on the Sand there, frets and wears them away by little and little, in tract of Time reducing those that are concave and gibbofe to a flat, and at length grinding them away almoft to nothing. And there are, not uncommonly,foundShells fo worn. enclos'd, amongst others, in Stone.

A's the Sea-Shells afford us a fure Argument of a Sea, fo do the River-Shells of Rivers, in the Antediluvian Earth. And if there were Rivers, there must needs also have been Mountains; for they will not flow unless upon a Declivity, and their Sources be rais'd above the Earth's ordinary Surface, fo that they may run upon a Defcent*; the Swift

*Confer Part 3. Sect. 1. Pag. 170, & 171, fupra. The Theorist, I know, fuppofes both the Antediluvian and the prefent Earth to be of an Oval Figure, and protended towards the Poles; as thinking that fuch a Figure would afford him a Plane fo much inclined towards the Æquator, that the Rivers might flow upon it though there were no Mountains. But 'tis certain they could not. Nor are there any the leaft Grounds to believe that the firft Earth was of that Figure. If he had had any thing that had look'd like a Proof of it, he had done well to have produced it. But 'tis evident, though we imagine the Earth formed that Way he propofes, it would not have fallen into any fuch Figure. And for the prefent Earth, 'tis of a Figure as different from that which he assigns as it well could be; it being a Spheroides prolatus, as appears from the late Discoveries concerning it.

Swiftness of their Current, and the Quantity of Water refunded by them, being proportioned generaly to the Height of their Sources, and the Bignefs of the Mountains, out of which they arife, Mountains being proved, nothing need be faid concerning Valleys, they neceffarily following from that Proof, as being nothing but the Intervalls betwixt the Mountains. But let us see what Mofes hath on this Subject*. And Gen. vii. the Waters (he is treating of the 19.8 feqq. Deluge) prevailed exceedingly upon the Earth and all the HIGH HILLS that were under the whole Heaven were cover'd. Fifteen Cubits upwards did the Waters prevail: and the MOUNTAINS were cover'd. And all Flefb dyed: all in whofe Noftrils was the Breath of Life. The Theorift averrs that there were no Mountains in the firft Earth: and therefore would have this to be underflood of those which were raised afterwards. But that cannot be. For the Hiftorian here plainly makes thefe Mountains the Standards and Meafures of the Rife of the Water; which they could never have been T 3

had

had they not been ftanding when it did fo rife and overpour the Earth. His Intention in the whole is to açquaint us that all Land-Creatures whatever, both Men, Quadrupeds, Birds, and Infects, perifh'd, and were destroy'd by the Water, Noah only excepted, and they that were with him in the Ark. And at the fame. Time, to let us fee the Truth and Probability of the Thing to convince us that there was no Way for any one to escape, and particularly that none could fave themselves by climbing up to the Tops of the Mountains that then were, he affures us that they, even the higheft of them, were all cover'd and bury'd under Water. Now to fay that there were then no Mountains: and that this is meant of Mountains that were not formed till afterwards, makes it not intelligible, and indeed hardly common Senfe.

The extreme Fertility of both Sea and Land before the Deluge, appears fufficiently from the vaft and almoft incredible Numbers of their *Vid. Productions yet extant, not to infift upon thofe which are long ago

Part II.

rotted

Pag. 34,

rotted and gonef. Nor need we +Confer much wonder at this their abundant 70,71, 89, Fruitfulness, when we know from & P. III. what Sourfe it proceeded; which Set. 2. Conf. 11. our Hiftorian hath opened to us in very fignificant Words. And God ||Gen. i. v. faid, let the Waters bring forth abun- 20. & feq. dantly the moving Creature that bath Life, &c. And God bleffed them, Saying, be fruitfull and multiply, and fill the Waters in the Seas: and let Fowl multiply in the Earth, &c. Here was, we fee, a Bleffing, handed out with the first Pairs of Animals at the Moment of their Creation, very liberal and extenfive: and it had Effect with a Witnefs. A Man that does but behold the mighty Sholes of Shells, to take them for an Inftance, that are ftill remaining, and that lye bedded and cumulated in many Places Heap upon Heap, amongst the Ordinary Matter of the Earth, will scarcely be able to believe his Eyes, or conceive which Way thefe could ever live or fubfift one by another. But yet fubfift they did: and as they themselves teftify, well too; an Argument that that Earth did not deal out their Nourishment T4.

with

with an over-fparing or illiberal Hand.

That these Productions of the Original Earth, differ not from those of the Prefent, either in Figure, in Magnitude, in Texture, or any other Refpect, is eafyly learn'd by comparing of them. The exact Agreement betwixt the Marine Bodyes I *p23, 24, have fhewn already*: and fhall in 25. Conf. due Place fhew the fame of the terGen. i. 11, 12,21,24, reftrial ones.

25. & vi.

20.

As there were fuch great Numbers of Animals and Vegetables in the Primitive Earth, fo that there were alfo Metalls and Minerals, and these in no less Plenty than in ours, is very clear from what hath been deliver'd in the Fourth Part of this Effay, which need not be repeated here. Nor is Mofes defective in this *Gen. iv. Point*. And Zillah, fhe alfo bare Tubal Cain, an Inftructer of every Artificer in Brafs and Iron. The Theorift, quite contrary, fays, As for Subterraneous Things, Metalls and Minerals, I believe they had none in the firft Earth; and the happier they; no Gold, nor Silver, nor coarfer Metalls. Amongst these coarfer Me

22.

talls