[i] INTRODUCTION. I Have in the first Part traced Mofes through his Description of the Creation, of the first Motion, the Forma tion of Light, and their Confequences, an Expansion and its Effects in forming the firft Shell, or Shell of the first Earth, carrying down the Waters, forming the Surface, &c. and through the Diffolution of that Earth, and a Repetition of those Acts, or Reformation at the Flood; and by indifputable Regifters, I have convicted feveral Kidnappers, and reftor'd the 'Children to their proper Fathers: Tho' I have walked with the Infpir'd Light in my Hand, yet we are to remember, that fo far it was chiefly intended to shew the manner of Forms which exift not now, and of Actions which are ceas'd, or tranfacted otherwise; and fo are the Objects VOL. II. B. of of our Conception or Understanding by Faith and not by Senfe; and those Parts which admit of Observations and Experiments, are fome flightly touch'd, because the manner of the Reformation, or making of thofe Forms which exift, and are brought to the Teft of Senfe by a large Appendix, which has been fhew'd and is ready to prove its Truth by vaft Numbers of Obfervations, cannot take effect, till that Fart of the Revelation, which fhews the Formation and Manner of the Operation of the fettled Agent which formed them; and will likewife come under the Cognizance of Senfe and Reafon, be explain'd. This might have appeared in publick fooner, had not the Adverfaries fuggefted, that Mofes had his Philofophy from the Egyptians; and fo made it neceflary for me, first, to fhew that his chief Bufinefs was to determine Natural Philofophy, which I hope they will acquiefce in; and left that fhould not fatisfy fome who have given Occafion to enter into fuch Enquiries, I fhall in their proper Places give them fome Evidence out of their own Scriptures: But though it plainly appears, that this Part of the Revelation was writ to cure the Madnefs of the Naturalifts and Star-gazers; yet ftill they from from time to time have brought in many ftrange Whims, and at laft for them rejected this Scripture; fo I must reject all their Dreams, and take the Scripture as at firft. As there is no real material Caufe offer'd to begin or carry on any Motion or Action in any Article, of any Natural Philosophy now exifting, that I have fo much as heard of; nor any thing but Names, and unintelligible, and incomprehenfible Words, intended to represent Ideas of incommunicable Powers, which amount to no more than : "So fome Things come together by Sympathy, I call Sympathy a mutual Confent or Attraction of Things without any apparent Caufe; as Antipathy a Sluggishness, or Vis Inertia. Thefe Properties run through Animals, Plants, Stones, &c. (a)".—As St. Paul faid to the Athenians, The God that they ignorantly worship'd, he fhew'd unto them; fo I may fay of Mofes, The Causes of the Operations which ye ignorantly attribute to imaginary Names or Powers, them fheweth he unto you: Such a Philofophy as every reasonable Man has either understood or fearched for. "Such a Motion as this is the proper Subject of (a) Cardani de Subtilitate, Lib. 18. p. 638. Enquiry, which without a new Generation fhall contain in itself the Caufe of its own Continuance (b)." As I am for reviving this Material Philofophy in Motion, &c. and am by and by to bring in the Addition of Senfe fo far as that can go, and of comparing Revelation with the things feen, and of drawing Deductions from either or both; and as none of the prefent Philofophers were fo much as the Inventors of the Words, they use for their imaginary Powers; and as they may still have the Lone or Liberty of using the old Tables to estimate the comparative Velocity of each Globe, &c. to find out an Eclipfe, or &c. or of telling us they improve them; I can have no great Difference with any of them who are in Being at prefent; nor can I fall under the Dif pleasure of the Divines, fince those modern Authors who have meddled moft, and as fome tell me most learnedly with a few general Names of the Gods of the ancient Heathens and their Worship, and the Worship of God under the Mofaick Law, have made the Men ftupid, their Objects first living, and then dead Kings, those dead Kings Devils, whether real or (b) Cardani de Subtilitate, Lib. 17. p. 625. imaginary |