Value of the Propofal. To fuch as are afraid of the Church and Religion, I fhall only fay, that the Religion of the Church of England, is impos'd upon no Man within the Dominions of England. As for the Squeamishnefs of fitting in Parliament with Prelates, and the fear of being difarm'd of all other Weapons, but what are allowed by the Gospel; these are such Unchriftian Diffuafives from an Union, that to mention them only, is to refute them. The putting an end to uncharitable and unreasonable Divifions about our trifling Differences in Religion, is one of the great Benefits Scotland will reap by this Union. I am not so much terrified at the Vision of a Noble Lord, as he is himself, but heartily wish to fee a Plantation of as Rich Jews as any in Amfterdam, as Rich Independents, Quakers and Anabaptifts as any in England, fettled in all the Trading Towns of the Kingdom. Not but that I think all Motives that are not Penal, ought to be used for their Converfion, but I would not have Churchmen afraid of the Increase of their Manufacture too; for Hereticks are properly the Subject which they are to work upon: To be afraid to live among Hereticks, is to refufe the Tafk their Mafter has impofed upon them. Their Predeceffors the Apoftles ufed to go, at the Hazard of their Perfons, to Preach the Gospel to the Jews; they are afraid the Jews should come to them, where they run no Rifque at all, in attempting their Converfion. In a word, if any unjuft Tyranny over the Perfons, Eftates, or Confciences of Men be the Motive which prevails with fome to oppofe this Union, I would have fuch confider, that to govern a Free People, is a more noble and honourable Character, than to infult over Slaves and Beggars; and if any fuch there be, who hug their Chains, and are fond of their Rags, and, as a wretched People once did by the Romans, re

fufe

fuse their Liberty when offered, they are unworthy of fo generous and beneficial a Propofal. Laftly, If this is only a Scuffle raised by the United Force of the Skillin and Louis d' Or, let fuch confider, that both of them are not to be put in the Balance with the Guinea, which they may get by their Industry.

Confider then, in this your Day, the happy Con dition of your Neighbouring Nation: Survey their verdant Fields, their beautiful Plantations, and fumptuous Gardens, where Culture, Art and Expences reign; their populous and flourishing Cities. View the Magnificence of their publick Structures; the Neatnefs, Cleanlinefs, Conveniency and coftly Furniture of their private Houfes: Confider the Liberty and Plenty of their meaneft Commoners; the comfortable Estates which even the lowest of their Tradesmen leave to their Families; the immenfe Riches of their Merchants; the Grandeur and Magnificence of the Learned Societies; the prodigious Stocks of their Trading Companies; the unconquerable Force of their Fleets and Armies; the Juftice and exact Execution of their Laws; and the wife Adminiftration of their Government: Ponder all these things, and then fure you will not reckon them your Enemies, who offer you a Partnership in fo great Bleffings; but will conclude with the wife Man in my Text, Better is he that labour eth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boafteth himself, and wanteth Bread.

An Examination of Dr. Woodward's Account of the Deluge, &c.

With a Comparison between Steno's PhiloSophy and the Doctor's, in the Cafe of Marine Bodies dug out of the Earth.

The

PREFAC E.

Shall make no Apology for the following Remarks, Since the unquestionable Liberties of the CommonWealth of Learning allow me the fame Privilege of examining, as they do the Doctor of propofing his Hypothefis; and I am so far from having given the Doctor any just Caufe of Offence, that I shall rather believe I deferve his Thanks; for fince he has fet up bis Effay as the Model of a larger Structure, he ought to be fuppos'd rather to invite than difcourage thofe who may point at any Faults which afterwards it may be too late to correct: The Citations out of Dr. Woodward and Steno may feem tedious, but they were neceffary; for after fuch heavy and unjust Charges of mif-reprefenting, which had appear'd in fome Matters relating to this Controversy, I durft not venture out of the beaten Road of Verbal Quo

tation.

An Examination of Dr. Woodward's Account of the Deluge, &c.

TH

HAT the Reader may have a true Notion of Dr. Woodward's Hiftory of the Deluge, he may take the following Account, in his own Words.

1. That at the Time of the Deluge, (p. 164.) 'the Water of the Ocean was firft borne forth ⚫ upon the Earth; that it was immediately fucceed

ed by that of the Abyfs, which likewife was • brought out upon the Face of the Globe. (p. 109.) How this Water was rais'd at the Deluge? By • what Iffues or Out-lets it came forth? What fucceeded into the Room of it while abfent? The Author fays he will tell us in his larger Work. 2. That the whole Terreftrial Globe was taken all to Pieces, and diffolv'd at the Deluge; (Preface) the Particles of Stone, Marble, and all other folid Foffils diffever'd; their confti'tuent Corpufcles all disjoin'd; (p. 74.) their Cohesion perfectly ceafing; that the faid Cork puscles of thofe folid Foffils, together with the Corpufcles of those which were not before folid, fuch as Sand, Earth, and the like; (he means the lef fer Solids, for Sand and Earth are not Fluids :) as alfo all Animal Bodies, and Parts of Animals, Bones, Teeth, Shells, Vegetables, and Parts of Vegetables, Trees, Shrubs, Herbs, and to be fhort, all Bodies whatsoever that were either upon the Earth, or that conftituted the Mafs of it; if not quite down to the Abyfs, yet at least to the greatest Depth we ever dig: (that is, if not to the Depth of two thousand Miles, at leaft of two hundred Feet) but the Reft of the Hypothefis and the former Part of the Paragraph does not

Ń 3

• Suffer

fuffer this to be any Doubt: (For the whole Terreftrial Globe was diffolved :) I fay, all thefe were affum'd up promifcuously into the Water, and fuftained in it in fuch Manner, that the < Water and Bodies in it together made up one • common confus'd Mafs. (p. 107.) What was the immediate Inftrument or Means whereby ⚫ the Stone and other folid Matter of the antedilu<vian Earth was diffolv'd; (p. 108.) why the

Shells, Teeth, Bones, and other Parts of Ani.mal Bodies, as alfo the Trunks, Roots, and • other Parts of Vegetables were not diffolv'd as well as the Stones and other mineral Solids of that Earth, the Author has promised a Reason in his ⚫ larger Work.

3. That, (p. 75.) at length all the Mafs that was thus borne up into the Water was again precipitated, and fubfided towards the Bottom; ⚫ that this Subfidence happened generally, and as near as could poffibly be expected in fo great a Confufion, according to the Laws of Gravity: That Matter, Body or Bodies, which had the greateft Quantity or Degree of Gravity, fubfiding firft in order, and falling lowest :

That

which had the next, or ftill a leffer Degree of Gravity, fubfiding next after, and fettling upon the Precedent: And fo on in their feveral • Courses. (p. 108.) But the Terreftrial Matter that firft fubfided, did not defcend down quite to the Centre, and fill up the Cavity of the < great Abyss, but ftop'd at that Distance from it, forming an arch'd Expansum, or rather a Sphere around it; which is now the lowest Stratum and Boundary of that vaft Conceptacle of Water. Of this likewise the Author will affign a Reafon in his larger Work.

4. ‹ That