250 LETTER IX. 



ing Paragraph, as follows. There is an objec- 

 tion, againrt Dr. Woodward's Diflblution of the 

 whole Earth, at the time of the Deluge, which 

 is not very eafily anfwered, viz. That Mofes^ in 

 his Defcription of the four Branches of the River, 

 running out of Eden^ makes the prefent Earth 

 (allowing for alterations caufed by Earthquakes, 

 &c.) to be identically the fame, with the Anti« 

 diluvianone, in Genefis^ 2"^, lo^^, ii^^, i2^^, 13*^ 

 14^^ Verfes : And a River went out of Eden 

 to water the Garden -, and from thence it w^s 



parted^ aiid became into four Heads. T'he Name 

 of the frft is Pifon : Afid that is it which 



compafj'eth Havilah, where there is Gold^ and 

 the Gold of that Land is good-y there is Bdel- 

 lium, and the Onyx Stone. And the name of the 

 fecond is Gihon, the fame is it which compajjeth 

 the Land of Ethiopia. And the name of the 

 third River is Hiddekel ; that is it which goeth 

 towards the Eajl of AiTy ria. And the fourth Ri- 

 ver is Euphrates. Now, that Mo/es is here de- 

 fcribing the ftate of thofe Branches of the River, 

 juft as they v/ere, during his own life-time, is 

 evident enough, becaufe Scripture (as well as 

 other Oriental Hifiory and Geography) mention 

 their iituation for many hundreds of years, after 

 the deceafe of that great Prophet. Nor do I fo 

 much depend upon the Authority of Commenta- 

 tors, as I do upon the Reafonablenefs of my opi- 

 nion 3 



