( io8tf ) 
VEarth, then Earth alone, then, by reafon of tLc .>ofun- 
dity, the Abyfs, and then Waters, tho he fcarce thinks 
this word was firft us d by Mofes^ to notify the Mttr 
of the World 5 but looks upon it as in ufe with Philofo- 
phers .for fcxne Ages before 5 and, perhaps before tjhe 
times of Abraham^ becaufe we read that the Dmides in 
Europe^ and the Brachmansm India always thought Water 
to be the principle of things,, and there are Learned 
men that fay, the latter were taught their Philofophy by 
Abraham '^ SLud Megajifjoms in his India isLjs^ that the fame 
principles of Philofophy that flo.uriftic inGrcece, were An- 
tienily ufed in India among the Brachmans-^ and, it we 
believe Aventims^ in the time of Hermipn^ King <li the 
Germans^ who Reign *d when Ifaac was not 40 years of 
Age, G^/Zr^^ej- of the DmWex were flourifhing. 
Next, having premitted fome things concerning the 
Chaosjind the extenc of the Mofaick Creation^ he proceeds 
to give an account of the fix dajs vpork^^ where he has 
Ihewn much Learning in letting forth how all things paft 
in a natural order. Then he tells us of tlie Creation of 
Matter, or the Chaos^ contrary to the opinion of thofe who 
held Matter eternal, wrongly grounding themfelves on 
this Maxim J Nothing h made of nothing ^ which Maxim 
was introduced by the firft Philofophers, who were Corpuf- 
cnlarians^ and held only two principles of all Generations, 
mz,. an adive Power, which was Spiritual and Incorporeal, 
and a PafCve, vi%. Matter^ and apprehended nothing in 
the Nature of Body, befide matter various ways difpofed 
l>y magnitude, figure, life and motion ^ or reft, conceiving 
in no Generation, a new fubftance to be produced, but 
only the old to be mixt and changa after other ways, 
fo that a new fpedes of things arifes, as another mixture 
and turn of matter give it new forms and qualities ^ not 
that they thought thofe forms and qualities had a real ex- 
iftence in that thing, to which they were faid to belong 5 
but that they are only our fenlations, to which they feem 
to 
