C S09 ) 
IN the Second Boo^ the Learned Author defigas to make ufe of fuch Teft iro- 
nies as he can find amongft the Fragments of the moil ancieat Phttefpp^ 
to confirm the Do&rlnes of his Theory of the Earth,de!ivered in the Firft Book 
thereof, for that he has not therein aHedged fuch Teftimonies to confirm 
it, intermingled with the Difcourfe. it felf, as he has done in the Second, 
but framed the whole from the Idea he had of the Nature of rhe things 
themfelves. And whereas in the former Bock of this prefent Treat re . he hr$ 
inquired after the Ancient Doctrines concerning the * hok 4 or the Univerfe ; 
In thfs he retrains his Search after fuch DocVmcs as more parcictilarly con- 
cern the Formation and Fabrick of the Earth only. In the firft Chapter 
then he- finds that the Production of this World out of a Chaos was the 
moft general, and the moft ancient Dcdrine of all the Learned, both The- 
ologers» Phyfiologers and Poets. v He oegins with and fhews, that his 
Tdhu and Eobu was the fame that the Ancients called Chaos. And the Apoftle, 
Heb. n. -j. does fo interpret it, and moft of the Chrifthn Interpreters un» 
derftaod it fo alfo, as do the Hebrews. As to other Narons, they either de- 
liver it cxprefly, as the Philoiophers *, or Mythologically, as the Poets. The 
Phiiofophers differ only, for that fame afcribe the Formation to a Mind, 
Others to Chance: Ke brings 'ftveral Proofs of At from F hesniciaas, Egyp- 
Hans, Gretas Romans, Peijians, and from divers other Authors very famous 
among the Ancients ; but others, as Orpheus, Empedocles and Hejiod made 
Strife and Love to Operate in the Separation and Union of the parts of the 
Chaos. 
!n the Second Chapter he enquires what Form they afligned to the Primo- 
geneal Earth, and what Eflates it was to undergo. Firft, For the Form, 
that it was differing from the prefent. Here firft he proves, by the Teftimo- 
ny of St. Peter, that there was a three-fold ftate of the Earth, vis;, the 
Paft, Prefent and Fuiurc. By the Paft he (hews was meant the Antidi uvian, 
and by the Future the New Heaven and New Earth, which he proves by two 
paiTages in Ifaiah, and one in the Revelation. This he (hews was alfo men- 
tioned by St. Paul'm the 8th of the Romans, upon which Paffage.he infifts 
much to prove; that the Apoftle meant this three fold ftate of the Earth ; and 
N alledges the Judgment of the Fathers, Tertnllian, Iremeus, Crigen> Hierom-, 
Chryfoftom, and others to confirm it. And then endeavours to anfwer fuch as 
had affigned other Expofttions of the Word Creation , of which there 
• are three forts. One would have the Fallen Angels to be underftood, which 
he fhews could not be the meaning, fince they are not to be reftored. Others 
would, have by Creatures to be underftood Men : But that cannot be the 
Senfe,' becaufe the Creature and Men are diftinguiflied in the very Text. 
Thirdly^ Thofe that would have the Gentiles to be meant, are the fartheft of 
all from the plain Sence which he makes to be (the formed World,} and 
that it is topafs thorough rhree States, a former, a prefent, and a future. 
5g 
