AN EXAMINATION OF Dr. BURNET'S Theory of the Earth.

    appear in this Chapter, that the right position of the Earth (as he calls it) is so very far from being desirable as he imagins it is, that it is one of the worst it could have, and that therefore the Earth was never placed by God Almighty at the beginning of the world in such a position. For I here lay it down as an axiom which I am confident the Theorist will allow, that God at the beginning placed the Earth in such a position as was most advantageous to the whole, and tho perhaps another position might have been fitter for some particular place, yet the whole would have been the worse for it: God by his infinite wisdome and goodness alwayes choosing such constitutions and positions of things as bring with them the greatest good and utility to the Universe.

Let us therefore consider whither this right position, which the Theorist says was that of the primitive Earth was the best it could have, and if after examination we find that no such Character as that of best belonged to it, but rather the contrary, it being by far more disadvantageous to the Earth than the present one, we may considently