;>o6 Theory of [Book VI. 



after- creations. This account, it is obfervable, agrees 

 admirably witli the Mofaic account of the creation, 

 ms well as with the opinions of the moft ancient phi- 

 lofophers, hiftorians, poets, &c. that is, with the tra- 

 ditions of the firft ages. v 



It is the opinion of Mr. Whitehurft, that the com- 

 ponent parts of the earth, at its firft formation, exifted 

 in a ftate of actual fulution, and that they fnbfided partly 

 into folid bodies, and partly into fluids, by the mutual 

 action of thefe particles upon each other. 



We have feen that there exifts between different 

 particles of matter what is called elective or chemical 

 attraction, by which fubftances having certain proper- 

 ties in common are difpofed ro unite j and by the 

 combinations thus formed (whether by an immediate 

 act of omnipotence, or whether by fome more gradual 

 procefs) the fufpenfion of the component parts of the 

 chaotic mafs would be effectually deflroyed, and bo- 

 dies would approach towards their center of gravity 

 in proportion to their relpective denfities. That 

 the laws of elective attraction have prevailed in the 

 formation of the earth is evident from the famenefs 

 of quality which is obierved in different ftrata of 

 minerals. 



It has been, I think, demonftrated, that the prefence 

 of heat, caloric, or fire is the efficient caufe of fluidity. 

 When the permanently elaftic fluids, therefore, which 

 eonftitute the atmofphere, affumed their aeriform ftate, 

 and rofe from the chaotic mafs, a great quantity of 

 heat muft have become latent, while the remaining 

 fubftances, from which the caloric was abftracted, muft 

 have been confiderably cooled, and it might, there- 

 fore, be expected, that tliofe kinds of matter, which 

 had leaft attraction for caloric, would affume a folid 

 form; while others, whole attraction for that fubftancq 

 6 was 



