Three Phyfico-Theological Difcourfes, concerning, i.The 
Primitive Chaos, and Creation of the World, z. The 
General Deluge, its Causes and Effetls. 3. The Di- 
lution of the World. By John Ray, S. R. S. The 
Second Edition. Lond. printed for Samuel Smith, 
80. 1 693, 
IN the firft Difcourfe concerning the Chaos, (the Notion whereof our Author 
*flerts in his Preface to be divinely revealed) he produces the Teftimo 
nies of feveral Heathen Writers, to prove the production of all things out 
of it, ( which they looked upon felf-exiftent, and unproduced, as he thinks, 
erroneoufly) which Opinion he fhews confentaneous to Mofes, there being a 
gradual formation of things related, which were all produced, ss he fuppofes. 
out of prje-exifting Seeds, which he fays were firft created by God. As to 
tiie reparation of the Land and Water, which at firft covered the face of the 
Earth : He propofes, that it might be effected by the fame Caufes which raife 
Mountains now, Subterraneous Fires and Flatm's, fuch as Ovid in the 
1 sth Metamorph. describes near the City Tfcc\tn ; and a later Inftance near 
Pui&uolO) of a new Mountain which laft he describes from his own obfer 
vation. He mentions feverai other Hilis raifed, and now oft-fhaken by Earth- 
quakes and Subterraneous Fires as the Andes, Alps, e£ c. Taking notice of an 
extraordinary one, which in the time of Valentinian fhook the whole World, 
wirh fome Parages out of Strabo and others, he thews from a Palfoge out of 
JulimEthnkusymA Father Kircberjdm there may be a Communication from 
one burning Mountain to another, though at a great diftafcee, by Vaults un- 
der the Sea 5 the bottom whereof, except where it is Rocky, he by the way 
aliens to be very even. Of Submarine Panrs he obferves, there are none ar 
great depths for want of Air. This depth ufually anfwers the heighth of the 
adjoyning Hills and Land. He treats of the ufe and neccflTtfy of Mountains 
Coming in the next place to rhe Creation of Animals, he propofes fome Que- 
ftions, as, Whether God made at firft the Seeds only of all Animals, and feat- 
ter'd them over the Earth, or made the firft fett of Animals in perfection, gi- 
ving each Species a power to generate ? then, Whether he made a great many 
of a fort, or only two, a Male and a Female ? And from thefe another Ouc- 
ftion arifes,Whether the Ovaries of the firft Animals.actually included in them 
the whole number, to be produced by that Species to the end of the World ? 
Which he enclines to, and feems to make the Female the chief Agent in Ge- 
neration ; each Egg containing aaAnimaleule, the Arguments for and againlt 
this Hypothtfis make up the Remainder of this Difcourfe : Though he confeiTeb 
himfelf not fully fathfied, as io all Doubts that may be raifed, but ends with 
his Reafons for diffenting from leveenhoe^ , that all Animals proceed from an 
Animalcule in the Male {perms. 
The, 
