THE BEING OF GOB BEMONSTRAf EB. 



mous lump of minerals, which we call the earth, the 

 £rn: men and the nrjft animals of every kind, could 

 have arifen ? 



The globe was as unable to produce of itfelf its firfi: 

 inhabitants, as at prefent a defert illancl, in the midft 

 of the fouthern ocean, is to people itfelf with men, 

 and living creatures. 



But it is doubted whether ever this terreftrial body 

 has been a mafs of glowing fire, whether Buffon is in 

 $he right ? This, at leaft, mull be confeffed, that the fea 

 has formerly covered the whole furface of the globe, 

 that only the fummits of the highefY mountains ap- 

 peared above the all-involving ocean. This is evinced 

 by a thoufand and a thoufand proofs. 



According to the judgement of the greateft re- 

 fearchers into nature, this great deluge mufi have lafted 

 very long — probably fome thoufands of years ! 



During that period the globe could not have been 

 inhabited by men and land-animals. ( Can it be be- 

 lieved, that our race was ever of the nature of a 

 mackarel or a fprat, and inhabited the watery element ? 

 Certainly, as little as it can be imagined, that mackarel 

 and fprats have ever been the inhabitants of dry 

 land! 



Telliamed's fim-men can only be confidered as fie- 

 tions of the abfurdeft clafs. 



, Neither could mankind have fupported themfelves 

 on the pinnacles of the loftieft Alps, which remained 

 11 ry jdnrjjng the deluge. For the tops of the loftieft 

 mounts .ins of the glQbe are barren rocks, where no- 

 thiag grows, or nothing proper to the nouriihment of 

 man. 



But 



