John Ray — EEBO-TCP A58184, keyed from the 1693 edition.
Three discourses on the earth’s own history: the creation of the world, the general deluge — with the question of what fossils are, which Ray was among the first to answer correctly — and the dissolution of the world by fire. They are the beginning of geology in English as much as they are theology, and Ray keeps returning to the same difficulty: how long the evidence in the rocks needs, against how long Scripture seems to allow.
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Contents (26)
- The Dedication
- The Preface
- Discourse 1. Of the Primitive Chaos and Creation of the World
- Discourse 1, Chapter 1. Testimonies of the Ancient Heathen Writers concerning the Chaos, and what they meant by it
- Discourse 1, Chapter 2. That the Creation of the World out of a Chaos is not repugnant to the Holy Scripture
- Discourse 1, Chapter 3. Of the separating the Land and Water, and raising up the Mountains
- Discourse 1, Chapter 4. Of the Creation of Animals; some Questions resolved
- Discourse 2. Of the General Deluge, Its Causes and Effects
- Discourse 2, Chapter 1. Testimonies of Ancient Heathen Writers concerning the Deluge
- Discourse 2, Chapter 2. Of the Causes of the Deluge
- Discourse 2, Chapter 3. Of the Effects of the Deluge
- Discourse 2, Chapter 4. Of formed Stones, Sea-shells, and other Marine-like Bodies found at great distances from the Shores, supposed to have been brought in by the Deluge
- Discourse 2, Chapter 5. That there have been great Changes made in the Superficial Part of the Earth since the General Deluge, and by what Means
- Discourse 3, The Introduction
- Discourse 3, Chapter 1. The Division of the Words and Doctrine contained in them, with the Heads of the following Discourse
- Discourse 3, Chapter 2. The Testimonies of Scripture concerning the Dissolution of the World
- Discourse 3, Chapter 3. The Testimonies of the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church, concerning the Dissolution of the World
- Discourse 3, Chapter 4. The Opinions of the Ancient Heathen Philosophers, and other Writers concerning the Dissolution
- Discourse 3, Chapter 5. The first Question concerning the World’s Dissolution, Whether there be any thing in Nature that may probably cause or argue a future Dissolution? Three probable Means propounded and discussed
- Discourse 3, Chapter 6. Containing an Answer to the Second Question, Whether shall this Dissolution be effected by natural or by extraordinary Means, and what they shall be?
- Discourse 3, Chapter 7. The Third Question answered. Whether shall this Dissolution be Gradual and Successive, or Momentaneous and Sudden?
- Discourse 3, Chapter 8. The Fourth Question Resolved, Whether shall there be any Signs or Fore-runners of the Dissolution of the World?
- Discourse 3, Chapter 9. The Fifth Question answered; At what Period of Time shall the World be dissolved?
- Discourse 3, Chapter 10. How far this Conflagration shall extend
- Discourse 3, Chapter 11. Whether shall the Whole World be consumed and annihilated, or only refined and purified?
- Discourse 3, Chapter 12. The Apostle’s Inference from the precedent Doctrine