THEORY of the EARTH. .303 



this intention is not to be fuppofed, or vainly imagined, from 

 what we may conceive to be. 



WE have been now fuppofing, that the beginning of our pre- 

 fent earth had been laid in the bottom of the ocean, at the com- 

 pletion of the former land ; but this was only for the fake of di- 

 ftinc"lnefs. The juft view is this, that when the former land of 

 the globe had been complete, fo as to begin to wafte and be im- 

 paired by the encroachment of the fea, the prefent land began 

 to appear above the furface of the ocean. In this manner we 

 fuppofe a due proportion to be always preferved of land and 

 water upon the furface of the globe, for the purpofe of a habi- 

 table world, fuch as this which we poflefs. We thus, alfo, al- 

 low time and opportunity for the tranflation of animals and 

 plants to occupy the earth. 



BUT, if the earth on which we live, began to appear in the 

 ocean at the time when the laft began to be refolved, it could 

 not be from the materials of the continent immediately pre- 

 ceding this which we examine, that the prefent earth had been 

 conftrucled ; for the bottom of the ocean muft have been filled 

 with materials before land could be made to appear above its 

 furface. 



LET us fuppofe that the continent, which is to fucceed our 

 land, is at prefent beginning to appear above the water in the 

 middle of the Pacific Ocean, it muft be evident, that the mate- 

 rials of this great body, which is formed and ready to be brought 

 forth, muft have been collected from the deftruction of an earth 

 which does not now appear. Confequently, in this true ftate- 

 ment of the cafe, there is neceflarily required the definition 

 of an animal and vegetable earth prior to the former land ; and 

 the materials of that earth which is firft in our account, muft 

 have been collected at the bottom of the ocean, and begun to 

 be concocted for the production of the prefent earth, when the 



land immediately preceding the prefent had arrived at its full 

 extent. 



THIS, 



