You will say, it may be, in the last Place, we want still the Testimony of Natural Reason and Philosophy, to make the Evidence complete. I answer, ’tis enough if they be silent, and have nothing to say to the contrary. Here are Witnesses, Human and Divine, and if none appear against them, we have no reason to refuse their Testimony, or to distrust it. Philosophy will very readily yield to this Doctrine, that all material Compositions are dissolvable; and she will not wonder to see that die, which she had seen born: I mean this terrestrial World. She stood upon the Chaos, and saw it roll itself, with Difficulty, and after many Strugglings, into the form of an habitable Earth: And that Form she saw broken down again at the Deluge; and can as little hope or expect, now, as then, that it should be everlasting and immutable. There would be nothing great or considerable in this inferior World, if there were not such Revolutions of Nature. The Seasons of the Year, and the fresh Productions of the Spring, are pretty in their Way; but when the (_Annus Magnus_) _Great Year_ comes about, with a new Order of all Things, in the Heavens, and on the Earth; and a new Dress of Nature throughout all her Regions, far more goodly and beautiful than the fairest Spring; this gives a new Life to the Creation, and shews the Greatness of its Author. Besides, these fatal Catastrophes are always a Punishment to degenerate Mankind, that are overwhelm’d in the Ruins of these perishing Worlds. And to make Nature herself execute the Divine Vengeance against rebellious Creatures, argues both the Power and Wisdom of that Providence that governs all Things here below. These Things Reason and Philosophy approve of; but if you further require, that they should shew a _Necessity_ of this future Destruction of the World, from _natural Causes_, with the Time, and all other Circumstances of this Effect; your Demands are unreasonable, seeing these Things do not depend solely upon Nature. But if you will content yourself to know what Dispositions there are in Nature towards such a Change; how it may begin, proceed, and be consummate, under the Conduct of Providence, be pleased to read the following Discourse, for your further Satisfaction. CHAP. III. _That the World will be destroy’d by Fire, is the Doctrine of the Ancients, especially of the Stoicks. That the same Doctrine is more ancient than the Greeks, and deriv’d from the Barbarick Philosophy; and That probably from Noah, the Father of all Traditionary Learning. The same Doctrine expressly authorized by Revelation, and inroll’d into the Sacred Canon._