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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67007	An essay toward a natural history of the earth and terrestrial bodies, especially minerals : as also of the sea, rivers, and springs : with an account of the universal deluge : and of the effects that it had upon the earth / by John Woodward ...	Woodward, John, 1665-1728.	1695 (1695)	Wing W3510; ESTC R1666	113,913	296

the Fidelity and Exactness of the Mosaick Narrative of the Creation and of the Deluge Which 't is not improbable but some may be apt to stumble at and think strange that in a Physical Discourse as this is I should intermeddle with Matters of that kind But I may very safely say that as to the former I have not entered farther into it than meerly I was lead by the necessity of my Subject nor could I have done less than I have without the most apparent Injury and Injustice to Truth And for Moses he having given an Account of some Things which I here treat of I was bound to allow him the same Plea that I do other Writers and to consider what he hath delivered In order to this I set aside every thing that might byass my Mind over-awe or mislead me in the Scrutiny and therefore have regard to him here only as an Historian I freely bring what he hath related to the Test comparing it with Things as now they stand and finding his Account to be p●nctually true I fairly declare what I find wherein I do him but simply Right and only the same that I would to a common Historian to Berosus or Manetho to Herodotus or Livy on like occasion The CONTENTS AN Account of the Observations upon which this Discourse is founded P. 1. A Dissertation concerning Shells and other Marine Bodies found at Land proving that they were originally generated and formed at Sea that they are the real Spoils of once living Animals and not Stones or natural Fossils as some Learned Men have thought p. 15. PART I. An Examination of the Opinions of former Writers on this Subject The Means whereby they thought these Marine Bodies brought out upon the Earth Of certain Changes of Sea and Land and other Alterations in the Terraqueons Globe which they suppose to have happened p. 34. PART II. Concerning the Universal Deluge That these Marine Bodies were then left at Land The Effects it had upon the Earth p. 71. PART III. Concerning the Fluids of the Globe Sect. I. Of the great Abyss Of the Ocean Concerning the Origin of Springs and Rivers Of Vapours and of Rain p. 115. Sect. II. Of the Vniversality of the Deluge Of the Water which effected it Together with some further Particulars concerning it p. 157. PART IV. Of the Origin and Formation of Metalls and Minerals p. 170. PART V. Of the Alterations which the Terraqueous Globe hath undergone since the time of the Deluge p. 226 PART VI. Concerning the State of the Earth and the Productions of it before the Deluge p. 242 ERRATA PAge 19. Line 6 after Buccin● add p. 32. l. 3. for Crustaneous read Crustaceous p. 61. l. 23. after firm add p. 75. l. 14. after precipitated add p. 94. l. 6. after been add given p. 168. l. 25. f. Alargatis ● A●arg●tis p. 173. l. 10. in the Margin f. it r. the said Stone p. 184. l. 13. f. C●chitae r. Conchitae p. 243 l. ● r. f. the r. that p. 270. l. ● f. frigitive r. fugitive p. 275. l. 12. in the Margin f. the r. that AN ACCOUNT OF THE OBSERVATIONS Upon which this DISCOURSE Is Founded FROM a long train of Experience the World is at length convinc'd that Observations are the only sure Grounds whereon to build a lasting and substantial Philosophy All Parties are so far agreed upon this matter that it seems to be now the common sense of Mankind For which reason I shall in the Work before me give my self up to be guided wholly by Matter of Fact as intending to steer that course which is thus agreed of all hands to be the best and surest and not to offer any thing but what hath due warrant from Observations and those both carefully made and faithfully related And that each Reader may the better inform himself not only of what sort my present Observations are but see in what manner also and with what kind of Accuracy they were made 't will be convenient to give some light into that matter and to begin with an Account of them whereby he may be enabled to judge how far they may be relyed upon and what measure of Assent the Propositions which I draw from them may claim But before I go any farther I ought to put in a Caution that an ample and prolix Relation either of the Observations themselves or of the Deductions from them is not to be expected here I design this but for a Sample of what I hope in good time more fully to discuss and make out proposing no more in this Treatise than only in a few plain words to deliver my Sentiments on certain Heads of Natural History with some of the Reasons and Grounds of them in order to give somewhat of present Satisfaction to the Curiosity and Demands of some of my Friends The Observations I speak of were all made in England the far greatest part whereof I travelled over on purpose to make them professedly searching all places as I pass'd along and taking a careful and exact view of Things on all hands as they presented in order to inform my self of the present condition of the Earth and all Bodies contained in it as far as either Grotto's or other Natural Caverns or Mines Quarries Colepits and the like let me into it and displayed to sight the interiour Parts of it not neglecting in the mean time the exteriour or surface and such Productions of it as any where occurred Plants Insects Sea River and Land Shells and in a word whatever either the Vegetable or Animal World afforded Nor did I confine these Observations to Land or the Terrestrial Parts of the Globe only but extended them to the Fluids of it likewise as well those within it the Water of Mines of Grotto's and other such like Recesses as those upon the surface of it the Sea Rivers and Springs My principal Intention indeed was to get as compleat and satisfactory information of the whole Mineral Kingdom as I could possibly obtain To which end I made strict enquiry wherever I came and laid out for intelligence of all Places where the Entrails of the Earth were laid open either by Nature if I may so say or by Art and humane Industry And wheresoever I had notice of any considerable natural Spelunca or Grotto any digging for Wells of Water or for Earths Clays Marle Sand Gravel Chalk Cole Stone Marble Ores of Metals or the like I forthwith had recourse thereunto and taking a just account of every observable Circumstance of the Earth Stone Metal or other Matter from the Surface quite down to the bottom of the Pit I entered it carefully into a Journal which I carry'd along with me for that purpose And so passing on from Place to Place I noted whatever I found memorable in each particular Pit Quarry or Mine and 't is out of these Notes that my Observations are compiled After I had finish'd these Observations and was returned back to

from it that they knew nothing at all of them and the first Writing they used was only the simple Pictures and Gravings of the things they would represent Beasts Birds and the like which way of Expression was afterwards called Hieroglyphick But this fell into disuse when Letters were afterwards discovered they being in all respects a far more excellent and noble Invention We see therefore that there were several Reasons why those early Ages could not transmit Accounts of the state of the Earth and of these Marine Bodies in their times down to the succeeding Generations So that these having little more to trust to than their own Imagination and no surer a Guide in their Reasonings about these things than bare Conjecture 't was no wonder that they fell into gross and palpable Mistakes concerning them Nor much more wonder is it that an Epicurus one who could ever espouse a Notion so enormously absurd and senseless as that the World was framed by Chance that this vast regular and most stupendous Pile was owing to no higher a Principle than a fortuitous Congress of Atoms and that either there was no God at all or which is much the same thing that he was an impotent and lazy Being and wholly without concern for the Affairs of this lower World I say 't is in no wise strange that such a one should believe as he did that things were blindly shuffled and hurled about in the World that the Elements were at constant Strife and War with each other that in some places the Sea invaded the Land in others the Land got ground of the Sea that all Nature was in an Hurry and Tumult and that as the World was first made so should it be again dissolved and destroyed by Chance that it had alreaready made large Advances that way being infirm and worn with Age shattered and crazy and would in time dwindle and fall back again into its original Chaos Did Gravity the Inclination of Bodies towards the same common Center to which Inclination they owe their respective order and site in regard of each other very many of their Motions and Actions and in a great measure their present Constitution did this I say happen from so contingent precarious and inconstant Causes as many have believed or did it stand upon so ●icklish and tottering a Foundation as some Mens fancy hath placed it 't would be no wonder should it frequently vary its Center swerve and shift upon every turn and that there should ensue thereupon not only such Motions and Alterations of the Bounds of the Sea as they imagine but likewise many other and not less pernicious Perturbations of the course of even universal Nature Or was the Universe left to its own Conduct and Management the whole Mass of created Matter to its proper Disposition and Tendency were there no restraint of Bounds to the Earth nor Curb to the fury of the Ocean was there not One who had set bars and doors to it and said hitherto shalt thou come but no farther and here shall thy proud Waves be staid then indeed might we well expect such Vicissitudes and Confusions of things such Justlings and Clashings in Nature such Depredations and Changes of Sea and Land But if the same mighty Power which in the beginning produced this vast System of Bodies out of Nothing and disposed and ranged them into the most excellent and beautiful order we now behold which at first framed an Earth of a Constitution sutable to the innocent state of its primitive Inhabitants and afterwards when Man had degenerated and quitted that Innocence altered that Constitution of the Earth by means of the Deluge and reduced it to the Condition 't is now in thereby adapting it more nearly to the present Exigencies of things to the laps'd and frail state of humane Nature If that same Power be yet at the Helm if it preside in the Government of the Natural World and hath still the same peculiar Care of Mankind and for their sake of the Earth as heretofore all which shall be evidently made out then may we very reasonably conclude 't will also continue to preserve this Earth to be a convenient Habitation for the future Races of Mankind and to furnish forth all things necessary for their use Animals Vegetables and Minerals as long as Mankind it self shall endure that is till the Design and Reason of its Preservation shall cease and till then so steady are the Purposes of Almighty Wisdom so firm establish'd and constant the Laws whereby it supports and rules the Universe the Earth Sea and all natural things will continue in the state wherein they now are without the least Senescence or Decay without jarring disorder or invasion of one another without inversion or variation of the ordinary Periods Revolutions and Successions of things and we have the highest security imaginable that While the Earth remaineth Seed-time and Harvest and Cold and Heat and Summer and Winter and Day and Night shall not cease And whatever may be urged in behalf of the Ancients I cannot well see I confess what can be said for the later Authors who have embrac'd the same Tenets more than that these Learned Men took up those Tenets on trust their over-great deference to the Dictates of Antiquity betraying them into a persuasion of such Changes in the Earth I have given my Reasons above why I cannot think the Ancients competent Judges in this Case We have at this time of day better and more certain means of Information than they had and therefore it were to have been wish'd that these Gentlemen had not thus obsequiously followed them but gone another way to work It would certainly have been much better had they taken the pains to have look'd a little into Matter of Fact had they consulted History and Geography in order duely to acquaint themselves with the past and present state of the terraqueous Globe and not to have pass'd Sentence till they had first compared the most ancient Descriptions of Countries with the Countries themselves as now they stand Nay had they but read and attended to the Accounts which the very Authors from whom they borrow these Opinions have left us they might have discovered even from them the Errors and Oversights of their Authors and have learn'd that the Face of Sea and Land is the very same at this day that it was when those Accounts were compiled and that the Globe hath not sustained any considerable Alterations either in the whole or any of its Parts in all this time Those who can content themselves with a Superficial View of Things who are satisfied with contemplating them in gross and can acquiesce in a general and less nice Examination of them whose Thoughts are narrow and bounded and their Prospects of Nature scanty and by piecemeal must needs make very short and defective Judgments and oftentimes very erroneous and wide of truth Some fanciful Men have expected nothing but Confusion