b'jjwm \n\n\n\n\n^fyfvi \n\n\n^B \n\n\n\n\n\n\nlei \n\n\nmmtL \n\n\n\nLIBRARY OF CONGRESS, \n\n\n\nT ; I \nd^aju.- \xc2\xa9xtp^tijj^i Tfa,. \n\n\n\nUNITED STATES OF AMERICA. \n\n\n\nX* k < 1 s Aa* \n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Neptunian \n\n\n\nr \n\nOR \n\n\n\nWater Theory \n\n\n\ncreation. \n\nBY\' \n\nREV. J.MiWOODMAN, \n\nII \n\nProfessor in Natural Science, Chico Academy, Cal. \n\nAuthor of " God in Nature and Revelation," " The Song of Cosmology, \n\n" Star Dates of Human History," " The Song of the Morning \n\nStars in Creation\'s Grand March." \n\n\n\n\' \' If they speak not according to thy word it is because \nthere is no truth in them" \n\n\n\nSan Francisco : \n\nBacon & Company, Book and Job \n\nCorner of Clay and Sansome Strepfs, \n\n1888. \n&9 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEntered according to Act of Congress, in the year A. D. 1888, \n\nBy J. M. Woodman, \nIn the office of the Librarian of Cognress, Washington, D. C \n\n\n\nTABLE OF CONTENTS, \n\n\n\nCHAPTER T. \n\nThree Theories of Creation Reviewed in the Light \nof Admitted Facts 9 \n\nSection 1. \n\nThe Plutonic or fire theory stated 15 \n\nCentro-centrifugal theory \'. . . 16 \n\nHeated Nebulous theory 17 \n\nThe increase of heat in mining shafts no evidence of a hot \n\ncenter 19 \n\nThe admitted sedimentary nature of primitive granite de- \nstroys the Plutonic theory 22 \n\nThe theories of metamorphic rock not sustained 23 \n\nMining shafts increase iniieat according to chemical action 25 \n\nCauses of volcanoes and geysers explained 26 \n\nGeologists dissatisfied with the fire theory. Submarine \n\nvolcanoes 28 \n\nDiatoms found in the earliest stratified rock 31 \n\nSection 2. \n\nThe Neptunian theory stated 32 \n\nAll matter created at once in cold gas. God\'s power need- \ned to move matter. The first cosmological division. ... 33 \nProbable length of it. The first condition of our globe in \nform o 35 \n\nSection 3. \nThe facts of science support the Neptunian theory. In \n\nquantity, order and constituent elements of rock 36 \n\nThe three ways that gases combine into rock 37 \n\nHow rock can swim in water 38 \n\nExplorations made of the Atlantic 39 \n\n\n\n4 TABLE OF CONTENTS. \n\nWe once had a hemisphere of land, and one of water 40 \n\nThe climate was tropical, as attested by shells, coral, coal, \n\nand saurians -. 41 \n\nAlso by tropical animals, flowers, and tropical vegetation. 42 \n\nWater raised the mountaiDS 45 \n\nSea bottom seen there 46 \n\nRise and depressions of earth. Cause of glacial epoch 48 \n\nSuch a world physically adapted to man 50 \n\nThe accumulating evidence that our earth is essentially a \n\nball of water 53 \n\nThe reasons the Antediluvians had no rainbow 54 \n\n\n\nCHAPTER II. \n\nThe Neptunian Theory was first Brought to Light \nin the Book of Job, dated in the Stars. Epidra- \n\nmatic Oratorio 55 \n\nOrient the place for such a poem 57 \n\nFirst question established 58 \n\nThe indictment against piety amended 59 \n\nThe prologue ended with Satan confounded 59 \n\nThese persons all representative characters 60 \n\nStarting the drama of history. Piety endures the trials of \n\nall ages . 61 \n\nJob rewarded on the field. Flood passed 64 \n\nSurrounded by universal idolatry 65 \n\nCertain chapters Messianic 66 \n\nResurrection reached 68 \n\nThe enemies boast of the secular arm of law 69 \n\nThe Reformation reached 70 \n\nThe voice of space 72 \n\nDead organic matter, as fossils, speaking 73 \n\nAn explanation of the story of Joshua\'s miracle. The \n\nthree friends silenced. Secular education personified. 75 \nTrue loyal prayer, against unsupported illegal faith, and \n\nprayer without faith 77 \n\nThe Copernican system seen by Job, with the sedimentary \nnature of granite 79 \n\n\n\nTABLE OF CONTENTS. 5 \n\nThe rotundity of Earth with the inside water 81 \n\nThe birth-place of ancient icebergs 83 \n\nThe telegraph seen and dated 84 \n\nDescription of certain fossils 85 \n\nThe grand future of the church of the living God 86 \n\n\n\nCHAPTER III. \n\nAll the Scripture References to Cosmology are in \nHarmony with the Book of Job. Earth Standing \nin Water. Flood Caused by Overflow of the Sea. \n\nOnce in a Ring of Gases. Above the Waters 87 \n\nMoses gained his first ideas of Creation here 88 \n\nPower born in the hand of God 88 \n\nGravitation accounts only for centripetal power 89 \n\nA steam world born but not yet swaddled 92 \n\nIt is swaddled in gathering and condensing 93 \n\nTracing gases into rock 95 \n\nTo what days the Mosaic time is unadapted 96 \n\nWhat the Mosaic days of creation do mean 96 \n\nGeneral and Special Providence 99 \n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV. \n\nThe Six Days of Moses Full of Scientific Suggestions \nShowing the Work of God to the End of Time 100 \n\nSection 1. \n\nThe work of the first day 10J \n\nMeaning of deep 102 \n\nFigures of speech. A ring of waters in rluid gases first \n\ncalled firmament 103 \n\nThese days are not literal 104 \n\nSection 2. \n\nThe work of the second day 105 \n\nMeaning of create. Must be read in the light of scientific \nfacts 107 \n\n\n\n6 TABLE OF CONTENTS. \n\nMoses\' point of observation. First firmament tangible 107 \n\nMoses, in vision, confined to the history of our globe. The \nhistory of other planets not given 109 \n\nSection 3. \n\nThe work of the third day. The steam world commences \n\nto liquify 110 \n\nThe scientific problem of a probable pole-changing solved. 112 \n\nOne end only in sunshine 112 \n\nWhy it did not rain on the earth 113 \n\nThe cause of the first chilled climate. When it turned to \ntorrid 115 \n\nSection 4. \n\nThe account of the fourth day in figure of metonymy 116 \n\nRecent coal periods 119 \n\nSection 5. \n\nThe work of the fifth day. Contrasts are found in the sea, \n\ndiatoms begin in the Gneiss rock 121 \n\nThe whale of the Miocene is the contrasting animal, as \n\nmorning. 122 \n\nThe order of the existence of animals by Moses agrees with \n\nfacts 123 \n\nScience and the Bible claim substantially the same thing \n\nin reference to Special Providence 125 \n\nSection 6. \n\nThe work of the sixth day. Beasts are the evening. Man \nis the morning 127 \n\nOur race sprang from Adam 128 \n\nThe cleansing of the air was essential to the introduction \nof man 129 \n\nRecent volcanoes argue the correctness of the Mosaic ac- \ncount 130 \n\nWe have not even yet reached the climax of good breath- \ning 132 \n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION. \n\n\n\nThe question as to what kind of reading shall \nyield us the most exquisite enjoyment, largely \ndepends upon our ability for self-development. \nTaste in reading, as in eating, is often an educa" \nted faculty. The relish that we now have for \nmany kinds of food, we had to acquire. We all \nhave faculties for intellectual, moral and spirit- \nual enjoyment, in lines of thought corresponding. \nThese must be developed by use. Eeader, you \nhave the ability, if you will allow it to be devel- \noped, of enjoying a perusal of this sublime sub- \nject. Mere sensational reading like emotional re- \nligion has its field of enjoyment, its rills of happi- \nness ; but it is changeable and uncertain. Songs \nof praise and devotional reading have a higher \nplace in the human soul, lasting in their nature. \nObservation and historical research open an- \n\n\n\n8 INTRODUCTION. \n\nother field of enjoyment. Language and loca- \ntion of places may become a passion in the mind. \nThe study of causes in nature, at best but sec- \nondary, may hold the mind in a sweet revery of \ndelight; but these are mere rills of comfort com- \npared to an open sea, to the ability of reading \nand comprehending first causes, in the light of \nprophetic declarations. \n\nWe are thrilled in the presence of relics of an- \ncient history. The sight of a mummy, known \nto be an ancient person of historic note thrills us \nwith admiration and agreeable wonder, as in the \ncase of Rameses II. Three thousand years seems \na long time ; yet it is easy to obtain almost any \nwhere a fossil, fish or shell, representing as many \nmillion of years. No where else are the " Foot- \nprints" of God so plain, measuring the long ages \nof time, as seen in the Bible. \n\nThe fact that you have not been accustomed \nto read on this subject is no reason why you \nshould not begin at once, and experience the in- \n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION. V \n\ncreased reverence for God, the captivating en- \ngagement of thought, and the exquisite enjoy- \nment of soul, as a result. Do you still ask what \npractical benefit will this knowledge be to you ? \nLet us rather ask what harm will come from a \ngeneral impression that the cosmological utter- \nances of the Bible are so tangled up in a network \nof scientific suppositions, as to cause even good \nmen to drop them, as parts of God\'s inspiration \nto man. Such results are already produced all \nover the land. \n\nThe Bible has been assailed on its cosmolog- \nical sayings. Shall it be defended ? If you are \nso fortunate as to be entrenched in the belief \nof the inspiration of the Scriptures, while you \nare unable to give a reason for the hope with- \nin, your friends may not be so fortunate. Your \nchildren, it may be, will return from school, in. \ntent upon showing you the discrepancies with \nthe established teachings of science. If these \nthings are, as they purport to be, given by inspi- \n\n\n\n10 INTRODUCTION. \n\nration of God, they can never be made to har- \nmonize with an illogical and untruthful cosmol- \nogy. How important, then, that we should have \nthe right theory. \n\nThe disciples of Jesus were asked, " Have any \nof the rulers of the Jews believed on him ? " \nPerhaps before you purchase you ask, Have any \nmen of scientific notoriety endorsed these views ? \nOf the many scores of good words given by ed- \nitors, lawyers, doctors, ministers, teachers, and \nprofessors in colleges, I have room only for a few. \nProf. David Swing of Chicago said: " The Nep- \ntunian theory of creation, as presented in Dr. \nWoodman\'s book, is the most logical presenta- \ntion of cosmology that I ever read. He writes \nin a calm and truthful style." The late Prof. \nNorton of the Cal. State Normal said : " You \nhave chosen an opportune time for the presen- \ntation of your book, for the theories of cosmology \nare on the eve of a mighty revolution, in which \nthe water theory is likely to come to the front." \n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION. 11 \n\nProf. Reid, President of the State University, \nsaid : " The subject, as you present it, is wonder- \nfully in accordance with what we see in Nature ; \nand it is still more wonderful that you should \nfind it so beautifully set forth in the Bible." \nProf. LeConte, of the same University, said : \n46 Your theory is a wide departure from every- \nthing hitherto written upon the subject. I will \nsay this of it; it accounts for more unexplained \nphenomena than any theory before presented. I \nwill give you this item, which I know to be cor- \nrect. The Magnolia tree in the Tertiary period, \ngrew and blossomed as far as 80 degrees north." \nNumerous bodies of clergymen have endorsed \nthe theory as a just and beautiful presentation \nof Scripture ; many as the " only theory with \nwhich Moses\' Genesis of Creation can be recon- \nciled." The say-so of others may satisfy the \nindolent and careless, but to enjoy the subject \nyou must read and digest these grand truths for \nyourself. \n\n\n\nCHAPTFR I. \n\nThree Theories Reviewed in the Light \nof Scientific Pacts. \n\nIn the study of Nature, aided only by natural \nphenomena, effect, suggesting cause, is every- \nwhere apparent. These effects variously com- \npounded point with accuracy only to secondary \ncauses. First causes are hidden far behind all \nexisting appearances. \n\nUnaided nature leaves man to seek first causes \nonly by hypotheses. As might be expected, on \nthe same subject scientists widely differ in theo- \nry. Such reasoning must ever leavea large mar- \ngin for opinion. \n\nNotwithstanding the uncertainty of all such \nmodes of reasoning, still that hypothesis must \never possess the greatest weight, that best ac- \ncords with the largest number of existing; facts. \nReasoning a priori, from the providing care of \n\n\n\n14 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nnature\'s God, as seen in stores of coal, oil, iron, \ncopper, and various kinds of precious metals, we \nmight reasonably conclude that he who created \nthe intellectual as well as the religious nature in \nman would carefully provide for the full gratifica- \ntion of both. Knowing God\'s nature, reason \nwould surest that what is wanting in nature \nmust somewhere be supplied by special reve- \nlation of God. \n\nThe book of nature coupled with the Bible \nwould be a necessity ; not only for a complete \nworship, but for a full cosmology. We should \nexpect the two volumes, when rightly rendered, \nto correspond. A noted atheistical lecturer up- \non cosmical changes stated in a series of lectures \nin Chico, Cal., that the " Bible theory of creation \nis decidedly watery. By the statements of this \nbook, we should conclude that the center itself is \none vast body of water, holding upon its bosom \na crust of earth." As a believer in the Plutonic \ntheory, and having no reverence for the Bible, he \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 15 \n\nadded, " What fool does not know better?" What \nhe gave as a " Bible Theory," we will assume as \na scientific hypothesis; and rest the proof of the \nsame upon the facts in nature which scientists, in \nadvocating the Plutonic theory, have given us. \n\nIt will be the object of this chapter to show \nthat the more recently developed facts in geology \npoint unmistakably to the Neptunian theory of \nCreation. This will be done by comparing the \nthree theories, and each with lines of facts which \nhave been well established. It will be necessary \n\nSection 1, \n\nTo State the Plutonic Theory \nof the Schools. \n\n1. That all matter existed, or was created in \na primeval state of heat. One hypothesis is, that \nall matter of our system was concentrated in one \nheated ball as a central sun. \n\n2. That planets are portions of this matter, \n\n\n\n16 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthrown off by a rapid rotary motion of the sun. \nProperly named, this theory was the centro-cen- \ntrifugal theory, now quite out of date. That \nthis theory might be true, the sun must have turn- \ned upon its axis with a velocity sufficient not only \nto destroy gravitation at its surface, now twenty- \nseven times that of the Earth, but with a force \ncapable of throwing Jupiter, fourteen hundred \ntimesthe size of the Earth, out intospace four hun- \ndredand seventy-five million of miles, and Neptune \nover two billion of miles. When we consider that \nour sun now turns on its axis only once in twen- \nty-seven days, we conclude that a vivid imag- \nination must have supplied the machinery necess- \nary for such astounding results in the very face \nof forbidding facts. This theory made no pro- \nvision for the encircling waters, sufficient to \nwrap the entire surface of the globe three miles \ndeep, nor for the enveloping atmosphere. Grad- \nually this ancient theory has been modulated into \nthe Nebulous Theory. \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 17 \n\n3. The more popular teaching of today is, \nthat matter existed in a highly heated state in the \nform of a diffused cloud. Steel, in his " Four- \nteen Weeks in Geology," suggests that "\'From \nunknown causes, this cloud-matter began to re- \nvolve about a center or sun. This nucleus drew \nmatter direct to itself from all parts of our sys- \ntem. Other portions revolving were thrown off, \nand formed new centers for planetary gathering, \nas they respectively took up their orbicular march \nabout the sun. This fiery mist is supposed to \nhave come together in a heated state. The plan- \nets, at least, have since been cooling, though as \nyet having but a thin crust. To this theory of \nprimeval heat,, in some form, all our text books \nconform. A theory so long and so universally \naccepted might be supposed to have some solid \nfacts upon which to rest. But really it has \nless to sustain it than had the Ptolemaic theory of \nAstronomy : that, at least, had observation in its \nfavor, but this fails even here. It is a curious \n\n\n\n18 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\ncircumstance in this guess work of results, that \nwhether heat is made to increase on an average \none degree in fifty feet, as given by many geolo- \ngists, or one degree in one hundred feet, as given \nby others, precisely the same results are reached, \nviz., fifty miles crust, and intensely heated matter \nbeyond. This assumption is based upon the sup- \nposed fact that the internal heat traverses the \nrock by conduction. If this were true, then the \ndegree of heat gained in any one hundred feet of \nrock, as you descend into the Earth\'s crust, \nwould be the approximate measurement of any \nother hundred feet in the same shaft; but the re- \nverse of this is true. No two measurements seem \nto be alike. The miner, as a practical geologist, \nin this regard knows that this heat is generally \ncaused by chemical action of the rock upon which \nyou have let in air or water, or both. This heat \nis found to vary according to nature of the rock \nwhich you expose. If the rock is rich in pyrites \nof iron or lime, in any of its numerous forms, \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 19 \n\nthen disintegration is abundant and much heat is \ngenerated ; but, on the other hand, where all \ndisintegrating elements are wanting, there is no \nperceptible increase of heat. \n\n4. The theory of the continued increase of \nheat, according to the ratio noticed as you sink a \nshaft a few hundred feet into the Earth\'s crust, \nif it proves anything proves too much, and is \ntherefore false. Experiments extensively made \nin the Virginia mines of Nevada, and particular- \nly in the Foreman Shaft, show the increase to \nbe very uneven ; differing from one degree in \ntwelve feet to one in two hundred feet. It even \ngrows colder as you descend some kind of rock, \na degree in one hundred feet. The degree of \nheat is always regulated and gauged by the rock \nyou pass. If the rock will disintegrate readily, \nit gives out more heat ; but if the rock may lie \nexposed in the sun and rain without disintegration, \nit throws out no heat in the shaft. Yet from ex- \nperiments made in the Foreman Shaft, notwith- \n\n\n\n20 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nstanding these varieties of rock, yet at the 2,100 \nfoot level it is found that the average increase is \none degree in twelve feet. At this rate, at twentv- \nfive miles towards the center you would encounter \nheat above 4,300 deg. Fahr. Chemists will ad- \nmit that, after due allowance for pressure at such \na depth, yet the granite with all known substances \nwould fuse at this heat. The Plutonic hypothe- \nsis makes the crust in Nevada less than twenty- \nfive miles, perhaps the weakest on the continent. \n\nExperiments in Mexico, upon this line of rea- \nsoning, would make the crust twice as thick. Now \nfrom a well established law in philosophy, a press- \nure upon liquid on the inside of a cylinder im- \nparts its pressure to every part of the cylinder at \nthe same time. A pressure capable of breaking \nthe crust in any place should, at least, cause all \nthe openings to emit lava at the same time. But \nthis is not the historic action of volcanoes ; one \nemits while another sleeps. \n\nIt is a historic fact observed within the present \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 21 \n\ncentury, that a volcanic mountain rose up from* a \ncomparatively level plane in Mexico, in one night, \nto the height of 1,695 feet. On the assumption \nthat lava comes from the center of the earth, why \nshould not the above pressure have found the \nweaker crust, and Nevada have been the place of \neruption instead of Mexico ? and why should not \nthe three hundred open vents of Earth have emit- \nted lava at the same time ? The theory will not \nbear philosophic tests. \n\nThe Russian report of the increase of heat is \nonly one-fourth that given in Nevada. Who be- \nlieves, therefore, that the crust there is four times \nas thick as in Nevada ? The whole subject shows \nthat the increase of heat in the shaft proves noth- \ning as to the interior of Earth, and nothing as to \nthe thickness of its crust. \n\n5. To establish the Plutonic theory, it is at \nleast necessary to demonstrate that the granite, \nwhich all hold to be the under rock, is the un- \nstratified Plutonic foundation of all stratified rock. \n\n\n\n22 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nRecent facts have demonstrated that the granite \nis a sedimentary rock, or rock deposited in water. \nThis being admitted, although contradicting the \nteachings of all the older text books, some writ- \ners, among them is Steel, in order to harmonize \nthe Plutonic theory with these stubborn facts, \nhave assumed that the primitive granite, which \nby the theory must have been trap or lava, has all \nbeen worn away by disintegration of water and \nice, or both ; and again, by water deposited as we \nnow find it. But what was a white-hot globe of \nlava doing, while water and ice were tearing and \ngrinding its lower crust to pow r dered sand? We \nhave secondary granite, but its structure is very \ndifferent from primitive granite. Besides contain- \ning hard pebbles and boulders of other stone, it \nis friable, and easily disintegrated under exposure. \nIt is a bad theory that is driven to such unheard- \nof suppositions for its support. Nothing is more \nevident, if the granite is the under rock, and sed- \nimentary, as represented and known to be, than \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 23 \n\nthat the Plutonic theory is completely without \nfoundation. \n\n6. The modern theory of metamorphic rock, \noccasioned by internal heat, is also false. This \ntheory maintains that the granite, slates, and mar- \nble existed so near to the great body of internal \nheat that they must have been metamorphosed. \nFacts demonstrate that these rocks, as a rule, were \nnever in heat equal to 700 deg. Fahr. Such a \nheat will readily disintegrate any of these forma- \ntions. Any one can demonstrate this by melting \na little lead upon a piece of slate, marble, or gran- \nite. The furnace is found to be the best general \ntest of the origin of rock. Lava, having been in \na melted state, will not disintegrate up to the melt- \ning point, but, as a rule, will readily melt at the \nwhite heat. Granite, the slates, marble, and rock \nin general, of a sedimentary formation, will dis- \nintegrate at a comparatively low heat, but they \nwill not melt, except with alkaloids, or flux, and \nthen only at a very high degree of heat. This \n\n\n\n24 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\ntest shows all the primitive rock, including inject- \ned seams, to have been formed in the sea, with \nno heat to change their structure since. There \nare a few exceptions to the rule of disintegration, \nas clay rock. \n\n7. If the granite were not sedimentary, we \ncould not account for the great quantity of sedi- \nmentary rock this side. Among the authors of \nour text books there seems to be a general vague- \nness concerning the origin of stratified rock, ex- \ncept in regard to coal, which all admit came out \nof the air. If we should assume that the granite \nwas lava, but all the stratified rock since, until \nyou reach the region of conglomerate, came from \nthe air, how shall we account for the close simi- \nlarity in appearance and structure of the gneiss \nand granite? Theory has piled thirty or forty \nmiles of this sedimentary, stratified rock above \nthe granite ; whence did it come ? Any openings \nin the granite would let up only lava. Whence \nthe material for sediment? We shall, farther on, \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 25 \n\nshow that ali primitive rock, like the coal, came \nfrom the gases of the atmosphere once envelop- \ning this globe. \n\n8. Our best scientists now readily unite with \nthe keen sighted miner in accounting; for this in- \ncrease of heat as you pass down the shaft, on \nentirely different principles from those stated in \nthe text books. Prof. Joseph Le Conte says that \n" Chemical action of air and water upon the \nrock, as you descend into the Earth\'s crust, is \nundoubtedly the cause of the increase of heat." \nAgain he says, " This heat is regulated and \ngauged by the constituents of the rock that you \npass." Now admitting that the rock, as a rule, \nwould show an average increase of heat down to \nthe Carboniferous system, or even to the Devon- \nian, yet there is rock enough beyond that con- \ntains so much less carbon, as to show such a de- \ncrease of heat that must more than counteract \nall the increase above. Whether we follow up \nthe old hypothesis, with the laws regulating heat \n\n\n\n26 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nby conduction or chemical action, the theory is \nutterly without foundation. The late Prof. Nor- \nton, of the California State Normal, said in a \nlecture at Pacific Grove, in 1883, " Every living \ngeologist that I know of in the world will admit, \nfor he knows, that the granite was a sedimentary \nrock." This sentiment of his speech being re- \nported to Le Conte, he replied, " In this position \nProf. Norton is undoubtedly right." It is thus \nseen that the Plutonic theory in our text books \nis at variance with modern experiments, and is \nproved to be utterly false. \n\n9. Volcanoes and geysers were formerly sup- \nposed to settle the question in favor of the old \ntheory. The phenomena of both are such as to \nstrongly argue against it. Most geysers are \nknown to be caused by chemical action of rock. \nWe instance those in Hot Spring Valley, Cal., \nnear Lassen Buttes. No one, having noticed the \nvarious colored mud-pots and mounds of pulpy \nrock thrown up by these boiling cauldrons, can \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 27 \n\ncome to any other conclusion. A few geysers \nmay be exceptions, having been caused by water \ntrickling over heated rock in proximity to vol- \ncanoes. These prove nothing as to the center of \nthe earth, until it can be established that this \nbody of lava is in the center of the earth. A \nmultitude of facts in connection with volcanic ac- \ntion demonstrate that lava does not proceed from \na common center. \n\nA few we will here give. (1.) Lava varies in \ncolor according to the color of the stratified rock \nfound in the vicinity. Thus, between Reno and \nWadsworth, Nevada, may be seen a red ledge of \nsedimentary rock. Close by are found quantities \nof red lava, being the same shade of red found \nin the sedimentary. Pieces of rock may be seen, \none side showing the sedimentary strata, and the \nother partially melted. Lava everywhere, prob- \nably, is only sedimentary rock melted. (2.) \nVolcanic disturbances are local, which they could \nnot be if they proceeded from a common center. \n\n\n\n28 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\n(3.) The existence of great quantities of ashes, so \nlight as to float on the surface of water, argues \nthe consumption of some burning material, as of \ncoal. Nothing of this would exist in matter that \nhad primarily been collected in liquid, and had \never been in a fused state. Something must have \nbeen burning to produce the ashes. (4.) The \nfact of all the great upheavals of plateaus and \nmountains having been this side the Carbonifer- \nous system of deposit, where the burning mate- \nrial, sufficient to produce volcanic effect, was \nextracted from the air and laid down as rock, \nargues in favor of a power much nearer than \nforce, generated from a primeval sea of lava. \nBurning coal as a source of heat, and steam as a \npower, are ample to account for every volcanic \ndisturbance, however it may have been modified \nby electric forces. \n\n10. Most geologists are dissatisfied with the \nfire theory, and are looking about for a revolu- \ntion in the teaching of the science. Professor \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 29 \n\nNorton said, " We are upon the eve of a perfect \nrevolution in the science of geology." Agassiz \nsaid, "The Plutonic theory loses ground as soon \nas brought to scientific tests." Again he uttered \nwith decided emphasis, " If the center of our earth \nwere molten lava, as hot as represented, a crust \nof rock fifty miles thick would melt, and, in the \nspace of a few hours, fall into the great sea." \n\nA teacher of geology in one of our large col- \nleges, who had just finished a lecture upon the \nPlutonic theory, said, " I have given that theory \nbecause it is the teaching of all our text-books ; \nbut I do not believe it. Many facts now com- \ning to light show that the Water theory is des- \ntined to come to the front." \n\n11. The fact that submarine volcanoes hap- \npen, without letting the ocean into the great sea of \nlava, shows that no such sea is there. But for \nthe money and reputation invested in school books \nupon this defunct theory, it would have been, \nbefore this, consigned to the Plutonic hell of the \n\n\n\n30 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nGreeks, from whence, it is more than probable, it \noriginated. \n\n12. Many admitted facts are utterly inconsis- \ntent with this theory. We will stop to notice but \ntwo. \n\n(1.) It is a generally admitted fact, that the en- \ntire land portions of the explored earth, including \nGreenland to the 80th parallel, were either in a \ntropical or semi-tropical climate, from the begin- \nning of sedimentary rock, up to and far into the \nso-called Alluvium deposit, and even to the his- \ntoric age. " The climate of England was warm- \ner than any now known on the earth." Sir Chas. \nLyell stated, that the only exceptions breaking \nin upon this uniformly warm climate were tem- \nporary changes during the great glacial epochs. \nThis uniform heat could not result from the pres- \nent auxiliary motion of the earth, nor with any \ngood reason can we assert that the internal fires \never modulated the surface climate so much as one \ndegree. Scientists are a unit in affirming that, for \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 31 \n\nthe last four thousand years, there has been no \nperceptible influence from this cause, upon our \nclimate. A rupture of the earth\'s crust, and a \nchange of pole three thousand miles, and a com- \nplete change of pole-pointing, resulting in our pres- \nent alternating seasons, has probably happened \nwithin the " historic age," and probably within \nfive thousand years. This could not be upon the \nPlutonic basis. Our earth could not part, and \nswim off upon a globe of melted lava. \n\n(2.) Diatoms are now known to have existed, \ncoequal with the deposit of all stratified rock. \nThis is a well verified fact, but utterly inconsist- \nent with the Plutonic theory. Upon this theory, \nthe early crust of Earth must have remained at \na white heat. Water could not lie upon it at all. \nHence, both deposits in water and animal life \nwould be out of the question. The fact of both, to \nsay nothing of the well established fact of the sedi- \nmentary nature of granite, must ever brand the \ntheory as contradicting the plain facts of nature. \n\n\n\n32 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nThese facts equally refute the more modern no- \ntion of metamorphism of rock. The very waves \nof the sea unite in a chorus with the rocks, " The \nPlutonic foundations of the earth\'s crust exist only \nin the imagination of man." \n\n\n\nSection 2. \n\nWe will State the Neptunian Theory \nas a Hypothesis. \n\n1. All matter was created at once, and is cor- \nrelative. \n\n2. In its primary condition it was in cold gas; \ndiffused in equilibrium in that portion of space \nnow occupied with systems : it follows that grav- \nitation, heat, form, motion and power would in \nthis state be wanting. \n\n3. A power, outside of created matter, must \ntransform this substance from the inertia of rest \nto that of motion. No sooner was a center of mat- \nter gathered, than gravitation acted upon all \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 33 \n\nparts of the universe. The centers of all systems \nmust commence at the same time, or one system \nwould tend to blend with another, and nature \nwould be thrown out of equilibrium. The entire \nperiod of gathering must have been with rela- \ntive exactness. It follows that, at the beginnino; \nof motion, all matter must be put in motion. Such \ngases as were destined to constitute the sun would \nmove directly for it ; and such gases as were des- \ntined for globes would move in a circle around \nthe center. Such order must have formed the \npoetic choir of suns, " When the morning stars \nsang together. " \n\n4. The shaping of systems, sending forth \nlight, heat, gravitation and power, may well be \ncalled the first cosmological division of matter. \nThis included the heavens, and prospective plan- \nets, as yet without form, and floating in a ring of \nchaotic gases. \n\n5. At the close of this division, our sun had \nbeen gathered out of a field of space, extending \n\n\n\n34 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\neach way more than twenty trillion of miles. \nIf these light gases had moved in a straight line \nat the rate of thirty miles per hour, it would \ntake ninety million of our years to reach the cen- \nter. Poetically speaking, there existed a condi- \ntion of matter when force, light, gravitation, mo- \ntion and form were sleeping in the inertia of rest. \nThis was followed by a period of motion to and \nabout a central sun. Geologically speaking, the \nearth, as yet, had no form. The matter that \nwould form planets was all floating in a revolving \nring about the sun. \n\nThe objective view of this ring, with reference \nto the gathered center, would be a solar firma- \nment. The fluids above had not yet been separat- \ned from fluids below, hence the firmanent was \ncontinuous. Earth, without form, was yet sleep- \ning in chaos. It awoke in form when a second \ndivision of matter, with no measured duration as \nyet, had been accomplished. \n\n6. A vast field of hydrogen united with its \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 35 \n\nequivalent of oxygen ; and, in super-heated steam, \nevolved out into space, and took shape as a globe. \nThese divisions antedate geologic time. Geology \nmust begin with sedimentary rock. The globe of \nsteam must liquify and pass back to the ring, and \nthrough it toward the sun, In doing so, it took \nan atmosphere with it that shows the source of \nall our rock. When taking its true orbit about \nthe sun, it was a vast globe of cold water, hold- \ning, by gravitation, a dense atmosphere in its em- \nbrace, rich in material for submarine rock. For \na while the deposits were very rapid, and a great \nquantity of pulp of rock was formed, before any \nhardening took place. This accounts for the un- \nstratified condition of granite. All the first rocks \nwould be submarine, hidden deep in the sea. \nNearly eighty miles depth of deposits took place \nbefore dry land could appear. \n\n7. Contrasts marked the beginning and close \nof the first two divisions. If we follow this or- \nder in this third division, we must wait until \n\n\n\n36 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthe Devonian forests showed the renewed touch \nof the creative hand, giving life in contrast to in- \norganic matter, w T ith which the globe started into \nform, and took its position as a planet of our \nsystem. Such is the Neptunian theory in part, \ntouching first causes in cosmology. \n\n\n\nSection 3. \n\nThe well established Fact of Science \nlook toward, and defend this theory. \n\n1. In the relative quantities of sedimentary \nand lava rock. By far the greater portion of \nrock of all lands is sedimentary. Lava is the ex- \nception. If the source of supply is an internal \nsea, 7,880 miles in diameter, the reverse of this \nwould most likely be true. \n\n2. In the relative order of the two kinds of \nrock. Except in very restricted locations, sedi- \nmentary rock is at the bottom, in the middle, and \nat the top of the earth\'s crust. Lava has never \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 3? \n\nbeen found as an integral part of the supposed \nbottom rock. \n\n3. The constituents of all rock indicate the \nwater theory. All rock is known to be a com- \nbination of gases. The coal is admitted to have \nbeen gathered from the air, through the agency \nof vegetation. There are three ways gases may \nbe combined into rock : \n\n(1.) Through the agency of water alone. Such \nwas the primitive granite ; and such are the mod- \nern stalactites. \n\n(2.) Through the agency of diatoms living \nin the water. These creatures are absorbents. \nThey absorb the minerals of the water, and form \nstone. Such are lime, chalk and coral. \n\n(3.) They may be absorbed into vegetation, and \nthen hidden away in the waters, until changed \ninto coal. \n\n(4.) Sandstone and conglomerate are formed \nfrom eroded material of other rocks. \n\n(5.) The melting of sedimentary rock in prox- \n\n\n\n38 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nimity to burning beds of coal has formed the \nlava. \n\n(6.) Chimneys of rock crossing the lower \nstrata, as of quartz and granite, are now known \nto be of water deposit. The word dyke is improp- \nerly applied to them. These circumstances all \npoint to a center of water. \n\n4. The question with many will arise, How \ncan rock rest upon water ? The answer is, Upon \nthe principle of the compressibility of liquids. \nWater compresses a twentieth part in a thous- \nand atmospheres. Thirty-three feet of water is \nequal to one atmosphere. Thirty-three thousand \nfeet would compress one-twentieth part. We have \na geometrical series, with a ratio of 1.05. In 79J \nmiles we have twelve and three-fourths terms. The \nsum of the series will equal 19.127, calling 33,000 \nfeet one, without compressibility. Now as the aver- \nage rock, under salt water, weighs only one and \na half times as much as water, we have to multi- \nply twelve and three-fourths by one and a half \nto get its relative weight. This we find to be \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 39 \n\n19.125. At 79| miles in salt water, the weight \nof water equals rock of the same thickness. As \nrock displaces only its bulk of water, it will swim \nlike an egg in strong lye at this depth. \n\n5. The explorations which have been made \nof the Atlantic ocean go to sustain the Neptunian \ntheory. \n\n(1.) They think that they have established \nthe fact that we had a connected land hemisphere, \nand a hemisphere of water. Lieutenant Maury \nmade such extensive explorations of its contour \nand bed, as to well nigh demonstrate the above \nposition. His report is, that the trough-like ap- \npearance of its bed, the corresponding walls on \neither side, being nearly perpendicular, showed \nthat the continents were once together. On \neither side of the Atlantic the sounding line \nshowed a gradual deepening of water for about \ntwo hundred miles from shore, when suddenly the \ndepth became too great for measurement. This \nonly confirms what Guizot wrote upon the same \nsubject over fifty years ago. \n\n\n\n40 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nIn a small treatise he endeavored to prove that \nthe continent showed a rent hemisphere of land, \nonce altogether. That it had been rent asunder \nby some great convulsion of nature, and by water \ncarried away from Africa and Europe, with which \nNorth and South America were formerly con- \nnected. His theory was, that continents and is- \nlands are but floating remnants of a once con- \nnected hemisphere. \n\n(2.) Such a rupture could only be maintained \non the hypothesis of a center of water. Should \nthe earth open its crust, letting the ocean into its \ninterior of melted lava, it would resemble a \nbomb. \n\n6. We shall, therefore, assume that we had a \nland hemisphere, and that the north pole was in \nthe center, and pointed directly to the sun through- \nout its entire orbit. This would involve the fact \nthat the south half of the globe was in darkness, \nand locked in ice, as a great Antartic sea. \n\n(1.) We argue this from the widely extended \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 41 \n\nremains of the polyp-builders. This animalcule \ninhabits only warm waters. His remains are \nfound widely distributed in every zone from the \nLower Silurian up. Iowa and Minnesota show \nas nice coral in their strata as is now found in the \ntorrid seas. \n\n(2.) From the widely scattered remains of \ntropical shells. They conclusively show that a \nwarm ocean once covered the continents. Sir \nChas. Lyell mentions the tropical nature of the \nshells about England and Labrador, and that \n"They indicate a very warm climate, more uni- \nformly warm than any now existing on the \nEarth." \n\n(3.) From the remains of saurians ; such as \nthe icthyosaurus, which, like the crocodile of the \nGanges, is found only in warm waters. Darwin \nsaw one in the bank of the La Plata. No land \nis without their remains. \n\n(4.) From the widely spread coal beds of \nEarth. Nothing in geology is better established, \n\n\n\n42 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthan that this is the product of tropical forests. \nAll countries boast of their coal veins. Anthra- \ncite coal is often found in the frozen rocks of \nGreenland. A vein of the best coal, ten feet \nthick, was found in Nova Zembla, now covered \nwith ice. Good coal is also found in the north- \nern part of Alaska. A genial climate once cov- \nered these places. \n\n(5.) From the remains of tropical animals. \nThe evidence is conclusive, that gigantic ele- \nphants in countless herds once roamed the arctic \nregions of Siberia. His remains have been found \nin all lands, except the Scandinavian peninsula. \nThe mastodon was his near neighbor, and his \nbones are generally found in the same regions. \nThese animals depended on grass for subsistence. \nThey could not endure a cold winter, nor live \nwhere snow lies on the ground for even a short \ntime. We now find their remains where snow \nnow lies from four to eight months in a year, \nand from two to twenty feet deep. From the \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 43 \n\nregion of Russian Siberia alone, more than eighty \nthousand pounds of their ivory have been sold in \na single year. Whence, then, this warm climate, \nso uniform and general ? It cannot be accounted \nfor on internal heat. Heat, sufficient to warm an \narctic atmosphere, if coming from the ground, \nwould destroy all animal life, either of water or \nland. Geologists agree that it has not been af- \nfected so much as one degree for the last four \nthousand years. But we have positive proof that \nthese animals existed down to the period of hu- \nman existence. They probably have not been ex- \nterminated five thousand years. Internal heat \ncuts no figure in their existence. Only one hy- \npothesis accounts for these tropical phenomena, \nviz, a land hemisphere, with pole in the center, \npointing directly to the sun. \n\n(6.) The sudden change of climate in some \npast time argues a rapid change in the axillary \nmotion of the earth, preceded by a general rup- \nture of the earth\'s crust. It was so sudden, that \n\n\n\n44 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nanimals were locked up in arctic ice, and have \nbeen preserved to our day, with flesh entire. \n(See the word Mammoth, W. Dictionary.) The \nchange of pole must have been very sudden, or \nanimals, slain by the convulsion, would have \ndecayed at once. \n\n(7.) The widely spread tropical flowers and \nfruits sustain this theory. The palm tree flour- \nished in Europe and Central Asia ; also in the \nnorthern part of North America. The magno- \nlia blossomed at least 80 degrees north. Sir \nCharles Lyell claims that the earlier vegetation \nwas generally tropical. Grass evidently flour- \nished in all lands, the year round. \n\n7. The nature and condition of the early \nrock attest the water theory. Had the crust \nbegun upon a ball of lava, at a white heat, the \nocean, readily boiling, would be thrown into \nthe air, where it would be condensed, and by \ngravitation thrown back upon the thin crust. \nThis would often give way, and the whole vol- \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 45 \n\nume would enter the interior and explode the \nentire crust into atoms. In such case we should \nexpect to find the under rock a broken mass of \ndisplaced lava. But we find the granite to have \nbeen so calmly deposited in water, and it retains \nits place so well, that we split it with the rift \nof sugar pine. Geologists estimate the earth\'s \ncrust from fifty to one hundred miles thick. \nUpon the Neptunian theory we at least have \nseventy-five miles without a particle of lava, or \nso much as the scratch of an iceberg. The early \ngeologies spoke of dykes of lava, injected into \ngranite. The furnace shows these to be water \nseams. No well attested lava has ever been \nfound there. \n\n8. The period of the great upheavals sup- \nports this theory. No grand mountains reared \ntheir lofty heads to the clouds, until this side the \nCarboniferous system of deposits. It is more \nprobable that burning coal must have been the \ncause of the heat, and the expansion of steam \n\n\n\n46 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthe power, that rent the Earth\'s crust ; and the \neighty miles pressure of waters suddenly liber- \nated would bring up the granite, with all under \nrock, to the surface. Lava then proceeds from \nlocal deposits of melted rock, that had been \nstratified. If it came from a common center of \na primary melted mass, there would be no occa- \nsion for ashes. The abundance of these ashes \nshows the consumption of some burning material, \nas of coal. The very witnesses which the Plu- \ntonic believers have placed upon the stand prove \nquite the reverse of their theory. \n\n9. Facts show that the substance of all \nmountain chains was once deposited in the sea. \nBaron VonHumboldt remarked, " Upon the tall- \nest mountains yet reached by the footsteps of \nman you may witness the ancient sea bottom." \nConglomerate shells with sand, hardened into \nrock in the ancient seas, are now found in all \nlands thousands of feet above the sea. \n\n10. The rise and depressions of the Earth\'s \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 47 \n\ncrust are proofs of the water theory. Lands \nhaving large rivers, carrying more debris or silt \ninto the ocean than the weight of her vegetation, \ndecaying, are rising ; as has been demonstrated \nin North and South America, Europe, Asia and \nAfrica. The terraces left attest the truth of \nthis position. \n\nLands having more vegetation or ice than the \nweight of the debris carried into the sea are \nsinking. Witness Greenland and the Pacific \nIsles. But these islands could not well sink in- \nto a sea of burning lava, without letting in the \nsurrounding ocean ; in which case the entire \ncrust would be destroyed. \n\n11. The crowning reason for believing in the \nNeptunian theory is found in the great glacial \ndrift period. The Neptunian hypothesis of the \npoles of the Earth is sufficient to account for \nthe ice that constituted the drift. The ancient \nequator would mark the bound between dark- \nness and light : and would be situated so as to \n\n\n\n48 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nmanufacture icebergs the whole length of this \nlargest circle. \n\nThe depressions of the lowlands beneath the \nsea are accounted foe in the great upheavals. \nOn an average, rock weighed out of water is \none and two-thirds times as much as when weigh- \ned under water. All the strata of mountains \nand plateaus lifted from beneath the waters \nweigh one and two-thirds times what they did \nbefore being disturbed. \n\nGeologists tell us that the Earth\'s crust was \ndepressed six to seven thousand feet. This \nwould enable the ice to flow over the surface, \nthe bergs being of enormous depth. The low- \nlands of every continent have been thus plowed. \nThe evidence exists in every valley and far up \nthe sides of all mountains. This evidence is by \nno means confined to scratches on the rock, but \nthe water-washed gravel and polished pebbles \nequally attest its action. You can hardly sink \na shaft in valley or hill without encountering \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 49 \n\nthem. With the present inclination of the Earth\'s \npole to the elliptic no such quantity of ice can \npossibly occur. No iceberg has ever yet been \nseen in tropical waters. There never yet has \nbeen enough at one time within historic note, \nto counteract the influence of the Gulf Stream \nabout Norway and Iceland. \n\nHow different the ancient drift ! Then the \nice penetrated all open seas, caused by submer- \ngence. It plowed alike the Brazilian moun- \ntains, the Sierra Nevada, and the Appalachian. \nIt chilled the seas to the very center of the sub- \nmerged hemisphere ; and England witnessed the \ndwelling of the reindeer in her borders, while it \nlasted. According to Sir Chas. Lyell, the tem- \nperature sank from the uniformity of our in- \ntensely warm climate to the chilliness of melt- \ning ice. The cold was now as uniform as the \nheat had before been constant. The north pole, \npointing directly to the sun, would bring the \nwhole land hemisphere within perpetual sun- \nshine ; and consequently, when above the sea, \n\n\n\n50 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nwould be in a tropical or semi-tropical zone to \nthe very edge. This climate would continue \nas long as the land could hold back the ice, \nwhich had been accumulated at the equator. \nBut no sooner did the lowlands become sub- \nmerged, than the ice would change the climate, \nwherever it could in large quantities accumulate. \nAs it plowed every river, plain, and gulch, the \nfauna, adapted to the former climate, would \nnaturally lose their existence. Such is the his- \ntory of the drift. Ninety-seven per cent, of all \nland animals died. By the slow process of dis- \nintegration of the mountains, the hemisphere was \nagain raised, and its former beautiful climate \nrestored. \n\nSection 4. \nHow was such a World adapted to Man or \n\nSTRICTLY SPEAKING, MAN TO SUCH A WORLD? \n\n1. The even climate of such a world would \ntend to his longevity, and be most genial to his \nfeelings. \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 51 \n\nMan\'s nature calls for an even climate. Now \nby art he tries to even up the climate of the \nyear. \n\n(1.) Less than two-thirds of the lighted hem- \nisphere could have been covered with dry land. \nMany bodies of water are known^ to have been \nincluded within the areas of land. The pole, \npointing directly toward the sun, must have been \nnear Gibraltar. Allowing that land extended \nin every direction, four thousand miles or more, \nwe should then have an open sea of from fifteen \nhundred to two thousand miles, intervening be- \ntween the edge of the hemisphere of land, or \nperhaps more properly, the quartosphere of land, \nand the region of perpetual ice. \n\n(2.) On the sunny side of such a globe, being \nat first entirely water, a rapid evaporation must \nhave taken place ; and most, nearest the north \npole. This would give rise to currents, both of \nair and water, to flow toward it, as a source of \nsupply. Counter currents of both would follow. \n\n\n\n52 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nCurrents of either starting near the equator \nwould be cold and possess a motion greater than \nthe earth, a few degrees toward the pole. This \nwould send both towards the northeast, until \nmeeting the return currents of wind, which \nwould cause variable winds ; but a most genial \nclimate must have surrounded the earth, at least \nforty degrees wide. \n\n(3.) Such a climate, with such facilities for \nevaporation, would provide the way for perpetual \nharvest. The open sea to the edge muSt have \nbeen constantly filled with floating ice. Cold \nbreezes, often laden with thick fog, would float in \nover the edge of the land. This may account \nfor the long hair which covered the mammoth \nelephant of Siberia and California. No winds \nare more penetrating than those coming from \nlarge bodies of melting ice ; yet under a perpetual \nsunshine the vegetation must have been abun- \ndant. \n\n2. We add by way of recapitulation : \n\n\n\nSUPPORTED BY FACTS OF SCIENCE. 53 \n\n(1.) That everywhere, and with each new \ndiscovery in science, the evidence is accumulat- \ning that our globe is essentially an immense ball \nof cold water, with a crust of earth covering the \nunder waters as with a stone ; while a portion \nof water above is held in the earth\'s lap. \n\n(2.) Until recently, the continents and islands \nwere together in one vast body, with the axil- \nlary center pointing to the sun. \n\n(3.) That fragments of the broken hemis- \nphere have been spread out upon the seas, often \nstanding with just their tops out of water as \nislands. \n\n(4.) Inasmuch as this Earth is a magnet, the \ndeposit about the pole was of the nature of a \nload-stone. This existed as a mountain, which \nby the force of the waters was bodily removed \nto the present north, nearly three thousand \nmiles. It was thus we had a change of times \nand seasons. \n\n(5.) That the alternation of day and night, \n\n\n\n54 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY. \n\nheat and cold, summer and winter, seed-time and \nharvest, are results following this great change \nin the Earth\'s polarity. \n\n(6.) That the existence of the rainbow, \ncaused by the declination of the sun toward the \nhorizon in the Earth\'s present motion, is a re- \nminder of what is, and will remain to be, in con- \ntrast to what was, and would have been, until \nthe end of time, had no cause occurred mak- \ning it necessary for this radical change. \n\nEarth\'s climate was changed, \n\n(a) By changing the magnetic currents of \nEarth, in removing the pole locally three thous- \nand miles away. \n\n(&) By withdrawing the attraction the for- \nmer pole had for the sun, and pointing it to an \nempty place in the north, now one degree and \na half from Polaris. \n\n(c) By inclining the Earth\'s pole twenty- \nthree and a half degrees to the ecliptic. "He \nchangeth times and seasons." \n\n\n\nCHAPTER II. \n\nThe Neptunian Theory of Creation was \n\nfirst brought to llgiit in the \n\nBook of Job. \n\n1. Like Homer, who dated his poem in the \nrising of the star Sirius, so Job dated his book \nin the Pleiades, while the sun was gaining his \nvernal equinox in the star Alcyone of this constel- \nlation. The Septuagint speaks of Job\'s age at \nthe commencement of his trial as being one hun- \ndred years. By the closing statement appended \nto his book, we learn that he lived after his res- \ntoration one hundred and forty years. This \nmakes his age two hundred and forty at his \ndeath. Alcyone marks by precession of the \nequinoxes 2100 years B. C. The great period \nof his longevity indicates a time antedating \nAbraham\'s day by more than two hundred \nvears. \n\n\n\n56 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\n2. This book is an epi-dramatic Oratorio of \nhuman history. It is epic, in that it gives the \nhistory of a real life ; dramatic, in that it drama- \ntizes human history, by the inspirations of these \nactors, with the religious intuitions of all ages. \nThe poem as a whole shows the contending forces \nthat develop character ; the struggle of man\'s \nredeemed nature against the tendencies of a se- \nries of degenerate ages, as far down as the full \ntriumph of Christ\'s reign ; followed by the long \nprosperity that awaits the Church. It also sets \nforth the longings of the human intellect for a \nknowledge of first causes ; and its crowning suc- \ncess when Nature is studied in connection with \nthe revelations of God\'s Word. The Book of \nJob was evidently the only Scripture that the \nworld had for at least eight hundred years. The \nintroduction shows Job to have been a person \nadapted to great reverses of fortune, rich, pious, \nprosperous, happy, and respected. Two spirits, \neither of which may take form, but neither being \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 57 \n\ndependent on form or locality, are present in \ntheir religious gatherings as they have ever been \nin ours. That objective figures come before our \nimaginations in reading this part of the poem, \nonly shows the high character of the production. \n\n3. The first question between God and Satan \nis that hackneyed one of all history, viz : Is piety \na selfish ebullition of the human heart or a divine- \nly planted principle ? Satan takes the first state- \nment, God the latter Satan affirms that a sudden \nreverse of fortune will change the aspect of Job\'s \npiety, and he will then curse God to his face. \nGreat principles are best tested by suffering. \nNor is it necessary that every one should suffer in \nthe same direction to show forth the same. The \nworld is full of delegated suffering ; the few for \nthe many, and sometimes one for all. Job is the \nright man in wealth, station, influence, and habits \nof mind to personify piety in its relation to the \nworld\'s progress. \n\n4. The Orient is the place, and that period of \n\n\n\n58 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthe world the time, for the rich figures of speech \nfound in the two scenes of this unparalleled pro- \nduction. Of the two forces meeting us in life, in- \nviting our attention and co-operation, one must \nand but one can, at the same time, receive our \nhomage. The one inclines you to and gives you \ncredit for all good ; the other inclines you from \nand gives you no credit for any good. The \nprincely man of the Orient is suddenly confronted \nwith absolute bankruptcy and bereavement of all \nhis children, without the chance of speaking the \nparting good-bye. Satan expected the question \nsettled in his favor, by a sudden outburst of pas- \nsion, in vindictive hate to. God. But listen ! \n" Naked camel out of my mother\'s womb (earth), \nand naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, \nand the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the \nname of the Lord." The first scene is ended with \nSatan completely foiled. But, some one might \nsay, the question only covered Job\'s outward \nprosperity. True, his wife is left to him, but she \nis a part of himself. \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 59 \n\n5. Again the sons of God are together in wor- \nship. Satan begs leave to amend his indictment \nagainst piety. "Touch his bone and his flesh \nand he will curse thee." Job is smitten in a man- \nner calculated to break down his patience. The \npatience of his wife having become exhausted, \nshe is influenced to give her vindictive advice in \nthe line of Satan\'s desires, " Curse God, and \ndie." "Thou speakest as a foolish woman. \nWhat ! shall we receive good at the hand of \nGod, and shall we not receive evil ? " \n\n6. The prologue of scene second ends with \nSatan confounded. The incoming circumstances \nshow God\'s present proposition to be that true \npiety will not only endure, without tarnish, what \nSatan in his ill will has proposed, but it will sur- \nvive and develop in strength in the ages to come, \nuntil it shall triumph over every foe. To refute \nall satanic charges to which history will give \nrise, God proposes to try it in this person, under \nthe leading intuitions governing the masses of all \n\n\n\n60 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nages, past and to come. Three supposed but mis- \ntaken friends hear of Job\'s calamity, and resolve \nto condole his misery. These are ranked within \nthe family of God\'s sons. These men are kings \nin their time, and are supposed to be entitled to \na hearing. Their mistakes will make them really \nJob\'s enemies. Such are the coadjutors that \nSatan is about to have brought to his aid. They \nfind Job in keen anguish of body, incapable of \nrecognizing his friends. \n\n7. These persons are all representative char- \nacters, whose intuitions will partake of the nature \nof the epochs of human history, through which \nthe prophet Job is about to be taken. Job per- \nsonifies piety ; Eliphaz, reverence in tradition ; \nBildad, special Providence as a rule of action ; \nZophar, ignorance, the mother of devotion. Be- \nginning with the fall of man, each epoch of human \nhistory is to stamp the prevailing religious intui- \ntions of the masses upon these men. \n\n8. Piety must be tried under all. Until the \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 61 \n\nenlightened age of the world is reached, piety- \nwill have little to cling to but faith in God, and \nthat in the face of appearances. Such is the \ndrama about to be enacted. Six grand epochs of \nhistoric time must be passed to reach even the \npresent time. (1.) Deism of the antediluvian \nworld. (2.) Special Providence as a rule of \naction following the flood, and out of which grew \nthe building of the Tower of Babel. (3.) He \nwas left alone through materialistic worship in \nidolatry, as in Abraham\'s time. (4.) He was \nconfronted by a superstitious looking-behind, as \nin Persia\'s time. (5.) Tempted with an abnor- \nmal ambition, as in Alexander\'s time. (6.) He \nmust be surrounded by the ruling necessities of \ncommercial selfishness inaugurated by Rome, and \ntransmitted by circumstantial links in the progress \nof civilization to our own time. \n\n9. Human history in the drama starts in with \na wail. Job, with the intuitions of a deist, be- \nwails his very existence. As he looks to the fu- \n\n\n\n62 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nture there is not one ray of hope. " Thou (God) \nshalt search for me in the morning but I shall not \nbe. He that goeth down to the grave shall come \nup no more." \n\nWhere now is that oft repeated declaration of \nSatan, that piety, at best, is only a selfish looking \nforward to rewards in the future ? The piety of \nJob survives this terrible ordeal. The blinding \nintellectual fog of deism could not lose his point \nof compass. \n\nCreeds may be good as sign-boards directing \nthe traveler, but they go but a little ways in de- \ntermining the action of the truly pious. As he \napproaches the flood he beholds the " numbering \nof man\'s days on the earth. 7 \' And, as the reality \nbursts upon his vision, he experiences a perfect \nrevolution of intuition. All is special Providence \nnow. \n\n10. The flood is passed in chapter eight, and \n" man\'s days become as a shadow." The law of \nGod\'s natural Providence, in cause and effect, \n\n\n\n\\/jk FIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 63 \n\nis by Job and his friends completely ignored. \nHis own condition will look him in the face with \nterrible effect, asking an explanation. To such \nan ordeal, with Bildad framing an enthusiastic \nargument upon the evidences of special Provi- \ndence in the affliction, was Job brought. He \ncan logically prove Job to be one of the worst of \nmen. "Doth God pervert judgment? " To Job \nhe saith, " If thou wast pure and upright, surely \nnow he would awake for thee." Job with his \nintuitions cannot see why the argument is not \nsound. " I know it is so of a truth." To work \nthus upon the nerves of a sick man, who has been \nshut off from comprehensive views of God\'s gen- \neral Providence in law, is well calculated to break \nhim down in impatience toward God. But Job \nreplies, " If I say I am perfect it shall also prove \nme perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would \nI not know my soul ; neither is there any days- \nman betwixt us, that he should lay his hand up- \non us both." Zophar replied, "Know therefore \n\n\n\n64 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthat God exaoteth of thee less than thine iniq- \nuity deserveth." Job replied, "I could speak \nas you do if I were in your stead. " " Though \nhe slay me, yet will I trust in him." Job claims \nan honest integrity of purpose, though denying \nperfection in attainment. \n\n10. For this noble stand he is rewarded on \nthe spot with a prophetic view of what forms the \nfirst chapter in the " Little Book" of star-dates. \nTracing time back by the precession of the equi- \nnoxes to where the sun crossed its spring equi- \nnox in Orion\'s belt, he saw the commencement \nof man. Tracing the same line forward to the \nend of our race, where indeed time ends, he \nsaw that it rested in Ash or the Great Bear \n(margin) incorrectly translated Arcturus ; new \nversion, Great Bear. \n\nLooking to the same kind of date of his own \ntime, he saw the sun crossing the Pleiades. \nLooking at the full inauguration of Christ\'s \nKingdom on earth, represented by the termina- \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 65 \n\ntion of Job\'s own sufferings, he saw the time \nmeasured in the Summer Solstitial colure going \nfrom under the Altar. " Thou madest Ash, Ori- \non and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the \nsouth. 5 \' Here commences the "Little Book," al- \nuded to so often in prophecy, with four of the \nmost important dates of history, but sealed upon \nthe back part until the opening of the same by \nthe " Lion of the Tribe of Judah" to his serv- \nant John. Here, perhaps all unconscious of \ntheir bearings on future history, he is picturing \nin the heavens, and dating by means of the pre- \ncession of the equinoxes, the long periods, revo- \nlutions, changes and triumphs his sufferings were \nto take him, followed by the long prosperity of \nthe Church of Christ in the latter day. \n\n11. Representing the reign of universal idol- \natry, and consequent ignorance of the masses, \nand preceding the anxious inquiries concerning \nimmortality by Confucius, Socrates and Plato, \nZophar is prepared to fill in his part of the drama. \n\n\n\n66 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nThe question of the resurrection is discussed \nin the light of nature, in Chap. 14. He is com- \npelled to leave it as an open question, only wish- \ning that it might be true. " Oh that thou would- \nest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest \nappoint me a set time, and remember me/\' He \nnears the time of the general expectation of Mes- \nsiah\'s appearance on earth. \n\nHe closes to allow Zophar, the representative \nof those Scribes and Pharisees in their tradition, \nto speak again. This is found in the fifteenth \nchapter. \n\n12. From the sixteenth to the nineteenth, in- \nclusive, Job personifies Christ. Hence these \nchapters are Messianic. " They have gaped up- \non me with their mouth, they have smitten me \nupon the cheek reproachfully. My days are ex- \ntinct, the graves are ready for me. God hath \ndelivered me to the ungodly, and turned me \nover into the hands of the wicked. Are there \nnot mockers with me ? For thou hast hid their \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 67 \n\nheart from understanding." Many of these sen- \ntences are quoted into the twenty-second psalm, \nrecognized by all commentators to be Messianic. \nThis Special Providence, as a rule to depend up- \non, watched Christ on the cross ; it triumphed \nover the fact that God did not deliver him. \n\nHere it is in prophecy : " The snare is laid for \nhim in the ground. It shall devour the strength \nof his skin, even the firstborn of death, it shall \ndevour his strength. His confidence shall be \nrooted out of his tabernacle. His remembrance \nshall perish from the earth. He shall be driven \nfrom light into darkness, and chased out of the \nworld. He shall neither have son or nephew \namong his people." Isaiah, quoting the senti- \ntiment, asks, " Who shall declare his generation, \nfor his life was taken from the earth?" \n\nThe Messianic voice is personified from the \ngrave. The grave speaks the facts of history. \n" He hath put my brethren far from me, and my \nacquaintance are verily estranged from me. My \n\n\n\n68 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nkinsfolks have failed, and my familiar friends \nhave forgotten me. They whom I loved are \nturned against me. Why do you persecute me \nas God?" In the nineteenth chapter Job has \nreached the resurrection. How changed the \nvoice ! " Oh, that my words were now written ! \nOh, that they were printed in a book ! That \nthey were graven with an iron pen, and lead in \nthe rock forever." \n\n13. u For I know that my Eedeemer liveth, \nand that he shall stand at the latter day upon \nthe earth. And though after my skin worms de- \nstroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." \nIgnorance is not satisfied with the report u that \nhe is risen from the dead." "The triumph of \nthe wicked is short. Though his excellency \nmount up to the heavens, yet he shall perish for- \never. He shall fly away as\' a dream." The days \nof apostolic teaching and suffering passed, Chris- \ntianity debauched by a state religion, ignorance \nagain put forth as a dying gasp, a few platitudes \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 69 \n\nin defense of God and against piety. Chap. 20. \nJob answered by referring man\'s conduct in life \nto a future judgment. Chap. 21. Reverence in \ntradition exhorted Piety to speedy repentance. \nChaps. 23 and 24. Piety is searching directly \nfor the true God. \n\n14. Special Providence, ignoring law, boast- \neth of his secular strength. " Is there any num- \nbers of his armies? " Here in the poem civiliza- \ntion reached the dawn of the Reformation. Chap. \n26. It begins in the line of science. The rocks \nbegin to speak. " Dead things are formed from \nunder the waters." The orbicular motion and \nthe present pole-pointing of the Earth, according \nto the Copernican system, is seen. " He stretch- \neth out the north over the empty place, and \nhangeth the Earth upon nothing." How exactly \nin accordance with the history of scientific re- \nform, that* this knowledge should begin in small \nfragments of truth. A glimpse of the ancient \npole-pointing is seen. " He hath compassed the \n\n\n\n70 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nwaters with bounds, until the day and night come \nto an end " ; or until the end of light begins with \ndarkness. He saw the great " change of times \nand seasons " caused by the Noachian flood. \n" He divideth the sea with his power, and by \nhis understanding he smiteth through the proud. \nLo these are parts of his ways ; but how little a \nportion is heard of him ! but the thunder of his \npower who can understand?\'\' \n\n15. Job enters upon the Reformation in sci- \nence with a prophet\'s view of the desperate ef- \nforts put forth, by scientists of our own period, \nto reach first causes by analytical deduction and \nhypothetical reasoning ; and this unaided by any \nlight claiming to come by inspiration of God. \nHis harp seemed attuned in the most exquisite \nniceness of poetic finish, to that class of modern \npretenders who talk of the fullness of nature\'s \nlaws, while they disbelieve in the existence of nat- \nure\'s God. He opens the twenty-eighth chapter \nwith certain admissions, as to points of knowledge \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 71 \n\nobtainable from phenomena of nature, followed \nby questions suggestive of the paucity of all \nthings seen to unfold a true and full cosmology. \n" Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place \nfor gold where they fine it. Iron is taken out of \nthe earth, and brass is molten out of the stone." \nNow beholding the futile efforts of Naturalists to \nreach first causes he exclaims, " There is a path \nwhich no fowl knoweth, and w T hich the vulture\'s \neye hath not seen. The lion\'s whelps have not \ntrodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. He \nputteth forth his hand upon the rock ; he over- \nturned the mountains by the roots. He cutteth \nout rivers among the rocks, and his eye sees ev- \nery precious thing." This and more is freely \nconceded as yielding a grand field for geological \nthought. " But where shall wisdom be found ? \nand where is the place of understanding ? Man \nknoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found \nin the land of the living." Eight here, beholding \nthe observations through heaven-pointed lenses, \n\n\n\n72 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthat man may read first causes in the stars, he \ngives the poetic reply of space. " The depth \nsaith it is not in me." Now beholding the kin- \ndled expectations in the student of the seas, as he \ntraces her ourrents, measures her waves and tides, \nand reaches her deepest deposits, the sea is made \nto report, " It is not with me." But may not \nwealth and position gain it from the schools ? \nHe answers : "It cannot be gotten for gold, nei- \nther shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. \nIt cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with \nthe precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and \nthe crystal cannot equal it ; and the exchange of \nit shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No men- \ntion shall be made of coral or of pearls ; for the \nprice of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of \nEthiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be val \nued with pure gold." \n\nDisappointed in reading first causes in all these \nresources man still inquires : " Whence then Com- \neth wisdom, and where is the place of under- \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 73 \n\nstanding? Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of \nall living, and kept close from the fowls of the \nair." Let now the dead fossil speak. May not \nthe entombed life of forty millions of years open \nup this subject to man ? \n\n16. Destruction and death say, " We have \nheard the fame thereof with our ears. God un- \nderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth \nthe place thereof ; for he looketh to the ends of \nthe earth, and seeth under the whole heavens, \nto make the weight of the winds, and he weigh- \neth the waters by measure. When he made a \ndecree for the rain, and a way for the lightning \nof the thunder ; then did he see it and declare \nit." But how shall man gain this true wisdom of \ncauses? " He that cometh to God must believe \nthat he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that \ndiligently seek him." It is the voice of the Sav- \niour, he who "walked in the garden." Men \nmust be drawn toward God before they can see \nhim in his word. " And unto man he said, Be- \n\n\n\n74 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nhold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ; and \nto depart from evil is understanding." It cannot \nbe doubted that more reverence for God, and \nless egotistical trust in self, would greatly aid \nthe wisest thinker of the present day. We have \nhad altogether too much of that feigned or real \npity for the Bible, as unfortunate in its allusions \nto science, deserving to be ranked with the su- \nperstitions of the untutored masses of the unlet- \ntered ages. It is true that prophetic allusions \nto scientific subjects are usually poetic, but none \nthe less specific and definite for this. These al- \nlusions embody a true objective view, leaving to \nscience the task to subjectively work out the true \ncondition of things presenting such phenomena. \nThus prophecy poetized upon the rt Place for \nlight, and the home and house for darkness ; and \nthe path leading to the bounds between them." \nScientifically explained, one pole of the Earth \nmust have pointed steadily to the sun, leaving \nhalf the globe in perpetual darkness. \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 75 \n\n17. Joshua is said to have commanded the \nsun and the moon to stand still, and they obeyed \nhim. Subjectively rendered the sun went not \ndown, during one night, which could have been \nobjectively accomplished by a mirage. As this \nwould answer the purpose for which the phenom- \nena is reported, it is highly probable that this is \nall that is meant. Again, God made a firmament. \nBut firmaments called heaven are not things \nmade. Subjectively rendered, he made a globe, \nfrom which the visible expanse is seen. These \nfigures of speech, and especially the one called \nmetonymy, run all through prophetic sayings. \nThe heart\'s willingness to accept the truth is often \nnecessary to the intellect\'s perceiving it. \n\n18. The Reformation has made some consider- \nable progress, and Job\'s three mistaken friends \nbegin to see their errors, and acknowledge them- \nselves silenced. Job\'s renewed ability to speak, \nand the readiness with which he handles the \nsubject of each passing event, shows that the \n\n\n\n76 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\ndarkness is passing away, and the teachings of \nthese dismal ages are being counteracted. \n\n19. A far more formidable enemy, in the \nperson of Elihu, is about to arise. He represents \nSecular Education, in unbelief of the inspiration \nof God, or the existence of true piety. He \nreasons that all men are essentially alike, im- \nperfect ; that heredity, inclination, education and \nsurrounding circumstances account for all the \ndifference in men. That Job, having claimed up- \nright intentions before God, has committed a \ngrave offence. His God is one of cause. " I \nwill fetch my knowledge from afar : he that is \nperfect in knowledge is with thee. My lips shall \nutter knowledge clearly. All flesh shall perish \ntogether." What is this but infidel Deism? \nHow different the expression of the wise man ! \nu Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth up- \nward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth \ndownward to the earth ? " The one is mortal, the \nother immortal. For some cause Job is silent, \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 77 \n\nthough again and again challenged to the com- \nbat. Let us apply a little history to the prophetic \ndrama. French Atheists, in a convention in 1808, \nput forth eighty-three counts, any one of which \nwas claimed sufficient to prove the Bible to be \nuninspired. Sir Charles Lyell, himself a Deist, \nwrote, " Of these counts, not one of them remains \ntoday. Science has laid them aside as untenable." \n20. We have three distinct views of prayer, \nrepresented in Bildad, Elihu and Job. Bildad\'s \nview is, " If deserving, you can have all you ask \nfor, without reference to law. All that you \nneed is faith to perpetuate the line of miracles." \nElihu\'s view was essentially expressed by the \nProfessor who threw down the challenge, called \nthe prayer gauge. Its substance was, " Prayer \nchanges no effect following cause. It cannot \nmitigate the death rate in a hospital." Job\'s \nposition is that prayer may be beneficial when in \nharmony with God\'s laws. There are three \nrealms, viz, physics, mind and spirit. Mind is \n\n\n\n78 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nhigher than physics, and, within bounds, rules \nit ; spirit is higher than either, and within \nbounds rules both: that prayer to God, ever \nsubject to u Thy will be done, not mine," may \nincrease the power of the spirit in man over the \nlower realms of law, thus securing wonderful \nhelp from God, according to his expressed will \nin law. This does not necessarily involve miracle \nin the answer God gives. It is in harmony with \nthe law of the spirit, that God within the spirit \ngreatly increases its power over mind and matter. \nThis was the secret of Job\'s power over his \ncontestants. This power Elihu denied. Secular \nEducation will readily admit that God, by his \ndirect power (which is Special Providence), \ncreated matter, again set it in motion, again gave \nlife to portions of it, etc., and then deny that \nGod would listen to the cry of his children for \nspiritual or material help. This modern Elihu \nhas completely ignored the efforts of God to help \nthe would-be scientists to phenomena and prin- \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 79 \n\nciples, which would link his knowledge of nature \nin happy relation with first causes. Hence in the \nend, like Elihu, he is destined to be completely \nconfounded. \n\n21. Two thousand years ago, science establish- \ned the Ptolemaic theory of Astronomy. It \ntaught it for eighteen hundred years, when the \nCopernican theory forced its way to the front. \nAnd now, it is evident, the true theory was \nclearly taught in God\'s first book of Inspiration, \ncalled Scripture. A few years since, Elihu, as a \nlearned professor, would take a piece of granite \nin his hand, and learnedly talk of the crystals \nformed, as it slowly cooled, as the first crust \nformed upon the sea of lava. \n\n22. Now, the same professor talks to his class \nof the sedimentary nature of the rock, and the \ncrystals formed under great pressure in the deep \nsea. Four thousand years ago, the Bible gave \nthis knowledge to the world. For some cause, \nJob is reticent while Elihu speaks. He speaks \n\n\n\n80 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY. \n\nas a " beast of power, rising up out of the \nearth/\' But God has something to say as to who \nshall stand in the coming ages. Piety will stand \nup, and God will answer as by the power of \nthe whirlwind. Chap. 38. " Gird up now thy \nloins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and \nanswer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid \nthe foundations of the earth ? Declare, if thou \nhast understanding. Who hath laid the measures \nthereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched \nthe line upon it ? Whereupon are the foundations \nthereof fastened, or who laid the cornerstone \nthereof ? " Marginal reading a made the corner- \nstone to sink." Balancing order, in exact equi- \npose, is proclaimed in science. " Not one star \ncould be spared," say the Solons of Philosophy, \n" without throwing all into the greatest con- \nfusion." The balancing of the primary gases, \nas each sun gathered in the beginning, was seen \nby Job. " When the morning stars sang to- \ngether, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 81 \n\n23. The great under-waters were once impris- \noned as though shut behind doors. u Or who \nshut up the sea with doors when it brake forth \nas if it had issued out of the womb? " Rotund- \nity of the Earth is here given with the inside \nwater. He saw the young Earth first " clothed \nin a garment of clouds," and " thick darkness \na swaddling band about it." He saw the "foun- \ndations of the earth breaking up," as the flood in \nNoah\'s day poured in over the earth. " And \nbrake up the decreed place for it," and set new \n" bars and doors." A change of polarity, and \nwhen it took place, is seen. " Hast thou com- \nmanded the morning since thy days, and caused \nthe day-spring to know his place, that it might \ntake hold of the ends of the earth, that the wick- \ned might be shaken out of it? " When have the \nwicked been shaken out of it, but when " all \nthe fountains of the great deep were broken \nup?" The finishing touch is added to the Co- \npernican system. u It is turned as clay to the \n\n\n\n82 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nseal." Allusion is made to the clay on the pot- \nter\'s wheel rotating to a fixed seal shaping the \nsame. In contrast to its present motion, he saw \na former condition with pole pointing to the sun. \nThis was a motion that never exchanged the \ndarkness for light, nor light for darkness, but \nboth remained stationary. " Where is the way \nwhere light dwelleth ? and as for darkness, where \nis the place thereof, that thou shouldst take it to \nthe bound thereof, and that thou shouldst know \nthe paths to the house thereof?" He saw the \ncontrasted appearance of the former earth to \nher present contour. " The waters are hid as \nwith a stone." Altogether, the land hemisphere \ncovered the under-waters ; " and the face of the \ndeep is frozen." The face of the deep in the \nsouthern hemisphere of the ancient earth was \nlocked in darkness and perpetual ice. He had \nasked the question, " Out of whose womb came \nthe ice ? " Where was it born ? This is one \nof the most perplexing questions in science. \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 83 \n\n24. Where was the ice born that once plowed \nsuch deep furrows over hill and dale, that \nclimbed the rugged mountain, and filled ancient \nriver beds with three thousand feet of drift ? In \nvain do you ask where the ice came from that \nscooped out the Yosemite Valley, or laid the \ndeep beds of water-washed pebbles along the \nSierra Nevada mountains. God has answered \nit in giving the ancient polarity, by which the \nmighty deep of one half the globe was covered \nwith ice. Again, " Who hath divided a water- \ncourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way \nfor the lightning of the thunder ? " Our earth \nis a magnet. The way of the lightning produces \nspiral effects on plants and cyclones from the \nequator to each pole. The earth being divided, \nforming the Atlantic Ocean, and the pole being \nlocally changed on the globe, a new way for the \nlightning is formed. This poem is wonderful for \nits flights of prophetic views. The vision, from \ncomprehending the phenomena attending the \n\n\n\n84 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nglobe in its antediluvian state, now changes to \na mode of communication by telegraph of our \nown time. To identify the century in which it \nwould appear, he resorted to the third clock of \nthe heavens, measured by precession. He noticed \nthat beautiful cluster of stars called the Plei- \nades at the usual time of Zenith measurement, \nin the evening, standing over the January thaw, \nfollowed in a few days with Orion\'s belt in the \nsame place. At the time of Job\'s captivity the \nPleiades rose to the Zenith on the 10th day of \nNovember. By the slow action of precession \nthey have moved eastward, until now they come \nto the Zenith on the second day of January. \nOnly eighteen days elapse before Orion\'s belt \nstands in the Zenith to look down on sealed riv- \ners, as the thaw is over. \n\n25. " Canst thou bind the sweet influences of \nthe Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion ? " The \ntime in this poetic allusion is our present century. \nThe phenomena seen is employing lightning as a \n\n\n\nFIRST PRESENTED IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 85 \n\nmessenger. " Canst thou send lightnings that \nthey may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?" \nProceeding to give the habits and instincts of a \nfew representative animals in natural history, \nJob proposed to sit down and say no more. \n\n26. But God proposed to gird him for the \ndescription of two representative fossil animals \nof the Middle and Tertiary ages. For the rul- \ning king of saurians, he described Ichthyosaurus \nunder the title of Leviathan. For the king of \nthe Myocene period he described the Megatha- \nreum under the title of Behemoth. God opens \nthe understanding of Job\'s three mistaken friends, \nand makes demands for repentance and repara- \ntion. Job becomes their intercessor. The cap- \ntivity of Piety ends here. The "times of the gen- \ntiles are fulfilled." " The sanctuary is cleansed." \nu Babylon is fallen." " The white horse appears, \nand Jesus reigns King of kings and Lord of \nlords." \n\n27. Now commences the grandest era of Job\'s \n\n\n\n86 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY. \n\nlife. It is double in prosperity to all going \nbefore. The time for its continuance is very \nlong. The universal respect that will be shown \nthe church, the voluntary contributions in liberal \nfree-will offerings, the abundance of peace and \nprosperity, are well diagrammed and set forth in \nthe closing events of Job\'s life. \n\nElihu will still talk of the "Twilight of \nChristianity," but faith is looking for the dawn \nof Christ\'s triumph, when the dragon, "like \nlightning," must " fall from the heavens," and \nnations will hail with joy the reign of righteous- \nness. \n\n" Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye \nlifted up ye everlasting doors ; and the King of \nglory shall come in. \n\n" Who is this King of glory ? The Lord, strong \nand mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. The Lord \nof hosts ; he is the King of glory." \n\n\n\nCHAPTER III. \n\nAll the Scripture References to Cos- \nmology are in Harmony with the \nBook of Job. \n\n1. Peter must have understood the import \nof this divine poem, when he wrote, "For this \nthey are willingly ignorant of, that by the word \nof God the heavens were of old, and the earth \nstanding out of the water and in the water." \nSo also " The earth, that then was, being over- \nflowed." \n\n2. So Solomon understood the poem. Per- \nsonifying the eternity of wisdom, under things \ntimely, he wrote, " Before the mountains were \nsettled, before the hills were brought forth." \nNotice the sedimentary character of the moun- \ntains ! " While as yet he had not made the \nearth (in form). When he prepared the heavens, \n\n\n\nS3 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nI was there ; when he set a compass (circle) \nupon the face of the depth (space)." \n\n3. The spirit of this poem must have inspired \nthe Psalmist, when he ascribed thanks unto \n" Him who stretcheth out the earth above the \nwaters." And again, u He hath founded it upon \nthe seas, and established it upon the floods." \n\n4. Moses must have possessed this sublime \npoem in the wilderness. By an easy succession \nof steps, he could find his way back to where \nsuns, in gathering, kept time to the marching \nforces of Jehovah, as a well trained choir. \nu When the morning stars sang together." Not \ncontent here, he sought farther aid of God, and \nswung out into the voids of space, where heat, \nlight, force, and gravitation slept in the embrace \nof chaos ; yea, still farther back to when and \nwhere matter was not. He heard God speak \nmatter into existence. It was from this vision he \nwrote, "In the beginning God created the heaven \nand the earth." As it came from the hand of \n\n\n\nUNDERSTOOD BY BIBLE WRITERS. 89 \n\nGod, " It was without form, and darkness was \nupon the face of the deep." \n\nMatter without form is in gas ; and to be in \nequilibrium, it must be equally diffused in all that \nportion of space now containing matter. Inertia \nwould incapacitate its moving. Without motion, \nlight was impossible ; without centers, gravitation \nhad not commenced. Such was matter in the \ndarkness of chaos without form, called , night. A \nforce from without must overcome Jnertia, and \ngive birth to form, light, heat, gravitation, and \npower at the same time. This pow r er is brought \nto our view in the following sublime sentence : \n" And the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face \nof the waters\'\' (fluids). Gravitation acts instanta- \nneously throughout space. Therefore the gather- \ning of any one center as a sun, would necessitate \nthe gathering of every central sun in relative \naccord. \n\n5. Gravitating centers account for centripetal \nmotion only. Acted upon by gravitation alone, \n\n\n\n90 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nall matter within each system would start for the \ncenter direct. Hence, centrifugal force also must \nhave been imparted to all that portion of gaseous \nchaos, destined to become planets. With these \ntwo forces acting upon them, they would naturally \nassume the shape of an immense ring about the \nsun. Those gases destined to make our sun, \nmust have traversed a space of not less than \ntwenty trillion of miles ; possibly, in some direc- \ntions thirty trillion of miles. The center would be \nsmall at first; and should these gases float thirty \nmiles per hour, it would take ninety million of \nour years to gather the sun complete. In such \ncondition, from the voids of space Moses beheld \nour system, and noticed that the u waters above \nthe firmament were not separated from the waters \nbeneath.\'\' If from a tall mountain we behold \na rainbow, when the sun is quite low we shall see \na complete circle of prismatic colors. If one \nshould report that the colors above the firmament \nwere not separate from the colors beneath the \n\n\n\nUNDERSTOOD BY BIBLE WRITERS. 91 \n\nfirmament, we should readily understand that the \nbow was continuous as a circle. Now imagine \nthese colors tangible gases, and a sun placed in \nthe center, and you have some faint conception of \nthe grand objective view of the prophet, as he be- \nheld the first morning of creation. The condition \nin darkness, unmeasured by time 3 he had called \nnight. The condition in light, unmeasured by \nflight of years, he called morning. " And the \nevening and the morning were day first." The \nvision, from contemplating matter as divided \ninto systems, now changes to prospective Earth, \nas yet without form. If the lack of form con- \nstituted its evening, then, when it gains a form, \nit will be its morning. The gases that were to \nform earth, then lay diffused in the firmament \nring. \n\n6. A spark would unite a field of Hydrogen \nand Oxygen, and cause a division in the ring, as \na new element much lighter, formed in space in \nthe condition of superheated steam. Its lightness \n\n\n\n92 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nwould cause it to evolve outside the ring, and \ntake the form of a globe. " And God made the \nfirmament," and he called it "heaven,\'\' which is \nthe visible expanse of a half circle or sphere \nabove our heads ; " and he divided the waters \nwhich were under the firmament, (the first, which \nwas a tangible circle) from the waters which were \nabove the firmament." The Earth is in form, but \nhas, as yet, but two gases ; and these unite in \nsteam. The second day of creation ends without \na "footprint" for the unassisted geologists to \ntrace. Well may Job refer man to the voice \nof the Lord for the wisdom of first cause and \nthe early changes of matter. This newly formed \nfirmament, or visible expanse, which, by figure of \nmetonymy means a newly formed globe, differs \nmaterially from the ring substance of the sun, \nwhich gave rise to the term firmament. This \nsecond firmament is not made of tangible gases, \nnor is its appearance to dwellers on the earth con- \ntinuous. Hence, the making of this firmament is \n\n\n\nUNDERSTOOD BY BIBLE WRITERS. 93 \n\nthe objective description of the formation of our \nEarth as a globe. With a world of steam in \nglobe form, the second age or day of creation \nended. The matter, that gathered would con- \nstitute Earth, while floating in chaos was called \nevening. When the globe took its form, though \nonly a world of steam, it was called morning. \n" And the evening and the morning were the \nsecond day." No measurement of twenty-four \nhour days had commenced yet. Having followed \nour globe out into space, the prophet now confines \nhis observations to this single planet. He be- \nholds the outside liquifying, and he follows it \ninto its present orbit. He made no mention of \nthe " swaddling band," it took out of the ring as \nit passed back toward the sun. This had been \nwell noticed by Job, as well as the manner of the \nfirst deposits. But he noticed the appearance \nof dry land ; and the introduction of terrestrial \nvegetation, and described them as cryptogam \n"having the seed in itself." He had followed \n\n\n\n94 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nthe gathering together of the waters as a grand \nsea, and the inorganic deposits as a long evening; \nand now, to bring out a grand contrast, as morn- \ning, he waited until the forests sung the praises \nof God\'s creative hand in bestowing life. " And \nthe evening and the morning were the third day." \nBut this vegetation grows in the veiled light, \nmuch as the gray of twilight. This twilight is \nthe evening of the fourth day. Contrasting with \nit is pure sunlight. The Carboniferous age of \nthe world cleared the air of these deadly gases, \nand let in the sunshine upon the earth. This \nwas morning. In noticing this, he is reminded \nthat this globe is occupying his entire attention ; \nand yet God made all the planets and suns of the \nheavens. So the source of light is again noticed \nand its proper name given to it, and the relation \nit sustains to our own time noticed and record- \ned, "The sun to give light by day." In a similar \nmanner the moon and the stars were all noticed. \nAs vegetation had now arrived at its climax, \n\n\n\nUNDERSTOOD BY BIBLE WRITERS. 95 \n\nMoses closed this age, making the cryptogam \nin the gray twilight the evening, and its contrast \nthe gay flower basking in clear sunlight the morn- \ning. " And the evening and the morning were \nthe fourth day." \n\n7. Gases are combined into rock through the \nagency of air and water. There are three meth- \nods of conveying or changing gas into rock. The \nfirst is by gases mingling directly with the water. \nThis gave us the larger portion of sedimentary \nrock. For aught that science has yet discov- \nered, the entire bed of primary granite was made \nin this manner. The second is by combining the \ngases by means of diatoms and polyps of the \nseas. These animals do not depend upon vege- \ntation, but draw their nourishment directly from \nthe waters. Their remains constitute large por- \ntions of sedimentary rock. The marble and chalk \nare formed almost entirely of their remains, while \nall sedimentary rock this side the granite con- \ntains more or less of their remains, A third wav \n\n\n\n96 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nis by gases combining in vegetation. Anthra- \ncite coal is ninety-six per cent, carbon, combined \nthrough vegetation. \n\n8. It is evident that the days of creation were \nnot given to mark an order of time. (1.) Cre- \nation commenced before time. (2.) Without \nmotion there could be no measure of duration. \n(3.) The fifth day includes all the fourth and \npart of the third ; and could therefore be no or- \nder of time. \n\n9. They were not designed to mark an order \nin the deposit of rock. All stratified rock, from \nthe Gneiss to the Myocene deposit, is included \nin the fifth day. They do not, therefore, give a \nprogressive order of deposit. \n\n10. They were designed to give two morn- \nings of inorganic changes of matter, with two \ncontrasting evenings ; two organic changes, as \nmornings of vegetation, with contrasting even- \nings ; two organic changes, as mornings of ani- \nlPals, with contrasting evenings. These days are \n\n\n\nUNDERSTOOD BY BIBLE WRITERS. 97 \n\nall spoken of as noting a beginning, a middle, \nand a close. The beginning and close are con- \ntrasts. This mode of measurement may have \nbeen derived from Job 9: 9 \xe2\x80\x94 " Which maketh \nthe Bear, Orion, and Pleiades." Here is Orion, \nmarking the colure line of the Spring equinox at \nthe creation of man ; the Bear, marking the same \nSpring equinox at the end of time ; and Pleia- \ndes, marking the date at which these visions \ncame to the prophet. Thus we have the begin- \nning and ending of the human race in contrast, \nand a middle date of passing events. Thus, with \nMoses the vision of creation opens with the crea- \ntion of all matter, and the first day ends w r ith \nthe morning of light. The inertia of rest in \nchaos intervened. The Earth, without form, and \nthe Earth, in form, is contrasted, the second day, \nwith a separated firmament of the sun interven- \ning. In the third day, we have evening com- \nmencing with two gases in the form of a steam \nglobe, contrasted with the waving forests of the \n\n\n\n98 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY \n\nDevonian age of geology, with the millions of \nyears of deposits of inorganic substance interven- \ning. The language explaining the fourth day \nseems to be about the sun, moon, and stars. But \nthat these might shine in on the Earth, there \nwas involved the idea of removing the Earth\'s \n" swaddling band," alluded to by Job. Hence \nthe language involves an evening of twilight in \nwhich Cryptogams, as the beginning of Earth\'s \nvegetation, would contrast with the flowers bask- \ning in clear sun light, while the slow process of \nhow God caused the sun to shine in on the Earth, \nby working this dark band of gases ihto its crust, \nintervened. Nowhere is this rule seen so clearly \nas in the language pertaining to the fifth day. \nHere, the infusoria of the sea is made to con- \ntrast with the whale ; while birds intervene. These \ndiatoms began in the deposit of the Gneiss rock. \nThe whale is found in the Myocene and since. \nThe solitary reign of beasts is noted as evening, \ncontrasting with the reign of God\'s people as \n\n\n\nUNDERSTOOD BY BIBLE WRITERS. 99 \n\n" priests and kings unto God/\' at the close of \ntime. Intervening are the events of human his- \ntory. Thus, every day of the six is shown by \ncontrasts. \n\n11. A general providence runs in law, evolv- \ning progress as far as Nature\'s law is adapted ; \nbut when Nature fails to meet any new want, \nspecial providence steps in, with additional forces \nto supply the deficiency. Space was an empty \nnakedness, and God created matter therein. Mat- \nter was without form and void, and God started \nit in motion. Matter was without life, and God \ncreated the life. The beasts of the field were \nwithout a moral spirit. And God made man in \nhis own image, blessed with immortality, and \ncapable of attaining to eternal life. For farther \nparticulars, see Sec. 4. \n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV. \n\nThe Phenomena to which allusions are \nso freely made in the " slx days of \nMoses," suggest certain scientific ne- \ncessities, REPLETE WITH GEOLOGICAL IN- \nFORMATION, WHICH DEMONSTRATE THE PRO- \nGRESSIVE work of God, for matter, in \n\nMATTER, BY AND THROUGH MATTER, AND \nABOVE MATTER, TO THE END OF TIME. \n\nTwo books give a revelation of God, Nature \nand the Bible. Except for purposes of intelli- \ngent connection, as a rule, the revelations of one \nare not repeated in the other. Revelation on the \nsubject of cosmos is evidently intended to supply- \nparts, which nature is not adapted to unfold. \nEach stands as a part of a great whole; that the \ntrue student of nature may be thoroughly fur- \nnished with proper text books, which, when \nrightly understood, are conjointly harmonious, \n\n\n\nDISPLAYED IN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 101 \n\nconnected, and exhaustive. If man would at- \ntain even the faintest ability to measure the \n"footprints of God" in nature, or fathom the \nrelation of first causes in creation, he can ill af- \nford unacquaintance with either book. The Bible \nis given as a supplement to God\'s voice in na- \nture. Creation, shown in harmony with the tes- \ntimony of the rocks, confirms the testimony of \nMoses. The unsupported hypotheses of men \nhave led some to deplore the " mistakes of Moses." \nA better acquaintance with both books will lead \nthem, it is thought, at least to respect his great \nprophetic knowledge, in outlining creation\'s ori- \ngin and forces. \n\nSection 1. \n\nThe Work of the First Day. \n\n1. The account, given in Genesis, of creation \nis in the form of an Epic Poem. As a treatise \non any subject, it would be incomplete. Its de- \n\n\n\n102 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nsign seems to be to give, in the form of poetic \nsuggestions, the connecting links to unite cre- \nation with creation\'s God. For such a purpose, \nit is the grandest and most complete of all pro- \nductions of the pen. Six of these days are \nmarked by contrasts, u called evening and morn- \ning" but the seventh is peculiar, having neither. \nThe sixth is said to close God\'s labor with mat- \nter. Unmeasured duration is, doubtless, the \nseventh. \n\n2. The " deep," when used in reference to the \nheavens, means immensity of space ; as : " dark- \nness was upon the face of the deep." Darkness \nis the normal state of space. Not dependent on \nmatter, it is eternal. Moses saw all matter \ncreated at once. God\'s work, as revealed here \nfor matter, is in harmony with correlation of \nmatter in science. \n\n3. By a beautiful figure of metonymy, poets \nspeak of a part implying the whole. Such is the \nword " Earth," as first introduced in this produc- \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 103 \n\ntion. " And the earth (all matter) was without \nform." Inertia holds all in rest. An act, fiat, \nor work of God, above matter, is requisite, to set \nit in motion. " And the Spirit of the Lord moved \nupon the face of the deep." A system formed \nwith a center of light is noted. All systems are \nmembers of this choir. \n\n4. Science would suggest, that, if a ponder- \nous globe, as our sun, should gather in a field of \ngases, though trillions of miles in diameter, all \ngases, within its drawing sphere, must either go \ntoward the sun, or be thrown around it in a cir- \ncle. Such was the ring of waters, or fluids, first \ncalled a firmament. A most minute directing \nof Providence is here suggested. It extended \nto each molecule of gas, and its appropriate \nplace was determined. Before that grand move- \nment of the Spirit of God, there was nothing \nwith which to measure duration, and time had \nnot commenced. No centers \xe2\x80\x94 no gravitation. \nNo motion \xe2\x80\x94 no light or force. All this is sug- \n\n\n\n104 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\ngested in matter " without form." Suns only \nhad form at the close of the first day. As sys- \ntems revolved, measured duration might have \ncommenced at the revolutions of suns about a \ngrand center. One day at the sun would be \ntwenty-seven of ours ; one year, eighteen thous- \nand of ours. This first day of creation may have \nbeen one hundred million of years. It included \nthe length of these contrasts to a climax, dark- \nness \xe2\x80\x94 light. The one reigning over all matter, \nthe other forming from matter, under the di- \nrection of God. \n\n5. If the first is a literal day, so are the sev- \nen. If the first is poetic, so are the seven. That \nthe first was not literal, is evident in that the \n" Earth was without form " as yet. Hence there \nwas no twenty -four hour measurement. Day is \nalso used to signify a nation\'s history. It is not \nthat. It is also used to signify the life of an indi- \nvidual. It could not be that. " A day with the \nLord is as a thousand years." It is evident that \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 105 \n\nPeter was merely hinting at the indefiniteness, as \nto time, of the Mosaic days. It remains, then, \nthat it is a cosmological day, without exact meas- \nurement of time. It certainly includes all that \nperiod of chaotic darkness before time commenc- \ned. Should these gases move across the radii of \nour system with the speed of light, it would take \nthirty-five days ; but should the gases move like \nan atmosphere in space, it would take more than \nninety million of years to gather the sun. The \ngreater probability is that these contrasted con- \nditions of the first day, poetically described with- \nout any exact measurement, if measured, would \nextend through more than one hundred million \nof our years. \n\nSection 2. \n\nThe Work of the Second Day. \n\n1. Creation includes not only the bringing \ninto existence of matter, but all its undeveloped \n\n\n\n106 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nforces and changes. Revelation, upon this sub- \nject, is suggestive, rather than exhaustive, of what \nwe need above what Nature shows, to trace cre- \nation back to God. The greatest difficulty in \nreading this poem understandingly, is in rightly \nrendering the phenomena noticed upon the sec- \nond day. Figures of metonymy abound. As a \nrule, figures once used in prophecy are not chang- \ned when used by another prophet. Hence, we \nmay derive benefit by seeing how other prophets \nhave used them. Job had made the gathering of \nsuns at the creation of light a morning in fig- \nure. Moses is about to use the same figure, and \nbeholding the darkness of chaos preceding, he \nextended the figure to an evening preceding. \nThis is the only day that pertains to light and \ndarkness. The second day will be analogous in \ncontrast. Whatever be the one, the other will \ncontrast. The evening of Earth is given. " And \nthe Earth was without form." The contrast will \nbe the Earth in form, for morning. \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 107 \n\n2. To read these allusions understanding^, \nevery sentence must be cosmologically analyzed \nin the light of our present knowledge of astron- \nomy, chemistry, philosophy, geology, and rheto- \nric. There is a grand suggestion of progress, \ncouched in the figure of morning succeeding even- \ning. The morning of each day is a complete \ncontrast to its own evening ; and yet the morn- \ning of that day is only the evening of the day fol- \nlowing. The morning of the sun, with hosts of \nGod\'s angels rejoicing, is only the evening of the \nprospective globe, upon whose disk shall be per- \nfected, in knowledge and true holiness, beings in \nGod\'s own image. The sun has perfected his day, \nin which Moses beholds the evening of the second. \n\n3. He is looking at our system, as from the \nvoids of space, as a whole ; with its gathered sun \nand its immense ring of prospective planets. It is \nnow shown him that a change is to take place in \nthe ring, which will result in the form of a globe. \nTo that part of the ring he draws near. The \n\n\n\n108 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nfirst phenomenon noticed was a separation in the \nring between the " waters above, and those be- \nlow." The gases thus uniting in one substance, \nsoon left this firmament ring of the sun, and had \na firmament of its own, called heaven, or visible \nexpanse. The Hebrew word translated " firma- \nment " implies something tangible, and yet it \nwas used to denote the visible expanse. \n\n4. The first firmament was composed of tan- \ngible gases or waters, so called ; the second is \nthe expanse of heaven. The cause of the sepa- \nrated waters is seen in what follows. These \nfluids that evolved out, leaving the ring separat- \ned, are now in a condition that they only have \nto be gathered together into one place to be a \nsea. It was then steam. The suggestion is \nthat an immense field of oxygen and hydrogen \nhad united by the spark which separated the \nring, and as the union was superheated steam, \nit evolved out into the voids of space as a globe. \nIt is plain then " And God made a firmament in \n\n\n\nIN \n\n\n\nTHE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 109 \n\n\n\nthe midst of the waters," means he made a \nglobe, from which the visible expanse is seen. \nThe vision now places the prophet upon this \nglobe, the changes of which will occupy his at- \ntention to the end. \n\n5. Whether any or all the planets were \nformed at the same time, we are not told. No \nallusion is made to them except an incidental one, \non the fourth day, so that all things should be \ntraced back to God as their Maker. If the \nunion of two gases took out a segment of the \nring, leaving it u separated," it would only be \ntemporary, as the ring would close up again. \nWhether our planet was the first, third, or last \nformed, no mention is made. The vision is de- \nsigned henceforth to unfold what we need to \nknow of Earth, not found in nature. Our globe \nin chaos of gases, sweeping around the sun in \nthe form of a ring, is evening, being " without \nform." Our globe in steam, having a firma- \nment of its own, is in shape, and this is u morn- \n\n\n\n110 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\ning." Solomon must have given such an inter- \npretation to the account of the second day. \nProv. 8 : 27. Tracing the unmeasured age of \nwisdom, " Before the mountains were settled, \nbefore the hills, while as yet he had not made \nthe Earth, when he prepared the heavens, I \nwas there ; when he set a compass (or circle) \nupon the face of the depth." A globe of steam, \npossibly highly charged with electricity, revolv- \ning in an orbit outside the ring of planetary \ngases, was all that constituted Earth at this time. \n"And the evening and the morning were the \nsecond day." \n\nSection 3. \n\nThe Work of the Third Day. \n\n1. A globe of vapor in contact with the cold \nvoids of space must condense or liquify. The \nbeginning would be upon the outside ; constantly \ngrowing heavier according to bulk, it would \nwork its way nearer to the sun. Having be- \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. Ill \n\ncome a center of attraction, and coming back to \nthe now closed-up ring, it would claim a portion \nof the same as an atmosphere. Increasing now \nits centrifugal force, it gained an orbit inside \nthe ring, still drawing nearer the sun. Job\'s \nattention had been called to the earth\'s appear- \nance in this "gathering" process. "When I \nmade the cloud the garment thereof, and thick \ndarkness a swaddling band for it." Moses began \nthe third day as the globe began to condense. \n" And he gathered the waters together into one \nplace; and he called the gathering together of \nthe waters, seas." While the globe was in a \ncondition of vapor, the waters were firmament \nwaters ; and the word firmament answered very \nwell for both globe and visible expanse. Hence, \n"God made a firmament\' \' by figure; covered \nboth. But as soon as gathered, there was a dis- \ntinction. Now only the expanse, holding yet a \ncloudy vapor, could be called firmament, or \nheaven ; and the gathered waters he called seas. \n\n\n\n112 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\n2. Science claims that the present pointing \nof the pole of the Earth, and its inclination to \nthe ecliptic, could not produce such a warm \nclimate as the Earth once enjoyed. This fact, \nin connection with the Earth covered with ice, at \na remote period of the past, confounds the mere \nseeker of cause in nature\'s laws. The ancient \npole-pointing is sung by Job. According to his \ndescription of light and darkness, one pole of the \nEarth must have pointed directly to the sun \nthroughout the year. And as that warm climate \nwas uniform, it must have turned on its axis \nnot only daily, but as does our moon in refer- \nence to Earth, once over in its entire orbicular \njourney. Its enlightened hemisphere was never \nin darkness ; its dark hemisphere was never in \nlight. According to Job\'s statement, both light \nand darkness were stationary. u Where is the \nplace where light dwelleth? And as for dark- \nness, where is the place thereof, that thou shouldst \ntake it to the bound thereof, and that thou \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 113 \n\nshouldst know the paths to the house thereof?" \nAll our deposits then hung as gases in the air : \none-half of which science proclaims to have been \noxygen. In the language of Solomon, the moun- \ntains before rising must have first " settled " in \nthe sea. The psalmist saw that God spread out \nthe earth upon the waters, that he founded it \nupon the sea, and established it upon the floods. \nJob saw that the very corner foundation stone \nwas made to sink. Moses rushes the deposits \nall into the evening of the third day, to the ap- \npearance of dry land. u And God said, Let the \nwaters under the heaven (the new firmament) be \ngathered together unto one place, and let the dry \nland appear." Here are eighty miles deposit \nmade in the sea, all of which came out of the \nair and water. During this time Moses says, \n" The Lord God had not caused it to rain on the \nEarth." " The plant and the herb of the field \nhad not yet been made." \n. 3. With such a pole-pointing, only one end \n\n\n\n114 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nof the Earth could receive deposits, and the \nsun could take hold only of that end. Job al- \nludes to a convulsion in which " The proud \nwere shaken out of it, that the sun might take \nhold of both ends of it." 38 : 13. Before this \nchange, " The waters were covered as with a \nstone, and the deep was frozen." Deposits are \nnow made from the air at the rate of four hun- \ndredths of an inch in a year. At this rate it \nwould take, possibly, eighty million of years to \nreach the surface. Our globe was never a rain- \nless planet. \n\n4. The allusion to its not having rained on \nthe earth, is an allusion that the deposits were \nyet beneath the waters, until the " dry land \nappeared." Following the changes of organic \nlife up to the time of the deposits of the " Old \nRed Sand Stone," where God spread out the wav- \ning forests of the Devonian plain, he had found \nthe fit contrast to the inorganic deposit of the \nevening. \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 115 \n\n5. The climate of the first part of the third \nday was chilled to the temperature of melting \nice. The latter part was torrid. The equator \nmarked the bound between perpetual sunlight \nand perpetual darkness. Along this equator a \nline of open sea would beat against a line of per- \npetual ice. The spray and vapor from the open \nsea, going south, would be rapidly converted \ninto snow and ice, increasing the thickness and \ngravity of the ice. At length, breaking by its \nown weight, it would drift into the open sea- \nDuring the first part of this day, there was noth- \ning to prevent this drift-ice finding its way to the \nvery north pole. The sea, therefore, would be \nat a temperature of 32 degrees Fahr. \n\n6. After the deposits neared the top, and be- \nfore dry land appeared, the larger bergs were \nkept back, and tropical waters resulted, followed \nby the same climate upon the dry land, as it ap- \npeared. At the close of this day there existed \nmany kinds of water animals, but they did not \n\n\n\n116 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\n\n\nform a suitable contrast with what Moses had to \nstart with, as evening. These were inorganic de \nposits from the air. The organic deposits of the \nDevonian forests are the morning. " And the \nearth brought forth the tree, yielding fruit, whose \nseed was in itself (cryptogams) after his kind." \n\' And the evening and the morning; were the \nthird day." \n\nSection 4. \n\nThe Work of the Fourth Day. \n\nUp to the Carboniferous time of deposit, the \nair had never been sufficiently cleared of its dark \nclouds of deadly gases, to admit sunshine on the \nearth. Vegetation had not reached a climax. No \nmention is to be made of animals existing, until \nthis climax is reached. It will be reached when \nthe sun shall have taken off the " swaddling \nband " of her childhood, and depositing the same, \nas coal, in the earth, shall give the earth a cloth- \ning of flowers. Non-flowering plants are evening, \n\n\n\n: \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX BAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 117 \n\nthe contrast will be the flowering plant in the \nsunshine. \n\n1. By figure of metonymy, again he traced \nthe progress of deposits through the sun, which \nGod had made, with the moon and stars. The \nlabor of the sun to clear the atmosphere, calling \nfor immediate help of God, was long and perse- \nvering. Poetically, the narrative is enriched by \nthis elegant figure, in putting cause for effect. \nAs now from the earth for the first time he be- \nholds the clear sunlight, he doubtless is remind- \ned, that in mentioning the creation of this center \nof attraction in our system, he had given a name \nwhich indicated a specific property of the sun, \nviz, light ; whereas it also had heat and force. \n\nNow, calling it by a generic name, and remem- \nbering also that in describing the origin of Earth \nno mention had been made of the rest of the \nheavens, he incidentally mentions that God made \nthem all, without attempting the individual histo- \nry of either. His mission is to trace in progress \n\n\n\n118 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\n\n\nthe contrasting changes of God\'s work in the \nEarth. And to his text he adheres. \n\nSince the sun is the only source of permanent \nnatural light within our system, and since Moses \nhad made light to contrast with the darkness of \nchaos in the first day, it seems strange that any \nintelligent reader should understand him to speak \npf the bringing into existence of the great orb of \nlight the fourth day. Shining in on the earth is \nall that is noted. \n\n2. Sir Charles Lyell, the great English geol- \nogist, gives us the process by which sunlight was \nlet in on the earth during the carboniferous age. \nThis age corresponds to the fourth day of Moses. \nThe dark band of gases intercepted the clear \nrays of sunlight, so that a somber hue of gray \ncovered the earth, as in twilight. Vegetation \nmust slowly do the work of depositing these gas- \nes, until diminished so that fire, or flame, could \nbe supported. Such was the resinous and oily \nnature of all vegetation of that period, that a \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAY\'S WORK OF GOD. 119 \n\nstroke of lightning might set the world on fire, \nto burn for six months or a year. Some of the \ncarbonated growth of the forests would be hidden \naway beyond the reach of flame. In this con- \ndition it would ripen into coal. But enough car- \nbonic acid would escape, to intercept the clear \nrays of the sun, and another period of deposit \nwould set in. In the Nova Scotia coal mines, \nalone, he had noticed one hundred of these burn- \nings, implying a long period of deposit between \neach. It is thus the long ages struggled, to ena- \nble the sun to kiss the vegetation into bloom. \nThe widely scattered coal beds of this period \nshow that the whole earth was covered with a \ntropical forest. Large veins of this coal are \nfound in Greenland, Nova Zembla Island, Tas- \nmania, and the Melville Islands. \n\n3. We have had subsequent periods of de- \nposits of carbon in forests that produced coal. \nBut the coal formed since that age is generally \nsoft. One short coal period occurred this side \n\n\n\n120 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nthe great upheavals of mountains. This coal is \nfound on the Pacific Coast, and yields only forty- \nfour per cent, carbon. The best coal had its ori- \ngin before the flowers. In Moses\' prophetic vis- \nion of the work of the sun, he grasped certain \npoints in the future of astronomy. \n\n4. He noticed the use an enlightened civili- \nzation would make of the motions of the heav- \nens. He noticed the Zodiac divided into signs, \nand time measured by three clocks of nature, \ncalled " days, years, and seasons." The sea- \nson clock is by the precession of the equi- \nnoxes, consuming 25,000 years in a circle. Mi- \nchael, the archangel, used this term in explana- \ntion of the " long time " that would elapse be- \nfore the final end. With the clear sunlight, \nthe climax of vegetation was reached. Two in- \norganic mornings and two vegetable mornings \nhave been noted ; two animal mornings remain \nto finish the work of God with matter. \n\n" And the evening and the morning were the \nfourth day." \n\n\n\n\n\n\nin the six day\'s work op god. 121 \n\nSection 5. \n\nThe Work of the Fifth Pay. \n\n1. The contrasts of evening and morning of \nthe fifth day are found in the sea. The contrasts \nof the sixth upon the land. The evening of the \nfifth began with the " moving things of the sea," \nending with the " whale." With the exception of \nthe first day, the fifth must have extended \nthrough a much longer time than all the others \nput together. The contrast between moving \ndiatoms of the Gneiss rock, and the whale of the \nMiocene in size, is apparent. But the contrast is \nin a higher sense. All this long period to the Ter- \ntiary rock, gave only egg-producing animals. \nThis was not high enough in the scale of animal \nexistence to have the next evening, which must \nbegin with the fifth morning, to form a contrast \nwith man. The type of the highest of mammals \nmust be reached, and that in the sea. This was \nfound in the whale. Beside, the whale is intimate- \n\n\n\n122 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nly connected with the great geological change \ncaused by the drift period. Here ninety-seven \nper cent of the previous animals of the earth be- \ncame extinct. Following the drift, there came \ninto existence nearly all the animals that now \nroam the Earth. This day, then, covers all the \nchanges of the fourth, and most of the third ; and \nof course has nothing to do with a measure of \ntime, or order of deposits. \n\n2. For aught we now know, the starting of \nanimal life was in the time of the deposit of the \nGneiss rock \xe2\x80\x94 here we find shells. From here \nonward was heard the voice of God, "Let the \nwaters bring forth abundantly the moving crea- \nture that hath life." This life, at first, was very \nsimple ; and small as simple. It required only \nthe nourishment derived from water for its sup- \nport. No animals of any considerable size are \nfound until vegetables were furnished for their \nfood. Those of the earlier period had to be pro- \ntected from the carbonated waters by a bony \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAY\'S WOffcK OF GOD. 123 \n\ncovering or ivory scales. Scorpions, spiders, liz- \nards and frogs might breathe the carbonic acid \nof the fourth day ; but no warm-blooded animals \nare known to have existed until after the sun \nshone in upon the Earth, as a fixture. \n\n3. Here Moses noticed the existence of \n" fowls of the air." In the ichthyosaurus he \nmight have found the contrast in size, but not \nin type. \n\n4. He passed on down to the " whale as morn- \ning." After the Carboniferous deposits, the \ntracks of birds and reptiles are found in the an- \ncient sands of the shores of the waters. Gi- \ngantic saurians and voracious fish ruled the sea \nfor untold ages ; but as they all were oviperous, \nor egg-producing, they are ranked in the even- \ning. Reaching the type of the ruling land ani- \nmals of the next day, Moses pronounced the \nmorning with the whale. \n\n5. It remains a mystery, how any one know- \ning anything about geology can find fault with \n\n\n\n124 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nthe order of the Mosaic record. So far as \nMoses has mentioned order, it is : moving ani- \nmals in the sea, air animals, mammals. The or- \nder of science may be more explicit. Substan- \ntially it is protozones, mollusks, radiates, articu- \nlates, vertebrates, mammals. There is no con- \nflict, nor even deficiency. The term used by Mo- \nses is designedly generic ; covering all moving \ncreatures of the waters. The history of the \nrocks is in exact accord with the testimony of \nMoses ; and both verify common observation, viz : \neach kind of animal produces its own kind. \n\n6. The poise of the Earth to the sun was \nsuch as to give an ice-flow, whenever for any \ncause a great subsidence of the hemisphere took \nplace. \n\nThe largest happened when the last and high- \nest mountains were raised. As a consequence, \nthe period called the Drift followed, when the \nreindeer made his home in the vicinity of Eng- \nland, Most tropical animals were destroyed. \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAYS\' WORK OF GOD. 125 \n\nA new race of placential mammals was to be \nintroduced ; the type of which is found in the \nsea, able to endure the revolutions of the Drift. \nHence the wisdom displayed in selecting this \nanimal, as a representative of morning. \n\n7. The Scripture claim of special providence \nis in harmony with the defence of the same in \nscience. Providence is general, when wrought \nout in due course of law ; special, when it is a \npower added to nature. Special providence is \nnot a rule of action, but the exception. * Science \nclaims this much in nature. I refer to the ad- \nmissions of such men as Huxley, Tyndal and \nDarwin. Prof. Huxley says : u No scientist of \nthe present day will venture the affirmation, that \nmatter is eternal. Should one be found, his \nbrethren would rise up in court, and object to his \ntestimony, as he would be incompetent to testi- \nfy." If not eternal, it was created by God\'s spec- \nial power. Prof. Darwin says : " Some of our \nbrethren have tried by experiments, to prove \n\n\n\n126 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nspontaneous life from inorganic matter, but they \nhave failed, and, from the nature of the case, \nthey must ever fail." " There must have been \na first life, I think five forms, I know there must \nhave been one from which life could proceed." \nSpecial providence again is needed to start life. \nThe same principle would apply as many times \nas the earth may have lost its living forms. Sir \nCharles Lyell would assure you that the fires of \nthe Carboniferous period alone deprived the \nearth of all land and fresh water animals, plants \nand seeds, at least one hundred times. Yet it \nwas supplied between each. Prof. Tyndal says, \n" Do you ask me \' May inert matter rise up and \nlive ? \' I answer directly, 4 No, life must have \nbeen created.\'" Here then in science are the \nDeists\' endorsements of exactly what every en- \nlightened Christian believes in reference to the \ncovenant of salvation. This is the doctrine of the \nscience of today, viz : that " God made all mat- \nter at one and the same time ; that by special \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAY\'S WORK OF GOD. 127 \n\npower he put all parts in motion at one and the \nsame time ; that his eye is over all, ready to sup- \nply what is needed above what the machinery \nof nature can perform." Carry out this princi- \nple, and you have the manifestations of the true \nGod in Jesus, and every Bible theory of the New \nCovenant. \n\nSection 6. \nThe Work of the Sixth Day. \n\n1. Beasts, with a perishable spirit, are the \nevening of the sixth day. Man without* an im- \nmortal spirit is the morning. Here we shall find \nthe grandest contrast of any of the six days. His- \ntoric man is the morning, extending to the end \nof God\'s work, in reference to matter. \n\nDuration ceases to be measured at the close \nof this day. Solomon alludes to the contrasts \nfound in this day. " Who knoweth the spirit \nof the beast, that goeth downward ; and the spirit \nof man, that goeth upward ? " For a long time \n\n\n\n128 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\nthese animals, without a spirit to be preserved, \nruled the earth as kings, " without any one to till \nthe soil." Jungles and forests, mountains and \ndales, lakes and caves, alike afford no facts incon- \nsistent with this statement of Moses. Should \nscience ever confirm the existence of a race pre- \nhistoric, resembling man, it will doubtless be \nshown that they were not a contrast with beasts, \nand have no connection with our race. \n\n2. Our race undoubtedly sprang from Adam \nless than six thousand years ago. Prehistoric \nman, like evolution, rests upon the hypotheses \nof men, always unsafe ; but in this case unsup- \nported by a well-attested fact. The former may \nclaim the intuitions of that class of persons ever \nlooking up the genealogy of Cain\'s wife ; the lat- \nter has the common sense of the average man \nagainst him. Upon this subject, as upon every \nother upon which the Bible pretends to speak, \n" If they speak not according to what is written, \nit is because there is no truth in them." By spec \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAY\'S WORK OF GOD. 129 \n\nial revelation man saw that by a special provi- \ndence of God, he caused the ground to become \nthe mother of man ; and from this creation pro- \nceeded, by the same special providence, a help- \nmeet for man. She has ever proved herself the \ngreat help in the march of civilization. Facts \nshow that man gloriously contrasts with the \nhighest types going before. \n\n3. It is not yet a settled question that the air, \nfor any number of thousands of years before \nAdam, was sufficiently cleared of deadly gases as \nto admit of human breathing. On looking upon \nthe coal veins of Pennsylvania, we need no argu- \nment to show that man could not have breathed \nthe carbon that hung in the air of that period of \ndeposit. The mute faces of the coal beds of \nOhio forbid man\'s existence then, although these \nsucceed the former by millions of years. Geolo- \ngists agree that the Pacific deposits of coal have \nbeen this side of the great upheavals of the large \nmountains. If man had been living then, the \n\n\n\n130 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED \n\ncarbonic acid of the air would have strangled the \nlife out of him. When we take into consideration \nhow very slowly a continent rises, out of the \nocean, and that both the Atlantic and Pacific \ncoasts had to rise over five thousand feet to ex- \npose their fruitful valleys ; and also how very \nlong a period had to elapse after, before the air \nwould be laid into the ground by vegetation, we \nshall readily see the force of this proposition, \nviz : The very calculations which science has \ngiven us bring the deadly gases very near to the \ntime given in Genesis for the creation of our pres- \nent race. \n\nThe volcanic periods of the world\'s history \nargue against the early habitation of the Earth \nby man. Every volcano is a vent for the escape \nof deadly gases, caused by the consumption of \noils and coal in the Earth\'s strata. The enormous \nquantity of coal consumed is but faintly indi- \ncated by the amount of ashes thrown out. The \nmountains give evidence of recent volcanic dis- \n\n\n\nIN THE SIX DAY\'S WORK OF GOD. 131 \n\nturbance, greatly exceeding the present. Ancient \nriver beds are found into whose channels the de- \nbris of the mountains had been dragged by the \ngreat ice-flow, until leveled over to the height \nof several thousand feet ; then the volcanic era \ncovered, in places, this drift fifty or sixty feet \nthick; thus preserving the silt from being \ndragged away, as the waters receded. The fact \nthat we had a coal period following, shows that \nman in the volcanic period, and for thousands of \nyears after, could not breathe the air. Our active \nvolcanoes are reduced to about three hundred. \nStill the air is polluted in many ways. Smelting \nworks, forges and gas plants all pollute the air. \nEvery cesspool, every whiff of burning tobacco, \nadds its quota to air-corrupting. Each year con- \ntributes to deposit a portion of the remaining \ncarbon of the air. Rich valleys of warm zones \nare not yet healthy. We still go to the mountains \nfor invigorating air. \n\n5. Evidently, we have not yet reached the \n\n\n\n132 THE NEPTUNIAN THEORY DISPLAYED. \n\nclimax of good breathing air. Nature discour- \nages the thought, that man could have continued \nhis race, in any time, much previous to that \ngiven for the creating of Adam. The morning \nof the sixth day is in progress. Prophecy pre- \nsents the coming man greatly improved over the \npresent. " My Father worketh hitherto, and I \nwork." \n\n6. This morning ends, when the angel stands \none foot upon the land, his right hung over the \nsea, with his left hand pointing to heaven, pro- \nclaiming that time shall be no longer. " And \nGod rested from all his labor." \n\n\n\nDeacidified using the Bookkeeper process. \nNeutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide \nTreatment Date: May 2005 \n\nPreservatiqnTechnologies \n\nA WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION \n\n111 Thomson Park Drive \nCranberry Township. PA 16066 \n\nnoa\\ 779-21 1 1 \n\n\n\nLIBRARY OF CONGRESS \n\n\n\n\n014 325 965 1 \n\n\n\n\nllliH \n\n\n\n\n'