A new theory of the earth, from its original, to the consummation of all things. Wherein the creation of the world in six days, the universal deluge, and the general conflagration, as laid down in the Holy Scriptures, are shewn to be perfectly agreeable to reason and philosophy. With a large introductory discourse concerning the genuine nature, stile, and extent of the Mosaick history of the creation.

William Whiston

R. Roberts, for Benj. Tooke at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street, London, MDCXCVI. 1696

[Prelude to the Big Bang Theory: An early theory on the creation of the world hypothesized that Noah's flood was caused by a great comet.]  Rebound in modern cloth.  [8], 95, [1], 388, p., 7 leaves of plates (1 folded) : ill. ; 8vo.  Tear from top margin of first few pages. Spotting to illustrated plates at rear.  Final leaves have some loss, mostly at top margin.  With an engraved frontispiece of the "Systema solare".  Lacks final ads, errata leaf. Wing W1696. ESTC R20397.  

Whiston was a theologian, mathematician and natural philosopher.  Whiston's catastrophist theories were well-received by Newton (who he succeeded at Cambridge as Lucasian professor in 1702) and Locke, amongst others.   He incorporated Newtonian laws of motion into his arguments.  

This work is divided as follows: an introduction, discussing the text of Creation according to Genesis; Book I: Lemmata, discussing the premises and assumptions on which his argument is based; Book II: Hypotheses, discussing his model for the origin of the Earth; Book III: Phaenomena, discussing evidence predicted by his model; Book IV: Solutions, discussing how his model explains the evidence.  

SOLD WITH ALL FAULTS.