5 
{ 
i 
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Paleontological Discovery. 331 
The main characteristic of this period was the general ws 
that fossil remains were dep futsal by the Mosaic deluge. We 
have seen that this view had ena been advanced, but it was 
not till the an of the eighteenth century that it became 
the prevailing view. This doctrine was strongly opposed by 
some courageous men, and the discussion on the subject soon 
became even more bitter than the previous one, as to the 
nature of fossils. 
In this diluvial discussion theologians and laymen alike took 
art. For nearly a century the former had it all their own 
way, for the general public, then as now, believed what the 
were taught. Svosk’s Ko od was thought to have been univers 
and was the only general catastrophe of which the people of 
that day had any knowledge or conception. 
The scholars among them were of course familiar with the 
accounts of Deucalion and his ark, in a previous deluge, as we 
are to-day with similar traditions held by various races of men. 
The firm belief that the earth and all it contains was created 
in six days; that all life on the globe toe re by the 
deluge, except alone what Noah saved; and that the earth 
and its inhabitants were to be destroyed by ee = the foun- 
dation on which all knowledge of the earth was based. With 
such fixed opinions, the fossil remains of animals and plants 
Were naturally regarded as relics left by the flood described in 
Holy Writ. “The dominant nature of this belief is seen in 
nearly all the literature in regard to fossils published at this 
time, and some . — — which then ee have become 
famous on this ac 
the Flood. The most psec Ae ies however, ‘of this time, 
was publish 26, b Scheuchzer, a physician 
oe ed at Zurich, in 17 ry  deoe It 
naturalist, and professor in the University of 
bore the title Sg Diluwii Testis.” The specimen upon 
which this work was based was s found at ton and was 
ese, also, he carefull deseribed pee ra in his + haste 
nan published at Ulm in 1731. Engravings of both were 
subsequently given in the “ Copper-Bible. " vier afterward 
eresting ees and pronounced the skeleton 
d to be the remains of a gigantic 
