THE CAUSE OF THE DELUGE DEMONSTRATED.

BEFORE I proceed to my preſent De⯑monſtration of the Cauſe of the Deluge, I muſt premiſe this, That in my New Theo⯑ry of the Earth, eſpecially as improv'd [...]nd corrected in the Second Edition, I have evi⯑ [...]ently ſhewn, that in Caſe a Comet paſs'd by, be⯑ [...]re the Earth, in its annual Courſe, on the 17^th Day of the Second Month, from the Autumnal Equinox, or Nov. 28. in the 2349^th Year before the Chriſtian Aera, the Phaenomena of Nature and Hiſtory, and particularly the Moſaic Account of the Deluge of Noah, which are no otherwiſe to be ac⯑ [...]ounted for, are exactly explain'd; that the Calcu⯑ [...]ations and Proportions, where-ever we can come [...] them, are on that Hypotheſis right, agreeable to [...] another, to Ancient, eſpecially Sacred Hiſtory, [...]nd to the Syſtem of Aſtronomy; that there are Tra⯑ [...]s in Ancient Books of a Tradition, that a Comet [...]id appear at the very Beginning of the Deluge; [...]at the very Month and Day mentioned by Moſes [...] ſuch its Beginning, is atteſted to by other Old [...]ecords, and, on this Hypotheſis, by Aſtronomical [...]alculations alſo: whence I concluded that it was [2] moſt highly probable, or rather phyſically demon⯑ſtrable, that a Comet did paſs by at that time, and was, under the Conduct of the Divine Providence, and as his Inſtrument in puniſhing a wicked World, the Cauſe of that Deluge. The only thing wanting, was, to demonſtrate from the Period of ſome Co⯑met, and its Situation in the Heavens, Aſtronomi⯑cally ſtated and computed, that ſuch a Comet did actually come by at that very time: which if it could be once ſhewn, the whole muſt be own'd as certain, and demonſtrated, and all the natural Co⯑rollaries therefrom muſt be allow'd as true, even by the Obſtinate and Incredulous. This indeed at firſt was look'd upon by me as not at all to be expected; ſince we then barely began to know, or rather ſtrong⯑ly to conjecture that Comets did revolve about the Sun in ſettled Periods, but without being able to de⯑termine any one of thoſe Periods. But of late God has ſo bleſs'd the Labours of the Learned; and this Part of Aſtronomy is ſo much improv'd, eſpecially by the farther Pains and Obſervations of the great Inventor himſelf, Sir Iſaac Newton; whoſe Name will never be forgotten while Mathematicks and Aſtro⯑nomy are preſerved among Mankind; and by the laborious Calculations of the acute Dr. Halley, on the Principles laid down by the former, that what was a few Years ago almoſt deſpair'd of, is now in great Meaſure diſcover'd, and we know, not only that one Comet has come round three or four times already in later Ages, viz. A.D. 1456, 1531, 1607, and 1682, and will no doubt come round again A.D. 1758, as making its Period in about 75 Years; that another has probably come round in the ſame later Ages twice already, viz. A.D. 1532, and 1661; and ſo is to return A D. 1789, or 1790, as making its Period in about 129 Years: But, which is the greateſt Diſcovery of all, that the laſt moſt remarkable Co⯑met, [3] whoſe Deſcent into our Regions has occaſion'd almoſt all the modern ſolid Knowledge we have re⯑lating to the whole Cometick Syſtem it ſelf, has al⯑ſo ſeveral times been ſeen already within the time of certain Records; I mean in the 44^th Year before Chriſt, and again A.D. 531, or 532; and yet a⯑gain A.D. 1106, beſides this its laſt Appearance A.D. 1680, whereby we know that it revolves in about 575 Years. This laſt Comet I may well call the moſt remarkable one that ever appear'd; ſince beſides the former Conſideration, I ſhall preſently ſhew, that it is no other than that very Comet which came by the Earth at the Beginning of Noah's Deluge, and which was the Cauſe of the ſame. Now conſidering the Premiſes, I ſhall on⯑ly have occaſion, in order to my preſent Deſign, to prove theſe five Things concerning it. (1.) That no other of the known Comets could paſs by the Earth at the Beginning of the Deluge. (2.) That this Comet was of the ſame Bigneſs with that which paſs'd by at that time. (3.) That its Orbit was then in a due Poſition to paſs by at that Time. (4.) That its deſcending Node was then alſo in a due Poſiti⯑on for the ſame Paſſage by. (5.) That its Period exactly agrees to the ſame time. Or, in ſhort, that all the known Circumſtances of this Comet do correſpond, and that it actually paſs'd by on or about that very Year, and on or about that very Day of the Year when the Deluge began. All which Things I ſhall demonſtrate in their Order.

I. None of the other Comets yet known, I mean of the 21 in Dr. Halley's Table and my Solar Syſtem, could be that which paſs'd by the Earth at the Beginning of the Deluge. This appears by theſe certain Arguments following.

(1.) None of them appear to have been of a due Bigneſs: For the Phaenomena of the Deluge, as I [4] New Theor. 2d Edit. Co [...]. 2. Lem. 8 [...]. & p. 203, 204. have elſewhere ſhew'd, require a ſmall one in Compariſon of the Earth, whereas the reſt of the Comets ſeem to have been commonly larger than it.

(2.) None of their deſcending Orbits are duly ſituate, I mean between 90 and 100 Degrees from Aries: which Poſition is yet abſolutely neceſſary in this Caſe. For the Preceſſion of the Equinox, which is about 50 Degrees, added to the 46 Degrees that the Earth was diſtant from Aries when the Flood began, muſt ſuppoſe the deſcending Orbit of the Comet to be now between 90 and 100 Degrees from Aries: at which place none of the deſcending Or⯑bits of the other Comets are now ſituate; as Dr. Halley's Table, and my Solar Syſtem grounded there⯑on, will readily ſhew. (3.) None of the other's Nodes are ſo ſituate, as is neceſſary to bring the Comet near enough to our Earth: I mean between 90 or 100 Degrees from Aries; and ſo as to croſs the Plane of the Ecliptick very near to the Diſtance of the Earth from the Sun; as is alſo plain from the ſame Table and Syſtem. Nay indeed, the wrong Situa⯑tion of the deſcending Orbits, noted under the laſt Head, renders this due Situation of the Nodes plain⯑ly impoſſible. For it being neceſſary, that the Or⯑bit it ſelf interſect the Ecliptick it ſelf in the 17^th Degree of Taurus; this cannot poſſibly be in ſuch a Situation of the Orbit, as that we have already mention'd to belong to all the reſt of the known Comets. So that theſe other Comets were utterly incapable of being inſtrumental in the Deluge, even tho their Periods ſhould any of them agree; which yet we know not that any of them do.

II. This Comet was of the ſame Bigneſs with that which paſs'd by at that time; I mean a very ſmall one, and only 10 times as large as the Moon. Ʋ [...] This appears by Mr. Flamſteed's Determination of its apparent Diameter, about 20″ when it was near⯑ly [5] as far off as the Sun: whereas he ſuppoſes that of the Moon at the ſame Diſtance to be about 6″. So that if due Allowance be made for that large and denſe Part of the Atmoſphere, which hides the Nucleus or Comet it ſelf from us, ſuppoſe 7″, the Diameter of the ſolid Body it ſelf will be on⯑ly 13″. Now the Cube of 13, or 2197, is to the Cube of 6, or 216, as about 10 to 1. Whence it appears, that this Comet is about ten times ſo great as the Moon, or ¼ ſo great as the Earth, as the real Comet that occaſion'd the Deluge ought to be.

III. The deſcending Part of the Orbit of this Comet was about the 17^th deg. of Taurus at the Time of the Deluge, as that of the Comet at the Deluge muſt have been. For this deſcending Orbit is now in the 2^d Degree of Cancer; and if we allow 46 Degrees for its apparent Motion ſince the Deluge, which is very little different from the real Preceſſion of the Equinox, the main, if not only Occaſion of it, it will appear to have been in the 17^th Degree of Taurus at that Time, according to the foregoing Computation.

IV. The Deſcending Node of this Comet, which is of the greateſt Conſideration here, and liable to the greateſt Variety of all, does alſo exceeding well agree in the preſent Caſe. For this is now in the 3^d Degree of Cancer; and if we allow, as before, 46 Degrees for its apparent Motion ſince the De⯑luge, or for the real Preceſſion of the Equinox, the main, if not only Cauſe of it, it will appear to have been in the 17^th of Taurus at that Time alſo. Nay, if we allow the leaſt Inequality in theſe two Mo⯑tions, or the leaſt Alteration of the Planes either of the Ecliptick or of the Comets Orbit, or of both, as we juſtly may, both from the Phyſical Cauſes, and Aſtronomical Obſervations, we may ſuppoſe them ſtill nearer the Earth's Diſtance from the Sun, and ſo more exactly ſuitable to the Caſe of the Deluge.

[6] V. The Period of this Comet moſt exactly agrees to the ſame Time, I mean to 7 Revolutions in 4028 Years, the Interval from the Deluge till its laſt Ap⯑pearance 1680. [...]cip. [...] [...] 4 [...]5. For, as Sir Iſaac Newton firſt ob⯑ſerv'd, from its Elliptick Curvature before it diſap⯑pear'd, that its Period muſt be in general above 500 Years; ſo has he and Dr. Halley ſince obſerv'd, that the ſame Comet has been ſeen four times, viz. the 44^th Year before Chriſt. A.D. 531 or 532, A.D. 1106, and A.D. 1680, and that by conſequence it makes a Revolution in about 575 Years. Now if we make a very ſmall Allowance for the old Periods be⯑fore Chriſt, and ſuppoſe that, one with another, it has revolv'd in 575½ Years, we ſhall find that 7 ſuch Periods amount to 4028 Years, exactly, according to that Number ſince the Deluge. This is ſo remarkable an Obſervation, and ſo ſurprizing, that it will de⯑ſerve a particular Demonſtration from the original Authors themſelves. To begin then with the firſt of the Appearances recorded in later Hiſtory, I mean that in the 44^th Year before Chriſt, the Year that Julius Caeſar was ſlain, [...]en. Nat. [...] I. V [...]. C. 1 [...]. [...] H [...]ſt. Nat. [...]. II. C. 24. [...]. we have no fewer nor leſſer Perſons than Seneca, Suetonius, Plutarch and Pliny, to atteſt it; and the laſt, as bringing Auguſtus's own Words for his Voucher. Take the Account in thoſe Words, as being the moſt authentick and remark⯑able. ‘'On thoſe very Days, ſays Auguſtus, when I was exhibiting ſome Games to the People, [be⯑gun about Sept. 26.] a Comet appear'd for 7 Days, and was ſeen in the Northern Part of Heaven. It roſe about the 11^th Hour of the Day: It was a remarkable one, and viſible all over the World. The common People believ'd, that it ſignify'd the Reception of the Soul of Caeſar into the Number of the immortal Gods. On which Account the Image of this Star was added to that Statue repre⯑ſenting Caeſar's Head, which we a while after con⯑ſecrated [7] in the Forum'.’ Accordingly it is known that ſome of Caeſar's Coins have a Star upon them, for a Memorial of this Comet; and obſervable that Virgil hints at the ſame alſo,Aeneid. VIII. Patrium aperitur v [...]r⯑tice ſidus. Plutarch's, Seneca's and Suetonius's Words are almoſt the very ſame that are included in the Paſ⯑ſage from Auguſtus, and ſo need not be diſtinctly ſet down. Only the Time of its Riſing is by Suetonius ſet down about the 11th Hour, without the Words of the Day, which the other two have; and its Northern Poſition is only mentioned by Auguſtus himſelf. Now if we interpret the 11^th Hour, or 11^th Hour of the Day, to be either 11 a clock before Noon, or an Hour before Sun-ſet, this will render the whole almoſt incredible: it being next to impoſſible, that this Comet ſhould be ſeen in the Day-time. But the Romans then accounting Midnight the Beginning of their Day, as is well known by Chronologers, we may reckon this 11^th Hour to be 11 at Night, and all will agree to the Comet before us; and it will ſhew, that as it had been conceal'd by cloudy Weather for ſome time, ſo it now appear'd aſcending from the Sun, with its long and ſplendid Tail for a Week, before the like cloudy Weather, or the Comet's too great Remoteneſs rendred it no longer obſervable. Ac⯑cordingly the Northern Poſition of this Comet, no⯑ted here by Auguſtus, ſecures us ſtill farther, that it muſt have been the ſame with that A.D. 1680, which is ever in the ſame Poſition, at the ſame Place of its Orbit: to ſay nothing of its remarkable Brightneſs, which I take to belong to its Tail, and which ren⯑dred it ſo very remarkable then in the World: In which Point it as well or better agrees with this, than with any other in the whole Cometary Syſtem. So that on all theſe Accounts, the Comet ſeen then by the Romans, and that ſeen A.D. 1680, muſt have been one and the ſame Comet. The next Period [8] when this Comet might be ſeen again, according to the foregoing Time of its Revolution, was A.D. 531, or 532. When yet we hear nothing of it in Hevelius's Hiſtory of Comets. But then we have it in Lubienietz's more exact Catalogue, out of Zona⯑ras, the Original Hiſtorian, whoſe Words are theſe, Annal. L. xiv. p. 61. ‘'In the 5^th Year of the Em⯑peror Juſtinian [A.D. 531, or 532.] a Comet ap⯑pear'd, of that Sort which is called Lampadias. It ſent its bright Tail upward, and continued to ſhine 20 Days.'’ Which Words exactly agree to this Comet. The next Period when it was to be expected, was A.D. 1106. at which Time the Hiſto⯑rians are full of their Accounts of it. Take thoſe Ac⯑counts in their own Words, as they ſtand in Hevelius and Lubienietz, who have given us a moſt compleat Collection of them in their Hiſtories of Comets.

[...]vath ex [...] 148. [...] ex [...]. A.D. 1106. We ſaw a Comet of wonderful Brightneſs, from the firſt Week in Lent, until the Paſſion of our Lord. An extraordinary Star was ſeen to ſhine this Year on Friday in the Evening, Southward and Weſtward, and appeared bright for 25 Days together, and always at the ſame Hour.

[...] A.D. 1106. in the Month of February, two Days after the New Moon, a great Comet appear'd South-Weſtward. [...] [...]. 14 [...]. gebert. [...] A.D. 1106. a Comet appear'd like a Fire, almoſt all the Month of February.

A very great Comet was ſeen in the Time of Lent. Praetorius adds, that the Emperor Henry IV. died the ſame Year; which Calviſius alſo agrees to.

[...] A.D. 1106. a Star, which we call a Comet, appear'd.

A.D. 1106. a dreadful Comet appear'd, from the firſt Week in Lent, till the Vigil of Palm-Sun⯑day. The ſame Year the Emperor Henry IV. died.

On the Year of our Lord 1106, the 14^th of the Calends of March, [Feb. 16.] a certain ſtrange Star [9] was diſcovered, and was ſeen to ſhine between the South and Weſt for 25 Days, after the ſame manner, and at the ſame Hour. It ſeemed to be ſmall and obſcure; but that Light which went out from it was exceeding bright, and a Splendor, like a great Beam, proceeded from the Eaſt and North, and ſhot it ſelf upon the ſame Star.

In theſe Teſtimonies, we may ſee that all the Cir⯑cumſtances of this Comet agree to that of A.D. 1680. I mean the Smallneſs and Obſcurity of its Nucleus, the Brightneſs and Remarkableneſs of its Tail, its Poſition South-Weſt, and the Direction of its Tail North-Eaſt. So that there is no Reaſon [...] doubt, but it was the very ſame. Only we muſt here note, that theſe two Periods were, one with another, three Quarters of a Year ſhorter [...]han the laſt Period. For from September, in the [...]4^th Year before Chriſt, till February or March A. D. 1106. are but 1148½ Years, or two Periods of [...]74¼ a-piece, one with another: whereas from [...]he ſame February or March A.D. 1106. till Febru⯑ [...]y or March 1680/1, when this Comet was about [...] ſame Poſition again, there are juſt 575 Years. [...] is rather a Wonder, that the three laſt Periods [...] our Famous Comet are ſo very nearly equal, [...]an that there is this ſmall Inequality among [...]em. Nor is it, by the way, any Wonder there⯑ [...]re, that the four firſt Periods after the Deluge are [...] be ſuppos'd one with another rather above 576 [...]ears, to agree exactly to that Time. 'Tis rather [...] Queſtion whether the reſt of the Comets Periods [...]ill prove any of them near ſo equal in Proportion, [...] even that Allowance makes theſe to be. Accord⯑ [...]gly, Sir Iſaac Newton and Dr. Halley rightly obſerve,Princip. p. 480. Praelect. Phyſico. Math. p. 358, 359. [...]at theſe Cometary Orbits are the moſt eaſily [...] ſenſibly diſturb'd by the occaſional Nearneſs of [...]eir Comets to other Bodies of all others; and ſo [10] conſiderable Inequalities are to be expected among them.

Note, (1.) That it is highly remarkable, that this is the only Comet yet known, whoſe Node renders it capable of approaching very near the Body of the Earth; and that the ſame Node is ſtill ſo little remote from the Earth's Orbit, as Dr. Halley well obſerves, that it brought this Comet about as near to the ſame as the Moon this very laſt time. Hear his remarkable Words, and conſider the Conſe⯑quence of them in this Matter.Synopſ. Comet. in calce. ‘'No Comet, ſays he, has hitherto threatned the Earth with a nearer Appulſe than that of 1680. For by Cal⯑culation, I find that November 11^th 1^h 6′ after Noon, that Comet was not above a Semidiame⯑ter of the Sun, (which I take to be equal to the Diſtance of the Moon) to the Northwards of the Way of the Earth. At which time, had the Earth been there, the Comet would, I think, have had a Parallax equal to that of the Moon.'’ Nor can I paſs over his following Words without ſetting them down, they are ſo appoſite to my preſent Purpoſe. ‘'The former Obſervations, ſays he, are to be ſuppos'd as ſpoken to Aſtronomers. But what might be the Conſequences of ſo near an Appulſe, or of a Contact, or laſtly of a Col⯑liſion of theſe celeſtial Bodies, (which are none of them impoſſible) I leave to be diſcuſs'd by the Philoſophers.'’

(2.) Since this Comet's Period is 575 Years, its middle Diſtance muſt be about 5,600,000,000 Miles from the Sun; its longer Axis and greateſt Diſtance twice ſo long, or nearly 11,200,000,000 Miles; its Aphelion Diſtance about 14 times as great as the Diſtance of Saturn; its greateſt Di⯑ſtance to its leaſt, as above 20,000 to 1: and ſo its greateſt Light and Heat to its leaſt, as above 400,000,000 to 1.

[11] (3.) Since 575 Years appears to be the Period of the Comet that caus'd the Deluge, what a learned Friend of mine, who was the Occaſion of my Examination of this Matter, ſuggeſts, will deſerve to be conſidered, viz. Whether the Story of [...]he Phoenix, that celebrated Emblem of the Reſur⯑rection in Chriſtian Antiquity; [that it returns once after 5 Centuries, and goes to the Altar and City of [...]he Sun, and is there burnt; and another ariſes out of its Aſhes, and carries away the Remains of the former, &c.] be not an Allegorical Repreſentation of this Comet; [which returns once after 5 Cen⯑turies, and goes down to the Sun, and is there ve⯑hemently heated, and its outward Regions diſ⯑ſolv'd; yet that it flies off again, and carries away what remains after that terrible burning, &c.] and whether the Conflagration and Renovation of [...]hings, which ſome ſuch Comet in its Aſcent from [...]e Sun may bring upon the Earth, be not hereby [...]refigur'd. I will not here be poſitive; but I own [...]hat I don't know of any Solution of this famous Piece of Egyptian Mythology and Hieroglyphicks, [...] this ſeems to be, that can be compared with it.

Note, (4.) That none of thoſe Comets whoſe Or⯑ [...]its are yet known, can come near enough to our Earth in their Aſcent from the Sun to cauſe the Conflagration. This is evident to thoſe who con⯑ [...]der Dr. Halley's Table, or my Solar Syſtem built [...]pon it; ſince none of them move in or very near [...]he Plane of the Ecliptick; and thoſe four which [...]ave their Nodes neareſt the Earth's Orbit, and ſo might approach neareſt to the Earth, are either [...]ch as have theſe Nodes ſo near only in their De⯑ [...]ent to the Sun; as that in 1472, and that in 1618, [...]nd that in 1680; or go not any time much near⯑ [...] to the Sun than the Earth it ſelf, as that in 1684, [...]nd ſo are on all Accounts utterly incapable of af⯑fording [12] Heat enough for ſuch a Conflagration.

Note (5.) That therefore the Period of Time for that Conflagration, upon the Suppoſition that it is to be cauſed by a Comet, cannot now be diſcover'd by any natural Means; but muſt ſtill remain, as formerly, only knowable from Divine Revelation.

New The⯑ory, p. 45 [...], [...]453.Note (6.) That hence thoſe remarkable Corol⯑laries, drawn from the accurate Solution of ſuch Difficulties now, as formerly were plainly inſolu⯑ble; I mean, the great Regard due to the Anci⯑enteſt Sacred and Prophane Records, and to the inſpired Method whence they muſt have been de⯑riv'd; the Imperfection of Human Knowledge; the Folly of rejecting Revealed Truths, out of regard to uncertain Human Reaſonings; the Wiſdom of adhering to the moſt obvious Senſe of Scripture; the Reaſonableneſs of believing Scri⯑pture-Accounts and Scripture-Myſteries, tho' not fully comprehended by us; the Juſtneſs of expect⯑ing Satisfaction in moral Difficulties in due time from the like Satisfaction afforded already in thoſe that are Philoſophical, and the like, do all receive a new and ſurprizing Confirmation; and will therefore deſerve a new and ſerious Conſideration.