_Thirdly_, LET them consider, that Saint _Peter_ hath also assign’d _Causes_ of the Deluge, _2 Pet. 3. 6._ namely the particular Constitution of the Earth and Heavens before the Flood; by _reason whereof_, he saith, _the World that was then perish’d in a Deluge of Water_; and not by reason of a new Creation of Water. His Words are these: “The Heavens and the Earth were of old, consisting of Water, and by Water; whereby, or by reason whereof, the World that then was, being overflowed with Water, perished.” _Fourthly_, They are to consider, that as we are not rashly to have recourse to the Divine Omnipotence upon any Account, so especially not for new Creations; and least of all for the Creation of new Matter. The Matter of the Universe was created many Ages before the Flood, and the Universe being full, if any more was created, then there must be as much annihilated at the same time to make Room for it; for Bodies cannot penetrate one another’s Dimensions, nor be two or more within one and the same Space. Then, on the other Hand, when the Deluge ceas’d, and these Waters were annihilated, so much other Matter must be created again to take up their Places. And methinks they make very bold with the Deity, when they make him do and undo, go forward and backwards by such countermarches and retractions, as we do not willingly impute to the Wisdom of God Almighty. LASTLY, I shall not think my Labour lost, if it be but acknowledg’d, that we have so far clear’d the Way in this Controversy, as to have brought it to this Issue; that either there must be new Waters created on purpose to make a Deluge, or there could be no Deluge as it is vulgarly explained; there not being Water sufficient in Nature to make a Deluge of that kind. This, I say, is a great step, and, I think, will satisfy all Parties, at least, all that are considerable; for those that have recourse to a new Creation of Waters, are of two sorts, either such as do it out of Laziness, and Ignorance, or such as do it out of Necessity, seeing they cannot be had otherwise; as for the first, they are not to be valued or gratified; and as for the second, I shall do a thing very acceptable to them, if I free them and the Argument from that Necessity; and shew a way of making the Deluge fairly intelligible, and accountable without the Creation of new Waters; which is the Design of this Treatise. For we do not tie this Knot with an Intention to puzzle and perplex the Argument finally with it; but the harder it is ty’d, we shall feel the Pleasure more sensibly when we come to loose it.