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tained how it may. If its primary fource cannot be human it 

 muft have been fupernatural, and moft affuredly worthy of credit 

 even in fuch inftances as have not as yet been corroborated by 

 obfervation, or perhaps are incapable of fuch additional proof. 

 Now fuch an account of the primagyal ftate of 1 he globe and of 

 the principal cataftrophes it anciently underwent, I am hold to 

 fay Mofes prefents to us, and I make no doubt of demonftrating 

 in the following ElTays. 



FIRST ESSAY 



O N THE 



PRIMEVAL STATE OF THE GLOBE. 



The firft remarkable fad that prefents itfelf to our notice on 

 confidering the primitive ftate of the globe is, that its fupcrficial 

 parts, at leaft to a certain depth, muft have originally been in a 

 foft or liquid ftate. This fad is inferred from the Ihape it at pre- 

 fent exhibits, which, as aftronomers tell us, is that of a fphoeroid 

 comprefl'ed at the poles, the polar diameter being found feveral 

 miles fhorter than the equatorial ; nor is it at the poles only that 

 this compreffion is obfervable, but in all the higher degrees of 

 latitude, nearly in proportion to their proximity to the poles. 

 This fhape it evidently could not affume unlefs to a certain 

 depth its fuperficial parts were in a foft or liquid ftate. Some 

 geological obfervations alfo indicate that its component parts, even 



thofe 



