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universal deluge, had been brought prominently before the 
minds of the students of Scripture, the Biblical narrative of 
the Deluge was taken in its literal signification. It was 
believed, as Moses indeed seems to say, that the Flood over- 
spread the whole globe ; that the highest mountains upon the 
globe were submerged ; and that every living creature, save 
those that were in the Ark, was destroyed. Still, it must not 
be forgotten, that long before geology had assumed the shape 
of a science, able and scholarly men, both among Churchmen 
and Nonconformists, had reached the conclusion that a 
universal flood was untenable. As early as the time of 
the Commonwealth, Bishop Stillingfleet wrote thus, in his 
Origines Sacrce : — • 
“ I cannot see any urgent necessity from the Scripture to assert that the 
Flood did spread itself over all the surface of the earth. That all mankind, 
those in the Ark excepted, were destroyed by it, is most certain, according to 
the Scriptures. The Flood was universal as to mankind, but from theDce 
follows no necessity at all of asserting the universality of it, as to the globe 
of the earth, unless it be sufficiently proved that the whole earth was peopled 
before the Flood, which I despair of ever seeing proved. And what reason 
can there be to extend the Flood beyond the occasion of it, which was the 
corruption of mankind ? I grant, as far as the Flood extended, all the ani- 
mals were destroyed, but I see no reason to extend the destruction of these 
beyond that compass and space of the earth where men inhabited, because 
the punishment upon the beasts was occasioned by, and could not but be 
concomitant with, the destruction of mankind. But (the occasion of the 
Deluge being the sin of man, who was punished in the beasts that were 
destroyed for his sake, as well as in himself) where the occasion was not, as 
where there were animals and no men, there seems no necessity of extending 
the Flood thither.” 
Pointing in the same direction, are the remarks of 
the distinguished Nonconformist, Matthew Poole, who was 
among the ejected in 1662, and whose Synopsis Criticorum 
is a monument of his great industry and learning : — 
“ It is not to be supposed,” he says, “ that the entire globe of the earth 
was covered with water. Where was the need of overwhelming those 
regions in which there were no human beings ? It would be highly un- 
reasonable to suppose that mankind had so increased before the Deluge, as 
to have penetrated to all the corners of the earth. It is indeed not probable, 
that they had extended themselves beyond the limits of Syria and Meso- 
potamia. Absurd it would be to affirm, that the effects of the punishment 
inflicted upon men alone, applied to places in which there were no men. If, 
then, we should entertain the belief that not so much as the hundredth part 
