388 On the Mosaic account of the Creation., 



again have been swept onwards with the advancing waters, 

 as each transient obstacle was overcome, into the bed de- 

 pressed for their reception, because from the depression of 

 the former earth, a strong current must have set in from the 

 former ocean, and thus if land and water had really changed 

 places, the exuviae now so abundantly brought to our notice, 

 would have been buried in the depths of the present sea. 



It is evident too, from Mr. Pernios own reasoning, that no 

 obstacles whatever could possibly have been opposed to the 

 waters in order to form a reflux, for he tells us, that it was 

 (C one hundred and fifty days, or five months, from the com- 

 mencement of the flood, that the waters began to abandon 

 their ancient bed, from which they continued to descend until 

 they had left it a dry land/"* Now it must be borne in mind 

 that the waters were standing equally deep over all the globe, 

 so that the earth must have been in its centre, and accord- 

 ing to the Mosaic geologist, that portion which had formerly 

 been the dry land, was depressed for the reception of the 

 waters in order to cause the subsidence of the flood. 



Is it not then manifest that these waters would at once 

 have rushed violently and irresistibly downwards from their 

 equal height, into the hollow below them ; and is it not 

 equally manifest that the formation of a long continuing 

 reflux to carry upwards the terrestrial exuviae into that por- 

 tion which the waters were rapidly and irresistibly descend- 

 ing from, would have been an utter and absolute impossibi- 

 lity ? 



But the author has wisely suggested, that (i had the former 

 continents sunk all at once, the immediate and violent influx 

 of the great body of the ocean, to fill the vacuum thereby 

 created, must have hurried the ark into its enormous vortex, 

 and have caused it to be presently ingulfed ; whereas the re- 

 cord represents the ark, like an ordinary vessel, riding secure- 

 ly upon the surface of the ocean." I am willing therefore to 



* Comp. Est. p. 270. 



