Miscellaneous discourses concerning the dissolution and changes of the world wherein the primitive chaos and creation, the general deluge, fountains, formed stones, sea-shells found in the earth, subterraneous trees, mountains, earthquakes, vulcanoes, the universal conflagration and future state, are largely discussed and examined / by John Ray ...

CHAP. XI. (Book 11)

Whether shall the Whole World be consumed and annihilated, or only refined and pu∣rified?

THere remains now only the Seventh Question to be resolved, Whether shall the World be wholly consumed, burnt up and destroyed, or annihilated; or only re∣fined, purified or renewed? To this I an∣swer, That the latter part seems to me more probable, viz. That it shall not be destroyed and annihilated, but only refined and puri∣fied. I know what potent Adversaries I have in this case. I need name no more than Gerard in his Common Places, and Dr. Hake∣wil in his Apology and the Defence of it, who contend earnestly for the Abolition or Annihilation. But yet upon the whole matter, the Renovation or Restitution seems to me most probable, as being most conso∣nant to Scripture, Reason and Antiquity. The Scripture speaks of an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Resti∣tution, Acts 3.21. Whom the Heavens must

contain until the time of the restitution of all things. Speaking of our Saviour: and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Regeneration of the World, the very Word the Stoicks and Pythagoreans use in this case, Matth. 19.28, 29. Verily, I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the Throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones, &c. Psal. 102.26. As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. Which words are again taken up and repeated, Heb. 1.12. Now it is one thing to be changed, another to be annihilated and destroyed. 1 Cor. 7.31. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The fashion of this World passeth away. As if he had said, It shall be transfigured, or its outward form changed, not its matter or substance destroyed. Isa. 65.17. Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth, and the former shall not be remembred, nor come into mind. Isa. 66.22. As the new Heavens and new Earth, which I shall make, shall remain be∣fore me. To which places the Apostle Peter seems to refer in those words, 2 Pet. 3.13. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. This new Heaven and new Earth we have also mentioned, Rev. 21.1. And I saw a new Heaven and a ne••

Earth: for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away, and there was no more Sea. These places, I confess, may admit of an Answer or Solution by those who are of a contrary Opinion, and are answered by Doctor Hakewil: yet all together, especially being back'd by ancient Tradition, amount to a high degree of probability. I omit that place, Rom. 8.21, 22. The creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God: tho it be accounted the strongest proof of our Opinion, because of the obscu∣rity and ambiguity thereof.

2. For Antiquity, I have already given many Testimonies of the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and could, if need were, produce many more, the whole stream of them running this way. And tho Dr. Hakewill saith, that if we look back to higher times before S. Hierome, we shall not easily find any one who maintained the World's Renovation: yet hath he but two Testimonies to alledge for its Abolition; the one out of Hilary upon the Psalms, and the other out of Clemens his Recognitions. To this Restitution of the World after the Con∣flagration many also of the Heathen Phi∣losophers bear witness; whose Testimonies Mr. Burnet hath exhibited in his Theory of

the Earth, lib. 4. cap. 5. Of the Stoicks, Chrysippus de Providentia,‖ 1.1 speaking of the Renovation of the World, saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. We after death, certain Periods of time be∣ing come about, shall be restored to the form we now have. To Chrysippus Stobaeus adds Zeno and Cleanthes, and comprehends toge∣ther with Men all natural things, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Zeno and Clean∣thes and Chrysippus were of opinion, That the Nature or Substance of things changes in∣to Fire, as it were into a Seed; and out of this again, such a World or Frame of Things is effected as was before. This Revolution of na∣ture Antoninus in his Meditations often calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Peri∣odical Regeneration of all things. And * 1.2 Origen against Celsus saith of the Stoicks in general, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Stoicks say, That at certain Periods of time there is a Conflagration of the Ʋniverse; and after that a Restitution thereof having exactly the same

Disposition and Furniture the former World had. More to the like purpose concerning the Stoicks, we have in † 1.3 Eusebius out of Numenius. Nature, saith he, returns 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the Resurrection which makes the Great Year, wherein there is again a restitution made from it self alone to it self. For returning according to the order wherein it began first to frame and dispose things, (as reason would) it again observes the same Oeconomy or Administration; the like Periods returning eternally without ceasing. He that desires more Authorities of the Heathen Philosophers and Poets in confir∣mation of the World's Restitution after the Conflagration, may consult the same Mr. Burnet in the place forequoted; where he also shews, that this Doctrine of the Mun∣dane Periods was received by the Grecians from the Nations they call barbarous. Py∣thagoras, saith Porphyry, brought it first in∣to Grece: and Origen witnesseth of the E∣gyptians Wise Men that it was delivered by them. Laertius out of Theopompus relates,

That the Persian Magi had the same Tra∣dition: and Berosus saith that the Chaldeans also. In fine, among all the Barbarous Na∣tions, who had among them any Person or Sect, and Order of Men, noted for Wis∣dom or Philosophy this Tradition was cur∣rent. The Reader may consult the Book we refer to, where is a notable Passage taken out of Plutarch's Tractate, De Iside & Osiride, concerning a War between Oromazes and Arimanius, somewhat parallel to that men∣tioned in the Revelation between Michael and the Drag••n.

3. The Restitution of the World seems more consonant to Reason than its Aboli∣tion. For if the World were to be annihi∣lated, what needed a Conflagration? Fire doth not destroy or bring things to nothing, but only separate their parts. The World cannot be abolished by it, and therefore had better been annihilated without it. Where∣fore the Scripture mentioning no other Dis∣solution than is to be effected by the Instru∣mentality of Fire, its clear, we are not to understand any utter Abolition or Annihila∣tion of the World, but only a Mutation and Renovation, by those Phrases of perishing, passing away, dissolving, being no more, &c. They are to be no more in that state and condition they are now in.

2. There must be a material Heaven, and a material Hell left. A place for the glori∣fied Bodies of the Blessed to inhabit and converse in; and a place for the Bodies of the Damned, a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Prison for them to be shut up in. Now if the place of the Blessed be an Empyreal Heaven far above these visible Heavens, as Divines generally hold; and the place of the Damned be be∣neath, about the middle of the Earth; as is the Opinion of the Schoolmen, and the Church of Rome, and as the name Inferi im∣ports, and as the ancient Heathen described their Tartarus,

* 1.4—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Then when all the intermediate Bodies shall be annihilated, what a strange Universe shall we have? Consisting of an immense Ring of Matter, having in the middle, a vast vacuity, or space void of all Body, save only one small point for an infernal Dungeon. Those that are of this Opinion have too narrow and mean thoughts of the Greatness, I had almost said Immensity of the Universe, the

glorious and magnifick Products of the Creator's Almighty Power: and are too par∣tial to themselves, to think the whole World was created for no other end but to be service∣able to Mankind: but of this I have said some∣what in a former Discourse, and therefore shall not at present enlarge upon it.

But let us hear what they have to say for the Abolition.

* 1.5Their first and most weighty Argument is taken from the End of the World's Creation, which was partly and chiefly the Glory of the Creator, and partly the use of Man, the Lord Deputy, as it were, or Viceroy thereof. Now for the Glory of the Creator, it being by the admirable Frame of the World manifest∣ed unto Man, Man being removed out of the World, and no Creature being capable of such a Manifestation besides him, we cannot imagine to what purpose the Frame it self should be left, and restored to a more per∣fect Estate. The other End, being for Man's Ʋse, either to supply his Necessity in matter of Diet, of Physick, of Building, of Ap∣parrel; or for his Instruction, Direction, Re∣creation, Comfort and Delight; or lastly, that therein, as in a Looking-Glass he might contemplate the Wisdom, the Goodness and Power of God: when he shall attain that Blessed Estate, as he shall have no further

use of any of these, enjoying perfect Hap∣piness and seeing God as he is, face to face, the second or subordinate End of the World's Being must needs be likewise frustrate. And what other End can be given or conceived for the remaining or restoring thereof? &c.

To this I answer, there may be an end of the restoring of the VVorld, tho we are not able to find out or determine what. VVe are too short sighted to penetrate the Ends of God. There may be a new Race of ratio∣nal Animals brought forth to act their parts upon this Stage, which may give the Crea∣tor as much Glory as Man ever did or could. And yet if there should be no Material ••nd visible rational Creature made to inha∣bit the Earth, there are spiritual and intel∣••ectual Beings, which may be as busie, and ••s much delighted in searching out and con∣••emplating the VVorks of God in this new Earth, and rendring him the Praise of his VVisdom and Power as Man could be. These things we may conjecture; but we must ••eave it to the only wise God to determine what use shall be made of it. It seems to me ••o be too great presumption, and over-valuing our selves to think that all this VVorld was ••o made for us, as to have no other end of its Creation; or that God could not be glorified ••ut by us.

This first and principal Argument being answered, the second admits of an easie So∣lution. They enquire whether the Vege∣tables and Creatures endued with Sense shall all be restored, or some only? namely such as shall be found in being at the Day of Judgment. If all, where shall we find Stowage for them? Surely we may in this case properly apply that which the Evangelist in another useth figuratively, if they should all be restored, even the VVorld it self could not contain the things which should be re∣stored. If some only, then would I gladly know, why those some should be vouchsafed this great Honour, and not all, or how those Creatures without a Miracle shall be re∣strain'd from propagating and multiplying, and that infinitely in their kinds by a perpe∣tual Generation. Or lastly, How the seve∣ral Individuals of these kinds, shall contrary to their primitive natures, live and dure Immortality?

To all this I answer, That not only all Animals, but all Vegetables too, yea and their Seeds also, will doubtless be morti∣fied and destroyed by the violence of the Conflagration; but that the same should be restored, and endued with eternal life, I know no reason we have to believe; but ra∣ther that there shall be new ones produced▪

either of the same with the former, or of different kinds, at the will, and by the power of the Almighty Creator, and for those Ends and Uses for which he shall design them. This Question being answered in this man∣ner, all that follows concerning the Earth remaining without any Furniture or Inha∣bitants, &c. falls to the Ground. So I have dispatch'd these seven Questions concerning the Dissolution of the World, there remains now only the Inference or Use of the pre∣cedent Doctrine.

Notes

• ‖ 1.1

  Apud Lactant. l. 7. c. 23.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 5.
• † 1.3

  Praep. Evang. l. 15.
• * 1.4

  Hom. II.
• * 1.5

  Hakewil's Apol. l. 4. c. 13. sect. 5.