d by its author, of the origin
of the world, and is remarkable as one of the first grand prophecies of
geology; although of little value to us, it produced an impression upon
the age by depicting the various strata of the mountainous regions, and
comparing them in different countries, eliminating ideas of the nature
of the vast changes we see in the universe, tracing the rise of most of
the phenomena from the two elements, fire and water. Burnet thought that
at one time the whole of matter was in a fluid state, revolving round
a central sun, until the heavier particles sunk into the middle, and
formed the stony strata which supports the earth, over which the lighter
liquids coalesced until the heat of the sun effectually separated water
from land. This is the foundation of a scheme which is elaborated in
a poetic style, abounding in eloquent descriptions; in fact it is a
philosophic prose poem of almost unalloyed beauty. In it there is some
resemblance to the measured sentences of Shaftesbury, although unequal
to that fine writer in soundness of judgment or practical usefulness. In
1691 an English translation was published.

By far the most interesting work to us of Burnet's (also written in
Latin) is "Archaeologia Philosophical or, an account of the Opinion of
the Ancients on various Philosophical Problems." This work created great
opposition by its free remarks on the Mosaic dispensation, although
the writer in this, as in the case of his posthumous works, strongly
protested against their being translated into the English language, as
he was justly afraid of their influence on the minds of the laity, and
from his high official station, with the influence his vast learning and
his connection with Tillotson, and the Court gave him, he was, no
doubt, apprehensive that the really religious champions of the Church of
England would denounce him when exposed to the temptation of High Church
preferment. Fragments of those works were translated by the clergy to
prove to the unlearned what a dangerous character Thomas Burnet was.
Charles Blount, writing to Gildon, says, "I have, according to my
promise, sent you herewith the seventh and eighth chapters, as also the
appendix, of the great and learned Dr. Burnet's book, published this
winter in Latin, and by him dedicated to our most gracious Sovereign,
King William..... As for the piece itself, I think it is one of the
most ingenious I have ever read, and full of the most acute a