- AS to the Second Question, Whether shall this Dissolution be brought about and effected by natural or by extraordinary Means and Instruments, and what those Means and Instruments shall be? I answer in brief, that the Instrumental Efficient of this Dissolution shall be natural. For it is clear both by Scripture and Tradition, and agreed on all hands, that it shall be that Catholick Dissolvent, Fire. Now to the being and maintenance of Fire, there are four things requisite. I. The active Principle or Aether. 2. Air, or a Nitrous Pabulum received from it: These two being commixt together, are every-where at hand. 3. Fuel, which considering the abundance of combustible Materials, which are to be found in all places upon or under the Surface of the Earth, can no where be wanting. 4. The Accension and the sudden and equal Diffusion of this Fire all the World over. And this must be the Work of God, extraordinary and miraculous.
Such a Dissolution of the World might indeed be effected by that natural Accident mentioned in the Answer to the Precedent Question, viz. The Eruption of the Central Fire. But because it is doubtful, whether there be any such Fire in the middle of the Earth or no: and if there ever were, it is hard to give an account, how it could be maintained in that infernal Dungeon for want of Air and Fuel. And because, if it should break forth in the Consistency of a thin Flame, it would in all likelihood speedily like Lightning mount up to Heaven, and quite vanish away; unless we could suppose Floods, nay Seas of melted Materials, or liquid Fire, enough to overflow the whole Earth, to be poured forth of those Caverns. For these Reasons I reject that Opinion, and do rather think that the Conflagration shall be effected by a superficial Fire. Tho’ I must confess we read in Tacitus, Annal. 13. at the end, of a sort of Fire that was not so apt to disperse and vanish. “—The City of the Inhonians in Germany (saith he) confederate with us was afflicted with a sudden Disaster: for Fires issuing out of the Earth, burned Towns, Fields, Villages every-where, and spread even to the Walls of a Colony newly built, and could not be extinguished neither by Rain, nor River-water, nor any other Liquor that could be employed, until for want of Remedy, or Anger of such a Distraction, certain Peasants cast Stones afar off into it; then the Flame somewhat slacking, drawing near, they put it out with Blows of Clubs, and other like, as if it had been a wild Beast; last of all, they threw in Cloaths from their Backs, which the more worn and fouler they were, the better they quenched the Fire. I use Dr. Hakewil’s Translation.
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