CHAP. III. deluge; of which, Mr. Greenough justly re- PART III. marks, that "a general view of the structure "of our globe, if taken with accuracy, accuracy, would "tend to convince us of the universal opera"tion of the deluge1:"-" that the universal occurrence of mountains and valleys, and "the symmetry which pervades their several "branches and inosculations, are further 66. 66 66 proofs, not only that a deluge has swept over every part of the globe, but probably the "same deluge." To maintain his own hypothesis, De Luc indulged himself in many salvos, evasions, and ingenuities. Thus, he affirmed, that the summits of the higher mountains, and of Ararat itself, were islands in the primitive sea, which continued to be fertile during all the period of devastation; in direct contradiction to the declaration of the record, which expressly relates, that the summits of the highest mountains were fifteen cubits below the aqueous surface: making the history bend, in every particular, to a rule drawn from his own preconceived opinions. Nevertheless, the general discernment and assertion of the great fact of the Deluge was the bright point in his geology. So long as his view was confined to the contempla CHAP. III. PART III. tion and exposition of that fact, his mind was collected and concentred'. When he quitted it, to put himself in search of the mode by which secondary causes produced first formations, it became perplexed and bewildered. So long as he confined himself to the defence of that strong post, he evinced great skill, conduct, and resolution; but, when he once began to parley with the enemy, and suffered them to draw him out of his fort, he fell into their hands, and became convertible to their uses. They were able to neutralize all his objections to their chronology; by objecting to him his own, and showing him, that if he would not concede to them an anti-Mosaical chronology in the article of the deluge, he conceded it most liberally in the article of the creation; which would equally serve their purpose. Thus much it has been indispensably necessary to expose as a cautionary distinction, and to insist upon, relative to this well-intentioned but dangerous instructor; lest his success in the one argument, should pecome a snare to draw his readers into his own failure in the other. Many naturalists seem to have granted the Mosaical statement of the deluge, as by a sort of compromise; that they might be free to contro 1 Lettres sur l'Hist. de la Terre. Lettres Géologiques. CHAP. III. vert, or, at least, to twist and bend to their own PART III. fancies, the Mosaical statement of the creation. They appear to have thought, that the concession of the former was a full discharge from the necessity of submitting their judgments to the authority of the latter; and that nothing but theological bigotry and intolerance, could impose such a restraint upon their speculations. But, sound philosophy, learning, and criticism, unite to restrict the naturalist, equally in his speculations on the creation as on the deluge; and to demand the assent of his reason, in both, to the precise statements of the Mosaical record. CHAPTER IV. CHAP. IV. 66 PART III. BUT, if this was truly the case; if the earth which we now inhabit, is not that same dry "land" which was first brought out of the waters, after their incumbency for only two days; but, another, and a different earth, brought out of the waters after their incumbency for 1656 years; which new earth, during all that long period, constituted the SEA-BED formed by that universal process of disruption and depression which we traced and contemplated in the events of the third day of creation; if this was truly the case, we shall reasonably look, and it will be our bounden duty diligently and industriously to search for, evidences testifying to so amazing a fact. And, in such research, we shall naturally, First, take a general view around us of the earth, as it lies exposed to our common observation and experience; and we shall inquire; Whether it bears, universally, any appearance of having been, at any period, subjected, for so long an interval of time as more than a millenary and a half of ages, to the presence and perpetual occu CHAP. IV. pancy of the SEA; and therefore, of having been, PART III. during all that time, the dwelling of the marine portion of the creation? And, if it should bear such appearance, we shall then further inquire; Whether it offers any evidence, that the removal of those waters was effected no longer ago, than the period assigned by the record for its removal? We shall reasonably insist upon these testimonies; which must necessarily exist, if the fact averred in the record be really and historically true. We commit this research altogether to the mineral geology; and are content to abide by its decision. And, in truth, it thus reports: "It "is unnecessary to stop to prove that our con"tinents have formed the bed of the sea; there is "no longer any division of opinion among "naturalists upon this point'." "In fact, 66 66 66 philosophers are only agreed in this one point, "that the sea has changed its bed."-" In examining the mineral masses of the earth, every thing concurs to indicate, that this our habitation has undergone great changes and great revolutions; the sea-shells, incrusted in "the masses of mountains, present irrefutable testimony to our eyes, that the sea anciently subsisted upon our present continents; and, 66 66 |