Throughchapterafterchapter，Voltaire，obeyingthesupposednecessitiesofhistheology，foughtdesperatelythegrowingresultsofthegeologicinvestigationsofhistime。[159]
[159]SeeVoltaire，DissertationsurlesChangementsarrivesdansnotreGlobe；alsoVoltaire，LesSingularitiesdelaNature，chap。
xii；alsoJevons，PrinciplesofScience，vol。ii，p。328。
ButfarmoreprejudicialtoChristianitywasthecontinuedeffortontheothersidetoshowthatthefossilswerecausedbytheDelugeofNoah。
Nosuppositionwastooviolenttosupportthistheory，whichwasconsideredvitaltotheBible。Bytakingthemerehusksandrindsofbiblicaltruthfortruthitself，bytakingsacredpoetryasprose，andbygivingaliteralinterpretationofit，thefollowersofBurnet，Whiston，andWoodwardbuiltupsystemswhichbeartorealgeologymuchthesamerelationthattheChristianTopographyofCosmasbearstorealgeography。Invainwereexhibitedtheabsolutegeological，zoological，astronomicalproofsthatnouniversaldeluge，ordelugecoveringanylargepartoftheearth，hadtakenplacewithinthelastsixthousandorsixtythousandyears；invaindidsoenlightenedachurchmanasBishopClaytondeclarethattheDelugecouldnothaveextendedbeyondthatdistrictwhereNoahlivedbeforetheFlood；invaindidothers，likeBishopCroftandBishopStillingfleet，andthenonconformistMatthewPoole，showthattheDelugemightnothavebeenandprobablywasnotuniversal；invainwasitshownthat，eveniftherehadbeenauniversaldeluge，thefossilswerenotproducedbyit：theonlyanswerswerethecitationofthetext。”Andallthehighmountainswhichwereunderthewholeheavenwerecovered。”and，toclinchthematter，WorthingtonandmenlikehiminsistedthatanyargumenttoshowthatfossilswerenotremainsofanimalsdrownedattheDelugeofNoahwas“infidelity。”InEngland，France，andGermany，beliefthatthefossilswereproducedbytheDelugeofNoahwaswidelyinsisteduponaspartofthatfaithessentialtosalvation。[160]