FamilL of the Ear iB. 



under fbrtie Concern and Uneafine& to 

 ibfc him thus let a fide only to make 

 way for a new Hypothefis : and fb ie- 

 rious and weighty a Matter, as is this 

 Tradition of the Univerfal Deluge, 

 plae'd after all upon lb very unlleady 

 a Bottom. But that Concern encreasM 

 when they further heard him fb zea- 

 loufii^ decrying all former Notions of 

 a Deluge : refufing to grant one upori 

 any Terms but his ovvn : and fb pe- 

 remptorily declaring, That all other 

 WAys a(Jigntd for the Explication of Noah's 

 Flood are fdfe or impoffihle. This was 

 to reduce the Thing to a very great 

 Streight : and furely an expofing and 



- venturing of it a little too far. For if 

 all the other Ways be falfe and impol^ 

 fible, fliould this, the only one lelt, 

 prove at laft fb likewife, the Opinion 

 of a Deluge would be left very precari- 

 ous and defencelefs, and we might ei- 

 ther believe or disbelieve it at pleaiure ; 

 nay the negative part v^ould of the 



1 two have much the Advantage, there 

 being no reafbnable Foundation to be- 

 lieve that the Deluge did come to pafs 

 this way. 



Some Men there are v^iho have made 

 a very untoward ufe of thu^ and fuch 



M a one 



