which are often found on the Tops of the higheft Mountains, and petrified Bones and Teeth of Fishes, which are dug up hundreds of Miles from the Sea, Trees and Shrubs buried many Fathom under ground, are the cleareft Evidence in the World, that the Waters have fome Time or other overflow'd the highest Parts of the Earth ; which was the Deluge which we contend for. The Truth of thefe Matters is not to be contefted now, by any that have but the leaft Infight in experimental Philofophy. Nor can it be with any Degree of Probability faid, that all thefe fubterraneous Bodies, are but only the mimical and mock Productions of Nature, for that thefe are real Shells, the niceft Examination both of the Eye and the Microscope do atteft; and that they are true Bones, may be experimented by burning them; and then they will firft turn into a Cole, and afterwards into a Calx, as other Bones do. How far Nature may fport her felf in the fubterraneous World, in the Impreffion of the Images of terreftrial Plants upon Slate and Coles, I will not difpute; but that it fhould produce true Bones and Shells, which anfwer in all Refpects to thofe of the genuine Animals, is incredible, and next to the Boldnefs of an epicurean Concourfe, for the Frame of the World.

2. I fhall therefore only fet my felf to prove, that That the there is Water enough in or about the Earth to drown it, Deluge and to rife up to that height which Mofes did report it was poffi

did.

*

I confefs, I do not think, that the Waters of the Sea are one quarter enough for fuch a Deluge, and therefore it must be fought for elsewhere. That there is a vaft Quantity of Waters under ground, and an Abyfs within the outward Cruft of the Earth, is I think evident to who confiders, that in many Places the Sea difgorges it felf into the Bowels of the Earth, and does not pass off by any Out-current. The fingle Mediterranean Sea is a fufficient Inftance of this; for confidering how many,

any

ble.

and fome vaft Rivers run into it, and it having no visible outlet, what fhould become of the Waters? Nay, confidering that there are two Currents of the Sea fet into it, one at the Straits of Gibralter, and another vaftly ftrong one of the Pontus, which the Ships do, with difficulty, bear up againft; it muft neceffarily be allowed, that this Sea does empty it felf by fubterraneous Paffages into fome great Receptacle of Waters underneath. For otherways, many Ages ago, the Mediterranean had over-flow'd and drowned feveral Countries on the adjacent Shores. Nay, the fathomless Bottoms there which fome have tried in vain with fo much Cordage to reach, is the most evident Proof which can be of the Truth of this Affertion. And the fame holds likewife in the Cafpian-Sea. And I think there is little doubt to be made, but thofe dangerous Gulfs and Eddies which the Sailors fhun in many Parts of the Ocean, are but only great Holes or fubterraneous Paffages through which the upper Sea is gulping down into the Abyss beneath. Now if there be fuch a great Receptacle of Waters beneath the Earth, as there is no Queftion to be made of it, fo many mighty Seas continually running into it, then the Earth must be hollow, and only a fuperior Cruft, concluding within it an Abyfs of Waters, as is reprefented, Fig. I. and Fig. II. If there be the fame Quantity of Water remaining as there was at the Creation, then the total Hollow of the Earth will be filled up with Water: But if any Part of it be loft, or confolidated upon the outward Superficies of the Earth's Cruft; then by the Laws of Attraction, if the Water does not exceed in Gravity, the circumambient Earth, it will lie round it in the ring PSRQ, and there will be a hollow in the central Part wxz. But if the Body of Water be of greater Gravity than the Cruft of the Earth, then the Mafs of it will lie next to the thickest Part of the Earth, or where there is more Matter; fo that if the Earth be thicker about the Pole X, or if there be

Vid. Dr. Smith's Account to the Royal Society in the Philofophical Transactions,

any

any internal Solid there, it will then lie round Part of the Limbus of the Earth UTXY and leave the hollow at UY. Fig. II. Now fuppofe the Diameter of the Earth or terraqueous Globe to be, as it is thereabouts, eight thousand Miles, and the Thickness of the Cruft of the Earth a thirty-fecond Part of this, as the second Figure reprefents, then the Cruft will be two hundred and fifty Miles thick, which will be a Solidity strong enough to contain the internal Waters, to refift the chapping from the Sun, to keep a confiftency in all the rapid Motions of the Earth. Or let it be an eighth Part, as is reprefented, Fig. I. and then the Earth's Cruft will be five hundred Miles thick, which to be fure is abundantly fufficient. Now upon either of these two Suppofitions, there will be Water enough, when drawn out upon the Superficies of the Earth, to drown the World to a far greater Height, than what Mofes relates. Now it is but fuppofing, that God by a miraculous Power fucked out Part of this Abyss through the Foramina or subtarraneous Paffages which lie difperfed at the bottom of the Sea, as fuppofe about the Point T of Fig. II. to the Height of four or five Miles; and then the highest Mountains will be laid under Water, the Water diffufing it felf both Ways from b. to k; fo that if it be in h four Miles high, it will be at least three in k. And then if after that the fufpending Force were taken of, and the Water defcended through the fame Foramina, and left the Earth dry as it was before; you have, Philologus, at least a poffible Account of the Deluge.

Phil. But truly, Sir, this miraculous Power sticks most in my Stomach; that is fo ftrangely Unphilofophical, and fuch a fubterfuge of dull Divines, that methinks any Man of Sense should be ashamed to make Ufe of that shift. Befides, I am not very well reconciled to your Waters which you fuppofe to fill up the hollow of the Earth. Indeed those who allow a central Solid, have fomewhat more to fay for themselves; but your Hypothefis destroys the Laws of fpecifick Gravity, and makes the lighter Waters moft unnaturally to lie below the Cruft of the heavy Earth

Gred

Cred. Let the Suppofition of a miraculous Power in the Deluge be as unphilofophical as you please, I am fure it is more Unchriftian, and more unreafonable, to fuppofe, that it came to pafs by natural Causes. For if it came to pafs by natural Caufes, there must have been a Deluge, whether the antediluvian World had been fo wicked or no; and then, the Preaching of Noah to them had been all Collufion, and God's Menaces before-hand had been inconfiftent, both with his Jufticè and Verity. If they had repented upon Noah's Inftructions, they could not have efcaped the Deluge, which by this Suppofition depended upon neceffary Caufes, and could not but have been. Or to fay that it was neceffary both for the Antediluvians to be fo perverfly wicked, and that the Deluge muft likewife happen; is to affert a Fatality of finning, is at the fame Time to deftroy all Religion, Free-will, and the Goodnefs of God. 'Tis therefore plain, that the Deluge did not depend upon natural and neceffary Caufes; but upon the juft and providential Power of God, which overruled the Power of Nature, and might either bring the Deluge upon the World, or with-hold it, according to his good Pleafure and Wisdom, or as the Deferts of Mankind did require.

Neither is your Notion of fpecifick Gravity any Objection against our Suppofition of an Abyfs being includ ed within the Cruft of the Earth, even without the Fancy of a central Solid, or denfe Fluid, which fome imagine. For the Notion of a central Solid is but a Contri vance to keep in the central Fire that fome Men fancy there, which otherways would be quenched by the circumambient Waters. But this central Fire is only CarteJius's Conceit, who by this Means contrived to turn burnmg Earths into Suns, and incruftated Suns into Earth; which is a fancy the World now begins to be weary of, And as for a denfe Fluid, that I take to be a more precarious Hypothefis, and lefs to be relied upon than the other. Neither can it be fuppofed, that Nature muft be confined to Work in the Creation according to the Laws of fpecifick Gravity. For according to this Rule,

the

the Sun, which is the Centre of the Magnus Orbis, must be the denfeft of all the planetary Syftem, which though it be the biggeft, yet is the moft thin and refined. Venus, Mercury *, and the Moon, though nigher to the Centre of the Syftem, are denfer than the Earth. Neither is this Rule obfervable in the Earth it felf. For feveral of the heaviest Foffils, as Metals, Marble, and Stone, lie often very high towards the Surface of the Earth, and other lighter Strata below them. Nor is there any Reafon to think, that God in the Creation wrought by fuch Laws of Gravity. For without doubt he wrought either by his immediate omnipotent Power, or elfe by a fubordinate plaftick Nature, as he does in the Production of Animals and Vegetables fince. And here the Laws of fpecifick Gravity have little or nothing to do; nay, we fee they are conftantly fuperfeded. When the Fibres of a Tree thruft themfelves upwards from the Centre, and the Juices of it, contrary to their own proper Tendency, are drawn up fo many Foot from the Ground, what be come here of the Laws of fpecifick Gravity? Is the Body of any Animal compofed after this manner? If this were fo, there would be no fuch Thing as organical Parts, which are compofed fo admirably for the Ufe and Beauty of the Animal. If this were fo, a Man which is the moft beautiful, would be the most clumfy Creature in the Creation. His Bones muft all lie towards his Feet, his Flesh next to them, his Blood and Spirits where his Head. And then confider what a Monster of a Creature this fpecifick Gravity would make him. Neither does it avail any Thing to fay, that the Compofition of an Animal does in fome Measure answer to the Laws of fpecifick Gravity, because the heavy Bones which lie inmoft are inclofed with the Flesh and Blood which are lighter. But then pray confider, that the Bones were not placed there by this Law, but by the prudent Direction of Nature to fupport the pliable Flefh, and to extend it to that juft Proportion which the defigned. But granting the Sup

Sce Mr. Newton's Principle Philolophy Math.

pofition