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pour; for fince there were no Hills, nor Mountains, nor high Lands, in the first Earth, the vapours falling in the Frigid Zones and towards the Poles, there it seems they would ftand in Lakes and Pooles, having no defcent one way more than another. The Theorist therefore to take off the objection, will have the earth not to be of an exact Spherical, but an Oval figure, in which he fays it is manifeft that the Polar parts are higher than the Equinoctial, that is more remote from the Centre as appears by his figure, and this he tells us will do the bufinefs, For by that means the vapours which fall at the extream parts of the earth will have a continual defcent towards the middle parts thereof, and by confequence it will be a fufficient descent for the running of Rivers.

Now I will readily grant that the figure of the earth is not Spherical but Spheroidical, but I can see no reason why it fhould be an oblong Spheroid and not a broad one, for it may be of a Spheroidical figure, tho' the Axis of it were fhorter than the Diameter of its equator, and if it were fo, I would fain know by what means the vapours would flow from the Poles to the Equator.

But the Theorift gives us an account how the Earth came to be formed after the fashion of an oblong Spheroid. 'Tis true says he, if the Earth were as fluid a fubftance as it was in the Creation and ftood immoveable with

out

out turning round its own Axis it would cer tainly fettle it felf into a Spherical figure, but because it turned very fwiftly round its Axis, the Fluid by that agitation would endeavour to recede from its Centre of motion, and form it felf into a figure very nearly Oval, as we fee in the Sea, or in any Lake when the waters are driven by the wind upon the Land the Waves extend themselves in length, fo in our watery Globe which is turned about its own Axis, the whole bulk of water under the equator being much more agitated than that which is towards the Poles where the fluid in its diurnal motion defcribes leffer circles) it will endeavour to recede from the Centre of its motion, and because it cannot get quite off and fly away, by reafon of the Air which every way prefles upon it, and the ftraitness of its Orb in thefe places, neither could it flow back without a great check and refiftance from the fame Air, it could not otherwife free it felf than by flowing towards the fides, for waters which are hindered in their motion will take the eafieft course they can have. Now from this detrufion of the waters towards the fide, the parts towards the Poles must come to be much increased, and thofe towards the equator discharged of abundance of water, which otherwife would have lain upon them, and by confequence the earth must have been of an Oblong or an Oval figure.

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Now

Now fuppofing all this reafoning true and folid (as indeed it is not) that the earth by its circum-rotation round its Axis, had formed it felf into the figure of an Oblong Spheroid. Yet ftill I cannot conceive how this will help the matter, for even in that cafe, the waters would not flow from the Pole to the Æquator: Yes they will fays the Theorift, fince all fluids will defcend as far as they can, and this is the only way of defcent by which they come nearer to the Centre than by any other. "Tis certainly true indeed that all fluids will defcend continually till they meet with fome obftacle which refifts their motion downwards, where they must stop and go no further. And this is the reafon why in our prefent cafe there could be no motion or flux of the Rivers from the Pole to the Equator. For the rotation of the earth round its own Axis being still the fame, the cause which thrufts the water from the Equator to the Pole will also continue the fame and invariable, and by confequence it will hinder the water from returning again towards the Equator. And therefore fuppofing that the Earth were formed into an Oval figure, yet could there not be any courfe for Rivers; for only fo far would the water afcend towards the Poles, till the force which protruded it that way came to be in an Equilibrium with its gravity, and there it would ftop neither afcending any further,

nor

nor defcending again as long as the fame cause continued to act; that is, as long as the Earth turns round its own Axis in the fpace of twenty four hours, but if the Earth fhould ceafe to move round, then indeed in that cafe and no other, the water would return to the Equator. For let the Figure, [Fig. 3. Plate II.] PEPQ reprefent the Earth, P P the two Poles, and EQ the Equator, and B a Body upon the furface of the Earth, I think it is evident that the Body B will fo far afcend towards the Poles, till the force which protrudes it that way be in æquilibrium with the force which draws it to the æquator: for if at B one were greater than the other, for example, the force by which it is drawn to the Poles, were greater than its gravity, or its tendency towards E, then it would ftill move on towards the Pole, till both forces come to act equally and there it would reft, as long as these two forces continued in Æquilibrium which must be fo long as the Earths diurnal motion lasts. Now whatever Bodies either folid or fluid, are brought and laid upon the furface of the Earth at B, these being drawn or pusht with the fame accelerating force, either to the Pole or the Equator, that the first fluid had, which was conftituted at B, the fame causes continuing to act upon both, they will reft there alfo, and confequently will not defcend to the Æquator. Thus I think I have made

it evident from the Theorists own principles, and his Oval figure of the Earth, that there could be no courfe of Rivers in the AntediJuvian world, if his Theory were true, and therefore feeing there were Rivers then as well as now, for he himself has acknowledged them, and it is plainly afferted by the Scriptures that they were from the beginning, I think it is a certain demonftration that the whole account of his Antediluvian Earth is falfe and Chimerical.

I come now to examin the Theorists reafons by which he proves the Earth to be of an Oblong Spheroidical figure. He tells us that the fluid under the æquator being much more agitated than that which is towards the Poles which defcribes in its diurnal motions leffer arches, and because it cannot quite get off and fly away by reafon of the Air which every way preffes upon it, it could no other ways free it felf than by flowing towards the fides, and confequently form the Earth into an Ovaĺ figure.

That the Reader may obferve how excellent the Theorift is at drawing conclufions, I will put this reasoning in other words thus. All Bodies by reafon of the Earths diurnal rotation, do endeavour to recede from the Axis of their motion; but by reafon of the preffure of the Air, and the ftraightness of the Orb, they cannot recede from the Axis of their motion, therefore they will move to

wards

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