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ever be kept within them and never through the forcing 
of these bars turn again to cover the earth. Now, to 
say the least, there is between the statements in all these 
passages a very remarkable agreement. We might say, so 
far as the several human authors are concerned, there is in 
them an undesigned coincidence. And there can be no just 
ground for the supposition that any one of these writers, 
thus agreeing together in their treatment of the same subject, 
expresses in his particular statement anything that is not fact 
and truth. 
All this, however, becomes clearer and more certain, on 
a comparison of the passages already quoted with the brief 
history contained in the first ten verses of the first chapter of 
Genesis. To speak more particularly, in the second of these 
verses is set forth the occurrence, and in the ninth and tenth 
verses the removal, of this, which I will now venture to style 
the (or, if you please, a) pre- Adamite deluge. In order, 
however, to establish the fact that the second verse describes, 
not a chaotic and imperfect creation, but a wasting and 
devastating deluge spread over the earth, previously created 
by Him whose works are perfect, I must be allowed to give 
a brief exposition of the first and second verses. In giving 
it, moreover, I shall be glad thus practically to enter my 
protest against the assertion that the clergy, as a body, 
teach their people that the heavens and the earth were 
created only six thousand or seven thousand years ago. And 
I would show cause for a contrary assertion, namely, that if 
they are engaged, as men ought to be, either in the daily 
contemplation of the depths of the wisdom and knowledge of 
the Creator, or in adoration, as they stand in His presence, of 
the glory of all His attributes, they cannot be either unwilling 
or afraid, according to their ability, to dive into the lowest 
depths of true science or to accompany it in its loftiest 
flights. In my proposed exposition 1 shall not refer to the 
Fathers, though for a portion of the view I am about to give 
I might gather from them considerable support. Neither 
will I derive my interpretation from heathen legends ; nor 
will I attempt to force Scripture to bend to scientific theories. 
I will first give the meaning, which, with a little close 
attention and a comparison of them with other Scriptures, 
these verses may be seen to have, and then confirm that view 
with a very little Hebrew criticism. I take it for granted 
that in the first verse, under the term “ the heavens and the 
earth,” we are to include all created things, and all created 
beings. And so far the proposition is the same as that of 
St.John , — “ All things were made by Him, and without 
