[ 335 ] 



not the earth) to ftand ftill for a whole day; and in countries of 

 the Roman Catholic perfuafion, excufes are made for entertaining 

 this opinion in every publication where it is alluded to. 



The whole of this much controverted point depends principally 

 upon the fignification of the word earth, which in Englifh more 

 commonly includes the whole globe, unlefs confined by the con- 

 text to a diftrict, or more circumfcribed fpot. 



And firft, let us confider the occafion of the deluge ; which is 

 ftated to be, 



" That God faw the wickednefs of man was great upon the 

 " earth" Gen. vi. 5. 



" And the Lord fald, I will deftroy man whom I have created, 

 " from the face oj the earth, both man and beaft, and the creeping 

 " thing, and' the fowls of the air," ver. f. 



ff £&/Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord," ver. 8. 



The exception here ftated, " But Noah found grace, &c." feems 

 moft ftrongly to prove, that the wickednefs complained of related 

 to the diftrict in which he lived ; for in the then uninhabited 

 part of the globe there could have been none to offend, and in- 

 volve with their own deftruclion the whole race of animals. This 

 however was neceflary in that portion of Afia where Noah dwelt, 

 as the animals not included in the ark might have contributed to 

 the fupport of fome of the guilty. 



I fliould conceive therefore, that the term Earth is to be confined 

 in thefe chapters of Genefis to that portion of the globe where 

 the calamity happened, the fynonyms in moft languages being 

 equally reftrained by the context, or at leaft often io °. 



0 The earth," in this and other palfages of the three chapters of 

 Genefis which relate to the deluge,, is always anxiouily repeated, as " and 

 " every thing which is in the earth fhall die," Gen. vi. 1 7. where, if the 

 whole globe was intended, it would have been faid only, " every thing 

 " Jhall'die." The fame may be obfrrved with regard to the two former 

 citations from Gen. vi. 7, and 8, 



Thus 



