60 



general current setting from the north east to the south 

 west, of which we have the most indubitable proofs, 

 in this country. 



Dr. Clark says, of the fountains of the great deep 

 being broken up, and the windows of Heaven being 

 opened : " It appears that an immense quantity of 

 waters occupied the centre of the antediluvian earth ; 

 and as these burst forth by the order of God, the cir- 

 cumambient strata must sink, in order to fill up the 

 vacuum occasioned by the elevated waters. This is 

 probably, what is meant by the breaking up the foun- 

 tains of the great deep. These waters, with the seas 

 on the earth's surface, might be deemed sufficient to 

 drown the whole globe." 



1 am not a little surprized to hear an opinion so im- 

 probable in itself, coming from Dr. Clarke, as in say- 

 ing that " the circumambient strata must sink, in 

 order to fill up the vacuum occasioned by the elevated 

 waters." In this case, as there was no apparent ne- 

 cessity that the " circumambient strata should sink 

 in," would it not have been as easy for that Almighty 

 Being who created the earth, to support these circum- 

 ambient strata in their natural place, as to have elevat- 

 ed the waters from this supposed cavern, for the ex- 

 press purpose of inundating the world ? To deny it 

 is impious. 



Another circumstance that militates against such an 

 opinion is, that if the circumambient strata sunk " in 

 order to fill up the vacuum occasioned by the elevated 



