The theory of the earth: containing an account of the original of the earth, and of all the general changes which it hath already undergone, or is to undergo, till the consummation of all things. The two first books, concerning the deluge and concerning paradise / [Thomas Burnet].
- Burnet, Thomas, Sir, 1632?-1715?
- Date:
- 1684
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The theory of the earth: containing an account of the original of the earth, and of all the general changes which it hath already undergone, or is to undergo, till the consummation of all things. The two first books, concerning the deluge and concerning paradise / [Thomas Burnet]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![renity, and perpetual Equinox in Paradife 3 which cannot be upon this Earth, not fo much as under the Equinodtial 5 for they have a fort of Winter and Summer there, a courfe of Rains at certain times of the Year, and great inequalities of the Air, as to heat and cold, moifture and drought. They had alfo Lat. Treat. Traditions amongft them, That there was no Rain'from .ib.i.c. 10. ]jeginning 0f World till the Deluge, and that there were no Mountains till the Flood, and luch like 5 Thefe, you fee, point directly at fuch an Earth as we have defcrib'd. And I call thefe Traditions, becaufe we can¬ not find the Original Authors of them 5 The ancient ordinary Glofs ( upon Genefis) which feme make Eight hundred years old, mentions both thefe Opinions, fo does Hiftoria Sc ho la flic a, Alcuinus, Rah anus Maurus, Ly- ranus, and fuch Collectors of Antiquity. Bede alfo relates that of the plainnefs or fmoothnefs of the Ante¬ diluvian Earth. Yet thefe are reported Traditionally, as it were, naming no Authors or Books from whence they were taken 3 Nor can it be imagin'd that they feign'd them themfelves 3 to what end or purpofe ? it ferv'd no intereft 3 or upon what ground ? feeing they had no Theory that could lead them to fuch No¬ tions as thefe, or that could be ftrengthen'd and con¬ firm'd by them. Thofe opinions alio of the Fathers, which we recited in the feventh Chapter, placing Pa¬ radife beyond the Torrid Zone, and making it there¬ by inacceffible, fuit very well to the form, qualities, and bipartition of the Primaeval Earth, and leem to be grounded upon them. Thus, much may ferve for a fhort Survey of the an¬ cient Learning, to give us a reafonable account, why the memory and knowledge of the Primitive Earth ihould be fo much loft out of the World 3 and what we retain of it (fill 3 which would be far more, I do not doubt, if all Manufcnpts were brought to light, that are yet extant in publick or private Libraries. The truth is, one cannot judge with certainty, nei¬ ther what things have been recorded and preferv'd in the monuments of Learning, nor what are ftill 3 not what have been, becaufe fo many of thofe Mo¬ numents are loft : The Alexandrian Library, which](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b3032483x_0316.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
