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nothing the Corpufcles or Matter contained in the Airs, and in the Earth. Creation is always to be understood to be the making a Thing anew, and its coming from not being into Being (c)." "R. Nachman defcribes it in this Manner, viz. first of all the Heavens and the Earth, under which Terms are comprehended the four Elements were made out of mere nothing abfolutely fpeaking; and were at firft a Sort of impalpable Matter extreamly fmall, which in Greek is called λn, and n in Hebrew. (d)" "But fome foreign Philofophers make Matter and Form to be the Principles of Things. And fo the first Matter, which is not the Object of the Senfes, but only to be conceived in Thought, to be without Form and Subftance (e)." Here is a Mixture of Jewish and Greek. Tho' neither Subftance nor Form of an Atom comes under Senfe, there may in its proper Place appear as much Wisdom in the Forms and Sizes of thefe Atoms, which have been called a

(c) Crit. Sacri Tom. 1. p. 5. Fagius R. D. K. in Libro Radicum.

(d) Crit. Sacri Tom. 1. p. 7.

(e) Max. Bibl. vet. Patr. Vol. 25. Nicetæ Thefaur. Orth. Lib. de Græcis & Judæis.

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Chaos, and fuppos'd to imply Confufion, as in the vifible Forms. "That is, they made indivifible Bodies to be the Elements of the World (f)". "An Atom is an indivifible Unit (g)". "St. Bafil, and several others, the most minute and indivifible Bodies (b)". The Chaos of earthy Bodies was in the Sphere of Waters, and the Chaos of airy Bodies in the Airs; and 'tis likely the Matter of each cœleftial Orb within a determin'd feparate Orb or Sphere. Fluids remain in Atoms, or adhere in small Maffes; and Tranflators of Scripture render those in the earthy Solids, the Duft of the Earth; Prov. viii. 26. Job xiv. 19. Ifa. xl. 12. of which there are feveral Species.

Ver. 2. And the Earth was without Form, and void; and Darknefs was upon the Face of the Deep and the Spirit of God

:

moved upon the Face of the Waters.

(f) Martin Borhai, in Lib. de Origine Mundi. (g) Max. Bibl. vet. Patr. Vol. 20. p. 978. Honorii Auguft.

(b) Mag. Vol. I. p. 3.

This is a Defcription in what Condition, and, in general, in what Situation, each Species of that Matter, or at least of the Parts of, in, and near, the Earth were, immediately after their Production: The Earth, fuppos'd, to include not only the conftituent Parts of Earth and Water, but thofe Parts which form the feveral Sorts of Matter in the Earth, in Vegetables, Animals, &c. firft negatively, then pofitively. 2 Efdras vi. 1. And be faid unta me, in the Beginning when the Earth [Circle of the Earth] was made, before the Borders of the World flood, or ever the Wind blew; Ver. 3.-or ever the moveable Powers were established; Ver. 4.- before the Meafures of the Firmament were named. "Heaven and Earth were made with the Abyss in their Womb, nor did the Weight of the Seas, which they carried, make them tumble; and as a big Belly, when its Time is up, fhews the Birth to be near by its fwelling; juft in the fame Manner, the Air which hung round fupported that great Quantity of Water without an Alteration; for it remained without Motion, being held together by the Creator (i)".

(i) S. Bafilii Seleucia Oratio I. p. 2.
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And

And the Earth was without Form,

Jer. iv. 23. I beheld the Earth, and lo it was without Form, and void: and the Heavens, and they had no Light. Wifd. of Solom. xi. 17. For thy Almighty Hand that made the World of Matter without Form. "Tobu: It is that which has nothing folid in it (k)". "For Tobu is

that which has neither Form nor Figure; but is capable of it (!) Invifible and uncompounded (m) "Invifible and uncompounded] It means the Abfence of Adhesion and Compofition (n)". "Without Form] not that it had no Form at all, (for then it would have been nothing, for every Thing that exifts, is in fome Form but it was not yet feparated from the Water, nor compacted or made folid (0) "Divines mention a double Creation of the Earth by God; the firft when it was one Confufion [Silva] with the Waters, one

(k) Joh. Hottingerus Oper. Diei 1. p. 35. Eben

Ezra.

(1) Bibl. Hebr. cum Interp. Seb. Munster. (m) Polyglotta Tom. I. p. 2. Lat. Edit. Rom. (n) Polyglot. Tom. 6. Flaminii Nobilii Notæ, Gen. c. I.

(0) Joh. Pifcator in Vet. Teft. p. 11.

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Hodge-podge, and undiftinguished Heap. This is meant, when it is faid, In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. The fecond Creation was on the third Day, when it was feparated from the Waters (p)". Heb. xi. 3. Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God, jo that things which are feen, were not made of things which do appear; or, things that are seen were made of things, which do not appear, i. e. of Atoms, which when fingle are not vifible being too fmall. The Parts for Solids were loose among the Fluids, in manner of Waters, and when Light was formed, invifible. Some pretend, (and I can guefs at the Reasons why they do fo) that the Earth was created a folid hollow Sphere, Cruft, or Shell, fmooth on its Surface, and only wanted to be broke in Pieces, and fo have its Surface form'd, and be made fit for Animals. Has not a folid hollow Sphere Adhesion and a Form, as well as one broken in Pieces? This was fluid, and without Form. As its being form'd, or made folid afterwards, put it into a Condition to be acted upon by other Matter in Motion, and be under Oe

(1) Auguftini Steuchi Eugubini Cosmopoeia, p.11. conomy,

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