4. The Confequence in the 6th. Verfe wou'd be without due Premifes.

Anfw. The Confequence is very juft without the Dr's Senfe, which relies very much upon a Natural Caufe, calling Air, Conftitutionem vel fitum terra; leaving out Verbum Dei, which neverthelefs will come in for the greatest Share in that heavy Judgment, and spoil all the Philofophy in the Cafe. The Natural Inference is thus, By the Word of God the Heavens were of cld, and the Earth ftanding in the Water and out of the Water, by which Word and Situation the World of ungodly Men perish'd in the Waters, and the Face of Nature was made defolate, and strangely alter'd, as in the last Anfwer.

5. There's an Antithefts in the 7th. Verje, the Heavens and Earth before the Flood are difinguifh'd from those that are

now.

deftroy'd: So that we can only reafonably believe it to be the Clouds, Atmosphere, and the Air, which might be tranfelemented and changed into Water (and might therefore be laid to be destroy'd, as not being the fame) and after they had done their fatal Office, they might either naturally be rarify'd again as Vapours are, or might by their Creator's fiat be at once chang'd to their firft Nature and Office.

And to show the Improba bility of any other Change of the Heavens and Earth by the Deluge, let us compare this Paffage of St. Peter with others; firft with another of his own, 2 Pet. 2. 5. Gen. 6. 7. idem. 13. with the Earth, in the Original from the Earth, but not the Earth it felf.

Laftly, It won't be amifs to note how this Paffage of St. Peter spoils the whole Hypothefis, at once affirming that the Earth flood in the Water and out of the Water, which is exactly contrary to the Hypothefis, fo that either the Dr. muft quit the Pillar of his Theory, and feek a new one, or bury his Theory under fo proper a Monument.

We fhall alfo remark that this threefold State of Nature which the Dr. wou'd have St. Paul to hint at in the 8th. of the Romans, falls very unluckily for his Purpose, two of 'em being before the Flood, when he wou'd have his fecond begin; but that only by the by.

Queft. 3. Whether the Cause that the Dr. affigns for the Uni

Queft. 4. What think you of the 5th and 6th: Chapter, which mentions the right and oblique PoJition of the Earth to the Sun with their Properties and Phanonema's confequent upon fuch a Change?

Anfw. We have not room to confider this at prefent; be fides, here being nothing againft Scripture, we fhall pafs it over, according to our Promife at the Beginning.

Queft. 1. What think you of the Dr's. Notion of Paradife, who believes it to be Parabolical, Chap. 7 ?

Anfw. We think that the Dr. evidently contradicts himfelf, for in Chap. 7. p. 278. after having cited feveral Opinions, he fays, Dunique, qui nobifcum Sentiunt in terra quidem, fed aliâ ab hodierna, verum Paradifum, qui jam tranfiit, Olim floruiffe tradunt. And lastly, The Opinion of thofe which we affent to, that the true Paradife was fituated in the Earth that was deftroy'd, not in this that is now. And in Page 284, fays, Quod eorum captua & ingenio accom. modatus, Hortum Amanum conciperere, &c. Mofes accommo• dated himself to the Apprehenfion

of the People, fo as to give 'em the Idea, or Notion of a pleasant Garden: And a little after, p. 287. he calls it, Allegoriam fecundum Arcanum Senfum Mofis, adding, atque hunc fenfum eo libentius Amplector, &c. viz.That twas an Allegory, and that Mofes had a fecret Meaning, and that he (the Dr.) more wil lingly embraced that Opinion, because there's no fuch Place in the World in which all the Notes and Characters of that Garden meet. Tho' there is no need of confulting any Notion that thus deftroys it felf, we fhail now prove, according to our Promife, that the principal Characters, viz. the four Rivers, that are mention'd in the Hiftory of Paradife, are at this Day certainly known, and that the very Place where the Garden Stood can be affigned very near. And firft, That Euphrates and Tigris, (which every one agrees were two of the Rivers) came both from the fame Fountain; for thefe two encompaffing Mefopotamia, give it its Name. Saluft alfo afferts the fame, as cited by Origen, 1. 13. c. 21. de flumin. Saluftius autem Author certiffimus afferit Tigrim & Euphratem uno Fonte manare in Armenia. Saluft, an authentick Author afferts, that Tigris and Euphrates proceeded from the fame Fountain. The learned Boetius was of this Judgment, who difcourfing how cafual Events are guided by Providence, as the common Fountain out of which they flow; illuftrates it by the Simile of Tygris and Euphrates, de Confolat. Phylofop, . 5. Carm. 1. Ff 2

Rupis

Lucan here gives 'em the fame Rife, only fays they came out of Perfia; but 'tis notorious with the Writers of thofe Times to call all thofe Countries Perfia, that lay under the Dominion of the Perfian Monarchy, and thus Farnab. in locum takes it. These Teftimo. nies confider'd, we have two Rivers, Euphratis and Tygris: So that having the Fountain of one, we want not the other. And Ptolomy (as alfo Pliny, lib. 5. cap. 24.) tells us, that Tygris iffues out of the South-fide of the Mountain Taurus, in lat. 39, 40. where the Place of the Garden of Eden must therefore be very near.

Now we come to fhow, that the other Rivers were only Branches of Tygris. Tygris after having paft the Gordiaan Mountains, and being ready to enter into Syria, parts its Streams afunder, encompaffing that Country. This is plain from Epiphanius in Anchoret, n. 58. the Eaft ward Branch (according to Ptolomy in the Edition of Jacob Efzlar) running on the Back of the Mountain Niphates, and the Weftward bends its Courfe towards

Euphrates. The Eastward is this Gibon which the Scripture mentions: It would be too long to collect what the Ancients have faid in proving, that Gyndes, Indus, and Cyndus, are the fame with the River Gibon. See Sabellicus Ennaad. 1. 1. Dionifius Periegotes, Heridotus. lib. 1. n. 189, 190. Ste. phanus, Justin, Hiftor. 1. 11. Strabo in Geog. lib. 1. Vadiamus in his Appendix to his Commentaries upon Mela. And lastly, Epiphan. lib. de 12. Gemmis: But this Particular being not much contefted by any, we need proceed no further about the River Gibon.

As for the Weftward Branch of Tygris, it feparated it self again at Apadamia, and made the other two Rivers Hiddekel and Pifon. That there is fuch a Divifion is plain from Plin. Hift. lib. 6. cap. 27. about Apadamia. The Northern Streams he calls Tigris Minor, the Southern Delas, which by its Courfe exactly answers the Character Mofes gives of it, who fays, that it goeth to. wards the Eaft of Affyria, Gen. 2. 14. according to the Defcription of Geog. Nub. who

fays,

Tays, (part 6. Clim. 4.) Facet ab occident. Tigris, &c. Thus alfo when Daniel was Governour of Sufiana, he faw his Vifion upon the Banks of the great River Hiddekel, Dan. 10. 4.

As for the laft River, the River Pifon, here not only Junius, but all the Learned agree, that the Name Pafatygris, given it by Pliny, and others, was eafily alter'd from Pyfotygris, which exactly anfwers to the Situation of the Place, by feveral Texts, Gen.25. 18. 1 Sam. 15. 7. which is fo clear, we need proceed no further.

Laftly, 'tis obfervable, that all thefe Rivers, or the Places where these Rivers lye, are mention'd in the Bible, after the Flood: So that the Earth cou'd not poffibly be deftroy'd, as the Dr. wou'd have it. See for Pifon, Ecluf. 24, 25. for Havilah, fee 1 Sam. 15. 7. for Cush, or Ethiopia, encompafs'd by Gibon, 'tis very frequent in prophane and facred Writ; for Ahur, or the Eaft of Aly. ria, where Hiddekel was, and has now another Name, 'tis as common: As for Euphrates, we need not mention it again: Thus we hope we have fairly prov'd the Situation of the Garden of Eden, mention'd in the Hiftory of the Creation, to be no Allegory, nor Contradiction, but fuch a great Truth as our Dr's Theory can't shake. Queft. 2. P. 289. Why was not the Woman afraid of the Serpent's Speaking to her?

Anfw. She cou'd fear no Il that knew none.

Queft. 3. P. 290. Were all the Creatures (as well as the

Serpent) Vocal in Paradife as all the Trees were in the Dodonian Wood? Or was it the Serpent only? If the last, how came that to deferve the Benefit of Speech above the rest?

Anfw. The Serpent only, which in a few Words, has but juft out-rival'd the Mischief of fuch Questions.

Quest. 4. P. 290. By what Authority may we believe the Devil Spoke in the Serpent, for the Letter of Mofes intimates no fuch thing?

Anfw. Yes, in Gen. 4. 15. He (our Saviour) fhall bruife thy (Satan) Head, and thou shalt bruife his Heel.

Queft. 5. P. 291. Why shou'd the Serpent Ire pronus in Ventrum, Creep upon his Belly, for his Penalty? Or did he walk upon his Tail before?

Anfw. Probably not the laft, but the firft, that fo oft as we fee a Serpent, fo oft we fhou'd fee an Hieroglyphick of Man's Fall and Redemption.

Queft. 6. P.292. What wou'd have become of the numerous Iffue of Adam, if he had not finn'd, wou'd that one Tree of Life fed 'em all, or how show'd they have come by it?

Anfw. See our Saviour's Anfwer to the Devil when he tempted him with Hunger.

Queft. 7. P. 292. Nefcio quid five, &c. ufque ad manus manum fricat?

Anfw. This cou'd not be the modeft Dr. who talks in his Preface of a Chariorem ipfa Vita Religionem, of Religion being dearer than Life.

Queft. 8. P. 293. Whence had Adam and Eve their Needle and Ff 3 Thread

Thread in the first Day of their

Creation?

Anfw. There was no need of any for what you have tranflated Confuerunt.

Queft. 9. P. 293. Why did that Butcher of an Angel destroy the whole Race of fome Creatures in skinning of them to clothe Adam and Eve, for there was but two of a Kind created?

Anfw. Who tells you there was but two and two of a Kind created at first? You are not yet got to the Ark, but Query, How came any Creatures at all to be preferved when your Earth was defroy'd? You fhou'd answer a Million of fuch Abfurdities before you catechife Mofes, and the facred Truths he has laid down. Quest. 10. P. 293. Whether the Fable of the Dragon's keep ing the Apples of Hefperides be not like the Cherubims, keeping the Tree af Life?

Anfw. "Tis fo like, that 'tis a Confirmation of the Truth; for near the Thefpian-Lake, fo called by Procopius, tho' by Strabo it be call'd Arfena palus, which is just by the Fountain of the River Tygris, there's a Place call'd Syfpereitis, by fome Hyper eitis and Hyfperatis, where 'tis fuppos'd the very Garden of Eden flood, which no doubt gave Life and Name to that Place and Fable you mention.

Queft. 11. P.295. Why shou'd an infamous Beaft destroy at once the elaborate Work of fix Days made by an Almighty Hand?

Anfw. No, 'twas Difobedience, and Eve's queftioning the Truth of God, as too many do in this Age.

Queft. 12. P. 281, 282. What think you of the Dr's. Paraphrafe upon Mofes, and the Dialogue betwixt Eve and the Serpent; as alfo in that betwixt God, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, in their Examination and Sentence?

Anfw. We look upon the greateft Part of it to want that Caution and Prudence as a Matter of fo great Confequence might have juftly claim d, efpecially from one of his Character: And fuppofing we thou'd allow Mofes to fpeak here in a Senfe, which tho' myftical, yet not without a due and fuitable End proper for the Authority of Mofes, (as the Dr. himself elsewhere grants) how unjust and unfair a Treatment wou'd it be to that great Law-giver to be ridicul'd, becaufe he speaks not phyfically as the Dr. does: Some Paffages are ludicrous enough, and fuited to the Style of Terence's Comedies, perhaps taken out of 'em; and the whole has such an Aire in it, that the Wits of the Town have with'd he'd have gone thro' all the Bible after the fame Manner; an Effect we doubt not but the Dr. will be forry to hear of.

Queft. 13. P. 306, 307. Why is the Dr. fo troubled to reconcile the Waters above the Firmament with thofe under the Firmament, the first of which seems. to be above the Stars, the Stars being placed but in the Firma