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. 5.

How all Kinds of Creatures, not only in their own Bulks, but with a competency of Foo•• and Sustenance might be preserved in one A••k, and within the extent of Three hundred Cubits, will not appear very feasible.

ANSWER.

This Difficulty puzled Celsus too; who as Origen says p 191. called the Ark by way of contempt, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; a Bauble and Scarecrow for Children. 'Tis not strange, that Celsus should thus calumniate, who being an Epicurean Philosopher, and a great Friend of Lucian's, had without Controversie with the

rest of that Heard, a great Aversion to the clear and perspicuous Mathematicks.

Plutarch tells us in his Book against the Epi∣cureans, That they accounted those Sciences amongst the Number of them, which conta∣minated a Man's Mind: and that they wonder∣fully magnified Apolles, for that he had kept his Mind pure from these Pollutions. Some Knowledge of which is yet requisite for the understanding the Dimensions of the Ark; as Gerhard Vossius shews in his seventh Chapter of the Mathematical Sciences, p. 30. and to that purpose cites St. Austin. And Gassendus in his Inaugu••••l Orations, hath this Expression, Et cum paires caeteros, tum speciatim beatas Hieroni∣mum & Augustinum passim declarare, quam hae disciplinae necessariae sunt ad Scripturae sacrae inter∣pre••a••ionem.

And as the other Fathers in general, so in particular, St. Jerome and St. Austin often declare how necessary these Sciences are for un∣derstanding the Holy Scriptures. But that Mr. Blount (who, as I am told, had some Knowledge this way) should stumble here, is to me strange.

He that will take the Pains to read the two little Treatises of Buteo de Arca, and Matthaeus Hostus de Fabrica Arcae, in the Criticks at large, will find the Capacity of the Ark for the above mentioned Purposes so fully demon∣strated, as will make the Matter feasible. Where∣fore with the most learned Dr. Stilling fleet

(now Lord Bishop of Worcester) in his Origines Sacra, p. 552. I think it better to refer to the Authors themselves then here to Transcribe them.