398 On the Mosaic account of the Creation. 



and fifty years later, and produced the deluge, by which the 

 temperature of climates was still farther reduced, and various 

 species of plants and animals were destroyed. 



Of the means by which a reduction of temperature was 

 effected, I shall have occasion to treat in a succeeding essay. 



These two Mosaic revolutions will be found fully sufficient 

 to account for all the fossil phenomena of the earth's strata ; 

 the first having been instrumental to the production of the se- 

 condary, and the last, of the tertiary and diluvial formations 

 of geology. 



One, yet more convincing argument against the change of 

 land and sea, as advocated by the Mosaic geologist, and 

 we may dismiss the subject. 



He affirms that the Hebrews understood the destruction of 

 the earth, and that St. Peter confirms their traditions, by 

 adverting, in his second epistle, to the catastrophe of the 

 deluge, expressly stating, " that the world which then was 

 being overflowed with waters, perished-" to which " world 

 which then was/ 5 he opposes i e the earth which now is," and 

 he proceeds to declare, that the earth which " now is," is 

 reserved for destruction by fire, as the earth which i( then 

 was," sustained destruction by water. He thus enables us 

 to judge of the extent of the destruction of the former by 

 affirming the destruction of both to be equal, and therefore 

 rendering them rules for mutually explaining each other. 

 Of the latter we are apprized, that its destruction by fire will 

 be final ; and we are therefore in consistency to infer of the 

 former, that its destruction by water was also final ; the in- 

 struments of destruction are different, but their effects are co- 

 extensive according to the diversity of their natures. So that 

 the sense in which the old interpreters understood the words, 

 namely, " and," or " with the earth," is thus both expound- 

 ed and confirmed by the highest authority in the Christian 

 church.""* 



* Corap. Est. p. 251. 



