before the Deluge was not smooth even and uniform but unequal and distinguish'd with Mountains Valleys as also with Seas Lakes and Rivers CHAP. X. Of the constituent parts of the Earth And first of the Volatile part of it or the Central Fire its natural Uses THE Constituent parts of this Terraqueous Globe are reducible to three different Classes of Matter viz. Volatile Fix'd and Fluid and these bear equal proportion one to another and in the Structure of the Earth do occupy the same proportion of place The Volatile Matter consisting of sublimated Sulphur Nitre and Bitumen keeps possession of the Central part and as all Matter of the same kind and affinity which having an appetite to Union naturally affects a round and globular Figure so the Central Fire may be suppos'd to be of the same Form That Figure wherein the Excentral Fire appears is only accidental occasion'd by the compressures of the circumambient Air. That vast subterranean Vault wherein this volatile Globe of Central Fire is contain'd which the Miners call thâ— Belly of the Earth may be suppos'd to be either of a round or circular or of an aequilateral multangular Figure occasion'd by the solid Strata of Stones spreading and vaulting themselves about it The natural Uses of this Central Fire seem to be Analogous to that vital Flame which is seated in the Heâ—rt or Center of all Animals for as that by its Vital heat â—nlivens the whole Body so this Central â—ire by that Vital warmth it disseminates through the whole mass of Matter enlivens it and gives as well to the several Strata of Stones Metals Minerals and other subterranean Earths their degrees of Consolidation as to the several kinds of Ores their different degrees of Purity and Perfection As the Vital Flame does not only cause the Ebullition and Pulsisick Faculty in the Exterior paâ—ts of the Body but also the Circulation of the whole Mass of Blood through all the greater and lesser Veins of it so the Central Fire is as well the cause of the Ebullition of Springs Thermae and Mineral Feeders which break out upon the tops of Mountains and the exterior parts of the Earth as of the constant Circulation of the whole Mass of Subterranean Water through those Dykes Rakes and Fissures which from the Mountains do divide and spread themselves through the whole Body of the Earth and are the greater and lesser Veins of it Again as the Vital Flame gives the tincture and colour to the Blood Flesh and all the Heterogeneous parts of the Body so the Central Fire by the different degrees of concoction and boyling up of Matter gave to the several kinds of it their different Tinctures and Colours this might be illustrated by several Analogous Experiments and Observations as in the boiling of Quincâ—s and other Fruits so likewise in Bâ—king of Bread c. The Central Fire by running a perpetual Round within the Boundaries of its own Infernal Vault carries the Shell of the Earth about with it and is the cause of its Diurnal Motion Lastly It is the Earth's Aequilibrium that keeps it fix'd upon its Center CHAP. XI Of the fixt part of the Earth And first of the Inequalities of its Surface their Natural Causes and Uses THE fixt part of this Terraqueous Globe which we call the Earth may be describ'd either as to its Exterior parts or Interior consistences of it The Exterior parts consist of Mountains Heaths Dales Plains Valleys with the Channel of the Sea The Interior consistences of it are the Strata or Beds of Stones Metals Mines Minerals and Subterranean Earths all lying upon Flats with a Dibb and Rise Or they are Dikes Rakes Riders Veins and Strings either cross-cutting and dividing the several kinds of Stones Metals Mines Minerals c. of a different kind or cross-cutting and dividing those of the same Species as all Metallick Rakes c. Of the Inequalities of the Earths Surface THese Irregularities and Inequalities upon the Superficies of the Earth are occasion'd by the Elevations and Depressions of the solid Strata and these are cau'd either by the greater Dikes which divide one Species of Stones c. from those of a different kind and these greater Dikes make Channels and Water-courses for the greater Rivers which following their windings and turnings till they empty themselves into the Sea cause all those pleasant Dales which at last when the Mountains wear out dilate themselves into spacious Plains and Valleys The lesser Dikes and Joynts which divide the Stones c. of the same kind by throwing them up and down cause all those lesser Hills which as well delight the Eye with a grateful variety of Objects as refrigerate and cherish the whole Body with a more cool clear and wholsome Air. There is not any thing in this Natural World that contributes more towards the making of it Habitable then these inaequalities upon its Surface For First they occasion all these different Kinds and Natures of Soil which produce the several Species of Vegetables suitable to the several Natures of those Animals that feed upon them The Earth's Surface being God's Storehouse wherein is provided Food and Nourishment agreeable to the Nature of every Animal and every living Creature by a Natural Instinct knows its proper Food and Nourishment and when and where to find it They occasion all those different qualities of the Air as Warm Cold Thick Thin Moist and Dry for as God has provided Food suitable to the several Natures to feed on so He has provided Air suitable to their Natures to Breath in Those Inequalities upon the Earth occasion all those Springs Mineral Feeders and Medicinal Waters which break out in Rapid Streams from the Tops of Mountains and the Skirts of lesser Hills so that as God has provided convenient Food for every Animal to feed upon and agreeable Air to breath in He has likewise by causing of Springs to break forth and bubble up at the Foot almost of every Hill provided convenient Water for every Animal to quench its Thirst with Whereas if the Earth had been of an Even and Spherical Supersicies cover'd with one solid Strata or incrusted Cover of Earth I doubt we should have been forc'd to have Digg'd as deep as Dr. Burnet and Dr. Woodward's Abyss before we shoâ—'d have met with Water sufficient to have quench'd our Thirst and it s also doubtful that when we had found it it wou'd not have been Sweet and Wholsome These Inequalities also cause the sâ—veral Strata of Stones Mines and Oâ—es c. having a Natural Rise to brâ—ak â—oâ—th at Day so that the Ingeâ—â—ouâ—â—â—d Industrious Miner may meet with not only Stone for Building of Houses Coals for his Fires but the several Kinds of Ore to enrich his Coffers with These Inequalities also produce all those Pleasant and most Profitable Copises and Thickets of all Kinds of Trees which delight most to grow
pre-exisâ— yet it was an immediate consequent of Eternity and the natural product of the Divine Essence and Attributes viz. Power Wisdom and Goodness according to that Model and Idea pre-conceiv'd in the Divine Understanding For it cannot be imagin'd that thâ— Divine Essence wou'd for some time sit still and wrap up it's self in sloth and idleness but did always display its self in a vigorous activity Besides the natural tendency of Infinite Power is Action of Infinite Wisdom is Counsel of Infinite Goodness is Beneficence We cannot therefore but conclude from these Natural Arguments that God would from all Eternity follow the inclinations of his own Divine Perfections From this grand Thesis we may yet futher conclude that this Universal Fabrick of the World was not created at one stroke by an imperious Fâ—at for tho this might have been consistent with Infinite Power yet it would not have been agreeable with Infinite Wisdom which consists in Deliberation Counsel and Contrivance Moses therefore tells us that God first created the Heavens and then the Earth Like as some mighty Monarch designing to build a spacious and most glorious Palace first forms the Model of it in his mind and having prepar'd his Materials sets on work his Under-agents who first of all lay the Foundations and compleat his own Royal Apartments then the Apartments of his chief Ministers of State after that Chambers for his Domesticks and last of all Lodgings for his out Servants and the Work being finish'd according to the Model which he gave his Architects to work by he gives it his Approbation In like manner the Great and Almighty Monarch of the Universe may be supposed first to have laid the Foundations of those Super-Coelestial Regions of unaccessable Light the Royal Chambers of his own most Glorious Presence where he sits in great Majesty attended with an innumerable retinue of the most Noble Angels his Courtiers After these he creates the highest of the Coelestial Spheres in which he placed Thousands of Royal Mansions where the Arch-Angels and Brighter Cherubins the chief Ministers of State in that Coelestial Kingdom keep their residence And these are the Morning Stars which Iob tells us by way of Synecdoche that met together and the Sons of God that did shout for joy After these God created the inner or lower Spheres in which he placed innumerable numbers of bright lucid and Aetherial Globes wherein the inferior Angels and Domestick Officers do inhabit and these the Scripture stiles Ministring Spirits And these differ in Office Power and Light as they are placed in Spheres nearer or at a distance from the Regions of Light For as one Star differeth from another Star in Glory Light Purity and Magnitude So do their Heavenly Inhabitants And so shall it be in the Resurrection from the Dead for as Men improve here in Vertue Goodness and the Divine Life and Light so shall they be placed nearer or at a distance from God the Fountain of Life and Light After the finishing of these Inner Courts of this Royal Palace last of all God created this Material Globe or Outer Court and made it the Center of the Universe And it 's built of the Rubbidge Dross and Sediment of the whole Creation and inhabited with the meanest of Creatures and lowest degree of Life and Perfection which may most properly be called God's out Servants over which he has placed Man Deputy Lord Governour This Material Globe tho it appears in its own dimensions to be oâ— great Magnitude to us who bear not so much proportion to it as a Mole-hill does to the greatest Mountain yet being compared to the whole Universe if the computation of the best Philosophers be true it will scarce bear proportion to the Ninety six thousand part of it It cannot therefore be imagined that the Wise Creator who never made any thing in vain but to the best endâ— and wisest Purposesâ— should be so fond of a piece of dull stupid Matter as to create all those innumerable numbers of Bright Lucid Aetherial Globeâ— the least of which exceeding this Mole-hill in Magnitude by several Diameters for no other end or purpose than distinguishing of Days Months Seasons and Years and for casting a dark glimmering light to us poor Mortals As God Almighty finished any part of the Creation he gave it a motion and this motion it performs naturally and insensibly without labour or difficulty as our Blood circulates through our Veins and our Vital Spirits glide in the Nerves through the whole Body The Almighty having now finished the Creation which made up but one Royal Palace containing in it innumerable Mansions fit for the Subjects of so great a Monarch to live in He sits at the Helm of this Floating Universe and Steers all its motionâ— with a steddy and unerring hand And it can be no more labour to God to govern and actuate this World who as an Universal Soul is diffuâ—'d in it and is vitally present in every part of it than for a Man 's rational Soul by Will and Cogitation to move a Finger or a Toe or any other part of his Body tho at the greatest distance from its Seat CHAP. II. Of God the Supream and Efficient Cause and why Moses proves not the being of a God expresly by way of Argument but implicitly by describing of the several degrees of Perfection and the Subordinationâ— of Life WHen Moses writ this excellent System of the Creation Politheism and Idolatry had prevailed over the generality of Mankind and Abraham's Posterity were become Worshippers of Egyptian Gods as appears by their making of a Molten Calf at Horeb. Yet notwithstanding this multitude of Inferior Deities which the World had set up for Divine Worship the generality of Mankind did universally believe that there was one Supreme God who was the efficient Cause and Almighty Creator of this World consisting of the Heavens and the Earth and that this God was the Father and Governour of all the rest The Philosopher might therefore justly conclude it superfluous to prove by strength of Argument a Tenet or rather an Article of Faith to which the common Suffrage of Mankind did so universally consent and agree And if it be suppos'd that Moses writ this System of the Creation with the rest of his Book which gives an account of the Patriarchal Genealogies on purpose for the benefit and instruction of the Israelites who in all probability could not but be ignorant of the Traditions and Religion of their Ancestors the â—pse dixit of so great a Philosopher a Man so eminent for these mighty and unparallel'd Miracles and Wonders which th' Almighty wrought by his Hand upon Egypt before their eyes were sufficient to convince them not only of a bare credibility but of the Truth and Certainty of this Divine Thesus that there was a God and that he created the Heavens and the Earth But as God did not limit and consine his Favours wholly to Abraham's Posterity but
at him And a Panick Fear having seiz'd them they beâ—ame all his Vassals â— will not undertake to determine the time that Adam might spend in Walking round the Woods and Plains of Paradise whilst he took a View of all the Creatures distinguish'd their Tribes and gave Names and Offices to them according to their several Natures and Qualiâ—ies I presume that it can hardly be imagin'd that one Day could be sufficient for so great â—â—ask As Adam's Ambition was to exercise and improve his Rational Faculties by Enquiring into the Natures and Qualiâ—ies of the Sensitive Animals no doubt but Eve being no less desirous to improve her Wisdom and Knowledge than her Master Adâ—m did spend that time during his absence not only in gratifying her External Seâ—ses with the fragrant Smell of the fair Flowers of Paradise and Tasting its sweet Fruit but in making Enquiries into the Natures and Kinds of Fruits and Simples in distinguishing their several Sorts and giving Names to them according to their Natures And certainly it was not her Ambition to be like God in so Divine a Perfection as Wisdom and Knowledge made her Forfeit not only the Fair Fields and pleasant Wâ—lks of Paradise but Life and Immortality but her taking a course and method to that End contrary to the express Command of her Creator And although it be most probable that a Natural Serpent having a speckled Skin Beautify'd and Adorn'd with all the variety of Natural Paint in the most fresh and lively Colours was her Officious Favorite and presented to her Royal Hand this Beautiful and Lovely Fruit Yet doubtless it was her own Natural Serpent or Concupisence did frame and suggest to her a Discourse to this effect Hath not our Bountiful Creator made this World with all this great variety of Creatures in it on purpose for the Entertainment of your External Senses with the satisfaction of Enjoying their beloved Objects as well as the Intâ—rnal Faculties of the Rational Soul with the Entertainments of Wisdom and Philosophy If you Taste not then this Lovely Fruit you evacuate God's Design in Creating of it Again If God did not design that you should Eat of this Fruit He would not have made it so Beautiful and Desireable it 's Inconsistent with the Natural Goodness of your Creator to lead you into the Fire and oblige you not to Burn to Inflame your Affection with a strong Desire and not to gratifie it Further You cannot but observe that God has made all Poysonous and hurtful Creatures of a less comely if not of a frightful Aspect and you have a strong Antipathy against them but this Charming Complexion tempts you to taste of it To which the Considerative or Rational Faculty reply'd Our Bountiful Creator has given us liberty to eat of all the Trâ—es in the Garden but this is forbidden upon pain of Death This is a grand mistake of the Divine Intention saith Concupiscence which was by your Eating of this Fruit to Improve your Knowledge and â—herefore he gave it the Name of the Tree of Knowledge For as you have discover'd the Natural differences amongst the Sensiâ—ive Animals and have given Names to them your Creator certainly expects that you should understand the Natures and differences amongst Fruits and Vegetables oâ—herwise you will never be compleatly Skill'd in your Natural Philosophy This proud thought of being Wife and a Natural Philosopher so tickl'd Adam or Reason that he condescended that his Bride Eve or Concupiscence shâ—u'd take a Taste to Cure her longing And she finding it a Fruit as wâ—ll grateful to the Taste as pleasant to the Eye perswades Adam to a further condescention until a second Consideraâ—ion made him feel the miserable Efects of it as well in his Conscience as in the Constitution of his Body which his Reason being asham'd of he fled â—rom the Presence of God who usually as it 's believ'd by some learn'd Authors came down in the Evening to Discourse with the young Philosopher who finding himself Naked or at a loss for Arguments to defend his Guilt and Shame endeavouâ—'d to cover it with the thin Figg-leaves of Excuses A DISCOURSE Concerning the CONFLAGRATION OF THIS Material World THE Local Hell IT S OUTMOST BOUNDARIES OR Abrahams Gulph A DISCOURSE Concerning the CONFLAGRATION OF THIS Material World HAving in the former part of the History of Matter giveâ— an Account of such Preternatural Accidents as have disturbed and sometimes in all Ages Interrupted the Regular Course of Nature And having demonstrated that these Preternatural disturbances were occasion'd by that Natural Strife that happens between the contrary Qualities of Heat and Cold Fire and Water And having also shewn how Water by uniting her forces in the Time of Noah chang'd this Terraqueous Globe for some time into a Waterish Planet by effecting an universal Deluge which covered the Tops of the highest Mountains Fifteen Cubits And how the Central Fire has â—requently threatned not only by Universal Concussions and Earthquakes to unhinge its Foundations but also by Extraordinary and most Violent Eruptions of Fire and Vulcano's to break the Structure and Temperament of it and turn it into a Globe of Fire or Fiery Planet Now as a great many Learned Men in all Ages have been inquisitive into the Natural Causes of this Universal Deluge and the Difficulty they met with being to find Water sufficient to effect it without a Miracle So a great many Leâ—rned undertakers have been no less Industrious to find Fire sufficient to dry up the Seas and Rivers and then to Effect an Universal Conâ—lagration of this Material World These two Difficulties in my Opinion might have been â—asily remov'd if they had understood better the Structure of the Earth and the Nature and Quality of that Matter which makes up the Constituent parts of it It will be necessary therefore in order to our Establishing a Well-grounded Hypothesis concerning the Universal Conâ—lagration in a Natural way to Resume what we have formerly Observed concerning Matter in General which we have divided into Three Classes viz. Volatile Fixt and Fluid and to shew that these Three different Class's of Matter bear equal Proportions one to an other and in the Structure of the Earth occupie the same proportion of Place The Volatile Class which we call the Central Fire consisting of Aethereal Nitrous Sulphurous and Bituminous Particles bears proportion to one Third part of the Diameter And this Class makes the Earths Equilibrium and by running a perpetual Round within the Circle of its own Infernal Vault Carries about with it this Crust or Shell of fixt and fluid Matter whereupon we live once in every Twentâ— four hours and this we call the Diurâ—al Motion of the Earth The fixt and fluid Matter being intermixt like the Flesh Blood and Bones or Heterogeneous parts of a Compounded Body bears propoâ—tion to the other Two parts of the Diameter The fixt Class of Matter Consists of Parts Combustible Calcinable Liquifiable and Inflammable
The fluid Class consists of Water which is either Subterranean or Superterranean The Subterranean Water either circulates through the larger Veins of the Earth or pervades the Strait Pores of the Densest Matter That which Circulates through the Larger Veins does not only by being Transmuted into Air feed and nourish the Central Flame but also hampers it and keeps it within the Limits and Boundaries of its own Infernal Kingdom That which pervades the Strait Pores of Dense Matter does as well feed and nourish the Pneumatical and Native Spirits of that Matter as shackles them by keeping of them within their little Cells which otherwise would break out and set on fire the more Combustible part of it The Superterraneous Waters do by maintaining a constant Communication between the Subterranean and Airâ—al Waters and by the falling of Plentiful Showers of Rain upon the Earths Surface preserve it from being either over-crufted or set on Fire by the External Heat of the Suns Influence upon it By these Divisions and Computations it is apparent that one Third part of this Globe is Volatile another Third part Combustible and Inflammable and only a Third part Fluid Which Third part preserves the Harmony and Conspiracy of its Parts which makes the Cement and Temperament of the whole Body and if this should once be broken and the Volatile and Fluid suffered to act their Antipathies upon each other the whole Frame and Structure would presently be dissolved and all things shusled into thâ—ir Original Chaos and Confusion Now as in all Compounded Bodies which have any degree of Liâ—e or Vital Cement in them the Vital Flame is fed and nourished by the Radical Moisture which as it wasts and consumes the Exterior Parts of the Body become Dry Withered and more Combustible and at the last the whole Body is thrown into a Feverish Burning which continues until the Vital Flame be Extinguish'd and the Native Spirits fly out So in this great Body of the Earth the Central Fire which is the Vital Flame of it by continual feeding upon the Fluid Matter does gradually wast and consume it And this is not only observable in our Sinking of Pits where we generally meet with the upper Strata or Beds of Stone and Cole drained from their Waterish Feeders their Native Spirits Exhal'd but also several Ancient Springs sunk down in their Veins Large Rivers decreâ—s'd in their Water Courses and the Seas in sâ—veral Countries to have lost Ground as in Aegypt and Holland which undoubtedly in former Ages have been in the possession of the Main Ocean From these general Desiccations of the Fluid part of the Globe we conclude that according to the Natural Course of things in this World the Volatile Matter as the Central Fire will in process of time so far gain ground upon the Fluid part of it as to breâ—k out upon the Combustible and Inflammable part and by setting them first on fire the whole Globe will be turn'd into a fiery Planet from whose Scorching and fiery Atmosphere the Fluid Matter shall be forc'd to fly and range about it thick â—ogs and Waterish Mists until they fix and settle in a Waterish Vortex â—ividing the Coelestial Regions from the Smoaky and Flaming Atmosphere of this Burning Globe and it s most probable that by that vast Gulph which Father Abraham told Dives was placed between Heaven and Hell is only meant these Fogs and Waterish Mists which shall divide the outmost Boundaries of them through which the Damned Souls may probaly see hear and have some Interlocution with thosâ— in the Coelestial Regions tho' all this shall only inflame and aggravate their Torments whâ—n they shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and themselves shut out by this unpassable Gulph Having already mâ—de it apparent thâ—t when the confus'd Chaos of Matter settled into the Form of this Habitable Globe the Volatile part of it by a Natural tendency of Motion settled in the Central parts And that the Central Vault wherein this Volatile and Fiery Matter is contain'd bears Proportion to a Third part of the whole seems to be most probable as well from Scripture as Natural Reason For the Scripture represents Hell as a Lake of Fire Mat. 9.43 Rev. 20.10 15. And this Lake of Fire or Local Hell is commonly called Infernus which signifies a place Infra nos i. e. below the Cortex or Outer coat of the Fix'd Matter whereon we Live it s also call'd Taâ—tarus which signifies the Pit of Hell or that Infernal Dungeon fillâ—d with Fire and Brimstone that Burns and Scorcheth but casts no Light And that this Infernal Lake of Fire was in the Central part of the Earth was not only the Opinion of the Roman Church which had undertaken to give the Dimensions of it but agrees with the Opinions of most of the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of Christianity It is also agreable with the Opinions of our own Doctors who assert that at the Day of Judgment when the Sentence against the Wicked shall be pronounced in these Words Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting Fire the Central Fire shall break out and cause an Universal Conflagration of this Material World for then the Central Hell shall be enlarged and the Aerial Regions which are now the Devils Territories shall be fill'd with Smoak and Fire and the Damned confin'd to that everlasting Smother where the Worm shall never die and the Fire shall never be quenched by which words its more than probable that this Terraqueous Globe shall be changed into a Fiery Planet that the Aerial Heavens shall become a Flaming Atmosphere and that this shall be the Eternal State of this World He that would desire further Satisfaction in this particular may consult Dr. Hackwel and Mr. Ray's Discourses concerning the Conflagration of this World my intention being only to shew that it is most probable that there is a Central Vault of large Dimensions filled with Volatile Matter consisting of Nitre Bitumen and Sulphur and that it is as probable that this may break out and set the Earth on Fire as its possible for a Man to Die of a Burning Fever A Short TREATISE OF Meteorology With some Observations concerning the Changes and Alterations of the Weather A Short TREATISE OF Meteorology CHAP. I. Of Vapours and Exhalations c. VApours and Exhalations are the Perspirations of this Terraqueous Globe and are caus'd as well by the Internal Heat and Fermentation of it as the External Influence of the Sun which by opening of its Pores sucketh them out and raiseth them up into the Regions of the Air. These Vapours and Exhalations are the Material Cause of the several Kinds of Meteors that are generated within the Compass of the Atmosphere which extends as high as the fiery Globuli of the Sun make their Rebound from the solid Surface of the Earth and Fluid Superficies of the Waters and no higher The higher the Sun ascends in the Meridian it