L 3*6 ] 



ON THE DELUGE IN THE TIME OF NOAH, 



•\.,' I. . ■ . ■'■ ■■ L'. '.It "iL'.iii^ 



t 1""^ HERE feem to be the ftrongeft objections to the fuppo- 

 JL fitioii of an univerfal deluge ; fome of which, without 

 mentioning others, may be thus fhortly ftated. 



He muft be a more ingenious architect than even Bimop Wil- 

 kins % who can contrive a fingle veflel large enough for Noah 

 and his family, the hearts, fowls, reptiles, and infects, of the 

 whole globe, together with provisions for their fuftenance, during 

 the fpace of a twelvemonth b ; whilft the lives of each animal, in 

 this confined ftate, muft alfo have continued for that time, other- 

 wife fome genus or fpecies muft have been intirely deftroyed, 

 without a new creation. 



If we are to underftand likewife the expreffion literally of all, 

 the extirpation of the web-footed fowls would not have followed ; 

 nor of the water reptiles and infects. 



On the other hand, there muft have been a new creation of 

 either the fait or frefh water fifh, fuppoling the fluid which co- 

 vered the face of the globe to have been either fait or frefh, as 

 the former could not have lived a twelvemonth in water fo much 

 frefhened, or the latter in an element become fo much falter. 



a See his Works. 



b No mention is here made of fuel, as well as many other bulky but 

 necefTary articles. 



How 



