upon a view and compare of circumstances, but that we have truly found out the Riddle of the Mundane Egg.Amongst other difficulties arising from the Form of this present Earth, That is one, How America could be peopled: or any other Continent, or Island remote from all Continents the Sea interpo∣sing. This difficulty does not hold in our Theory of the First Earth, where there was no Sea. And after the Flood, when the Earth was broken and the Sa laid open, the same race of Men might con∣tinue there, if setled there before. For I do not see any necessity of deducing all Mankind from Noah after the Flood: If America was peopled before, it might continue so; not but that the Flood was universal. But when the great frame of the Earth broke at the Deluge, Providence fore-saw into how many Continents it would be divided after the ceasing of the Flood, and accordingly, as we may reasonably suppose, made provision to save a remnant in every Con∣tinent, that the race of Mankind might not be quite extinct in any of them. What provision he made in our Continent we know from Sacred History, but as that takes notice of no other Continent but ours, so neither could it take notice of any method that was us'd there for saving of a remnant of Men; but 'twere great presumption, methinks, to imagine that Providence had a care of none but us, or could not find out ways of preservation in other places, as well as in that where our habitations were to be. Asia, Africk and Eu∣rope were repeopled by the Sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Iaphet, but we read nothing of their going over into America, or sending any Colonies thither; and that World which is near as big as ours, must have stood long without people, or any thing of Humane race in it, after the Flood, if it stood so till this was full, or till men Navigated the Ocean, and by chance discover'd it: it seems more reasonable to suppose, that there was a stock providentially reserv'd there, as well as here, out of which they sprung again▪ but we do not pretend in an Argument of this nature to define or determine any thing positively. To conclude, As this is but a secondary diffi∣culty, and of no great force, so neither is it any thing peculiar to us, or to our Hypothesis, but alike common to both; and if they can propose any reasonable way, whereby the Sons of Noah might be transplanted into America, with all my heart; but all the ways that I have met with hitherto, have seem'd to me meer fictions, or meer presumptions. Besides, finding Birds and Beasts there, which are no where upon our Continent, nor would live in our Countries if brought hither, 'tis a fair conjecture that they were not carried from us, but originally bred and preserv'd there.Thus much for the illustration of Antiquity in some points of Hu∣mane literature, by our Theory of the Primaeval Earth; There is also in Christian Antiquity a Tradition or Doctrine, that appears as obscure and as much a Paradox as any of these, and better deserves an illustration, because it relates more closely and expresly to our present subject: 'Tis that Notion or Opinion amongst the Ancients concerning Paradise, that it was seated as high as the Sphere of the Moon, or within the Lunar Circle. This looks very strange, and in∣deed extravagantly, at first sight, but the wonder will cease, if we 0