plete folution of the origin of the evils which flow from these difcords, and from the jarring of the elements of the natural world; and yet there are comfortable hopes, that all evil will be overpowered and annihilated ot laft, and that it has an entire fubferviency to good really and ultimately, i.e. though the "ferpent bruise our heel," yet we fhall" bruise its head."

It cannot be denied indeed, but that both the hiftory of the creation, and that of the fall, are attended with great difficulties. But then they are not of fuch a kind as intimate them to be a fiction contrived by Mofs. It is probable, that he fet down the traditional account, fuch as he received it from his ancestors; and that this account contains the literal truth in fhort, though fo concealed in certain particulars through its fhortnefs, and fome figurative expreffions made ufe of, that we cannot yet, perhaps never thall, interpret it fatisfactorily. However, Mr. Whitton's conjectures concerning the fix days creation feem to deferve the attention of future inquiries; and there is great plaufibility in fuppofing with him, that the first chapter of Genefis contains a narrative of the fucceffion of vifible appearances.

One may fuppofe alfo, that there is a typical and prophetic fenfe to be discovered hearafter, relative perhaps to the fix millenniums, which are to prcecede a feventh fabbatical one; and that the words are more accommodated to this fenfe than to the literal one, in fome places, which I think holds in many of the prophecies that have double fenfes. However, there is no appearance of any motive to a fraud, either in the hiftory of the creation or fall, nor any mark of one. And the fame fhortnefs and obfcurity which prevents our being able to explain, feems alfo to preclude objections. If we fuppofe thefe hiftories to have been delivered by traditional explanations that accompanied hieroglyphical delineations, this would perhaps account for fome of the difficulties; and help us to conceive how the hiftories may be exact, and even decypherable hearafter. The appellations of the tree of life, of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and of the ferpent, feem to favour this fuppofition. At the utmost, one can make no objections against thefe hiftories, but what are confiftent with the first and loweft of the fuppofitions above mentioned concerning divine infpiration.

Natural history bears a ftrong teftimony to Mofes's account of the" deluge; and fhews that it must have been univerfal, or nearly fo, however difficult it may be to us, either to find fources for fo great a body of waters, or methods of removing them. That a comet had fome fhare in this event, feems highly probable from what Dr. Halley and Mr. Whitton have obferved of this matter: I gucfs alfo partly from the fuppofition, that fome part of the tail of a comet was then attracted by the earth, and depofited there, partly from the great thortening of human life after the flood, and partly from the fermenting and inebriating after the flood, that a great change was made at the time of the flood in the conftitution of natural bodies, and particularly in that of water. And it feems not improbable to me, that an enlargement of the refpective fpheres of attraction and repulfion,

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repulfion, and of the force of thefe, in the fmall particles of water, might greatly contribute to account for fome circumftances of the deluge, mentioned by Mofes. For, by the increafe of the sphere, and force of attraction, the waters fufpended in the air or firmament in the form of a mift of vapour before the flood (fee Gen. ii. 5. 6.) might be collected into large drops, and fall upon the earth. And their fall might give occafion to rarer watery vapours, floating at great diftances from the earth in the planetary and intermundane fpaces, to approach it, be in like manner condenfed into large drops, and fall upon it. This might continue for 40 days, the force with which the rare vapours approached the earth decreafing all the latter part of that time, and being at the end of it overpowered by the contrary force of the vapours raifed from the earth, now covered with water, by the action of the fun, and of the wind, mentioned Gen. viii. 1. For it is evident, that the wind has great power in raifing watery particles, i. e. putting them into a state of repulfion; and the wind here confidered would be far ftronger than that which now prevails in the Pacific Ocean, fince the whole globe was one great ocean during the height of the deluge. The ceflation of the rain, and the increafe of the sphere, and force of repulfion, above fuppofed, would in like manner favour the afcent of vapours from this great ocean. And thus the precedent vapours might be driven by the fubfequent ones into the planetary and intermundane fpaces, beyond the earth's attraction. However, fince the quantity of the fubfequent vapours must perpetually decreafe by the decrease of the furface of the occan, a limit would be fet to the afcent of the vapours, as was before to their descent.

According to this hypothefis, the ftate of the waters, which was fuperinduced at the deluge, may both be the caufe of the rainbow, i. e. of drops of a proper fize for this purpose, and exempt us from the danger of a fecond deiuge, For a freth intermixture of like cometical particles could not now fuperinduce a new ftate. The rainbow may therefore be a natural fign and evidence, that the waters

fhall no more become a flood to deftroy the earth." As to the breaking up the fountains of the great deep, mentioned Gen. vii. 11. though no fatisfactory account has been given of this hitherto, yet furely there is great plaufibility in fuppofing, that the increafed attraction of a comet, confequent upon its near approach to the earth, might have fome fuch effect, and at the fame time contribute to produce fuch changes in the earth, as a mere deluge could not.

Civil hiftory affords likewife many evidences, which fupport the Mofaic account of the deluge. Thus, firft, we find from Pagan authors, that the tradition of a flood was general, or even univerfal. Secondly, the paucity of mankind, and the vaft tracts of uninhabited land, which are mentioned in the accounts of the firft ages, fhew that mankind are lately fprung from a fmall ftock, and even fuit the time affigned by Mofes for the flood. Thirdly, the great number of fmall kingdoms, and petty ftates, in the firit ages, and the late rife of the great empires of Egypt, Affyria, Babylon, &c.

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concur to the fame purpofe. Fourthly, the invention and progress of arts and fciences concur likewife. And this laft favours the Mofaic hiftory of the antidiluvians. For as he mentions little of their arts, fo it appears, from the late invention of them after the flood, that thofe who were preferved from it were poffelled of few.

It has been objected to the Mofaic hiftory of the deluge, That the ark could not contain all the animals which are now found upon the earth, with the proper provifions for them during the time of their de luge. But this, upon an accurate computation, has been proved to be otherwife; fo that what was thought an objection is even fomeevidence, For it is extremely improbable, that a perfon who had feigned the particular of the ark, fhould have come fo near the proper dimenfions. It is to be confidered here, that the feveral fpeciefes of both plants and brute animals, which differ from each other by fmall degrees, feem to be multiplied every day by the varieties of climates, culture, diet, mixture, &c. alfo, that if we fuppole an univerfal deluge, the ark, with the entrance of the animals, &c. feem neceffary alfo. For as we can trace up the first imperfect rudiments of the art of hipping amongst the Greeks, there could be no hipping before the flood; confequently no animals could be faved. Nay, it is highly improbable, that even men, and domeftic animals, could be faved, not to mention wild beafts, 'ferpents. &c. though we should fuppofe that the Antidiluvians had flipping, unless we fuppofe alto they had a divine intimation and directions about it, fuch as Moles relates; which would be to give up the caufe of infidelity at once.

It has been objected likewife, That the Negro nations differ fo much from the Europeans, that they do not feem to have defcended from the fame ancestors. But this objection has no folid foundation. We cannot prefume to fay what alterations climate, air, water, foil, customs, &c can or cannot produce. It is no ways to be imagined, that all the national differences in complexion, features, make of the bones, &c. require to many different originals; on the contrary, we have reafon from experience to affert, that various changes of this kind are made by the incidents of life, just as was obferved in the last paragraph of plants and brute animals. And, with refpect to the different complexions of different nations, Dr. Mitchell has fhewn with great appearance of truth, Phil. Tranf. N° 474, that thefe arife from external influences. It will confirm this, if it be found, that the Jews, by refiding in any country for fome generations, approach to the complexion of the original natives. At the fame time we muft obferve from the hiftory of diftempers, that acquired difpofitions may be tranfmitted to the defcendants for fome generations; which is perhaps one of the great truths intimated in the account of the fall. And thus the children of Negroes may be black, though born and bred up in a country where the original natives are not fo.

A third objection is, That it is difficult to account for the original of the Americans, and for the wild beafts and ferpents that are found in that quarter of the world, according to the Mofaic history. But to this. one may anfwer, fift, that America may be

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now contiguous to the North-east part of Afia. Secondly, that it might have been contiguous to other parts of our great continent for fome centuries after the deluge, though that contiguity be fince broken off. Thirdly, that the firft failors, who ventured out of the Streights, or others, might be driven by ftrefs of weather and their own ignorance, firft within the influence of the trade-winds, and then to fome part of America. One can offer nothing certain on either fide, in refpect of these points. However, it feems to me, that many cuftoms found amongst the Negroes and Americans are ftronger evidences, that they are of the fame original with the Afiatics and Europeans, than any which have yet appeared to the contrary. And, upon the whole, I conclude certainly, that the Mofaic account of the deluge is much confirmed by both natural and civil history, if we embrace the first and loweft hypothefis concerning divine inspiration; and has very strong prefumptions for it, according to the fecond or third.

If we could fuppofe the high mountains in South America not to have been immerged in the deluge, we might the more easily account for the wild beafts, poisonous ferpents, and curious birds of America. Might not the ark be driven round the globe during the deluge? And might not Noah be aware of this, and obferve that it had been immerged fifteen cubits in water? And may not the Mofaic account be partly a narrative of what Noah faw, partly the conclufions which he muft naturally draw from thence? Thus the tops of fome of the highest mountains might efcape, confiftently with the Mofaic account. The future inquiries of natural hiftorians may perhaps determine this point.

The next great event recorded in Genefis is the confufion of languages. Now the Mofaic account of this appears highly probable, if we firft allow that of the deluge. For it feems impoffible to explain how the known language fhould arife from one stock. Let any one try only in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English. The changes which have happened in languages fince hiftory has been certain, do not at all correfpond to a fuppofition of this kind. There is too much method and art in the Greek and Latin tongues for them to have been the inventions of a rude and barbarous people; and they differ too much from Hebrew, Arabic, &c. to have flowed from them without defign. As to the Chinefe, it is difficult to make any probable conjectures about it, partly from its great heterogeneity in in respect of other languages; partly becaufe learned men have not yet examined it accurately. However, the moft probable conjecture feems to be, that it is the language of Noah's poftdiluvian pofterity; the least probable one, that it could have flowed naturally from any known language, or from the fame ftock with any; which it muft have done, if we admit the deluge, and yet reject the confufion of languages.

The difperfion of the three fons of Noah into different countries, related in the tenth chapter of Genefis, comes next under confideration, being a confequence, not the caufe, of the diverfity of languages,

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Now here antiquaries and learned men feem to be fully agreed, that the Mofaic account is confirmed, as much as can be expected in our prefent ignorance of the ftate of antient nations. And it is to be ob ferved of all the articles treated of under this propofition, that we, who live in the North-weft corner of Europe, lie under great difadvantages in fuch refearches. However, fince thofe who have ftudied the Oriental languages and hiftories, or have travelled into the Eastern parts, have made many difcoveries of late years, which have urprifingly confirmed the Scripture accounts, one may hope and prefume, that if either our learned men be hereafter fuffered to have free access to thofe parts, or the natives themfelve become learned, both which are furely probable in the highest degree, numberless unexpected evidences for the truth of the Scripture hiftory will be brought to light.

Let us next come to the ftate of religion in the antient postdiluvian world, according to Mofes and the fucceeding facred hiftorians. The poftdiluvian patriarchs then appear to have worshiped the one Supreme Being by facrifices, but in a fimple manner, and to have had frequent divine communications. By degrees their posterity fell off to idolatry, worshiped the fun, moon, and ftars, deified dead men, and polluted themfelves with the most impure and abominable istitutions. The Ifraelites alone were kept to the worship of the true God, and even they were often infected by their idolatrous neighbours. Now all this is perfectly agreeable to what we find in Pagan hiftory. The idolatries of the Pagans are acknowledged on all hands. It appears alfo from Pagan history that they grew up by degrees, as the Scriptures intimate. All the Pagan religions appear to have had the worship of one God fuperior to the reft, as their common foundation. They all endeavoured to render him propitious by facrifice; which furely I cannot be an human invention, nor a cuftom, which, if invented in one nation, would be readily propagated to another. They all joined mediatorial and inferior, alfo local and tutelar deities to the one God. And they all taught the frequency of divine communications. Hence the Pagan religions appear to be merely the degene rated offspring of patriarchal revelations, and to infer them as their caufe. Hence the pretences of kings, lawgivers, priefts, and great men, to infpiration, with the credulty of the multitude. That there had been divine communications, was beyond difpute; and therefore all that reluctance to admit them, which appears in the prefent age, was over-ruled. At first there were no impoftors. When therefore they did arife, it would not be eafy for the multitude to distinguish between those who had really divine communications, and those who only pretended to them; till at last, all real inspiration having ceafed amongst the Gentile world, their feveral religions kept poffeffion merely by the force of education, fraud in the priests, and fear in the people; and even thefe fupports began to fail at laft, about the time of Chrift's coming. And thus many things, which have been thought to weaken the evidences for the Scripture accounts, are found to ftrengthen them, by flowing naturally from that state of religion in antient times, and from that only which the Scripture delivers.

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