By the States of the Earth that are already past, we understand chiefly _Paradise_ and the _Deluge_; Names well known, and as little known in their Nature. By the future States we understand the _Conflagration_, and what new Order of Nature may follow upon that, ’till the whole Circle of Time and Providence be compleated. As to the first and past States of the Earth, we shall have little help from the Ancients, or from any of the Philosophers, for the Discovery or Description of them: We must often tread unbeaten Paths, and make a Way where we do not find one; but it shall be always with a Light in our Hand, that we may see our Steps, and that those that follow us may not follow us blindly. There is no Sect of Philosophers that I know of, that ever gave an Account of the Universal Deluge, or discover’d, from the Contemplation of the Earth, that there had been such a Thing already in Nature. ’Tis true, they often talk of an Alternation of _Deluges_ and _Conflagrations_ in this Earth, but they speak of them as Things to come; at least, they give no Proof or Argument of any that hath already destroyed the World. As to _Paradise_, it seems to be represented to us by the _Golden Age_; whereof the Ancients tell many Stories, sometimes very luxuriant, and sometimes very defective: For they did not so well understand the Difference betwixt the new-made Earth and the present, as to see what were the just Grounds of the _Golden Age_, or of _Paradise_; though they had many broken Notions concerning those Things, as to the _Conflagration_ in particular. This hath always been reckon’d one amongst the Opinions, or Dogmata of the Stoicks, _That the World was to be destroyed by Fire_, and their Books are full of this Notion; but yet they do not tell us the Causes of the Conflagration, nor what Preparations there are in Nature, or will be, towards that great Change. And we may generally observe this of the _Ancients_, that their Learning or Philosophy consisted more in Conclusions, than in Demonstrations; they had many Truths among them, whereof they did not know themselves the Premises or the Proofs: Which is an Argument to me, that the Knowledge they had, was not a Thing of their own Invention, or which they came to by fair Reasoning and Observations upon Nature, but was delivered to them from others by Tradition and ancient Fame, sometimes more publick, sometimes more secret: These Conclusions they kept in Mind, and communicated to those of their School, or Sect, or Posterity, without knowing, for the most part, the just Grounds and Reasons of them.