that they would each of 'em take a Sifter to Wife, there being then no other for them: In which Time, according to the above Suppofition, they would have each 108 of their own Children, and these by that Time would be branched into 88 diftinct Couples, befides their Children that were under 20 or in their Minority; and of thefe 88 Couples, fome being fit for Propagation 88 Years before, and fome of them only at that Time, will give the Encrease of 44 Years in the whole; which aforefaid 88 being multiply'd by 44, gives 3872 of Cain and Abel's Pofterity on the Earth when Cain flew Abel.

Befides, the Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve and their Progenies, at this Time, (which was before observed that their Children might be probably fuppofed to be 128, and allowing Cain and Abel each a Wife out of them) 126 would remain, of which we may at least reckon 50 Couples fit for Propagation, of which fome had been established fit for it 106 Years, and others only come up to it then; therefore again, take the half Number of 106, viz. 53, by which multiply the 50 Couples, and it will fhew the Encrease of the Inhabitants from Adam and Eve, befides Cain and Abel, to be

2650 and these being added to those sprung 3872

from Cain and Abel, viz.

make

6522

Inhabitants on the Earth when Cain flew his Brother,

§. 5. So

§. 5. So that if the Encrease of one Couple be allowed in 129 Years to be 6522, then, allowing for all accidental Deaths or Miscarriages, let us only fuppofe now 1000 Couples instead of 3000 capable of Propagation, and if one Couple might produce 6522 in 129 Years, then 1000 Couples in 129 Years more might produce 6,522,000, the Encrease of 258; and according to this Encrease, at the 516th Year of the World, while 'tis probable Adam might continue to beget Children, there would be 6,522,000,000 of Inhabitants.

Now the Earth's Surface is computed at about 200,000,000 of fquare Miles on the Surface, and if every Mile, one with another, on Sea and Land were inhabited by 100 of Mankind, then the Number of the Inhabitants would be 20,000,000,000; which Number, even allowing for all accidental Deaths and Detriments which may be probably imagined, might in less than 700 Years from the Creation, be upon the Earth.

By this it may be obferved, that the World might, in fo fhort a Time after the Creation, be fufficiently replenished, and that Adam himfelf lived to fee it fo replenish'd, as to anfwer that Command which God gave him to replenish it.

And there is no room to queftion, but that the Earth, before the Deluge, was much more filled with Inhabitants than ever it has been fince, or ever will be capable to contain ; fince vaft Tracts of Land, that no doubt were then fruitful,

B 4

fruitful, were turn'd into Sea by the Deluge. Of which fee my Philof. Med. Part 1. Sect 4. and Part 2. Sect. 3.

And we may reasonably conclude, that the Wickedness and Violences that we are inform'd reign'd in the latter Days of the Antediluvian World, caufed more Depopulations of Towns and Cities than the Wars of the Poftdiluvians (as monftrous as they have been) have done fince.

§. I.

T

CHA P. II.

HUS I have firft obferved, what we may reasonably fuppofe of the Encrease and Multiplication of the Antediluvians, as being neceffary to the fucceeding Obfervations that I purpose to make upon that Account, which Mofes has given us in the foremention'd Chapters of Genefis.

But before I proceed thereto, it may not be improper to confider a Query that will hence arife.

If the Encrease and Multiplication of the Earth's Inhabitants may be allow'd fo great in fo fhort a Time, notwithstanding accidental Deaths and Detriments, Wars and Depopulations, What would there have been, had Man remained in his primitive Purity, and not have fubjected himself and Pofterity to Death? And what must then have contained or fubfifted them ?

Anf.

;

Anf Their Command was to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth; and when that was done to the full, the Command was answered, and the Propagation must then either cease, or elfe fome other Method enfue as a Removal or Tranflation of the Inhabitants; which might be in two ways; 1. By removing those who continued in Purity and Uprightness by a Translation, as was Enoch and Elias, which to me seems an Example of it; or, 2. It would have been fo ordered, that fuch Men, who excelled in fpiritual Exercises, and Elevations above their common Organs of Senfation, would be so far raised above them, as to put them off and afcend as fpiritual RefurrectionBodies to fpiritual Manfions. Of which fee the last Chapter of my Prospect into the spiritual World.

But then again, (as I have obferved in my Survey of the Six Days Works of the Creation) if Adam had not fallen, his Pofterity muft have been under the fame Law he had first given him, and have been subjected to the Punifhment of Death for their Tranfgreffions; and, as I have there made appear reasonable, could have had no Redemption, because their Trefpaffes would have been only to themselves, and could not have involved any but themfelves in the Guilt, and therefore no univerfal Redemption could be wrought for them, as for a whole Race; and it would only then have become juft to have executed the Sentence of Death upon them immediately, to have put

a Stop to their farther Proceedings, and to their becoming Inftruments of entailing Corruption on a Pofterity that could have no Opportunity of being ranfomed from their Guilt.

As to the Encrease of the reft of the Animal Creation, the fame Query may be made, and the fame Answer given, as to the Earth's being fufficiently replenished with their different Species, which might either then have ceased their Propagations, when this Command was anfwered, or their Removals (which I think likelier of the two) inftead of their now Subjections to Deaths, might have become neceffary or expedient, in fuch like manners as were agreeable to their different Species, and leffer Degrees of Reason and Knowledge than Man was defign'd for, and made capable of, and might accompany thofe who had been their more particular Governors here, under whofe Care their Lots had happen'd to fall, and under whose Indulgencies they had found that true Satisfaction and Contentment, that nothing cou'd make good to them in the Absence of fuch indulgent Governors they had had the Happiness to be enured to; fo that it would be their confummate Pleasure to be removed with them, by cafting off their present Flesh and Blood, to enjoy the Pleasures subsequent thereupon in a continued Liberty, under the indulgent Government of thefe Sons of God.

§. 2. Thus might these Queries, I fay, be anfwer'd for both Man and Animals in these ways, agreeable to our prefent Reafon and Ap

prehenfion