on as a paradox for feveral centuries-as great a paradox, as the notion here advanced concerning the future equality of the earth's furface. It was much opposed by the fathers of the church: It was ridiculed by Lactantius*, and ftiffly denied by St. Auftin; chiefly indeed on account of fome religious prejudices; For being carried away by the then vulgar error, that there could be no communication between the known parts of the world, and thofe obverted to them, if any fuch there were; he faw, if he were to allow the existence of Antipodes, it would be difficult to account for their being defcended. from Adam; as he was perfuaded the whole race of mankind was, from the verity of the Mofaic history +.

Hence Vigilius was, fo late as in the eighth century, condemned as a heretic, for holding the doctrine of antipodes. So flowly did the world come into the belief

*De falfâ fapientiâ, lib. iii. fect. 24:

+ De civ. Dei, lib. xvi. cap. 9.

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of their existence; which, it may be préfumed, they would have embraced more readily, had they not had the like prejudices against the spherical figure of the globe. Knowledge is progreffive, fo is nature; and both feem to keep peace with each other, in their refpective improvements; till both arrive at that degree of perfection, which the limited capacity of the creature is fufceptible of.

Let us now take a view of what hath been difcourfed of in the forgoing chap

ters.

We have feen, how the earth, which at first was without form, was brought into form, by its revolution on its axis: And by what means the elements were feparated from each other. The dry land occupied the middle, or equatorial parts of the globe, and the water was detached to the extreme, or polar parts. The earth at firft was without form and void: That void was foon filled up; and the earth was furnished and enriched with every thing requifite

quifite to render it a commodious, happy, and delightful habitation for man; who was then created, and put into poffeffion of it. But man fell; and his fall affected the earth, which was inhabited by him; and which, for the punishment of his trangreffion, was doomed to lofe its fertility; and from the beautiful form, in which it had been laid out, was convulfed, and thrown into diforder and confufion, by means of an univerfal earthquake; the effect of which was, that in fome places it opened, and funk into deep gulphs; and in other parts, it reared up its hydra heads to the heavens *.

This however entered but a little way into the earth, in comparison with the whole bulk of it; which was fuffered to preserve the fame advantageous pofition and

* Is not the old fable of the giants heaping up mountains upon mountains, to scale heaven, and make war with the gods, founded upon a tradition of the rebellious crew of apoftate angels, with man feduced to fight under their banner, having caufed the earth to be thrown up into such enormous heaps?

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afpect towards the fun, which was at firft given it; till the wickednefs of man increafing, caused the disturbance of this likewife; and produced a fhock, which quite diflocated, and threw it, from its erect and upright pofition, into an oblique and declining one: The confequence of which was, its difcharging the waters lodged at the poles; which spreading over the whole face of it, drowned the earth, and all its inhabitants; except the few, whom God preferved in the ark, to repeople and replenish it.

We have feen how the waters, when they had executed their commiffion, were remanded to their former receptacles; but left plain veftiges of the ravages they had made. The tops of the mountains were washed away, and their fides and fkirts were furrowed and chaneled in the manner we behold them, by the first abatement of the deluge, and by the fubfequent draining, and running off of the wa ters: By thefe and other means, the moun

tains have been lowering ever fince, and the valleys filling and rifing. The earth, upon the whole, becomes less uneven; and affords a profpect of being by degrees brought nearly level. The element of water hath been decreasing, and the dry land increafing, and gaining upon the fea, and becomes more and more fecure from a fecond deftruction by water; purfuant to the divine promife and covenant in that respect.

By the curfe, the face of the earth was difordered, deformed, and doomed to be over-run with thorns and thistles. That labour, to which man was fentenced, hath been the appointed means of overcoming those deformities; beautifying the face of nature, extirpating and destroying all its useless and hurtful productions, and raifing in their stead fuch as are most neceffary and beneficial for the nourishment and fupport of life; together with such as contribute to the conveniences and elegances of it.

For