Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-06-20


we viii not trespass upon your patience by |
any further detail OF absurdities ON this |
subject
The doctrine OF partial deluge ia an as
mos, untenah,e from various tea. |
sons: LIST. From the evident marks Of
general deluge all over the face OF the globe.
I'd. From the traditions of every nation IN
der heaven. Sd. From tho great number
ot inhabitants the world must have contain
ed about that time. Considering the long
lives Of the An,ediluvians, and the great
health oil which that is proof, il has been
computed that upon the most moderate scale
OF Increase, suppose that they multiplied but
quadruple in each century, there must have
been l0,737 million Of Inhabitants i'm the
world, or UPWARDS OF ten times the present
number; hence the whole earth must have
been inhabited The quantity of water can
not be found In any reasonable way il the
deluge be supposed TO have happened accord
ing To the common opinion that the globe
was then very much ,le same as now, & that
the highest mountain was covered l5 cubils
high. There would be at least 8 oceans ne.
| cessary TO inundate the earth in its present
form, supposing that the top OF the highes,
mountain were hut one mile above the lev,
ell Of the sua, which is but one fourth OF the
height OF some mountains; and that the o.
u
mile deep. We think therefore that the
flood may be accounted for in manner
most natural and easy, and therefore most
reasonable and mos, agreeable TO the NJ osa ic
history, upon tho principles already ass
sumed, viz: that the ear III wss nearly smooth
upon lis surface, that there were none OF
those high and angry lookin mountains
though slight fluctuations may probably
have existed that there we're some few
| lakes called oceans scattered over the sur.
face OF our earth, but tha, the principal por.
ton oil the waters belonging il was shut up in
the bowels OF the Garth, or asJob hath iiin the
original; shut up in bags ie inclo.ed on ey-
cry side; that rains were phenomena unknown
before The Hood, excep, probably some slight
showers near The poles Otherwise how
could The rainbow have been novelty 10
Noah! Hence also The great iniidcliiv of
the Antediiu VANS. They were threatened
by Noah in the name of God with deluxe
Of waller, while the preacher himself built
large ship on dry land. Whence said they,
! Will he obtain water enough 10 drown this
earth? II he dip out these little pools and
pour them upon dry land, they will quickly
return to bill up the cavity again. AS TO ce-
lestial waters, we know nothing of them bv
any law in nature; that is but a scarecrow
/ OF Noah; we are all perfectly safe. For
| you know sir, infideiity makes u grea, show
OF reasoning, as though nothing were true
but what 1t can comprehend and teach, and
nothing just but what ii can approve.
When now the world had filled up The
measure Of their inigui,y, and had exhaust.
! ed the long suffering of God, Noah with his
family, as well as the beasts of the earth
| entered The ark, and God shut him in {; upon
which the :ains began TO pour, the fountains
OF the great deep we're broken up, and the
I firm nj frn oil. al,
beneath contributed their waters To- drown
the world OF the ungodIy. BY The breaking
up OF the fountains oil the great deep, we
] are 10 understand a universal disrupture of
the earth, The breaking in Of her crust or
surface, and the rushing out OF the subterra-
mean waters rolling in their mighty agita.
i ton backwards and forwards, and on ..ery
side, covering every part Of the earth. and
carrying along with them their submarine
| productions VI SHELLS, fish Sc which we
now find scattered all over the world as the
true and faithful witnesses OF universal
! delugc. BY this disruption also, the noun.
iains and vailies, and islands, and oceans and
continents, were formed, as may be easily de>
monsiraled, and more easily conceived, by
simply standing on the banks OF some river
and contemplating the ruins OF IA bridge
broken down into The waters il once crossed.
where you will see the mos, splendid ont.
lines OF the map of our present earth-ni
mountains, valies, plains, oceans, islands
lakes, rivers &c, and be struck with the o,
vcrwheiminS conviction, that this is noi The
/ beautiful Para,lisIcal earth as she FIRST came
from the creating hand OF her God, bu, RAJ
Their The wreck, The ruins OF it, Thus you
Will also see that nature herself in her pre.
sent form does homage to the declaration 4
/ ST. Peter in reference to this subject s.Eor
this they willingly are ignorant of, that by
the word OF God the heavens were of old
and The earth standing out of tho wafer and
IN the water; whereby the world that then
"as, being ovehowed with water, persisted ::
but The heavens aud the earth which are
now, by The same word are kept in store
resrYed unto fire against the day of inde>
| ment and perdlion OF ungodly men,; 2 Pei.
! i'll ., g, 7. In which he most concIusiyeIy
shows among other things, that the earth in
her primogenlal form was subject TO an io
undaiion by water, and that in her presep,
iormshe is suhjecG 10 conAagration by fire.
| in this grand coDvpison then, our heauii,
Flui Pdradisical earth was rent in pieces. dis
Inquired and ruined, made rugged, barren,
and dIficult oil cultivation the poles Of tho
earth were turned 10 the inclined position
which they now occupy, and in consequence
OF which we have the great variety Of eli.
mates, the rjgors II season, The affections
anXIe'Ies, hsrdsh,ps, and finally The short.
ness OF human life, in order that man, being
in future subjected 10 a more rigorous state
OF discipline and toll might be brought In
think more a1eclionsely upon his Cod. 10
reverence his word, and 10 prepare for
happier State OF being
Nature was indeed The sole agent employ.
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