Book III Burnet's Sacred Theory of the Earth

BOOK III: SUMMARY

The figures and the explanations given here are intended to convey only something of the spirit of Burnet's arguments in these remaining books. Note that the frontispiece to the theory (see main page) provides a graphic summary of the theory, from the creation to the consummation. When one considers the order of events presented in this diagram, it is evident that Burnet has presented his theory out of order -- Book I is about the Flood and the creation of the present topography of Earth, while Book II argues for what came before, and Books III and IV argue for what is to come.

BOOK III
Concerning the Conflagration.

There are no illustrations in this book. In this book, Burnet simply and relentlessly presents Scriptural and other evidence (from the ancients and other cultures) that the world will be destroyed by fire. As in his other books, Burnet takes pains to be as "scientific" as possible in reconciling the causes and nature of the great conflagration ("the next Deluge", p.241) with what is known about fire in science. In considering explanations, he follows the principle of Occam's Razor -- "a Victory is more honorable that it is gained with fewer men" (p.266). The table of contents provides a rough review of the content.

Burnet states that the Deluge was the first destruction of Earth, and that the fire will be the second.
However, like the Flood, it cannot actually destroy Earth because "Neither Fire, nor any other natural Agent can destroy Matter, that is, reduce it to nothing: It may alter the modes and qualities of it, but the substances will always remain" (p.242). What is destroyed is the "form and fashion of it, as it is an habitable world" and in this regard Burnet compares the effect of the fire to the effect of the Flood (p.242).
He also compares the Flood to the Fire morally in that both constitute "punishment for a degenerate Mankind" (p.246).
As in the first book, he points (p.246) out that both are natural events, pre-ordained in the natural history of the world, and not directly caused by Divine intervention. In contrast, many authors "are willing to suppose the Conflagration a supernatural effect, that so they may excuse themselves the trouble of enquiring after causes." (p.264).
Fire is a transformative agent, in that the new Earth that follows will be different from the present Earth -- it is necessary to create "a new order of things" (p.250).
He dismisses conjunctions of stars and planets and eclipses as possible causes of the Fire -- interestingly, in the case of planets, (p.255) he does so because he believes that "The planets are so many Earths; and our Earth is as much a planet as the brightest of them . . . neither can they it do any more harm to it, than it can do to them." He does not find evidence of any possible cause or force. Much of this he dismisses as "blind superstition" (p.255).
The cause of the Flood was rain together with the bursting of the Abyss (see Book I) -- so too, "treasures of fire" are being "provided against that day, by whose eruption this second Deluge will be brought upon the Earth" (p.265).
But a problem is the water we have on Earth, which seems to prevent fire; and neither is this "our onely security" because the rocks and soils of Earth are not combustible and a good deal of the planet is too cold -- "one would not imagine by these preparations, 'twas ever intended that it should perish by an universal fire." (p.265).
To prepare Earth for the Fire, there will be a great and universal drought --"And by this means we may conceive it as feisible to set the whole Earth on fire in some little space of time, as to burn up this or that Country after a great drought" (p.266).
Rocks and soils will be melted down -- possibly vitrified -- "there is no terrestrial body that does not finally yield to the force of fire" (p.266).
The Polar regions will be warmed up because the tilt of the Earth will be eliminated (the Paradisiacal set-up will be re-established) and so there will be perpetual equinox. These regions will burn more slowly, but as they uninhabited, that will be acceptable.
He does not accept that the fire will be caused by the Sun drawing nearer to Earth, nor that fire will break out from the interior of Earth -- these he believes would be a case of using sledge-hammer to break a nut -- why would God bother to do that? (p.267). When we reach for arguments like that, he thinks we do so in order to avoid further enquiry and reasoning -- and "young Philosophers, like young Soldiers, think they are never sufficiently armed" (p.269). Also, the force of the Sun would be so great as to do away with the Earth, leaving nothing for the Resurrection. He does not doubt that a central fire exists in the Earth, but does not believe it is strong enough to cause a universal conflagration on Earth (p.269) -- and besides, if the Earth has a central fire, it will need the same in the new order -- if it died and the crust fell into the interior, the Earth would be destabilized and fly off into space like "a dead carkass." Some internal fire will be needed -- but more like the opening of pores than the bursting of veins and the loss of vital blood (p.270).
The Fire will not consume the entire Earth, but it will make the entire surface (including the ocean basins) molten -- the "Ruines" created by the Flood will be burned up. The Fire will be helped along by the caverns etc. that will provide air to the fire -- without these (caused by the collapse into the earlier Abyss) then the Earth would be too solid to burn efficiently.
Present volcanoes and hot springs will help -- these are widely distributed (he mentions one in Java, for instance, that killed ten thousand in 1586 -- p.273). But it is the volcanoes in the Mediterranean -- that "stand in the heart of the Christian World" (p.273) -- that will make the first assault -- an assault many times that of Vesuvius -- and added to which there will be all the other volcanoes of Earth and others newly erupted (p.276).
Coal and other combustible ("igniferous") materials within the Earth will help, as will be great drought preceding it.
Lightning will come from above -- so, like the Flood, the assault will be from above and below (p.277).
Earthquakes will create more caverns, which will help feed the flames with air. This will especially help consume the mountains (p.286).
Burnet allows for the "ministery of Angels" (p.281) in the Fire -- they could create new fires or add fuel to the flames. This sort of thing thing is quite common in great Catastrophes . . . and adds a moral element also.
We also need the Consumption of the Ocean. The great drought will dry up rivers and help starve the oceans -- "more than half an Ocean of Water flows into the Sea every day, from the Rivers of the Earth, if you take them all together" (p.283). Submarine volcanoes will evaporate water. In these ways the mighty Ocean will be "reduc'd to a standing Pool of putrid water" (p.285). The dregs will be dealt with by the great Fire.

In conclusion, Burnet does not believe that the Fire will be like the burning down of a city, as some suppose. Rather, the entire exterior fabric will be dissolved or liquefied. The Earth will be "reduc'd to fluid Chaos, that is may lay the foundation for a second World. If you take such a Skeleton of an Earth, as your scorching fire would leave behind it; where the flesh is torn from the bones, and the Rocks and Mountains stand naked and staring upon you; the Sea half-empty, gaping at the Sun, and the Cities all in ruines and in rubbish; How would you raise a new world from this? and a world fit to be an habitation for the righteous; . . . if that dead lump could revive and become habitable again, it would however retain all the imperfections of the former Earth, besides some scars and deformities of its own. Where for if you would cast the Earth into a new and better mould, you must first melt it down; and the last Fire, being as a Refiner's fire, will make an improvement in it, both as to matter and form. to conclude, it must be reduc'd into a fluid Mass, in the nature of chaos, as it was at first; but this last will be a Fiery Chaos, as that was Watery; and from that state it will emerge again into a Paradisiacal World" (p288).