Terra Firma: the Earth Not a Planet, Proved from Scripture, Reason, and Fact

by David Wardlaw Scott

This classic is organized as Introductory Remarks1. A Few Words About Gravitation2. Fundamental Difference of Opinion Among Modern Astronomers3. Testimony of Some Able Men Against the Copernican Theory4. Quotations Showing Some of the Atheistical Results of Modern AstronomyII. The Adamic Creation1. The Days of Creation Not Long Periods of Time, But Six Natural Days of 24 Hours Each2. Not Two Races of Adamites3. Refutation of the Theory of Two Different Authors of Genesis, From the Use of the Distinguishing Words Elohim and Jehovah-Elohim4. No Discrepancy Exists Regarding the Adamic Creation in the Accounts Given in Genesis I. and II5. Primeval Fauna and the Ages6. Chipped Flints7. The Supposed Glacial PeriodIII. The Nebular Hypothesis. Examination of Three Alleged Proofs That the World Is Globular1. The Nebular Hypothesis2. The Circumnavigation of the Earth3. The Appearance and Disappearance of Ships at Sea4. The Earth’s Shadow in a Lunar EclipseIV. Remarks on Some Other Alleged Proofs of the World’s Globularity1. Variability of Pendulum Vibrations2. Supposed Manifestation of the Rotation of the Earth3. Railways and Earth’s Centrifugal Force4. The Declination of the Pole Star5. The Motion of Stars North and South6. The Planet NeptuneV. The World Circular But Not Globular; Has Immovable Foundations, Therefore Not a Planet1. The Relative Proportion of Land and Water2. The Compass a Proof That the Earth Is Not a Planet3. Dangers of Navigation in Southern Seas, Caused by the Theory That the World Is Globular4. The Supposed Revolution of the Earth Around the Sun Proved to Be Untrue5. The Earth Stretched Upon the Waters, Which Have an Impassable Circumference6. The Earth Proved to Have Immovable FoundationsVI. The Horizontality of Land and Water Proved1. Railways2. Rivers3. Canals4. Submarine Cables5. The Light of Lighthouses Seen at Great DistancesVII. The Sun, Moon and Stars According to Modern Astronomy1. The Sun2. The Moon3. The StarsVIII. The Sun According to the Scriptures1. Light Comes Out of Darkness2. Zetetic Measurements Respecting the Distance and Diameter of the Sun3. Some Particulars Respecting the Sun4. Scriptural Proof of the Rising and Setting of the SunIX. The Sun’s Path and Work in the Heavens1. The Cause of Day and Night and the Seasons2. The Reason for Gain and Loss of Time at Sea3. The Seasons of the Year4. The Midnight Sun, and the Alternation of Summer and Winter in the Northern Centre5. The Sun and the ZodiacX. The Sun Standing Still and Returning Backwards1. The Sun Standing Still Over Gibeon2. The Sun’s Shadow Turning Back Ten Degrees on the Dial of AhazXI. The Biblical Account1. The Date, Cause, and Extent of the Deluge2. God’s Instructions to Noah Respecting the Ark3. Some Objections Against the Deluge Answered4. The Earth Not a Planet, Proved From the Waters Finding Their Own Level Above the Highest Mountains5. Subsidence of the Waters, and Safe Debarkation of Noah and All With Him From the Ark6. The Noachian Covenant7. The Last Judgment on the Earth to Be by FireXII. The Traditional Records1. Marks of the Deluge Visible in Many Lands2.

Genres: Science

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2013

Reviews

[Eric Dubay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terra Firma is another of my "must-read" 19th century Flat Earth books. As a secular person, I don't care for the "proved from scripture" parts of the book, but the "proved from reason and fact" bits are excellent and make up the majority of it. While not as comprehensive or convincing as Rowbotham and Winship's Flat Earth books, Scott nevertheless provides some unique insights that make Terra Firma well worth reading for any serious FE researcher.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language is sometimes archaic, and there are a few typos in this edition... but if you can get past that, it is a persuasive book with some sound arguments I hadn't encountered yet. For example, for many years I had wondered: how do all the rivers flow into the ocean without raising its level? I had not considered that argument in light of a flat earth, and Scott offers a plausible explanation. By the way, he also deals with rainfall and evaporation and proves that that alone cannot account for the volume of water dumped into the ocean by rivers each year. This book also quotes more Biblical scripture than any of the previous books I've read on this subject. While I was aware of a few scriptures that support the idea of a flat earth, it turns out there are many. So I'm thankful for this book for bringing those verses to my attention.

[Damon Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those eager and curious to know more about our Earths true nature........ very easy to understand observations/evidences, most, if not all, one could carry-out/verify for themselves so as to ascertain there validity (or not).............Samuel Rowbotham, William Carpenter and Ron Wyatt, all have great books of a similar nature to share for those who want to see some honest observations.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The old language is hard to follow sometimes, but the arguments are thought provoking to say the least. There were some Biblical references I hadn't thought of before, like where the sun stood still. I recommend this book to anyone who may have questions about the world we live in.

[Famouslast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the original publication of this book in amazing condition. Reading the original is definitely satisfying beyond belief.

One of the most compelling arguments requires an experiment that very few people will perform. It involves compass readings and measuring the length of travel between identical latitudes between the northern and southern hemispheres. If you attempted measurement today in the "southern hemisphere" you would either be overtaken by the sea, taken out by a number of different government patrol ships (dozens of countries would escort you out of international waters), or simply be killed by pirates. Even if you were able to avoid all of these perils, you would then be faced with measuring the same latitude in the north, which is not equal in terms of land and sea geography.

When was the last/first time a plane has circumnavigated the world at both the 60° parallel north and 60° parallel south, and then published its findings?
This would be a relatively SIMPLE task. But you will not find a single public measurement.

Instead of being met with a scientific embrace, you will be met with indignance. As an audience to your question, you will find rude and condescending people possessed with the spirits of mockery, arrogance, and hubris.

In an age where Science is dogmatic religion, and many are ruthless and sociopathic this kind of book will be seen as nonsense. This is what makes the original copy of this book all the more valuable.

[Geofrey M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling biblically supported narrative on the flat earth fact....a must read for all flat-earthers!

[Davys Ashtree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll give it 3 stars for the quality of the text of the period and for the coherency of the structure. I'll remove 1 for the lack of scientific facts. Humans have known Earth is a globe before this book was written.

As an atheist, I was curious how the religious viewed the flat earth more than just what's written in Job 38:14 and another review here said it described it well. It's very true.

Now for a warning: we live on a globe. The curve is real. It has been scientifically proven and I've done most of the at-home testing one can do on a limited budget because they're useful to explain science to kids. (I organize free scientific experiments for kids in the community.) I was once privy to see the curve from a cargo plane's cockpit during a business trip before 9/11. The curve is there.

To say that that is a science book is false. It's filled with premises/claims from a bronze age book that claims inaccurate scientific information (rabbit chewing cud for example, which they do not!)

So if you're interested in the theistic position on flat earth , this book is a good start and that's all it's for.

[Ebook Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, the e-book version can be found at:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/terr...

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for the Christian argument to Flat Earth theories, this is one of the best sources out there. Despite several logical errors you won't a better tome to shed light on the worldview of the religious flat earther.