ese four rivers do not
spring from the same source, or come from the same place; 'tis true, nor
any other four rivers that are named by the interpreters. Wherefore
this objection will everywhere hold good, as well against the ancient
as modern writers.--But although you should reduce these rivers to only
two, as some do, to Tigris and Euphrates, yet neither have these two
rivers the same fountain-head, but this is really and truly an evasion,
instead of an explanation, to reduce, contrary to the history of Moses,
a greater number of rivers to a smaller, only that they may the more
conveniently be reduced to the same spring; for these are the words of
Moses, 'But there comes a river out of Eden to water the garden, and
from thence it divides itself into four branches, the name of the first
is Pishon,' etc., whereby it is apparent that either in the exit or in
the entrance of the garden there were four rivers, and that these four
rivers did one and all proceed from the same fountain-head in Eden. Now,
pray tell me in what part of the earth is this country of Eden, where
four rivers arise from one and the same spring? But do not go about to
say that only two came from that fountain of Eden, and that the other
two arose from the Tigris or the Euphrates, where they split near the
sea, and make, as it were, a bifrontic figure, since this does by no
means answer the words of Moses. Besides, he mentions in the first place
Pishon and Gishon, and afterwards Tigris and Euphrates as lesser rivers;
whereas you, on the contrary, will have those to be derived from these
last as rivers of an inferior order, which is a manifest distorting of
the historical account. But to end all these difficulties concerning
the channels of the rivers which watered Paradise, you will, perhaps, at
last say, that the springs, as well as the courses of rivers, have been
changed by the universal deluge: and that we cannot now be certain
where it was they burst over the earth, and what countries they passed
through. For my part I am much of your opinion, providing you confess
there happened in the deluge such a disruption of the earth as we
suppose there did. But from only an inundation of waters such a change
could never happen. Besides, what geography will you have Moses to
describe these rivers, ante-diluvian or post-diluvian'?--If the latter,
there has happened no considerable alteration of the earth since the
time of Moses and the flood. If the former, y