reply4 ,some     
,creatures1 you know1 are more fierce   
after they are wounded2 and some1  upon 
a gentle ,chase1 will fly from you2 but 
if you press them1 and put  them to     
,extremities1 they turn1 and fly in your
 face4 ,i see1 by our  ,author's        
,example1 how easily1 in these personal 
,altercations1 ,reasoning  degenerates  
into ,wrangling1 and ,wrangling into    
,scolding4 ,however1 if ,i  may judge   
from these two ,hypotheses which he hath
 made1 about the ,rise  of ,mountains1  
and a fifteen-,cubit ,deluge1 of all    
,trades1 ,i should  never advise him to 
turn ,hypothesis-,maker4 ,it does not   
seem at all to  lie to his ,hand2 and   
,things never thrive that are           
undertaken1 ,diis  iratis1 ,genioque    
sinistro4    ,but as we have given you  
some ,account of this ,author's         
philosophical  ,notions1 so it may be   
you will expect that we should entertain

 you with  some ,pieces of his ,wit and 
,eloquence4 ,the ,truth is1 he seems to 
delight  and value himself upon a       
certain kind of ,country-,wit and       
popular  ,eloquence1 and ,i will not    
grudge you the ,pleasure of enjoying    
them both1  in such ,instances as ,i    
remember4 ,speaking in ,contempt of the 
,theory and  the ,answer1 7which is one 
great ,subject of his ,wit7 he expresses
 himself  thus1 ,def4 p4 #dh4 ,but if   
,arguments be so weak1 that they will   
fall  with a ,phillip1 why should       
greater ,force be used to beat them     
down8 ,to  draw a ,rapier to stab a     
,fly1 or to charge a ,pistol to kill a  
,spider1 ,i  think would be             
preposterous4 ,i think so too2 in this  
we are agreed4 ,in  another ,place1     
being angry with the ,theorist1 that he 
would not  acknowledge his ,errors to   
him1 he hath these ,words1 p4 #abh4     
',tis  unlucky for one to rest his ,head
 against a ,post2 but when he hath done1
  if he will say he did not do it1 and  

stand in1 and defend what he says1  'tis
 a ,sign he is as senseless as he was   
unfortunate1 and is fitter to  be pitied
 than confuted4 ,this ,wit1 it may be1  
you'll say is downright  ,clownery4 ,the
 ,truth is1 when ,i observ'd1 in reading
 his ,pamphlet1 the  ,coarseness of his 
,repartees1 and of that sort of ,wit    
wherein he deals  most1 and pleases     
himself1 it often rais'd in my ,mind1   
whether ,i would  or no1 the ,idea of a 
,pedant1 of one that had seen little of 
the ,world1  and thought himself much   
wittier and wiser than others would take
 him to  be3 ,i will give you but one   
,instance more of his rustical ,wit4    
,telling  the ,theorist of an ,itch of  
,writing1 p4 #bad4 ,methinks1 says he1  
he  might have laid that prurient       
,humour1 by scratching himself with the 
,briars of a more innocent ,controversy1
 or by ,,scrubbing ,,soundly against    
something else than the ,holy           
,scripture4 ,he speaks very sensibly1 as
 if  he understood the ,disease1 and the

 ,way of dealing with it3 ,but ,i think 
,holy ,scripture does not come in well  
upon that ,occasion4    ,all this is    
nothing1 ,sir1 in comparison of his     
popular ,eloquence3 ,see  with what     
,alacrity he runs it off-hand1 in a     
,similitude betwixt ,adam  and a ,lord  
,lieutenant of a ,county1 p4 #aac4 ,when
 the ,king makes a  ,gentleman ,lord    
,lieutenant of a ,county1 by virtue of  
his ,commission is he  presently the    
strongest ,man that is in it8 ,does it  
enable him to  encounter whole          
,regiments of ,soldiers in his single   
,person8 ,does it  impower him to carry 
a ,cannon upon his ,neck8 ,or when the  
great ,gun is  fired off1 to catch the  
,bullet as it flies1 and put it up in   
his ,pocket8  ,so when ,god gave ,adam  
,dominion over the ,fowls1 did he mean  
that he  should dive like a ,duck1 or   
soar like a ,falcon8 ,that he should    
swim as  naturally as the ,swan1 and    
hunt the ,kite or ,hobby1 as ,boys do   
the ,wren8  ,did he mean that he should 

hang up ,ostriches in a ,cage1 as       
,people do  ,linnets1 or fetch down the 
,eagles to feed with his ,pullen1 and   
make them  perch with his ,chickens in  
the ,henroost8    ,so much for the      
,fowls2 now for the ,fish4 ,ibid4 ,when 
,god gave ,adam  ,dominion over the     
,sea1 was he to be able to dwell at the 
,bottom1 or to  walk on the ,top of it8 
,to drain it as a ,ditch1 or to take all
 its ,fry at  once in a ,drag-,net8 ,was
 he to snare the ,shark1 as we do young 
,pickarels2  or to bridle the           
,sea-,horse1 and ride him for a ,pad2 or
 to put a ,slip  upon the ,crocodile's  
,neck1 and play with him as with a ,dog8
 c4 ,sir1 ,i  leave it to you1 as a more
 competent ,judge1 to set a just ,value 
upon his  ,gifts and ,elocution4 ,for my
 ,part1 to speak freely1 dull ,sense1 in
 a  phantastick ,style1 is to me doubly 
nauseous4    ,but lest ,i should cloy   
you with these luscious ,harangues1 ,i  
will give  you but one more2 and 'tis a 
,miscellany of several ,pieces of ,wit  

together4 ,def4 p4 #fh4 ,should twenty  
,mariners1 says he1 confidently  affirm 
that they sailed in a ,ship from ,dover 
to ,calais1 by a brisk  ,gale out of a  
,pair of ,bellows8 ,or if forty         
,engineers should positively  swear1    
that the ,powder-,mill near ,london was 
late blown up1 by a ,mine  then sprung  
at ,great ,waradin in ,hungary1 must    
they not be grievously  perjur'd        
,persons8----,or if the ,historian that 
writes the ,peloponnesian  ,war1 had    
told that the ,soldiers who fell in it1 
fought only with  ,sun-beams1 and single
 ,currants which grew thereabouts1 and  
that hundreds  and thousands were       
stabb'd with the one1 and knocked on the
 ,head with  the other2 who would       
believe that ever there were such       
,weapons in that  ,war1 that ever there 
was such a fatal ,war in that ,country8 
,even so1 c4  ,these1 ,sir1 are ,flights
 and ,reaches of his ,pen1 which ,i dare
 not  censure1 but leave them to your   
,judgment4    ,thus much is to give you 

a ,taste only of his ,wit and           
,eloquence2 and if  you like it1 you may
 find more of the same ,strain1 here and
 there1 in  his ,writings4 ,i have only 
one ,thing to mind him of1 that he was  
desired by the ,theorist1 ,eng4 ,theor4 
p4 #dja4 to write in ,latin 7if he  was 
a ,scholar7 as being more proper for a  
,subject of this ,nature4 ,if he  had   
own'd and follow'd that ,character1 ,i'm
 apt to think it would have  prevented a
 great many ,impertinences3 ,his        
,tongue1 probably1 would not  have been 
so flippant in popular ,excursions and  
,declamations1 as we now  find it4      
,neither is this any great ,presumption 
or ,rashness of ,judgment1  if we may   
guess at his ,skill in that ,language by
 his ,translations here  and there3     
,except1 p4 #bic4 ,cum plurima          
,religione is rendered with  the        
,principle of their ,religion4 ,and if  
he say he followed ,sir ,w4  ,rawleigh  
in his ,translation1 he that follows a  
bad ,translator1 without  ,correction or

 ,notice1 is suppos'd to know no better 
himself3 ,and this  will appear the more
 probable1 if we consider another of his
  ,translations1 in this present ,work4 
,rei ,personam he translates the        
,representation of the ,thing1 instead  
of the ,person of the ,guilty1 or  the  
,person of him that is ,reus not ,actor3
 ,and in this1 ,i dare say1  he was     
seduc'd by no ,example4 ,but lest we    
should be thought to  misrepresent him1 
take his own ,words1 such as they are1  
,def4 #afh1 #afi4  ,yea1 tho' it was    
spoken never so positively1 it was but  
to set forth  ,,rei ,,personam1 to make 
the more full and lively ,representation
 of the  supposed ,thing4 ,here1 you    
see1 he hath made a double ,blunder2    
first1 in  jumbling together ,person and
 ,thing2 then1 if they could be jumbled 
together1 ,rei ,persona would not       
signify the full and lively             
,representation of the ,thing1 but      
rather a ,disguise or personated        
,representation of the ,thing4 ,however1

 ,i am satisfied from these  ,instances1
 that he had good ,reason1              
notwithstanding the ,caution or  ,desire
 of the ,theorist to the contrary1 to   
write his ,books in his  ,mother's      
,tongue4    ,thus we have done with the 
first ,part1 which was to mark out such 
,passages1 as we thought might probably 
have enflam'd the ,author's ,style  in  
this ,reply3 ,when ,men are resolved not
 to own their ,faults1 you know  there  
is nothing more uneasy and vexatious to 
them1 than to see them  plainly         
discovered and expos'd4 ,we must now    
give you some ,account of the  ,contents
 of his ,chapters1 so far as they relate
 to our ,subject4 ,chap4  i4 ,nothing4  
,chap4 ,,ii4 is against extraordinary   
,providence2 or that  the ,theorist     
should not be permitted to have         
,recourse to it upon any  ,occasion4    
,this ,recourse to extraordinary        
,providence being frequently  objected  
in other ,places1 and of use to be      
distinctly understood2 we  will speak of

 it apart at the latter end of the      
,letter4 ,chap4 ,,iii4 is  about the    
,moon's hindring the ,formation of the  
,earth before she was  formed herself1  
or in our ,neighbourhood1 as we have    
noted before4  ,another ,thing in this  
,chapter1 is1 his urging oily or        
oleaginous  ,particles not to have been 
in the ,chaos1 but made since3 ,i'll    
give a  short ,answer to this2 either   
there was or was not oleaginous ,matter 
in  the new-made ,earth1 7,i mean in its
 superficial ,region17 when it came     
first out of a ,chaos8 ,if there was1   
there was also in the ,chaos1 out  of   
which that ,earth was immediately made3 
,and if there was no oleaginous  ,matter
 in the new-made ,earth1 how came the   
,soil to be so fertile1 so  fat1 so     
unctuous8 ,i say not only fertile1 but  
particularly fat and  unctuous3 ,for he 
uses these very ,words frequently in the
 ,description  of that ,soil1 ,exc4 p4  
#baa4 ,def4 p4 #fi1 and p4 #ih4 ,and all
 fat and  unctuous ,liquors are         

oleaginous2 and accordingly we have used
 those  ,words promiscuously1 in the    
,description of that ,region3 7,eng4    
,theor4  ,chap4 ,v47 understanding only 
such unctuous ,liquors as are lighter   
than  ,water1 and swim above it1 and    
consequently would stop and entangle the
  terrestrial ,particles in their ,fall 
or ,descent3 ,and seeing such unctuous  
and oleaginous ,particles were in the   
new-made ,earth1 they must certainly    
have been in the ,matter out of which it
 was immediately formed1 namely1  in the
 ,chaos4 ,all the rest of this ,chapter 
we are willing to leave in  its full    
,force2 apprehending the ,theory1 or the
 ,answer1 to be in no  ,danger from such
 ,argumentations or ,reflections4       
,the fourth ,chapter is very short1 and 
hath nothing argumentative4 ,the  fifth 
,chapter is concerning the ,cold in the 
circumpolar ,parts1 which was  spoken to
 in the ,answer sufficiently1 and we    
stand to that3 ,what is  added about    
extraordinary ,providence1 will be      

treated of in its proper  ,place4 ,the  
sixth ,chapter is also short1 against   
this ,particular1 that  it is not safe  
to argue upon ,suppositions actually    
false4 ,and ,i think  there needs no    
more to prove it1 than what was said in 
the ,answer4 ,chap4  ,,vii4 is chiefly  
about ,texts of ,scripture1 concerning  
which ,i see no  ,occasion of saying any
 more than what is said in the ,review  
of the  ,theory4 ,he says1 7p4 #di47    
that the ,theorist catches himself in a 
,trap1 by allowing that ,ps4 xxxiii4 #g4
 is to be understood of the  ordinary   
,posture of the ,waters1 and yet        
applying it to their  extraordinary     
,posture under the ,vault of the ,earth3
 ,but that was not an  extraordinary    
,posture according to the ,theorist1 but
 their natural  ,posture in the first   
,earth3 ,yet ,i allow the ,expression   
might have been  better thus1 in a level
 or spherical ,convexity1 as the ,earth4
 ,he  interprets   7p4 #ec47 which we   
render the ,garden of the ,lord1  ,gen4 

xiii4 x4 not to be ,paradise1 but any   
pleasant ,garden2 yet gives us  no      
,authority either of ancient            
,commentator or ,version1 for this novel
  and paradoxical ,interpretation4 ,the 
,septuagint render it    3 ,the         
,vulgate1 ,paradisus ,domini1 and all   
ancient ,versions that ,i  have seen1   
render it to the same ,sense4 ,does he  
expect then that his  single ,word and  
,authority should countervail all the   
ancient ,translators  and ,interpreters8
 ,to the last ,place alledged by the    
,theorist1 ,prov4  viii4 #bh4 he says1  
the ,answerer charges him unjustly1 that
 he  understands by that ,word  no more 
than the ,rotundity or spherical        
,figure of the ,abyss2 which1 he says1  
is a ,point of ,nonsense3 ,i did  not   
think the ,charge had been so high      
however1 seeing some ,interpreters      
understand in so3 ,but if he understand 
by  the ,banks or ,shores of  the sea1  
then he should have told us how those   
,banks or ,shores are     super faciem  

,abissi1 as it is in the ,text4    ,page
 #ei4 ,he says the ,exceptor does not   
misrepresent the ,theorist when  he     
makes him to affirm the ,construction of
 the first ,earth to have been  merely  
mechanical2 and he cites to this purpose
 two ,places1 which only  prove1 that   
the ,theorist made use of no other      
,causes1 nor see any ,defect  in them2  
but never affirm'd that these were the  
only ,causes4 ,you may see  his ,words  
to this purpose expressly1 ,eng4 ,theor4
 p4 #hh4 whereof the  ,exceptor was     
minded in the ,answer1 p4 #c4 ,in the   
last ,paragraph of this  ,chapter1 p4   
#fj4 if he affirms any ,thing1 he will  
have the ,pillars of  the ,earth to be  
understood literally4 ,where then1 pray1
 do these  ,pillars stand that bear up  
the ,earth8 ,or if they bear up the     
,earth1 what  bears them up8 ,what are  
their ,pedestals1 or their ,foundations8
 ,but he  says ,hypotheses must not     
regulate ,scripture1 though in natural  
,things1  but be regulated by it1 and   

the by the ,letter of it3 ,i would      
gladly know  then1 how his ,hypothesis  
of the ,motion of the ,earth1 is        
regulated by  ,scripture1 and by the    
,letter of it8 ,and he unhappily gives  
an ,instance1  just contrary to himself1
 namely1 of the ,anthropomorphites2 for 
they  regulate natural ,reason and      
,philosophy1 by the ,letter or literal  
,sense  of ,scripture1 and therein fall 
into a gross ,error3 ,yet we must not   
call  the ,author injudicious1 for fear 
of giving ,offence4    ,the eighth      
,chapter1 ibid4 begins with the ,earth's
 being carried  directly under the      
,equinoctial1 before its ,change of     
,situation2  without any manner of      
,obliquity in her ,site1 or ,declination
 towards  either of the ,tropicks in    
,,her ,,course4 ,here you see1 when the 
,earth  changed its ,situation1 it      
chang'd according to his ,astronomy1 two
  ,things2 its ,site1 and its ,course2  
its ,site upon its ,axis1 and its       
,course in the ,heavens3 and so he says 

again in the next ,paragraph1 ,put  the 
,case the ,earth shift her ,posture1 and
 also her ,circuit about the  ,sun1 in  
which the persisted till the ,deluge4   
,here is plainly the same  ,notion      
repeated2 that the ,earth changed not   
only its ,site1 but also  its ,road or  
,course about the ,sun3 ,and in         
consequence of this1 he  supposes its   
,course formerly to have been under the 
,equinoctial1 and now  under the        
,ecliptick2 it being translated out of  
the one into the other1  at its ,change4
 ,yet he seems now to be sensible of the
 ,absurdity of this  ,doctrine1 and     
therefore will not own it to have been  
his ,sense2 and as  an ,argument that he
 meant otherwise1 he alledges1 that he  
declared  before1 that by the ,earth's  
right ,situation to the ,sun1 is meant  
that  the ,axis of the ,earth was always
 kept in a ,parallelism to that of the  
,ecliptick1 p4 #fa4 ,but what's this to 
the ,purpose8 ,this speaks only of  the 
,site of the ,earth1 whereas his ,error 

was is supposing its ,course  or ,annual
 ,orbit about the ,sun1 as well as its  
,site upon its own ,axis1  to have been 
different1 and changed at the ,deluge2  
as his ,words already  produced against 
him1 plainly testify4    ,what follows  
in this ,chapter1 is concerning the     
perpetual ,equinox3 ,and  as to the     
reasoning ,part of what he says in      
,defence of his ,exceptions1  we do not 
grudge him the ,benefit of it1 let it do
 him what ,service it  can4 ,and as to  
the historical ,part1 he will not allow 
a ,witness to be a  good ,witness1 as to
 ,matter of ,fact1 if he did not assign 
true ,causes of  that ,matter of ,fact4 
,to which ,i only reply1 tho' ,tiverton 
,steeple was  not the ,cause of ,goodwin
 ,sands1 as the ,kentish ,men thought1  
yet  their ,testimony was so far good1  
that there were such ,sands1 and such a 
,steeple4 ,he also commits an ,error as 
to the ,nature of ,tradition3 ,when  a  
,tradition is to be made out1 it is not 
expected that it should be made  appear 

that none were ignorant of that         
,tradition in former ,ages2 or that  all
 that mentioned it1 understood the true 
,grounds and ,extent of it2 but  is is  
enough to shew the plain ,footsteps of  
it in ,antiquity1 as a  ,conclusion1    
tho' they did not know the ,reasons and 
,premisses upon which  it depended4 ,for
 ,instance1 the ,conflagration of the   
,world is a ,doctrine  of ,antiquity1   
traditionally deliver'd from ,age to    
,age2 but the ,causes  and ,manner of   
the ,conflagration1 they either did not 
know1 or have nor  deliver'd to us4 ,in 
like manner1 the first ,age and ,state  
of the ,world  was without ,change of   
,seasons1 or under a perpetual ,equinox3
 ,of this we  see many ,footsteps in    
,antiquity1 amongst the ,jews1          
,christians1  ,heathens1 ,poets1        
,philosophers2 but the ,theory of this  
perpetual ,equinox1  the ,causes and    
,manner of it1 we neither find1 nor can 
reasonably expect1  from the ,antients3 
,so much for the ,equinox4    ,this     

,chapter1 as it begun with an ,error1 so
 it unhappily ends with a  ,paralogism2 
namely1 that1 because thirty ,days made 
a ,month at the  ,deluge1 therefore     
those ,days were neither longer nor     
shorter than ours  are at present4 ,tho'
 we have sufficiently exposed this      
before1 yet one  thing more may be      
added1 in answer to his confident       
,conclusion1 in these  ,words3 ,but to  
talk1 as the ,answerer does1 that the   
,month should be  lengthened by the     
,days being so1 is a fearful ,blunder   
indeed3 ,for let  the ,days 7by         
slackening the ,earth's diurnal ,motion7
 have been never so  long1 yet 7its     
,annual ,motion continuing the same7 the
 ,month must needs  have kept its usual 
,length1 only fewer ,days would have    
made it up4 ',tis  not usual for a ,man 
to persevere so confidently in the same 
,error1 as if  the ,intervals of ,time1 
,hours1 ,days1 ,months1 ,years1 could   
not be  proportionably increas'd1 so as 
to contain one another in the same      

,proportion they did before1 and yet be 
every one increas'd as to  absolute     
,duration4 ,take a ,clock1 for          
,instance1 that goes too slow2 the      
,circuit of the ,dial-plate is twelve   
,hours1 let these represent the  twelve 
,signs in his ,zodiack1 and the ,hand to
 be the ,earth that goes  through them  
all2 and consequently1 the whole        
,circuit of the ,dial-plate  represents 
the ,year4 ,suppose1 as we said1 this   
,clock to go too slow1  this will not   
hinder1 but still fifteen ,minutes make 
a ,quarter in this  ,clock1 four        
,quarters make an ,hour1 and twelve     
,hours the whole ,circuit of  the       
,dial-plate3 ,but every one of these    
,intervals will contain more ,time  than
 it did before1 according to absolute   
,duration1 or according to the          
,measures of another ,clock that does   
not go too slow3 ,this is the very      
,case which he cannot or will not       
comprehend1 but concludes thus in       
,effect1 that because the ,hour consists

 still of four ,quarters in this        
,clock1 therefore it is no longer than  
ordinary4    ,the ninth ,chapter also   
begins with a false ,notion1 that       
,bodies  quiescent 7as he hath now      
alter'd the ,case7 have a ,nitency      
downwards3  ,which ,mistake we rectified
 before1 if he please4 ,then he proceeds
 to the  oval ,figure of the ,earth1 and
 many ,flourishes and ,harangues are    
made  here to little purpose2 for he    
goes on upon a false ,supposition1 that 
the ,waters of the ,chaos were made oval
 by the ,weight or ,gravitation of  the 
,air2 a ,thing that never came into the 
,words or ,thoughts of the  ,theorist4  
,yet upon this ,supposition he runs into
 the ,deserts of  ,bilebulgerid1 ,def4  
p4 #he1 #hf4 and the ,waters of ,mare   
del ,zur2 ,words  that make a great     
,noise1 but to no ,effect4 ,if he had   
pleas'd he might  have seen the         
,theorist made no ,use of the ,weight of
 the ,air upon this  ,occasion1 by the  
,instance he gave of the ,pressure of   

the ,moon1 and the  ,flux of the ,waters
 by that ,pressure3 ,which is no more   
done by the  ,gravitation of the ,air1  
than the ,banks are prest in a swift    
,current and  narrow ,channel1 by the   
,gravitation of the ,water4 ,but he     
says1 rarified  ,air makes less         
,resistance than gross ,air2 and        
rarified ,water in an  olipile1 it may  
be he thinks1 presses with less ,force  
than unrarified4  ,air possibly may be  
rarified to that ,degree as to lessen   
its ,resistance2  but we speak of ,air  
moderately agitated1 so as to be made   
only more  brisk and active4 ,moreover1 
he says1 the ,waters that lay under the 
,poles  must have risen perpendicularly1
 and why might they not1 as well have   
done so under the ,equator8 ,the ,waters
 that lay naturally and originally      
under the ,poles1 did not rise at all2  
but the ,waters became more deep  there1
 by those that were thrust thither from 
the middle ,parts of the  ,globe4 ,upon 
the whole1 ,i do not perceive that he   

hath weaken'd any one  of the           
,propositions upon which the ,formation 
of an oval ,earth depended2  which were 
these3 ,first1 ,that the ,tendency of   
the ,waters from the  ,centre of this   
,motion1 would be greater and stronger  
in the ,equinoctial  ,parts1 than in the
 ,polar1 or in those ,parts where they  
moved in greater  ,circles2 and         
consequently swifter1 than in those     
where they were moved  in lesser        
,circles and slower4 ,secondly1         
,agitated ,air hath more ,force  to     
repel what presses against it than      
stagnant ,air2 and that the ,air was    
more agitated and rarified under the    
,equinoctial ,parts1 than under the     
,poles4 ,thirdly1 ,waters hinder'd and  
repell'd in their primary  ,tendency1   
take the easiest way they can to free   
themselves from that  ,force1 so as to  
persevere in their ,motion4 ,lastly1 ,to
 flow laterally  upon a ,plain1 or to   
ascend upon an inclin'd ,plain1 is      
easier than to  rise perpendicularly4   

,these are the ,propositions upon which 
that  ,discourse depended1 and ,i do not
 find that he hath disprov'd any one of 
them4 ,and this1 ,sir1 is a short       
,account of a long ,chapter1            
,impertinences  omitted4    ,chapter ,x4
 ,is concerning the ,original and       
,causes of ,mountains1 which  the       
,exceptor unhappily imputes to the ,heat
 and ,influence of the ,sun4  ,whether  
his ,hypothesis be effectually confuted 
or not1 ,i am very willing  to stand to 
the ,judgment of any unconcern'd        
,person1 that will have the  ,patience  
to compare the ,exceptions and the      
,answer1 in this ,chapter4  ,then1 as to
 his ,historical ,arguments1 as he calls
 them1 to prove there  were ,mountains  
before the ,flood1 from ,giants that    
saved themselves from  the ,flood upon  
,mount ,sion1 and ,adam's wandering     
several hundred of ,years  upon the     
,mountains of ,india3 ,these1 and such  
like1 which he brought to  prove that   
there were ,mountains before the ,flood1

 he now thinks fit to  renounce1 ,def4  
p4 #ig4 and says he had done so before  
by an  anticipative ,sentence3 ,but if  
they were condemn'd before by an        
anticipative ,sentence1 as ,fables and  
,forgeries1 why were they stuff'd  into 
his ,book1 and us'd as traditional      
,evidence against the ,theory8          
,lastly1 ,he contends in this ,chapter  
for ,iron and ,iron ,tools before  the  
,flood1 and as early as the ,time of    
,cain2 because he built a  ,city1 which1
 he says1 could not be built without    
,iron and ,iron-,tools3  ,to which it   
was answer'd1 ,ans4 p4 #di1 #ej4 that1  
if he fancied that  ,city of ,cain's1   
like ,paris or ,london1 he had ,reason  
to believe  that they had ,iron-tools to
 make it3 ,but suppose it was a ,number 
of  ,cottages1 made of ,branches of     
,trees1 of ,osiers and ,bulrushes2 or1  
if you  will1 of ,mud-,walls1 and a     
,roof of ,straw1 with a ,fence about it 
to keep  out ,beasts1 there would be no 
such ,necessity of ,iron-,tools4        

,consider1 pray1 how long the ,world was
 without knowing the ,use of ,iron1  in 
several ,parts of it1 as in the         
,northern ,countries and ,america1 and  
yet they had ,houses and ,cities after  
their ,fashion4 ,and to come nearer     
,home1 consider what ,towns and ,cities 
our ,ancestors1 the ,britains1 had  in  
,csar's ,time1 more than two thousand   
,years after the ,time of ,cain3  ,com4 
li4 #e4 ,oppidum ,britanni vacant1 cum  
,sylvam impeditam vallo atque  fossa    
munierant2 quo incarsionis hostium      
nitand causa1 convenire  consueverunt3  
,why might not ,henochia1 ,cain's ,city1
 be such a ,city  as this8    ,and as to
 the ,ark1 which he also would make a   
,proof that there were ,iron  and       
,iron-,tools before the ,flood1 ,ibid4  
'twas answer'd1 that ,scripture  does   
not mention ,iron or ,iron-,tools in    
building of the ,ark2 but only          
,gopher-,wood and ,pitch3 ,to which re  
replies1 ,def4 p4 #ajc4 ,if             
,scripture's ,silence concerning ,things

 be a ,ground of ,presumption that  they
 were not1 what then shall we think of  
an oval and unmountainous  ,earth1 an   
inclosed ,abyss1 a paradisaical ,world1 
and the like1 which the  ,scripture     
makes no mention of8 ,i cannot easily   
forbear calling this an  injudicious    
,reflection1 tho' ,i know he hath been  
angry with that ,word1  and makes it a  
,brat of ,passion's4 ,but ,i do assure  
him1 ,i call it so  coolly and calmly4  
,when a ,thing is deduc'd by natural    
,arguments and  ,reason1 the ,silence of
 ,scripture is enough3 if he can prove  
the ,motion  of the ,earth by natural   
,arguments1 and that ,scripture is      
silent in that  ,point1 we desire no    
better ,proof4 ,now in all those ,things
 which he  mentions1 an oval and        
unmountainous ,earth1 an inclosed       
,abyss1 a  paradisaical ,world1         
,scripture is at least silent2 and      
therefore 'tis  natural ,arguments must 
determine these ,cases3 ,and this ill   
reasoning he  is often guilty of1 in    

making no ,distinction betwixt ,things  
that are1 or  that are not prov'd by    
natural ,arguments1 when he appeals to  
the  ,interpretation of ,scripture4     
,chap4 ,,xi4 ,is to prove an open ,sea  
7such as we have now7 before the        
,flood3 ,all his ,exceptions were       
answered before1 ,answ4 c4 #aa4 and ,i  
am  content to stand to that ,answer1   
reserving only what is to be said       
hereafter concerning the literal ,sense 
of ,scripture4 ,however1 he is too      
lavish in some ,expressions here1 as    
when he says1 7p4 #aae47 ,that  ,adam   
died before so much as one ,fish        
appeared in the ,world3 ,and a  little  
before he had said1 p4 #aad4 ,for       
,fishes1 if his ,hypothesis be          
believed1 were never upon this ,earth in
 ,adam's ,time4 ,these ,expressions1  ,i
 say1 cannot be justified upon any      
,hypothesis3 ,for why might not the     
,rivers of that ,earth have ,fish in    
them1 as well as the ,rivers of this    
,earth1 or as our ,rivers now8 ,i'm sure

 the ,theory1 or the ,hypothesis  he    
mentions1 never said any ,thing to the  
contrary1 but rather suppos'd  the      
,waters fruitful1 as the ,ground was4   
,but as to an open ,sea1 whether  ,side 
soever you take1 that there was1 or was 
not any before the ,flood2 ,i  believe1 
however1 ,adam1 to his dying ,day1 never
 saw either ,sea or  ,sea-fish1 nor ever
 exercis'd any ,dominion over either4   
,chap4 ,,xii4 ,is concerning the        
,rainbow1 and hath no new ,argument in  
it1  nor ,reinforcement3 ,but a         
,question is moved1 whether as well     
necessarily signifies as much4 ,the real
 ,question to be consider'd  here1      
setting aside ,pedantry1 is this whether
 that ,thing 7,sun or  ,rainbow1 or any 
other7 could have any ,significancy as a
 ,sign1 which  signified no more than   
the bare ,promise would have done       
without a ,sign3  ,this is more material
 to be consider'd and resolved1 than    
whether as  well and as much signify the
 same4    ,chap4 ,,xiii4 ,is concerning 

,paradise1 and to justify or excuse     
himself  why he baulked all the         
,difficulties1 and said nothing new or  
instructive  upon that ,subject3 ,but he
 would make the ,theorist inconsistent  
with  himself in that he had said1 ,def4
 p4 #abe4 that neither ,scripture nor   
,reason determine the ,place of         
,paradise2 and yet determines it by the 
,judgment of ,christian ,fathers4       
,where's the ,inconsistency of this8    
,the  ,theory1 as a ,theory1 is not     
concerned in a ,topical ,paradise2 and  
says  moreover that neither ,scripture1 
nor ,reason1 have determin'd the ,place 
of it2 but if we refer our selves to the
 ,judgment and ,tradition of the        
,fathers1 and stand to the ,majority of 
their ,votes1 7when ,scripture and      
,reason are silent17 they have so far   
detetmin'd it1 as to place it in  the   
other ,hemisphere1 rather than in this1 
and so exclude that shallow  ,opinion of
 some ,moderns1 that would place it in  
,mesopotamia3 ,and to  baffle that      

,opinion was the ,design of the         
,theorist1 7as7 this ,author  also seems
 to take notice1 p4 #aca4    ,after     
this1 and an undervaluing of the        
,testimonies of the ,fathers1 he        
undertakes to determine the ,place of   
,paradise by ,scripture1 and            
particularly that it was in             
,mesopotamia1 or some ,region           
thereabouts4  ,and his ,argument is     
this1 because in the last ,verse of the 
third ,chapter  of ,genesis1 the        
,cherubims and flaming ,sword are said  
to be plac'd    1 which he says is1 to  
the ,east of the ,garden of ,eden4 ,but 
the ,septuagint 7upon whom he must      
chiefly depend for the ,interpretation  
of the ,word  in the first ,place1      
,chap4 ii4 #h47 read it here      2 ,and
 the ,vulgate renders it1 ,ante         
,paradisum voluptatis2 and according to 
the ,samaritan ,pentateuch1 'tis        
render'd ex adverso4 ,now1 what better  
,authorities can he bring us for  his   
,translation8 ,i do not find that he    

gives any1 as his usual ,way is1  but   
his own ,authority4 ,and as for the     
,word  in the second ,chapter  and      
eighth ,verse1 which is the principal   
,place1 'tis well known1 that  except   
the ,septuagint1 all the antient        
,versions1 ,greek and ,latin1  7besides 
others7 render it to another ,sense3    
,and there is a like  ,uncertainty of   
,translation in the ,word  as we have   
noted elsewhere4  ,lastly1 the ,rivers  
of ,paradise1 and the ,countries that   
are said to run  through or encompass1  
are differently understood by different 
,authors1  without any ,agreement or    
certain ,conclusion3 ,but these are all 
beaten  ,subjects1 which you may find in
 every ,treatise of ,paradise1 and      
therefore 'tis not worth the ,time to   
pursue them here4    ,then he proceeds  
to the ,longevity of the                
,ante-,deluvians1 which1 so far  as ,i  
can understand him to affirm any ,thing1
 he says1 p4 #aci4 was not  general2 but
 the ,lives of some few were            

extraordinary1 lengthen'd by  a special 
,blessing2 the ,elongation being a ,work
 of ,providence1 not of  ,nature4 ,this 
is a cheap and vulgar ,account1 7and so 
are all the  ,contents of this ,chapter7
 prov'd neither by ,scripture1 nor      
,reason1 and  calculated for the ,humour
 and ,capacity of those that love their 
,ease  more than a diligent ,enquiry    
after ,truth4 ,he hath indeed a bold    
,assertion afterwards1 that ,moses does 
distinguish as much1 or more1  betwixt  
two ,races of ,men before the ,flood2   
the one ,long-,livers1 and  the other   
,short-,livers2 as he hath distinguish'd
 the ,giants before the  ,flood1 from   
the common ,race of ,mankind4 ,these are
 his ,words1 p4 #ada4  ,is not his      
,distinction equally plain in both      
,cases8 ,speaking of this               
fore-mentioned ,distinction3 ,or1 if    
there be any ,difference1 does he not   
distinguish better betwixt              
,long-,livers1 and ,short-,livers1 than 
he does  betwixt ,men of gigantick and  

of usual ,proportion8 ,let's see the    
,truth  of this2 ,moses plainly made    
mention1 ,gen4 vi4 #d4 of two ,races of 
,mankind3 ,the ordinary ,race1 and those
 of a gigantick ,race1 or ,giants4      
,now1 tell me where he plainly makes    
mention of ,short-,livers before the    
,flood3 ,and if he no where makes       
mention of ,short-,livers1 but of       
,long-,livers only1 how does he         
distinguish as plainly of these two     
,races1 as he did of the other two2 for 
in the other he mentioned plainly  and  
severally both the ,parts or ,members of
 the ,distinction1 and here he  mentions
 but one1 and makes no ,distinction4    
,then he comes to the ,testimonies cited
 by ,josephus for the ,longevity  of the
 ,ante-,diluvians1 or first ,inhabitants
 of the ,earth3 ,and these he  roundly  
pronounces to be utterly false4 ,this   
,gentleman does not seem  to be much    
skill'd in ,antiquity1 either sacred or 
prophane2 and yet he  boldly rejects    
these ,testimonies 7as he did those of  

the ,fathers before7  as utterly false1 
p4 #adb4 which ,josephus had alledged in
  ,vindication of the ,history of       
,moses4 ,the only ,reason he gives is1  
because these ,testimonies say1 they    
liv'd a thousand ,years2 whereas  ,moses
 does not raise them altogether so high4
 ,but the ,question was not  so much    
concerning the precise ,number of their 
,years1 as about the  ,excess of them   
beyond the present ,lives of ,men1 and a
 round ,number in  such ,cases is often 
taken instead of a broken ,number4      
,besides1 seeing1  according to the     
,account of ,moses1 the greater ,part of
 them liv'd  above nine hundred ,years1 
at least he should not have said these  
,testimonies in ,josephus were utterly  
false1 but false in part1 or  not       
precisely true4    ,now1 he comes to his
 ,reasons against the ante-diluvian     
,longevity1 which  have all had their   
,answers before1 and those we stand to4 
,but ,i wonder  he should think it      
reasonable1 p4 #add1 #ade4 that ,mankind

 throughout  all ,ages1 should increase 
in the same ,proportion as in the first 
,age3  ,and1 if a decuple ,proportion of
 ,increase was reasonable at first1 the 
same should be continued all along2 and 
the ,product of ,mankind1 after  sixteen
 hundred ,years1 should be taken upon   
that ,supposition4 ,i should  not grudge
 to admit that the first ,pair of       
,breeders might leave ten  ,pair2 but   
that every ,pair of these ten should    
also leave ten ,pair1  without any      
,failure3 and every ,pair in their      
,children should again leave  ten ,pair2
 and this to be continued1 without      
,diminution or ,interruption1  for      
sixteen hundred ,years1 is not only a   
hard ,supposition1 but utterly          
incredible4 ,for still the greater the  
,number was1 the more ,room there  would
 be for ,accidents of all ,sorts2 and   
every ,failure towards the  ,beginning1 
and proportionably in other ,parts1     
would cut off ,thousands in  the last   
,product4    ,chap4 ,,xiv4 ,is against  

the ,dissolution of the ,earth1 and the 
,disruption  of the ,abyss at the       
,deluge1 such as the ,theory represents4
 ,here is  nothing of new ,argument1 but
 some ,strokes of railing ,wit1 after   
his ,way3  ,he had said in his          
,exceptions1 that the ,dissolution of   
the ,earth was  horrid ,blasphemy3 ,now 
he makes it reductive ,blasphemy1 as    
being  indirectly1 consequentially1 or  
reductively1 p4 #aec1 #aed4 contrary  to
 ,scripture4 ,by this ,rule1 we told    
him1 all ,errors in ,religion would be  
,blasphemy2 and if he extend this to    
,errors in ,philosophy also1 'tis  still
 more harsh and injudicious4 ,i wonder  
how he thinks the ,doctrine  which he   
owns1 about the ,motion of the ,earth1  
should escape the ,charge  of           
,blasphemy2 that being not only         
indirectly1 but directly and plainly    
contrary to ,scripture4 ,we thought that
 ,expression1 the ,earth is  dissolved1 
being a ,scripture ,expression1 would   
thereby have been  protected from the   

,imputation of ,blasphemy1 and we       
alledged to that  ,purpose1 7besides    
,psal4 lxxv4 #c47 ,isa4 xxiv4 #ai4 ,amos
 ix4 #e4 ,he  would have done well to   
have proved these ,places in the        
,prophets  ,isaiah and ,amos1 to have   
been figurative and tropological1 as he 
calls it2 for we take them both to      
relate to the ,dissolution of the       
,earth1 which literally came to pass at 
the ,deluge3 ,and he not having  proved 
the contrary1 we are in ,hopes still    
that the ,dissolution of the  ,earth may
 not be horrid ,blasphemy1 nor of       
blasphemous ,importance4    ,then having
 quarrell'd with the ,guard of ,angels1 
which the ,theorist  had assign'd for   
the ,preservation of the ,ark1 in the   
,time of the ,deluge1  he falls next    
into his ,blunder1 that the ,equator and
 ,ecliptick of  the ,earth were         
interchang'd1 when the ,situation of the
 ,earth was  chang'd4 ,this ,error in   
the ,earth is ,cousin-,german to his    
former ,error  in the ,heavens1 viz4    

that the ,earth chang'd its ,tract about
 the ,sun1  and leap'd out of the       
,equator into the ,ecliptick1 when it   
chang'd  its ,situation4 ,the ,truth is1
 this ,copernican ,system seems to lie  
cross  in his ,imagination3 ,i think he 
would do better to let it alone4        
,however1  tho' at other ,times he is   
generally verbose and long-winded1 he   
hath the  ,sense to pass this by in a   
few ,words2 laying the ,blame upon      
certain  ,parentheses or ,semicircles1  
whose ,innocency not withstanding we    
have  fully clear'd1 and shew'd the     
,poison to be spread throughout the     
whole  ,paragraph1 which is too great to
 be made an ,erratum ,typographicum4    
,then after1 p4 #afj1 #afa4 ,hermus1    
,caister1 ,menander and ,caius2 ,nile   
and its ,mud1 ,piscenius ,niger1 who    
contended with ,septimus ,severus for   
the ,empire1 and reprimanded his        
,soldiers for hankering after ,wine2 ,du
  ,val1 an ingenious ,french ,writer1   
and ,cleopatra and her admired ,anthony3

  ,he concludes1 that the ,waters of the
 ,deluge raged amongst the ,fragments1  
with lasting1 incessant1 and            
unimaginable ,turbulence4    ,and so he 
comes to an ,argument against the       
,dissolution of the ,earth1 p4  #afb4   
,that1 all the ,buildings erected before
 the ,flood1 would have been  shaken    
down at that ,time1 or else overwhelmed4
 ,he instanc'd in his  ,exceptions in   
,seth's ,pillars2 ,henochia1 ,cain's    
,city2 and ,joppa3  ,these he suppos'd  
such ,buildings as were made before1 and
 stood after  the ,flood4 ,but now1     
,seth's ,pillars and ,henochia being    
dismiss'd1 he  insists upon ,joppa only1
 and says1 this must have consisted of  
such  ,materials1 as could never be     
prepared1 formed and set up1 without    
,iron-,tools4 ,tho' ,i do not much      
believe that ,joppa was an              
ante-diluvian ,town1 yet whatever they  
had in ,cain's ,time1 they might1       
before the ,deluge1 have ,mortar and    
,brick1 which1 as they are the first    

stony ,materials1 that we read of1 for  
,building2 so the ,ruins of them  might 
stand after the ,deluge4 ,and that they 
had no other ,materials is  the more    
probable1 because after the ,flood1 at  
the ,building of ,babel1  ,moses plainly
 intimates that they had no other       
,materials than those4  ,for the ,text  
says1 ,gen4 xi4 #c4 ,they said one to   
another1 ,go to1 let  us make ,brick and
 burn them thoroughly2 and they made    
,brick for ,stone1  and ,slime had they 
for ,mortar4 ,but now this ,argument1   
methinks1 may be  retorted upon the     
,exceptor with ,advantage3 ,for1 if     
there were no  ,dissolutions1           
,concussions1 or ,absorptions1 at the   
,deluge1 instead of the  ,ruins of      
,joppa1 methinks we might have had the  
,ruins of an hundred  ante-diluvian     
,cities2 especially1 if1 according to   
his ,hypothesis1 they  had good ,stone1 
and good ,iron1 and all other           
,materials1 fit for strong  and lasting 
,building3 ,and1 which is also to be    

consider'd1 that it was  but a          
fifteen-cubit ,deluge2 so that ,towns   
built upon ,eminences or high  ,lands1  
would be in little ,danger of being     
ruin'd1 much less of being  abolish'd4  
,his last ,argument1 7p4 #afc47 proves1 
if it prove any ,thing1 that ,god's     
,promise1 that the ,world should not be 
drown'd again1 was a vain and  trifling 
,thing to us1 who know it must be       
burn'd3 ,and consequently1 if  ,noah    
understood the ,conflagration of the    
,world1 he makes it a vain  and trifling
 ,thing to ,noah also4 ,if the ,exceptor
 delight in such  ,conclusions1 let him 
enjoy them1 but they are not at all to  
the ,mind of  the ,theorist4    ,chapter
 ,,xv4 ,now we come to his new          
,hypothesis of a fifteen-cubit  ,deluge2
 and what ,shifts he hath made to       
destroy the ,world with such a          
diminutive ,flood1 we have noted before3
 ,first1 by raising his  ,water-,mark1  
and making it uncertain3 ,then by       
converting the ,deluge1 in a  great     

,measure into a ,famine3 ,and1 ,lastly1 
by destroying ,mankind and  other       
,animals1 with evil ,angels4 ,we shall  
now take notice of some  other          
,incongruities in his ,hypothesis4 ,when
 he made ,moses's ,deluge but  fifteen  
,cubits deep1 we said that was an       
unmerciful ,paradox1 and  ask'd whether 
he would have it receiv'd as a          
,postulatum1 or as a  ,conclusion4 ,all 
he answers to this1 is1 that the same   
,question may be  ask'd concerning      
several ,parts of the ,theory2 p4 #aff4 
,particularly1  that the primitive      
,earth had no open ,sea4 ,whether is    
that1 says he1 to  be receiv'd as a     
,postulatum1 or as a ,conclusion8 ,the  
,answer is  ready1 as a ,conclusion1    
deduced from ,premisses1 and a ,series  
of  antecedent ,reasons4 ,now1 can he   
make this ,answer for his fifteen-cubit 
,deluge8 ,must not that still be a      
,postulatum1 and an unmerciful one8 ,as 
to the ,theory1 there is but one        
,postulatum in all1 viz4 that the       

,earth rise from a ,chaos4 ,all the     
other ,propositions are deduc'd from    
,premisses1 and that one ,postulatum    
also is prov'd by ,scripture and        
,antiquity4 ,we had noted further in the
 ,answer1 that the ,author had said  in 
his ,exceptions1 that he would not      
defend his ,hypotheses as true and      
real2 and we demanded thereupon1 ,why   
then did he trouble himself or  the     
,world with what he did not think true  
and real8 ,to this he  replies1 ,many   
have written ingenious and useful       
,things1 which they  never believ'd to  
be true and real4 ,romances suppose1 and
 poetical  ,fictions3 ,will you have    
your fifteen-cubit ,deluge pass for     
such8 ,but  then the ,mischief is1 where
 there is neither ,truth of ,fact1 nor  
,ingenuity of ,invention1 such a        
,composition will hardly pass for a     
,romance1 or a good ,fiction4 ,but there
 is still a greater ,difficulty  behind4
 ,the ,exceptor hath unhappily said1    
,exc4 p4 #cjb4 ,our ,supposition  stands

 supported by ,divine ,authority1 as    
being founded upon ,scripture2  which   
tells us as plainly as it can speak1    
that the ,waters prevailed but  fifteen 
,cubits upon the ,earth4 ,upon which    
,words the ,answerer made this  ,remark1
 ,ans4 p4 #fg4 ,if his ,hypothesis be   
founded upon ,scripture1 and  upon      
,scripture as plainly as it can speak1  
why will he not defend it as  ,,true and
 ,,real8 ,for to be supported by        
,scripture1 and by plain ,scripture1  is
 as much as we can alledge for the      
,articles of our ,faith4 ,to this he    
replies now1 ,def4 p4 #afh4 that he     
begg'd ,allowance at first1 to make     
bold with ,scripture a little3 ,this is 
a bold ,excuse1 and he especially1  one 
would think1 should take heed how he    
makes bold with ,scripture1  lest1      
according to his own ,notion1 he fall   
into ,blasphemy1 or  something of       
blasphemous ,importance1 indirectly1    
consequentially1 or  reductively1 at    
least3 ,however1 this ,excuse1 if it was

 a good one1  would take no ,place here2
 for to understand and apply ,scripture1
 in that  ,sense that it speaks as      
plainly as it can speak1 is not to make 
bold  with it1 but modestly to follow   
its ,dictates and plain ,sense4    ,he  
feels this ,load to lie heavy upon him1 
and struggles again to shake  it off    
with a ,distinction4 ,when he said his  
fifteen-cubit ,deluge was  supported by 
,divine ,authority1 c4 this1 he says1   
ibid4 was spoken  by him1 in an         
hypothetick or suppositious ,way1 and   
that it cannot  possibly be understood  
otherwise by ,men of ,sense4 ,here are  
two hard  ,words3 ,let us first         
understand what they signify1 and then  
we shall  better judge how ,men of      
,sense would understand his ,words4 ,his
  hypothetick or suppositious ,way1 so  
far as ,i understand it1 is the  same   
,thing as by way of ,supposition3 ,then 
his ,meaning is1 he  supposes his       
fifteen-cubit ,deluge is supported by   
,divine ,authority2  and he supposes it 

is founded upon ,scripture1 as plainly  
as it can  speak3 ,but this is to       
suppose the ,question1 and no ,man of   
,sense would  make or grant such a      
,supposition2 so that ,i do not see what
 he gains by  this hypothetick and      
suppositious ,way4 ,but to draw him out 
of this  ,mist of ,words1 either he     
affirms this1 that his ,hypothesis is   
supported  by ,divine ,authority1 and   
founded upon ,scripture as plainly as it
 can  speak1 or he denies it1 or he     
doubts of it3 ,if he affirm it1 then all
  his ,excuses and ,diminutions are to  
no purpose1 he must stand to his        
,cause1 and shew us those plain ,texts  
of ,scripture2 if he deny it1 he  gives 
up his ,cause1 and all that ,divine     
,authority he pretended to2 if he  doubt
 of it1 then he should have express'd   
himself doubtfully3 ,as1  ,scripture may
 admit of that ,sense1 or may be thought
 to intimate such a  thing1 but he says 
with a ,plerophory1 ,scripture speaks it
 as plainly  as it can speak3 ,and to   

mend the ,matter1 he unluckily subjoins 
in the  following ,words1 p4 #afh1 #afi4
 ,yea1 tho' it was spoken never so      
positively1 it was but to set forth     
,,rei ,,personam3 ,to make a more full  
and lively ,representation of the       
supposed thing4 ,he does well to tell   
us what he means by ,rei ,personam2 for 
otherwise no ,man of ,sense1 as  his    
,phrase is1 would ever have made that   
,translation of those ,words4 ,but  the 
,truth is1 he is so perfectly at a ,loss
 how to bring himself off1 as  to this  
,particular1 that in his ,confusion1 he 
neither makes good ,sense  nor good     
,latin4    ,now he comes to another     
,inconsistency which was charg'd upon   
him by the  ,answerer3 ,namely1 that he 
rejects the ,church ,hypothesis         
concerning  the ,deluge1 and yet had    
said before1 ,exc4 p4 #cjj4 ,i cannot   
believe  7which ,i cannot well endure to
 speak7 that the ,church hath ever gone 
on  in an irrational ,way of explaining 
the ,deluge3 ,that he does reject this  

,church ,hypothesis1 was plainly made   
out from his own ,words1 because he     
rejects the common ,hypothesis2 7see the
 ,citation in the ,answer1 p4  #fh47 the
 general standing ,hypothesis2 the usual
 ,hypothesis2 the  usual ,sense they put
 upon ,sacred ,story1 c4 ,these         
,citations he does  not think fit to    
take ,notice of in his ,reply2 but puts 
all upon this  general ,issue1 which the
 ,answerer concludes with3 ,the ,church 
,way of  explaining the ,deluge1 is     
either rational or irrational3 ,if he   
say it is  rational1 why does he desert 
it1 and invent a new one3 ,and if he say
 it  is irrational1 then that dreadful  
thing1 which he cannot well endure to   
speak1 that the ,church of ,god hath    
ever gone on in an irrational ,way of   
explaining the ,deluge1 falls flat upon 
himself4 ,let's hear his ,answer  to    
this ,dilemma4 ,def4 p4 #agj4 ,we say1  
says he1 that the ,church ,way  of      
explaining the ,deluge1 7by creating and
 annihilating ,waters for the  ,nonce7  

is very rational4 ,then say ,i still1   
why do you desert it1 or  why do you    
trouble us with a new one8 ,either his  
,hypothesis is more  rational than the  
,church ,hypothesis1 or less rational3  
,if less rational1  why does he take us 
off from a better1 to amuse us with a   
worse8 ,but if  he say1 his ,hypothesis 
is more rational than that of the       
,church3 ,then  ,woe be to him1 in his  
own ,words1 p4 #aga4 that so black a    
,blemish  should be fasten'd upon the   
wisest and noblest ,society in the      
,world1 as  to make himself more wise   
than they1 and his ,hypothesis more     
rational  than theirs4 ,the ,truth is1  
this ,gentleman hath a mind to appear a 
,virtuoso1 for the new ,philosophy1 and 
the ,copernican ,system2 and yet  would 
be a ,zealot for ,orthodoxy1 and the    
,church-,way of explaining  ,things3    
,which two ,designs do not well agree1  
as to the natural ,world2  and betwixt  
two ,stools he falls to the ,ground1 and
 proves neither good  ,churchman1 nor   

good ,philosopher4    ,but he will not  
still be convinc'd that he deserts the  
,church  ,hypothesis1 and continues to  
deny the ,desertion in these ,words4    
,ibid4  ,we say we do not desert or     
reject the ,church-,way of explaining   
the  ,deluge4 ,now1 to discover whether 
these ,words are true or false2 let us  
observe1 ,first1 ,what he acknowledges  
to have said against the ,church        
,hypothesis3 ,secondly1 ,what he hath   
said more than what he acknowledges     
here4 ,he acknowledges1 that he said1   
the ,church ,hypothesis might be        
disgustful to the best and soundest     
philosophick ,judgments2 and this is  no
 good ,character4 ,yet this is not all1 
for he hath fairly dropp'd a  principal 
,word in his ,sentence1 namely1 justly1 
,exc4 p4 #cab4 ,his  ,words in his      
,exceptions1 were these1 such           
,inventions 7which he  applies to the   
,church ,hypothesis7 as have been1 and  
,,justly may be  disgustful1 not only to
 nice and squeamish1 but to the best and

 soundest  philosophick ,judgments4 ,now
 judge1 whether he cited this ,sentence 
before1 truly and fairly1 and whether in
 these ,words1 truly cited1 he  does not
 disparage the ,church ,hypothesis1 and 
justify those that are  disgusted at it4
    ,he farthermore acknowledges1 that  
the usual ,ways of explaining the       
,deluge seem unreasonable to some1 and  
unintelligible to others1 and           
unsatisfactory to the most3 ,but1 it    
seems1 he will neither be of these1     
some1 others1 or most4 ,lastly1 ,he     
acknowledges that he said1  ,def4 p4    
#aga4 ,the ordinary ,supposition1 that  
the ,mountains were  covered with       
,waters in the ,deluge1 brings on a     
,necessity of setting up a  new         
,hypothesis for explaining the ,flood4  
,if so1 what was this ordinary          
,supposition8 was it not the            
,supposition of the ,church8 ,and was   
that  such1 as made it necessary to set 
up a new ,hypothesis for explaining the 
,flood8 then the old ,hypothesis was    

insufficient or irrational4    ,thus    
much he acknowledges2 but he omits what 
we noted before1 his  rejecting or      
disapproving the common ,hypothesis1 the
 general standing  ,hypothesis1 the     
usual ,sense they put upon the ,sacred  
,story1 c4 ,and  do not all these       
,phrases denote the ,church ,hypothesis8
 ,he farther omits1  that he confess'd1 
7,excep4 p4 #cbe47 he had expounded a   
,text or two  of ,scripture about the   
,deluge1 so as none ever did2 and1      
deserting the  common receiv'd ,sense1  
puts an unusual ,gloss upon them4 ,and  
is not that  common receiv'd ,sense the 
,sense of the ,church1 and his unusual  
,gloss  contrary to it8 ,lastly1 he     
says1 by his ,hypothesis1 we need not   
fly to a  new ,creation of ,waters1 and 
gives his ,reasons at large against that
  ,opinion2 which you may see1 ,except4 
p4 #cac4 ,now1 those ,reasons he        
thought either to be good ,reasons or   
bad ,reasons2 if bad1 why did  he set   
them down1 or why did he not confuse    

them8 ,if good1 they stand  good against
 the ,hypothesis of the ,church2 for he 
makes that new  ,creation and           
,annihilation of ,waters at the ,deluge 
to be the  ,hypothesis of the ,church1  
,def4 p4 #agj4 ,i fear ,i have spent too
 much  ,time in shewing him utterly     
inconsistent with himself in this       
,particular4 ,and ,i wonder he should be
 so sollicitous to justify the          
,hypothesis of the ,church in this      
,point1 seeing he openly dissents from  
it in a greater2 ,i mean in that of the 
,system of the ,world4 ,hear his        
,words1 if you please1 to this ,purpose1
 ,def4 p4 #acf4 ,and what does  the     
famous ,aristotelian ,hypothesis seem to
 be now1 but a ,mass of  ,errors2 where 
such a ,system was contriv'd for the    
,heavens1 and such a  ,situation        
assign'd to the ,earth1 as neither      
,reason can approve1 nor  ,nature allow4
 ,yet so prosperous and prevailing was  
this ,hypothesis1 that  it was generally
 receiv'd1 and successfully propagated  

for many ,ages4  ,this prosperous       
prevailing ,error1 or ,mass of ,errors1 
was it not espoused  and supported by   
the ,church8 ,and to break from the     
,church in greater  ,points1 and scruple
 it in less1 is not this to strain at   
,gnats1 and  swallow ,camels8    ,so    
much for his ,inconsistency with        
himself3 ,the rest of this ,chapter in  
the ,answer1 shews his ,inconsistency   
with ,moses1 both as to the  ,waters    
covering the ,tops of the ,mountains1   
which ,moses affirms1 and  the ,exceptor
 denies2 and as to the ,decrease of the 
,deluge1 which ,moses  makes to be by   
the ,waters retiring into their         
,chanels1 after frequent                
,reciprocations1 going and coming4 ,but 
the ,exceptor says1 the ,sun  suck'd up 
the ,waters from the ,earth1 just as he 
had before suck'd the  ,mountains out of
 the ,earth3 ,these ,things are so      
groundless1 or so gross1  that it would 
be tedious to insist longer upon them4  
,and whereas it is  not reasonable to   

expect that any others should be idle   
enough1 as we  must be1 to collate three
 or four ,tracts1 to discern where the  
,advantage  lies in these small         
,altercations2 ,i desire only1 if they  
be so dispos'd1  that they would collate
 the ,exceptions1 ,answer1 and ,defence 
in  this one ,chapter1 which is our     
,author's ,master-,piece3 ,and from this
 ,i am  willing they should take their  
,measures1 and make a ,judgment of his  
good  or bad ,success in other ,parts4  
,what ,shifts he hath us'd to make his  
fifteen-cubit ,deluge sufficient  to    
destroy all ,mankind1 and all ,animals1 
we have noted before2 and here  it is   
7p4 #aha1 #ahb47 that he reduces them to
 ,famine4 ,and after that  he comes to a
 long ,excursion of seven or eight      
,pages1 about the  ,imperfection of     
,shipping after the ,flood1 ,def4 p4    
#ahc1 #ahe1 c4  a good ,argument for the
 ,theorist1 that they had not an open   
,sea1  ,iron-,tools1 and ,materials for 
,shipping before the ,flood3 ,for what  

should  make them so inexpert in        
,navigation for many ,years and ,ages   
after the  ,flood1 if they had the      
,practice and ,experience of it before  
the ,flood3  ,and what could hinder     
their having that ,practice and         
,experience1 if they  had an open ,sea1 
and all ,iron and other ,materials1 for 
that ,use and  ,purpose8    ,lastly1 he 
comes to his ,notion of the great ,deep1
 or ,tehom-,rabbah1  ,def4 p4 #aia4     
which he had made before1 in express    
,words1 to be the  ,holes and ,caverns  
in the ,rocks2 ,i say1 in express       
,words1 such as these1  ,exc4 p4 #cab4  
,now supposing that the ,caverns in the 
,mountains were  this great ,deep1      
speaking of ,moses's great ,deep1       
according to this  new ,hypothesis4 ,he 
says farther1 7p4 #aje47 ,in case it be 
urg'd1 that  ,caverns1 especially       
,caverns so high situate1 cannot        
properly he called  the great ,deep4    
,where you see his own ,objection       
supposes that he made  those ,caverns   

the great ,deep4 ,and in the same ,page1
 speaking of the  ,psalmist's great     
,deeps1 7in his own ,sense of making    
them ,holes in  ,rocks17 and ,moses's   
great ,deep1 he says1 the same ,thing   
might be  meant by both4 ,by all these  
,expressions one would think it plain1  
that  by his great ,deep he meant his   
,caverns in ,rocks2 yet now1 upon       
,objections urged against it1 he seems  
desirous to fly off from that  ,notion1 
but does not yet tell us plainly what   
must be meant by ,moses's  great ,deep3 
,if he1 upon second ,thoughts1 would    
have the ,sea to be  understood by it1  
why does he not answer the ,objections  
that are made by  the ,theorist against 
that ,interpretation8 ,engl4 ,theor4 p4 
#aaj1 c4  ,nay1 why does he not answer  
what he himself had objected before     
7,except4 p4 #caj47 against that        
,supposition8 ,he seems to unsay now1   
what he said before1 and yet substitutes
 nothing in the ,place of it1 to  be    
understood by ,moses's ,tehom4 ,rabbah4 

,chap4 ,,xvi4 is a few ,words concerning
 these ,expressions of shutting  the    
,windows of ,heaven1 and the ,fountains 
of the ,abyss1 after the  ,deluge3 ,and 
these were both shut alike1 and both of 
them no less than  the ,caverns in the  
,mountains4    ,chap4 ,,xvii4 hath      
nothing of ,argumentation or            
,philosophy1 but runs on  in a popular  
declamatory ,way1 and 7if ,i may use    
that forbidden ,word7  injudicious4 ,all
 amounts to this1 whether we may not go 
contrary to  the ,letter of ,scripture1 
in natural ,things1 when that goes      
contrary to  plain ,reason4 ,this we    
affirm1 and this every one must affirm1 
that  believes the ,motion of the       
,earth1 as our ,virtuoso pretends to do3
 ,then  he concludes all with an        
harmonious ,close1 that he follows the  
great  ,example of a ,reverend ,prelate1
 ,def4 p4 #bae4 and militates under that
  ,episcopal ,banner4 ,i am willing to  
believe that he wrote at first1 in      
hopes to curry ,favour with certain     

,persons1 by his great ,zeal for        
,orthodoxy2 but he hath made such an    
,hotch-potch of new ,philosophy and     
,divinity1 that ,i believe it will      
scarce please the ,party he would       
cajole2 nor so much as his ,reverend    
,patron4 ,i was so civil to him in the  
,answer1 as to make him a ,saint in     
comparison of the former ,animadverter2 
but1 by the ,stile and ,spirit of this  
last ,pamphlet1 he hath forfeited  with 
me all his ,saint-ship1 both absolute   
and comparative4    ,thus much for his  
,chapters2 and as to his ,reflections   
upon the ,review  of the ,theory1 they  
are so superficial and inconsiderable1  
that ,i  believe he never expected that 
they should be regarded3 ,i wonder      
however1 that he should decline an      
,examination of the second ,part of the 
,theory3 ,it cannot be for want of good 
,will to confute it2 he hath  shewn that
 to the ,height1 whatsoever his ,power  
was3 ,neither can it be  for want of    
,difference or ,disagreement in         

,opinion1 as to the ,contents of  this  
latter ,part2 for he hath reckon'd the  
,millennium amongst the  ,errors of the 
antient ,fathers1 7,def4 p4 #acf7 and   
the ,renovation of  the ,world he makes 
,allegorical1 7p4 #bad1 c47 ,it must    
therefore be  for want of some third    
,thing1 which he best knows4    ,but    
before we conclude1 ,sir1 we must       
remember that we promised to speak      
apart to two ,things1 which are often   
objected to the ,theorist by this       
,writer1 and to little ,purpose2 namely1
 his flying to extraordinary            
,providence1 and his flying from the    
literal ,sense of ,scripture4 ,as to    
extraordinary ,providence1 is the       
,theorist alone debarr'd from recourse  
to it1 or would he have all ,men        
debarr'd1 as well as the ,theorist8 ,if 
so1 why doth he use it so much himself8 
,and if it be allow'd to others1  there 
is no ,reason it should be deny'd the   
,theorist1 unless he have  disown'd it1 
and so debarr'd himself that common     

,privilege3 ,but the  contrary is       
manifest1 in a multitude of ,places1    
both of the first and  second ,part of  
the ,theory1 ,eng4 ,theor4 p4 #add1 c4  
,for1 besides a  ,discourse on ,purpose 
upon that ,subject1 in the eighth       
,chapter of the  first ,book1 in the    
last ,chapter1 and last ,words of the   
same ,book  7,latin7 he does openly     
avow1 both ,providence 7,natural and    
,moral7 and  ,miracles2 in these ,words1
 ,denique cum certissimum sit  divina   
,providentia pendere res omnes1         
cujuscunque ordinis1  ab edem vera      
miracula edita esse1 c4 ,and as to the  
second ,part of the ,theory1 the        
,ministry of ,angels is there           
acknowledg'd frequently1 both as to     
natural  and moral ,administrations4    
,from all which ,instances it is        
manifest1 that  the ,theorist did not   
debar himself1 by denying either        
,miracles1  angelical ,ministry1 or     
extraordinary ,providence3 ,but1 if the 
,exceptor be so injudicious 7pardon me  

that bold ,word7 as to confound all     
extraordinary ,providence with the ,acts
 of ,omnipotency1 he must blame  himself
 for that1 not the ,theorist4 ,the      
,creation and ,annihilation of  ,waters 
is an ,act of pure ,omnipotency3 ,this  
the ,theorist did not admit of  at the  
,deluge2 and if this be his ,fault1 as  
it is frequently objected to  him1      
7,def4 p4 #i1 #ff1 #agj1 c47 he         
perseveres in it still1 and in the      
,reasons he gave for his ,opinion1 which
 are no where confuted3 ,eng4  ,theor4  
p4 #be1 #bf4 ,but as for ,acts of       
angelical ,power1 he does every  where  
acknowledge them in the great           
,revolutions1 even of the natural       
,world3 ,theor4 ,lat4 p4 #gc4 ,engl4 p4 
#adf1 #adg4 ,if the ,exceptor would     
make the ,divine ,omnipotency as cheap  
as the ,ministry of ,angels1 and have   
recourse as freely and as frequently to 
that1 as to this2 if he would  make all 
extraordinary ,providence the same1 and 
all ,miracles1 and set  all at the      

,pitch of infinite ,power1 this may be  
an ,effect of his  ,ignorance or        
,inadvertency1 but is no way imputable  
to the ,theorist4    ,in the next ,place
 it may be observ'd1 that the ,theorist 
hath no where  asserted1 that ,moses's  
,cosmopia 7which does not proceed       
according  to ordinary ,providence7 is  
to be literally understood2 and         
therefore  what is urg'd against him    
from the ,letter of that ,cosmopia1 is  
improperly urg'd and without ,ground4   
,there are as good ,reasons1 and  better
 ,authorities1 that ,moses's six ,days  
,creation should not be  literally      
understood1 than there are1 why those   
,texts of ,scripture that  speak about  
the ,motion of the ,sun1 should not be  
literally understood3  ,and as to the   
,theorist1 he had often intimated his   
,sense of that  ,cosmopia1 that it was  
express'd more humano1  ad captum       
populi1 as  appears in several ,passages
 in the ,latin ,theory3 ,speaking of the
  ,mosaical ,cosmogonia1 he hath these  

,words1 ,theor4 lib4 #b4 c4 #h4         
,constat hc ,cosmopia duabus parcibus   
quarum prima1 massas generales  atque   
rerum inconditarum statum exbibet2      
seqniturque eadem principia1   eundem   
ordinem1 quem ,antiqui usque            
retinuerunt4 ,atque in hoc nobiscium    
conveniunt omnes fere interpretes       
,christiani2 nempe1 ,tohu ,bohu         
,mosaicum idem esse ac ,chaos           
,antiquorum4 ,tenebras ,mosaicas1 c4    
bucusque convenit ,mosi cum anfiquis    
,philosophis1----methodium autem illam  
,philosophicam hic abrumpit1 aliamque   
orditur1 bumanam1 aut1 si mavis1        
,theologicam2 quo1 motibus ,chaos1      
secundum leges natura1  divini amoris   
actionem1 plane neglectis1  successivis 
ipsius mutationibus in varias  regiones1
  elementa3 ,his inquam posthabitis1    
popularem narrationem de  ortu rerum hoc
 modo instituit3 ,res omnes visibiles in
 sex classes1 c4  ,this is a plain      
,indication how the ,theorist understood
 that ,cosmopia3  ,and accordingly in   

the ,english ,theory the ,author says1  
p4#djb4 c4 ,i  have not mention'd       
,moses's ,cosmopia1 because ,i thought  
it deliver'd  by him as a ,law-giver1   
not as a ,philosopher2 which ,i intend  
to shew at  large in another ,treatise1 
not thinking that ,discussion proper for
 the  vulgar ,tongue4 ,the ,exceptor was
 also minded of this in the ,answer1 p4 
#ff4 ,now1 'tis much that he1 who hath  
search'd all the ,corners1 both of  the 
,english and ,latin ,theory1 to pick    
,quarrels1 should never observe  such   
obvious ,passages as these1 but still   
make ,objections from the  ,letter of   
the ,mosaical ,cosmopia1 which affect   
the ,theorist no more  than those       
,places of ,scripture that speak of the 
,motion of the ,sun1 or  the ,pillars of
 the ,earth4    ,in the last ,place1 the
 ,theorist distinguish'd two ,methods   
for explaining  the natural ,world1 that
 of an ordinary1 and that of an         
extraordinary  ,providence3 ,and those  
that take the second ,way1 he said1     

might dispatch  their ,task as soon as  
they pleas'd1 if they engag'd           
,omnipotency in the  ,work4 ,but the    
other ,method would require ,time1 it   
must proceed by  distinct ,steps1 and   
leisurely ,motions1 such as ,nature can 
admit2 and1 in  that ,respect1 it might 
not suit with the busy ,lives1 or       
impatient  ,studies of most ,men1 whom  
he left notwithstanding to their        
,liberty1 to  take what ,method they    
pleas'd1 provided they were not         
troublesome in  forcing their hasty     
,thoughts upon all others4 ,thus the    
,theorist hath  express'd himself at the
 ,end of the first ,book1 c4 #ab4       
,interea cum  non omnes a natura ita    
compositi simus1 ut ,philosophia studiis
  delectemur3 ,neque etiam liceat       
multis1 propter occupationes vit1 iisdem
  vacare1 quibus per ingenium licuisset2
 iis jure permittendum est1             
compendiario sapere1  relictis viis     
natur  causarum secundarum1 qu  spe     
longiuscul sunt1 per cansas superiores  

philosophari2 idque  potissimum1 cum ex 
piis affectivus hoc quandoque fieri     
possit2 quibus1  vel male fundatis1     
aliquid dandum esse existimo1 modo non  
sint  turbulenti4 ,thus the ,theorist1  
you see1 sets two ,ways before them2 and
  'tis indifferent to him whether they  
take1 if they will go on their ,way     
peaceably4 ,and he does now1 moreover1  
particularly declare1 ,that he hath  no 
,ambition1 either to make the ,exceptor1
 or any other of the same  ,dispositions
 of ,will1 and the same ,elevation of   
,understanding1  ,proselytes to his     
,theory4    ,thus much for ,providence3 
,as to the literal ,sense of ,scripture1
 ,i  find1 if what was noted before in  
the ,answer1 p4 #hb1 #hc1 c4 had  been  
duly consider'd1 there would be little  
need of ,additions upon that  ,subject4 
,the ,matter was stated freely and      
distinctly1 and the ,remarks or         
,reflections which the ,exceptor hath   
made in his ,defence upon this          
,doctrine1 are both shallow and partial4

 ,i say partial1 in perverting  the     
,sense1 and separating such ,things as  
manifestly depend upon one  another4    
,thus the ,exceptor falls upon that     
,expression in the ,answer1  ,def4 p4   
#bjb4 ,let us remember that this        
contradicting ,scripture1  here         
pretended1 is only in natural ,things1  
where he should have added  the other   
,part of the ,sentence1 and also observe
 how for the ,exceptor  himself1 in such
 ,things1 hath contradicted ,scripture4 
,here he makes an  odious ,declamation1 
as if the ,answerer had confess'd that  
he  contradicted ,scripture in natural  
,things2 whereas the ,words are         
contradicting ,scripture1 here          
pretended2 and 'tis plain by all the    
,discourse1 that 'tis the literal ,sense
 of ,scripture that is here spoken  of1 
which the ,exceptor is also said to     
contradict4 ,such an unmanly            
,captiousness shews the ,temper and     
,measure of that ,spirit1 which1 rather 
than say nothing1 will misrepresent the 

plain ,sense of an ,author4 ,in  like   
manner1 when he comes to those ,words in
 the ,answer1 ,the ,case  therefore is  
this1 whether to go contrary to the     
,letter of ,scripture in  ,things that  
relate to the natural ,world1 be        
destroying the ,foundation of           
,religion1 affronting ,scripture1 and   
blaspheming the ,holy ,ghost4 ,def4 p4  
#bjf4 ,he says1 ,this is not to state   
the ,case truly1 for it is not1 says    
he1 going contrary to the ,letter of    
,scripture that draws such evil         
,consequences after it1 but going       
contrary to the ,letter of ,scripture1  
where it is understood3 ,and this the   
,theorist does1 he says1 and the        
,exceptor does not4 ,but who says so    
besides himself8 ,this is fairly to  beg
 the ,question2 and can he suppose the  
,theorist so easy as to grant  this     
without ,proof8 ,it must be the ,subject
 ,matter that determines1 what  is1 and 
what is not1 to be literally understood4
 ,however1 he goes on1  begging still   

the ,question in his own behalf1 and    
says1 ,those ,texts of  ,scripture1 that
 speak of the ,motion and ,course of the
 ,sun1 are not to be  understood        
literally4 ,but why not8 ,because the   
literal ,sense is not to  his ,mind8 ,of
 four ,texts of ,scripture which the    
,theorist alledg'd against  him1 for the
 ,motion of the ,sun1 he answers but    
one1 and that very  superficially1 to   
say no worse4 ',tis ,psal4 xix4 where   
the ,sun at his  rising is said to be as
 a ,bridegroom coming out of his        
,chamber1 and to  rejoice as a strong   
,man to run his ,race3 ,and his going   
forth is from the  end of the ,heaven1  
and his ,circuit to the end of it1 p4   
#bjg4 which he  answers with this vain  
,flourish3 ,then the ,sun must be a     
,man1 and must  be upon his ,marriage1  
and must be dress'd in fine ,clothes1 as
 a  ,bridegroom is3 ,then he must come  
out of a ,chamber1 and must give no more
  ,light1 and cast no more ,heat1 than a
 ,bridegroom does1 c4 ,if a ,man  should

 ridicule at this rate1 the ,discourse  
of our ,saviour concerning  ,lazarus in 
,abraham's ,bosom1 and ,dives in ,hell1 
with a great ,gulph  betwixt them1 yet  
talking audibly to one another2 ,luk4   
xvi4 and that  ,lazarus should be sent  
so far1 as from ,heaven to ,hell1 only  
to dip  the ,tip of his ,finger in      
,water1 and cool ,dives's ,tongue4 ,he  
that  should go about thus to expose our
 ,saviour's ,parable1 would have a      
thankless ,office1 and effect nothing3  
,for the ,substance of it would  stand  
good still2 namely1 that ,mens ,souls   
live after ,death1 and that  good ,souls
 are in a ,state of ,ease and ,comfort1 
and bad ,souls in a ,state  of ,misery4 
,in like manner1 his ridiculing some    
,circumstances in the  ,comparison made 
by the ,psalmist1 does not at all       
destroy the ,substance  of that         
,discourse2 namely1 that the ,sun moves 
in the ,firmament1 with  great          
,swiftness and ,lustre1 and hath the    
,circuit of its ,motion round the       

,earth4 ,this is the ,substance of what 
the ,psalmist declares1 and the rest  is
 but a ,similitude1 which need not be   
literally just in all  ,particulars4    
,after this1 he would fain persuade the 
,theorist1 that he hath excused  the    
,exceptor for his receding from the     
literal ,sense1 as to the ,motion  of   
the ,earth2 ,def4 p4 #bjh4 ,because he  
hath granted1 that in certain  ,cases1  
we may and must recede from the literal 
,sense4 ,but where1 pray1  hath he      
granted1 that the ,motion of the ,earth 
was one of those ,cases8  ,yet suppose  
it be so1 may not the ,theorist then    
enjoy this ,privilege of  receding from 
the literal ,sense upon occasion1 as    
well as the ,exceptor8  ,if he will     
give1 as well as take this ,liberty1 let
 us mutually enjoy it2  but he can have 
no ,pretence to deny it to others1 and  
take it himself4  ,it uses to be a ,rule
 in ,writing1 that a ,man must not      
stultum fingere  ,lectorem4 ,you must   
suppose your ,reader to have common     

,sense4 ,but he  that accuses another of
 ,blasphemy for receding from the       
literal ,sense  of ,scripture in natural
 ,things1 and does himself at the same  
,time1  recede from the literal ,sense  
of ,scripture1 in natural ,things2 one  
would  think1 quo ad hoc1 either had    
not1 or would not exercise common       
,sense1  in a literal ,way4    ,lastly1 
he comes to the common known ,rule1     
assign'd to direct us1 when  every one  
ought to follow1 or leave the literal   
,sense2 which is1 p4  #bae4 not to leave
 the literal ,sense1 when the ,subject  
,matter will bear  it1 without          
,absurdity or ,incongruity4 ,this he    
repeats in the next ,page  thus4 ,the   
,rule is1 when no kind of ,absurdities  
or ,incongruities accrue  to any ,texts1
 from the literal ,sense4 ,if this be   
his ,rule1 to what  ,text does there    
accrue any ,absurdity or ,incongruity1  
by supposing the  ,sun to move8 ,for    
,scripture always speaks upon that      
,supposition1 and not  one ,word for the

 ,motion of the ,earth4 ,thus he states 
the ,rule2 but the  ,answerer supposed1 
that the ,absurdity or ,incongruity     
might arise from  the ,subject ,matter4 
,and accordingly he still maintains1    
that there are  as just ,reasons1 7from 
the ,subject ,matter17 and better       
,authorities1 for  receding from the    
literal ,sense in the ,narrative of the 
six ,days  ,creation1 than in those     
,texts of ,scripture1 that speak of the 
,motions  and ,course of the ,sun3 ,and 
to affirm the ,earth to be mov'd1 is as 
much  ,blasphemy1 and more contrary to  
,scripture1 than to affirm it to have   
been dissolv'd1 as the ,theorist hath   
done4    ,sir1 ,i beg your ,excuse for  
this long letter1 and leave it to you to
  judge whether the ,occasion was just  
or no4 ,i know such ,jarrings as these  
must needs make bad ,musick to your     
,ears3 ',tis like hearing two           
,instruments play1 that are not in      
,tune1 in ,concert with one another3    
,but  you know ,self-,defence1 and to   

repel an ,assailant1 is always allow'd2 
and  he that begins the ,quarrel1 must  
answer for the ,consequences4 ,however1 
,sir1 to make amends for this ,i        
trouble1 ,i am ready to receive your    
,commands upon more acceptable          
,subjects4    ,your most humble         
,servant1 c4    ,,finis4                
,,reflections ,,upon ,,the ,,theory ,,of
 ,,the ,,earth                          
,,reflections ,,upon ,,the ,,theory ,,of
 ,,the ,,earth1                         
,occasion'd by a                        
,late ,,examination of it4              
,in a ,,letter to a ,,friend4           
,,london3                ,printed for   
,j4 ,,hooke1 at the ,flower-de-,luce in 
,fleet-,street4 ,m4,,dcc4,,xxvi4        
,advertisement of the ,bookseller4      
,the following ,tract hath been much    
enquired after by some curious          
,persons1 but was so scarce1 that a     
,copy could not be procured at the      
,time of the ,printing the former       
,edition of the ,theory4 ,since that1 an

  intimate ,friend of ,dr4 ,burnet's    
hath favoured me with a ,copy2 so that  
the ,reader may be assured1 it it       
genuine1 and was wrote by ,dr4 ,burnet2 
and it is apprehended1 it may very well 
deserve a ,place in his ,works4         
,,reflections1 c4      ,sir1      ,i    
,receiv'd the ,honour of your ,letter1  
with the ,book you was pleas'd to  send 
me1 containing an ,examination of the   
,theory of the ,earth3 ,and1  according 
as you desire1 ,i shall give you my     
,thoughts of it1 in as  narrow a        
,compass as ,i can4 ,the ,author of the 
,theory1 you know1 hath  set down in    
three ,propositions1 the ,foundation of 
the whole ,work2 and so  long as those  
,propositions stand firm1 the ,substance
 of the ,theory is  safe1 whatsoever    
becomes of particular ,modes of         
,explication in some  ,parts2 which are 
as ,problems1 and may be explained      
several ,ways1 without  prejudice to the
 ,principles upon which the ,theory     
stands4    ,the ,theorist takes but one 

single ,postulatum1 viz4 ,that the      
,earth  rose from a ,chaos3 ,this is not
 call'd into ,question2 and this being  
granted1 he lays down three             
,propositions consecutively4 ,first1    
,that the  primitive or ante-diluvian   
,earth was of a different ,form and     
,construction from the present ,earth4  
,secondly1 ,that the ,face of that      
,earth1 as it rose from a ,chaos1 was   
smooth1 regular and uniform2 without    
,mountains or ,rocks1 and without an    
open ,sea4 ,thirdly1 ,that the          
,disruption of the ,abyss1 or           
,dissolution of that primeval ,earth1   
and its  ,fall into the ,abyss1 was the 
,cause of the universal ,deluge1 and of 
the  ,destruction of the old ,world3 ,as
 also of the irregular ,form of the     
present ,earth4    ,these are the three 
,fundamental ,propositions laid down in 
the fourth1  fifth and sixth ,chapters  
of the ,theory4 ,and for a farther      
,proof and  ,confirmation of them1      
especially of the last1 another         

,proposition is  added 7,chap4 ,,vii47  
in these ,words1 ,the present ,form and 
,structure of  the ,earth1 both as to   
the ,surface1 and as to the interior    
,parts of it1  so far as they are       
accessible and known to us1 do exactly  
answer to the  foregoing ,theory1       
concerning the ,form and ,dissolution of
 the first  ,earth1 and is not so justly
 explained to any other ,hypothesis yet 
known4 ,this is offer'd as a ,proof     
,posteriori1 as they call it1 or  from  
the ,effects2 to shew the ,consent and  
,agreement of the ,parts and            
,construction of the present ,earth1 to 
that ,supposition of its being a  sort  
of ,ruin1 or the ,effect and ,remains of
 a ,disruption or ,dissolution4  ,and to
 make this good1 the ,theorist draws a  
short ,scheme of the general  ,form of  
the present ,earth1 and its             
,irregularity3 ,then shews more         
particularly the ,marks or ,signatures  
of ,ruin or ,disruption in several      
,parts of it2 as in ,mountains and      

,rocks1 in the great ,chanel of the     
,sea1  and in subterraneous ,cavities1  
and other broken and disfigur'd ,parts  
of  the ,earth4    ,these ,conclusions1 
with their ,arguments1 are the ,sum and 
principal  ,contents of the first ,book2
 but ,i must also mind you of a         
,corollary in  the second ,book1 drawn  
from these primary ,propositions1 which 
concerns  the ,situation of the         
primitive ,earth3 ,for the ,theorist    
supposes1 that  the ,posture of that    
,earth1 or of its ,axis1 was not oblique
 to to the  ,axis of the ,sun1 or of the
 ,ecliptick1 as it is now1 but lay      
parallel  with the ,axis of the ,sun1   
and perpendicular to the ,plane of the  
,ecliptick2 by reason of which          
,position1 there was a perpetual        
,spring1 or  perpetual ,equinox1 in that
 primitive ,earth4 ,this1 tho' a        
,consequence  only from the first       
,propositions1 ,i thought fit to mind   
you of1 as being  one of the peculiar   
and distinguishing ,characters of this  

,theory4    ,this being the ,state of   
the ,theory1 or of those ,parts of it   
that  support the rest1 and wherein its 
,strength consists1 he that will attack 
it to purpose1 must throw down1 in the  
first ,place1 these leading             
,propositions4 ,if the ,examiner had    
taken this ,method1 and confuted the    
,proofs that are brought in             
,confirmation of each of them1 he needed
 have  done no more2 for the ,foundation
 being destroyed1 the ,superstructure   
would fall of its own accord4 ,but if1  
instead of this1 you only pick out  a   
loose ,stone here or there1 or strike   
off a ,pinacle1 this will not  weaken   
the ,foundation1 nor have any           
considerable ,effect upon the whole     
,building4 ,let us therefore consider1  
in the first ,place1 what this          
,examiner hath said against these       
fundamental ,propositions1 and          
accordingly you will better judge of the
 rest of his ,work4    ,his first       
,chapter is to shew1 that the ,deluge   

might be made by a  ,miracle3 ,but      
whoever denied that8 ,no doubt ,god by  
his ,omnipotency may do  whatsoever he  
pleases1 to the utmost ,extent of       
,possibilities4 ,but he  does not tell  
us wherein this ,miracle consisted8     
,doth he suppose that  the ,deluge could
 be made without any ,increase of       
,waters upon the ,earth8  ,if there was 
an ,increase of ,waters1 either they    
were created a-new1 or  brought thither 
from some other ,part of the ,universe3 
,so far is plain2  and if he supposes a 
new ,creation of ,waters for this       
,purpose1 and an  ,annihilation of them 
again at the end of the ,flood1 it had  
been fair to  have answered the         
,arguments that are given against that  
,hypothesis1 in  the third ,chapter of  
the ,english ,theory4 ,and seeing there 
is no  mention made of any such thing in
 the sacred ,history1 if he asserts it1 
he must bring some ,proof of his        
,assertion2 for we are not upon such    
,terms1 as to trust upon bare ,word4 ,on

 the other ,hand1 if he proceed upon    
such ,waters as were already in being1  
and for his purpose either bring  down  
supercelestial ,water1 or bring         
subterraneous1 he must tell us what     
those ,waters are1 and must answer such 
,objections as are brought against      
either sort in the second and third     
,chapters of the ,theory2 we must  have 
some fix'd ,point1 some ,mark to aim at1
 if the ,case be argued4 ,upon  the     
whole1 ,i think this his first ,chapter 
might have been spar'd1 as  either      
affirming nothing particularly1 or      
giving no ,proof of what is  affirm'd4  
,in his next ,chapter about the ,chaos1 
,i was in hopes to have found  something
 more considerable1 but 7besides his    
long excerpta out of the  ,theory1 both 
here and elsewhere1 which make a good   
part of his ,book7 ,i  find nothing but 
two small ,objections against the       
,formation of the first  ,earth1 as it  
is describ'd by the ,theorist4 ,this    
,examiner says1 p4 #cg1  #ch4 ,that the 

little earthy ,particles of the ,chaos  
would not swim upon  the ,surface of    
,oil1 or any such unctuous ,liquor2 for 
how little soever1  yet being earthy1   
and ,earth being heavier than ,oil1 they
 must descend  through it4 ,but he      
grants that ,dust will swim upon ,oil2  
and ,i willingly  allow1 if these       
descending ,parts were huge ,lumps of   
solid ,matter1 such  as we shall meet   
with in his next ,chapter1 they would   
easily break  through both the ,oil and 
the ,water under it2 but that little    
tenuious  ,particles or small ,dust     
should swim upon ,oil1 ,i think is no   
wonder3 ,and  he is so kind as to note  
an ,instance of this himself2 and to    
subjoin his  ,reasons for it4 ,we see   
,dust1 saith he1 p4 #ch1 #ci4 though    
specifically  heavier than ,oil1 yet not
 to sink when cast upon it4 ,and the    
,reason is1  because all terrestrial    
,bodies1 tho' fluid in their kind yet in
 some  degree resist ,separation2 and   
consequently1 ,i add1 viscous ,liquors  

which  have some sort of ,entanglement  
amongst themselves1 resist ,separation  
more than others4 ,then he remarks      
farther1 that according as ,bodies are  
less1 they have more ,surface in        
,proportion to their ,bulk1 and         
consequently1 that small ,bodies1 whose 
,weight or ,force to separate the       
,parts of the ,fluid is but very little1
 may have a ,surface so large1 that     
they cannot overcome the ,resistance of 
the ,fluid3 ,that is1 they cannot  make 
,way for their ,descent through the     
,fluid1 and therefore must swim  upon   
the ,surface of it4 ,be it so1 then the 
,particles here mentioned by  the       
,theorist1 being little1 and of large   
,surfaces in ,proportion to their       
,bulk1 would swim upon the ,surface of  
the ,fluid1 or mix with it1 which is    
all the ,theorist affirms or supposes3  
,and as this tender ,film grew into  a  
,crust1 and that into a solid ,arch1 the
 ,parts of it would mutually  support   
one another2 the ,concave ,superficies  

of the ,orb overspreading  and leaning  
upon the ,waters3 ,and this also shews  
that his ,instance of a  solid ,globe   
sinking in a ,fluid1 is little to the   
,purpose in this ,case4    ,but he hath 
a second objection behind1 p4 #dj4 or   
another ,consideration  to prove that   
those little ,particles would pierce and
 pass through this  oily ,liquid4 ,this 
,consideration is1 the great ,height of 
the ,place from  which they descended2  
whereby1 he thinks1 they would acquire  
such a  ,celerity and ,force in their   
,descent1 that they must needs break    
through  this ,orb of oily ,liquors when
 they came at it4 ,but this is to       
suppose  that they descended without    
,interruption1 or without having their  
,course  stopp'd1 and their ,force      
broken in several ,parts of their       
journey4 ,this  is an arbitrary and     
groundless ,supposition3 ,for these     
floating ,particles  did not fall like a
 ,stone1 or a ponderous ,body1 in one   
continued ,line1  but rather like       

,fleaks of ,snow1 hovering and playing  
in the ,air1 their  ,course being often 
interrupted and diverted1 and their     
force broken  again and again1 before   
they came to the end of their ,journey2 
so that  this ,suggestion can be of no  
,force or ,effect in the present ,case4 
,however1 if that will gratify him1 we  
can allow that thousands and  millions  
of these little ,particles might slip or
 creep through this  clammy ,liquor1 yet
 there would enough of them entangled   
there to make  it1 first1 a gross       
,liquid1 then a sort of ,concretion1 so 
as to stop the  succeeding ,particles   
from passing through it4    ,i have done
 with all that is argumentative in this 
,chapter3 ,but this  ,writer is pleased 
to go sometimes out of his way of       
,philosophising1 to  make ,reflections  
of another kind4 ,accordingly1 here and 
elsewhere he  makes ,insinuations and   
,suggestions1 as if the ,theorist did   
not own the  ,hand of ,providence1 or of
 a particular and extraordinary         

,providence in  the ,formation of the   
,earth2 or as if all ,things in the     
great ,revolutions  of the natural      
,world were carried on solely by        
material and mechanical  ,causes4 ,this 
,suggestion ought to be taken ,notice   
of1 as being contrary  to the ,sense of 
the ,theorist1 as it is express'd in    
several ,places4 ,in  speaking of the   
,motions of the ,chaos1 the ,theorist   
makes the steady  ,hand of ,providence  
which keeps all ,things in ,weight and  
,measure1 to be  the invisible ,guide of
 all its ,motions1 p4 #de4 ,and in      
concluding his  ,discourse about the    
,formation of the ,earth 7,chap4 ,v4 p4 
#de47 the  ,theorist says1 ,this        
,structure is so marvellous1 that it    
ought rather to  be consider'd1 as a    
particular ,effect of the ,divine ,art1 
than as the  ,work of ,nature2 with many
 other ,remarks there to the same       
purpose4 ,then  as to the ,dissolution  
of the ,earth1 and the ,conduct of the  
,deluge1 'tis  made miraculous also by  

the ,theorist#bb3 ,and upon that        
,occasion an  ,account is given of      
,providence1 both ordinary and          
extraordinary1 in  reference to the     
,government of ,nature2 and that not    
only as to the  formation and           
,dissolution of the ,earth1 but also as 
to its ,conflagration  and ,renovation3 
,for the ,theorist always puts those    
great ,revolutions  under the particular
 ,conduct and ,moderation of            
,providence4 ,lastly1 ,as to  the whole 
,universe1 he is far from making that   
the ,product either of  ,chance or      
,necessity1 or of any purely material or
 mechanical ,causes2  as you may see at 
large in the two last ,chapters of the  
,theory1 ,book  ,,ii4 ,so that what this
 ,author hath said 7rudely enough1      
according to his  ,way7 of ,mr4 ,wotton1
 ,introd4 p4 #ae4 that he either        
understands no  ,geometry1 or else that 
he never read ,d4,c4 his ,principles1   
may with a  little ,change be apply'd to
 himself in this ,case1 that either he  

never  read over1 or does not remember1 
or1 which is still worse1 does wilfully 
misrepresent what the ,theorist hath    
wrote upon this ,subject4 ,the ,sum of  
all is this1 ,deus non deficit in       
necessariis1 nec redundat in            
superfluis3 ,god is the ,god of ,nature2
 and the ,laws of ,nature are his       
,laws3 ,these we are to follow so far as
 they will go1 and where they fall      
short1 we must rise to higher           
,principles2 but we ought not to        
introduce  a needless ,exercise of the  
divine ,power1 for a ,cover to our      
,ignorance4    ,to conclude this        
,chapter1 ,i will leave one             
,advertisement with the  ,examiner      
concerning the ,chaos4 ,when he speaks  
of the ,world's rising from  the        
,mosaick ,chaos1 if by ,world he        
understand the whole ,universe1 as  he  
seems to do2 not this inferior ,world   
only1 but the fix'd ,stars also1  and   
all the ,heavens3 ,if that1 ,i say1 be  
his ,meaning and ,opinion1 he will  meet

 with other ,opponents besides the      
,theorist1 that will contest that       
,point with him4    ,we come now to the 
third ,chapter1 concerning the          
,mountains of the  ,earth1 which is a   
subject indeed that deserves            
,consideration1 seeing it  reaches to   
the three fundamental ,propositions     
before mentioned1 and the  ,form of the 
ante-diluvian ,earth2 which ,form the   
,examiner would have to  be the same    
with that of the present ,earth1 to have
 had ,mountains and  ,rocks1 an open    
,chanel of the ,sea1 with all the       
,cavities and  ,irregularities within or
 without the ,surface of it1 as at      
present4 ,if he  can prove this1 he     
needs go no farther2 he may spare his   
,pains for the  rest3 ,i'll undertake   
that the ,theorist shall make no farther
 ,defence of  his ,theory1 if the       
,examiner can make good ,proof of this  
one ,conclusion4  ,but1 on the other    
,hand1 the ,examiner ought to be so     
ingenuous as to  acknowledge that all   

that he hath said besides1 till this be 
prov'd1 can  be of little or no ,effect1
 as to the ,substance of the ,theory4   
,let us  then consider how he raises    
,mountains and ,rocks1 and gives us an  
,account  of all the other ,inequalities
 that we find in the present ,form of   
the  ,earth1 by an immediate ,formation 
or ,deduction from the ,chaos4    ,to   
shew this1 he supposes1 p4 #di1 #ea4    
that the ,chaos had ,mountains and      
,rocks swimming in it1 or1 according to 
his ,expression1 huge ,lumps of  solid  
,matter4 ,these are ,things1 ,i confess1
 which ,i never heard of  before in a   
,chaos2 which hath been always describ'd
 and suppos'd a ,mass  of fluid ,matter 
all over4 ,but this ,author confidently 
says1 p4 #dh4 ,we  must conclude        
,,therefore1 that the ,chaos was not so 
fluid a ,mass1 c4  ,this therefore      
refers us to an antecedent ,reason1     
which is this2 he  says1 ibid4 to make  
the ,chaos an entirely fluid ,mass is   
hard to be  granted1 since the greatest 

,parts of ,bodies we have in the ,earth1
 at  least so far as we can discern1 are
 hard and solid1 and there is not  such 
a ,quantity of ,water in the ,earth1 as 
would be requisite to soften  and       
liquify them all2 besides a great part  
of them1 as ,stones and  ,metals1 are   
uncapable of being liquified by ,water4 
,very good1 what is  this to the        
,theory8 ,does the ,theorist any where  
affirm or suppose that  there were      
,stones or ,metals in the ,chaos2 or    
that they were liquified by  ,water8    
,this must refer to some ,hypothesis of 
his own1 or to some other  ,author's    
,hypothesis that ran in his ,mind3 ,the 
,theorist owns no such  ,doctrine or    
,supposition4    ,however1 let's        
consider how this new ,idea of a ,chaos 
is consistent with  the ,laws of        
,nature3 ,what made these huge ,lumps of
 solid ,matter1  whether ,stone or      
,metal1 to swim in the fluid ,mass8     
,this is against all  ,rules of         
,gravity1 and of ,staticks1 as he seems 

to acknowledge1 and urged  it when he   
thought it to his ,purpose4 ,in the     
precedent ,chapter 7p4  #db47 when he   
speaks of ,stones and ,minerals1 he     
says1 ',tis certain that  these great   
heavy ,bodies must have sunk to the     
,bottom1 if they were left  to          
themselves3 ,and he that will not allow 
,dust or little earthy  ,particles1 to  
float upon an oily ,liquor1 ,i wonder   
how he will make1 not  little           
,particles1 but these huge solid ,lumps 
of ,stone1 ,metals1 or  ,minerals1 to   
float in the ,chaos4    ,he seems to own
 and be sensible of this ,inconvenience1
 7p4 #ej7 and  thereupon finds an       
,expedient or ,evasion which a lesser   
,wit would not  have thought on4 ,he    
supposes1 p4 #ea that these huge firm   
solid ,lumps  were hollow1 like empty   
,bottles1 and that would keep them from 
sinking4  ,but who told him they were   
hollow8 ,is not this precarious8 ,or1 if
 one  would use such ,terms as he does1 
is not this chymerical and  ridiculous8 

,what made those solid firm ,lumps      
hollow8 ,when1 or where1 or  how were   
their inward ,parts scrap'd out of them8
 ,nor would this  ,hollowness1 however  
they came by it1 make them swim1 unless 
there was a  mere ,vacuum in each of    
them4 ,if they were filled with the     
liquid ,matter  of the ,chaos1 they     
would indeed be lighter than if wholly  
solid2 but  they would still be heavier 
than any equal ,bulk of the fluid       
,chaos1 and  consequently would sink in 
it2 the ,preponderancy that would arise 
from  the ,shell or solid ,part still   
remaining4    ,now let's consider how   
such ,mountains1 or long ,ridges of     
,mountains as we  have upon the ,earth1 
were formed and settled by these        
floating ,lumps4 ,he  says1 p4 #ej1 #ea4
 ,part of these ,lumps or ,masses       
standing out1 or being  higher than the 
,fluid1 would compose a ,mountain1 as   
there are  ,mountains of ,ice that float
 upon the ,northern ,seas4 ,but are not 
,mountains of ,rock and ,stone1 such as 

ours commonly are1 heavier than         
,mountains of ,ice1 that is specifically
 lighter than ,water8 ,this might  have 
been consider'd by the ,examiner in     
drawing the ,parallel3 ,and still  ,i'm 
at a ,loss what ,fluid it is he means1  
when he says1 ,these ,lumps or  ,masses 
standing out1 or being higher than the  
,fluid4 ,does he mean by  this ,fluid   
the ,whole ,chaos8 ,did these ,mountains
 stand at the ,top of the  ,chaos1      
partly within1 and partly above it8     
,then what drew them down  below1 if    
they stood equally pois'd there in their
 ,fluid1 and as high as  the ,moon1 if  
the ,chaos reach'd so high4 ,this1 one  
would think1 could not  be his ,meaning1
 'tis so extravagant2 and yet there was 
no other ,fluid  than the general       
,chaos1 till that was divided and       
distinguish'd into  several ,masses4    
,then1 indeed1 there was an ,abyss1 or  
,region of ,waters  that covered the    
interior ,earth1 and was separate from  
the ,air above4  ,let us then suppose   

this ,abyss to be the ,waters or ,fluid 
this ,author  means1 upon which his     
,mountains stood2 then the rest of the  
,earth1 as it  came to be form'd1 must  
be continu'd and join'd with these      
,mountains1  and in like ,manner laid   
over the ,waters2 so as in this ,method1
 you see1  we should have an ,orb of    
,earth built over the ,abyss4 ,this is a
 very  favourable ,stroke for the       
,theorist1 and grants him in ,effect his
  principal ,conclusion1 viz4 ,that the 
first ante diluvian ,earth was  built   
over the ,abyss3 ,this being admitted1  
there could be no universal  ,deluge    
without a ,disruption of that ,earth1   
and an ,eruption of the ,abyss1  which  
is a main ,point gain'd4 ,and 'tis plain
 we make no false ,logick in  collecting
 this from his ,principles and          
,concessions3 ,for1 as we said  before1 
if these ,mountains were founded upon   
the ,abyss1 they must have a            
,continuity and ,conjunction with the   
rest of the ,surface of the ,earth1 if  

they were such as our ,mountains are    
now1 and so all the habitable ,earth    
must be spread upon the ,abyss4    ,but 
still he hath another ,difficulty to    
encounter1 how the great ,chanel  of the
 ,sea was made upon this ,supposition3  
,why was not that ,part of the  ,globe  
fill'd up by the ,descent of the earthy 
,particles of the ,chaos as  well as the
 rest8 ,the ,chanel of the ,ocean is    
commonly suppos'd to take  up half of   
the ,globe1 how came this gaping ,gulph 
to remain unfill'd1  seeing it was      
encompass'd with the ,chaos as well as  
any other ,parts8 ,was  the ,motion of  
the ,particles suspended from descending
 upon that ,part of  the ,globe2 or were
 they fill'd up at first1 and afterwards
 thrown out  again to make room for the 
,sea8 ,this may deserve his             
,consideration1 as  well as the         
,mountains3 ,and how dextrous soever    
this ,author may be in  other ,things ,i
 know not1 but1 in my ,mind1 he hath no 
good ,hand in making  ,mountains2 and   

,i'm afraid he would have no better     
,success in forming the  ,chanel of the 
,sea1 which he is wisely pleased to take
 no ,notice of4    ,and indeed the      
,examiner seems to be sensible himself  
that he hath no  good ,luck in assigning
 the efficient ,causes of ,mountains    
from the  ,chaos1 and therefore he is   
willing to bear off from that ,point1   
and to  lay the whole ,stress upon their
 final ,causes1 without any regard to   
their ,origin1 or how they came first   
into being4 ,his ,words are these1  p4  
#eb4 ,but supposing the efficient       
,causes of ,mountains unknown1 or       
impossible to be assign'd1 yet still    
there remain the final ,causes to be    
enquir'd into1 which will do as well for
 our ,purpose1 with what follows  there 
concerning those ,authors that exclude  
final ,causes4 ,if there be  such       
,authors1 let them answer for           
themselves1 the ,theorist is not        
concern'd4 ,grant the first ,point1 that
 ,mountains could not arise from  any   

known efficient ,causes in the first    
,concretion of the ,chaos1 or in  the   
first habitable ,earth that rose from   
it1 the ,theorist readily allows  7as   
appears fully in the two last ,chapters 
of the second ,book of the  ,eng4       
,theor47 the ,use of final ,causes in   
the ,contemplation of ,nature1  as being
 great ,arguments of the ,wisdom and    
,goodness of ,god4 ,but this  ought not 
to exclude the efficient ,causes in a   
,theory1 otherwise it  would be no      
,theory1 but a ,work of another ,nature4
 ,though a ,man knew  the final ,cause  
of a ,watch or ,clock1 namely1 to tell  
him the ,hour of the  ,day1 yet1 if he  
did not know the ,construction of its   
,parts1 what was the  ,spring of        
,motion1 what the ,order of the ,wheels1
 and how they mov'd the  ,hand of the   
,dial1 he could not be said to          
understand that little  ,machine2 or at 
least not to understand it so well as he
 that knew the  ,construction and       
,dependence of all its ,parts1 in virtue

 whereof that  ,effect was brought to   
pass4 ,in many ,cases we do not         
understand the final  ,causes1 and in   
many we do not understand the efficient2
 but1  notwithstanding1 we must         
endeavour1 so far as we are able1 to    
join and  understand them both2 the ,end
 and the ,means to it3 ,for by the one1 
as  well as the other1 the divine ,power
 and ,wisdom are illustrated2 and       
seeing every ,effect hath its efficient 
,cause1 if we cannot reach it1 we  must 
acknowledge our ,speculations to be so  
far imperfect4    ,after this ,excursion
 about final ,causes1 he concludes1 p4  
#ed4 ,that it  is impossible to subsist 
or live without ,rocks or ,mountains2   
consequently no ,earth is habitable     
without ,rocks and ,mountains4 ,but how 
can he tell this8 ,hath he been all over
 the ,universe to make his              
,observations8 or hath he had a         
,revelation to tell him that there is no
  one habitable ,planet throughout all  
the ,works of ,god1 but what is of the  

same ,form with our ,earth as to ,rocks 
and ,mountains4 ,who hath ever  observ'd
 ,mountains and ,rocks in ,jupiter1 or  
in the ,remains of  ,saturn8 ,i should  
think such a general ,assertion as he   
makes1 a bold  and unwarrantable        
,limitation of the divine ,omniscience  
and ,omnipotency4  ,who dares conclude  
that the infinite ,wisdom and ,power of 
,god is confin'd  to one single ,mode or
 ,fabrick of an habitable ,world8 ,we   
know there are  many ,planets about our 
,sun besides this ,earth1 and of        
different  ,positions and               
,constructions3 ,neither do we know but 
there may be as many  about other ,suns1
 or fix'd ,stars3 ,must we suppose that 
they are all cast  in the same ,mold8   
that they are all formed after the      
,model of our ,earth1  with ,mountains  
and ,rocks1 and ,gulphs and ,caverns8   
,urbem1 quam dicunt ,romam1 ,melibe1    
putavi                   ,stultus ego1  
huic nostr similem4    ,this was the    
,judgment of the ,shepherd1 who could   

imagine nothing  different1 or nothing  
better than his own ,town or ,village2  
those may  imitate him that please4     
',tis true1 ,suum cuique pulchrum1 is an
 usual  ,saying1 but we think that to   
proceed from ,fondness rather1 and      
,self-,conceit1 than from a true and    
impartial ,judgment of ,things4 ,in     
contemplating the ,works of ,god1 we    
ought to have ,respect to his ,almighty 
and ,infinite ,wisdom1   1 multiformem  
sapientiam  ,dei1 rather than to the    
,measures of our own ,experience and    
,understanding4 ,we may remember how    
an#bc ,heathen hath upbraided and       
derided that ,narrowness of ,spirit1 ,qu
 tant sunt animi angusti1 ut si         
,seryphi natus esses1 nec unquam        
egrossus ex ,insul1 in qu ,lepusculos   
,vulpeculasque spe vidisses1 non        
crederes ,leones  ,pantheras esse1 cm   
tibi quales essent diceretur3 ,si ver de
 ,elephanto quis diceret1 etiam  rideri 
te putares4 ,we may as well say1 that   
there can be no ,animals of  another    

,form from those we have upon this      
,earth1 as that there can be no         
,worlds1 or habitable ,earths of another
 ,form and ,structure from the  present 
,earth4 ,an quicquam tam puerile dici   
potest1 says the same  ,author1 qum si  
ea genera belluarum qu in ,rubro mari1  
,indive  gignantur1 nulla esse dicamus8 
,atqui ne curiosissimi quidem homines   
exquirendo andire tam multa possunt1    
quam sunt multa qu ,terr1 ,mari1        
,paludibus1 ,fluminibus existunt2 qu    
negemus esse quia nunquam vidimus8  ,i  
mention such ,instances to shew1 that   
'tis ,rashness or ,folly1 to  confine   
the ,varieties of ,providence and       
,nature1 to the narrow ,compass of  what
 we have seen1 or of what falls under   
our ,imagination4 ,this is a  more      
strange and assuming ,boldness1 as he   
terms it1 p4 #ed than what  he ascribes 
to the ,theorist for saying1 ,we can    
observe no ,order in the  ,situation of 
,mountains1 nor ,regularity in their    
,form and ,shape4 ,if the  ,examiner    

knows any1 why does he not tell us what 
it is1 and wherein it  consists8 ,is it 
necessary that ,mountains should be     
exact ,pyramids or  ,cones1 or any of   
the regular ,bodies8 or rang'd upon the 
,earth in ,rank  and ,file1 or in a     
quincuncial ,order1 or like pretty      
,garden-,knots8 ,if  they had been      
design'd for ,beauty1 this might have   
done well2 but  ,providence seems on    
,purpose to have left these             
,irregularities in their  ,figure and   
,site1 as ,marks and ,signatures to us1 
that they are the  ,effects of a ,ruin4 
,but to shew farther and more           
particularly the ,necessity of          
,mountains1  the ,examiner says1 p4 #ee4
 and #fa4 ,without them 'tis impossible 
there  should be ,rivers1 or without    
,rivers an habitable ,world4 ,neither of
 these  ,propositions seems to me to be 
sure2 they run still upon               
,impossibilities1 which is a nice       
,topick1 and lies much out of our       
,reach4  ,i think ,vapours may be       

condens'd other ,ways than by           
,mountains1 and an  ,earth might be so  
fram'd1 as to give a ,course to ,rivers1
 though there  were no particular       
,mountains1 if the general ,figure of it
 was higher in  one ,part than another4 
,then as to the absolute ,necessity of  
,rivers1 to  make an ,earth habitable1  
that is questionable too4 ,we are told  
by good  ,authors1 of some ,countries or
 ,islands that have no ,rivers or       
,springs1  and yet are habitable and    
fruitful1 being water'd by ,dews4 ,this 
may give  us an ,advertisement1 from a  
,part to the ,whole1 that an ,earth may 
be made  habitable without ,rivers4 ,if 
at first ,vapours ascended1 and fell    
down in  ,dews1 so as to water the whole
 ,face of the ,earth1 ,gen4 ii4 #f4 ,god
  might1 if he had pleas'd1 have        
continued the same ,course of ,nature4  
,and  it is the ,opinion of many        
,interpreters1 and seems to have been an
  antient ,tradition1 that there was no 
,rain till the ,deluge4 ,if there was   

no ,rainbow in the first ,earth1 7which 
,i think the ,theorist hath  undeniably 
prov'd1 ,theor4 ,book ,,ii4 c4 #e47 it  
will be hard to prove  that there were  
then any watery ,clouds in the habitable
 ,parts of the  ,earth4 ,and our best#bd
 ,observators will allow no ,clouds or  
,rains in the  ,moon1 7and some of them 
no ,rivers17 yet will not suppose the   
,moon  unhabitable4 ,to conclude1 'tis a
 great ,vanity to say no worse1 for     
short-sighted ,creatures1 and of narrow 
,understandings1 to prescribe to        
,providence what is necessary and       
indispensable to the ,frame and ,order  
of  an habitable ,world4    ,we proceed 
to his fourth ,chapter2 which is to shew
 the ,inconveniencies  that would fall  
upon the ,inhabitants of the ,earth1 in 
case it had such a  ,posture as the     
,theorist hath assign'd to the          
ante-diluvian ,earth3  ,namely1 that its
 ,axis was parallel to the ,axis of the 
,ecliptick1 or  perpendicular to its    
,plane1 and not oblique as it stands    

now4 ,but will  this ,author vouch1 that
 there are no habitable ,planets in the 
,universe1  or even about our ,sun1 that
 have this ,posture which he blames so  
much8  ,jupiter is known to have a      
perpetual ,equinox1 and his ,axis       
parallel to  the ,axis of the           
,ecliptick2 and ,mars hath little or no 
,obliquity that  is observable4 ,and    
must this be a ,reflection upon         
,providence8 ,or must we  suppose1 that 
these ,planets have no ,inhabitants1 or 
that their  ,habitations are very bad   
and incommodious8 ,jupiter is the       
noblest  ,planet we have in our ,heaven1
 whether you consider its ,magnitude1 or
 the  ,number of its ,attendants4 ,if   
then a ,planet of that ,order and       
,dignity1  have such a ,position and    
,aspect to the ,sun1 why might not our  
,earth have  had the same1 proper to    
that ,state1 and agreeable to the       
,divine ,wisdom8  ,yet he is so bold as 
to say1 or suppose1 p4 #ff4 ,that this  
cannot well  agree with the infinite    

,wisdom of its ,maker2 as if he was able
 to make  a ,measure or ,standard for   
all the ,works of ,god4 ',tis a crude   
and  injudicious ,thing1 from a few     
,particulars1 the rest unknown1 to make 
an  universal ,conclution1 which forward
 ,wits are apt to do4    4--,ad pauca   
respiciens1 facile pronuncias1 was      
,aristotle's ,observation of old1 and it
 holds in all ,ages4    ,this ,examiner1
 p4 #gf4 censures the ,theorist very    
rudely1 for making  use of physical     
,causes1 and not arguing from final     
,causes1 which1 he  says1 are the true  
,principles of natural ,philosophy4     
,but1 if this be  the ,use he makes of  
final ,causes1 to tell ,god ,almighty   
what is best to  be done1 in this or    
that ,world1 ,i had rather content      
myself with  physical ,causes1 to know  
what ,god hath done1 and conclude it to 
be the  best1 and that we should judge  
it so1 if we had the same ,extent of    
,thought and ,prospect its ,maker had4  
,there are indeed some final ,causes    

that are so manifest1 that ,i should    
think it ,sottishness or ,obstinacy  for
 a ,man to deny them2 but ,i should also
 think that ,man presumptuous1  that    
should pretend to draw the ,scheme and  
,plan of every ,world1 from his  ,idea  
of final ,causes4 ,there are some ,men  
that mightily cry out against  ,reason1 
yet none more fond of it than they are1 
when they can get it  on their ,side3   
,so some ,men inveigh against physical  
,causes1 when  others make use of them1 
and yet as gladly as any make use of    
them  themselves1 when they can make    
them serve their ,purpose2 and when they
  cannot reach them1 then they despise  
them1 and are all for final  ,causes4   
,this ,author says1 p4 #fc4 ,god always 
chuses such  ,constitutions and         
,positions of ,things1 as bring with    
them the greatest  ,good and ,utility to
 the ,universe4 ,very true1 to the      
,universe8 but who  made him judge what 
is best to the ,universe8 ,does he look 
upon this  ,earth as the ,universe1     

whereof it is but a small ,particle1 or 
an ,atom in  comparison8 ,must there be 
no ,variety in the numberless ,worlds   
which ,god  hath made8 ,must they all be
 one and the same ,thing repeated again 
and  again8 ,that ,i'm sure does not    
well agree with the infinite ,wisdom and
  ,power of ,god4    ,but suppose we did
 confine our ,thoughts to this ,earth1  
we may be assur'd  that it hath         
undergone and will undergo1 within the  
,compass of its  ,duration1 very        
different ,states1 and yet all          
accommodate to ,providence4  ,those that
 suppose the ,heavens and the ,earth    
never to have had any other             
,constitution and ,construction than    
what they have now1 or that there  hath 
never been any great ,change and        
,revolution in our natural ,world1      
follow the very ,doctrine which ,st4    
,peter opposes and confutes in his      
second ,epistle1 ,chap4 #c4 ,i mean the 
,doctrine of those ,scoffers1 as  he    
calls them1 who said1 ,all ,things1 the 

,heavens and the ,earth1 have  remained 
in the same ,state they are in now1 from
 the ,beginning1 or from  the ,creation1
 and are to continue so4 ,in            
,confutation of this ,opinion1  ,st4    
,peter there minds them of the ,change  
made at the ,deluge1 and of  the        
different ,constitution and             
,construction of the ,heavens and the   
,earth1 before and after the ,deluge1   
whereby they were dispos'd to  undergo a
 different ,fate1 one by ,water1 and the
 other by ,fire4 ,and he  tells us in   
the same ,place1 that after the         
,conflagration1 there will be  new      
,heaven2 and a new ,earth3 ,so that     
there is no one fix'd and  permanent    
,state even of this ,earth1 according to
 the ,will and ,wisdom of  ,providence4 
,but enough hath been said by the       
,theorist upon this ,subject  7,theor4  
,lat4 l4 #a4 c4 #a  #b4 ,review1 p4     
#afj4 c4 ,archol4  l4 #b4 c4 #c1 #e1    
#f47 ,and if they will not consider the 
,arguments  propos'd there1 'twould be  

in vain to repeat them here4    ,these  
,things premis'd1 let's consider what   
,inconveniencies are alledged1  or what 
,arguments against that ,equality of    
,seasons1 or the grand ,cause  of them1 
the ,parallelism of the ,axis of the    
,earth1 with the ,axis of the  ,sun4 ,he
 says1 upon this ,supposition1 there is 
more ,heat now in the  ,climates of the 
,earth1 than could have been then4 ,and 
what if there be8  ,whether his         
,computation 7which is aim'd against    
another ,author7 be true  or false1 'tis
 little to the ,theory3 ,if the ,heat   
was equal and  moderate in the temperate
 and habitable ,climates1 who would     
desire the  extreme ,heats of ,summer8  
,but he says1 p4 #ff4 ,that ,heat would 
not be  sufficient for the ,generation  
of ,vegetables4 ,how does that appear8  
supposing that ,heat constant throughout
 the whole ,year4 ,does he think  there 
are no ,vegetables in ,jupiter1 which   
hath still the same ,position  the      
,theorist gave to the ante-diluvian     

,earth4 ,and as to ,heat1 that  ,planet 
is at vastly a greater ,distance from   
the ,sun than our ,earth1 and           
consequently hath so much less ,heat2   
yet ,i cannot believe that great        
,planet to be only a huge ,lump of bald 
and barren ,earth4 ,as to our           
ante-diluvian ,earth1 'tis probable that
 the ,constitution of ,plants and       
,animals1 was different then from what  
it is now1 as their ,longevity was      
different1 to which any ,excesses of    
,heat or ,cold are noxious2 and the     
,frequency and ,multiplicity of         
,generations and ,corruptions in the    
present  ,earth1 is ,part of that       
,vanity to which it was subjected4 ,but 
this  ,examiner says moreover1 ,if the  
first ,earth had that ,position1 the    
greatest ,part of it would not be       
habitable4 ,but how much less habitable 
would it be than the present ,earth8    
where the open ,sea1 which was not      
then1 takes up half of its ,surface1 and
 makes it unhabitable4 ',tis  likely the

 torrid ,zone was unhabitable in that   
,earth2 but 'tis probable  the ,poles or
 ,polar ,parts were more habitable than 
they are now1 seeing  they would have   
the ,sun1 or rather ,half-,sun          
perpetually in their  ,horizon3 ,and as 
to the temperate ,climates1 as we call  
them1 they would  be under such a gentle
 and constant ,warmth1 as would be more 
grateful to  the ,inhabitants1 and more 
proper and effectual for a continual    
,verdure  and ,vegetation1 than any     
,region of the present ,earth is now4   
,but this ,objector does not consider1  
on the other hand1 what an hard  ,life  
they would lead in those ,days1 at least
 in many ,parts of the ,earth1  if the  
,seasons of the ,year were the same they
 are now1 and they confin'd  to ,herbs1 
,fruits1 and ,water2 for that was the   
,diet of ,mankind till the  ,deluge4    
,should we not think it an unmerciful   
,imposition now1 to be  interdicted the 
,use of ,flesh-,meat all the ,year long8
 ,or rather is it  possible that the    

,life of ,man could be supported by     
,herbs and ,fruits1  and ,water in the  
colder ,climates1 where the ,winters are
 so long and  barren1 and the ,cold so  
vehement8 ,but1 if you suppose a        
perpetual ,spring  throughout the       
,earth1 the ,heavens mild1 and the      
,juices of ,fruits and  ,plants more    
nutritive1 that ,objection would cease1 
and their ,longevity  be more           
intelligible4    ,we come now to the    
,causes of the ,change in the ,posture  
of the ,earth1  where the ,theorist hath
 set down his ,conjectures1 what he     
thought the  most probable to be the    
,occasion of it3 ,namely1 either some   
,inequality  in the ,libration of the   
,earth1 after it was dissolved and      
broken2 or a  ,change in the ,magnetism 
of its ,body1 consequent upon its       
,dissolution1  and the different        
,situation of its ,parts4 ,but this     
,examiner will neither  allow any       
,change to have been made in the        
,position of the ,earth since  the      

,beginning of the ,world2 nor1 if there 
was a ,change1 that it could be  made   
from such ,causes4 ,the first of these  
,points you see is ,matter of  ,fact2   
and so it must be prov'd1 partly by     
,history1 and partly by ,reason4  ,some 
,things are noted before1 which argue   
that the ante-diluvian ,earth  was      
different from the present1 in its      
,frame and ,constitution1 as also  in   
reference to the ,heavens2 and the      
,places are referred to1 where the      
,matter is treated more largely by the  
,theorist4 ,if it be granted1 that      
there was a permanent ,change made in   
the ,state of ,nature at the ,deluge1   
or any other ,time1 but deny'd that it  
was made by a ,change of the  ,situation
 of the ,earth1 and the ,consequences of
 it1 then this ,writer  must assign some
 other ,change made1 which would have   
the same ,effects2  that is1 which will 
answer and agree with the ,phnomena of  
the first  ,earth1 and also of the      
present4 ,when this is done1 if it be   

clear and  convictive1 we must acquiesce
 in it3 ,but ,i do not see that it is so
 much  as attempted by this ,author4    
,this suppos'd ,change1 ,i say1 is      
,matter of ,fact1 and therefore we must 
consult ,history and ,reason for the    
,proof or ,disproof of it4 ,as to       
,history1 the ,theorist hath cited to   
this ,purpose ,leucippus1  ,anaxagoras1 
,democritus1 ,empedocles1 ,plato and    
,diogenes4 ,these  were the most        
renowned ,philosophers amongst the      
,antients2 and all these  speak of an   
,inclination of the ,earth or the       
,poles1 which hath been made  in former 
,ages4 ,these1 one would think1 might be
 allow'd as good  ,witnesses of a former
 ,tradition concerning a ,change in the 
,situation of  the ,earth1 when nothing 
is brought against them4 ,and this      
,change is  particularly call'd by      
,plato  or 1 a ,disharmony or           
,disconcerting of the ,motions of the   
,heavens1 which he makes the ,source    
and ,origin of the present ,evils and   

,inconveniencies of ,nature4 ,besides1  
he dates this ,change from the          
,expiration of the ,reign of ,saturn1 or
  when ,jupiter came to take the        
,government upon him3 ,and this1 you    
know1  in the ,style of those ,times1   
signifies the ,end of the ,golden ,age4 
,thus  far ,plato carries the           
,tradition3 ,now1 the ,poets tell us    
expressly that  there was a perpetual   
,spring1 or a perpetual ,equinox in the 
,time of  ,saturn1 and that the         
,inequality of the ,year1 or the        
,diversity of  ,seasons was first       
introduc'd by ,jupiter4 ,the ,authors   
and ,places are  known and noted by the 
,theorist2 ,i need not repeat them here4
 ,you see  what this ,evidence amounts  
to1 both that there hath been a ,change1
 and  such a ,change1 as alter'd the    
,course of the ,year1 and brought in a  
,vicissitude of ,seasons2 and this      
according to the ,doctrines or          
,traditions remaining amongst the       
,heathens4 ,the ,jews and ,christians   

say the same ,thing1 but in another     
,manner3 ,they do not speak of the      
,golden ,age1 nor of the ,reign of      
,saturn or ,jupiter1 but of the ,state  
of ,paradise1 or ,gan-,eden2 and        
concerning that1 they say the same      
,things1 which the ,heathen ,authors    
say1 in different ,words4 ,the ,jews    
make a perpetual ,equinox in ,paradise1 
the ,christians a perpetual  ,serenity1 
a perpetual ,spring2 and this cannot be 
without a different  ,situation of the  
,earth from what it hath now4 ,he may   
see the ,citations  if he please1 in the
 ,theory1 or ,archologia4    ,it were to
 be wish'd1 that this ,examiner would   
look a little into  ,antiquity1 when he 
hath ,time3 ,it may be1 that would      
awaken him into new  ,thoughts1 and a   
more favourable ,opinion of the ,theory 
as to this  ,particular4 ,give me leave 
to mind him in his own ,way1 what some  
antient  ,astronomers have said relating
 to this ,subject4 ,baptista ,mantuanus1
  speaking of the ,longevity of the     

,ante-,diluvians1 says1 ,erant illis1 ut
  ,astronomia  ,experimento constat1    
,cli propitiores2 volunt namque         
,astronomi1 c4 ,this he explains by an  
uniform and concentrical ,motion  of the
 ,heavens and the ,earth1 at that ,time2
 to which he imputes the  great ,virtue 
of their ,herbs and ,fruit1 and the long
 ,lives of their  ,animals4 ,petrus     
,aponensis1 who liv'd above an ,age     
before ,mantuan1  give us much what the 
same ,account3 ,for making an ,answer to
 this  ,question1 utrum natura humania  
sit debilitata ab eo quod antiquitus1   
necne8 ,he says1 ,cum capita ,zodiaci   
mobilis  immobilis ordinati   direct    
concurrebant1 tunc virtus perfectiori   
mod  primo principio per  medias        
causastaliter ordinatas fortiori modo   
imprimebatur in ista  inferiora1 cum    
caus tunc sib invicem                   
correspondeant----,propter quod         
concludendum est1 tunc naturam humanam  
illo tempore1 ut sic fortiorem          
longviorem extitisse4 ,i give it in his 

own ,words as they are in his           
,conciliator4 ,differ4 #i4    ,georgius 
,pictorius1 or an ,author under his     
,name1 unto the same  ,question about   
the ,longevity of the ,ante-diluvians1  
gives a like ,answer  from the same     
,astronomer1 in these ,words3 ,petrus   
,aponensis adsert  rationem1  pro vario 
cursu  dispositione coelorum modo vitam 
humanam  breviari1 modo produci seribit4
 ,ex ,astronomi argumentum colligens1 cm
  ait duos ,zodiacos1 unum in non sphr1 
alterum in octava 7quam  ,firmamentum   
vocani7 in initio rerum  temporum1 sic  
,deo fuisse  dispositos1 ut ,aries      
,arieti1 ,taurus ,tauro1 ,geminis       
,gemini jungerentur3   amborum          
cocuntibus in unum viribus fortior in   
,terras fieret fluxus4 ,unde  herbas    
tunc salubriores  fructus terr meliores1
  longiores vitas  animantium fuisse    
affirmat4 ,sed denn ill syderali        
dissolut ab invicem  per motum          
societate1 totum ait inferiorem mundum  
grotare1 atque per  decrementum         

claudicare cpisse4 ,this1 you see1 is   
,astronomy in an  old-fashion'd ,dress2 
but you can easily take off the         
,disguise1 and apply  it to the true    
,system of the ,heavens4 ,the same      
,author refers you1 for a  more full    
,explication of that ,matter1 to his    
,lectiones succisiv1 ,dial4  prim4 which
 ,book ,i have not yet had an           
,opportunity to see4 ,i believe it  is  
in his ,opera ,philologica1 printed in  
,octavo at ,basil4    ,but since the    
first writing of the ,theory1 there have
 been thiopick  ,antiquities produc'd   
from an ,abyssine ,philosopher1 and     
transmitted to us  by ,francisco        
,patricio in his ,dialogues4 ,if that   
,account he gives of  the thiopian      
,archologia be true and genuine1 they   
exceed all other  upon this ,subject3   
for they do not only mention this       
,particular1 of the  ,unity of ,seasons 
in the primitive ,earth1 but the other  
principal ,parts  of the ,theory3 ,as   
the ,concussion and ,fraction of the    

,earth2 that the  ,face of it before was
 smooth and uniform1 and upon that      
,disruption it  came into another ,form1
 with ,mountains1 ,rocks1 ,sea and      
,islands4 ,these  and other such        
,characters are mentioned there1 whereof
 the ,examiner may  see an ,account1 if 
he please1 in the last ,edition of the  
,english  ,theory1 p4 #ahi4 ,the ,story 
indeed is surprizing1 which way soever  
you  take it1 whether it was the        
,invention of that ,abyssine            
,philosopher1 or a  real ,tradition     
deriv'd from the thiopian               
,gymnosophists4 ,however that  be1 there
 are otherwise such conspicuous         
,footsteps in philosophick  ,history1   
and in what may be call'd               
,ecclesiastick1 amongst the ,jews and   
,christians1 of some ,revolution in the 
,system of the ,world1 as must  give    
occasion to any thinking ,man to        
suppose1 that there hath been a  ,change
 made in the ,situation of the ,earth4  
,this1 by some of the  forementioned    

,authors1 is ascrib'd expresly to the   
,earth2 and what by  others 7according  
to their ,hypothesis7 is ascrib'd to the
 higher  ,heavens1 we know upon a just  
,interpretation belongs to the ,earth4  
,those  also that ascribe such ,phnomena
 to ,paradise1 or the ,golden ,age1 as  
are  not intelligible upon any other    
,supposition1 must also be referr'd to  
this ,change of the ,site or ,posture of
 the ,earth3 ,so that upon all          
,accounts 7mediately or immediately7 the
 ,matter of ,fact1 that the ,earth  hath
 undergone such a ,change1 is testified 
by ,history1 ,antiquity and  ,tradition4
 ,it deserves also to be observ'd1 that 
there was a general  ,tradition amongst 
the ,antients1 concerning the           
,inhabitability of the  ,torrid ,zone2  
which may be an ,argument or            
,confirmation1 that there was a  ,state 
of ,nature at one time or other1 when   
this was true1 and that such  a general 
,opinion could not arise1 and be        
continued so long without some          

,foundation4    ,so much for ,history to
 determine ,matter of ,fact3 ,now as to 
,reason 7which  we mentioned as the     
other ,head1 to prove or disprove this  
,conclusion47  ,that the ,form of the   
primitive ,earth which is assign'd by   
the ,theorist1  being suppos'd1 namely1 
that it was regular1 uniform1 and had an
 equal  ,libration1 it would naturally  
take an even and parallel ,position with
  the ,axis of its ,orbit1 or of the    
,ecliptick1 as is set down more at large
  in the ,theory3 ,nor can any ,reason  
be alledg'd to the contrary4 ',tis      
true1 this ,examiner1 p4 #hc4           
notwithstanding any ,uniformity and     
,equilibration of that ,earth1 pretends 
it would be indifferent to any          
,position1 or retain any ,position      
given1 as a ,sphere will do1 put in a   
,fluid4 ,this might be1 if that ,sphere 
or ,globe was resting2 but if it  was   
turn'd about its ,axis1 and the ,axis of
 the ,fluid 7which is the  present      
,case7 it would certainly take a        

,position parallel to the ,axis of  its 
,fluid1 if there was no other           
,impediment4    ,the ,matter of ,fact   
being settled with the ,cause of it1    
what the ,causes  of the ,change were1  
is more problematical4 ,the             
,philosophers forecited  gave their     
,reason2 ,aristarchus ,samius gives     
another1 and a ,comet by  some is made  
the occasion of it3 ,the ,theorist      
thinks that the  ,dissolution of the    
,earth was the fundamental ,cause1 and  
that the ,change  came to pass at that  
time1 as many ,indications and          
,arguments shew4 ,and  as to the        
immediate ,cause or ,causes of it1 ,i   
know none more probable  than what the  
,theorist hath proposed2 ,eng4 ,theor4  
p4 #bfg4 ,either the  ,change of its    
,center of ,gravity1 or of its          
,magnetism2 the ,line of  ,direction to 
those magnetick ,particles1 and their   
passing through the  ,earth being so    
alter'd1 as to turn the ,earth into     
another ,posture1 and  hold it there4   

,as to those ,expressions that he seems 
to quarrel with1 of  the ,inclination of
 the ,earth1 or the ,pole1 towards the  
,sun1 'tis the  ,expression of the      
antient ,philosophers1 tho' ,i think it 
might more  properly be called an       
,obliquation4 ,then that the former     
,state is called  situs rectus1 is      
another ,expression which he finds fault
 with2 though  every one sees that a    
right ,situation in such ,places1 is    
opposed to an  oblique1 or inclined     
,position to the ,axis of the ,sun or   
,ecliptick1 and  had been called        
parallel in several other ,places2 and  
which he  himself1 p4 #ga4 sometimes1 as
 well as other ,authors1 call a right   
,position4 ,this is but trifling about  
,words3 ,if he grants that the          
primitive ,earth being uniform1 and     
consequently equally pois'd1 its ,axis  
would be parallel 7which for shortness1 
is sometimes call'd right7 to  the ,axis
 of its ,orbit1 and is now in a         
different and oblique ,posture1  this is

 all the ,theorist desires1 as to       
,matter of ,fact4 ,i conceive the  whole
 ,matter thus3 ,when the ,earth was in  
that even and parallel ,posture  with   
the ,axis of the ,sun1 it had a         
perpetual ,equinox and ,unity of        
,seasons1 the ,equator and ,ecliptick   
being coincident3 ,and as to the        
,heavens1 they with the fix'd ,stars    
mov'd or seem'd to move uniformly and   
concentrically with the ,earth4 ,but    
when the ,earth chang'd its ,posture to 
that which it hath now1 the ,year became
 unequal1 and the ,equator and          
,ecliptick became distinct ,circles1 or1
 if you will1 a new ,circle arose  from 
the ,distinction4 ,the ,earth in the    
mean time continuing its annual  ,course
 in the ,ecliptick1 had the ,position of
 its ,axis chang'd to a  ,parallelism   
with the ,axis of the ,equator1 which it
 holds throughout the  whole ,year4 ,as 
to the ,heavens1 they seem'd to turn    
upon another ,axis1 or  other ,poles    
than they did before1 and different from

 those of the ,sun or  the ,earth3 ,and 
this fundamental ,change in the ,site of
 the ,earth1 had a  farther ,chain of   
,consequences1 as is noted by the       
,theorist1 in reference  to the ,state  
both of the animate and inanimate       
,world1 ,this is1 in short1  the ,state 
of the ,case1 which is sometimes        
express'd in different ,terms1          
especially by the ,antients1 who        
generally followed another ,system of   
the  ,heavens and the ,earth1 and were  
not always accurate in their            
,expressions4    ,this ,author would    
square and conform all the ,planets to  
the ,model of the  present ,earth3      
,whereas there is ,diversity of         
,administrations in the  natural ,world1
 as well as spiritual1 yet the same     
,providence every  where4 ,the ,axes of 
the ,planets are not all parallel to    
that of the ,sun1  nor all oblique2 and 
those that are so1 have not all the same
 ,degrees of  ,obliquity1 yet we have   
,reason to think them all habitable4 ,in

 some there  are no different ,seasons  
of the ,year1 and in some they differ in
 another  manner than ours2 and the     
,periods of their ,years are very       
different4 ,in  like manner1 as to the  
,days1 in some they are longer1 in      
others shorter3  ,in the ,moon a ,day   
lasts fourteen or fifteen of our ,days1 
and their  ,nights are proportionably   
longer than our ,nights4 ,in ,jupiter1  
the ,days  are but of five ,hours1 and  
so the ,nights2 that ,planet being      
turned in  ten ,hours about his ,axis4  
,in ,mercury we know little what the    
,seasons  or ,days are1 but its ,year   
must be much shorter than ours2 as also 
is  that of ,venus2 and their ,heat from
 the ,sun1 must be much greater4        
,jupiter and ,saturn are at vast        
,distances from the ,sun1 and must      
proportionably have less ,heat2 and     
,saturn must have a greater  ,difference
 of ,summer and ,winter than we have1 by
 reason of his greater  ,obliquity to   
the ,sun4 ,these and such like          

,observations1 show what ,vanity  it is 
to make an universal ,standard from the 
,state of our ,earth3 ,or to  say1 this 
is best1 and to make ,things otherwise1 
would be inconsistent  with the infinite
 ,wisdom of their ,maker1 as this       
,examiner1 p4 #ff4  pretends to do4     
,but to return to his ,objections3 ,this
 he suggests1 ibid4 as one1 that  in    
case of a perpetual ,equinox1 the annual
 ,motion of the ,earth about the  ,sun  
would be to no ,purpose4 ,of this we are
 no competent ,judges1 no more  than of 
the other ,differences foremention'd in 
the ,conditions of the  ,planets4 ,yet1 
in that ,case1 a ,distinction and       
,computation of ,time might  be made1 by
 their ,aspect to the different ,signs  
of the ,zodiack4 ,there  may be1 7for   
any ,thing we know17 in the ,extent of  
the ,universe1 ,planets1  or great      
opaque ,bodies1 that have no ,course    
about their ,suns1 for  ,reasons best   
known to their ,maker2 and others that  
have no diurnal  ,motion about their    

,axes3 ,nor ought such ,states1 tho'    
very different from  ours1 to be        
concluded incongruous4 ,if this         
,objection of his were of any  ,force1  
it would lie against ,jupiter as well as
 against the  ante-diluvian ,earth4 ,and
 this minds me of his ,objection taken  
from  ,saturn and ,jupiter1 whose ,axes1
 he says1 are ,inclined to the ,axis of 
the ,ecliptick2 and yet1 according to   
the ,theorist1 they have suffer'd no    
,deluge4 ,this is an unhappy ,argument1 
for ,i think it hath two ,errors in  it3
 ,but let us set down his ,words1 that  
there may be no ,mistake or             
,misrepresentation1 p4 #gf4 ,another    
,argument which may be brought to       
convince the ,theorist that the ,axis of
 the ,earth was at first inclined  to   
the ,plane of the ,ecliptick is1 that it
 is certain by ,observation1  that      
,saturn and ,jupiter 7whom the ,theorist
 will allow to have suffered  no ,deluge
 as yet7 have their ,axes not           
perpendicular1 but inclined to the      

,planets of their ,orbits2 and the      
,position is true of all the other      
,planets1 as far as they can be         
observ'd4 ,and therefore1 c4 ,first1 as 
to ,saturn1 ,i'm sure the ,theorist     
never thought that ,planet to be now  in
 its original ,form1 but to be broken1  
and to have already suffer'd a          
,dissolution1 as you may see in both    
,theories1 ,english and ,latin#be4      
,then as to the ,position of ,jupiter1  
,i know not whence he has this  certain 
,observation1 that its ,axis is oblique 
to the ,plane of its  ,orbit3 ,for#bf   
,hugenius tells us just the contrary1   
and that it hath a  perpetual ,equinox4 
,let these ,things be examin'd1 and     
hereafter let us be  cautious how we    
take ,things upon the ,examiner's ,word1
 if he be found to  have committed two  
,faults in one ,objection4              
,farthermore1 he intimates1 7p4 #id47   
that the ,theorist hath no ,mind to  the
 ,notion of ,attraction2 ,i believe so  
too1 nor in ,philosophy to any  other   

,notion that is unconceivable4 ,he must 
tell us how this  ,attraction differs   
from an occult ,quality1 whether it is a
  mechanical ,principle or no2 and if   
not1 from what ,principle it arises4    
,when he hath told us this1 we shall be 
better able to judge of it4    ,after   
all1 to conclude this ,chapter1 the one 
grand ,question with the  ,theorist     
7whatsoever there may be with other     
,authors7 is this1 whether  the ,earth  
has chang'd its ,situation since the    
,beginning of the ,world3  ,and that it 
has done so1 the ,theorist does still   
positively maintain4    ,having insisted
 more largely upon these four first     
,chapters1 as being  most fundamental in
 the ,controversy1 we shall dispatch    
more readily this  fifth and the        
seventh1 leaving the sixth ,chapter to a
 more particular  ,disquisition in the  
last ,place4    ,this fifth ,chapter is 
designed against the ,rivers of the     
primitive  ,earth1 according to that    
,origin and ,derivation that is given   

them by the  ,theorist4 ,but it is to be
 noted in the first ,place1 that        
supposing they  had any other ,origin or
 ,course than what is there assign'd    
7excepting  only an ,origin from        
,mountains17 the ,theory continues still
 in ,force4  ,for this ,point about the 
,waters of the first ,earth1 and the    
,explication  of them1 is one of those  
,explications that admit of ,latitude   
and  ,variety2 and therefore as to the  
,theory1 the ,question is only this1    
,whether an habitable ,earth may have   
,rivers without ,mountains4 ,for if  any
 ,earth may have them without           
,mountains1 why not the primitive       
,earth8  ,now it will be hard for the   
,examiner1 or any other1 to prove1 that 
in  every ,world1 where there are       
,waters and ,rivers1 there are          
,mountains4 ,we  intimated before1 that 
the general ,frame of an ,earth might be
 such as  would give a ,course to       
,waters without particular ,mountains4  
,but we will  leave that at present to a

 farther ,consideration1 and observe now
 what  his ,proofs are1 that there could
 be no ,rivers in the primitive ,earth4 
,first he says1 p4 #hg4 ,according to   
the ,theorist's ,own ,hypothesis1  there
 could be no ,rivers for a long ,time   
after the ,formation of the  ,earth4    
,where is this said by the ,theorist8   
,his ,hypothesis supposes1  that the    
soft and moist ,earth could not but     
afford ,store of ,vapours at  first1 as 
this ,author in another ,place hath     
noted for the ,sense of the  ,theorist1 
7p4 #hf47 and now he says the quite     
contrary3 ,the ,chanels of  the ,rivers 
indeed would not be so deep and hollow  
at first as they are  now1 their        
,cavities being wrought by ,degrees2 but
 still there would not  want ,vapours to
 supply them4    ,then he says1 p4 #hh4 
when that first ,moisture of the ,earth 
was  lessened1 there could be no ,supply
 of ,vapours from the ,abyss2 seeing the
  ,heat of the ,sun could not reach so  
far1 nor raise ,vapours from it1 or at  

least not in a sufficient ,quantity1 as 
he pretends to prove hereafter3  ,but in
 the mean ,time he speaks of great      
,cracks or ,pits1 whose ,dimensions  and
 ,capacities he examines at ,pleasure1  
and by these he makes the  ,theorist to 
suppose the ,vapours to ascend4 ,now ,i 
do not find that the  ,theorist makes   
any ,mention of these ,pits1 nor any    
,use of those ,cracks  for that         
,purpose4 ,the only ,question is1       
whether the ,heat of the ,sun in  that  
,earth would reach so low as the ,abyss1
 when the ,earth was more  dried1 ad its
 ,pores enlarg'd3 ,so that this         
,objection1 as he states it1  seems to  
refer to some other ,author4    ,but now
 supposing the ,vapours rais'd1 he      
considers what ,course they  would take1
 or which ,way they would move in the   
open ,air4 ,but before  that be         
examin'd1 we must take ,notice how      
unfairly he deals with the  ,theorist1  
when he seems to make him suppose1 p4   
#id1 #ie4 that ,mountains  make way for 

the ,motion and ,dilatation of the      
,vapours2 which he never  suppos'd1 nor 
is it possible he should suppose it in  
the first ,earth1  where there were no  
,mountains4 ,neither does the ,theorist 
suppose1 as  this ,author would         
insinuate1 that ,mountains or ,cold     
dilate ,vapours1 but  on the contrary1  
that they stop and compress them1 as the
 ,words are  cited1 even by the         
,examiner a little before1 p4 #hf4      
,then as to the ,course of the ,vapours1
 when they are rais'd1 the ,theorist    
supposes that would be towards the      
,poles and the coldest ,climates4 ,but  
this ,author says1 p4 #ig4 they would   
all move ,westward1 or from ,east to    
,west2 there being a continual ,wind    
blowing from the ,east to ,west1        
according to the ,motion of the ,sun4   
,whether that ,wind come from the       
,motion of the ,sun1 or of the ,earth1  
7which is contrary17 is another         
,question2 but however1 let them move at
 first to the ,west1 the ,question  here

 is1 ,where they would be condens'd1 or 
where they would fall4 ,and  there is   
little ,probability that their          
,condensation would be under the        
,equator1 where they are most agitated1 
but rather by an ,impulse of new        
,vapours1 they would soon divert towards
 the ,poles1 and losing their           
,agitation there1 would fall in ,dews or
 ,rains4 ,which ,condensation being     
made1 and a ,passage open'd that ,way   
for new ones to supply their ,places1   
there would be a continual ,draught of  
,vapours1 from the hotter to the  colder
 ,parts of the ,earth4    ,we proceed   
now to the seventh ,chapter1 which is in
 a good ,measure upon  the same or a    
like ,subject with this1 namely1        
concerning the ,penetration  of the     
,heat of the ,sun into the ,body of the 
,earth4 ,this1 he says1 p4  #adh4 cannot
 be to any considerable ,depth2 nor     
could it pass the  exterior ,orb of the 
first ,earth1 and affect the ,abyss1 or 
raise ,vapours  from it4 ,to prove this1

 he supposes that exterior ,earth       
divided into so  many ,surfaces as he   
pleases1 then supposing the ,heat       
diminished in every  ,surface1 he       
concludes it could not possibly pass    
through so many4 ,thus  you may divide  
an ,inch into an hundred or a thousand  
,surfaces1 and prove  from thence1 that 
no ,heat of the ,sun could pierce       
through an ,inch of  ,earth4 ,we must   
rather consider ,pores than ,surfaces in
 this ,case2 and  whether those ,pores  
were straight or oblique1 the ,motion   
would pass  however1 though not the     
,light3 ,and the ,heat of the ,sun might
 have its  ,effect1 by a direct or      
indirect ,motion1 to a great ,depth     
within the  ,earth1 notwithstanding the 
,multitude of ,surfaces that he         
imagines4 ,those  that think a ,comet1  
upon its nearer ,approach to the ,sun1  
would be  pierc'd with its ,heat through
 and through2 and to such a ,degree1 as 
to  become much hotter than red hot     
,iron1 will not think it strange1 that  

at  our ,distance from the ,sun1 its    
,heat should have some proportionable   
,effect upon the inward ,parts of the   
,earth4 ,and all those imaginary solid  
,surfaces do not hinder1 you see1 the   
magnetick ,particles from running       
through the ,body of the ,earth1 and    
making the ,globe one great ,magnet4    
,but let those ,considerations have what
 ,effect they can1 this ,supposition    
however is nothing peculiar to the      
,theorist4 ,i know some learned ,men    
think the ,heat of the ,sun does        
penetrate deep into the ,bowels of the  
,earth2 others think it does not1 and   
either of them have their  ,arguments4  
,these alledge the equal ,temper of     
,vaults and ,mines at  different        
,seasons of the ,year3 ,the other say1  
'tis true1 subterraneous  ,places keep  
their ,equality of ,temper much better  
than the external ,air1  and those      
,differences that appear to us1 are in a
 great ,measure by  comparison with the 
,temper of our ,bodies4 ,then for their 

own ,opinion1  they take an ,argument   
from the ,generation of ,metals and     
,minerals in the  ,bowels of the ,earth1
 and other subterraneous ,fossiles4     
,these1 we see1  are ripen'd by degrees 
in several ,ages1 and cannot1 as they   
think1 be  brought to ,maturity1 and    
raised into the exterior ,earth1 without
 the  ,heat and ,influence of the ,sun3 
,of the same ,sun that actuates all the 
vegetable ,world1 that quickens ,seeds1 
and raises ,juices into the ,roots  of  
our deepest1 and ,tops of our highest   
,oaks and ,cedars4    ,but let this     
remain a ,problem2 ,i will instance in  
another remarkable  ,phnomenon1 which is
 most for the present ,purpose1 ,i mean 
,earthquakes4  ,let us consider the     
,causes of them1 and the ,depths of     
them3 ,i think all  agree1 that         
,earthquakes arise from the ,rarefaction
 of ,vapours and  ,exhalations1 and that
 this ,rarefaction must be made by some 
,heat2 and no  other is yet proved to us
 by this ,author than that of the ,sun4 

,then as  to the ,depth of ,earthquakes1
 we find they are deeper than the       
,bottom of  the ,sea3 ,for1 besides that
 they communicate with different        
,countries  divided by the ,sea1 they   
are found sometimes to arise within the 
,sea1  and from the ,bottom of it1 at   
great ,depths4 ,this seems to prove1    
that  there may be a strong ,rarefaction
 of ,vapours and ,exhalations far within
  the ,bowels of the ,earth2 and the    
,theorist desires no more4 ,if in the   
present ,constitution of the ,earth1    
there may be such ,concussions and      
,subversions for a great ,extent1 we    
have no ,reason to believe1 but there   
might be 7at a ,time appointed by       
,providence7 an universal ,disruption1  
as  that ,earth was constituted4        
,finally1 whatsoever the ,causes of this
  ,disruption and ,dissolution were1    
'tis certain there was a ,disruption of 
the ,abyss1 and that ,disruption        
universal as the ,deluge was2 which     
answers sufficiently the ,design of the 

,theory4 ,however1 if he have a  mind to
 see1 how this agrees with ,history1    
both sacred and prophane1 he  may       
consult1 if he pleases1 what the        
,theorist hath noted upon that          
,argument1 ,archol4 l4 #b4 c4 #d4       
besides other ,places4    ,but this     
,author says farther1 ,that supposing   
such a ,disruption of the  ,abyss1 and  
,dissolution of the exterior ,earth1 no 
universal ,deluge  however could follow 
upon it2 because there could not be     
,water enough  left in the ,abyss to    
make or occasion such a ,deluge3 ,for   
the ,rivers of  the ,earth being then   
supply'd from the ,abyss1 by such a     
,time1 or before  the ,time of the      
,deluge1 he says1 there would be no     
,water left in it4  ,thus he goes from  
one ,extreme to another3 ,before he     
said1 the ,power of  the ,sun could not 
reach or affect the ,abyss to draw out  
any ,vapours from  it2 now he would make
 the ,evaporation so excessive1 that it 
would have  emptied the great ,abyss    

before the ,deluge4 ,this is a great    
,undertaking1  and to make it good he   
takes a great ,compass3 ,he pretends to 
shew us1  what ,quantity of ,water all  
the ,rivers of the ,earth throw into the
 ,sea  every ,day2 and beginning with   
the ,river ,po1 and taking his ,measure 
from that1 he supposes there are such a 
certain ,number of equivalent  ,rivers  
upon the ,face of the whole ,earth2 and 
if the ,po casts so much  ,water into   
the ,sea1 the rest will cast so much    
more1 and in ,conclusion  so much as    
would empty the ,abyss4    ,you will    
easily believe1 ,sir1 there must be     
great ,uncertainties in  this           
,computation3 ,but1 if that was certain1
 as it is far from it1 still  he goes   
upon ,suppositions that are not allow'd 
by the ,theorist4 ,for1  first1 he      
supposes the ,waters of the present ,sea
 to be equal to the  ,waters of the     
great ,abyss3 ,whereas1 supposing them  
of the same ,depth1  there would be near
 twice as much ,water in the great      

,deep1 as is now  in the ,ocean2 seeing 
the ,abyss was extended under the whole 
,earth1 and  the ,sea reaches but to    
half of it4 ,secondly1 ,he should prove 
that the  ,rivers of the ante-diluvian  
,earth were as many1 and as great1 as we
 have  now4 ,the ,torrid ,zone then had 
none1 and much less would serve the     
temperate ,climates than is requisite   
now for the ,earth4 ,besides1 the       
,rivers of that ,earth were not supplied
 by ,vapours only from the ,abyss1  but 
also from all the ,earth1 and all the   
,waters upon the ,earth3 ,and when  the 
,rivers were partly lost and spent in   
the ,torrid ,zone1 they were in a  great
 ,measure exhal'd there1 and drawn into 
the ,air by the ,heat of the  ,sun1 and 
would fall again in another ,place1 to  
make new ,rains and a new  ,supply to   
the ,rivers4 ,so1 in like manner1 when  
he supposes1 p4 #aeh4  the ,rivers that 
were upon the ,earth1 at the ,time of   
the ,disruption or  the great ,deep1 to 
have thrown themselves off the ,land1 as

 if they were  lost2 and makes a        
,computation how much ,water all the    
,rivers of the ,earth  amount to3 ,this1
 ,i say1 is a needless ,computation as  
to the present  ,purpose4 ,for          
whatsoever ,mass of ,waters they        
amounted to1 it would not be  lost3 ,if 
they fell down and joined with the      
,abyss1 they would increase  its ,store1
 and be thrown up again by the ,fall of 
the ,fragments1 making  so much a       
greater ,mass to overflow the ,earth2   
,so that nothing is gain'd  by this     
,supposition4 ,the ,effect would be the 
same as to the ,deluge3  ,whether the   
,waters above the ,earth1 and those     
under the ,earth met  together sooner or
 later1 when their ,forces were joined1 
they would  still have the same ,effect1
 as we said before of the ,vapours4 ,and
 to  conclude that ,point1 the whole    
,sum of ,waters1 or ,vapours convertible
  into ,waters1 that were from the      
,beginning1 or at any ,time1 would still
  be preserv'd above ,ground1 or under  

,ground3 ,and that would turn to the    
same ,account1 as to the ,flood4        
,these ,waters and ,vapours all         
collected1 the ,theorist supposes       
sufficient1 upon a ,dissolution of the  
,earth1 to make the ,deluge3 ,not       
indeed in the ,nature of a ,standing    
,pool1 as it is usually conceiv'd2 a    
quiet ,pool1 ,i say1 overtopping and    
standing calm over the ,heads of the    
highest ,mountains2 but as a rushing    
,sea1 overflowing and sweeping them     
with its raging ,waves and impetuous    
,fluctuations1 when it was violently    
forc'd out of all its ,chanels1 and the 
,vapours condensed into ,rain4 ,such  an
 ,inundation as this1 would be          
sufficient to destroy both ,man and     
,beast1 and other ,creatures1 those few 
excepted1 that were miraculously        
preserv'd in the ,ark4 ,this is the     
,theorist's ,explication of the ,deluge1
  and ,i see nothing in this ,argument1 
that will destroy or weaken it4    ,now1
 this being the ,state of the ,deluge1  

according to the ,theorist1 what  this  
,author says in the next ,paragraph 7p4 
#afg47 is either a  ,misrepresentation1 
or an ,equivocation4 ,for the eight     
,oceans requir'd by  the ,theorist1 is  
the ,quantity of ,water necessary for a 
,deluge in the ,way  of a ,standing     
,pool3 ,whereas this ,author represents 
it1 as if the  ,theorist required so    
much ,water to make a ,deluge upon his  
,hypothesis4  ,this1 ,i suppose1 upon   
,reflection1 the ,author cannot but see 
to be a  ,mistake1 or a wilful          
,misrepresentation4    ,this is the ,sum
 of his seventh ,chapter3 ,there are    
besides some  ,suggestions made1 which  
it may be were intended for ,objections 
by the  ,author3 ,as when he says1 7p4  
#aea47 that the ,heat of the ,sun would 
be  intolerable upon the ,surface of the
 ,earth1 if it could pierce and  operate
 upon the ,abyss4 ,we allow1 that its   
,heat was intolerable in the  ,torrid   
,zone1 which thereby became unhabitable2
 and there only the ,sun  was in its    

full ,strength1 and had its greatest    
,effect upon the ,abyss4  ,but in the   
other ,climates1 the ,heat would be     
moderate enough2 nay1 so  moderate1 that
 this ,author says in another ,place1 p4
 #ff1 #fi1 c4 it  would not be          
sufficient to ripen ,fruits1 and in the 
,whole1 of less ,force  than it is now  
in the present ,constitution of the     
,earth4 ,so apt is  ,contention to carry
 one out of one ,extreme into another4  
,his last ,objection is about the       
,duration of the ,flood1 that it could  
not  last in its ,force a hundred and   
fifty ,days1 if it had been made by a   
,dissolution of the ,earth1 and an      
,eruption of the ,abyss4 ,but as this is
  affirm'd by him without ,proof1 so the
 contrary is sufficiently explain'd  and
 made out1 both in the ,latin and       
,english ,theory1 p4 #eb1 #ef4    ,i had
 forgot to tell him1 that he ought not  
to suppose1 as he seems to  do1 when he 
is emptying the ,abyss1 7p4 #afe47 that 
after the ,torrid  ,zone was soak'd with

 ,waters by the ,issues of the ,rivers1 
no more ,waters  or ,vapours were drawn 
from it then1 than were before1 or      
consequently no  less from the ,abyss4  
,for when the middle ,parts of the      
,earth had drunk in  those ,waters1 the 
,force of the ,sun would be less upon   
the ,abyss through  those ,parts1 and   
the ,vapours would be more and greater  
from them1 than  before when they were  
drier1 and in the same ,proportion they 
needed less  ,supplies from the ,abyss4 
,,chap4 ,,vi4                           
,concerning the ,figure of the ,earth4  
,i ,deferr'd the ,consideration of this 
,chapter to the last1 because ,i        
thought it of a more general ,concern1  
and might deserve a fuller              
,disquisition4 ',tis now1 you know1     
become a common ,controversy or         
,enquiry1 what the ,figure of the ,earth
 is4 ,many think it not truly           
,spherical1 as it was imagin'd formerly1
 but a ,spheroid1 either oblong or      
oblate2 that is1 either extended in     

,length toward the ,poles1 like an      
oval2 or1 on the contrary1 swelling in  
,breadth under the ,equator1 and so     
shorter than a just ,sphere betwixt     
,pole and ,pole1 and broader in the     
middle ,parts4 ',tis true1 the ,theorist
 is not directly concern'd in this      
,controversy1 because he does not in the
 ,theory affirm the present  ,earth to  
be oblong or oval1 not knowing what     
,change might be made at its            
,dissolution4 ,however1 it may be worth 
the while to enquire what  ,arguments   
are bought1 either from ,causes or      
,effects1 to determine the  ,figure of  
the ,earth1 whether past or present4    
',tis easy indeed by ,observation to    
determine1 that the ,earth is a convex  
,body1 not plain1 as the ,epicureans    
fansied2 and convex on all ,sides1  and 
therefore in some sort orbicular2 but   
whether it be truly spherical1  those   
common ,observations will not determine4
 ,the ,theorist nam'd and  pointed at   
such ,observations1 as he thought would 

be most likely to  discover the precise 
,figure of the ,earth3 ,as to observe1  
for ,instance1  whether the ,extent of a
 ,degree was the same all the ,earth    
over1 in  different ,latitudes1 or at   
different ,distances from the ,equator4 
,then to  observe whether the ,shade of 
the ,earth in a total ,eclipse of the   
,moon be  truly round1 or any other ways
 irregular4 ,and also to observe1 if    
towards the ,poles1 the ,return of the  
,sun into their ,horizon1 be  according 
to the ,rules of a spherical ,surface of
 the ,earth4 ,let us  consider these    
separately1 as to the present ,earth4   
,as to the ,measure of a ,degree in     
different ,latitudes1 we find that      
,authors are not all of the same ,mind4 
,some will have them unequal1 and  in   
such a manner1 according to their       
,distance from the ,equator1 as from    
that to infer1 that the ,earth is       
oblong4 ,this ,examiner takes ,notice of
  ,dr4 ,eisensmidius1 as one that hath  
made that ,observation1 and that        

,inference from it1 and gives him very  
rude ,words upon that occasion1  making 
him a ,man of prodigious ,stupidity1 and
 ,crackpot1 p4 #adj1 and  one that did  
not understand the first six ,elements  
of ,euclid1 or indeed  those of common  
,sense1 p4 #adc4 ,whatsoever this       
,professor was1 he was  not the first   
that made that ,observation and         
,inference4 ,for another                
,mathematician1 better known1 had made  
the same1 some time before him3 ,i  mean
 ,milliet ,deschales1 in his general    
,principles of ,geography1 ,fr4  l4 #a4 
propos4 #bi4 ,but1 'tis true1 he says1  
this ,conjecture of his1 that  the      
,figure of the ,earth is oval or        
ecliptick1 would not be well  grounded1 
if the ,shade of the ,earth in ,lunar   
,eclipses was found to be  always       
perfectly round2 of which we shall have 
occasion to speak  hereafter4 ,for this1
 which he makes a ,scruple against his  
own ,opinion1  is by others made an     
,occasion of suspecting that the ,earth 

is really  ,oval4 ,but we must also     
acknowledge1 that the same ,deschales in
 his  ,latin ,works does not own the    
,observation1 but owns the ,inference1  
which is that the ,examiner quarrels    
with4 ,he owns it1 ,i say1 in these     
,words1#bg ,si figura terr esset ovalis1
 plura milliaria decurrena  essent      
versus quinoctialem ad inveniendum in   
elevatione poli mutationem  unius grads 
qum versus polos4 ,and he gives this    
,reason1 ,qui ovalis  figura prope      
vertices minorem sphram imitatur3 versus
 quinoctialem  autem in majorem sphram  
degenerat4 ,and again1 having taken     
,notice of  the various ,computations of
 a ,degree upon the ,earth1 he          
subjoins#bh1  ,hc observationum         
discrepantia nonnullis suspicionem      
fecit1 ,tellurem  non omnin sphricam    
esse1 sed sphroidem ellipticam1 ita ut  
versus  polos in minorem circulum       
abiret4 ,sed opus est pluribus          
observationibus  adid persuadendum4 ,the
 ,theorist did not assert either the    

,observation  to be true or the         
,inference1 but mark'd it as an         
,observation that  deserv'd to be       
enquir'd into1 in order to determine the
 ,figure of the  ,earth4 ,for it seems  
apparent1 that if the ,body of the      
,earth be oblong or  oblate1 the ,extent
 of a ,degree will not be really the    
same as if it was  truly spherical4     
,neither do ,i know any single          
,observation that would  give us more   
,light1 or better help us to discover   
what the ,configuration  of the ,earth  
is1 than the ,measure of a ,degree      
exactly taken in different  ,latitudes4 
,i happened lately to be in ,company    
with a learned ,gentleman1 and amongst  
other ,things that fell into ,discourse1
 ,i ask'd his ,opinion1 what            
,inequality there would be in the       
,degrees of the ,earth1 in case it was  
oval1 and where it would fall2 whether  
they would be greater towards the       
,poles1 or towards the ,equator4 ,we    
were suddenly interrupted by the  coming

 in of new ,company1 but he said he     
would send me his ,thoughts upon  a     
little ,reflection2 and accordingly1    
after a few ,days he was pleased to     
send me this ,letter4        ,,sir1     
,illustration3 ,a ,circle1 with various 
,points marked4        ,having now some 
,leisure 7the ,elections for            
,parliament1 wherein ,i had      any    
,concern1 being over7 ,i have here sent 
you my ,thoughts on a      ,subject we  
lately discours'd of at ,kensington4    
,whether in case the      ,earth is a   
long ,spheroid1 the ,degrees of         
,latitude would be greater      near the
 ,equator1 or near the ,poles4 ,i       
conceive they would be      greater near
 the ,equator4 ,let the ,ellipsis       
,,bdcf4 represent the      ,earth1 draw 
the ,line gp4 which may be a ,tangent to
 the ,ellipsis1      and likewise       
meeting with the ,axis ,,bc1 and its    
,transverse ,,fd      7after they are   
produc'd7 make the ,triangle g,ap an    
,isosceles1 and      consequently the   

,angles at the ,base ,agp1 ,apg each #de
 ,degrees4 ,i      say ,,hc will measure
 the #de ,degrees of ,latitude near the 
,pole1 and      ,,dh 7which by          
,inspection without farther             
,demonstration is evidently      bigger7
 those near the ,equator4 7,i ought to  
have premis'd that ,b      and ,c       
represent the ,poles47 ,it is plain the 
,inhabitants at ,h      will be in the  
,latitude of #de ,degrees1 by reason    
their horizontal      ,plane gp is by   
,construction #de ,degrees distant to   
the ,horizon of      the ,inhabitants   
under the ,line at ,d1 which lies       
parallel to the      ,axis ,,bc4        
,if the ,earth be a broad ,spheroid1 ,d 
and ,f representing the      ,poles1    
then by the same ,method of ,reasoning1 
the ,degrees of ,latitude      will be  
greatest near the ,poles3 ,but as the   
longest and shortest      ,diameter of  
the ,earth has in no wise so great a    
,disproportion as in      their ,figure 
7their ,difference not exceeding the two

 hundredth ,part      at most7 the      
,inequality of the ,degrees of ,latitude
 will be      proportionally less2 but  
in all ,cases1 the long ,spheroid makes 
the      ,degrees greatest near the     
,equator2 and the broad ,spheroid those 
greatest near the ,poles4 ,i hope in a  
,fortnight to have the                  
,satisfaction of seeing you in ,london1 
and remain1        ,sir1 ,your most     
,humble ,servant4    ,the ,examiner     
would do well to consider this1 lest all
 the reproachful  ,characters he casts  
upon ,eisensmidius1 should recoil upon  
himself4  ',tis ,prudence1 as well as   
good ,manners not to be fierce and      
vehement in  ,censures1 for fear of a   
,mistake1 and a ,blackblow4 ,however1   
the pretended  ,demonstration which this
 ,examiner brings to prove1 that1 in    
case the  ,earth was oblong1 the        
,degrees would be greater toward the    
,poles1 does  not affect ,eisensmidius1 
for it proceeds upon a ,supposition     
which that  ,author does not allow2     

namely1 that the ,vertical ,lines1 or   
the ,lines of  ,gravity are to be drawn 
directly to the ,center of the ,earth3  
,whereas  ,eisensmidius supposes they   
ought to be drawn at right ,angles1 to  
the  ,tangent of each respective        
,horizon1 and would not in all ,figures 
lead  directly to the ,center4 ,however1
 we do not wonder that he is so rude to 
,strangers1 seeing he bears so hard in  
other places1 upon some of our own      
learned ,countrymen4    ,we proceed now 
to the ,theorist's second ,observation1 
about ,lunar  ,eclipses and the ,shade  
of the ,earth4 ,this ,shade is generally
 presumed to  be exactly round1 as the  
,section of a ,cone3 ,and yet the best  
,astronomers  have doubted of it1 and   
some upon that ,occasion have doubted of
 the  ,figure of the ,earth4 ,kepler#bi 
in an ,observation of a ,lunar total    
,eclipse1 not finding the ,shade of the 
,earth perfectly round1 but rather      
oblong1 ut ejus dimetiens  ,zona        
,torrida consurgentis sit minor         

dimetiente ejus  ,polis ,terr surgentis1
 suspects that the ,figure of  the      
,earth was so too4 ,and that we must    
conclude it to be so from this          
,observation1 if there was not some     
,obliquity in the ,rays of the ,sun1    
whereof he shews no ,cause or ,occasion4
 ,si retinenda esset1 inquit1  rectitudo
 radiorum1 ,globus ipse ,terr fiet      
oviformis1 diametro per ,polos          
longiore4 ,and a like ,observation to   
this he cites from ,tycho ,brah1  in a  
central1 or next to central ,eclipse of 
the ,moon4 ,these two great             
,astronomers1 it seems1 did not find the
 ,shade of the ,earth to be justly      
conical2 and thereby take away the      
,reason or lessen the ,doubt1 which     
hindered ,m4 ,deschales from concluding 
7upon another ,observation7 the  ,figure
 of the ,earth to be oval4    ,the third
 ,observation of the ,theorist remains1 
which is about the ,return  of the ,sun 
unto the polar ,parts of the ,earth1    
whether that be according  to the ,rules

 of a spherical ,surface4 ,the          
,observations that have been  made      
hitherto in the ,northern ,climates     
about the ,return of the ,sun to  them1 
make it quicker than will easily consist
 with a spherical ,figure  of the       
,earth2 much less are they favourable to
 a gibbous ,form3 ,for that  ,gibbosity 
under the ,equator must needs hinder the
 ,appearance and  ,discovery of the ,sun
 in the respective polar ,parts1 more   
than a  spherical ,figure would do4 ,now
 it hath been observ'd in ,nova ,zembla1
  that the returning ,sun appear'd to   
them seventeen ,days sooner than they   
expected1 according to the ,rules of    
,astronomy1 the ,earth being supposed   
truly spherical2 and this may be thought
 an ,argument that the ,earth is  rather
 depress'd in its middle ,parts4 ,i     
leave the ,matter to farther            
,examination4 ,i know 'tis usually      
imputed to ,refractions1 but that is    
upon the ,presumption that the ,earth is
 justly spherical2 and a better  ,answer

 7upon that ,supposition7 ,i think      
cannot be found4 ,though1 ,i think1  it 
will not be easy in that ,way1 and upon 
that ,solution to make all the          
,phnomena agree1 or to shew that the    
,refractions could make so great a      
,difference4 ,however1 this is no       
improper ,topick to be consider'd in    
reference to the ,determination of the  
,figure of the ,earth1 and for that     
purpose it was noted by the ,theorist4  
,we have now done with that side of the 
,question1 that respects the  oblong    
,figure of the ,earth1 and it remains to
 consider the other ,part2 ,i  mean the 
,opinion of those that make the ,earth  
protuberant about the  ,equator1 or an  
oblate ,spheroid4 ,this the learned     
,monsieur ,hugens#cj  thinks may be     
prov'd by ,experiments made about the   
different ,vibrations  of ,pendulums in 
different ,latitudes of the ,earth4     
',tis found1 he says1  by ,experience   
that a ,pendulum near the ,equator1     
makes its ,vibrations  slower than      

another of the same ,length1 farther    
from the ,equator2 and  gives an        
,instance of it from an ,experiment made
 at ,caiene in ,america  7which is four 
or five ,degrees from the ,equator7     
compar'd with another  made at ,paris4  
,from this ,trial he concludes1 first1  
that the  ,gravitation is less under and
 near the ,equator than towards the     
,poles1  according to their several     
,degrees of ,latitude4 ,then he infers1 
by  ,consequence1 that the ,land and the
 ,sea are higher towards the ,equator1  
than towards the ,poles4 ,and in        
,conclusion1 that the ,figure of the    
,earth  is protuberant and gibbous in   
the ,middle1 and more flatted1 or of a  
shorter ,diameter betwixt ,pole and     
,pole4    ,in this ,conclusion1 you see1
 there are several ,things to be        
considered  according to the ,premisses4
 ,first1 ,matter of ,fact1 concerning   
the  ,inequality of ,vibrations in equal
 ,pendulums1 according to their         
different ,latitudes2 then the following

 ,inferences made from that             
,inequality4 ,as to the ,matter of      
,fact1 ,monsieur ,hugens seems to be    
doubtful himself3 ,he does not vouch it 
from his own ,experience1 but he  takes 
it from the ,report of ,monsieur        
,richer2 whose ,person or ,character  ,i
 do not know1 nor whether his ,relation 
be extant in ,print4 ,however1          
,monsieur ,hugens speaks dubiously of   
the ,experiment1 as such an one  whereof
 we ought to expect farther             
,confirmation4 ,for he says#ca1 we      
cannot trust entirely to this first     
,observation1 whereof we have not any   
,circumstance noted to us2 and still    
less to those that are said to be  made 
at ,guadeloupe1 7at a greater           
,latitude17 where the ,pendule is said  
to be shorter by two ,lines than that at
 ,paris4#cb ,we must expect to be  more 
justly inform'd of these different      
,lengths of ,pendules1 as well  under   
the ,line as in other ,climates4 ,and he
 refers us to a farther  ,trial by his  

,clocks1 rectified for a second ,voyage1
 whereof ,i have yet  heard no ,report4 
,if ,matter of ,fact be dubious1 or     
,experiments  discordant1 we cannot be  
assur'd of the ,conclusion4 ,it were to 
be  wish'd1 that this different         
,gravitation in different ,latitudes1   
might be  prov'd by other ,experiments  
than that of the ,pendulum4 ,methinks1  
in  ponderous ,bodies1 this ,difference 
might become sensible3 ,not indeed by a 
,balance or ,scales1 for the supposed   
,decrease of ,gravity would have the    
same ,effect upon the ,counterpoise as  
upon the ,body weighed2 but by other    
,powers that do not depend immediately  
upon ,gravity1 as ,springs1 or any      
other ,engines1 or by ,rarefactions1 or 
whatsoever hath the ,force to  raise1   
sustain1 or remove ponderous ,bodies4   
,for such ,powers have a less  ,effect  
with us than near the ,equator1 where   
the ,gravitation of ,bodies  that make  
the ,counterpoise1 is supposed to be    
much lessen'd4 ,neither do  ,i know if  

they have try'd the ,barometer1 whether 
that will discover any  such ,elevation1
 at1 or near the ,equator2 the ,mercury 
sinking there much  lower than with us1 
or indeed to nothing1 if the ,height be 
comparatively  so great as is supposed4 
,it seems strange1 that the ,difference 
of  seventeen ,miles 7call it little1 or
 call it great1 compar'd with the       
,semidiameter of the ,earth7 should have
 a sensible ,effect upon ,pendulums  and
 upon nothing else4    ,methinks1 that  
,height of the ,equator should make a   
different ,horizon 7as  to the ,heavens1
 or the ,earth1 and ,sea7 ,east and     
,west1 from ,north and  ,south2 the     
,figure of the ,earth being a ,sphere   
one way and a ,spheroid in  the other4  
,the ,sea also must be a prodigious     
,depth at the ,equator2  deeper by      
seventeen ,miles1 than at or near the   
,poles4 ,i would gladly  know what      
,experience there is of this4 ,then in  
reference to our  ,rivers1 how swift and
 rapid1 upon this ,hypothesis1 must the 

,rivers  be that rise at or near the    
,equator1 or how slow the ,motion of    
those  that ascend towards it1 if at all
 they can be supposed to climb so great 
an ,hill4 ,the great ,river of the      
,amazons1 in ,southern ,america1 is in  
some ,parts of it four or five ,degrees 
from the ,equator1 others say much      
more2 yet runs up to the ,equator with  
that vast load of ,water1 and  throws it
 self there into the ,ocean4 ,in the    
,northern ,america1 ,rio  ,negro is     
represented to us1 as having a longer   
,course against the bent  of the ,earth1
 and crossing the ,equator1 falls down  
,southward several  ,degrees3 ,so the   
,nile in ,africa crosses the ,line1 and 
hath a long  ,course on this side of it4
 ,rivers do not rise higher by a natural
  ,course than their ,fountain's ,head1 
and ,hydrographers usually assign two   
,foot1 or two ,foot and an half in a    
,mile for the ,descent of ,rivers1 but  
upon this ,hypothesis there will be     
fourteen or fifteen ,foot 7in respect   

of the ,center of the ,earth7 for every 
,mile1 in ,rivers descending from  the  
,equator2 which is a ,precipitation     
rather than a navigable ,stream4        
,suppose a ,canal cut from the ,equator 
to the ,pole1 'twould be a ,paradox  to 
say the ,water would not flow in this   
,chanel1 nor descend towards the  ,pole1
 having fourteen or fifteen ,foot       
,descent for every ,mile1 according  to 
your ,figure of the ,earth3 ,and also it
 would be as great or a greater         
,paradox1 to suppose that ,rivers would 
rise to the ,equator1 and with the  same
 ,celerity 7as we see they do7 upon an  
,ascent of so many ,feet4 ,and  after   
all1 to conclude the ,argument1 if this 
,difference of ,pendulums be  found1 it 
will still bear a ,dispute from what    
physical ,causes that  ,difference      
proceeds4    ,thus far we have          
considered what ,arguments have been    
brought for the  oblate ,figure of the  
,earth from ,effects2 and have noted    
such  ,observations to be made1 as we   

thought might be useful for ,discovery  
of  ,truth1 on what side soever it may  
fall4 ,we are now to consider an        
,argument taken from the ,causes1 and   
brought by these ,authors to prove  the 
same spheroidical ,figure of the ,globe4
 ,to this purpose they observe1  as is  
obvious and reasonable1 that in the     
diurnal ,motion of the ,earth1  the     
middle ,parts about the ,equator 7where 
the ,circles are greatest1 and          
consequently the ,motion swiftest7 would
 fly off with a greater ,force1  and so 
rise higher than the other ,parts that  
were mov'd in lesser  ,circles in the   
same time1 and would have less ,force to
 remove themselves  from the ,center of 
their ,motion4 ,this is agreed on all   
,hands1 and was  own'd by the ,theorist 
in a fluid ,globe turn'd about its      
,axis1 in case  there was no ,impediment
 to hinder the rising or recession of   
those  middle ,parts4 ,but before we    
speak to that1 on both sides you see it 
must  be suppos'd and granted1 that the 

,globe of the ,earth was once fluid1 or 
the exterior ,orb of it2 and we ought to
 consider when1 or at what ,time  this  
was4 ,it must have been surely at the   
first ,formation of the ,earth1  when it
 rose from a ,chaos1 and before its     
,parts were consolidated and  grown     
hard4 ,supposing then that the interior 
,orb of the ,earth was once  cover'd    
over with an ,orb of ,water1 the        
,question will be1 how this ,orb of     
,water came to be cover'd with dry      
,land1 or came to be divided into ,land 
and ,water1 as it is now4               
,illustration3 ,a3 ,the ,earth1 covered 
with ,water4    ,illustration3 ,b3 ,the 
,earth1 as it is now4    ,let 7,a7      
represent an ,hemisphere of the ,earth1 
in its first ,state1 when  covered with 
,water2 and 7,b7 the same ,hemisphere as
 it is now4 ,this  ,author must tell us1
 consistently with his ,hypothesis1 how 
the ,earth  could pass out of one of    
these ,states into the other1 without   
passing  through some intermediate      

,state2 or how this ,change was made in 
its  ,surface1 from what ,causes1 and in
 what manner4 ,if the first ,earth was a
  ,concretion upon the ,face of the     
,waters1 then indeed it would have the  
same ,figure with the watery ,globe     
under it2 but if it was from the        
,beginning in this present ,form firm   
and solid1 as it is now rocky and       
mountainous1 then the ,question is1 how 
the ,parts or ,regions of the  ,earth   
about the ,equator could be raised above
 a spherical ,figure1 or  into an oblate
 ,spheroid1 as they say the ,earth is   
now4 ,i take it for  granted1 that they 
suppose the ,land raised as well as the 
,water2 for  otherwise the ,ocean would 
overflow at those ,parts of the ,earth4 
,suppose  then the ,waters raised by the
 ,circumvolution of the ,earth1 how was 
the  ,terra firma rais'd1 or how could  
it be rais'd by that or any such        
,cause8    ,these ,questions are no     
matter of ,difficulty to the ,theorist1 
who  supposes the first ,earth to have  

covered the ,waters1 and to have taken  
their ,shape1 whatsoever it was1 as upon
 a ,mold3 ,then upon its  ,dissolution  
and ,disruption at the ,deluge1 to have 
fallen into that  uneven and            
uninterrupted ,form it hath now4 ,but   
feeling this ,method does  not please   
the ,examiner1 he must tell us how1 upon
 his ,hypothesis1 the  ,land or solid   
,parts of the ,earth could be rais'd    
above a spherical  ,convexity into such 
a gibbous ,figure1 as he supposes them  
now to have  under the ,equator4        
,monsieur ,hugens#cc makes this broad   
,spheroid of the ,earth to have  been   
the ,effect of ,gravity in the          
,formation of the ,earth2 the ,matter   
whereof being then turned round1 it     
would1 as he thinks1 be brought to      
settle in this oblate ,figure4 ,very    
well6 ,but this must be in its very     
first ,concretion from a ,chaos1 before 
it was fix'd and compact as it is  now2 
for the ,rotation of the ,earth could   
have no such effect upon it  after it   

was hard4 ,now if you admit the exterior
 ,globe of the ,earth1 to  have been in 
such a ,state betwixt ,fixtness and     
,fluidity1 it will lead us  directly to 
the ,theorist's ,hypothesis1 which      
supposes a soft and tender  ,concretion 
at first1 over all the ,face of the     
,waters4 ,i say1 over all  the ,face of 
the ,waters3 ,for it must be universal2 
both because there is  no ,reason why   
these earthy ,particles that made the   
,concretion1 should  not fall upon one  
,part of the ,globe1 as well as upon    
another2 and also  if they did not fall 
upon the ,equinoctial ,parts1 how came  
there to be  ,land in that part1 or that
 ,land rais'd higher than the rest1 as  
this  ,hypothesis will have it8    ,in  
these ,remarks upon the protuberant     
,figure of the ,earth1 you see it is    
allow'd1 that there would be a greater  
,tendency from the ,center in the       
middle ,parts of the ,globe1 and the    
,waters would rise there1 if there was  
no ,impediment4 ,but the ,theorist did  

believe that the ,vortex1 or            
circumfluent ,orb was streighter1 or of 
a shorter ,diameter there than  through 
the ,poles2 and consequently the ,waters
 having less room to  dilate1 would be  
press'd and detruded towards the ,poles4
 ,these ,authors1  it may be1 will allow
 no ,vortices to the ,planets2 but then 
they must  assign some other sufficient 
,cause to carry the ,planets in their   
periodical ,motions 7and with the same  
,velocity for innumerable ,ages7  about 
their common ,center2 and the ,secondary
 about their ,primary3 ,as  also what   
gives them their diurnal ,rotation1 and 
the different ,position  of their ,axes4
 ,neither would it be easy to conceive1 
how a great ,mass of  fluid and volatile
 ,matter1 having no ,current1 or        
,determination any one  way1 and being  
often check'd in its progressive        
,motion1 should not fall  into circular 
,motions1 or into ,vortices of one sort 
or other2 especially  if you place in   
this ,mass some great solid ,bodies     

turned about their  ,axes4    ,these are
 more general ,problems2 and when they  
are determin'd with  ,certainty1 we     
shall better judge of the ,particulars  
that depend upon  them4 ,but ,i say     
still1 that neither ,figure of the      
,earth1 oblong or  oblate1 can be prov'd
 from the ,rotation of the ,earth and   
its ,gravity1  without supposing the    
,globe form'd into that ,shape before it
 came to be  harden'd1 before it came to
 be loaded and stiffen'd by ,rocks and  
stony  ,mountains4 ,therefore upon both 
,hypotheses it must be allow'd1 that    
there  was such a ,time1 such a ,state  
of the ,earth1 when its tender ,orb was 
capable of those ,impressions and       
,modifications2 and that ,orb must have 
lain above the ,waters1 not under them1 
nor radicated to the ,bottom of  them1  
for then such ,cause could not have had 
such an ,effect upon it4 ,and  in the   
last place1 this ,concretion upon the   
,waters must have been  throughout all  
the ,parts of the ,earth1 or all the    

,parts of the ,land  which are now      
rais'd above a spherical ,surface2 and  
no reason can be  given1 as we noted    
before1 why the rest should not be      
cover'd as well as  those4 ,so that in  
effect both the ,hypotheses suppose that
 all the watery  ,globe was at first    
cover'd with an earthy ,concretion4     
,now this being admitted1 you have      
confirm'd the main ,point of the        
,theory3 ,namely1 that the ,abyss was   
once1 or at first cover'd with a        
terrestrial ,concretion1 or an ,orb of  
,earth4 ,grant this1 and we'll  compound
 for the rest1 let the ,earth at present
 be of what ,figure it  will3 ,if there 
was such an original ,earth that cover'd
 the ,waters1 both  the ,form and       
,equilibration of the ,earth may easily 
appear1 and how by a  ,dissolution of it
 a ,deluge might arise4 ,but as to the  
present ,earth1 the  ,theorist never    
affirm'd that its ,figure was oval1 but 
he#cd noted such  ,observations made or 
to be made1 as he thought might be      

proper to  determine its ,figure1 and   
still desires that they may be pursued4 
,he  added also1 that he would be glad  
to receive any new ones1 that would     
demonstrate the precise ,figure of the  
,earth4 ,and accordingly1 he is  willing
 to consider in this ,particular and all
 others1 the ,arguments and  ,remarks of
 such eminent ,authors1 as have lately  
given a new ,light to the  ,system of   
the ,world4    ,this may suffice to have
 spoken in general concerning these two 
spheroidical ,figures of the ,earth4 ,we
 must now consider what particular      
,objections are made by the ,examiner   
against its oval ,figure4 ,he says1  p4 
#ajc1 #ajd1 c4 admitting the oval       
,figure of that first ,earth1 it  would 
not be capable however1 to give a       
,course to the ,rivers from the  polar  
,parts1 towards the ,equinoctial4 ,and  
his ,reason is this2 because  the same  
,causes which cast the ,abyss or the    
,ocean towards the ,poles1  would also  
keep the ,rivers from descending from   

the ,poles3 ,but there is  no ,parity of
 ,reason betwixt the ,abyss or the      
,ocean1 and the ,rivers4 ,we  see in the
 ,flux and ,reflux of the ,ocean1 let   
the ,cause of it be what it  will1 it   
hath not that ,effect upon ,rivers1 nor 
upon ,lakes1 nor upon  lesser ,seas2 yet
 the ,circum-rotation of the ,earth     
continues the same4  ,and his           
confounding the ,ocean and ,rivers in   
the ante-diluvian ,earth is  so much the
 worse1 seeing there never was an ,ocean
 and ,rivers together  in that ,earth4  
,while there was an open ,ocean1 there  
were no ,rivers1 and  when there were   
,rivers1 there was no open ,ocean1 but  
an inclos'd ,abyss3  ,so though he makes
 large ,transcripts there and elsewhere 
out of the  ,theory1 he does not seem   
always to have well digested the ,method
 of it4    ,after this ,objection1 the  
,examiner charges the ,theorist with    
want of  ,skill in ,logick2 but his     
,charge is grounded upon another        
,misunderstanding or ,misrepresentation4

 ,he pretends there1 p4 #ajg4 that  the 
,theorist hath made such a              
,ratiocination as this4 ,all ,bodies by 
reason of the ,earth's diurnal          
,rotation1 do endeavour to recede from  
the  ,axis of their ,motion2 but by     
reason of the ,pressure of the ,air1 and
 the  ,streightness of the ,orb1 they   
cannot recede from the ,axis of their   
,motion1 therefore they will move       
towards the ,poles1 where they will come
  nearer to the ,axis of their ,motion4 
,these are the ,examiner's ,words in    
that ,place1 where he says he will put  
the ,theorist's ,reasoning in other     
,words3 ,but ,i do not like that        
,method1 unless the ,examiner were a    
more  judicious or faithful ,paraphrast 
than he seems to be3 ,let every one be  
tried by their own ,words1 and if there 
be any false ,logick or ,nonsense  in   
the forecited ,words of the ,examiner1  
let it fall upon their ,author4  ,the   
,theorist said#ce1 that ,bodies1 by     
reason of the ,earth's ,motion did1     

conari  centro sur mots receder3 ,these 
,words this ,translator  renders1       
endeavour to recede from the ,axis of   
their ,motion2 and by  changing the     
,word ,center into ,axis 7whether       
carelesly or wilfully ,i  know not7 of  
plain ,sense he hath made ,nonsense2 and
 then makes this  ,conclusion1 p4 #ajh4 
7which follows indeed from his own      
,words1 but not  from those of the      
,theorist7 because all ,bodies do       
endeavour to recede  from the ,axis of  
their ,motion1 therefore they will      
endeavour to go to  the ,axis of their  
,motion4    ,the ,theorist's            
,argumentation was plainly this3 ,seeing
 in the ,rotation of  the ,earth1       
,bodies tend from the ,center of their  
,motion1 if they meet  with an          
,impediment there1 they will move       
laterally in the next easiest  and      
openest way2 and therefore the ,waters  
under the ,equator being  stopp'd in    
their first ,tendency1 would divert     
towards the ,poles2  wherein1 ,i think1 

there is no false ,logick4 ,that there  
was no ,impediment  there1 he must prove
 by other ,arguments than his own       
,dictates or bare  ,assertion1 which    
will not pass for a ,proof4    ,he      
proceeds now to discourse of the        
centrifugal ,force and the ,effects of  
it1 together with ,gravity3 ,but he     
should have given us a better ,notion   
of the centrifugal ,force1 than what he 
sets down there2 for he says 7p4  #aaj4 
l4 #bd47 ,a centrifugal ,force1 is that 
,force by which a ,body is  drawn       
towards the ,center3 ,this is a strange 
,signification of that ,word4  ,and in  
the next ,page 7p4 #aaa4 l4 #bb47 he    
says1 by this centrifugal  ,force1      
,bodies endeavour to recede from the    
,center of their ,motion2  which is     
true1 but contrary to what he said just 
before4 ,i think 'tis  ,gravity1 not    
centrifugal ,force1 that brings ,bodies 
towards the ,center4    ,but to pass by 
this ,contradiction1 and to proceed3    
,what he says1 from  others1 about the  

,proportions of the centrifugal ,force  
and ,gravity in  ,bodies turn'd round1  
and particularly in ,fluids1 how they   
would fly off  more or less1 according  
to the ,circles of their ,motion1 was   
always 7as  hath been mention'd before7 
suppos'd and allow'd by the ,theorist1  
if  there was no ,restraint or ,pressure
 upon one ,part more than another of    
the fluid ,globe3 ,so that he might have
 spared here six or seven ,pages4    ,in
 like manner1 he might have spar'd what 
he hath transcrib'd in his  following   
,pages from those excellent ,authors we 
referr'd to before1  about calculating  
the ,diminutions of ,gravity made by the
 centrifugal  ,force1 in different      
,latitudes2 with other such ,excursions4
 ,these1 ,i say1  might have been       
spar'd1 as needless upon this ,occasion1
 or to the  ,confutation of the ,theory1
 till the principal ,point1 upon which  
they  depend1 be better prov'd4 ,i made 
bold to say1 they were transcrib'd from 
those ,authors1 as any one may see that 

pleases to consult the ,originals1      
,newt4 ,philos4 ,nat4 ,princ4 ,math4 l4 
#c4 prop4 #ah1 #ai1 #bj4 ,hugens        
,discour4 de la cause de la ,pesanteur1 
p4 #adg1 #adh1 c4 ,and this  ,french    
,discourse of ,monsieur ,hugens1 he hath
 not so much as once  nam'd1 though he  
hath taken so much from it4 ,and after  
all1 when these  ,things are determin'd 
in ,speculation1 it will still be a     
,question what  the true physical       
,causes of them are4    ,at last1 for a 
farther ,confirmation of the broad      
spheroidical ,figure of  the ,earth1 he 
adds an ,observation from the ,planet   
,jupiter1 which is  found to be of such 
a ,figure4 ,and therefore1 he says1 p4  
#acg1 #ach4  ,we need not doubt1 but    
that the ,earth1 which is a ,planet like
 the rest1  and turns round its ,axis1  
as they do1 is of the same ,figure4 ,he 
might  as well conclude1 that every     
,planet1 as well as the ,earth1 is of   
the  same ,figure4 ,and what ,reason can
 he give1 why all the ,planets that have

  a ,rotation upon their ,axis1 are not 
broad ,spheroids1 as well as those  two 
which he supposes to be so8 ,if that be 
a sufficient ,cause1 and be  found in   
other ,planets as well as those1 why    
hath it not the same  ,effect8 ,or he   
might as well conclude1 that the ,earth 
hath a perpetual  ,equinox1 because     
,jupiter hath so4 ,this is the same     
,fault which he hath  so often          
committed1 of measuring all the ,works  
of ,god by one or two4 ,if  a ,man was  
transported into the ,moon1 the nearest 
,planet2 or into  ,mercury that is so   
near the ,sun1 or into ,saturn1 7or any 
of his  ,satellites7 that is so remote  
from it2 would he not find1 think you1 a
  much different ,face and ,state of    
those ,planets1 from what we have upon  
this ,earth8 ,inhabitants of a different
 ,constitution1 the ,furniture of  every
 ,world different1 ,animals1 ,plants1   
,waters1 and other inanimate  ,things3  
,as also different ,vicissitudes of     
,days and ,nights1 and the  ,seasons of 

the ,year2 according to their different 
,positions1 ,revolutions  and ,forms8   
,therefore not without ,reason we noted 
before1 how much the  ,narrowness of    
some ,mens ,spirits1 ,thoughts and      
,observations1 confine them  to a       
particular ,pattern and ,model1 nor     
considering the infinite ,variety  of   
the divine ,works1 whereof we are not   
competent ,judges4    ,now comes in his 
rude ,censure of ,dr4 ,eisensmidius1    
both for his  ,mathematicks and bad     
,logick1 or want of common ,sense2 but  
to this we  have spoken before4 ,he     
also1 in the same ,paragraph1 p4 #adb4  
wonders at  the ,theorist's strange     
,logick1 to make the centrifugal ,force 
of ,bodies  upon the ,earth1 to be the  
,cause of its oblong ,figure4 ,that     
indeed would  be strange ,logick if it  
was made the proximate ,cause of it4    
,but that is  not the ,theorists's      
,logick but the ,examiner's1 as it is   
distorted and  misrepresented by him4   
,the ,theorist suppos'd the ,pressure of

 that ,tumour  of the ,waters1          
occasion'd by the centrifugal ,force 7as
 its original  ,cause7 to be the        
immediate ,cause of the oblong ,figure  
of the ,earth2 and  that ,pressure      
suppos'd1 there is nothing illogical in 
the ,inference4 ,he  had formerly taken 
,notice1 p4 #aja1 #ajc4 of this ,reason1
 from the  ,streightness of the ,orb in 
that ,part1 when he gave the ,theorist's
  ,account of that ,figure2 but he      
thought fit to forget it now1 that his  
,charge might not appear lame4    ,this1
 ,sir1 is a short ,account of this      
,author's ,objections2 but there are    
some ,things so often repeated by him1  
that we are forc'd to take ,notice  of  
them more than once2 as that about      
,miracles and final ,causes4 ,he  truly 
notes1 p4 #ca4 that to be a much easier 
and shorter ,way of  giving an account  
of the ,deluge1 or other ,revolutions of
 ,nature3 ,but  the ,question is not1   
which is the shortest and easiest ,way1 
but which is  the truest4 ,no ,man in   

his ,senses can question the divine     
,omnipotency1  ,god could do these      
,things purely miraculously1 if he      
pleas'd2 but the  ,thing to be          
consider'd is1 whether1 according to the
 ,methods of  ,providence1 in the       
,changes and ,revolutions of the natural
 ,world1 the  ,course of ,nature and of 
natural ,causes is not made use of so   
far as they  will go4 ,both ,moses and  
,st4 ,peter mention material ,causes1   
but  always including the divine ,word  
and ,superintendency4 ,the ,theorist    
does  not think 7as is sufficiently     
testified in several ,places7 that      
purely  material and mechanical ,causes1
 guided only by the ,laws of ,motion1   
could  form this ,earth1 and the        
,furniture of it2 and does readily      
believe all  ,miracles recorded in ,holy
 ,writ1 or elsewhere1 well grounded3    
,but  ,miracles of our own making or    
imagining1 want ,authority to support   
them4  ,some ,men when they are at a    
loss in the ,progress of their ,work1   

call in  a ,miracle to relieve them in  
their ,distress4 ,you know what hath    
been  noted both by #cf,philosophers and
 others to that purpose4    ,as to final
 ,causes1 the ,contemplation of them is 
very useful to moral  ,purposes1 and of 
great ,satisfaction to the ,mind1 where 
we can attain to  them4 ,but we must not
 pretend to prove a thing to be so or so
 in ,nature1  because we fancy it would 
be better so2 nor deny it to be in such 
a  manner1 because to our ,mind it would
 be better otherwise4 ,almighty ,power  
and ,wisdom1 that have the whole        
,complex and ,composition of the        
,universe  in ,view1 take other         
,measures than we can comprehend or     
account for4 ,even  in this small ,earth
 that we inhabit1 there are several     
,plants and  ,animals1 which to us      
appear useless or noxious1 and yet no   
doubt would  be found proper for this   
,state1 if we had the whole ,prospect   
and ,scheme  of ,providence4 ,as to     
efficient ,causes1 they must be either  

material or  immaterial1 and whatsoever 
is prov'd to be the immediate ,effect of
 an  immaterial ,cause1 is so much the  
more acceptable to the ,theorist1 as it 
argues a ,power above ,matter4 ,but as  
to purely material ,causes1 they must   
be mechanical2 there being no other     
,modes1 or ,powers of ,matter 7at least 
in the ,opinion of the ,theorist7 but   
what are mechanical3 ,and to explain    
,effects by such ,causes1 is properly   
natural ,science4    ,we have taken     
,notice before of this ,author's        
ambiguous use of ,words1  without       
declaring in what ,sense he uses them3  
,and he is no less  ambiguous as to his 
,opinions4 ,when he speaks of the       
,origin and ,formation  of the ,,world1 
he does not tell us what he means by    
that ,word2 whether  the great ,compound
 of the ,universe1 or that small ,part  
only where we  reside4 ,his centrifugal 
,force he interprets in contrary        
,senses1 or in  contrary ,words1 and    
reserves the ,sense to himself4         

,sometimes he speaks  of the ,motion of 
the ,sun1 and sometimes of the ,motion  
of the ,earth1 and  sticks to no        
,system3 ,neither does he tell us what  
he means by the  ,mosaical ,abyss1 or   
,tehom ,rabbah1 which the ,theorist     
supposes to have  been broken up at the 
,deluge4 ,we ought to know in what      
,sense and  ,signification he uses      
,words or ,phrases3 at least if he use  
them in a  different ,sense from that of
 the ,theorist's4    ,i know1 ,sir1 you 
will also take ,notice of his hard      
,words and coarse  ,language1 as1 that's
 false1 that's absurd1 that's           
ridiculous4 ,this1  you will say1 is not
 the usual ,language amongst ,gentlemen2
 but we find  it too usual with some    
,writers1 according to their particular 
,temper and  ,experience in the ,world4 
,for my part1 ,i think ,rudeness or     
,disingenuity  in examining the         
,writings of another ,person1 fall more 
heavy 7in the  ,construction of fair    
,readers7 upon him that uses them1 than 

upon him  that suffers them4 ,i am1     
,,sir1    ,your most humble ,servant1   
,,finis4    ,footnote #bb3      ,engl4  
,theor4 ,chap4 ,,viii4 p4 #aab1 c4      
,footnote #bc3      ,cic4 de ,nat4      
,dict4 l4 #a4    ,footnote #bd3         
,galil4 ,syst4 ,cos4 p4 #acc4 ,hugen4   
,cosmet4 c4 #b4 p4 #aae4    ,footnote   
#be3      ,engl4 p4 #bcj1 c4 ,lat4 p4   
#ajg4    ,footnote #bf3      ,cosmoth4  
p4 #ace4    ,footnote #bg3      l4 s4   
,prop4 #d4    ,footnote #bh3      ,ibid4
 ,prop4 #ef4    ,footnote #bi3          
,ephames4 par4 #b4 ad ,an4 #afbd4       
,footnote #cj3      ,p4 #ade4           
,footnote #ca3      ,disc4 de la        
,pesant4 p4 #adi4    ,footnote #cb3     
,ibid4 p4 #afe4    ,footnote #cc3       
,m4 ,hugens de la ,pesant1 p4 #aeb4 ,il 
est a croire1 que la ,terre a pris      
cette figure1 lors qu' elli a est       
assemblee par l'effect de la            
,pesanteux3 sa matiere sient des        
mouvement circulatoire de #bd heures4   
,footnote #cd3      ,lat4 ,theor4 lib4  

#b4 p4 #ahe4    ,footnote #ce3          
,theor4 l4 #b4 #e4 p4 #ahf4    ,footnote
 #cf3      ,plat4 ,cratyl4 m4 p4 #dbe4  
1       1  4 ,cum rei alicujus engusios1
 ad machines    consugiunt  ,d inducunt4
 ,this is also remark'd and render'd in 
other    ,words by ,tully in ,nat4 ,dor4
 l4 #a4 ,cum explicare argumenti exitum 
non pet1 confugitis ad ,deum4 ,st4      
,austin also speaking about the         
supercelestial ,waters1 hath noted this 
,method1 and reprov'd it1 in    these   
,words1 ,nec quisquam echos refellere1  
ut decat secundum    omnpotentism ,dei  
sunt possibatis nos credere equas etiam 
am era quam    novimus atque sentimus1  
corpori in que sunt sydera1 super sufas3
 ,nunc    enim quam ,deus rerum secundum
 ,scripturam ejus1 nec qu convenit1 non 
solus quad in vel ad misacutum          
omnipotent4 ,you see ,discretion and    
,moderation is to be used in these and  
such like ,matters4                     
,transcriber's ,notes3       ,text that 
was in italics is enclosed by           

underscores 7italics74       ,footnotes 
have been moved to follow the sections  
in which they are        referenced4