Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

Pag. 10.

Others will not allow that the Flood of Noah was upon the whole Earth, but only upon the Land of the Jews; not to destroy all Men, but only the Jews.

ANSWER.

If there has been any Authors so absurd, as to limit the Flood to the Land of the Jews (as Mr. Blount says there have been) they are not to be Defended.

The only Modern Author of any repute, (that I have met with) who bounds it within narrow limits, is Isaac Vossius in His Dissertation de aetate Mundi; where he hath these Words,

Longe absunt a veritate, qui existimant Noachi aetate per Ʋniversum orbem propagata•• fuisse homi∣nes, qui ne Syriae quidem & Mesopotamiae fines

forsan excesserant ut vero Diluvii Inundationem ultra Orbis habitati Terminos producamus, nulla jubet ratio: Imo prorsus absurdum ubi nulla homi∣num sedes, illic etiam viguisse affectus paenae solis hominibus inflictae. That is,

They are far from truth, who think that in the days of Noah, Mankind was propagated through the whole Earth. Whereas perhaps, there were then no Men, but those, who lived in Syria and Mesopotamia Now that the Deluge should exceed the Bounds of that part of the Earth, where Men were Seated, seems not Ra∣tional to believe: Nay, 'tis absurd to conceive, that there should be any effects of Punishment where there were no Offenders.

And the same Vossius, in His Cassigationes ad Scriptum Georgii Hornii, in Defence of His Opinion, says, Non defuisse omnibus seculis, qui Mosem sic interpretati sunt; olim sic sensit Theo∣dorus, cumque secutus est Theodoretus; & ex Ortho∣doxis qu••ssionibus que inter opera Justini Martyris extant, clare colligi potest multas Christianas sic sensisse.

Clare quoque Josephus ostendit, non Ʋniversam Terram fuisse Inundatam, cum dicit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Continentem in mare mutavit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 minus est quam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sive Terra habita∣ta; illam enim in tres 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sine Continentes pa••tiua••ur vetres, quod notissimum. Pro toto vero Terrarum Orbe, nu quam ea vox accipitur. That is, There have been some in all Ages, that have Interpreted Moses as I have done: Anci∣ently

of this Oppinion were Theodore, Mop∣suesten, Theodoret; and it appears out of the Orthodox Questions, among the Works of Justin Martyr, that many Christians were of that opinion.

Josephus clearly shews the Deluge was not over the whole Earth in its utmost Latitude; when he says, The Continent was changed into Sea. A Continent is less than the Habitable World; which the Antients divide into Three Continents.

And whereas Andrew Colvius objects to Vossi∣us, The Ʋniversality of the Expressions in Scrip∣ture, relating to the Flood.

Vossius makes this Reply: Quis nescit Vocabu∣lum omnis passim in Sacris Literis ambiguae esse sig∣nificationis, & rarissime, absolute accipi, plurimis vero locis restringi ad subjectum de quo agitur. Ʋt apud Mosem, Gen. 41. Cum famem super Ʋniversam Orbem invaluisse scrib••t, non nisi de aliqua orbis portione intelligendum esse fatentur Theologi, quid abstat igitur quo minus cum Deus d••citu•• Inundasse Ʋniversam Terram; totam Ter∣r••m habitatam, & Omma haebitatae telluris ani∣malia intelligamus?

Who is so Ignorant as not to know, that the Word (all) is every where in the Holy Scriptures of an ambiguous signification, and very seldom put absolutely; in most places 'tis restained to the Subject Matter: As in Gen. 41. When the Famine is said to prevail over the whole Earth, Divines understand it of some part of the Earth; What should hinder, but

that the same may be understood in this case of the Flood, and the destruction of all Crea∣tures?

This is most certain from the Holy Scriptures. That all Mankind (those in the Ark excepted) were destroyed by the Flood. For the occasion thereof is thus expressed in Genesis. And God saw the wickedness of Man was great upon the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually: and the Lord said I will destroy Man whom I have created from the face of the Earth.

And (again) all Flesh died thot moved upon the Face of the Earth; and every Man, and every living Substance was destroyed that was upon the Face of the Ground, both Man and Cattle; and the Creeping things, and the Fowl of Heaven, and they were destroyed from the Earth, and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with Him in the Ark.

So that Mr. Blount is very vain, in Muster∣ing up the Arguments he pretends to be brought to prove, that the Flood was only in the Land of the Jews. And Vossius seems to be in a great Error, in limiting the same to Syria and Mesopotamia. For as it seems strange, that in so short an Interval as that was from Adam to the Flood; according to the ordinary Compu∣tation 1656 Years, and not much above Two thousand according to the largest, the World should then be fully Peopled: So it also seems no less strange, that in such a space of time

Syria and Mesopotamia should only be Peopled. Besides, it cannot be well imagined, that so many Nations should have knowledg thereof, if it were not of a much greater extent; For Vossius confesseth that almost all Nations had knowledg thereof, the Egyptians only except∣ed. Josephus a Costa Witnesseth for the Ameri∣cans, and so doth Laet. Martinus for the Chine∣ses; for the knowledge of others, Bochart in his Geogr. Sacra, and Grotius in his Annotata on the First Book of the Truth of the Christan Reli∣gion.

And now we draw towards a Conclusion, I shall not use any other Words, then those which are used by the most Learned Dr. Stillingfleet (now Lord Bishop of Worcester) in his Origines Sacrae, p. 539 and 540.

I cannot see any urgent necessity from the Scrip∣ture to assert, that the Flood did spread it self over all the surface of the Earth.

It is evident that the Flood was Ʋniversal as to Mankind, but from thence follows no necessity at all, of asserting the Ʋniversallity of it, as to the Globe of the Earth, unless it be sufficiently proved; that the whole Earth was Peopled before the Flood: which I dispair of ever seeing proved.

I grant as far as the Flood extended, all Crea∣tures were destroyed; but I see no reason to extend the destruction of these, beyond that compass and space of Earth where Men Inhabited.— All these are the Assertions of that great Man.

So that I suppose the vanity of Mr. Blount's Suggestion is apparant, by this right the Notion of the Flood.