Artic. 7. Of some Floods or Waters; and of the Universall Deluge.
THe Floods were signs of Gods anger, and so much the more as that was greater, and mens sins more grievous. The greatest was that we call the generall Deluge, which began about the end of the year of the World, 1656. All the bars of the Channels were broken, and for 40 dayes a vaste quantity of water was poured down. Also the Fountains of the great Deep were cut asunder; so that the Waters increased continually for 150 dayes, and passed above the highest Mountains 15 Cubits. At length they abated by degrees; for after 70 dayes the tops began to appear. The Inhabitants of the New World say, they had it from their Ancestours. Those of Peru say, that all those Lands lay under waters, and that men were drown∣ed, except a few, who got into woodden Vessels like Ships; and having provision sufficient, they continued there, till the waters were gone: Which they knew by their dogs which they sent forth of doors; and when the dogs came in wet, they knew they were put to swim; but when they returned dry, that the waters were gone, August. Carat. But they of Mexico say, that five Suns did then shine, and that the first of them perished in the waters, and men with it, and what∣soever was in the earth.
These things they have described in Pictures and Characters from their Ancestors; giving credit to Plato's Flood, which was said to have hapned in the Island Atlantis. Lupus Gomara. But Lydiat ascribes the cause of that universal Deluge to a subterraneal fire in a hotter de∣gree, increasing the magnitude by rarefaction, so long as it could not g••t out of its hollow places. Genesis seems to demonstrate it. For the Fountains of the great Deep are said to be broken open; and that a wind was sent forth after 40 dayes, and the waters were quieted. We must understand a wind from a dry Exhalation, which a subter∣raneous fire much increased, had most abundantly raised out of the deep of the Sea, which was then thrust forth of them, and did in∣crease the motion of the ayr that it laid hold of, together with the revolution of the Heavens, and the vehemency of the Firmament. But there were other miraculous Deluges besides this.