Natural History, 157 



Toward the close of the seventeenth century, 

 three different Theories of the Earth were pro- 

 posed, by as many philosophers of Great-Bri- 

 tain ; of w^hich, as they were among the first of- 

 fered to the world, and bear a relation to several 

 of the subsequent theories, it will be proper to take 

 some notice. 



The first was the Telluris Theoria Sacra^ of 

 the Rev. Dr. Thomas Burnet. This celebrated 

 theorist was a man of genius and taste; and his 

 work, if it do not command the assent of the phi- 

 losophic mind, will be found to display much 

 learning, and a most vigorous imagination. Ac- 

 cording to him the earth was first a fluid hetero- 

 geneous mass. The heaviest parts descended and 

 formed a solid body. The waters took their sta- 

 tion round this body, and all lighter fluids rose 

 above the water. Thus, between the coat of air, 

 and that of water, a coat of oily matter was inter- 

 posed. But as the air was then full of impurities, 

 and contained great quantities of earthy particles, 

 these gradually subsided, and rested upon the stra- 

 tum of oil, and composed a crust of earth, mixed 

 with oleaginous matter. This crust was the first 

 inhabitable part of the earth ; and was level and 

 uniform, without mountains, seas, or other inequa- 

 lities. In this state it remained about sixteen cen- 

 turies, when the heat of the sun gradually drying 

 the crust, produced, at first, superficial fissures or 

 cracks; but in process of time, these fissures be- 

 came deeper, and increased so much in their di- 

 mensions, that at last they entirely penetrated the 

 crust. Immediately the whole crust split in pieces, 

 and fell into the abyss of waters which it had 

 formerly surrounded. This wonderful event was 



■y This work was first published in 1680, in the Latin language. It 

 was afterwards translated, by the author, and published in two parts, in 

 4to, in 1683, and 1690. 



