It has been in reasoning after this manner, that I have endeavoured to
prove, that every thing which we now behold, of the solid parts of this
earth, had been formerly at the bottom of the sea; and that there is, in
the constitution of this globe, a power for interchanging sea and land.
If this shall be admitted as a just view of the system of this globe,
we may next examine, how far there are to be found any marks of certain
parts of our earth having more than once undergone that change of
posture, or vicissitude of things, and of having had reiterated
operations of the mineral kingdom changing their substance, as well as
altering their positions in relation to the atmosphere and sea.
Besides the gradual decay of solid land, exposed to the silent
influences of the atmosphere, and to the violent operations of the
waters moving upon the surface of the earth, there is a more sudden
destruction that may be supposed to happen sometimes to our continents
of land. In order to see this, it must be considered, that the
continents of our earth are only raised above the level of the sea by
the expansion of matter, placed below that land, and rarified in that
place: We may thus consider our land as placed upon pillars, which may
break, and thus restore the ancient situation of things when this land
had been originally collected at the bottom of the ocean.
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