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

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

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    43/220 (page 17)
    / -י-----יי- — « י-■ . ^..u ·י- Chap.4. Concerning the Conflagration. . ^ ׳ r . ז ״ ] * \ י 'V CHAP. IV. ·׳ - .· ■ '·. ' ז'. ׳ יי’h י י L ' A ·A*Ui . ■ יי Concerning the time of the Conflagration, and the end of the World. What the Aflronomers fay upon this SuhjeSt, and upon what they ground their Calculations5 The true notion of the Great Tear, or of the Platonici Tear, flatei and explained. HAVING, in this Firft SeCtion, laid a lure foundation astci the Subject 0[ our Difcourfe·, the truth and certainty of the Conflagration whereof we are to treat 3 we will now proceed to en- quiie aiter the Time, Caufes, and Manner of it. We are naturally more inquiiitive after the End of the World, and the Time of that Fatal Revolution, than after the Caufes of it: For thefe, we know, are irreiiftible, whenfoever they coqie, and therefore we are only follicitous that they ihould not overtake us, or our near pofterity־ The Romans thought they had the fates of their Empire in the Books of the Sibyls, which were kept by the Magiftrates as a Sacred Treature. _We have alfo our Prophetical Books, more facred and more infallible than theirs, which contain the fate of all the King- doms of the Earth, and of that glorious Kingdom that is to fuc- ceed. And of all futurities, there is none can be of fuch impor- tance to be enquired after, as this laft feene and clofe of all hu- mane affairs. If I thought it poflible to determine the time of the Conflagration from the bare intuition of Natural Caufes, I would not treat of it in this place, but referve it to the lad 5 after we had brought into׳ view all thofe Caufes, weigh’d their force, and examin’d how and when they would concur to produce this great effeCt. But I am fatisfied that the excitation and concourfe of thofe Caufes does not depend upon Nature only ·, and tho* the Caufes may be fufficient when all united, yet the union of diem at fuch a time, and in fuch a manner, I look upon as the effect of a particular Providence: and therefore no forefight of ours, or infpe&ion into Nature can difeover to us the time of this conjuncture. This method therefore of Prediction from Natural Caufes being laid afide as impracticable/ all other methods may be treated of in this place, as being indepen״ dent upon any thing that is to follow in thd Treatife; and it will be an eafe to the Argument to difeharge it of this part, and clear the way by degrees to the principal point, which is, the Caufes and Manner of the Conflagration. Some have thought it a kind of impiety in a Chriftian to enquire after the End of the World 3· becaufe of that check which our Savi- our gave his Difciples, when, after his RefurreCnon, enquiring of him about the time of his Kingdom, He anfwer’d, It is not for you ^ή.τ,ψ to know the times or the feafons, which the Rather hath -put in his exert power. And, before his death, when he was difeourfing of the D Confum״