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xmmmiii'mmiA^:A<is(^: 
 
 A SYSTEM 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CREATION OF OUR GLOBE, 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PLANETS,^>\J 
 
 AND THE 
 
 ^ 
 
 SUN OF OUU SYSTEM rVj' 
 
 FOUNDED ON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS, ON THE GEOLOGY 
 
 OF THE EARTH, AND ON THE MODIiUN DISCOVERIES IN 
 
 THAT SCIENCE, AND THE KN(»WN OPERATIONS 
 
 OF THE LAW OF NATURE, 
 
 As evinced ly the discoveries of 
 
 LAVOISIER, 
 
 AND OTHERS IN PNEUMATIC CHEMISTRY. 
 
 FOVnTH EDITION REVISED AND ENLARGED, 
 
 ff 
 
 ^2 !Q|c«^ ?:a32loi% 
 
 : J 
 
 TORONTO: 
 
 PBINTED BY W. J. COATES, KING-STREET. 
 
 MAY 171971 
 
 526710^ 
 

 it 
 
 5fJife.vl^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 fei 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^1 
 
 4 V. 
 
 TO 
 
 MEMORANDUM FOR THE READER. 
 
 The reader will find the new mailer of the Second, Third, 
 and present Editions in (he Appendix No, 2, at the end 
 
 t 
 
 of the Work, 
 
 ^ \-h_j,^'^ \? 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In my endeavours to reconcile the present Geological 
 appearances of our Earth, with the Mosaic account of 
 Creation, the only certain means that appeare). to me, 
 were, the adoption of that construction of the first 
 verse of Genesis, which I have stated in a pkrt of this 
 Work, and it will be seen by an extract from the Quar- 
 terly Review of April last, inserted below, that this 
 construction has been confirmed and sanctioned by the 
 writings of Professor Buckland,, Doctors Pusey and 
 Chalmers, Bishop Gleig, and other eminent Divines. 
 These authorities have removed the diffidence I had 
 long felt to publish a different construction from what 
 has, hitherto, prevailed. 
 
 The original manuscript of this work was composed 
 between the years 1819 & 1825. The writings of the 
 above reverend gentlemen were published, I believe, 
 several years aflerwards, and none of them ha\e been 
 pel used by me, until a few days since, when I met 
 with the Review of the Bridgewater Treatise of Doc- 
 tor Buckland. 
 
 In the summer of 1829, I presented a prospectus of 
 the work to Archdeacon Mountain, and to the Bishop 
 of Quebec. The former kindly complimented me on it, 
 and the latter recommended my publishing it in Lon. 
 don, for which I was soon to embark. I arrived there 
 in. October of same year, and presented the prospectus 
 to the Lord Bishop of London, from whom I received 
 a note by which he was pleased to commend the design 
 of the work. I subsequently presented the prospectus 
 to several of the principal Booksellers, who, on learning 
 that the size of the work would be that of a pamphlet, 
 
IV. 
 
 
 informed me, tha*. the cost of advertising was so great* 
 that uo pamphlet would pay it, and my circumstances 
 preventing me from incurring that expence, ( gave up 
 the intention of publishing. 
 
 In the mean time, a reverend gentleman of the name 
 of Fairholme was p*iblishing a theological work con- 
 nected with geology, and I enclosed to him a copy of 
 the prospectus, and in a letter I received from him, 
 dated Oct. 14th, 1833, he says, " with regard to the 
 Creation of our earth or of the sun, and other members 
 of the Solar System I have neither found in the work 
 of any writer, nor can I conceive the smallest 
 grounds on which to form a consistent theory, nor in- 
 deed do I conceive that it belongs to the science of 
 geology at all. Scripture has given us no insight into 
 it. The existing laws of nature are equally silent, 
 and yet these laws must have existed from the beginning," 
 lie then assumes, " that the granito mass has been 
 formed before the existence ol organized beings, as 
 their remains are never found in it," an opinion v/hich, 
 I think, the reader will find answered in note 2nd of 
 this work ; and the assertion that neither scripture nor 
 the laws of nature give any insight into the Creation, 
 appears to me so futile, that I have inserted the above 
 extract, solely to prove, that the construction i had put 
 on the 1st verse of Qenesis, had not rt the date of that 
 letter, been yet made by any other writer. 
 
 By the follov/ing extract from the Bridge water Trea- 
 tise of the Rev. Doctor Buckland, pi blished long since 
 the date of Mr. Fairholme's letter, it will be seen that 
 construction has been sanctioned and confirmed by the 
 authorities mentioned above. 
 
 And having presented my prospectus to the persons 
 aviove named, and also to the Royal Institution in Al- 
 bemarle-street, London, in 1833, I consider it a duty 
 
 ■.hj 
 
 1 :J1 
 
V. 
 
 was so great, 
 (ircutnstances 
 ce, I gave up 
 
 ,n of the name 
 cal work con- 
 him a copy of 
 ed from him, 
 regard to the 
 )ther members 
 id in the work 
 
 the smallest 
 heory, nor in- 
 the science of 
 no insight into 
 equally silent, 
 Ihe beginning" 
 naos has been 
 2ed beings, as 
 opinion v/liich, 
 
 note 2nd of 
 ir scripture nor 
 I the Creation, 
 jrted the above 
 ction i had put 
 
 he date of that 
 
 r. 
 
 Igewater Trea* 
 
 shed long since 
 lill be seen that 
 |nfirmed by the 
 
 to the persons 
 
 stitution in Al- 
 
 Isider it a duty 
 
 1 
 
 y.A 
 
 
 to ^.lyself to claim the originating of that construction, 
 by which the general appearanc3of ^racft/aZ deposition 
 in the geology of the earth, (whose diameter must, ac- 
 cording to the modern geologists, have existed millions 
 of years) will, as well as this supposed age, be now 
 reconciled and satisfactorily explained by the Mosaic 
 account. 
 
 Extract ft cm the Review of tie Bridgewater Treatise. 
 
 ** If there are any lovers of science yet ignorant of the ex- 
 tent and fertility of the field which Geology has laid open — of 
 the intensity and variety of interest by which those who explore 
 it are repaid — here is a work to astonish and delight them. If 
 there are any persons yet deterred from the study of this fasci. 
 nating science, by the once prevalent notion, that the facts, 
 or theories if you will, that it teaches, tend to weaken the be. 
 lief in revealed religion, by their apparent inconsistency wiih 
 the scriptural globe, — Aet5, in the work of a dignit&ry of the 
 church, writing, ex cathedra^ from the head quarters of ortho. 
 doxy, they will find the amplest assurances thatiheir impression 
 is not merely erroneous, but the very reverse of the truth : for 
 that, while its discoveries are not in any degree at vananoe 
 with the correct interpretation of the Mosaic narrative, there 
 exists no science which can produce more powerful evidence in 
 support of natural religion — none which will be found a mor« 
 potent i\uxiliary to revelation, by exalting our conviction, of 
 the pov/er, and wisdom and goodness of the Creator. 
 
 •♦Several hypotheses have been proposed, with a view of re. 
 conciling the phenomena of geology, with the brief account of 
 creation which we find in the fiook of Genesis and others. It 
 has been plausibly stated, that the Six Days of Creation must, 
 each of them, ^ > understood to imply not as now, a single re. 
 volution of the Globe, but some other cylic period of unknown 
 extent. Dr. Buckland, however, prefers that explanation 
 which is supported by the high authority of Dr. Pusey, the Re. 
 gius Professor of Hebre\ir in Oxford, and has the sanction of 
 Dr. Chalmers, Bishop Gleig, and other eminent contemporary 
 divines, — namely, that the phrase employed in the first words 
 of Genesis, *In the beginning God created the Heaven and the 
 earth,* may refer to an epoch antecedent to the 'first day,' subs*, 
 quently spoken of in the fifth verse, and that during this indefi. 
 
▼I. 
 
 I 
 
 v 
 
 nite interval,comprisIng, perhaps, millions and millions of yeaiw, 
 all the physical operutionB disclosed by geology were going on. 
 Many of the Fathers quoted by Professor Pusoy, appear to 
 have thus interpreted the commencement of the sacred history, 
 understanding from it that a considerable interval took place 
 between the original creation of the univerte, related in the first 
 verse, and that series of events of which an account is given in 
 the third and following verses. 
 
 «> < Accordinglv,' savs Professor Pusey, *in some old editions of 
 the English Bible, where there are no divisions into verses, you 
 actually find a break at the end of what is now the second 
 verse; and in Luther's Bible (Wittenburg, 1557) you have in 
 addition the figure I placed against the third verse, as being the 
 beginnmg of the account of the creation on the first day. This 
 is just tho sort ot confirmation which one wished for, because, 
 though ono would shrink from the impiety of bending the lun. 
 guage of God*B Book to any other than its obvious meaning, we 
 cannot help fearing lest we might be unconseiously influenced 
 by the fl<'ating opinions of our own day, and therefore turn the 
 more anxiously to those who explained Holy Scripture before 
 these theories existed.' — Note^ p. 25. 
 
 "Thus all difficulty arismg from the immense antiquity of 
 the Globe attested by Geology is at once removed. The cir- 
 vumstances related in the succeeding verses must be understood 
 as referring to those immediate changes by which the surface 
 of the earth was prepared for the reception of man. — Just as 
 the facts disclosed by astronomy, wilhout detracting ought 
 from the credit of the inspired historian, prove that the sun, 
 and moon, and planetary bodies must have existed previous to 
 the ' fourth day,' on vrY ich he first mentions them as * made,' 
 or appointed to serve the office of * signs and seasons, and days 
 and years ;' so Geology in no degree contradicts the real mean- 
 ing of the text, by proclaiming the fact that the air, the earth, 
 and the waters, were peopled by living creatures for innumer. 
 able ages before that epoch in the world's history — which the 
 •acred historian alone contemplates." 
 
 Under the sanction of this confirmation of the con> 
 struction I had put on the first verse of Genesis, in my 
 original manuscript, formed between 1819 and 1825, 
 (and which is now greatly enlarged by the addition of 
 the notes containing an account of the late geological' 
 
 f 
 
ion of the con- 
 Genesis, in my 
 
 1819 and 1825, 
 the addition ol- 
 
 Q late geological 
 
 vu. 
 
 discovencs, and observations upon them,) 1 now pre. 
 sent this work to the public of Upper Canada, and con- 
 clude this preface with the sublime description of 
 Eternal Wisdom given us in the 8th chapter of Pro- 
 verbs ; and which, I trust, will justly apply to the great 
 additional light which the modern discoveries in pneu- 
 matic science are enabled to confer on the cosmogony 
 of the creation. 
 
 " The Lord possessed mo in the beginning of his way, be- 
 fore his works of old, — v. 22. 
 
 " I was sot up from everlasting, from the beginning, or oven 
 the earth was. — v. 23. (Say before the Combustion of the 
 G asses, as shown in this vork.) 
 
 '* Whbn there were no depths, I was brought forth ; when 
 there were no fountams abounding with water. — v. 24. (At ths 
 Combustion of the Gasses, as shown in this work.) 
 
 '* When he prepared the heavens, I wag there ; when he set 
 a compass upon the face of the depth ;" — v. 27. (Say after tiier 
 Combustion of the Gasses, as shown in this work.) 
 
 HENRY TAYI>0R. 
 
 
 ToROKTo, Nov. 22, I83e. 
 
^* AN ATTEMPil TO FORM A SYSTEM 
 
 ■ / Of THB 
 
 CREATION OF OUR GLOBE, to. 
 
 
 In the year of our Lord 1819, I returned to the 
 land of my birth, the Canadas, after an absence of 
 nigh forty years in England and Nova Scotia, 
 during which, I had undergone great misfortunes 
 in an extensive line of mercantile business. 
 
 The pleasing sensadons I felt on this return to my 
 native country, may have been experienced by 
 many ; the intensity with which I felt them, may 
 have been occasioned by so long an absence ; and 
 having now,as it were, fallen into the calm and pure 
 resort of nature, the woods of Lower Canada, I 
 was never more happy ihan in the study of her 
 works. From early youth I had been fond of the 
 science of chemistry ; and now, some books of 
 geology fell into my hands : with them I frequently 
 compared the appearances I met with in my walks, 
 which, being in unison with these books, gradually 
 confirmed me in the opinion, that our earth was 
 originally formed in a fluid, and was deposited 
 from it. 
 
 In the treatise on chemistry by Professor Chap- 
 tal, I found an account of the chaotic system of 
 creation of the ancients ; by which it is supposed 
 
il 
 
 
 ^l 
 
 10 
 
 that the chaotic mixture, being formed, the various 
 substances were attracted to each other, by the 
 laws of mutual affinity, and precipitated. 
 
 On frequent reflection, however, on this theory, 
 and contrasting it with the general state of the 
 depositions of the earth in strata and laminae, it 
 appeared to me to be totally insufficient to account 
 for these appearances : had a chaotic mixture been 
 formed by the Creator, containing in solution all 
 the various geological bodies, and had nothing more 
 been required for their formation, but the operation 
 of their affinities and attractions, these must have 
 taken place immediately, and they would be found 
 deposited in homogenous, and exclusive masses, 
 according to their various affinities and gravities : 
 but the formations are generally found in alternate 
 layers and laminae of frequently mixed substances, 
 and bear the certain marks, not only of being depo- 
 sited from a fluid, but also, of a gradual and mixed 
 deposition, at periods probably of immense distance 
 from each other. This reflection led me to conceive 
 that these depositions were gradually produced by 
 some permanent and continually operating cause. 
 
 In the above mentioned work of Chaptal, I had 
 found and been much struck with the beautiful and 
 interesting theory he has given of the formation of 
 the various primitive earths and many salts, metals 
 and mineral substances, by the processes of vege- 
 tation, which are found on the decomposition of 
 those vegetables by analysis and combustion : I 
 was also aware, that vast tracts of the earth are 
 formed by vegetable, animal and marine depositions^ 
 and bemg on« day occupied in reading attentively 
 
 j 
 
 'I 
 
the various 
 her, by the 
 d. 
 
 this theory, 
 
 state of the 
 
 [ laminaB, it 
 
 t to account 
 
 lixture been 
 
 solution all 
 
 othing more 
 
 le operation 
 
 must have 
 
 lid be found 
 
 ive masses, 
 
 d gravities : 
 
 in alternate 
 
 [substances, 
 
 jeing depo- 
 
 and mixed 
 
 tse distance 
 
 to conceive 
 
 oduced by 
 
 mg cause. 
 
 )tal, I had 
 
 autiful and 
 
 rmation of 
 
 ilts, metals 
 
 s of vege- 
 
 )osition of 
 
 3Ustion : I 
 
 earth are 
 
 epositions^ 
 
 ttentively 
 
 11 
 
 the account of the creation in the first chapter 
 of Genesis, the waters there in mentioned forced 
 themselves strongly on my attention and repeated 
 consideration, until at last, the idea grew upon me, 
 that the geological bodies of the earth were, some- 
 how or other, produced in these waters. 
 
 That the earth was formed in h. fluid, I now felt 
 thoroughly convinced of; that a great part of it, 
 consisted of vegetable and animal depositions, even 
 almost to the tops of the highest mountains, as stat- 
 ed by the geologists, seemed to me a proof, that 
 these marine vegetables aod animals must have pre- 
 viously existed in waters whicN produced these de- 
 positions ; and, as no inundation or deluge is suffi- 
 cient to account for these universal appearances of 
 the formations in the earth ; therefore, the waters 
 or oceans mentioned in the first of Genesis appear- 
 ed to me the only, and the truest sources, by which 
 we can account for them. 
 
 During my reading and reflections on this* sub- 
 ject, and previous to my determining to form a 
 Theory of the Creation, Archdeacon Paley's Evi- 
 dences of Natural Religion fell into my hands, in 
 which the atheistical doctrines of chance, and also, 
 the notions of BuflTon, of the earth's formation by a 
 fragment knockt off'by a Cometfrom the sun^ is 
 related, and commented on by the Archdeacon. 
 
 I shall therefore, previously to advancing any 
 thing more on the system of Creation I had gradual- 
 ly formed in my own mind, beg leave to make some 
 observations on those doctrines of chance formation, 
 and thus endeavour to clear the way for a system, 
 I trust, more consistent with reason, and with our 
 r«Iigion. 
 
 ) 
 
 
12 
 
 N 
 
 ** Amongst inanimate substances (says Paley in 
 age 63 of his Theology of Nature or Evidences of 
 
 atural Religion,) a clod, a pebble, a liquid drop, 
 might be, (but never was a watch a telescope, or 
 organised body of any kind, answering i valuable 
 purpose by a complicated mechanism,) tho effect 
 of chance : in no assignable instance hath such a 
 thing existed without intention, some where." 
 
 Now, it appears to me very singular, that Paley, 
 after having so clearly exposed the absurdity of 
 this theory of chance, should have thus conceded 
 the possibility of a clod, a pebble, or a liquid drop, 
 being the product of it : a clod is a piece or part 
 of the earth ; a pebble is a fragment of some rock 
 rounded by the waters ; a liquid drop is a part of 
 those waters. The same cause then, that produced 
 •the earth and seas, produced also the clod, pebble, 
 and drop. 
 
 But, can there be any doubt that the earth itself 
 contains marks of design and intelligence ? That 
 all its vegetables and animals contain marks of de- 
 sign, He has proved : now we cannot refuse the 
 «ame evidence of design in the formation of the earth 
 Olid seas, if it were solely as a matrix or habitation 
 for these plants and animals ; and, among the evi- 
 dences of design which these last exhibit, I beg leave 
 to mention one which I believe, has escaped the ob- ^ 
 servation of the Archdeacon : it is the amazing va- ' 
 rieties exhibited in ev».ry species of these plants 
 and animals. Had they been solely the offspring of 
 a "blind conatus," there would, probably, have been 
 but one species of each of them. But their vast va- 
 rieties «hew a master and designing hand to havo 
 
13 
 
 I 
 
 directed their formation. But the evidence of de- 
 sign which the earth exhibits, is not confined to its 
 own formation ; iliis evidence is much more strong 
 when we find and consider it as a part of a system of 
 planets revolving in known periods round a central 
 sun, whose light and heat are evidently the intend- 
 ed sustainers of the life and enjoyments of the plants 
 and inhabitants existing on this family of planets. 
 
 It is also stau'd in page 92 of the above work, 
 that Builbn considers the planets to have been 
 " shivered off the sun by some stroke of a comet." 
 Paley adds, " that ho nevc-r could see the difference 
 between the anti(]nated ' System of Atoms,' and 
 BufTon's * Organic Blolecules ;' " and that " this 
 ])hilosopher having made a planet, by knocking off 
 from the sun a piece of melted glass, in conse- 
 quence of the stroke of a comet, and having set it 
 in motion by the same stroke, both round its own 
 axis and the sun, finds his next difficulty to be, how 
 to bring plants and animals upon it," &;c. 
 
 N6w, as to the solid parts of the earth ; allow- 
 ing glass to be composed of a variety of materials, 
 yet, I believe no part of the interior of the earth 
 is discovered to be vitreous, except in the vicinity 
 of volcanic mountains, or where these have previ- 
 ously existed. How then has this glass, of which 
 Buffbn supposes the earth to have been formed; 
 how has it been metamorphosed into the vast va- 
 riety of mineral products which geology discovers 
 to us ? The internal substance of the earth down 
 to its centre, is supposed to be granite or bodies of 
 greater density ; and neither granite, nor the n^ore 
 
14 
 
 oxtcrnal fornmtions bear any resemblance to vi- 
 treous or volcanic matter. 
 
 But, if even the solid parts of our earth, will not 
 support such a theory, how are we to account by 
 it lor our waters ? Is it in the midst of the molten 
 glass of a burning sun, we are to look for them ? 
 Water, even in a state of vapour, could not exist 
 there, but must have been driven off to immense 
 distances, or else decomposed by the sun's fire ; 
 Water, however, is said to constitute three-fourths 
 of the Earth's surface, and the total inability of this 
 theory or supposition, to account for its production, 
 appears to me decisive against its foundation in 
 reality. (Vide 1st i^ 2nd paragraph of Note 4th.) 
 •I 
 
 I shall now notice the opinions on Chance or A the- 
 ism, as causes to account for the productions of na- 
 ture in our globe. 
 
 The Organic Molecules of Buffon are thus stated 
 by Paley, in page 427 of the above Work, Evi- 
 dences of Natural Religion, namely : "we are to 
 suppose the universe replenished with particles 
 endowed with life, but without Organization of 
 their own, and endowed, also, with a tendency to 
 marshal themselves into organized forms." 
 
 It appears to me almost impossible that the 
 author of this doctrine, if it be Buftbn, could rest 
 satisfied with this cause of Creation ; because, al- 
 though it should be allowed that these particles of 
 life could infuse themselves into organized bodies, 
 we naturally enquire, how came these particles 
 themselves into the universe ? This is the secret, 
 undiscoverable without allowing an " unknown 
 
 ■if 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 t 
 
 
15 
 
 blancc to vi- 
 
 cuuse.** If Buffon would account for the existence 
 of these particles by chance, I say, that from the 
 time of their finding their way into these Molecules, 
 or organized forms, there is so much, and so con- 
 stantly exhibited in every one of these forms, what 
 we call, in plain language, intelligence and design 
 to produce good and wise ends ; that the term 
 Chance, in the sense in which it would be employed 
 by these Atheistical writers, completely compre- 
 hends intelligence and design ; for these are found 
 inseparable from these organized forms ; therefore, 
 the Doctrine of Chance, instead of confuting, proves 
 the existence of an Unknown Creating Cause. 
 
 Were the term Chance to be understood merely 
 in the common acceptation of the term, as existing, 
 for instance, in many of the events :>? life, it will 
 still always be considered as too libsurb and im- 
 potent to account for the productions of Nature, 
 because it is not in the nature of the human mind to 
 rest satisfied with what, I trust, may be fairly call- 
 ed a BufFonery system of Creation. 
 
 Now, therefore, to finish with this, and with the 
 notion of the planets being knocked off from the 
 Sun ; to account for their Creation thereby, without 
 an Intelligent Creator, I must say, I feel it to be a 
 daring thing of this or any writer, to have attempt- 
 ed the overthrow of the established opinions of all 
 Christian nations, as set forth in the Scriptures 
 handed down to us from the people whom it ap- 
 pears to me, were chosen by the design of Heaven 
 to preserve mankind in the faith and worship of 
 one Creator, and which are, I believe, supported in 
 
r' 
 
 '! 
 
 I- 
 
 16 
 
 their principal facts by the immortal Newton, io 
 his system of the Universe, and certainly believed 
 by him. 
 
 Previous to thus presuming to overthrow thig 
 sacred religion, it appears to me, this author should 
 have formed a system less replete with absurdity, 
 but fortunately too much so, to produce extensively 
 any evil effects. Christians, in general, are fixed 
 in their notions of the true cause of all they see, 
 taste, and feel around them, and of their own ex- 
 istence. The Jewish Nation was taught by a re- 
 ligion which, from the days of Adam, had been fol- 
 lowed by mankind, — a belief in one Almighty 
 Creator of all things. This belief had nearly, how- 
 ever, disappeared from the earth in succeeding 
 ages. Men, enervated by the cfFccts of those hot 
 climates, and sunk in consequent sensuality, were 
 tempted to throw off* the wholesome restraints of a 
 pure religion, and gradually fell into an idolatry, 
 whose ministers, probably, permitted these sensual 
 habits, to confirm their own power over these peo- 
 ple. The Jews, alone, had preserved the worship 
 of one AlmightyCreator, until their prosperity, after 
 the deliverance from Egyptian bondage, sunk them 
 into the same idolatrous practices as their fore- 
 fathers. 
 
 And here I beg leave to observe, that this re- 
 peated defection of the Jews, and of the rest of 
 mankind, from the worship of one God, appears to 
 me a strong proof that Deism alone, in its purest 
 state, is not sufficient to prevent mankind from fall- 
 ing into idolatrous worship. But, the Saviour pro- 
 mised in the Scriptures by the inspired writers, 
 
17 
 
 il Newton, in 
 ainly believed 
 
 overthrow thif 
 author should 
 r'lih absurdity, 
 ce extensively 
 eral, arB fixed 
 all they see, 
 their own ex- 
 lught by a re- 
 , had been fol- 
 )ne Almighty 
 d nearly, how- 
 in succeeding: 
 of those hot 
 isuality, were 
 restraints of a 
 
 an idolatry, 
 these sensual 
 /ec these peo- 
 
 the worship 
 osperity, after 
 ye, sunk them 
 as their fore- 
 
 that this re- 
 )f the rest of 
 d, appears to 
 in its purest 
 :ind from fall- 
 Saviour pro- 
 ired writers, 
 
 o 
 
 ;i 
 
 't?; 
 
 arose at length to astonish mankind, and to bring 
 them back for ever from that idolatry to a religion 
 which alone is worthy of the highest degree ot in- 
 telligence to which the mind of man can arrive ; 
 a religion which, while it allows him the most ex- 
 tended use of that intelligence in the contemplation 
 of the works of Creation, teaches him, also, to be 
 contented with the limits which appear to be fixed 
 to it ; and being convinced of the existence of an 
 Almighty Protector, to feel the glowing pleasure of 
 the adoration of Him to be among his purest and 
 most comforting sensations. 
 
 These cheering feelings of the heart and mind, 
 cold and joyless Atheism is void of, and thereby 
 its errors are proved ; because, the almost universal 
 feeling of these emotions, and their cultivation by 
 nations who have at all risen above idolatrous wor- 
 ship, is a proof that these emotions came from the 
 hands of Nature and Reason, and they appear to 
 form the links of a chain which connects this with 
 a future state of existence. 
 
 The supporters of the Doctrine of Chance, how- 
 ever, disdaining to be contented with the Scriptu- 
 ral account of Creation, have formed various wild 
 and futile notions to account for it, in order, no 
 doubt, to seek for distinction by opposing the gene- 
 rally received doctrines ; but finding, as I trust to 
 have shewn, the total impotence of Chance^ of ap- 
 petencies, PRINCIPLES of ORDER, POSSIBLE COMBI- 
 NATIONS OF MATERIAL FORMS, and of LAWS OF NA- 
 TURE, &c. &c., to satisfy the inquisitive mind of 
 man, they have been obliged to conclude with t(jlL- 
 
18 
 
 ing us, " that neither they uor we know any thintf 
 about the matter." {Vide page 7 of Paley s 
 Tkiclogy) 
 
 But, at that very point, vihere they have thus 
 found themselves stopt in the extension of their 
 enquiries, is seen " the God whom we worship." 
 There, when this proud, but false philosophy find? 
 its ignorance begin to darken it, we have the cbar 
 and powerful light o^ this true religion to illuminate 
 us, and to teach us to rest satisfied with the im- 
 penetrable veil which its author has pleased to fix 
 between Himself and His creatures in this stage of 
 existence. 
 
 Of akin to these doctrines of chanc^ Creation is 
 the idea of the Materiality of the Human Soul; 
 and previous to dismissing this part of the subject, 
 I beg leave of the reader to offer some observations 
 on this Doctrine of Materiality. 
 
 The Materialist supposes, that all the powers of 
 the mind of man result from his Organization alone. 
 Jt follows, then, as a natural consequence, that 
 when this organization is destroyed, the mind is 
 destroyed along with it. Matei alism, then, neces- 
 sarily leads to a disbelief in a future state. 
 
 Now, in no parts of Nature do we find facaltios 
 bestowed which are not generally productive of 
 certain purposes to these parts ; therefore, if mf;n 
 were destined solely for exirtence on this earth : 
 if his thoughts were solely tht effects of the organi- 
 zation of his frame ; is it not probable his thoughts 
 would have been confined lo the actual sphere of 
 his destined existence ? V/ould he not have beei^ 
 
19 
 
 Tinabio to form those high imaginations and \\odc» 
 of eternal happiness in more perfect regions t 
 
 For, if we may reason from the vast body of 
 evidrice of her works, Nature does nothing, nor 
 bestows nothing, in vain > she never appears to act 
 with deception ; therefore would not have given to 
 man of all ages and nations those hopes of future 
 happiness merely to disappoint them. " I am po- 
 sitive I have a soui,^' says Laurence Sterne, " nor 
 shall all the books with which Materialists have 
 pestered the world, ever convince me to the 
 contrary.** 
 
 The vast powers of intellect and of science, by 
 which man has been enable.d to observe and to 
 trace so exactly, the astonishing systems of the 
 heavenly bodies ; those high passions and thoughts 
 of future bliss which he is thereby led to hope for, 
 in some such regions, partake too much of the na- 
 ture of Spirit to suffer us to think they are solely 
 produced by a more perfect organization than i* 
 bestowed on the horse, the mule, or the ass. 
 
 It, moreover, has been proved by the anatomy 
 of the brain of the Ourang Outang, an animal ap- 
 proaching nearer to the human species than any 
 other, that its brain exactly resembles that of the 
 human species ; and it is said, *' it is surprising this 
 resemblance is productive of so few advantages ; 
 the tongue, and all the organs of the voice are si- 
 milar, and yet the animarls dumb ; the brain ff 
 formed in the same mannori and yet the Creature 
 wants reason 5 an evident proof, [as Buffbn finely 
 observes,] that no arrangement of matter will givs 
 mindf and that the bbd^i^i how nicety soever fori^d^ 
 
 '■-./^^.'/^ C/. 
 
 O"^^ 
 
 :J' 
 
20 
 
 is funned to very limited ends, when tlicre is not 
 infused a soul to direct its operations ;" — and I am 
 the more happy in .^ this quotation, as it shews 
 thut Buflfon has indeed the redeeming quaHty of not 
 acceding to, but of disproving, the degrading Doc- 
 trine of ImmatcriaUtv. We feel indeed less sur- 
 prised at the invention of »uch a doctrine, when 
 we are informed who arc its abetters or authors. 
 Persons, who, in the practice of their art, having 
 been long habituated to dissections of the human 
 body, have thereby become more apt to form their 
 notions from their eyes than from the reflections of 
 their minds, have sought to make the world be- 
 Heve, that the superiority of the mind of man over 
 other animals, arose merely from a moro perfect 
 organization of the brain ; and such an assertion 
 reminds us of the Alchemists who sought for the 
 J Philosophers' Stone in some of the most loathsome 
 objects in nature. Had the Materialists watched 
 and studied the operations of their own hearts and 
 minds, in the hours of calm contemplation; had 
 they allowed these parts of their frames to exert a 
 due influence over their opinions, they would, pro- 
 bably, have felt the force of the great jxiet's asser- 
 tion, " 'Tis the Divinity which stir* within us." 
 
 They may, indeed, have carried their anatomi- 
 cal science and skill to that exact point where body 
 meets spirit ; they may have discovered the pre- 
 cious matrix in which this "immortal spirit" is 
 destined at present to reside ; but, they would not 
 thus have presumed to degrade its nature and its 
 future destiny. 
 
 In rme» this material doctrine of the mind may 
 
 \ 
 
 N, 
 
 V 
 
21 
 
 % 
 
 t 
 
 well be said to savour too much of the shop, and 
 no well cultivated mind can, I think, for a moment 
 assent to so degrading a doctrine ; — and I shall con- 
 clude this subject with an observation I have made 
 on the separate existence of mind from body, even 
 in this world. When two persons converse toge- 
 ther, the ideas of their minds pass from the organs 
 of speech, through the air intervening between the 
 two persons : in this passage, therefore, mind exists 
 separate from the body from whence it came. It is 
 conveyed, indeed, by the vibrations of the parti- 
 cles of air it passes through, but it certamly has, 
 during that period, an existence separate from the 
 body and organs it proceeded fi'om. Mind, there- 
 fore, can exist separate from its matrix, and does 
 not seem to be entirely dependent on it for that 
 existence. 
 
 I now resume the narration of the course of 
 thought which has led me to form the pit. ?ent at- 
 tempt at a theory of the Creation of our system, 
 and, by analogy, of the other systems of th« 
 heavenly bodies. 
 
 Being, as before stated, convinced the earth had 
 been originally formed in water the enquiry, then, 
 naturally suggested itself, what waters we had any 
 historical account of which could produce this effect? 
 The chaotic liquor of the ancients, I trust to have 
 proved, is incompetent to account for the general 
 geological appearances, and therefore fails. The 
 waters of the Deluge can only account for certain 
 changes in the earth's surface, which they may 
 have occasioned, and which, no doubt, give proofs 
 
'Il 
 
 22 
 
 of the reality of that Delude. But, the proof of 
 formation in a i^uid reach far below the possible 
 effects of an inundation which lasted only one year. 
 The vast masses of marine depositions must have 
 required numerous ages to accumulate, and even 
 the granite massgives proofs of formation in a fluid, 
 by the chrystals and heterogeneous substances 
 it consists of; and this stupendous mass, which is 
 supposed to form the whole interior of the globe, 
 must have required a correspondent time for that 
 formation. 
 
 The only waters, therefore, with which History 
 furnishes us to account for these phenomena, are 
 certainly the waters of Genesis. I then proceeded 
 to enquire if the scriptural account of these waters 
 would warrant the conclusion that the earth was 
 formed in them by the deposition of the strata and 
 otht/ rocks which the latest discoveries in the 
 science of geology have pronounced it to consist of. 
 
 After a long and mature consideration I conceiv- 
 ed, that the 1st verse of Genesis, " In the beginning 
 God created the Heavens and the Earth,'* will not 
 only warrant the above conclusion ; but, perhaps, 
 also a like formation of all the planets and suns of 
 other systems; by the highly natural causes and 
 effects of those laws, which the latest discoveries 
 of Geology and Pneumatic Chemistry have found 
 to exist. 
 
 I further considered, that if the scriptural account 
 of Creation could thus be reconciled to those disco- 
 veries ; — if the Geology of the whole earth could 
 .thus be brought in proof of the reality and neces- 
 
 ca] 
 
 U 
 
 sci 
 
 tlu 
 
 cei 
 
23 
 
 «ary existence of those waters ; the doubts of the 
 Unbeliever might yield to it, and the authority of 
 scripture acquire new forces. 
 
 "In tlio beginning (lod created the heavens and 
 tlie earth." Now, the term beginning points to no 
 sjh'cijic point of time ; and I have therefore con- 
 ccivoil it may have been ages previous to the lime 
 of the reparation of the cartii from the waters men- 
 tioned in the ensuing verses ; and, that during thesn 
 4j<j^es, the earth was gradually formed in these wa- 
 ters, as will 1)0 hereafter stated. 
 
 By the famous discoveries of Black, Priestly, 
 Lavosier, and other chemists and philosophers, a 
 new world has been disclosed to us. The consti- 
 tuent part of three-fourths of the globe, water,which 
 was formerly considered as an element of Creation, 
 has, by these discoveries, been proved to consist of 
 two separate bodies, oxygen and hydrogen. Our 
 atmosphere itself, the common air, is no longer to 
 be considered as one of these elements : it is com- 
 posed of the oxygen and of the azotic gasscs ; but 
 neither oxygen nor hydrogen, nor azote, have ever 
 been obtained separate, in a liquid state. They 
 have yet been found only in the form of gasses, that 
 is, combined with light and caloric. By the com- 
 l)ustion of hydrogen or inflammable gas in oxygen 
 gas, the caloric and light of the latter escapes, and 
 water is formed, in a quantity exactly correspond- 
 ing with the weight of the gasses employed in the 
 combustion; and the same water may again be 
 tlecomposed, and returned into the state of the 
 gasses it was composed of. If, therefore, this ha 
 incontrovertibly proved — and I believe all philoso- 
 
^ 
 
 24 
 
 phical chemists are now agreed upon the fact — it» 
 follows, that the waters of the Universe recorded in 
 Genesis, must have been formed by the combustion 
 of these gasses ; it follows, that if any part of 
 these waters are composed of them, every part 
 must ; and, therefore, that the Deity, ha vine first 
 called these gasses into existence, did^ either W the 
 power of electricity, the blaze of comets, or some 
 nther means, if^^nite the hydrogen gas, which, by its 
 combustion in tiic oxygen gas, of which the empy- 
 real atmosphere may have been composed, produ- 
 ced the Universal waters of Genesis. 
 
 These waters must have been thus first produced 
 in a state of vapour, which, condensing into a liquid 
 lonn, would, by laws of attraction, be formed into 
 aqueous globes, forming the matrices of our earth, 
 and planets of our system. The vast body of heat 
 and light disengaged from this immense combustion, 
 may liave formed the Sun of our system, which, 
 by the laws of its gravity and attraction, assumed 
 its place in the centre of it, as we shall attempt to 
 .show in the Theory of the Sun*s formation. (See 
 the third and fourth paragraph of Note 4.) 
 
 These s-eas or aqueous globes, being brought 
 into a s*ate of revolution in their orbits round their 
 central sun, (see Note 16) we have now to enquire 
 i-n what way, and by what laws, the Creator pro- 
 duced, from these waters, all the solid parts of our 
 earth ? 
 
 To form the groimd-work of our reasoning on 
 this subject, we shall advert to, and consider at- 
 tentively, the Gccounta of the Geologists of the 
 
 ! 
 
 o| 
 
 S( 
 
 d^ 
 
25 
 
 marine strata and productions found in the bowels 
 of the earth, and the experiments and opinions of 
 some eminent Cherhists upon the nature and pror 
 ducts of the processes of vegetation. 
 
 " The levels,** says Cuvier, one of the most emi- 
 nent Geologists of the present day, "on which 
 marine productions are now found, are far above 
 the level of the ocean, and at heights to which the 
 sea could not reach by the action of any known 
 cause. Every part of the earth, every continent, 
 and every island, exhibits the same phenomenon. 
 The traces of revolution become more apparent, 
 when we ascend a little higher, and approach nearer 
 to the great chain of mountains. Beds of shells 
 are still found here but not of the same species as 
 those in less elevated regions. When we ascend 
 to greater elevations, and advance to the summits 
 of the highest mountains, remains of marine animals 
 grow more rare, and, at length, disappear en- 
 tirely; but the chrystallization, and many other 
 characters of these rocks, shew them to have been 
 formed in a fluid, &c. &c. 
 
 " It is impossible, therefore, to deny, that the 
 waters of the sea have formerly, and for a great 
 length of time, covered these masses of matter 
 which now consfltute our highest mountains ; and 
 further, that for a long time, these waters did not 
 support any living thing.** 
 Thus we have the evidence of Geology, that every 
 part of the earth contains marine remains, and that 
 even the summits of the highest mountains, where 
 these marine depositions cease to be found, give yet 
 evidence oi formation hy fluidity. 
 
26 
 
 That these marine remains are not found in these 
 summits may, I think, be satisfactorily accounted for. 
 Many remains are found in the same forms as when 
 they contained the living animals ; but, on taking 
 them up, they crumble into impalpable powder. 
 - The summits, therefore, of these mountains, ha\o 
 probably contained these marine remains in previ- 
 ous ages ; but being contiguous to the earth s sur- 
 face, have, by the joint action of the air and rains, 
 lost their organization, been converted into their 
 component substances, and been incorporated with 
 other mineral, matalHc, or earthy bodies. Thus, 
 all marble, lime stone, and chalk are found to con- 
 sist of precisely the same materials as every ma- 
 rine shell ; all are formed of lime and carbonic 
 acid ; and, it is therefore evident, that when the 
 masses of shells shall be so far acted upon by the 
 moisture pf the earth, rains, internal tires and mi- 
 neral solvents^ as to lose their forms, and be con- 
 verted ii>to powder ; that these agents, acting on 
 and percolating through them in various degrees, 
 will reduce them into oeds of chalk, or lime stone, 
 or marble, and, I think it not improbable, the chalk 
 and lime stone formations of the earth have been, 
 in the course of ages formed in this manner. Again, 
 " where the tree falls there it la)^," says the rro- 
 verbs. Any person who has seen and noticed the 
 aboriginal forests of the earth, will have observed 
 these trees in various stages of decay — many of 
 them reduced to a state of dust or earth ; and those 
 causes, in the course of time form hills and hillocks. 
 In accounting for the origin of peat earth and mo- 
 rasses of black soil in Britain, a late writer has, 
 
 •A 
 
 "i 
 
27 
 
 t found in these 
 1^ accounted for. 
 I forms as when 
 but, on taking 
 ible powder, 
 nountains, ha> u 
 mains in previ- 
 the earth's sur- 
 e air and rains, 
 rted into their 
 jorporated with 
 bodies. Thus, 
 e found to con- 
 Is as every ma- 
 3 and carbonic 
 that when the 
 d upon by the 
 1 fires and mi- 
 ns, and be cou- 
 nts, acting on 
 arious degrees, 
 or lime stone, 
 able, the chalk 
 rth have been, 
 anner. Again, 
 says the Fro- 
 nd noticed the 
 ave observed 
 icay — many of 
 th; and those 
 s and hillocks, 
 arth and mo- 
 e writer has, 
 
 J. 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 I 
 4 
 
 therefore, very properly, I think, assigned their 
 origin to arise from the gradual falling and decay 
 of trees in ancient times, which, falling in marshy 
 or swampy places, have decayed and acquired their 
 black colour. In a great many parts of America, 
 it is well known large tracts of land are found in 
 this state, being covered by masses of black earth 
 of various degrees of consistence, from 2 to feet 
 deep. The subsoil frequently clay. In an article 
 lately published in one of the English papers, there 
 is an account, confirming the opinion, that part of 
 the coast of Australia, in the South Seas, has been 
 entirely formed by the manure of birds called the 
 Pettrel, found there in such astonishing quantities, 
 that flocks of them are seen to cover a vast extent 
 of the atmosphere for days together. 
 
 These facts, therefore, ofler corroborating tes- 
 timony, that large tracts of the earth can, and have 
 been formed, by the depositions of vegetables and 
 aminals. {See Note 1.) 
 
 In a Geological work lately published in England, 
 we have the following account of the order of suc- 
 cession of the different layers of rocks which comr 
 pose the crust of the earth : — 
 
 Instances where found. 
 
 A. Vegetable soil. 
 
 I Mouth of the Thames 
 B. Sand,Clay,Gravel,with > 
 
 bones of some species 
 as no^ exist. 
 
 and other rivers. 
 
28 
 
 I "J I 
 
 !jl|| 
 
 C. Deep beds of Gravel,'^ 
 
 krge loose blocks oft Surface of many parts 
 , Sand, all containing I of England, and es- 
 
 bones of animals be- [ pecialfy the east and 
 
 longing to species now 
 
 extinct 
 
 south-western parts. 
 
 TERTIARY STRATA. 
 
 p. Sand, Clay, Pebbles," 
 beds of Sand, white 
 Sand-stone, many sea ( 
 Shells, bones of ex- ( 
 tinct species of ani- I 
 mals. J 
 
 E. Alternations of Lime^ 
 
 Stone,containing fresh I 
 water Shells,Clays of I 
 different qualities, and ^ 
 Lime Stones contain- 
 ing Marine shells. 
 
 F. Thick beds of Clay,ma-') 
 
 ny Sea Shells, beds of 
 Lime Stone, remains 
 * of extinct species of 
 plants and fruits, land 
 and amphibious ani- 
 mals. 
 
 
 >Vi; 
 
 Hampstead Heath, 
 Bagshot Heath,coast 
 of Suffolk & Norfolk, 
 the stone of which 
 Windsor Castle is 
 built. 
 
 Isle of Wight in 
 England. 
 
 Many places round 
 
 London, and a great 
 
 >• part of Essex and 
 
 north-east of Kent, 
 
 Isle of Sheppy. 
 
 SECONDARY STRATA. 
 
 G. Chalk with Flints 
 do. without do. 
 
 "^ Dover CliffsjBrighton, 
 ( Hertfordshire, Ham- 
 I borough Head, in 
 
 J Yorkshire, England. 
 
 1 
 
.^ A, 
 
 29 
 
 H. a. Chalk Marie* 
 b. Green Sand 
 
 c. Thick beds of Clay, 
 
 d. Yellow Sand with 
 beds of Iron. 
 
 Many parts of s. coast 
 Many parts of Kent 
 
 and Sussex. 
 The Wolds of Kent, 
 Surrey and Sussex. 
 Neighbourhood of 
 Hastings, in the isle 
 of Purbeck. s 
 
 In an account of the Geological appearances . 
 from the Lands' End in England towards the vici- 
 nity of London, the following facts are stated : — 
 
 The principal groups of secondary rocks, from 
 the primary strata to the Chalk group, form the. 
 upper or more recent members of the division. 
 
 The Chalk group, the Oolite group, the Red 
 Marie group, the Coal group, the mountain Lime 
 Stone group, the old Red Sand Stone group, the . 
 Graiwacke group, are of the following thicknesses : 
 
 Mountain Lime Stone group, 900 feet thick* 
 
 Old Red Sand Stone group, 1500 feet thick.. 
 
 Coal group, 1700 feet thick. 
 
 Red Marie group contains mines of salt and 
 marbles, alabaster and magnesia, with marine ske- 
 letons : its thickness is 2100 feet. 
 
 The Oolite group contains about twelve alterna- 
 tions of subordinate beds, or systems of beds, con- 
 sisting of Lime Stones of different qualities, and of 
 Clays: their united thickness being about 2600 
 feet, of which 1100 are formed of two beds ofCIav 
 of 5 and 600 feet each. The whole group contains 
 a vast abundance of animal remainSf almost exclu- 
 sively marine. 
 
h 
 
 30 
 
 The Chalk group is separated from the Oolite 
 group by several beds of Sands, Clays, and Sand 
 Stones, and, including them, is 1900 feet thick. It 
 extends irom Flamborough Head, in Yorkshire, to 
 Weymouth. The whole group abounds in organic 
 remains of the same classes as Winford in the 
 Oolite group. 
 
 Thus it appears, that both the tertiary and se- 
 condary formations of the Earth, contain vast 
 masses of the remains of marine productions, many 
 of them belonging to species now extinct. Many 
 of these latter are said to have been of enormous 
 sizes. 
 
 The Chalk and Lime Stone formations, as I have 
 above stated, may have been formed of the disinte- 
 gration of marine shells, which had been deposited 
 perhaps for ages previous to these which yet pre- 
 serve their organic forms, as we daily find many 
 of them in a state of disintegration, and their che- 
 mical analysis is precisely the same with Chalk and 
 
 The Coal formations must probably have been 
 Lime Stone. (See 4th paragraph of Note 2.) 
 produced by the decomposition of marine vegeta- 
 bles, as they reach far too mudi below the surface 
 of the earth to suppose them to be formed by those 
 of a terrestrial species. i 
 
 ■ .. ' • ' 
 
 Now, then, to refer to the words of Cuvier, " the 
 levels on which marine productions are now form- 
 ed, are far above the level of the ocean, and at 
 heights to which the sea could not reach by the 
 action of ainv known cause." 
 
-•■^ym.ir-rflrx^'^'^-Hr.'tj'.tX 
 
 31 
 
 To what cause can we then ascribe this pheno- 
 menon, but to the substantial, plain, and simple one, 
 the original formation of the earth ? All its geolo- 
 gical appearance give evidence of formation in a 
 fluid. Of no waters have we any record suliicient 
 to account for these facts, save the waters record- 
 ed in Genesis. These, therefore, forcibly press 
 themselves on our attention, 'and appear to me 
 perfectly competent to clear up all these pheno- 
 mena of Creation. 
 
 But water alone, that is, holding no extraneous 
 substances in sdution, either partial or complete, 
 deposiU nothing. All its depositions are found to 
 proceed from extraneous bodies. The petrifying 
 power of certain waters, of which such fabulous 
 opinions have formerly existed, is solely owing to 
 the deposition of earths or salts it had prev'ously 
 dissolved, completely or partially. 
 
 We shall, therefore, proceed to state our humble 
 conceptions of those laws of nature, which the 
 Creator may have chosen for the gradual formation 
 of our earth in the waters of Genesis, on the ground 
 work mentioned above, regarding the Ist verse of 
 the 1st chapter of that book. 
 
 Genesis, 1st chap. 1 verse. — " In the beginning 
 God created the heavens and the earth.*' 
 
 I wish first to premise, that, as I consider this 
 scriptural account of Creation, to be the only one 
 by which we can,naturally and reasonably, account 
 for the geological phenomena of our earth ; so, the 
 only thing in which I differ from the, hitherto, re- 
 ceived opinions of that Creation is, in the construc- 
 tion which, (from a desire to account for these 
 
I ! 
 
 > II' :!«.h' 
 
 If 
 
 32 
 
 phenomena, and to reconcile them with the scrip- 
 tural account,) I have put upon the meaning of this 
 Ist verse of Genesis. 
 
 As before observed, I had in the course of these 
 Rtudies of nature, been led by them, and by read* 
 ing and reflection, gradually to come to such a con- 
 struction of that verse as the following : that the 
 term, " The beginning," pointing to no specific time, 
 so it may refer to numerous ages previous to the 
 separation of the watfers from the waters mention- 
 ed in the 6th, 7th, and 9th verses ; and I moreover 
 consider, that every man hath a perfect right to 
 form such a construction of the Word of God a«« 
 his understanding, after mature reflection on His 
 works, and a diligent study of them, may, by that 
 understanding be led to, and more especially when 
 his design is good, when he conceives he is, there- 
 by, not only adding weight and authority to these 
 scriptures, by bringing the evidence of the geology 
 of every part of the globe to their confirmation, 
 but, perhaps, silencing thereby the infidelity of the 
 sceptic,and (as he may hope) exhibiting,in a stronger 
 light, the Power, Wisdom, and Glory of his Creator. 
 
 In the 2nd verse of Genesis it is said, ** And the 
 Earth was without form, and void, and darkness 
 was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of 
 God moved upon the face of the Waters." 
 
 By this verse, it would appear, the Earth was 
 completely covered by the Waters : otherwise, the 
 Spirit would have been recorded as having also 
 moved upon the land ? and the 9th verse is con- 
 firmative of this circumstance, for it says, " And 
 God said, let the Waters under the Heavens be 
 
 
33 
 
 ffathered together unto one place, and let the Dry 
 Land appear ; and it was so." This event, then, I 
 consider to have happened many a^es after tbd 
 time of the 1st verse ; which verse, 1 further con- 
 sider, to point exactly to that period to which the 
 Psalmist David, in the 102nd rsalm, 25th verse, 
 refers : ** Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the 
 founditions of the Earth /' and I consider this 
 foundation to nave been the formation of the aque- 
 ous globes of our theory. 
 
 We now proceed to our statement. 
 
 The seas, or globes of water, mentioned above 
 to have been formed by those gasses which the mo- 
 dern discoveries in pneumatic chemistry prove water 
 to be formed of, and being destmed by the Creator 
 to produce habitable Earth or Land, we shall con- 
 ceive these aqueous globes to have been endowed 
 by Him for that purpose, with amazing prolific 
 powers of life, both of the vegetable and animal 
 nature. 
 
 The remains of many of those marine animals, 
 whose skeletons have been discovered in^the earth, 
 of a species never known to have inhabited our 
 seas, are of gigantic stature and dimensions, as 
 compared to those of any existing species. 
 
 Tne marine Shells, the Ch J^s, and Lime Stone 
 formations, which I consider to n. ♦ e been produced, 
 as above observed, by the gradual disintegration of 
 these shells in the course of sufficient ages : the 
 vast Coal formations, also, prove the amazing mas- 
 ses of animal and vegetable life, which we shall ' 
 now suppose, according to our theory, to have ex- 
 isted in those Waters of Genesis ; and for proofs of 
 
34 
 
 Mrhlcli we accordingly refer our readers to the 
 geological statements in the preceding pases. 
 
 To account further for the primary earths, Lime, 
 SiLBX or Sand, Sand Stones, Flints, Gravels, 
 Clays or Alluminou8£arths,TerraPondero6a, 
 Maonesian Earths, Salt Formations, Metals, 
 Mineral Substances of all kinds, and the Rocrs 
 and other Substances composed of them and of 
 the Primary Earths, we shall now proceed to a 
 statement of those experiments, opinions, and theo» 
 ries, which have been performed and maintained 
 by several eminent chemical philosophers on this 
 important head. 
 
 In the treatise on Chemistry by Professor Chap- 
 tal, mentioned in pages 1st and 2nd, the following 
 facts are stated to have resulted from the analysis 
 made by him of certain vegetables : 
 
 ** The herb Patience affords sulphur : vegetables, 
 in their analysis, likewise present us with certain 
 metals, as Iron, Gold, and Manganese. The Iron 
 forms nearly one-twelfth of the ashes of hard- wood. 
 It may be extracted by the magnet ; but it is sel- 
 dom in a naked state, but is combined with the 
 acids of vegetation. The Iron is not imbibed from 
 the Earth, but is FORMED BY THE VEGE- 
 TATIVE PROCESS. Lime, constantly enouch, 
 forms seven-tenths of the fixed residue of vegetable 
 incineration, usually combined with the carbonic 
 acid. Next to Lime, Alumine is the most abun- 
 dant earth in vegetables ; and next, Magnesia. — 
 Silicious earth likewise exists, but less abundantly ; 
 least common of all is Barytes or Terra Ponderosa.^ 
 
35 
 
 . As an evident and sufficient proof that all the 
 products of vegetables are produced by the water, 
 and perhaps the air, necessary for their growth, 
 I extract also the following observation of Professor 
 Chaptal : »* It appears proved by Van Helmont, 
 that vegetables can live and grow with only air 
 and water. He planted a willow weighing 59 lbs., 
 watered it with distilled water five years. It in- 
 creased to 169 lbs. : the earth it was grown in 
 lost only two ounces." If one vegetable be thus 
 proved to acquire its growth from water and air, 
 the strong probability is, that, as Chaptal says, ** all 
 others do," and by the uniformity of the laws of 
 Nature, we may conclude this law applies generally 
 to the vegetative process. {See Note 15.) 
 
 Thus, although Sir Humphrey Davy supposes, 
 but does not assert, the fact, that these earths are 
 taken up by the vegetation from the soils around 
 them ; yet, as he does in another part of his writ- 
 ings admit, that all substances, before entering the 
 tubes of vegetables in nutrition, must be reduced to 
 a state of complete solution in a liquid before that 
 absortion can take place ; and as it is well known 
 that argillaceous earth, or allumine, silex or sand, 
 and magnesia, are almost insoluble in water, and 
 that lime is only soluble in very small quantities ; 
 1 have therefore concluded, that such a perfect and 
 sufficient solution, as Davy admits to be necessary, 
 is impracticable, and, therefore, that the assertion, 
 grounded on the forementioned experiments by 
 Chaptal and Van Helmont, namely, that these 
 Earths, Metals, and Minerals, are really and en- 
 tirely the products of the vegetative process, ig 
 
36 
 
 iliilli 
 
 much more probable ; and I am the more confirm- 
 ed in this probability by the following facts and 
 reasoning upon them : 
 
 Ist. As oxygen, we know, exists in a solid state, 
 in all the oxyds, so it is not impossible, that the 
 bases of these oxyds, the metals, and several of the 
 primary earths, may be formed by the vegetative 
 process, as the French Geologist, Chaptal, asserts, 
 " to replace the constant waste that takes place of 
 the crust of the earth, by the rains, streams, and 
 rivers/* 
 
 One hundred pounds of Lead is, I believe, found, 
 by calcination or oxydation, to augment in weight 
 to one hundred and ten pounds, thus absorbing ten 
 pounds of solid oxygen from the oxygenous gas of 
 the atmosphere, which can be recovered by deoxy- 
 da^ion. Pit Coal contains a great quantity of 
 Hydrogen, most probably in a solid state : Pot-ash 
 ha^ yielded to Sir Humphrey Davy a metallic but- 
 ton ; and is, therefore, an oxyd, and also contains 
 oxygen in a solid state. 
 
 2nd. The Schisti, or Slate Mountains, are said 
 also to be formed by the decomposion of vegetables, 
 and the Coal formatio is, also, to consist of the 
 residue of vegetables, probably charred by a 
 close heat, and must, therefore, be formed of the 
 carbo and constituent Gasses of those vegetables. 
 If such dense substances can be thus, in part, com- 
 pounded of a gazeous substance, there is an equal 
 probability, that the gazes separated by the vege- 
 tative processes from the air and water necessary 
 to their nutrition, may compose the Primary 
 Earths, Salts, Minerals, and Metallic substances 
 
37 
 
 Xs 
 
 lore confirm- 
 ig facts and 
 
 i a solid state, 
 ible, that the 
 several of the 
 iie vegetative 
 .ptal, asserts, 
 akes place of 
 streams, and 
 
 ►elieve, found, 
 jnt in weight 
 Eibsorbing ten 
 ^cnous gas of 
 •ed by deoxy- 
 qiiantity of 
 ate : Pot-ash 
 metallic but- 
 also contains 
 
 ins, are said 
 If vegetables, 
 Insist of the 
 jarred by a 
 Irmed of the 
 
 vegetables. 
 
 part, com- 
 
 is an equal 
 [y the vege- 
 
 necessary 
 Primary 
 
 substances 
 
 obtained from them by decomposition or incinera- 
 tion ; and I think it not improbable that future ex- 
 periments may prove, that all the primitive earths, 
 metals, and mineral substances, are composed of 
 the primary elements, as we are now philosophi- 
 cally bound to consider them. Oxygen, Iivdrooek, 
 Azote, combined in proportions innumerable as 
 these products themselves, and from which variety 
 of proportion they receive their distinctive charac- 
 teristics. (See Note 9.) 
 
 3rd. As an important and additional proof, that 
 the process of vegetation certainly generates and 
 produces one of the most abundant and most dense 
 primary earths in nature, namely, Silex, Siliceous 
 JEarth, or, as 1 shall call it, the Candy principle, I 
 extract the following from the Elements of the 
 Science of Botany, by the celebrated and indefati- 
 gable Linnaeus. 
 
 " In many parts of the East Indies, there has 
 long been a medicine in high repute, called * Tabas- 
 heer* obtained from a substance found in the hol- 
 low stem of the Bamboo. It has undergone a 
 chemical examination, and proved to be an earthly 
 substance, principally of a flinty nature ; this sub- 
 stance is also found in the Bamboo in England. In 
 the hot house of Dr. Pitcairn, in Islington, subse- 
 quently to this time, there was found, in one of the 
 joints of a Bamboo, which grew there, a solid peb- 
 , ble, about the size of a pea. The pebble was of 
 an irregular form, of a dark brown or black inters 
 nally : it was reddish brown, of a close dull tex- 
 ture, much like some martial siliceous stones. In 
 one corner were shining particles, which appeared 
 
38 
 
 to be chrystals, but too minute to be distinguished 
 by the microscope. This substance was so hard 
 as to cut glass. The cuticle, or exterior covering 
 of straw, has also a portion of matter in its com- 
 position, from which, when burnt, it makes an ex- 
 quisitely fine powder for giving the last polish to 
 marble, a use to which it has been employed time 
 immemorial, without the principle being philoso- 
 phically known. In the great heat in the East 
 Indies, it is not uncommon for large tracts of reeds 
 to be set on fire on their motion by the wind, which 
 I conjecture must arise from the flinty substance of 
 their leaves rubbing against each other. These 
 facts cannot avoid presenting to the mind at one 
 view the boundless Laws of Nature, while a simple 
 vegetable is secreting the most volatile andevenes- 
 cent perfumes, it also secretes a substance, which, 
 is an ingredient in the primeval mountains of the 
 globe.'' 
 
 These facts, which have produced the assent of 
 this Prince of Botanists, to the formation of a first 
 rate primary earth, by the process of vegetation, 
 are, I think, sufliicient proofs, in conjunction with 
 those above stated, that all the primary earths, the 
 metals, and mineral substances, and, of course, all 
 the rocks xiompounded of them, have been origi- 
 nally formed by the process of vegetation, and 
 aniraalization. (See IS/ote 1, 2, 3, and 14.) 
 
 Vast tracts of the interior of the earth have, as 
 above, been shewn to consist of the remains of 
 marine animals. 
 
 The Chalk and Lime Stone formations I trust to 
 hav« shewn, havje also resulted from the same re- 
 

 39 
 
 iistinguishcd 
 vas so hard 
 'ior covering 
 r in its com- 
 lakes an ex- 
 last polish to 
 iployed time 
 eing philoso- 
 in the East 
 acts of reeds 
 wind, which 
 substance of 
 her. These 
 mind at one 
 hile a simple 
 ', and evenes- 
 mce, which, 
 tains of the 
 
 he assent of 
 on of a first 
 vegetation, 
 notion with 
 V earths, the 
 ' course, all 
 been origi- 
 tation, and 
 
 4.) 
 
 th have, as 
 remains of 
 
 is I trust to 
 e same re- 
 
 mains; and also, that the Coal formations have 
 been produced by the residue of marine vegetables 
 and a charring heat, as well as the Schisti or Slate 
 Mountains : as, therefore, the proofs narrated in 
 the foregoing pages, and the Notes referring to 
 them, are, I trust, convincing, that every part of 
 the earth has been formed in a Fluid ; that many 
 parts are visibly the remains of vegetable and ani- 
 mal decomposition, and that most of the geological 
 bodies are resolvable into the elements of vegetable 
 and animal life ; we now arrive at the conclusion, 
 
 THAT THE PROCESSES OP VeGETATION, AND OF 
 
 Animalization, were the Machinery chosen by 
 THE FIRST CAUSE for gradually producing, 
 
 in the course of sufficient 'AGES, IN THE WA- 
 TERS OF Genesis, the various generations of 
 Vegetable and Animal Life, which, by their 
 Growth, (decay ; their Death, decomposition ; 
 AND Depositions have produced all the Ge- 
 ological Bodies of which our Earth is com- 
 posed. These Bodies, as they were depositing, 
 have been attracted towards the centre of the 
 aqueous globe by the great and universal law of 
 attraction ; and since the separation, have, by the 
 effects of internal fires, convulsions, or the electric 
 power, acquired their present appearances. 
 
 Thus, the Lliw of Gravity or Attraction would 
 necessarily occasion a vast pressure towards the 
 centre of the aqueous globes of all the particles of 
 the geological bodies. The vegetable and animal 
 remains of which they were formed, as stated 
 above, would pass through various stages of fer- 
 mentation. Heats, inflammable and other gasses, 
 
M' II 
 
 
 40 
 
 would be thereby generated ; and these internal 
 fires must have been in operation, pending many 
 of the ages required for the formation of the entire 
 diameter of the Earth in the Waters of Genesis, 
 Hence must have arisen, long before the separa- 
 tion of these waters, not only internal changes in 
 the forms and original composition of the congre- 
 gated masses of the geological bodies, but also nu- 
 merous commotions in the interior parts, which 
 have produced probably many of the mountains, 
 and must certainly have produced those depressions 
 on the surface of the earth, which served to form 
 the beds of the original oceans or seas, formed at 
 the time of the separation of the waters. 
 
 The electric agency, also, has probably had 
 great influence in these internal changes, both 
 previous to and since the time of the separation ; 
 and on the subject of the internal and external 
 changes in and on the Earth, I refer the reader to 
 the attentive perusal of the Notes, but more espe- 
 cially Notes 7, 10, 13, and 14. 
 
 And as it is very remarkable, that no mention 
 is made in the 1st of Genesis of the creation of any 
 of the Marine Plants of the Ocean, I will conclude 
 this part of the subject with an observation on that 
 remarkable circumstance — namely^ — that it appears 
 to me indicative of the pes'-' truth of the theory 
 I have presumed to offCi v the first verse of 
 Genesis refers to a prej tratory process of the 
 Creation^ totally distinct in its time and nature 
 from the separation of the waters and the primeval 
 appearance of the dry land as recorded in the en- 
 suing verses, which took place in the six days. 
 
 1 
 
 • '."it 
 
 fol 
 th 
 th 
 
"N 
 
 41 
 
 Because the creation of the vast body of the ma- 
 line plants required for the purpose of nutriment 
 for the marine animals of those waters, who, by 
 their death, decay, and depositions iormed part of 
 the machinery of the Creator for producing the 
 earth, the creation of those plants, having taken 
 place at the beginning, as in the first verse, being 
 the preparatnry process of the creation, by which 
 the jDry Land was, in subsequent ages, to be pro- 
 duced, no need was that mention should be made 
 of their creation at the period of the separation, 
 when the land animals and vegetables were brought 
 into being ; for and because these marine plants 
 were included in the record of the first verse, " In 
 tlie beginning," &;c. {See Notes 7, 10 ^ 13.) 
 
 In the preceding System of the Creation which 
 I have ventured to form, and to which I was de- 
 termined, as observed above, on reading the ideas 
 stated by Archdeacon Paley to have been promul- 
 gated to the world by BufTon and other philoso- 
 phers, I have made some remarks on the assertion, 
 or supposition of Buffon, that the globe we inhabit 
 was formed by the stroke of a Comet knocking off 
 from the ^un, as stated by Paley, n piece of molten 
 glass, I trust to have shewn the great improbability 
 and absurdity of this. Such a supposition would 
 lead us to believe, that the creation of our planeta- 
 ry system was not the gift of an all bountiful Crea- 
 tor, but merely the effect of Chance ; and if I have 
 proceeded to any severe reflections on its irreli- 
 gious tendency, I trust I am warranted therein by 
 the opinions given by Paley, of this doctrine being 
 founded on Atheistical principles ; that is, if I 
 
42 
 
 understand it, denying the agency of a Supreme 
 Ruler of the Universe in the Works of Nature. 
 An opinion, so contrary to all our natural feel- 
 ings of religion, it appeared to me, the duty of 
 every man to refute whose understanding should 
 dictate to him the errors of such a system — and I 
 hope to have shewn, that as it is completely unsatis- 
 factory to the mind of man, in the highest state of 
 its acquirements — so, it never can be productive of 
 general or extensive assent ; and in the following 
 compendium of my Theory of the Sun*s Forma- 
 tion, I shall re-advert to tne above supposition of 
 Buffon. 
 
 THEORY OF THE SUN'S FORMATION. 
 
 I now proceed, with due humility, to present to 
 the reader a compendium of the ideas above stated, 
 on the Sun's Formation, at the time tlie primordial 
 waters of Genesis were created, according to the 
 construction I have put on the 1st verse of the 1st 
 chap, of Genesis, by the combustion of hydrogen 
 or oxygen, or other combustible gasses, created by 
 the first cause, as stated in page 24 of this work. 
 I have presumed that those gasses were ignited by 
 the electric fluid, by the blaze of comets, or other 
 igneous bodies, and that the extrication of the light 
 and heat, formed by the combustion of these gasses, 
 (in order to produce the formation of the aqueou*- 
 
43 
 
 V 
 
 globes, destined thereafter, to originate the Earth, 
 and the other Planets of our system,) that this light 
 and heat formed the body of our sun, which formed 
 the centre of the System, by the laws of His gra- 
 vity and attraction. 
 
 If I recollect aright, heat and light have not, as 
 yet, been discovered to have weight; but our means 
 of ascertaining this by experience, in the usual 
 way, is very dubious. The bulk of z grain of heat 
 or light may, perhaps, be sufficient to till a house ; 
 therefore, we could, perhaps, not ascertain the fact; 
 but heat and light are certainly sensible bodies, and 
 therefore must have weight. Heat expands and 
 increases the dimensions of the hardest bodies in 
 an astonishing" manner. Light is said to travel 
 from the Sun at the rate of twelve millions of miles 
 a minute, and also penetrates the most dense sub- 
 stance*. Although, therefore, the weight of these 
 subtle agents be infinitely less than any other bodies 
 "we know of, they are, probably, subject to the 
 same laws, of attraction and gravity. 
 
 We* may, therefore, conceive that the heat and 
 light extricated from the combustion of these seri- 
 form' substances, in the formation of the primordial 
 waters, would unite and ascend, by the laws of their 
 gravity and attraction, or by an original impulse of 
 the Creator,* to their position in the regions of 
 
 * As Light is known to exist in two separate states, namely, 
 kitent and active ; and as we are told in the 3nd verse of Gene, 
 sis, Darkness was on the face of the deep, it is probable the 
 Light evolved in the combustion of the gasses was diffused 
 through the regions of space in its latent form, and was not 
 filicited into its active and visible state until the time of the 3rd 
 y^THQ ; and it is remarkable^ that- the first operation of Deitv ati 
 
44 
 
 space, and form there the body of our Sun, and that 
 the aqueous globes, as they were formed, and were 
 projected by the projectile force, became subject to 
 its attractive influences. {Vide Note 16.) 
 
 Whether this attraction be effected by an inhe- 
 rent power of the Sun, or, that it may be owing 
 in part, to the intluence of the vast stream of airi- 
 form substance, passing towards him, to supply 
 him w:ith fuel, I shall presently consider. I shall, 
 however, previously make some remarks^ in addi- 
 tion to those offered above, on the idea of Bufibi), 
 of molten glass having formed our earth and the 
 planets of our system. 
 
 It is, I consider, impossible to conceive, tlmt 
 glass could exi in the stupendous l^at of the sun's 
 nre, without decomposition, that is, without return- 
 , ing to its elementary principles. 
 
 G^ass is formed in our planet of siliceous earth 
 and pot-ash. The former we have before proved, 
 on the authority of Linnaeus, to be composed by 
 the vegetative process ; its parts are, therefore, 
 formed of the gasses which the vegetable extracts 
 from the water and air it imbibes for its nutritioa. 
 The latter, pot-ash, has also yielded to Sir H. Davy 
 a metallic button. It is, therefore, an oxyd, and 
 must contain much oxygen. Siliceous earth, and 
 pot-ash, the component parts of glass, are then, 
 mostly composed of aeriform substance; 
 
 We know^ that the diamond, which is, probably^ 
 much more dense than siliceous earth in. ©ther 
 
 the time of the separation was the evolution of Li^ht in ita ac- 
 tive and visible state, and the collection of it into one vast fo- 
 eus, the Sun of our system, as by the 4th ver5<». 
 
45 
 
 forms, has been volatilised in part by burning lenseff» 
 or by streanas of oxygen gas in a state of ignition. 
 What can these heats be in comparison to the sun's 
 fire? perhaps as an atom to a world. 
 
 I trust, therefore, it is more consistent with the 
 Sacred documents we have had handed down to 
 us by our religion, with the operations of nature 
 we are enabled to examine, with the admirable 
 simplicity and order of the laws, by which the first 
 cause has directed the operations of that nature, 
 to believe, that having first formed the principles j 
 which in the present state of our knowledge, we 
 must call elementary, He proceeded by the com- 
 bination of these principles, by combustion, to 
 form the waters which were destined thereafter to 
 produce our Earth and Planets. 
 
 It is, indeed possible, that these elements, Oxy- 
 gen, Hydrogen, and Azote, may be compounded 
 of other final elements, of much greater energy 
 than themselves, but the rules of science forbid us 
 to consider that as the fact until we have found it 
 by experiment. We have, therefore, only to carry 
 our knowledge of these principles into our reflec- 
 tions on the construction of our system, and with 
 humility, praise and adoration, to conceive, that 
 as most, or all, the geological bodies we have ana- 
 lized, are found to consist of these principles, they 
 may have been these with which, the First Cause, 
 with amazing skill and effect, has operated the 
 wonderful system of Creation He hatn bestowed 
 on us. 
 
 In the contemplation of thisCreation,and of there* 
 cent discoveries in pneumatic chemistry I trust tohave 
 
46 
 
 shewn the possibility, that our Sun may have been 
 formed, at the time of the formation of the primor- 
 dial waters of Genesis ; and as before stated, I 
 have considered the other planets of our system, 
 and their moons, to have been formed in the same 
 manner at the time when, by the creative mandate, 
 the combustion of thcgasses took place, and which, 
 I consider, to be meant and recorded by the Ist 
 verse of 1st chap, of Genesis. So I likewise con- 
 ceive that our Sun, was formed at the same time, 
 by the vast body of heat and light disengaged by 
 the stupendous combustion, and that having found 
 his position in the regions of infinite space, accord- 
 ing to the laws of his nature, he exerted his at- 
 tractive influences on the planets of our system, of 
 which he became the centre. 
 
 We have now to consider by what laws the vast 
 waste of the heat and light of the sun is replenish- 
 ed ; and, as our conceptions thereon, will be found 
 in some degree at variance with the biiberto re- 
 ceived ideas of the nature of the spaces between 
 the sun and planets, and the regions of infimte 
 space, and bear also considerably on the nature of 
 the sun^s influence on those planets, we shall first 
 make some observations on the 
 
 cai 
 
 h 
 
 ATTRACTION OF MAITER. 
 
 It is said by philosophers, that al^ bodies are at- 
 tracted to the earth's centre : all bodies thrown in- 
 to the air from the earth descend to the earth's sur- 
 face when the propelling force is spent, and the 
 body is arrested by the atmosphere through which 
 
47 
 
 it passes. It is said by Paley, pac^c 449 ot his Na- 
 tural Theology, that " One principle of gravitatioii 
 causes a stone to drop towards the earth, atid the 
 moon to whirl round it. One law of attraction 
 carries all the different planets round the sun.*' — 
 This, he says, philosophers demonstrate ; and at p. 
 388 he adds, " Calculations were made some years 
 ago of the mean density of the Earth, by compar- 
 ing the force of its attraction with the force of the 
 attraction of a rock of granite, the bulk of which 
 could be ascertained, and the upshot of the calcu- 
 lation was, that the Earth, upon an averajre through 
 its whole sphere, was twice the density of granite, 
 or about five times that of water." 
 
 Now, respecting the principle of Attraction, I 
 have to remark, that in Chemistry we know with 
 certainty, that particles of matter have a mutual 
 and elective attraction called Affinity. When an 
 acid is united with a metal into a neutral salt by 
 this attraction, it may be separated from it by any 
 substance with which the acid or its particles have 
 a greater affinity. Thus, if iron, or its oxyds, be 
 dissolved in sulphuric acid, it forms green vitriol, 
 commonly called copperas ; but by adding an al- 
 kali to the solution, the iron precipitates, and a 
 neutral salt is formed of the sulphuric acid and 
 that alkali. 
 
 In a lake or pond in the isle of Anglesea, in Eng- 
 land or Wales, the water holds blue vitriol or cop- 
 j^eras in solution, whieh is a salt composed of cop- 
 per and the sulphuric acid. 
 
 When iron hoops are thrown into the pond or 
 lake, they become covered with copper scalee, 
 
48 
 
 r'S! 
 
 which is s^Taped off, and found to be the purest 
 copper in nature. This decomposition of the blue 
 vitriol takes place because the particles of iron 
 have a greater affinity or elective attraction for the 
 sulphuric acid than the copper has. 
 
 The Load Stone is well known to attract iron, 
 even in a cold state. Pieces of iron, rubbed with 
 the Load Stone, become also magnetic : two pieces 
 of wood, or cordage and wood, and probably many 
 other substances, by friction to a great degree, 
 take fire ; that is to say, they become raised to that 
 degree of temperature by that friction, that their 
 particles attract the oxygen from the azotic gas, 
 and from the light and heat with which they are 
 combined in our atmosphere. Certain stones also, 
 as flints, being struck against iron or steel, heat the 
 particles of the steel so as to calcine them ; that is, 
 they bring these particles to the temperature at 
 which they also decompose the oxygen gas of the 
 atmosphere, and disengages a latent light and heat- 
 Thus the attraction of Matter is ccrteiw/y proved 
 by Chemistry. 
 
 But how is the attraction of large and solid bo- 
 dies proved in the usual temperature of the atmos- 
 phere, as in the case of the block of granite men- 
 tioned by Paley ? One rock of granite, placed 
 alongside another, will evince no attraction. It is 
 said, indeed, that some islands, having much iron 
 ore, have attracted a vessel from her course, which, 
 if it be the fact, may perhaps also prove the attrac- 
 tion of matter of a certain description, but I know 
 no other way by which the attraction or density 
 of the rock of, granite could be proved, but by 
 
 lav 
 of 
 shi 
 an 
 
49 
 
 breaking it by some other body, and ascertaining 
 the weight of the stroke, thus, if a hundred weight 
 of granite required a stroke of a certain number of 
 pounds to break it, and a rock of some other spe- 
 cies required only a force of half that number, its 
 attraction or density might be said to be half that 
 of the granite ; thus far, then, attraction would be 
 proved by Chemistry and Geology also. 
 
 But, that the Creator originally fixed some such 
 law as attraction for the cohesion of the particles 
 of matter, appears highly reasonable, else, how 
 should the Earth and Planets, travelling at such 
 an immense rate in their orbits, be retained in their 
 present forms, notwithstanding the power of such 
 velocity of motion ? 
 
 A ball of snow, when impelled by the force of the 
 arm, if it be not rendered sufficiently dense by 
 compressure, separates into innumerable parts, and 
 it mui'>t have been the same with the Earth and the 
 Planets but for some law of attraction or cohesion, 
 to resist the attrition of their rapid motion through 
 the heavens. 
 
 This attraction, then, of the particles of matter, 
 seems to be indispensible to their existence as 
 spheres, but the attraction of these for each other, 
 though generally agreed to by the philosophers, 
 appears more dubious and uncertain. 
 
 This doubt is supported by their immense dis- 
 tances ; which may, indeed, be founded on a crude 
 idea, and the doubt may perhaps be dissipated od 
 ftirther consideration. 
 
 The Moon is observed in its app. o ich to occasion 
 high risings or tides of the waters of the earth» 
 
 B 
 
50 
 
 I 
 
 ,, 
 
 which recede en its retiring. This, it seems to mc, 
 is an ahiiost incontrovertible proof tliat tlie atmos^ 
 j^here (for storms are often generated at the same 
 approach of the Moon) and waters of the earth and 
 iscas arc attracted by the Moon. If tlie Moon have 
 this power^we may reasonably conclude that other 
 planets have this power also, governed by certain 
 laws of distance and dimension. 
 
 Now, as to the manner in which the Sun exerts 
 its attractive influence on the Earth and the other 
 J'lanets. 
 
 This attraction of the Sun is said, by the philoso- 
 ])hers, to be the cause why the Earth and rlanets, 
 having been, originally, projected in a right line, do 
 not move in that right line, but in their respective 
 orbits round the Sun. 
 
 As to the opinions of these philosophers of the 
 nature of the Sun's substance, I am not aware, ex- 
 cept as above stated by Paley, that BulTon sup- 
 poses it to consist of molten glass. I trust to have 
 shewn in the foregoing pages the improbability of 
 this, and that it is more probable to be a body of 
 light and heat. His density, in that case, cannot 
 be e(^ual, bulk for bulk, to the density of the Planets, 
 which are with reason considered to be inhabited, 
 and must probably be formed of solid matter. — 
 But as to the nature of the Sun's substance, I con- 
 fess, I cannot conceive it possible that a body of 
 such inconceivable heat, should consist of any 
 thing else than gazeous substance. We know of 
 nothing here below that can produce light and 
 lieat with more intensity, than the decomposition 
 of oxygen gas. Why should we not reason- by 
 
ftl 
 
 analogy that the light and heat of the Snn arc pro- 
 duced l)y the same means? A!I the other means 
 wc have of producing heat hy burning glasses, or 
 by friction, ave derived from the Sun, and nothing 
 is more remarkable in nature, in her general prin- 
 ciples than uniformity of means. The principle of 
 gravity is said to be the same in an apple falling 
 to the ground, as in the motions of the heavenly 
 bodies. 
 
 Is it not then impossible to conceive, that in the 
 Sun's heat, solid or liquid substances, could exist 
 undecomposed. The diamond is volatilized into 
 vapours, and if I recollect aright, the perfect me- 
 tals also, by the galvanic power.' It has, indeed, 
 been supposed by some, that the Sun may be habi- 
 table, that the heat of the particles of light is owing 
 to their friction or attrition, in their passage to the 
 Planets. By such a supposition, we should be 
 forced to conclude, that the planets farthest off 
 from the Sun were the most warm,, which I ima- 
 gine is totally contrary to probability, to the opi- 
 nions of the greatest philosophers, and to the evi- 
 dence of our own senses in ihe Planet we inhabit. 
 
 Now, but for the idea which has, hitherto, been 
 adopted, that the regions of infinite space, or at 
 least the spaces in which our Sun and Planets 
 move, are in a state o^ vacuum ; but for this idea, 
 I should say, that the Sun is a mass of burning 
 SBriform substance, such as hydrogen gas, or some 
 mixture thereof, which has the power of decom- 
 posing oxygen gas, and of throwing off its light 
 and heat. The union of the bases of these gasses, 
 oxygen and hydrogen, would form water, in the 
 
52 
 
 11 
 
 I i*"ii' 
 
 slate of vapour, which would cither be dhectly 
 decomposed again, by the Sun^s fire, or otherwise 
 be driven offinto the neavens, and probably be in 
 future decomposed, as happens in our atmosphere, 
 by th^ electric fluid, or be otherwise condensed 
 into aqueous globes, for the future formation of 
 other heavenly bodies. (See Note 12.) 
 
 i shall now ofler some observations on the 
 above idea of the philosophers, on the existence 
 of ii vacuum in the spaces through which the pla- 
 nets move. 
 
 if we consider the projectile force to have been 
 ab origine given to the Planets by the Creator, wc 
 may suppose, that this force w^as greater than what 
 would have been required to produce their motions 
 round the Sun, if a vacuum had existed, as thus ; 
 allowing the spaces between the Planets and the 
 Su:** to be ^lled with an aeriform substance, of vast 
 tenuit;', (and indeed that such immense spaces 
 should consist of vacuum is nearly incredible) yet 
 it would siiil be possible, that this aeriform sub- 
 stance should not impede the motions of the planets ; 
 because, on the above supposition the projectile 
 force would have been made so much greater than 
 would have been required for moving these planets 
 through a vacuum onli/, as the resist?ince of this 
 joriform substance should render necessary to over- 
 come that resistance by the projectile force. 
 
 Again, the force of the attraction of the Sun, 
 allowing its substance to be aeriform, and that such 
 immense streams of gasses were continually pour- 
 ing into it, as would be required to support its com- 
 bustion, we shall find the force of this attraction 
 
 (hit! 
 in a 
 
 mus 
 aeril 
 cent 
 repi 
 
be directly 
 r otherwise 
 bably be in 
 itmosphere, 
 condensed 
 •rmation of 
 
 ns on the 
 5 existence 
 :;h the pla- 
 
 have been 
 /reator, wc 
 than what 
 dr motions 
 If as thus ; 
 :s and the 
 ice, of vast 
 se spaces 
 dible) yet 
 iform sub- 
 planets ; 
 projectile 
 ^ater than 
 se planets 
 le of this 
 y to over- 
 ce. 
 
 the Sun, 
 that such 
 lly pour- 
 t its com- 
 ttraction 
 
 53 
 
 (hitherto so called) must be greatly increased ; for, 
 in addition to its own proper attraction, as a body 
 of heat, light and triform vapour, we shall per- 
 haps find reason to conclude that this attraction 
 must be greatly augmented by the vast streams of 
 aeriform substance, continually passing towards the 
 centre of the Sun, for supplying its combustion and 
 repairing the vast waste of its light and heat. ' 
 
 A small fire in a stove is sufficient to draw to it a 
 strong current of air to support its combustion. 
 
 The power of currents of air on the earth and 
 seas is well known to upset ships, trees, and houses. 
 
 The power of steam, also, w ill come under the 
 same comparison; and according to its quantity, 
 will raise almost any weight. 
 
 What, then, must be the effect and power of such 
 inconceivable streams of gazeous substance, rush- 
 ing through ^he heavens, as must be required to 
 supply fuel for the Sun ? And it appears to me, 
 the power of the Sun to attract the Planets, at 
 such immense distances, is hereby the more satis- 
 factorily accounted for, as they are to be supposed 
 solid spheres, while, as I have presumed, by my 
 Theory of the Sun, his substance must be ceriform, 
 and of course, of much less density, bulk for bulk, 
 than the Planets. If, then, we should adopt the 
 idea that the heavenly bodies do not float in a va- 
 cuum, but should accede to the probability, that the 
 intervening spaces are filled up with an {eriform 
 fluid for the purpose of supplying fuel to the Sun's 
 fire, I humblv conceive we shall have found a satis- 
 factory way of accounting for the influence of the 
 Moon on our seas and atmosphere. If the fact be 
 
 
 ii f.l 
 
54 
 
 certain, that the waters rise as the Moon approacii- 
 cs the earth, and recede as she retire?? from it, may 
 not this phenomenon arise from the pressure exert- 
 ed on the asriform matter above nlentiored by the 
 Moon, on its approach to the Earth, which pres- 
 sure, at length reaching our atmosphere, presses on 
 it also, and thereby on the Waters of the Ocean, 
 causing them to rise and fall proportionably, and to 
 occasion the Neap and daily Tides ? 
 
 Should we not, also, have, by the same theory, 
 a plain and simple way of accounting for the great 
 principle of attraction in the heavenly bodies? that, 
 by a power similar to that which propels bodies 
 forward on the earth and seas, or atmosphere, name- 
 ly, the wind; so the heavenly bodies are propelled 
 from their right line, and driven round their central 
 Sun by this mighty current of asriform gasses in 
 their courses towards the Sun ? 
 
 Allowing the projectile force — (by which I un- 
 derstand Sir Isaac ]\ewton to have meant the pri- 
 mary projectile force directly given to the heaven- 
 ly bodies by their Creator) — allowing that force, 
 and the attractive force of the Sun, to be the causes 
 of the, nearly, circular motions of the Planets, still 
 It appears to me clear, that this projectile ibrce 
 must be something very different from the species 
 of impelling force which Paley, in his Natural The- 
 ology, speaks of in p. 390 of that work. " If it 
 were possible," he says, " to fire off a cannon bail 
 with the velocitv of five miles a second, and the re- 
 sistance of the air could be taken away, tlie cannon 
 ball would for ever wheel round the Earth, insterd 
 of falling down on it." Now, if t?ie ball were fired 
 
 I 
 
 oil 
 
 CO 
 hv 
 
 1 
 
 nc 
 re 
 
 i 
 
 w 
 it 
 
 ' 
 
 CJ 
 
55 
 
 >n approach- 
 from it, may 
 Jssure excrt- 
 ored by the 
 W'hich prcs- 
 . presses on 
 the Ocean, 
 abJy, and to 
 
 ime theory, 
 3r the great 
 odies? that, 
 pels bodies 
 lere, nanic- 
 e propelled 
 heir centraJ 
 ^ gasses hi 
 
 vliich I uij, 
 nt the pii- 
 he heaven- 
 that force, 
 the causes 
 'anets, still 
 2 tile force 
 he species 
 ural The- 
 
 ^. " ir it 
 
 nnon ball 
 id the re- 
 ^ cannon 
 ^, inster.d 
 ^crc fired 
 
 P 
 
 :l 
 
 Oil in a directioii due north, it is evident, that in the 
 course of the circle it would form, it must return 
 by the south pole, to the place it was fired from, to 
 north ; and therefore, in every revolution, it would 
 return in an exactly opposite direction to where it 
 was fired off from ; the force, therefore, by which 
 it returns, could not be the force of firing off, be- 
 cause it returns in a line directly opposite to that 
 force. (See Note 8.) 
 
 I therefore conceive the projectile force, impres- 
 sed by the first cause on the heavenly bodies, is of 
 an entirely different nature from the projectile force 
 of a cannon ball. 
 
 May it not rather be something in the nature of 
 the force of the current of gasses I have mentioned, 
 as forcing the Planets into their rotatory motion 
 round the Sun ? 
 
 May not the projectile force, partake of tlie na- 
 ture of electricity ( 
 
 Referring to what we have said above as to the 
 means by which the waste of the Sun's light and 
 heat is replenished, we shall now make some ob- 
 servations on a very important sontencc as to this 
 subject, contained in Paley's Evidences of Natural 
 Jleligion, page 392. 
 
 On the subject of the cause of the attraction of 
 the Planets by the Sun, he there says : " Nor shall 
 we find less difficultv in conceiving a conflux ol' 
 particles incessantly Sowing to a centre, and carry- 
 ing dov/n all bodies along with it; that centre being 
 itself in rapid motion through absolute space ; for, 
 by what source is the stream fed, or what becomes 
 of the accumulation ?** 
 
56 
 
 The principal objection of Paley, then, to the idea 
 of a tiuid or aeriform substance existing in the spaces 
 between the Sun and the Planets, and between each 
 of themselves, is contained in his question, " By 
 what source is the stream fed, or what becomes of 
 the accumulation V* 
 
 If we allow, however, that the 3un is a body in a 
 state of constant combustion, and that its ignition 
 is supported in the same manner as terrestrial fires, 
 (and without allowing this, we cannot, accon^'ng to 
 our knowledge of combustion, conceive how the 
 fire of the sun is continued,) we shall meet with no 
 difiicultv in finding " by what source the stream 
 is fed."" 
 
 The spaces between the Sun and Planets, and 
 also the regions of infinite space, if they be allowed 
 to contain aeriform fluids, (whether these be oxygen 
 and hydrogen gasses, or a mixture of these, or of 
 other inflammable gasses,) these inconceivable ex- 
 tents of space would certainly contain sufficient 
 fuel to supply, not only our Sun, but probably all 
 the Suns of the other systems that may exist. 
 
 It is, I think, proved above, that resisting medii 
 may be contained in the planetary spaces, without 
 retarding the planetary motions. Hydrogen gas. 
 being thirteen times lighter than atmospheric air, 
 and being very combustible, that is, easily uniting 
 with oxygen, and thus setting free its latent heat 
 and light, may therefore be supposed to form a 
 great portion of these seriform medii, (See Nute 12.) 
 In fact, as we know of no such thing as a vacuum 
 in any part of Nature around us, it seems difficult 
 to conceive that the vast spaces between the heav- 
 
 cnl; 
 
 iSUgl 
 
 ren\ 
 
 I 
 
57 
 
 to the idea 
 the spaces 
 ween each 
 tion, « By 
 
 scomes of 
 
 body in a 
 
 's ignition 
 -rial Bres, 
 
 iov(''ngto 
 how the 
 t with no 
 stream 
 
 «3ts, and 
 allowed 
 ^ oxygen 
 se, or of 
 ible ex-^ 
 
 ufficient 
 ibly all 
 
 St. 
 
 r medii 
 without 
 -n gas. 
 'ic air, 
 uniting 
 t hea'^t 
 ^rm a 
 ^^ 12.) 
 (-uum 
 fficuit 
 bea r- 
 
 nnlv bodies are in that stale, and this has no doubt 
 ^suggested to the ancients the idea of the " abhor- 
 rence of Nature of a vacuum*** 
 
 By what means, then, a sufficient quantity p{ 
 this asriform fluid can be found is, I trust, evident^ 
 and the question of the Archdeacon. "By what 
 source is the stream fed," is answered. And the 
 end to which the stream is applied, namely, th« 
 Fupport of the Sun's waste by combustion, will also 
 answer the other question, " What becomes of the 
 accumulation? I answer, it is consumed byilut 
 Sun's fire. 
 
 If the medii then of the planetary and infinite 
 spaces may be supposed to consist of hydrogen, 
 oxygen, or other inflammable gasses, or a mixture of 
 these, the hydrogen and the oxygen gasses, being 
 drawn into the Sun, would be immediately decom- 
 posed, giving out iheir latent light and heat, and 
 water would be formed in the state of vapour, 
 which would either be also decomposed by the 
 Sun's fire, or driven off into the heavens by its own 
 elasticity, and there condensed into globes of wa- 
 ter, destined thereafter, to form new Planets or 
 Worlds, like those of our own system, and evincing 
 the unceasing tendency of nature, in obedience to 
 laws by which it is endowed by the Creator, to 
 give life and enjoyment to countless myriads of 
 beings ; in which novel subject I shall treat in the 
 sequel. {See Note 17.) 
 
 If the fact be founded, that the attraction of a 
 Planet is formed by the attraction of its parts» 
 and that therefore the power of its attraction is in 
 proportion to the density of the Planet ; then, if 
 
58 
 
 we allow tho Sun to be a body of triform matter 
 in combustion, its attraction must be mucli less, in 
 porportion to its bulk, than the attraction of each 
 of the solid Planets ; and although its greater bulk 
 may compensate for its inferior density ; but, the 
 current of aeriform fluids which, to use Paley's 
 words, " would be powerful enough to carry bodies 
 down with great force towards a centre," will it 
 not also account, in whole or in a part, for the at- 
 traction the Sun exerts on the Planets ? As to these 
 fluids being, as he says in another place, " power- 
 less with respect to the motions which result fi om 
 the projectile impulse ;" I trust I have explained 
 before, that the resisting force of these oeriform 
 fluids may have been counteracted by an additional 
 power having been given to the projectile force to 
 overcome that resistance ; whereby it has happen- 
 ed, that, as he says again in page 393, " that re- 
 sistance has had no sensible effect on the Moon's 
 motion for two thousand five hundred years," and, 
 I may add further, that these fluids never can have 
 any such effect ; and I trust to explain this more 
 fully hereafter. 
 
 We now, recur to Paley's observation in page 
 388 of his Theology of Nature, that " by a com- 
 parative calculation with the force of attraction of 
 a rock of granite, the Earth was said to have 
 twice the densiiv of that rock, or about five times 
 that of water." 
 
 Has the mode of ascertaining the force of this 
 attraction of the Earth been grounded on the sup- 
 posed force of the attraction of tho Sun on the 
 Earth ond Planets ? Has the Earth's attraction 
 
 in til 
 latin) 
 ussii 
 
59 
 
 in the above experiment been come at by calca- 
 lating its proportionate bulk to that of the Sun. and 
 assigning it therelrom its proportionate attraction? 
 If so, and it should be conceded that the theory I 
 have ventured to propose of the Sun's power of 
 attraction, being created or increased by the 
 streams of airiform fluid passing towards his cen- 
 tre, to supply him with fuel ; if this theory be cor- 
 rectly founded in nature, it is evident the above 
 experiment in the attraction of the Earth, cannot 
 be correct in its results. The force of attraction 
 of a body is composed of the united attraction of its 
 parts ; but, if the Sun's density have hitherto been 
 considered by philosophers to be according to his 
 powers of attraction, and it should be agreed to 
 that the streams of aeriform fluid have a great in- 
 iiuence in producing that attraction, the density of 
 the Sun must, in this case, be much less than it has 
 hitherto been estimated at, and of course the den- 
 sity of the Earth also if it have been grounded on 
 this supposed density of the Sun. 
 
 I now conclude the theory of the Sun's forma- 
 tion by some observations^on the following extract 
 from Paley's work, p. 380. Speaking of the inter- 
 vening spaces between the Planets, he says, " that 
 the intervals between them are made devoid of 
 any inert mater, either fluid or solid, because such 
 an intervening substance would, by its resistance, 
 destroy those very motions which attraction is em 
 ployed to preserve." 
 
 I have before endeavoured to shew, that there 
 may be such aeriform substances existing in these 
 spaces, which would indeed resist these motions 
 
60 
 
 of the Planets, but that this resistance is sufficient 
 only to diminish the velocity of these motions. To 
 explain this more fully, — ^fay not the Moon hare 
 been originally projected by the Creating Cause to 
 move in its orbit or course at the rate of three thou- 
 sand miles an hour ? and, supposing the resistance 
 of the medii or aeriform fluids of my theory to be 
 equal to one thousand miles per hour, this resist- 
 ance would only diminish the rate of the Moon's 
 motion to two thousand miles per hour, which is 
 about the actual rate she is said to travel in her 
 course. (See Note 5.) 
 
 In fine, the theory of the Sun*s being replenished 
 with fuel by means of a3riform fluids, is supported 
 by another observation of Paley's. In page 350 
 of tho above work, he says, " The light and heat 
 of the Sun follow the same laws, and, to us, appear 
 nowise diflferent from the light of a candle and the 
 heat of a coal fire." Why, then, may not this heat 
 and light of the Sun be supplied in the same manner 
 as that of the candle and coal fire ? 
 
 In our Planet, this heat is now known to be pro- 
 duced by the decomposition of oxygen gas by those 
 combustible bodies, and the consequent extrication 
 of its latent light and heat; but if the light and 
 heat of the Sun be generated by the same laws, 
 and, as there is probably some physical cause for 
 the attraction of the Planets bv the Sun, as it is 
 possible his great magnitude would not require less 
 than the spaces between him and the Planets, and 
 between each of them, to supply the asriform fluid 
 for his combustion ; and as this amazins; current 
 must have a great physical influence on the motion 
 
 ofthi 
 
 then 
 
 ciple] 
 
 the 
 
 the 
 
 tion,| 
 
 worlj 
 
t)l 
 
 of those planets round their central Sun, and may 
 thercfore throw additional light on the great prin- 
 ciple of his attraction : I, therefore, humbly subnoit 
 the foregoing Theory of the Sun's Forniation and 
 the means of supplying the waste of his combus- 
 tion, to the scrutmy of a candid and enlightened 
 world ; and being sensible of my incompetence, in 
 respect of that profound degree of scientific know- 
 ledge, required in the attempt I have made to re- 
 concile and explain the account of the Creation, 
 handed down to us by our religion, with the sreat 
 discoveries in the science of geology, chemistry, 
 and pneumatics ; I have only to hope, I may, at all 
 events, have exalted the utiHty of these sciences, by 
 shewing their tendency and power to diminish or 
 quiet the doubts of scepticism, and to open greater 
 sources of our admiration of the Goodness, Fowek, 
 Wisdom, and Glory of the Great First Cause. 
 (See concluding Note,) 
 
 Having thus concluded my attempt on the sys- 
 tem of Creation of our Tiarth and Planets, and of the 
 formation of their Central Sun ; with the means 
 which I conceive may have been adopted by the 
 Creator, to supply the vast waste of his combus- 
 tion, we now proceed to the last part of our pros* 
 pectus, namely, the Dissolution of our Globe, with 
 the possible changes, which the present state of our 
 knowledge would lead us to presume, would be 
 the result of that 
 
 DISSOLUTION OF OUR EARTH. 
 
 By the authority of scripture, we are informed 
 that the Globe we inhabit is doomed to dissolution 
 
62 
 
 hy the clement of fire. We cannot, indeed, prc- 
 suino to say thai the nature of this conflagration 
 shall be the same, and be governed by the same 
 laws, as those which take place at present, but 
 judging from the hitherto immutable nature of those 
 laws, we shall proceed to consider the principal 
 changes which, according to thcm,would take place 
 at this general conflagration. There are, indeed, 
 many parts in the external and internal phenome- 
 na of the earth, which subject it continually to 
 chrxiigc and decomposition. The probable effects 
 also, of its continual motion in the heavens, and the 
 j>ossible contact of other heavenly bodies, perhaps 
 igneous, appear to confirm the destiny recorded in 
 the scriptures. 
 
 The late discoveries, however, in pneumatic 
 chemistry, have proved to us, that what had hi- 
 therto been considered as destruction by fire, is 
 only a change or decomposition of the various 
 combustible bodies, into the elements of which they 
 are composed, A great proportion of the vegeta- 
 ble world, is found to be reduced by combustion, 
 into elastic vapour, called gasses ; and, it is not 
 improbable, at least, if we assent to the facts stated 
 by, and the opinion of Professor Chaptal, which I 
 have before stated, on the productions of the vege- 
 tative process ; and also, the still higher authority 
 of Professor Linna3us, quoted above, whereby 
 many of the primary earths and metals are proved 
 to be the products of vegetation. I say, therefore, 
 if we assent to these facts, it is not impossible, that 
 the various eurths and metals, and their combina- 
 
 •d 
 
 ni f 
 
63 
 
 tions, mav hereafter be found to consist of con^- 
 pounds of the bases of thegasses of oxygen, hydro- 
 gen, azote. 
 
 In the foregoing systcnn of Creation, I have stat- 
 ed that lead is found to gain an accession of weight 
 by oxydation of nearly ten pounds in one hundred 
 pounds, by the absorption of oxygen from the at- 
 mosphere. This oxygen, must therefore, exist in 
 the oxyd in a solid state. Pit Coal and Pot-ash, 
 are found also to contain oxygen and hydrogen in 
 the same state, and the Schisti or Slate Mountains 
 are also said to have been composed by the decom- 
 position of vegetables, which are primarily com- 
 posed of these gasses, and these Schisti therefore, 
 probably in part consist of solid oxygen, &c. In 
 fine, from these facts, and many others stated in the 
 foregoing pages we have in the theory of Creation 
 come to the conclusion, that the processes of vege- 
 tation and of animalization, were the machinery 
 chosen by the First Cause,for the gradual produc- 
 tion of all the geological bodies of which our earth 
 is composed. 
 
 Now the marine vegetables ofthe waters or oceans 
 of Genesis, can have imbibed their nourishment 
 from these waters only, and must have had the 
 power conferred on their natures, to decompose 
 these waters, and to recompose by the process of 
 vegetation (as we find to be the case in terrestrial 
 vegetables,) a Vast variety of new productions, all 
 of which, however dense, must have possessed the 
 constituent elements of water, oary^ew and hydrogen, 
 for ih:e\T final elements. 
 
 The depositions then, of the marine vegetable 
 
 I 
 
l^ I 
 
 [f 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
 i 
 
 I : 
 
 6i 
 
 world, having formed a certain, and very great 
 proportion of the geological bodies of the earth • 
 the remainder of them we have conceived to have 
 been formed by the depositions of the marine ani* 
 mals. The habitations or shells of these, we have 
 shewn in various parts of the foregoing theory to 
 compose a considerable portion of the earth, and 
 the vast venerations of these animals, afler their 
 decay and decomposition have, no doubt, according 
 to their affinities and gravities by their depositions, 
 formed or entered into, the structure of the remain- 
 ing geological products. 
 
 In the course of our theory, we have endeavour- 
 ed to shew, that the vast Chalk and Lime-stone 
 formations of the earth, may also have been the 
 result of the decomposition or disintegration of 
 these marine shells. On this subject, we have to 
 add one observation, bearing considerably on our 
 present object, namely, the final elements of the 
 geological bodies. It is, that Chalk and Lime-stone, 
 being carbonates of lime, must also, therefore, con- 
 sist of a great proportion of oxygen in a solid state, 
 their carbonic acid being compounded of oxygen 
 and carbo. Lime itself, also has, if I mistake not, 
 afforded Sir H. Davy a metallic button ; it is there- 
 fore an oxyd, and contains oxygen in the same 
 solid state. 
 
 The marine animals, a^ain, of the waters of 
 Genesis, whether they derived their nutrition di- 
 rectly from those waters, or from the plants con- 
 tained in them, or both, must finally have been 
 composed of the constituent elements of water, the 
 on/y mode of nutrition of those plants. Bnt it is 
 
65 
 
 I very great 
 f the earth ; 
 ivcd to h&vo 
 
 marine ani- 
 3se, we have 
 ng theory to 
 i earth, and 
 
 after their 
 U according 
 depositions, 
 the remain- 
 
 endeavour- 
 Lime-Stone 
 e been the 
 Jgration of 
 fve have to 
 3ly on our 
 Jnts of the 
 ime-stone, 
 efore, con- 
 soJid state, 
 of oxygen 
 istake not, 
 it is there- 
 the same 
 
 waters of 
 rition dl- 
 ants con- 
 ave been 
 ^ater, the 
 Bnt it is 
 
 I 
 
 possible, and even probable, that the marine ani- 
 mals had the power of decomposing the imbibed 
 air of the atmosphere, by which they would ob- 
 tain another elementary principle, Azote, This is 
 an ffiriform substance, which is always found to be 
 produced by the remains of terrestrial, and, no 
 doubt, marine animals also. 
 
 Thus we are led to suppose the final elements of 
 all geological bodies, and of the marine plants and 
 animals of the ocean, and of the vegetable and 
 animal productions of the earth to have been 
 ah oriffine, OXYGEN, HYDROGEN, AZOTE, 
 HEAT, and, perhaps, LIGHT AND ELECTR!- 
 CITY ; and that the immense variety of propor- 
 tions of these constitutes the distinctive characters 
 of those bodies. 
 
 Now, in the event of the dissolution of the Globe 
 by fire, the consequence would be, (as combustion 
 is now known to bo nothing but the extrication of 
 light and heat, or caloric, by the decomposition of 
 the oxygen gas of the atmosphere, and the subse- 
 quent absorption of its oxygen by the combustible 
 body,) that the elements of all combustible bodies 
 would enter into new combinations The waters 
 of the oceans, if not directly decomoosed bv this 
 vast combustion, but, merely evaporated into va- 
 pour, would probably collect together, be finally 
 condensed into water, be attracted together into 
 vast bodies, and form Oceanic Globes^ which must 
 obey the laws of gravitation and motion, and would 
 thus form the matrices of future planets. 
 
 On the contrary, should the watery vapours of 
 our earth and ocean be drawn into the conflagration 
 
RC 
 
 66 
 
 at thi3 dissolution, and be decomposed by the inten- 
 sity of its heat and the contact of the combustible 
 bodies, which is indeed probable, these vapours 
 would thereby be resolved into their primary ele- 
 ments, oxygen and hydrogen, in the state of gasscs. 
 A great proportion, also, of the vegetable and ani- 
 mal creation would immediately be decomposed 
 into these gasses and the azotic gas. 
 
 the earthy, mineral, and metallic substances of 
 the globe, many of which we have shewn in the 
 foregoing pages of our theory to contain an abun- 
 dant quantity of these gasses in a solid stale, 
 would be pa rtl v decomposed into these primary 
 elements, and the remaining more indestructible 
 parts, if not decomposed by the heat of the confla- 
 gration, would be resolved by it into vapours, for 
 we have found, as before stated, that even by the 
 comparatively small degrees of heat which the art 
 of )nan has discovered, the diamond, and some of the 
 perfect metals,have been resolved into such vapours: 
 and, allowing even that these metallic, earthy, or 
 mineral vapours, should not be decomposed into 
 their final elements even by the heat of the con- 
 flagration, they must, after the combustion, be col- 
 lected into vast bodies, mix with the other gasses 
 resulting from the decompositions above stated,and, 
 probably, by the agency of chemical affinity, find 
 their decomposition effected by these gasses ; or, 
 otherwise, their decomposition into the primary ele- 
 ments of oxygen, hydrogen, and azote, may be 
 finally effected by the electric Jluid, 
 
 Thus,aIthough it may be the design of Providence 
 to put a final period to the present state of existence 
 
 
 mi<!£... 
 
67 
 
 by the inten- 
 combustiblc 
 ese vapours 
 primary ele- 
 iteofgasscs. 
 bie and ani> 
 decomposed 
 
 ibstances of 
 
 lewn in the 
 
 in an abun- 
 
 solid stale, 
 
 ese primary 
 
 idestructible 
 
 ' the confla- 
 
 ^apours, for 
 
 ven by the 
 
 hich the art 
 
 some of the 
 
 ic/i vapours: 
 
 earthy, or 
 
 posed into 
 
 >f the con- 
 
 )n, be col- 
 
 her gasses 
 
 stated,and, 
 
 finity, find 
 
 asses ; or, 
 
 iniarv ele- 
 
 may be 
 
 rovidence 
 existence 
 
 ^1 
 
 of our globe ; yet, as the primary elements of whicii 
 we have conceived it to be composed, are indes- 
 tructible in the present state at least of our know- 
 ledge, these elements must unite to form tlie 
 materials of a new state of existence ; unless, 
 indeed, counteracted by the divine ordinances, by 
 which these very elements themselves should be 
 annihilated. 
 
 Now, that this globe is destined to dissolution is, 
 I have already mentioned, probable, from many 
 facts in its external and internal phenomena. 
 
 Its pit Coal, sulphureous and nitrous combinations 
 and the inflammable and other gasses it produces, 
 and the tendency of these to produce earthquakes 
 and volcanoes, may not operate suflSciently deep 
 in the earth to produce its total dissolution. This 
 is indeed more likely to arise, from its various mo- 
 tions in the heavens, and the possible contact of 
 igneous bodies, as Comets &c., and it may form a 
 part of the design of the Creator, that the heavenly 
 bodies should thus be subject to continued changes ; 
 yet, would it not appear consistent with the un- 
 ceasing evidences we have of His benevolence, to 
 suppose, these changes are not to destroy the final 
 elements of His creation ; but to produce higher 
 and better states of existence by their instrumen- 
 tality ? 
 
 Assuming therefore, that the conflagration we 
 are considering, has finally decomposed and resol- 
 ved by combustion, and the power of mutual afii* 
 nity, or by the electric fluid, all parts of the earth 
 and oceans, into the primary elements Oxygen^ 
 Hydrogen and Azote fnx other elements,we have now 
 
G« 
 
 to consider how these would rccomhine to form other 
 heavenly bodies. These inimary elerients, having 
 been drawn together by the laws of affinity or attrac- 
 tion, would probably be soon ignited, and brought in- 
 to combustion by the electric fluid, or the light and 
 heat of the general conflagration. The hydrogen gas, 
 would then unite with the oxygen of the oxygen gas, 
 whose light and heat or caloric would be set free, and 
 the formation oi watery vapours would ensue. These 
 condensing in the course of time, (for it is probable 
 the light and heat of the conflagration would, by 
 laws of its gravity, find its way to the higher re- 
 gions of infinite space and form the Sun of the 
 newly created system) while these newly formed 
 vapours,condcnsing in the course of time,wouIdform 
 oceanic globes, which, also, in obedience to the 
 same laws of gravity and attraction, would be at- 
 tracted or driven, according to our theory, round 
 their central Sun ; and being endowed by the pow- 
 erful and benevolent ordination of the first cause, 
 with the most abundant prolific and plastic powers 
 for the generation of plants aini animals ; these 
 would, exactly in the same way (by which, as we 
 have stated in our Theory of Creation,) the waters 
 of Genesis produced our Earth, so the plants and 
 animals of these new aqueous planets, would be 
 continually tending, in the course of sufficient ages, 
 by their vast accumulation, their death, decomposi- 
 tion and depositions, according to their affinities 
 and gravities, they would be thus continually tend- 
 ing to form the solid parts of their globes, which, 
 by the laws of gravity, would be attracted more 
 or less near the centre, and thsee depositions would 
 
 t 
 
69 
 
 thus accumulate, until the land should finally ap- 
 pear on the 8ur&ce of these waters. 
 
 We must then, suppose the same benevolence 
 and power of the Creator would be exerted to 
 bring plants and animals on this part of its creation, 
 endowing them with life and enjoyments of such 
 degrees of eminence in the scale of being, as His 
 providence might be pleased to direct. 
 
 Thus, we have cause to believe, from our evi- 
 dences of the benevolence of the Deity, that the 
 globe we inhabit, if destined to combustion, may be, 
 thereby, changed into another, and more perfect 
 state of existence, and its inhabitants be gifted wifh 
 greater blessings, and we shall now venture to 
 draw a conclusion from the foregoing observations 
 on the dissolution and reproduction of the globe ; 
 namely, that although we are told in Scripture that 
 this dissolution will take place, and the inhabitants 
 then on earth will perish, yet as we have stated, 
 that ** it would be more consistent with the unceas- 
 ing evidences we have of the benevolence of the 
 Creator, to suppose these changes are not to destroy 
 the final elements of his Creation,** and, as we have 
 accordingly supposed these elements will only as- 
 sume a new state of being, we therefore now draw 
 our conclusion, that, as the final elements of the 
 corporeal substance of man, could only then in 
 common, with those of other elements, assume a 
 new state of combination; so we conceive that 
 the benevolent Creator (having in the present 
 life given to him th^se high powers of intellect, and 
 those hopes of a better state c ■ ^st«nce,) has also 
 arranged some plan, by which ** <i eir aents of these 
 
70 
 
 jtKxiies, add by a parity of reasoning, the elements 
 of those who shall have died previous to the con- 
 flagration ; some plan, I say, by which the elements 
 of these bodies shall be re-united to the souls of 
 which they formed the matrices on Earth, and that 
 with them, they shall be endowed with a better and 
 more perfect state of existence, as foretold and 
 promised in the scriptures. 
 
 The elements of those human bodies, must other- 
 wise be left to the disposal of a chance combina- 
 tion, and mi^iit thereby, enter into the reproduction 
 of inanimate substance. We cannot conceive this 
 to be part of the design of the source of truth and 
 benevolence ; and we therefore believe, that this 
 very indestructibility of the laws of nature, and her 
 eternal tendency to form (as we have attempted to 
 shew above) new combinations of matter offer a 
 proof, also, of the distinct destined existence, and 
 of tlie immortality of the soul of man, {Sea Note &.) 
 
 Having now finished these considerations on the 
 Creation, Dissolution, and Reproduction of our 
 Globe, in a new state, I shall only mention, that, 
 reasoning from analogy, we may conceive the 
 other systems of the heavenly bodies, to have been 
 formed by the same laws of nature, instituted by 
 the Omnipotent for that purpose. But we are told 
 by a great poet, " Presume not God to scan," and 
 as I agree with that idea, inasmuch as that we 
 ought not to venture ho to do, beyond the data and 
 facts, which He has placed in our view, so I have 
 limited these observations to our system ; humbly 
 conceiving I have in some measure shewn, that the 
 geolofjy of our globe, and our latest discoveries in 
 
71 
 
 the elements 
 i to the con- 
 the elements 
 the souls of 
 irth, and that 
 ( a better and 
 foretold and 
 
 , must other- 
 3e combina- 
 •eproduction 
 Jonceive this 
 >f truth and 
 ve, that this 
 ire, and her 
 ittempted to 
 iUer offer a 
 stence, and 
 Sea Note 0.) 
 ions on the 
 ion of our 
 ntion, that, 
 nceive the 
 
 have been 
 stituted by 
 ve are told 
 scan/' and 
 is that WG 
 e data and 
 
 so I have 
 i; humbly 
 ^n, that the 
 overies ia 
 
 pneumatics, will warrant the conclusi<:»n 1 have 
 drawn from the foregoing facts and eiperiments. 
 
 In the theory of the Sun I observed, that the 
 water formed by the combustion of the hydrogen 
 gas, in supplying him with fuel, -might, perhaps, be 
 condensed into globes of water, destined hereafter 
 to form new worlds or planets, like those of our 
 own system, by the means we have detailed in the 
 theor}" of Creation. 
 
 I have now only to add, that we may well con- 
 ceive this possible, from the incessant proofs of 
 po>ver, wisdom, and benevolence, we are permit- 
 ted to discover in the operations of the Creator ; 
 that, in fact the recent discoveries of our astrono- 
 mers, of Planets never before observed by the vi- 
 gilance of those of former ages may be a proof that 
 new formations of heavenly bodies are always tak- 
 ing place ; and, that as we caiinot presume to limit 
 the attributes and power of a first cause, so the re- 
 productive and plastic powers with which He hath 
 endowed the laws of nature, may be found in con- 
 tinual operation for the production of other sys- 
 tems of heavenly bodies, and that the Almij^hty 
 attributes and energies may be thus continually 
 giving life and enjoyment, in a scalie nearly infinite, 
 and advancing, perhaps, incessantly in displays of 
 His Goodness, roWER, Wisdom, and Glory. {See 
 the luttsr part of Note 17. 
 
 :•'?> 
 
n 
 
 
APPENDIX, 
 
 The following Notes and Illustrations are recom- 
 mended to the reader's attention as illustrative 
 of the TiiaoRY of Creation, and particularly 
 us containing observations on the late discoveries 
 in Geology, 
 
 
 Note 1. It may, perhaps, be thought by Sdmd> 
 that allowing the pr^eesses of vegetation and ani- 
 malization in the waters of (Genesis, to have pto- 
 duced, by their decomposition, all the materials of 
 the Geological productions, yet, that the quantity 
 of deposition required to form the Earth, would be 
 more, tha« they can conceive, could be produced 
 by the vegetables and animatls ^f these seas or 
 waters ; but, one single fact, w%ich I shall mention 
 from an ingenious publication, on tke animals and 
 monsters of our oceans, will, perhaps, satisfy their 
 doubts on this head. It is stated in that publica- 
 tion, " &at the >ofrspiiting of one single herring, be- 
 ing suffered to remain unmolested in the sea, for 
 twenty years -alone, would produce more than suf- 
 iicient to form in bulk, ten such globes as we in- 
 habit ;" and if, according to the system I have of- 
 fered, it be conceded that the design of the waters 
 of Genesis, was to form and piroduce the Earth by 
 
 1^ 
 
 w i 
 
 4 
 
 / / 
 
74 
 
 these depositions, wc may reasonably presume, that 
 vegetable and animal life, were abundantly pro- 
 lific to produce that end. 
 
 Note 2. I here insert some observations on the 
 fiom^of ition of the granite mass, which is supposed 
 bv «o''"«c geologists, to form the internal p^rta of 
 tli Kn.rih or frame work of the globe. 
 
 This ni^ js is composed of the assemblage, some- 
 times in thick, sometimes in very thin laminai of 
 various kinds of mineral substance, such as quartz, 
 mica, jasper, &c. all of which substances, again, 
 arc composed of the various primary earths, lime, 
 magnesia, silex, alumine, barytes or terra ponde- 
 rosa. The granite mass, then, is ultimately com- 
 pounded of these primary earths, most of which, 
 we have shewn to be produced by the decomposi- 
 tioa of vegetables and animals ; and that this mass 
 has been, originally formed in, and deposited from 
 a fluid, appears to me proved by the chrystala of 
 quartz, minute scales of mica, and its appearance 
 of so fine a granular structure, and more especially, 
 tlie visible layers and laminae dispersed throughout 
 that texture. I have counted above twenty layers 
 of a white substance, in a pagment of granite a 
 foot square. 
 
 Now, had the granite mass not been formed by 
 the gradual decay, decomposition, and deposition of 
 marine vegetables and animals, as we have stated 
 in the theory of Creation ; had its materials been 
 formed at once in the waters of Genesis, the vari- 
 ous substances composing it, (the mass) would have 
 united according to their mutual affinities, and been 
 
 B 
 
 prc( 
 
 in vi 
 
 posi 
 
 toci 
 
 sitQ(| 
 
 the 
 
 anir 
 
csumc, that 
 Jantly pro- 
 
 ions on the 
 s supposed 
 lal parts of 
 
 age, wjnic- 
 lamina3 of 
 as quartz, 
 ;es, again, 
 rths, lime, 
 ra ponde^ 
 itely com- 
 of which, 
 Bcomposi- 
 this mass 
 lited from 
 rystala of 
 »pearance 
 specially, 
 roughout 
 ty layers 
 granite a 
 
 rmed by 
 Dsition of 
 ^e stated 
 als been 
 the vari- 
 jld have 
 nd been 
 
 75 
 
 prccipated according to tlie laws of their gravity, 
 ia vast homogenous masses ; but, the visible de- 
 positions of part of it, in layers and lamina3, seems 
 to confirm the opinion of their having been depo- 
 sitQd in the course, perhaps, of numerous ages, from 
 the decomposition and depositions of vegetable and 
 animal life. 
 
 Thus, the granite mass gives, also, evident proofs 
 of formation in fluidity, and although, from its 
 more ancient formation, no instances of is'' (e ve- 
 getable or animal remains maybe founf' in )*.„ inte- 
 rior ; yet, as we know that water of itself deposits 
 nothing, but what it has held in previous s "lution, ei- 
 ther partial or complete, and,3s we kn^w of no other 
 source, from which the substance o^ this solution 
 could be derived in the waters of Genesis, but 
 from vegetable or animal decomposition, and as we 
 have seen, by the foregoing theory and data, that 
 vegetable and animal decomposition affords the 
 materials of which the granite mass is composed. 
 I trust, we are warranted in the conclusion, that 
 having been deposited, and lain many ages previ- 
 ous to the deposition of the secondary and tertiary 
 strata, and that, in a state of moisture, all its ve- 
 , getable and animal organization has been destroyed 
 I trom that cause, and those of compression, internal 
 heats, and the electric fires of the Earth ; and that 
 this granite mass, has been produced by the same 
 means, which appear to have been chosen by the 
 C'reator, for the construction of the more external 
 parts of the globe, namely, the generation, decay, 
 death, decomposition, and deposition of the vege- 
 tables and animals of the waters of Genesis. 
 
ra 
 
 Accordingly we find in the review of the third 
 edition of Lyell's principles of geology, it is stated, 
 that ** the experiments of Watt prove that a rock 
 need not be perfectly melted, in order that a re- 
 arrangement of its component particles should 
 take place, and a more chrystalline structure ensue. 
 We may easily suppose, therefore, [says Mr. 
 Lyell,J that all traces of shells and other organic 
 remains may be destroyed, and that new chemical 
 combinations^ may arise, and according to these 
 views, gneiss and mica schisti, may be nothing 
 more than micaceous and argillaceous stones alter- 
 ed b^ heat, and certainly, in their mode of strati- 
 fication and lamination they correspond most ex- 
 actly. Granular quartz, may have been derived 
 from siliceous sand stone, compact Quartz from the 
 same. Clay slate may be altered shale, and shale 
 appears to be clay, subjected to great pressure^- — 
 Grraiiular marble has probably '>riginated in the 
 form of ordinary lime-stone, having in many in- 
 stances been replete with shells and corals now obli" 
 teratedy while calcareous saads and marts have 
 been changed into impure chrystalline lirae-stones.'* 
 
 I have, chiefly, made the above extract from Mr. 
 Ly6irswork, in answer to the objection stated in 
 the preface of my theory, made by Mr. Fairholme, 
 regarding the granite mass; and I trust, it will 
 prove, that although, this granite mass contains at 
 present no organic remains ; yet, it may have con- 
 tained them originally, and that they may have 
 been destroyed by the heats, fires and consequent 
 change or fusion, the mass has undergone from 
 those or, perhaps, from electricity.. In Sue, I mu&t: 
 
 ■ ( 
 
of the third 
 t it is stated, 
 that a rock 
 ;r that a re- 
 cles should 
 cture ensue* 
 [says Mr. 
 her organic 
 w chemical 
 nff to these 
 be nothing 
 ttones alter- 
 B of strati- 
 nd most ex- 
 een derived 
 rtz from the 
 , and shale 
 MPessuro;- — 
 ited in the 
 many in- 
 ^s now oblU 
 larts have 
 ae-stones.'* 
 t from Mr. 
 stated in 
 airholme, 
 ust, it will 
 ontains at 
 have con- 
 may have 
 onsequent 
 one from 
 ne, I musrt 
 
 77 
 
 here repeat, I find no cause, after the perusal of 
 the latest works on geology, to vary from the 
 theory of Creation, I now venture to present. On 
 the contrary, I find several of the German geolo- 
 gists have adopted the same opinion, namely, "that 
 vegetable and animal life have been the cause of 
 the production of the solid portion of the Earth." 
 
 I therefore, must adhere to the opinion I have 
 stated, in the 11th Note, that the discoveries 
 of the marine organic remains, will be satis- 
 factorily explained by this theorj', and the ne- 
 cessity of supposing the Earth more ancient, that 
 is, since the separation, than by the Mosaic account 
 j)recluded ; and I no>v conclude-this "^ote with an 
 observation from Sharon Turner's Sacred History 
 of the World. " Therefore, [he says,] it appears 
 to me most probable, that whenever the right theory 
 of the fabrication of our Earth, and the era and 
 succession of its organized beings shall be disco- 
 vered, it will be found to be compatible with the 
 Mosaic cosmogony, in its most natural signification. 
 
 Happy should I be, if the theory I am now pre- 
 senting to the world, should in its estimation be 
 found to approximate tb this description. 
 
 The late discoveries in geology of Baron Cuvier, 
 Lyell, and Buckland and others, as they comprise 
 not more than one mile of the depth of the Earth, 
 (being no more than an eighth part of its diameter) 
 do not in the least invalidate the theory I have 
 formed,, which comprises the entire of that diame- 
 ter. I, however, repeat and extend here, the ob- 
 servations I have made already in these Notes. 
 
 First, that Baron Cuvier in his computation of 
 
 »j 
 
 I 
 
78 
 
 ttie distance of time, namely, 6 or 6,000 years, fat 
 which he places the date of his revolution as tne 
 result,) does not state by what comparison or scale 
 he arrived at his decision ; and it is difficult to con- 
 ceive any scale he could have had, except a known 
 quantity or depth of deposition from rivers or lakes 
 in a given time. If this, however, be the source 
 on which he has founded his computation, I cannot 
 but consider it a very insufficient one. The power 
 of deposition of lakes or rives- could no more be 
 compared to the quantum of that power possessed 
 by the waters of a deluge, or the primeval oceans, 
 than.the currents^f those rivers or lakes could be 
 to the almost inconceivable foree of the waters of a 
 deluge overwhelming a great .part of the earth. 
 
 I should therefore humbly si^gest the query, 
 that the period at which these fossil deposits of 
 the bones of terrestrial animals may not ascend 
 higher than tlie time of the Deluge of Noah, and 
 the circumstance of no human bones being found 
 in the particular place of these discoveries, has been 
 owing to those parts not being then inhabited by 
 our species. 
 
 Or, secondly, allowing him to be correct as to 
 the period of 5 or 6000 years, at which he dates 
 his revolution, and which, as he says, " has buried 
 and caused to disappear the countries formerly in- 
 habited by man, and the species of animals now 
 most known, that, contrariwise, it has left the bot- 
 tom of the former sea dry, and has formed on it 
 the countries now inhabited." I would ask, 
 is not this period, which agrees very nearly 
 with the time of the separation of the Mosaic ac- 
 
V ^^ 
 
 DO years, rat 
 ution as tne 
 ison or scale 
 ficult to con- 
 cpt a known 
 i^ers or lakes 
 
 the source 
 on, I cannot 
 
 The power 
 no more be 
 Jr possessed 
 eval oceans, 
 les could be 
 5 waters of a 
 he earth, 
 
 the query, 
 
 deposits of 
 not ascend 
 
 Noah, and 
 being found 
 es, has been 
 ihabited by 
 
 >rrect as to 
 ch he dates 
 ' has buried 
 brmerly in- 
 limals now 
 eft thebot- 
 rnied on it 
 vould ask, 
 )ry nearly 
 Mosaic ac- 
 
 ^1 
 
 79 
 
 count, equally weW accounted for by that sefpara- 
 tion, and, therefore, instead of the countries former* 
 ly i nhabited ** by man hw'ing been then buried and 
 caused to disappear," shall we not rather say, that 
 the Earth was- then separated from the seas^ in 
 which it had, according^to our Tneory of Creation, 
 been formed, and that soon after this period of the 
 separation, Man was created. 
 
 This Theory will also equally account for the 
 present appearance of those marine deposits and 
 organic remains now found at the greatest depths 
 of the Earth to which rtiankind have yet penetrat- 
 ed. All these marine exuviae and organic remains, 
 and the strata; under which they are deposited, are 
 satisfactorily accounted for by the construction of 
 the 1st verse of Genesis we have formed as the 
 basis of the theory of the foregoing treatise ; and 
 which construction has since been sanctioned by 
 the eminent Geologists and writers already spe- 
 cified. 
 
 I have only to add some observations on the 
 Review of LyelFs Principles of Geology, of April 
 1835, on the subject of the antiquity of Mount Etna. 
 " It is thus," it is said, " that volcanic formations 
 confirm the evidence aflforded by the sedimentary 
 strata of the immense antiquity and lengthened du- 
 ralionofeven ^e most recent geological seras." 
 Bet is it not probable that the eruptions of Etna 
 were much more frequent long after the time of its ^ 
 first eruption than what they have been since ? Is 
 it not probable the causes which produced that first 
 eruption have since been greatly diminished by the 
 numerous flowings of lava; according to the force 
 
I I 
 
 i k 
 
 i i 
 
 i 
 
 80 
 
 of the cause, so must have been the number and 
 frequency of those eruptions, and their frequency 
 fi* first cannot be estimated by the eruptions which 
 have happened in our times. The age of this 
 mountain may, therefore, may Ijc very far less than a 
 computation formed on tlie frequency or deposits of 
 its late eruptions would make it. The eruptions, 
 also, may have begun long before it emerged from 
 the waters of Genesis, and diese suL aqueous erup- 
 tions been deposited before the separation of those 
 waters. 
 
 Note 3. It remains now to offer some obser- 
 vations on the Salt formations of the Earth. 
 
 These formations offer strong evidence of our 
 theory of thi waters of Genesis. This salt, occa- 
 sionally called common salt, sea salt, or marine 
 salt, is entirely a creature of the ocean : no terres- 
 trial vegetable that I know of has ever produced it, 
 except vv'hen growing nigh the salt water. 
 
 These vast formations, found in various parts of 
 the Earth, must have unquestionably originated 
 from saline waters ; and one way, in which the se- 
 paration of the salt from the water which held it 
 in solution, may be accounted for is, that parts of 
 these seas have been swallowed up by earthquakes 
 or volcanoes, and their water exsiccated by inter- 
 nal fires ; or, that these parts of the seas have, by 
 some revolution, been separated, and not being re- 
 plenished by any rivers, have Ixien gradually dried 
 up by the Sun. 
 
 But, I should suppose the quantity of salt pro- 
 duced by these accidental causes, would not, nearly. 
 
 ai 
 S( 
 
 th( 
 
umber and 
 ' frequency 
 tions which 
 Lge of this 
 less than a 
 deposits of 
 eruptions, 
 Jrged from 
 eous erup- 
 n of those 
 
 me obser- 
 rth. 
 
 ICC of our 
 'alt, occa- 
 *r marine 
 10 terres- 
 :)duced it, 
 
 I parts of 
 riginated 
 ^ the se- 
 ll held it 
 parts of 
 hquakes ' 
 y inter- 
 lave, by 
 eing re- 
 ly dri^d 
 
 ih pro- 
 nearly. 
 
 SI 
 
 amount to the vast salt formations of our Earth. 
 Some intentional operation of Providence for their 
 production is most likely to have been the cause of 
 the production of an article so indispensible for the 
 use of man ; and, I therefore conceive, it is more 
 probable these formations have derived their ori- 
 gin from vast depositions of the marine plants of 
 the waters of Genesis. These must have contained 
 this salt in abundance, as do the marine plants of 
 our seas ; and the other products of their decompo- 
 sition have united, according to their affinities^ to 
 form other Geological bodues. 
 
 
 
 Note 4. It 3eems,indeed, almost impossible (sup- 
 posing for a moment the idea of BufToa were found- 
 ed as to the origin, df our Earth,) to conjecture, by 
 what means its waters could have been subsequent- 
 ly obtained. A body of molten glass would, neces- 
 sarily, assume a spherical form in the heavens ; and 
 it seems not probable or possible that such vast 
 cavities as the beds, of the seas or oceans could 
 have* been formed oniit by its motions. 
 
 Agaiia, vitreous substances do not contain the 
 element? that produce earthquakes and volcanoes* 
 Hydrogen or inflammable gas is probably required 
 for. that effect, which is not contained in glass ; 
 therefore, the vast cavities of the ocean could not 
 arise from internal commotions ; but, even allowing 
 them to have been produced by some unknown 
 cause, how is the origin; of the waters to be come 
 at? Water is, I believe, sometimes generated in our 
 atmosphere by the combustion of hydrogen ; but 
 tbis i^ as a mere drop in the ocean compared to the 
 
 K 
 
 *:/ 
 
1^ t 
 
 ' 
 
 82 
 
 general cause that produce our rains. In fact, it 
 could not, consistently with the safety of the pro- 
 ductions of the Earth, or even that of their embryos 
 at the time of their fofmation, ha\ e been made a 
 general law for the purpose of producing the wa- 
 ters of the oceans. 
 
 On the otlier hand, the system of the formation 
 of the earth, from waters generated by combustion, 
 appears to be a more natural and satisfactory solu- 
 tion of the phenomena of creation. 
 
 The waters formed and endowed, as we must 
 conceive, according to the design of the Crea- 
 tor, with the most prolific powers of generating 
 plants and animals, produced gradually sufficient 
 deposits to form the Earth. 
 
 I have stated in Note 1, that a single herring, 
 unmolested for twenty years, would, as it has been 
 computed, produce ten of our Globes ; and, allow- 
 ing it to produce only one Globe, what must the 
 depositions of all the vegetables and animals of the 
 waters of Genesis amount to ? In fact, on a consi- 
 deration of the probable powers of deposition of 
 these waters, and of the small proportion the known 
 parts of the land bears to our oceans, we might be 
 inclined to conjecture that there may be vast tracts 
 of land on ihe Globe vet undiscovered. 
 
 Note 5. It may be observed further respecting 
 this resistance of the a3riform medii of our Thcorv, 
 that, as our system itself, and I believe also the 
 fixed stars, are allowed bv Astronomers to have 
 some progressive motion, and which must be ow- 
 ing to the principle of attraction towards some 
 
In fact, it 
 of the pro- 
 Jir embryos 
 sen made a 
 ig the wa- 
 
 i formation 
 iombustion, 
 ctory solu- 
 
 s we must 
 the Crea- 
 generating 
 ^ sufficient 
 
 [e herring, 
 
 t has been 
 
 nd, aliow- 
 
 must the 
 
 lals of the 
 
 n a consi- 
 
 ►osition of 
 
 le known 
 
 might be 
 
 ast tracts 
 
 sspccting 
 Tlieory, 
 also the 
 to have 
 it he ow- 
 ds some 
 
 I 
 
 83 
 
 centre ; therefore, the resisting aeriform medii must 
 move the same way also in their courses towards 
 the Sun, having thus two motions : they must be 
 thus attracted towards the same centre as our sys- 
 tem is said to be ; the resistance they give to the 
 Earth and Planets in their rectilinear motion, tliough 
 it may thereby diminish the velocity of that motion, 
 yet it cannot "destroy it," these airiform medii 
 being themselves under the influence of the same 
 attraction towards an unknown centre. (See Note 
 8 in confirmation of this.) 
 
 This idea of a general motion of our system, and 
 of the fixed Stars, will be found "in the work I have 
 so often quoted, Paley's Natural Theology. He 
 states, if I rightly remember, " that the fixed Stars 
 have certainly small motions," and considers them 
 to be attracted to a centre ; and if this be really 
 founded in fact, it certainly oflfers one of the grand- 
 est ideas of the Deity the mind of Man can con- 
 ceive, namely, th.it if all the Systems of the Hea- 
 venly Bodies thus move round one common un- 
 known centre, may we not conceive that centre to 
 Ije the Empyreal Throne of God mentioned in the 
 ^th chapter of Revelations ? from whence He be- 
 holds continually the immense operations of His 
 hands, performing their resolutions round Him ? 
 
 The above idea of universal attraction also oflTers 
 another very important one, of the cause of the 
 Projectile Force or rectilineal motion of the Planets 
 of our system, namely, that this universal attrac- 
 tion to a common centre IS that cause ? 
 
 Since writing this Note I have seen the sub 
 stance of its last paragraph confirmed by the elo- 
 
 
 tftl 
 
84 
 
 qucnt discourses of Dr. Chalmers, la ,ely pubTished, 
 on the Christian Revelation in connection wi :h the 
 Modern Astronomy. 
 
 Note 6. The reasoning in this work, in page 47, 
 is grounded on the idea, that the entire substance 
 of man, including the soul, is not <iestined to perish 
 with the material substances of tlie globe. On that 
 idea I have supposed, that tiie corporeal parts of 
 his frame, may be, by some arrangement of Deity, 
 reunited with the soul or intelligent part; but 
 should the future state of existence be one altogether 
 spiritual, the constituent elements of tlic body, may 
 then, perhaps, enter into indiscriminate combina- 
 tions with other matter ; all I wish to infer from the 
 reasoning ofiered on this subject, h that the intelli- 
 gent spirit or soul of man is indestructible. 
 
 Note 7. I wish, now, to call the reader's atten- 
 tion to the ingenious and profound researches of 
 Mr. Cuvier in g^ >t«>gy. It appears that as the 
 result of tiiese rcM^ciiChes, he comes to the conclu- 
 sion, " that if any thing be proved by the geology 
 of the Earth, it is, that a great revolution took 
 place on it from 5 to 6,000 years ago,'' anticedent 
 too, to the existence of man on those parts at least, 
 of the Earth, for he is said to have proved, that 
 no vestige or organic remains of the human species 
 has ever been discovered, among the remains of the 
 other animals found among the strata or deposits 
 he treats of. 
 
 The period at which he states, this revolution to 
 have tciken place, agrees yQ£y nearly with tlie 
 
 scnl 
 
 fore 
 
 Eai 
 
 suri 
 
 of 
 
 Atal 
 
 the 
 
 nioi 
 
^m^^': - ''"^ 
 
 puWished, 
 n mh the 
 
 in page 47, 
 substance 
 d to perish 
 (. On that 
 il parts of 
 t of Deity, 
 part ; but 
 altogether 
 body, may 
 combina- 
 3r from the 
 the intelli- 
 
 er*s atten- 
 earches of 
 lat as the 
 le conclu- 
 e geology 
 tion took 
 nticedent 
 s at least, 
 ved, that 
 n species 
 ins of the 
 • deposits 
 
 )lution to 
 with the 
 
 85 
 
 scriptural account of Creation. We know, there- 
 fore, that man then existed, in some parts of the 
 Earth, though he had not spread over much of its 
 surface. We have, in concurrence of the opinion 
 of this great revolution, Plato's account of his 
 Atalanta, supposed to be the extent now covered by 
 the Atlantic ocean,which, according to Plato's opi- 
 nion, was formerly dry land. 
 
 That it is possible such revolutions may have 
 taken place since the Creation, is not to be doubted. 
 The oceans may, in the course of time, have worn 
 away those boundaries that had prevented their 
 overflowing extensive tracts of the Earth, or the 
 power of earthquakes, or volcanic fire may have 
 produced a disruption and carried away the barriers 
 of the ocean. It is, however, to be observed, tliat 
 it is singular this opinion of Cuvier's is not support* 
 ed by any account in the scriptures. Had such a 
 great convulsion taken place soon after the Crea- 
 tion, is it not probable some oral tradition would 
 have reached the time of Moses, or other scriptu- 
 ral writers, just as we have handed down to us the 
 account of the deluge of Noah ? 
 
 It were to be wished, therefore, this eminent 
 Geologist had turned his attention to the waters of 
 Genesis ; as, I cannot but think, he would have 
 therein found a more plain and easy solution of the 
 phenomena he has so ably developed. The one 
 mile of strata containing the remains on which he 
 treats would, probably, have been deposited by 
 these waters in a very limited period, previous to 
 the "separation of those waters of Genesis, which 
 would satisfactorily account for the non-appearance 
 
 ■yeM' 
 
\i i 
 
 86 
 
 of any organic remains of the kuman species in 
 these strata, because, it had not at that period been 
 yet created, and it would equally well account for 
 those fossil and oreanic remains of the marine ani- 
 mals he had found in those strata, and the vast 
 period of time, namely, millions of years, he and 
 the other late geologists conceive these strata have 
 required for formation, would be also accounted for. 
 
 In fine, there is good and powerful reason to be- 
 lieve the account of Creation must have been de- 
 livered to Moses by divine inspiration. It is not 
 likely, that he of his own ideas, or even from any 
 traditionary account could, in those times, have pos- 
 sessed that extension of thought, that would have 
 enabled him to frame such a system, or to form the 
 conception that the Earth was produced in a globe 
 of water. 
 
 That it has been so formed, has not been disco- 
 vered by science until the present day, nigh C,000 
 vears after its separation from those waters ; and 
 
 •'X ' 
 
 as I have said in the body of this work, we have 
 rio historical account of any but the waters of Ge- 
 nesis, to which we can refer the phenomena of the 
 Earth, so I trust to have proved, that the best dis- 
 coveries in geology and pneumatics are calculated 
 to shew the real and necessary existence of those 
 waters, and to add new forces to the authenticity 
 and authority of the holy scriptures. 
 
 It !9, moreover, to be observed, that Cuvier gives 
 us no scale, by which he has decided on the time 
 of this revolution to have been 5 or 6,000 years ; 
 iind it is very difficult to conceive what data he 
 ceuld have. The time taken by rivers or Jakes to 
 
8^ 
 
 species in 
 period been 
 account for 
 marine ani- 
 id the vast 
 irs, he and 
 strata have 
 counted for. 
 ason to be- 
 'e been de- 
 It is not 
 1 from any 
 {, have pos- 
 rould have 
 to form the 
 
 in a globe 
 
 een disco- 
 nigh 6,000 
 ters ; and 
 c, we have 
 :er3 of Ge- 
 3na of the 
 e best dis- 
 calculated 
 of those 
 thenticity 
 
 vier gives 
 
 i the time 
 
 years; 
 
 data he 
 
 lakes to 
 
 I 
 
 form deposits of a known thickness would avail' 
 him nothing, as their power of deposition could not 
 be compared to that of a deluge. May it not, 
 therefore, be possible that the revolution he refers 
 to, may have been that of the deluge of Noah in 
 parts of the Earth not inhabited by the human 
 species. 
 
 Note 8. It is said, indeed, by philosophers, that 
 a body once put in motion, if all resistance to 
 it were taken away, that the body would continue 
 to move in its course forever ; that is a case, how- 
 ever, which never can be proved by actual experi- 
 ment, and it must rest solely on the opinion or ar- 
 guments of those philosophers. 
 
 If, however, the above supposition of perpetual 
 motion of bodies moving in a vacuum be founded 
 in nature, and that the heavenly bodies are made 
 to move in a vacuum, to obtain the object of perpe- 
 tual motion; we may, in addition to what we 
 have observed in Note 5, on the subject of univer- 
 sal attraction to an unknown centre, remark, that 
 this universal attraction, (supposing our theory of 
 the regions of space being filled with aeriform me- 
 dii to be correct) may be the cause which prevents 
 the diminution of the projectile force in tb'j courses 
 of those heavenly bodies through those aeriform 
 medii. 
 
 Note 9. It is true, that only some of the earths 
 and none of the metals have yet been decomposed, 
 and are therefore considered as simple substances. 
 Carbo, however, which would appear to be the 
 
 '■ ' (1 
 
 m 
 
 • vii 
 
 If' 1 
 
 
^ 
 
 n 
 
 til 
 
 r I 
 
 M 
 
 88 
 
 chiefly solidifying principle of the veeetative 
 process, is well known to be susceptible of receiv- 
 ing the gazeons state by combination with oxygen 
 into carbonic acid gas. If any method should ever 
 be discovered of separating the oxygen from this 
 carbonic acid gas, the carbo would be found again 
 in its solid state. Chlorine gas also, when united 
 with hydrogen by congelation, is found by a late 
 discovery to assume the solid state, in the shape of 
 chrystals more than one inch long. This modern 
 experiment is of great importance, as it proves 
 that two gazeous bodies can, by their combination, 
 form a solid one. 
 
 As I have often repeated, also, in the body of 
 this work, and in these Notes,all the metallic oxyds 
 and several of the earths and alkalies must contain 
 a g, eat quantity of oxygen in a solid state. 
 
 The most dense nature of bodies, therefore, is 
 no proof that they may not be composed of aeriform 
 substance, and a vast and most important field of 
 discovery is, probably, yet reserved for pneumatic 
 chemistry, namely, the separation of the gasses 
 from the caloric, and the light which retains them 
 in that form, and the obtaining their bases in the 
 solid state. As a proof of the vast importance of 
 such a discovery, we now suggest, that the nu- 
 tritive parts of the vegetable and animal kingdom 
 must be composed (if our theory in the foregoing 
 work be well founded,) of the solid bases of those 
 gasses ; the discovery, therefore, of obtaining these 
 bases separate from their heat and light, may pos- 
 sibly offer a mode of forming nutritive matter not 
 yet known to mankind. 
 
 ver! 
 acti 
 chr^ 
 
 • 
 
 stral 
 
 turj 
 
 stral 
 
 of o) 
 
 thei] 
 
 that 
 
vegetative 
 e ofreceiv- 
 '^ith oxygen 
 jhould ever 
 n from this 
 bund again 
 ^hen united 
 i by a late 
 »e shape of 
 lis modern 
 3 it proves 
 >mbination, 
 
 le body of 
 allic oxyds 
 1st contain 
 te. 
 
 3refore, is 
 )f aeriform 
 nt field of 
 )neumatic 
 tie gasses 
 ains them 
 ses in the 
 rtance of 
 It the nu- 
 
 kingdom 
 foregoing 
 
 of those 
 ing these 
 nay pos- 
 atter not 
 
 
 
 89 
 
 Note 10. Thus, by our construction of the 1st 
 verse of Genesis, it would appear that the present 
 actual state of the geological bodies, their frequent 
 chrystallization and their gradual depositions in 
 strata and laminae, can be reconciled to the scrip- 
 tural account. That chrystalization and these 
 strata and laminae must, according to the evidence 
 of our senses, have required numerous ages for 
 their formation and deposition. By the supposition 
 that the time of the Istverse^was antecedent to the 
 six days of the separation, the time required for 
 these depositions is obtained, and they are satisfac- 
 torily accounted for ; and also their having the ap- 
 pearance of gradual deposition 'which they present 
 to us. As it would appear, therefore, by our 
 theory, that the Creator has formed the Earth by 
 these natural laws we find every where established, 
 we shall now with humility suggest, that the true 
 meaning of the 4th commandment is, that in six 
 days the hord prepat^ed the Earth. 
 
 Note 11. Having just now obtained a sight of 
 the late publication of Lord Brougham of last year, 
 1835, 1 here subjoin an extract from it, describing 
 the late discoveries of Fossil remains by Cuvier, 
 Buckland,and other Geologists, to which I add some 
 observations bearing on the relation of these facts 
 to our theory of creation. In page 33 of his work, 
 Lord Brougham observes, " the discoveries already 
 made in this branch of science, (Geology) are truly 
 wonderful, and they proceed on the strictest rules 
 of induction. It is shewn, that animals formerlv 
 existed on the globe, being unknown varieties of 
 

 90 
 
 species still known ; but it also appears that species 
 existed, and even genera wholly unknown, for the 
 last five thousand years. These peopled the Earth 
 as it was, not only before the general Deluge, but 
 before some convulsion, long prior to that event, 
 had overwhelmed the countries then dry, and raised 
 others from the bottom of the sea. In these curious 
 enquiries, we are conversant, not merely with the 
 world before the Flood, bat with a world which, 
 before the Flood, was covered with water ; and 
 which in far earlier ages, had been the habitation 
 of birds and beasts and reptiles. We are carried 
 as it were, several worlds back, and we reach a 
 period, when all was water and slime, and mud^ 
 and the waste without cither man or plants, gave 
 resting place to enormous beasts like Lions and 
 Elephants, and River Horses, while the water was 
 tenanted by Lizards, the size of a whale, sixty or 
 seventy feet long, and by others, with huge eyes, 
 having shields of solid bone to protect them, and 
 glaring from a neck ten loet in length ; and the air 
 was darkened by flying reptiles,covered with scales, 
 opening like the jaws of the crocodile, and expand- 
 ing winffs, armed at the tips with the claws of the 
 Leopard. No less strange, and yet no less proceed- 
 ing from induction, are the discoveries m.ade res- 
 pecting the former state of the earth y the manner 
 in which these animals, whether of known or un- 
 known tribes, occupied it ; and the period when, or 
 at least the way in which they ceased to exist. — 
 Professor Buckland has demonstrated the indentity 
 with the Hyenas, of the animal's habits that cracked 
 the bones which fill some of the caves, in order to* 
 
91 
 
 3 that species 
 own, for the 
 ed the Earth 
 Deluge, but 
 • that event, 
 y,and raised 
 hese curious 
 dly with the 
 ^orld which, 
 water; and 
 e habitation 
 are carried 
 we reach a 
 e, and mud^ 
 f)lantSf gave 
 Lions and 
 water was 
 ale, sixty or 
 huge eyes, 
 : them, and 
 and the air 
 with scales, 
 nd expand- 
 aws of the 
 ss proceed- 
 made res- 
 :he manner 
 )wn or un- 
 d when, or 
 to^ exist. — 
 e indentity 
 at cracked 
 n order t</ 
 
 
 come at the marrow ; but he has also' satisfactorily 
 shewn, that it inhabited the neighbourhood, and 
 must have been suddenly exterminated by drown- 
 ing. His researches have been conducted by ex- 
 periments with living animals, as well as by obser- 
 vations on the fossn remains." 
 
 I have now to observe ; it is to be regretted that 
 the geographical position of these discoveries is^ not 
 mentioned by bis Lordship. If they had been found 
 in the vicinity of the countries inhabited before the 
 Flood, by Noah or his ancestors, it is singular that 
 no writtten or oral tradition is given (at least that 
 I am aware of) by Noah or his descendants, of this 
 convulsion before the Flood. " "We reach a period, 
 says his Lordship, when all was water and slime and 
 mud, and the waste, without either man or plants 
 gave resting place to enormous beasts &c." If this 
 period of time therefore, is to be supposed as having 
 been between the Creation and the Flood, it must 
 probably have taken place in a part of the world 
 very remote from the country inhabited by Adam 
 or his descendants, before the Flood, and if there 
 were as is stated " no plants" growing in these res- 
 ting places for these " enormous beasts like Lions 
 and Elephants and river Horses," whence did ihea^i 
 animals get their subsistence ? If no subsistance 
 were prepared for them in these resting places in 
 the land, is it not probable these " enormous beasts'' 
 may have been marine or amphibious ? I must 
 therefore, say, that the circumstance of their being 
 no tradition handed down to us by Noah or his 
 descendants, of so great an event as this convulsion, 
 soupled with the fact, admitted by the Geologists 
 
 M 
 
 ' * 'ik 
 

 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
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 11.25 
 
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 '^.^'^ 
 
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 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
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 (716) S72-4S03 
 
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92 
 
 who have narrated these discoveries, that " no 
 plants" are found to have existed in these " resting 
 places for the nutriment of these enormous beasts ;" 
 (for allowing them to have been animals of prey, 
 the animals they devoured must have had means 
 of sustenance from the productions of the earth,) 
 therefore, these two circumstances, of no tradition 
 of this convulsion and "no plants," would seem to 
 warrant the opinion that these skeletons or organ- 
 ic remains, were those of marine animals which 
 had been deposited at their death more or less below 
 the present surface of the earth from the waters of 
 Genesis, according to the Theory of Creatipn 
 before the time of the separation of the wa- 
 ters, as recorded in the first chapter and 9th 
 verse of Genesis, when God said, ** let the waters 
 under the Heavens be gathered together into one 
 place, and let the dry Tand appear ; and it was so/' 
 
 As to the flying serpents, by the account itseW 
 they appear to have been marine inhabitants of the 
 waters ; and for the same reason that appHes to 
 the " enormous beasts" that " no plants" have been 
 found in those resting places ; so the " birds" men- 
 tioned in the above account must probably, have 
 been marine or aquatic also, and have existed as 
 above before the separation of waters at the 6 days 
 of the creation. 
 
 There are, therefore, three facts taken from the 
 statements and discoveries of Dr. Buckland and the 
 other modern Geologists, which come in support 
 of the idea mentioned above, that the ** organic re- 
 mains were those , of marine animals which had 
 been deposited at their death more or less below 
 
 X- 
 
 ! 
 
 ^" 
 
 G( 
 
 WJ 
 
 N< 
 of I 
 tJ 
 
93 
 
 the present surface of the Earth from the waters of 
 Genesis, before the time of the separation of the 
 waters, as there recorded. 
 
 The first fact is, that we have no tradition from 
 Noah or his descendants of this great convulsion 
 of Nature, which is said by these Greologists to have 
 taken place before the Flood. 
 
 The second fact is, that by the accounts of these 
 Geolofi;ists, no organic remains of the body of man 
 have been found with those of other animals. 
 
 The third fact is, that no remains of any plants 
 have been found among those other remains. 
 
 On the first fact we shall observe, that it is re- 
 markable the time stated by Cuvier that this "con- 
 vulsion" took plaice, agrees veiy nearly with the 
 time of the separation of the land from th^ waters 
 recorded in Genesis, namely, between 5 and 6000 
 years ago. The effects of this convulsion we may 
 suppose to have been general over the greatest part 
 of tne Earth; therefore, had it taken place smce 
 the Creation, is it not eauallv probable so great an 
 event would have been handed down to us by tra- 
 dition, as that of the universal Deluge has been ? 
 On this fact I have further to observe, that if we 
 consider this convulsion to have taken place pre- 
 vious to or rather at the time of the separation of 
 the waters, we shall probably find it much more 
 easily accounted for, and because the 9th verse of 
 1st chap, of Genesis says, ** And God said, Let the 
 Waters under the Heavens be gathered together 
 unto one place, and let the Dry Land appear ; and 
 it was so." 
 
 Now, the effects even of the Deluge in the time 
 
94 
 
 of Noah are, I believe, ffenerally allowed to have 
 made great changes on the face of the Earth. The 
 ejects even of common inundations which have 
 taken place and been recorded in history, have also 
 had the same visible effects. Is it not therefore pro- 
 bable that the effects of the mighty rush of waters 
 from, over, and all round the Larth at the time of 
 the separation, must have had a corresponding 
 effect, and produced the convulsion described by 
 the Geologists ? and is not this effect the more 
 likely, from the circumstance that the land must, 
 at this period, have been in a soft and humid state, 
 probably through its entire diameter ? 
 
 On the second fact I observe, that the circum- 
 stance of no organic remains of the human species 
 beinff discovered among the other fossil remains, 
 will be completely accounted for by supposing, as 
 above said, that tlie *' convulsion took place at the 
 time of the separation of the waters of Genesis,*' 
 since Man was not as yet created. 
 
 The third fact, " that no remains of plants have 
 been found,'* appears to me almost confirmative of 
 the above suppositions ; that these organic remains 
 were produced before the separation, and deposited 
 from the waters of Genesis ; since, had this con- 
 vulsion have happened since that separation, and 
 these organic remains been in existence on the 
 land, there must have been plants grown for their 
 nourishment ; and moreover, it is stated by Dr. 
 Buckland, in his account of these remains, (as may 
 be seen in the Quarterly Review of April, 1836,) 
 that the far greater part of the organic or fossil 
 remains of the secondary fcHTtiations are marine., 
 
 •i^*r-i.'i 
 
95 
 
 ed to have 
 2arth. The 
 vhich have 
 > have also 
 Jrefore pro- 
 I of waters 
 .he time of 
 responding 
 scribed by 
 the more 
 land must, 
 amid state, 
 
 le circum- 
 sin species 
 I remains, 
 posing, as 
 ace at the 
 Genesis,'* 
 
 ants have 
 mative of 
 c remains 
 deposited 
 this con- 
 tion, and 
 e on the 
 for their 
 i by Dr. 
 r (as may 
 il, 1836,) 
 or fossil 
 marine. 
 
 The remains of terrestrial quadrupeds or other ter- 
 restrial species have of course been formed since 
 the separation. I cannot, therefore, but be of opi- 
 nion, that the geological facts described by the 
 modern Geologists, at least as respects marine re- 
 mains, will be more satisfactorily explained by the 
 theory we have endeavoured to establish in the 
 foregoing treatise. That the necessity of suppos. 
 ing that the Earth, since the separation, is more 
 ancient than is stated by the Mosaic account, will 
 be thus avoided, and that this Mosaic account can 
 be thus maintained in its integrity ; and I am glad 
 to observe that Dr. Buckland has acceded to the 
 construction of the 1st verse of Genesis, adopted by 
 Df . Pusey and others, as will be seen by the ex- 
 tract on the preface to this work. 
 
 To conclude, whether this great convulsion of 
 nature were really one that took place since the 
 creation, and produced the overflow of an extent 
 of country formerly inhabited by the animals above 
 described^ and which has since then become dry 
 land again ; whether, I say, such a convulsion has 
 taken place since the creation or not, it does not at 
 all effect the validity of the Theory of Creation 
 which is now oflfered to the world ; for this theory 
 refers alone to the primeval form ztion of the entire 
 circrtmference and diameter of the ear<A,and is there- 
 fore antecedent to any partial convulsion that may 
 have, since that formation, taken place. 
 
 I now conclude this Note with a few observations 
 in support of the formation of the Geological bodies 
 in the primeval oceans, drawn from the depositions 
 
96 
 
 of matter and consequent formations of land which 
 roust be continually taking place in our present 
 seas. 
 
 In the space of two or three miles in the harbor 
 of Halifax, N.S., I have seen thousands of cart loads 
 of kelp or sea weed collected from the shore in a 
 season, and it is probably thrown up in the same 
 quantities all along the sea coast of America. 
 
 In »:>cotland, great'quantities are burnt to extract 
 its saline matter ; as also in Spain and Portugal. 
 What must be the quantity, therefore, that annu- 
 ally decay and is deposited at the bottom of the 
 ocean. In addition to this are the immense formations 
 of coral beds ; the still more immense depositions 
 of shells, and the remains of the different animals of 
 the seas. These depositions are probably conglo- 
 merated by the sand and earthy particles brought 
 down by the rivers and abraded from coasts by the 
 tides and stormS. These masses must be continu- 
 ally augmenting, and in due course of time will pro- 
 bably greatly augment the proportion of land. The 
 waters of our oceans ^wd seas (for a vast quantity is 
 constantly consumed in the nourishment of the marine 
 plants) must, on the other hand, be continually dimi- 
 nishing ; and although, if I recollect aright. Dr. Paley 
 states m his Evidences of Natural religion, that all 
 the evaporations return by the rains ; I think it is 
 easy to prove that not to be the case, for an im- 
 mense proportion of the rains is consumed in the 
 nourishment of terrestrial vegetables & by animal life: 
 a large proportion of vapour is also desolved by the 
 air, and probably decomposed by the electric fluid 
 into its gasses. This continual increase of land and 
 
 dii 
 in 
 
97 
 
 and which 
 IT present 
 
 the harbor 
 cart loads 
 shore in a 
 the same 
 irica. 
 
 to extract 
 Portugal, 
 liat annu- 
 om of the 
 jrmations 
 spositions 
 inimals of 
 y conglo- 
 j brought 
 ts by the 
 continu- 
 will pro- 
 nd. The 
 aantity is 
 e marine 
 Ily dimi- 
 )r.Paley 
 that all 
 link it is 
 an im- 
 in the 
 mal life: 
 t by the 
 ric fluid 
 nd and 
 
 diminution of the waters of the Earth, must it not, 
 in the course of sufficient ages, greatly alter its 
 specific gravity ? What effect this may have on 
 the Earth's relative attraction with the other hea- 
 venly bodies, I leave to astronomer's to determine. 
 But it is, I conceive, possible, that a change in the 
 degree of its attraction maybetho moans by which 
 the dissolution foretold in the scriptures may be 
 ultimately brought to pass ; and it may be also pos- 
 sible, that the design of a Benevolent Creator, in 
 making the proportion of water so much greater 
 than the land, has been, to retard this dissolution 
 for numerous ages. 
 
 If, therefore, our present seas do continually tend 
 to the formation of land by the decay and deposi- 
 tion of their productions ; if the natural effects of 
 the laws of nature have led me to form a just con- 
 ception that the Creator may have chosen the 
 means stated in the foregoing theory by which to 
 form our Earth, we are certain those means were 
 made competent to that end, and that it is there- 
 fore probable, vegetable and animal life were dif- 
 fused in far greater abundance in these primeval 
 waters than in our present oceans. 
 . The processes of vegetation and of animaliz^- 
 tion, therefore, we have assumed from the facts 
 and geological appearances stated in the foregoing 
 work to have been the means or machinery em- 
 ployed by the Creator in the "beginninff" to produce 
 the land of our Earth, and by analogy the land in 
 the other planets of our system. They have pro- 
 bably been thus produced and continued for a long 
 period, in a soft and humid state, and numerous 
 
 i; 
 
98 
 
 changes and decompositions iiavc since taken placis 
 in thcni by the cflects of the inteixal heats and fires 
 they have generated. To these causes, perhaps, 
 may be imputed the earthquakes, volcanoes, and 
 disruptions which have produced such inequaUties 
 in the surface, and to these internal lires 1 con- 
 ceive may also be ascribed, these rocks havinir no 
 appearance of stratification, they have probaljjy 
 lost the stratified state bv the effects of those fires, 
 or by the power of the electric fluid. 
 
 Note 12. It may, perhaps, be objected to this 
 idea of hydrogen, or other inflammable gasses, ex- 
 isting in the regions between the planets, to servo 
 as fuel for the Sun's waste of liglit and heat, that 
 such inflammable gasses, would, by taking firo 
 from the electric fluid, endanger the safety of these 
 pknots. 
 
 It i3, however, I believe allowed, that electricity 
 pervades through all nature, and a vast quantity of 
 hydrogen gas must be constantly exhaling in the 
 decomposition of vegetables and animals ; yet, no 
 such effect is produced. In fact, lightning is 
 never produced that I am aware of, in our atmos- 
 phere, but from clouds. Moisture seems therefore, 
 indispensible for that end, and the hydrogen gas 
 being Uiirtoen times lighter than common air, Uiust 
 ascend far above the atmosphere. 
 
 Note 13. By the experiments of celebrated che- 
 mists, and more particularly by the authority of 
 Linnaeus, we trust to have proved a considerable 
 number of the primary earths and metalj to be 
 
 foij 
 
 in 
 Cr( 
 
 uh 
 
 
91> 
 
 taken places 
 ts and fires 
 s, perhaps, 
 anoes, and 
 inequalities 
 ires I con- 
 havinir no 
 5 probably 
 those fires, 
 
 ited to this 
 passes, ex- 
 s, to seno 
 heat, that 
 aking fno 
 :y of these 
 
 slectricity 
 uantity of 
 ing in the 
 yet, no 
 htning is 
 ir attnos- 
 therefore, 
 'ogen gas 
 air, must 
 
 ated chc- 
 lority of 
 sidcrable 
 li to be 
 
 formed by the vegtlativc process of terrestrial ve- 
 getables, l^ut, conceiving, according to the theory 
 in the foregoing treatise, that it was the design of the 
 Creator to produce the geological bodies by the instru- 
 mentality of the processes of vegetable and animal 
 life, <lecay, death, and deposition, vco may conccivo 
 alsov that tho marino vegetabk^s of tlie universal 
 waters of Genesis were endowed with much more 
 various and abundant powers for the production of 
 the geological bodies than we have even found in 
 the ten-estrial vegetables. This superior power 
 of production would be necessary to produce the 
 design intended, and ti>c same remark will apply 
 to the marine animals of those waters. {See the 
 last paragraph of Note 4.) 
 
 Note 14. The substances Iodii?e, Brome, and 
 above all, Silicon, lately discovered, will probably 
 ere long throw much light on the productive pow- 
 ers of marine substances by combustion. Iodine, 
 at the heat of 213 becomes a violet-coloured gas. 
 It forms an active acid by uniting to hydrogen. 
 Brome is a dense liquid, and forms an orange-co- 
 loured gas by a gende heat, 
 
 Silicon is procured from Silica, or the earth of 
 flints, by the action of potassium : it appears as a 
 dark faun-colcured powder, which is injlammablef 
 and which produces Silica or the " sandy princi- 
 ple," by combustion. This Silica has been in a 
 part of this Work proved the offFpring of the ve- 
 getative process. It decomposes water and acids. 
 And here, therefore, we have some insight into the 
 means by which Nature has pruduced all the sands^ 
 of the Earth and the rocks composed of siliceou» 
 matter. 
 
100 
 
 Sodium, also, a metal lately discovered by Sir 
 H. Davy, is obtained from Soda, the basis of com- 
 moa sea salt. This is, therefore, entirely a marine 
 jjroduction. The Sodium is stated by Sir Hum* 
 phrey to be so very combustible, that when thrown 
 upon water it swims on its surface, hisses violently, 
 and dissolves ; and that Silica, or earth of flints, 
 probably contains two proportions of oxygen and 
 one of Silicon. 
 
 As a further proof of the production of siliceous 
 earth, by the process of vegetation, we insert the 
 followinff extract from Sir Humphrey Davy's ad- 
 mirable lectures on agricultural chemistry, in p^ge 
 54, he says on the epidermis of plants, " in the 
 reeds, grasses, canes, and the plants having hollow 
 stalks, it is of great use and is exceeding strong, 
 and in the microscope seems composed of a kind 
 of glassy net work, which is principally siliceous 
 earthy and in the rattan the epidermis contains a 
 sufficient quantity of flint to give light when struck 
 by steel, or two pieces rubbed together produce 
 sparks." It is known, also, that the silicified seeds 
 of the c.hara, a plant which grows at the bottom of 
 lakes, abound in the flints of Aurillac in France. 
 
 Thus it appears that the latest discoveries of the 
 celebrated chemist Sir Humphrey Davy, confirm 
 the existence of the siliceous earth in vegetables. 
 In fine, having had an opportunity of perusing the 
 best and most modern works on the geology of our 
 Earth, I must here state that they serve to confirm 
 my opinion stated in the tlieory of this work, that 
 the processes of vegetation and animalization in 
 the waters of Genesis, or universal ocean, are the 
 
101 
 
 most Fiighly, natural, and reasonable means, hy 
 M-hu'h we can account for tho original fornnation of 
 the geological bodies ; and that these having at that 
 origin been deposited in horizontal strata, nave in 
 part, since been subjected to innumerable convul- 
 sions, elevations, and disruptions by the eftects of 
 internal fires, or the electric power, and conse- 
 quently to great chemical changes in their com- 
 ponent parts is beyond a doubt, and which the pre- 
 sent appearance of almost every part of the crust 
 of the Earth confirms. It is, therefore, probable, 
 that a vast number of the rocks, metallic and mine- 
 ral geological bodies may be combinations of the 
 principles of vegetable and animal life deposited, 
 as stated in our theorv, which combinations have 
 been effected by the internal fires or heats of the 
 internal parts of the Earth, and the joint action of 
 chemical affinities. In fine, the vegetable and ani- 
 mal kingdoms are already discovered by analysis 
 to be reducible to the elementary principles oxygen, 
 hydrogen, carbon, azote, and perhaps heat and 
 electricity ; and I think it probable, the mineral 
 kingdom will, ere long, exhibit the same result. 
 For who would have believed fifty years since, that 
 from silica or the earth of flints, a combustible sub- 
 stance would be procured ? producing silica or th« 
 sandy principle by its combustion, and consequent 
 union Nvith oxygen ? and in fact, all the primary 
 earths are now found to be oxyds containing oxy- 
 gen as a component principle in a solid state. 
 
 Note 15. It is true that Sir H. Daw states in 
 page 12 of his lectures on agricultural chemistry, 
 
 !ii 
 
102 
 
 that the result of Van Ilelmont's experiment was 
 shewn to be fallacious ; but that the true use of 
 water was unknown till 1785, when Mr. Cavendish 
 made the discovery, thai it was a compound of two 
 elastic gasses, inflammable gas or hydrogen, and 
 vital gas or oxygen. 
 
 Now, althougaVan Hclmont was ignorant of this 
 discovery, the fact he proved is still maintained, 
 that water is the great source of nourishment of 
 plants. In vain would any of the modern disco- 
 veries be brought forth to invalidate this great fact, 
 since the vegetation of every part of the Earth 
 demonstrates it. In the thickest and largest forests, 
 in the aboriginal woods of the Earth, no sensible 
 diminution of the soil is observable, though under 
 the operation of so vast a vegetation ; whence then 
 can the products of it be obtained but from the 
 surrounding elements water and air ? 
 
 In fact, Sir Humi)hrey allows in page 211 of 
 fame work, that " when pure water only is absorb- 
 ed by the roots of plants, the fluid, in passing into 
 the leaves, wih probably have greater power to 
 absorb carbonic acid from the atmosphere, when 
 the water is saturat "^d with carbonic acid gas, some 
 of this substance may be given off by the leaves, 
 but a part of it likewise is always decomposed, 
 which has been proved by the experiments of M. 
 Sennebier.'* 
 
 Now, Carbo appears to be the great solidifying 
 principle of vegetables. The other principles are 
 found to be oxygen, hydrogen, and azote, all of 
 which are obtainable by the vegetative process 
 from water and the atmosphere. Accordingly in^ 
 
incnt was 
 ne use of 
 Cavendish 
 mdoftvvo 
 3geii, and 
 
 * 
 
 •ant of this 
 aintaincd, 
 shmont of 
 em disco- 
 Errcat fact, 
 the Earth 
 jst forests, 
 ► sensible 
 igli under 
 once then 
 from tiie 
 
 ]:e 211 of 
 s absorb- 
 ising into 
 )ower to 
 re, when 
 ^as, some 
 ; leaves, 
 )mposed, 
 is of M. 
 
 V 
 
 pies are 
 , all of 
 process 
 ingly ii* 
 
 103 
 
 page 259 of the same work, Sir Humphrey states, 
 ** It is evident, from the analysis of woody fibre, by 
 M. M. Gray Lussac and Thenard, (which shows 
 that it consists principally of the elements of water 
 and carboTit the carbon being in larger quantities 
 than in the other vegetable compounds) that any 
 process, &c." Again he says, in page 211, " Many 
 ])lants that grow upon rocks or soils, containing no 
 carbonic matter, can only be supposed to acquire 
 their charcoal from the carbonic acid gas of the at- 
 mosphere ; and the leaf may be considered at the 
 same time as an organ of absorption, and an organ 
 in which the sap may undergo difterent chemical 
 changes." 
 
 I shall here extract from the same work ])art of 
 page 281, relating to the formation of tliQ jirinciples 
 of vegetables by the vegetative process. M.Schra- 
 der and Mr. Braconnot,from a series of distinct in- 
 vestigations, have arrived at the same conclusions. 
 They state, " that different seed sown in fine sand, 
 sulphur,and metallic oxydes, and supplied only with 
 atmospheric air and water, produced healthy plants, 
 which, by analysis, yielded various earthy and sa- 
 line matters,which either were not contained in the 
 seeds, or the material in which they grew, or which 
 were contained in much smaller quantities in the 
 seed ; and hence they conclude they must have been 
 formed from air or water, in consequence of the 
 agencies of the living organs of the plant." These 
 experiments are therefore confirmative of that sta- 
 ted in the work performed by Van Helmont on the 
 willow. 
 
 In page 282 Sir Humphrey gives an experiment 
 
 '"'■i"' 
 
lOi 
 
 I 
 
 
 m 
 
 he made with oats to ascertain whether any silice- 
 ons earth would be formed in the process of vege- 
 tation, but ho adds, *' the oats grew very feebly, 
 and began to be yellow before any flowers formed, 
 that the entire plants were burnt and their ashes 
 compared with those from an equal number of 
 grains of oats, less siliceous earth was given by the 
 plants than by the grains, but their ashos yielded 
 much more carbonate of lime. That there was less 
 siliceous earth, I attribute to the circumstance of 
 the husk of the oat being thrown off in germination, 
 and this is the part which most abounds in silica/' 
 Thus it appears by his own experiment, some 
 silica was actually obtained by ihe vegetative pro- 
 cess from the air and the water ; and had the 
 growth of the oats in his experiment come to per- 
 fection, the quantity would probably have been 
 much greater. Moreover, in page 152, he allows 
 tnat plants consume very small portions of earth ; 
 whence then can the trees of woods and forests 
 derive their growth but from water and air ? 
 
 No(e 16. The ratio of motion of the aqueous 
 globes in their orbits, would no doubt have been in- 
 finitely less than their present ratio in their annual 
 rotation. This ratio of velocity must have been 
 precisely adapted to their density. Thus when 
 first formed of water only, their ratio would have 
 been at the lowest number. As they increased* 
 that density, by the gradual formation of earthy, 
 metallic, and mineral substance, the ratio of motion 
 would increase, until the entire formations of solid 
 matter, existing at the time of the separation being 
 
 col 
 ral 
 th^ 
 
 col 
 
 ri 
 

 tsmamt^y 
 
 any sflicc- 
 s of vege- 
 ry feebly, 
 rs formed, 
 eir ashes 
 umber of 
 'en by the 
 s yielded 
 e was less 
 istance of 
 minatioti, 
 in silica." 
 nt, some 
 tive pro- 
 had the 
 e to per- 
 ve been 
 e allow* 
 f earth ; 
 i forests 
 r? 
 
 aqueous 
 
 been in- 
 annual 
 
 ^Q been 
 
 f when 
 
 d have 
 reased* 
 
 sarthy, 
 
 motion 
 
 f solid 
 being 
 
 105 
 
 completed, these planets would then assume the 
 ratio of rotation they now annually perform round 
 the Sun. 
 
 The same increasing ratio may be inferred 
 concerning the diurnal motion of the Earth and 
 Planets. 
 
 Note 17. I have here to observe, the opinion I 
 had formed and stated, in the Theory of the Sun'u 
 Formation, of an aariform fluid or medium existing 
 in the regions of space, has now been confirmed by 
 the discovery of Enckes's Comet. 
 
 It appears the Newtonians had asserted, *• that 
 either there was no such fluid, or that it was so thin 
 and rarefied, that no phenomenon yet examined by 
 philosophers was capable of betraying its effects.** 
 Vide p.l51, AVhewelPs Bridgewater Treatise,! 833, 
 and same page it is said, " But the facts which have 
 led astronomers to the conviction that such a resist- 
 ing medium really exists are certain circumstances 
 occurring in the motion of a body re yolving round 
 the Sun, which is now usually cali'^d Enckes's 
 Comet." 
 
 It appears this body was first seen in 1786, and 
 that the effect of the resistance of the ethereal me- 
 dium, from its first discovery, (in that year to the 
 present time, say 1833) has been to diminish the 
 time of revolution by about tv,'o days ; and the 
 Comet is ten days in advance of the place which it 
 would have reached, if there had been no resist- 
 ance. (See page 154 o/* WliewelVs Bridgewater 
 Treatise,) 
 
 It will be seen in my Theory of the Sun, that it 
 
1C6 
 
 was on the idea I had formed of the existence of 
 the asriforni fluids, oxygen and hydrogen, in the 
 regions of space, I had founded the nnode by which 
 I conceived the Sun*s waste was replenished ; and 
 I have certainly reason to congratulate myseh^on 
 the idea of the resisting medium being now confirm- 
 ed by this singular discovery ®f Enckes's Comet. 
 
 The Nebular hypothesis also appears to me to 
 confirm or support both the theory of the combus- 
 tion of the gasses which I have ventured to pro- 
 pose as the origin of our Earth and Planets, and 
 also the cause and formation of new heavenly bo- 
 dies by the products of the combustion of the gasses 
 for the rep^Ienishment of the Sun's waste of light 
 and heal, as stated in page 57 of thks work. 
 
 This Nebular hypothesis is thus introduced \yf 
 Mr. Whewell in his Bridgewater Treatise of 1833; 
 page 143 : 
 
 " La Place conjectures, that in the original con« 
 dition of the solar system, the Sun revolved upon? 
 his axis, surrounded by an atmosphere, which, in- 
 virtue of an excessive heat^ estesded far beyond the 
 orbits of all the Planets, the Planets as yet having 
 no existence. The heat gradually dirr>inished, and 
 as the solar atmosphere contracted by cooling, the 
 rapidity of its rotation increased by the laws oi 
 rotatory motion^ and an exterior zone of vapour was 
 detached it^m the rest, the central attraction being 
 HO- rbnger- able to overcome the increased centri- 
 fugal force. This zone of vapour might in some 
 cases retain its form as we see it in Saturn's ring,, 
 but more usually the ring of vapour would breaK 
 iiito several masses, and then would generally eo- 
 
 ales 
 Sui 
 don) 
 *P1 
 
S'.**ai«a»«»ip.. 
 
 :istence of 
 en, in the 
 ' by which 
 ihed ; and 
 myself on 
 V confirm- 
 's Comet. 
 
 to me to 
 J combus- 
 d to pro- 
 nets, and 
 venly bo-' 
 hegasses 
 
 of light? 
 k. 
 iuced bjr 
 
 oflSS'^, 
 
 inal con- 
 ed upon? 
 "hich, m 
 yond the 
 : having- 
 led, and 
 ing, the 
 laws of 
 >ur was 
 •n being 
 
 centri- 
 1 some 
 
 s rin^, 
 
 break 
 Jly eo~ 
 
 107 
 
 alesce into one mass,which would revolve about the 
 Sun. Such portions of the solar atmosphere aban- 
 doned successively at different periods wx)uld fom^ 
 * Planets in the state o/ vapour/ " 
 
 Now, it does not appear that La Place has given 
 any clue to find how or of what this solar atmosphere 
 and vapours were formed. He does, indeed,support 
 theidea,that Planets may be formed by vapour and 
 subsequent condensation, wliich is precisely the 
 way the oceanic globes of ou'* theory are conceived 
 to have been produced ; — And without infringing 
 on the humility we wish to preserve, we may say 
 we have presented to his consideration a real and 
 competent cause for the production of the atmos- 
 phere and vapours of his ingenious hypothesis. 
 
 The combustion of the gasses, of w^hich wo all 
 now know water to be formed, as stated in p. 24 
 of this work, and the extrication of their heat and 
 light, will they not only account for this solar at- 
 mosphere, but also the means by which the Great 
 First Cause produced tlie Sun hinr:3eif ? 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 In the^contempliation of the wonderful discoveries 
 in pneumatic chemistry, of the gasseous bodies ,and 
 ])eculiarly so of the component principles of water, 
 J have conceived the formation of the waters of 
 (^lenesis to have been produced from these element- 
 ary principles, by the creating cause at " the begin- 
 ning;** but have, in the foregoing treatise abstained, 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 ^, 
 
108 
 
 for reasons stated at the end of page 70, from 
 carrying my speculations onward tothe other sys- 
 tems of the heavenly hodies, further than reasoning 
 from analogy, that they may have been formed by 
 the same laws. In this Note, however, in conchision 
 of this work, 1 purpose to offer some observations 
 on this 'subject, as a comment on the CUh and 7th 
 verses of 1st of Genesis. " And God said let there 
 be a firmament in the midst of the wateis^^Jid let it 
 divide the waters from the waters ; and God made 
 the firmament and divided the waters which wnre 
 under the firmament from the waters which Wfrc 
 above the firmament, and it was so." 
 
 These verses lead us to believe, that a Universal 
 Ocean of waters existed over the heavens, and cov- 
 ering every part of them. If, therefore, our theory 
 of the primary formation of our earth and planets in 
 globes of water, be founded in the laws of nature, 
 may we not conceive, that the planets of the other 
 s)'stems of the universe have also been, or will bo, 
 formed in this universal ocean by the same laws ? 
 If the appearance in the geology of the earth have 
 Jed us to believe that at the time of the separation, 
 when the solid parts of it had been duly formed, 
 they were, in obedience to the divine command, 
 (probably by the instrumentality of the law of 
 their superior gravity,) were then separated from 
 this universal ocean, attracting such parts of it as 
 were within the sphere of the attraction of these 
 solid parts, for the formation of their seas and 
 oceans : and that these planets, then receiving 
 from the Creator their projectile force, became 
 immediately subject to their motions round their 
 
 cen 
 
¥-Mmm;6M:mim*::Sfiiiam_ 
 
 109 
 
 70, from 
 oilier svs- 
 reasoning 
 formcel by 
 nonclosion 
 scrvations 
 Ch and 7th 
 d let there 
 f,and let it 
 urod made 
 hich wnre 
 hich ivprc 
 
 Universal 
 ;, and cov- 
 pur theory 
 )lanets in 
 >f nature, 
 the other 
 r will be, 
 le laws ? 
 rth have 
 paration, 
 
 formed, 
 ommand, 
 law of 
 
 ed from 
 
 of it as 
 of these 
 eas and 
 eeeiving 
 
 became 
 nd their 
 
 central Sun, may we not, by analogy, also, con- 
 ceive, that the planets of the other systems have 
 been, or will be formed by the same laws ? The 
 Suns of these systems or Stars, as they are com- 
 monly called, must indeed, have existed from the 
 "beginning" of the 1st verse, at the time of the 
 Creation of the waters of the Universal Ocean, by 
 the combustion of the elementary gasses of their 
 composition. Very few of the Planets of these 
 systems have, I believe, been yet discovered. This 
 may be owing to their immense distance ; but may 
 it not also arise from their not being yet duly form- 
 ed, and evolved from the waters of this Universal 
 Ocean ? and does not the almost annual discovery 
 of new heavenly bodies warrant the supposition ? 
 With deep humility, therefore, I venture to call 
 the attention of philosophical divines and others, to 
 the more extensive and profound contemplation of 
 the Universal Ocean recorded in the 6th and 7th 
 verses of the 9th chap, of Genesis. The late dis- 
 coveries in Geology and Pneumatics, Jn application 
 to this subject, appeal strongly to this contempla- 
 tion. The unity of the laws of Providt nee, would 
 almost, compel us to believe, that all the Planetary 
 systems have, or will be formed in the same man- 
 ner; and carrying with us The highest degrees 
 of our knowledge of these laws into the contem- 
 plation of the works of the Creator, wo may, 
 perhaps, find that it will afford to us an iosigi't into 
 His Power, Wisdom, and Glory, far more stupend- 
 ous than mankind have yet conceived. 
 
TAB In 
 OF 
 BOI 
 
 y 
 
 A 
 
 
Ill 
 
 TABLE OP OEOLOGICAI* FORMATIONS IN THE ORDER 
 OF THEIR SUPERPOSITION. BY M. AL. DE IILM- 
 BOLDT, 
 
 Alluvial depoBitea. 
 
 Limeitone formation, wllh millstone (meulierea). 
 
 Sandatone and sand of Fontalnebleau. 
 
 Oypsum with bones. Siliceous Limestone* 
 
 Coarse Limestone. 
 (Clay of London.) 
 
 Tertiary sandstone, with lignites (brown coal). 
 
 Plastic clay. Molasse. Nagelfluhe. 
 
 I wblte, 
 Chalky <6oft [tuffean] 
 ( chloritlc. 
 
 ^naruhitea. 
 
 Orecn Sjotd. 
 Wead clay. 
 
 Ferruginous sand. 
 
 Secondary limestone wf^ii lign>tet. 
 
 Ammonitea 
 Planu/ilea» 
 
 Limestone of Jura. 
 
 Quadersandstein, or white sand stone, 
 soDtetimes above the lias. 
 
 MuBchelkallc. 
 Ammonites nodosus. 
 
 Slaty beds with deh and 
 Crustacea. 
 Coral rag. 
 Dive clay. 
 Oolites and Caen^ Lime- 
 stone. 
 Marly or calcareous lias, 
 with grypkcBa areuata. 
 
 Marls with tibrous gypsum 
 Arenacious layers. 
 
 Salii'erous variegated sandstone. 
 
 Product, aculeat. 
 {Magnesian Limestone. Zcch^tein. 
 I Coppery slate 
 
 [Alpine limestone. 
 
 Q.uartziferous 
 porphyry. 
 
 Co-ordinate formations of porphyry, 
 red sand stone, and coal. 
 
 g 
 •a 
 
 a 
 
 ft. 
 
 a 
 
 •§ 
 
 o 
 
 «2 
 
 Transition formations. , 
 
 Slates with Lydian i tone, greywacke, diorites, euphotldes 
 Limestone with orthoceratites, trilobites, and evomphalitca. 
 
 5 c 
 ■5.2 
 
 
 Primitive Formations. 
 Clayey slates [Thonschiefer] 
 Mica slates 
 Gneiss 
 Granites 
 
 .>3 
 
 eu.o 
 
 |i 
 
 / 
 
Pkefa( 
 ofDi 
 Some a 
 Insuffic 
 cienti 
 of th( 
 Format 
 Vege 
 Our Ea 
 Observa 
 fon, ( 
 On the 
 count 
 Observe 
 of the 
 TheOu 
 Instanci 
 body 
 The coi 
 whic 
 Discovt 
 Compoi 
 Hvdi 
 The'C 
 prod) 
 Theaq 
 Accoui 
 Every 
 mati 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Preface ; containing an Extract from the Review 
 of Dr.Buckland''i Bridgewater Treatise, 1836, 3 to 7 
 
 Some account of the Author • • . 9 
 
 Insufficiency of the Chaotic sysicm of the an- 
 cients to account for the Geological appearances 
 of the Earth *. 10 
 
 Formation of the Earth's salts <Sc Metals by the 
 Vegerativ^e Process • • • • • ib. 
 
 Our Earth formed in a Fluid 11 
 
 Observation on the supposition or Theory of Buf- 
 fon, of formation of the Earth and Planets. . 1^ 
 
 On the opinions of Chance, or Atheism, to ac- 
 count for the Productions of our Globe. 14 
 
 Observations on the Doctrine of the Materiality 
 of the Soul 18 
 
 The Ourang Outang 19 
 
 Instance of the separate existence of mind from 
 body in this World. 21 
 
 The construction of the first verse of Genesis on 
 which this work is founded 22 6i2t 
 
 Discoveries of Black, Priestly and Lavoisier. ... 23 
 
 Component Principles of all Water, Oxygen dc 
 Hydrogen 24 
 
 The Combustion of the Gassos at the Beginning 
 produced the universal waters of Genesis ib. 
 
 The aqueous Globes formed by laws of attraction, ib. 
 
 Account of Marine Productions by Baron Cuvier 55 
 
 Every part of the Earth gives evidences of forma- 
 mation in a fluid ib.. 
 
 u 
 
Hi 
 
 PAGE, 
 
 CaufiC assigned for non -appear of Marine 
 
 Remains in the summits • 26 
 
 Cause of formation of Peat Earth and Morasses. • 27 
 Order and succession of Rock and Organic Re. 
 
 mains composing crust of the Earth . • • .27 6i 30 
 Also from the Lands End to the vicinity of London. 30 
 Cause assigned for Lime Stone 6i> Coul formations. 30 
 Cause of Marine Productions being found above 
 the level of the sea to bo sought in the original 
 
 formations in the waters of Genesis tii 
 
 Observations on tho construcjion of the meaning 
 
 of Ist verse of Genesis of ihivS work ib. 
 
 The aqueous Globes endou ed probably with ama- 
 zing prolific powers of life '33 
 
 Results of the Analysis of vegetables by Chaptal. . 84 
 Oxygen exists in a solid state in ail the ox\ ds . . 30 
 The' Earths Metals and Minerals found in vege- 
 tables are products of the vegetable process. . . ib. 
 The variety in the propertions of the primary ele- 
 ments probably the cause of the distinctive cha- 
 racter of Metals and Minerals 87 
 
 Siliceous Earth proved by Professor Linnaeus to 
 
 be the result of the vegetative process, 37 
 
 The conclusion arrived at that the Geological bo- 
 
 dies have been formed in the w aters of Genesis. 30 
 Cause of the depressions of the Earth forming 
 
 the beds of the original Oceans 40 
 
 Cause of the Creation of Marine Plants not being 
 
 mentioned in Genesis ib. 
 
 Theory of the Sun*s formation 42 
 
 Remarks on BufTon's Thecy of the Earth and 
 
 Plants ib. 
 
 Heat and Light 43 
 
 Formation of the other Planets of our system and 
 their mooijs drawn from analogy » . . 40 
 
 AttrJ 
 
 ObsJ 
 
 vt 
 

 *mMMwiii 
 
 115 
 
 PAaE. 
 Attraction of Matter 46 
 
 Observations on the hitherto received idea of a 
 vacuum « 51 
 
 An idea on the cause of iho projectile force .... 52 
 
 Copper in Isle of Anglcsea, Load Stone, d^c .... ib. 
 
 Attraction of the sun 50 
 
 Answer to Archdeacon Paley*s question on the 
 stream of particles flowing towards the sun ... 55 
 
 Formation of watery vapours by the Sun 67 
 
 How the motions of the Heavenly bodies may not 
 be destroyed by the existence of aeriform fluid 
 in 9paco ,,,, 58 
 
 The existence of aeriform fluids in the regions of 
 space may throw great light on the Sun's attrac> 
 tion 01 
 
 Dissolution of our Earth as announced by scrip, 
 ture ib. 
 
 The discoveries of Pneumatic Chemistry as ap- 
 plied thereto 02 
 
 Marine Animals of the waters of Genesis • 64 
 
 Probably final Elements of the Geological Bodies. 65 
 
 Decomposition of the Earthy Mineral and Metal- 
 lic substances by Heat Chemical Affinity or 
 Electricity ib. 
 
 The Dissolution of the Globe considered from its 
 existing Phenomena * 67 
 
 Recombination of the separated Elements to form 
 New Heavenly Bodies 63 
 
 The Immortality of the Soul of Man drawn as a 
 conclusion from the Indestructibility of the Laws 
 of Nature 70 
 
 The other systems su])posed by Analogy to have 
 been formed by the same Laws as our system ib. 
 
 An idea of the formation of now Planets by the com. 
 bustion of the Gasses serving as Fuel to the Sun 71 
 
 i 
 
116 
 
 liNDEX TO THE NOTES. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Note 1. The Offspring of a single Herring un- 
 disturbed competent to produce ten of our 
 Globes 74 
 
 Note 2. On the Granite Mass— Formed like the 
 secondary and Tertiary Srata by the deposition 
 of Vegetable and Animal Matter ib. 
 
 All traces of Shells and Organic Remains may bo 
 destroyed by Heat in Rocks proved by Watt 
 and Lyall \ 76 
 
 Rev. Mr.FairboIme's opinions on the Granite Mass , 
 answ«^red ib. 
 
 Opinion of the Reverend Sharon Turner on the 
 Mosaic Cosmogony and observations of the Au- 
 thor 77 
 
 Observations on Cuvier's last Revolution on the 
 Globe extended ib. 
 
 On the supposed Antiquity of Mount Etna . . 77 & 79 
 
 Note 3. Salt Formations..., 80 
 
 Note 4. Further remarks on Buffon's system.. 81 
 
 Observations in support of the Theory of Crea- 
 tion of this work 83 
 
 Deduction from the probable powers of deposition 
 of the Waters of Genesis that more Land yet 
 remains to be discovered on the Globe ib. 
 
 Note 5. On the power of resistance of the aeri- 
 form Medii of our Theory ib. 
 
 Attraction of all the Heavenly Bodies to one com- 
 mon Centre 63 
 
 An idea of the cause of the Projectile Force. •,,. ib. 
 
 Note 6. The Indestructibility of the soul explain- 
 ed 84 
 
 Note 7. ObservatiousonCuvier's last Revolution ib. 
 
:Ji^3i. 
 
 «?*r'iiti8v»/-i 
 
 83 
 
 ib. 
 ib. 
 
 117 
 
 PAOX. 
 
 The late Discoveries in Geology ascribing millions 
 of years, as the age of the World, accounted 
 fur by the Theory of this Work 67 
 
 Note 8. Cause assigned as a preventative of di- 
 minution of the Projectile Force ib. 
 
 Note 9. Two Gasseous Bodies rendered solid by 
 Congelation 88 
 
 A vast and important Field of Discovery pointed 
 out in Pneumatic Chemistry ib. 
 
 Note 10. The present state of Geology recon. 
 oiled to the Scriptural account of Creation. . • • 89 
 
 Note 11. Extract from the late work of Lord 
 Brougham on the new discoveries in Geology ib. 
 
 Observations thereon • • 91 
 
 Three facts deduced therefrom, maintaining the 
 integrity of the Mosiac account .92 to 96 
 
 Some observations in support of the formation of 
 the Geological Bodies in the primeval Oceans 
 drawn from the depositions and formations now 
 taking place in our Seas ••..•••.•• ib. 
 
 Cause assigned for the constant diminution of wa- 
 ter in our Oceans • ib] 
 
 Possible design of the Deity in making the pro- 
 portion of water on the Earth so much greater 
 than the Land 97 
 
 Many rocks have lost their original stratified state 
 by internal fires and electricity 98 
 
 Note 12. Reasons shewn why Hydrogen Gas 
 may exist in the Regions of Space without 
 Ignition c ib. 
 
 Note 13. The Marine Vegetables of the uni- 
 versal waters were endowed with more abun. 
 dant powers of production than the Vegetables 
 of our Earth 99 
 
 Note 14. Iodine, Brome, Silicon and Sodium., ib.. 
 
118 
 
 PAGF. 
 
 Extract from Sir H. Davy's Lectures on the ex- 
 istence of Silica in Vegetables 100 
 
 Note 15, Experiments of Schrader and Bracon. 
 not, provmg that the earthy and saline matters 
 of vegetables are formed from air and water* • lOB 
 
 Experiment of Sir H. Davy proving the forma- 
 tion of silica in vegetables • • * 104 
 
 Note 16. Ratio of motion of the Aqueous Globes 
 according to their increasing density ib. 
 
 Note 17. Enckes's Comet from WhewelPs 
 Bridgewaier Treatise support the Theory of 
 aeriform medii of this work. ••.•••• • • 105 
 
 The Nebular Hypothesis from do • • • . 106 
 
 Supports the formation of Planets in a state of 
 vapour, on which our Theory of their forma- 
 tion in this work is founded •••••....• 107 
 
 The products of the Combustion of the Ga!?ses 
 to form the Planets proposed as a cause of his 
 solar atmosphere, and as the cause of the Sun's 
 formation at the beginning .» • ib. 
 
 Conclusion ....•• ••• ib. 
 
 Comment on the 6th and 7th verses of Genesis* • 108 
 
 Gt 
 
 Pt 
 
 Cc 
 Cc 
 
 Mem. — The 21st ami 22nd lines in page 30 trans- 
 posed. 
 
 In page 54, for " Neap and Daily Tides," read 
 " Spring, Neap, and Daily Tides." 
 
 .»>*.^ 
 

 PAGE. 
 
 le ex- 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 acon. 
 
 
 alters 
 
 
 iter. • 
 
 108 
 
 Drma- 
 
 
 • • • • 
 
 104 
 
 rlobes 
 
 
 • • • • 
 
 ib. 
 
 ivell's 
 
 
 >ry of 
 
 
 • • • • 
 
 105 
 
 
 106 
 
 te of 
 
 4 
 
 irma- 
 
 
 • • •• 
 
 107 
 
 isses 
 
 
 ►f his 
 
 
 Jun's 
 
 
 » • • • 
 
 ib. 
 
 * • • • 
 
 ib. 
 
 ;i8«. 
 
 108 
 
 JO frans- 
 ss," read 
 
 119 
 
 A GLOSSARY OF TERMS IN THIS WORK. 
 
 Geology^ the Science of the various substances form- 
 ing the interior and the crust of the Earth. 
 
 Pneumatic Chemistry or Pneumatics , the Science of 
 aeriform bodies. 
 
 CdloriCy matter of heat prevading all bodies. 
 
 Carbonic Acid, the acid of charcoal formed by burning 
 it in open air. It escapes in an aeriform state^, 
 
 Oxygen Gas, a constituent element of our atmospherCi 
 supporting combustion and life in the highest degree. 
 It is, al&o, a constituent element of water. (Vide 
 page o/*23 this work,) 
 
 Hydrogen, a constituent element of all water, it is call- 
 ed also inflammable air or gas, and is the same that 
 is now used for lighting cities and inflating balloons. 
 
 Azote and Azotic Gas, a constituent principle of our 
 atmosphere, destructive to combustion and to animal 
 life. ( Vide page 23. ) 
 
 Tertiary Strata, in Geology the strata or formation of 
 the Earth as far as man has penetrated, are divided 
 into three, the Primary being the lowest — Secondary 
 being next — Tertiary being the uppermost. 
 
 Sulphuric Acid, common Oil of Vitriol. 
 
 Vacuum,u. space void of matter of any kind, now known 
 not to exist. (Vide page 52 to 61, and Note 17.) 
 
 JEriform Fluids,ga8aes or fluids resembling common air 
 
 Planets, the heavenly bodies composing our system and 
 revolving round our Sun. 
 
 Attraction, that power in matter by which it continually 
 tends to gravitate towards other bodies, according to 
 ihe laws of its density and distance. 
 
 Silex, siliceous or sandy principle. 
 
 Alu?nine, pure earth or clay. 
 
 hamincB, the appearance of many rocks in the Earth 
 resembling the leaves of a book. [Earth. 
 
 Fossil RemainSf of animals or vegetables found in the 
 
Si 
 \^orkJ 
 stalec 
 bodie! 
 cxuvi 
 part 
 seeing 
 world 
 Bui 
 the ^1 
 himse 
 it is tc 
 verse 
 proba 
 how c 
 given 
 in the 
 lions 
 Ui 
 publii 
 land'i 
 stiuc 
 who, 
 consi 
 bly, 
 wnti 
 
H 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 TO THE THIRD EDITION. 
 
 -' , I 
 
 ' Since the publication of the se^.tjnd edition of this 
 Work, I have found that the celebrated Hutton, as is 
 stated by Keith, was of opinion, that all the geological 
 bodies of the earth, had been formed by " marine 
 exuviae or remains." It is satisfactory to have this 
 part of the theory of the earth, which, previous to my 
 seeing this opinion, I had formed and presented to the 
 world, sanctioned by so great an authority. 
 
 But Hutton's Theory of the Earth, being adverse to 
 the Mosaic account of the creation, he drew upon 
 himself much obloquy from the supporters of it; and 
 it is to be lamented that a due consideration of the first 
 verse of Genesis had not occurred to him ; as, most 
 probably, his sagacious mind would have discovered, 
 how (iompletely t e explanation we have in bur theory 
 given of that verse, will give the length of time which, 
 in the opinion of many geologists, the various forma- 
 tions of the globe 'require. 
 
 Many of the modern geologists, however, who had 
 published their works previous to the Rev. Dr. Buck- 
 land's Bridgewatcr Treatise, in which the above con- 
 stiuclion of the first verse of Genesis is assumed, or 
 who, having not yet sufficiently contemplated that 
 construction, so as to adopt it themselves, and, proba- 
 bly, not willing to come into collision with the sacred 
 writings ; these geologists. I say, have now abandoned 
 1 
 
II 
 
 ihc practice (»f forming any theory of ilie earth at all, 
 and limit themselves to the cuilcciion of ^culogical 
 facts. Now. it iippearst to me, that if, on a due consi* 
 deration of tiio facts which bntaiiy, chemistry, pncu- 
 m itics iind g(; >h»>?y present us vviih, it be conceived, 
 that l»y a just c<»mi)ii)atii»n of these lacts, we can by 
 fair iitduction and aiialogy, gain an insight into the 
 most mysleriius operations ot Nature, and the hiws 
 which iis onuiipotent Creator m:iy have estabhshed for 
 these «>p(;rations ; there is then no just cause wiiy such 
 a combination ot these scicniilic facts should not be 
 attempted ; there is no just reason why the human 
 n)ind Ahould bo t'ttteied in the prtttoundly inteiesting 
 science of Cosmotronv more than 'u\ anv oihcr. There 
 is not, perhaps, in the vast ran^^e of Natuie's wiuks, 
 one whi(!li cxcMies in the mind a greater degree of 
 mysterious wonder, than the. inspection <jf the rocky 
 formaiioiis of the eartii. The pe Meet order in the 
 movement of the heavenly bodies, their surprising 
 distances and m:igiiitudes, it is tate, a.e of a mure 
 grand and S4iblin)e (lescri[)ti*in ; but the rocky forma- 
 tions b(;long to lair own domain, and hi»vvever some 
 may call in (jucbtion the vast liistan^es and magnitudci 
 ot the heavenly bodies, yet, of ihti enormous j'epihs, 
 bre idihs, and lengths of the forniaiions of our earthi 
 we liave th'j direct evidences of sigi»i and tou<:lj. 
 
 What arc the agencies bv which the (y'reaior has 
 formed tiiese mvsterous produciions, is tlierefore the 
 Biienl tpiesiion v%hich every close observer of nature 
 nvks himself And, accordnigly, numerous thetnieSt 
 not only ol the crust of the; earth, but of the eariit itself, 
 have baig since been.oderCvl to mankind. i\Jany of 
 these, liuvvcver, being f^i^unded only on the imaginative 
 
irth nt all, 
 ^culogical 
 due cotisi* 
 ry, piieu- 
 jonccived, 
 e can by 
 i into the 
 the luws 
 ilishcd Tor 
 why such 
 id lint be 
 ic human 
 iicMcsiing 
 •. There 
 's woiks, 
 'l'^mcc of 
 he locliv 
 ^r in the 
 uprising 
 a more 
 iorina- 
 or some 
 ^Miitudcf 
 ilepihs, 
 I earih, 
 h. 
 
 lor has 
 ore the 
 nature 
 Kjoiies, 
 h itscir, 
 I any of 
 [inutive 
 
 V 
 
 conceptions of ingenious men, have not maintained 
 their ground. None of them, 1 hclievc, but Hutton, 
 as before mcMitioned, and a few of tlie Gorman geolo- 
 gists iiave nflcrod any tnngib!c mode of foimation 
 which ;hc DtMtv mav have chosen, for the prochiction 
 of ihe entire body of the geoh»g,lcal formations of the 
 earth. 
 
 In the fust paragraph of the preface lo the first edi- 
 tion of this work, I have stnted thai my object in form- 
 ing my <!onstruciion of the first verse of Genesis, was, 
 to be enabfed i«> re^roncile the Mosaic account of crea- 
 tion with ihe time said by the modern geologists to be 
 required fi>r these formations— having done this, my 
 next wish was to inquire wtiat physical laws the Crea- 
 tor had chf>sen to produce them. By physical laws 
 tliev arc uiidoubtediv formed, as far as we have arcesf 
 
 • • • 
 
 to examine them ; and we have the poweiful sanction 
 of every partof nature, to conclude by analuiry that >he 
 entire diameter ot the ijlobe *<? equally so. By the 6th, 
 7th, and $>di verses of the 1st of Genesis, we find the 
 earth was covered by the waters until the time of the 
 separation. We have therefore just right to conclude 
 it was formed in those waters of Genesis, and, accord- 
 ingly, as stated by one of the best modern geologists — 
 " Every pait of the earth, every continent and every 
 island exhibits the ^ henomenonofmarine productions." 
 Our th(M>ry is founded on these scriptural and geo- 
 logical facts; and we have a confirmation of the com- 
 petent powers of the vegetable and animal deposits 
 and labours of the marine animals of the ocean to pro- 
 duce these formations of the earth, in the known and 
 established fact, of an extent of land more than equal 
 to one-eighth 6i the diameter of the earth, being formed 
 
ly 
 
 by a few species oFmarine insects, for ihc CornI Islands 
 and roofs of the Jiidian Soa and Pacific Ocean- arc 
 1,500 miles long by 60 or 70 broad. 
 
 In ilic course of my journics through thirf province, 
 lo offer my works for sale, I am happy to slate, thai 
 a great majority. of the people appeared to be duly 
 impressed with a belief in tl\e sacred scriptures ; indeed 
 I have met with spmo who s.eemed to th'ink the Mosaic 
 account of creatiqn required no support. These were, 
 however, generally persons unacquainted with the 
 authenticated geological facts. It is unquestionable 
 that many of the formations have been produced by 
 gradual deposition from the waters ; and must have 
 required a period for that deposition immensely 
 greater than that since ilic creation, being near 6,00b 
 years. 
 
 Some modern geolt gists claim indeed millions of 
 years for these formations of the crust of the earth ; 
 and, we trust, ^o can thorogghly satisfy these claims 
 by the construction of the isl. verse. of Genesis., now 
 sanctioned by the eminent writers mentioned in the 
 preface to the first edition. 
 
 We trust also to have presented a palpable clue to 
 the discovery of the mode in which it may have pleased 
 the Deity to have constructed the solid machinery of 
 our globe. The vastness of this machinery is indeed 
 calculated to strike the mind with awful wonder, but it 
 is his work, and, as such) a.fair subject for the study and 
 discussion of his creatures, as tlie xpore it is examined 
 the more profoundly will be exhibited^bis bounty and 
 his wisdpra. We trust to have shewn, in note 5th, that. 
 tliQ theory.. of the existence of animal life, previous tOr 
 the seconilarv formations, is tenable, and, that the 
 
 inl 
 
 la 
 
 hi 
 «• 
 
 
■-?■ 3X'' , 
 
 Xiv. 
 
 TO I Islands 
 Oceap.arc 
 
 ! province, 
 slate, that 
 o be duly 
 es ; indeed 
 he Mosaic 
 lese were, 
 with the 
 estionablc 
 )duced by 
 nust have 
 nmenselv 
 ear 6,000 
 
 [illions of 
 le earth ; 
 se claims 
 (sis,, now 
 d in the 
 
 J clue to 
 J pleased 
 inerv of 
 s indeed 
 i\\ but it 
 udy and 
 camined 
 nly and 
 )lh, that 
 ious tQ 
 liat the 
 
 incandescence of the earth, as supposed by Dr. Buck- 
 ]and, docs not n\crthnnvit; and, therefore, that we 
 have a i ight to say with a great modern geologist— 
 '* That the causes at present in operation must have 
 been producing the same ^Hects in all prcteding ages.'* 
 
 VVc conclude, therefore, that attempts to foim a 
 lystem of the creation, when based upon authenticated 
 scientific facts, arc allowable, and (he more so, that 
 in the piescnt enlightened state of the world, these 
 systems can be duly examined and their merits deter 
 mined. 
 
 We hive, In this edition, at the close of the theory 
 f>f the sou's foimation, giyeii s<tme account of Sir 
 Uichard Phillips* Theory of the Cause of the Motions 
 of the Ui5hvenly Bodit^s. This theory oHers an addi* 
 tkmal sflHction to those stated, in the I7ih note, in 
 favour of our theory of the existence of gaseous media 
 in the regions of space. Hut we are by no means pre- 
 pared to j'»in Sir Kichaid in his opinions a^iainst the 
 Newtonian theory of gravitation and attraction. We 
 conceive that thct'e great laws of Nature may still 
 exisit. and that tii'^v mav he reconirilahlo to, and be 
 assisted by the ^aseou?« media ; and as we have shown 
 in note G.h of second edition, oir ts:i.u> No^.^.i. himj>elf 
 suggests **ilU5 existence of an ciherial and gaseous 
 mednini pervading all space ;" and. perhaps, the exist- 
 ence «»f this gaseous mediu'n, would serve to show the 
 physKtal cause of these jirinciples of attraction and 
 gravity, and. tlitMcby account for tlurir efU.'efs. 
 
 We have als(» inserted extracts IVtitn JSir Jnlin Ilcr- 
 
 schell's Astronomy j>f last year, also sanctioning our 
 
 idea of ihe supply of the sun's v*asic by gaseous mat- 
 
 ter ; and it Js with llie greater satisfaction wo «ivc ibis 
 
 1* 
 
 Ml 
 
VI 
 
 extract from Sic Xohnls.work, thaj.thc late Doelor 
 llersclieil was uf opinion timt.the sxin (night bu habit- 
 able. Sir John '»ii8 now declared hi^ opinion, that *• the 
 aun'b^^odi^ic^l (igjit is part of that medium whjch resists^ 
 the (Action of comets, and is loadet-i with the nvu^iiala 
 of the tails of millions. of them which may be slowly, 
 subsiding, into the;sun." These materials must, of 
 oouise, be gaseous ; iiow the combustion uf gaseous. 
 matter is nothing but the union of the base of the gas. 
 with that of oxygen gas, without which no combustion 
 takes place* and the consequent extrication of the light 
 and heat of this oxygen gas, by which we coRclude,^ 
 as per our theory* the waste oi thesun's light and hcatr 
 is replenished. -• , ; .■/.■> 
 
 : Accordingly. Sir John, in another part of his work^ 
 slates his opinion that there is "is an enormous heat 
 in the sun." Dr; Herschell, his late, father, says, that 
 liie sun's luminovip: atmosphere; is only '4,500 miles from 
 the sua's surface. - That those admitted facls can be 
 reconciled with his opinion of the sun being opaque and 
 habitable, when under, the ipfluence of such enormous, 
 quantities of light and heat, appcius lo '^^c totally con-, 
 irary to all possibility. 
 
 Jn addition to these sanctions ,of the existence of aa 
 icr:fo!'M medium in th? regi'^ns oi iufiriite space, we. 
 have the great satidfacuon to refer the reader to our. 
 extract from L)r. Graham's Elements, of Chemistry of 
 last year^ where he will find that, from recent experi- 
 ments '6f one of the most celebrated opticians and' 
 philosophers-of the present day. Sir Uav id, Brewster, 
 he concludes that the *' sun's atmosphere must contain 
 gasejus matter." 
 
 Several explanatory additions are made in the body 
 
d?m^m*^i''mmmM^i)iimaiA 
 
 f Doetor. 
 )o habit- 
 Kit *• the 
 ii resists 
 lut^riala 
 ' slowly^ 
 nust, of 
 gaseous, 
 the gas. 
 bustion 
 he hght 
 •ncIucJe,^ 
 nd hcaV 
 
 s work» 
 us iicat 
 is, that 
 IS from, 
 can be 
 uc and 
 M'mous. 
 y con-. 
 
 J of an^ 
 :e, we. 
 o our. 
 :try of 
 xperi- 
 and 
 ivster, 
 )ntain 
 
 VII 
 
 ©f this edition, to which we ask leave to refer the 
 reader, luirlicularly to the Elucidatiou of the theory of 
 the Forniiition of the Earth. 
 
 We now present the third editioo of this work to the 
 public of United Canada, trusting that the system of 
 Creatii>n we have attempted to form, will receive a 
 considciable degree of sancijon from the scientilic 
 aulhoiuties, discoveries^, andoliservat-ions we have now 
 enlarged it with ; and that it may be found to meet 
 the approbation of scientilic men of the present, and 
 ako serve as an instruciive book for the rising gene- 
 ration. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Montreal, 1842. ,;. 
 
 N. B. — The reader will find tho extra matter of this 
 Fourth Edition in the Apponoix No. 2, which contains a 
 piwerful support of our Theory of the Sun, by extracts 
 from M. Arago's work on Comets, and Doctor Lardner's 
 Lectures. 
 
 Toronto, April, 1845. 
 
 body 
 
lU 
 
 lh( 
 
APPENDIX No. 2. 
 
 Page 9, read— ThQ reader will have received some 
 idea of the purpose of the Science of Geology, from 
 ihe prefaces to the former editions of l.'iis work ; and in 
 order to exhibit to the Canadian public the practical 
 utility of this science, we extract from a Into Geological 
 work of some merit, namely Element's of Geo!o<;v for 
 Popular, use, by Chades A.Xee, M.D., of New York, 
 his statement of this utility. In the first paragraph of 
 his preface he says: — "No department of the natural 
 sciences possesses greater interest or leads to more 
 important practical resultn. liinn that of Geology. Of 
 late years, it has attraclci almost universal attention, 
 not only from the farrinaling wonders it discloses, hut 
 also froni ity obyioiis and extensive application to the 
 economical purposes? of lifo. Of such itnportance has 
 it been regarded, that many ^^f our State Lcgislaiures, 
 as well as the General Govet i.nent, have authorized 
 geological surveys to be nude, in order that ilie 
 natural resources of the country may be brou<j;ht to 
 light and fully developed. * * '^ * * * 
 Already have these survevs contributed luillions in 
 value to the productive industry of the land, and every 
 year their importance is more and more demonstrated 
 and acknowledged." 
 
 Many of the influential men in the honourable liCgis- 
 lature of ihis Province, have honoured me with their 
 subscriptions to my work, and I am happy lo observe 
 
10 
 
 (hat n liberal sum has since liccn appropriated by it, fur 
 a geological survey of the Pniviucc, which, I have no 
 doubt, if performed wiih diligence and zeal, may dis« 
 cover great sources of industiy and wealth for it. 
 
 I now proceed to give an account of the theory 
 which the late discoveries of this and other sciences 
 have suggested to me of the geological formation of 
 our globe, and of the system of creation 1 had gradu- 
 ally formed, 
 
 PageXO, after line 17, read — " and this, too, without 
 coincidcocu with the laws ol gravity," 
 
 Po^e 14, line 14, read — liuffon's theory has ahio 
 been completely refuted by the undoubted astronomi- 
 cal fiict, that if the planets were struck oft* from the 
 sun, they must, in every revolution have returned to 
 the sun again. 
 
 Page 21, line 0, read — When two persons converse 
 together, the ideas of their minds pass from thcoigans 
 of speech, through the oii intervening betvp«n the two 
 persotts; in this passage, therefore, an emanation of 
 mind exists separate from the body from whence it 
 came. It is coQveved, indeed, by the vibrations of the 
 particles of air it passes .through, but it certainly has, 
 during that period, an existence separate from the 
 body and organs it proceeded from. An enamation 
 of mind, therefore, can exist separate from its matrix, 
 and in a form of matter entirely different from what it 
 ema.nated from. Is it then not possible to conceive, 
 that niind itself could be endowed with existence in 
 the s^rifprip state, as well as in the solid ? 
 
 wil 
 
 
11 
 
 Page 29, iifier line \ 1, read-^To show that it it not 
 without good cause, wc, in this woi-k,nttcinpl to vindi- 
 cate ihu Mosaic ar.count of creation v and, by our 
 cxphinaiit)!! of the first verse of Genesis to account for 
 the iiiiiuciise period of time required by the mudcrn 
 geologists; wc extnict the following note from a late 
 work on geology : '* Althoui,'h the world is not eternal, 
 it is, neverilieless, very smcienti and, in calculating all 
 the time tlnit was rcquiicd for the formation ol the 
 numerous beds which the globe presents to us, for the 
 life and reproduction of .-ill the animals and vegetables 
 whose reui:iiti8 it contains, according to the time 
 employed f«>r the actual foimations whose duration we 
 know. We are forced »o admit that the world is nllcast 
 3II0.0(H» \ ears old."— Boa6ceV Geol. Populaire, p. 7, 
 Paris. 1 833. 
 
 Paije Q3. fine 11, 7*ctfr/— By this explanation we 
 shall ite ;it>lc to .ictouiii for any length of time which 
 the ft»rmaii<ii)of tlie globe may have required. 
 
 Ptii^'e 24. fine \2, 7'eflr/ — That the oceanic waters 
 musi Jiiivc been formed by combustion is proved by 
 the f'Ci ili.ii il:esc elementary gases, ox^'gen and 
 hydn'gtM). m;»y be kept together lor any length- of 
 time, and foim no water without combustion. 
 
 Po^i^c 25, line 28. reafl — This last sentence is the 
 onlv Miic Irom which our theory diflcMS, and wc refer 
 the reader to iioic 2 id' fust edition, in support of that 
 theory, also, to noie 5 of second edition. 
 
 J'njue 20. line 25, read — This idea I have seen con- 
 firmed by iM:. John Wesley, in his "Survey of the 
 
 h 
 
 < 
 
 |V)1 
 
^1^ 
 
 .■^ 
 
 12 
 
 Wisdom of God in the Creation " He says, in vol/ 2, 
 p. 256, ** Chalk is no more than the ruins of sea'shells, 
 and lime stones consist of the same bodies cemented 
 together by stony matter." 
 
 Piage 30, line 7t read'-^Tho above groups make 
 10,700 feeu 
 
 Paffe S7, Ilrie 10, read — This idea is santioned by 
 Dr. Thomson in his Atomic Chemistry, entitled "An 
 attempt to establish the first principles of Chemistry." 
 In page 35, vol. 1, he says, " 1 am of opinion we are 
 not at present acquainted with any truly simple bodies. 
 All our simple bodies are most probably compounds, 
 and many of them may be afterwards decomposed, 
 and reduced to more sitnplo principles, by the future 
 labours of chemists." 
 
 Page 40, liiie IC read —These internal fiics of the 
 earth, though at first sight they appear to us the effects 
 of accidental causes, will jjrobably be found to be an 
 instance of the designing wisdom of the Author of 
 Nature. The depositions from the ocean, which, by 
 our theory, have formed- the earth, must have been 
 originally deposited in a soil slate. By the contin exi 
 pressure of the subsequent geological particles towards 
 the centre, they would no doubt acquire a degree cf 
 solidity, but perhaps the operation of these fires was 
 required, to give them sutficient hardness to resist the 
 powerful action of the rapid motions of the earth. 
 Tli:se fires are, at the prciont dav, considered bv the 
 first geologists to be occasioned by water coming into 
 contact with the metallic basis of the primary earths, 
 by which the water is decomposed and combustion 
 
 
iii voi'2, 
 3a shells, 
 emented 
 
 3S make 
 
 oned by 
 ed "An 
 mistry." 
 I WG are 
 
 G bodies. 
 1 pounds, 
 m posed, 
 e future 
 
 of the 
 effects 
 bo an 
 hor of 
 ch, by 
 ie been 
 itin ed 
 ovvards 
 gree of 
 es was 
 ist the 
 earth, 
 by the 
 g into 
 earths, 
 )U8tton 
 
 13 
 
 ensues ; and in this case an absorption of oxygen by 
 these bases must take place and their bulk be greatly 
 increased, and this may have been designed by the 
 Creator for enlarging the bulk of the eajth. 
 
 Page 42, line 13, read — I have, since the printing 
 of the second edition of this work, had opportunities of 
 reading the most modern geological publications, and 
 finding therein no cause whatever, to vary from the 
 theory of the earth I had formed, I now proceed in this 
 third edition to the 
 
 ELUCIDATION OF THAT THEORY. 
 
 The Mosaic account, by the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th 
 verses of the first chapter of Genesis, shows us that 
 our earth was first created in the waters or universal 
 ocean ; and by the 9th and 10th verses, we learn that 
 *• the waters under the Heavens were gathered toge- 
 ther, and the land made to appear." 
 
 We have shown that this part of the scriptural 
 account of creation is confirmed by the concurrent 
 observations of the best and most modern geologists. 
 Indubitable proofs in every part of the crust of the 
 earth, show it to have been " formed in a fluid ;" and I 
 trust the following elucidation of our theory will tend 
 to show that such has been the ease through its entire 
 diameter. 
 
 By this theory, we account for the formation of the 
 entire diameter and circumference of the eanh, by the 
 continued depositions which have taken place in the 
 oceanic waters of Genesis from the " beginning," as 
 per 1st verse ; which depositions have been formed by 
 the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and by the con- 
 2 
 
 i 
 
 Wi 
 
14 
 
 slant labours of various species of the animals of that 
 universal ocean, as shown at full length in the fore- 
 going pages of this work. 
 
 In Leo's Elements of Geology, (New York, 1840) 
 page 271, it is said — " The Pacific Ocean abounds in 
 coral to the 30th degree of latitude on each side of the 
 equator ; so also do the Arabian and Persian Gulfs. 
 On the east coast of New Holland is a reef, 350 miles 
 in length, and between that country aiid New Guinea, 
 thorc is a chain of coral 700 miles long. The Maldi- 
 vas, in the India Ocean, are coral reefs extending 480 
 geographical miles north and south. These are cir- 
 cular islets, the largest being 50 miles in diameter, the 
 centre of each being a lagune from fifteen to twenty 
 falhunis deep ; and on the outside of each island at the 
 distance of two or three miles, there is a coral reef, 
 immediately outside of which the water is generally 
 moro than 150 fathoms deep." 
 
 The following cut will serve to illustrate the general 
 shape and formation of these islands ; — 
 
 These vegetable and animal depositio'^ .f the 
 Ocean of Genesis, then, were first attracted </) a centre 
 by the universal law of gravitation, and thv > j formed 
 the nucleus or centre of the earth.- This nucleus 
 
 * It may be proper to explain how the primitive races df the 
 vegetable tribes may have been supported before the nucleus 
 was formed. There are many aquatic plants which take no root 
 in the earth at all, but grow and float in the water. There is a 
 species of the Fig-tree in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, which 
 
 var; 
 the 
 
 t<..v.P, 
 
15 
 
 lis of that 
 the fore- 
 
 )rk, 1840) 
 bounds in 
 lide of the 
 ian Gulfs. 
 350 nniles 
 V Guinea, 
 be Maldi- 
 iding 480 
 are cir- 
 iieter, the 
 to twenty 
 ind at the 
 :oral reef, 
 generally 
 
 e general 
 
 f the 
 
 I « sntre 
 
 formed 
 
 I nucleus 
 
 pes of the 
 nucleus 
 te no root 
 lliere is a 
 ]n, which 
 
 being continually augmented in bulk by the unceasing 
 depositions of the ocean, until a great depth of vegeta- 
 ble and animal remains were accumujalcd, internal 
 heats and fires would be thereby generated, which 
 would last until the combustible matter deposited was 
 consumed. The fires Wv^juU then cease, until another 
 sufficient depth of fresh depositions took place. The 
 fermentation of these would again produce heat, fire 
 and incandescence, until again the combustible matter 
 last deposited was consumed. The remains after 
 these combustions would, of course, be incombustible, 
 and would consist of all the primary earths, sands, clay, 
 lime, magnesia, &.C., and of the calces or oxyds of the 
 various metallic and mineral substances contained iu 
 the original depositions of matter above slated. 
 
 These allernato depositions from the ocean, must 
 have continued to generate these periodic fires, pending 
 the whole time reqliired for the formation of the dia- 
 meter of the earth, that is until the separation of the 
 " dry land" irom the ** waters" took place as mentioned 
 Genesis first chap, and 9th verse. The depth or thick- 
 ness of the depositions required to produce each of 
 
 has grown for twelve years, suspended in the air and moistened 
 with water; we have therefore a right to conclude, that if some 
 species of land plants have this power, many of the first created 
 »narine plants of the ocean of Genesis would have it also. In 
 fact, many marine plants of the present seas grow on the rocks, 
 and must consequently derive their nourishment from the water. 
 But it is possible that until the nucleus was formed, the primitive 
 marine animals may have found their nourishment in the waters, 
 for the microscope shows us that every drop of water contains 
 myriads of the insect tribes. We know also that the gills of 
 fish decompose water, by which they would obtain two of the 
 elements of all vegetables — Oxygen and Hydrogen. 
 
 ! n ^:''l 
 
16 
 
 these periodic fires, it is impossible to form any certain 
 idea of. It may have required many miles of depih of 
 deposits, as they would contain carbonic, sulphureous, 
 oily, gaseous, earthy, saline and metallic matter mixed ; 
 but it is well known that it requires but a small depth 
 of vegetable matter alone, being moist, and heated by 
 fermentation, to produce ignition. A common hay- 
 stack is often fired by the spontaneous ignition of its 
 hydrogen. 
 
 Thus, according to this theory, we see that the inter- 
 nal fires of our earth at the present day, at least as far 
 as they have been occasioned by the above original 
 causes, cannot extend to near the centre of the earth ; 
 because the periodic fires above stated, would consume 
 nil the inflammable matter, at certain periods after it 
 Was deposited : each periodic fire would consume the 
 combustible matter deposited from the ocean since the 
 previous fire; and after each conflagration, the parts 
 of the earth then formed must have remained in the 
 state of incombustible calces. 
 
 This theory will perhaps also account for that singu- 
 lar phenomenon in geology, of entire genera of marine 
 animals disappearing at diflerent depths in the earth. 
 The incandescence had destroyed these genera, and 
 it was not until the (then) surface of the earth was 
 cooled sufficiently by the waters ot the ocean of Gene- 
 sis, between the times of the periodic fires, that fresh 
 genera of animals could approach it. They then 
 approached it, and, as they terminated the time of their 
 existence, their remains went, with the other deposi- 
 tions, to augment the growth of the earth's bulk, and so 
 on continually, until the separation of the land from the 
 waters. 
 
 at 
 e: 
 
 01 
 
 d( 
 
 no 
 
17 
 
 \y cerlain 
 fdepih of 
 phureous, 
 3r mixed; 
 lall depth 
 leated by 
 non hay- 
 ion of its 
 
 the inter- 
 ast as far 
 original 
 le earth ; 
 consume 
 Is lifter it 
 sume tiie 
 since the 
 tlie parts 
 3d in the 
 
 fitsingu- 
 ' marine 
 earth, 
 ra, and 
 th was 
 f Gene- 
 at fresh 
 y then 
 of their 
 deposi- 
 andso 
 om the 
 
 The reader will here observe, that although by the 
 above causes of the primitive flres having ceased to 
 exist, and the residue of them being matter in a calcified 
 or oxydized form, except indeed, the matter of the last 
 depositions of the ocean of Genesis, (which may be one 
 of the causes of tiie present volcanic fires) that there- 
 fore, no central fire arising from these primary ca'^ses 
 can exist ; yet, we do not mean to deny, tliat subse- 
 quent causes of fne may have, and are perhaps even 
 now taking place. 
 
 The electric fluid, as is proved by late discoveries of 
 Sir H. Davy, on the primary earths, of which the oxy- 
 datcd matter of the above conflagrations would mainly 
 consist, is capable of decomposing these primary 
 earths, and water also. It is possible, therefore, com- 
 bustion might be generated, even in the oxyds to which 
 the original deposits were reduced. Thus, in the 
 opinion of many Geologists, there is a central fire in 
 the earth. 
 
 Mr. Lee, in his Elements of Geology, page 53, says, 
 " From the result of all the observations hitherto made, 
 we may safely conclude that the temperature of the 
 earth increases as we descend, at the rate of one degree 
 for every eight fathoms, consequently at a depth short 
 of a hundred miles, the materials of the globe are in a 
 state ot incandescence." 
 
 Now, though I agree that from the cause above 
 assigned, the (electric fluid) internal fires might pos- 
 sibly be regenerated from the oxydated remains of the 
 primordial fires, yet I should conceive these subsequent 
 fires are more likely to be partial than general. 1 con- 
 ceive that the intention of the Deity was, by the means 
 of the primordial fires, to prepare and harden tho geolo- 
 8* 
 
 ii|^ 
 
lis 
 
 gical bodies, to produce chemical decompositions and 
 re- com bin aliens, of numerous usefifl substances, to 
 increase the cohesion of these geological bodies, to ena- 
 ble them to sustain their rapid and powerful motions in 
 the heavens, to elevate the mountains, to diversify the 
 earth's surface, and give mankind the use of their 
 mineitii products ; and I do not conceive these ends 
 would be obtained, were the whole interior of the earth 
 in a state of fusion from a hundred miles below the sur- 
 face. The increasing heat of the earth as we proceed 
 downwards, can be equa!ly well accounted for by sup- 
 posing the present fires to be occasioned by the more 
 recent depositions of combu ible matter from ^he 
 oceanic waters of Genesis, which are still in a state of 
 combustion. 
 
 And there is one corroborative rircumslance of this 
 staled by Archdeacon Paicy, in page 388 of his Theo- 
 logy of Nature, namely, that " by a comparative calcu- 
 lation with the force of attraction of a rock of granite, 
 ihc CLxrth was said to have twice the density of that 
 I'ock or about five times that of water," which could not 
 be the case if the earth were nearly all liquid fire ; for, 
 ileduciing the 100 miles of crust from the diameter of 
 ihe earth near 8000, would leave an ocean of fire 7800 
 miles deep ; an idea so contrary to the ordinary course 
 and wisdom of nature, appears to me preposterous. 
 
 I shall now make a few observations on the time 
 that may have been required, according to our theory 
 of depositions from the oceanic waters, to form ihe 
 whole diameter of the earth. 
 
 We have shown in note 1st, the power of geome- 
 trical progression in two generations of herrings, ^nd 
 thai in twenty years of generation, a mass of matter 
 
19 
 
 m ^ 
 
 could be produced, equal to ten of our globes, that is, 
 allowing these generations to be undisturbed. Now 
 that must have been the case in the oceanic waters of 
 Genesis. In our seas, immense numbers are annually 
 abstracted from the ocean by the fisheries. Not so in 
 the primeval ocean : there was no abstraction of matter 
 there whatever. The labours of the Zoophytes and 
 other marine animals we infer, according to the opinion 
 of the modern geologists, have been also " going on in 
 ail former ages as at present,** and would be another 
 immense source of geological formation. 
 
 It has been staled by some geologists, that the sedi- 
 mentary rocks have taken a million of years in their 
 formation. This is no doubt grounded on the sup- 
 {osilion that past i^olcanic action and convulsion have 
 been the same as at present. I trust, however, to have 
 shown in our theory, that volcanic and convulsive 
 forces must have been immensely greater and more 
 frequent in the primeval ages ; and I believe that a 
 million of years ago, if the globe were then in being, 
 there was detritus enough, arising from that volcanic 
 action, to produce a million timed the masses of rock, 
 that any " causes now in operation" could do, and am 
 more confirmed in this opinion from the vast difTcr- 
 ence that must have then existed in the tenacity of 
 the formations, compare \ with their present stale. 
 
 Whatever length of period however might have 
 been actually employed, we trust we can give it by 
 our explanation of the 1st verse of Genesis; but we 
 are not of opinion that the laws for the formation of 
 the globe, required any such immense periods of time 
 as is supposed by some geologists. Their comparative 
 scale of formation, drawn from the present actual for- 
 
 m! <s 
 
20 
 
 mations, is totally inadequate. How, for instance, 
 could the power of deposition of Jakes or rivers of the 
 present state of the world, be compared with the mighty 
 force of the oceans of the globe at the lime of the sepa- 
 ration of the waters of Genesis, rushing over the newly 
 formed earth, with inconceivable impetuosity ? 
 
 1 trust that by the above elucidation, the reader 
 will completely comprehend our theory of ihe forma- 
 tion of the solid parts of our earih, by the powerful 
 and vital agencies, which we humbly conceive the 
 Deity may have employed to effect this wonderful 
 purpose. 
 
 We wish now to make some observations on a mo^t 
 singular production, which we have fallen in with since 
 the publication of tiie second editition of this work ; 
 this is JVIr. Mantell's " Wonders of Geology." In 
 page 400, volume 1st, under the head of Geological 
 Mutation, he says, " 1 will embody these inductions in 
 a more impressive form, by employing the metaphor 
 of an Arabic writer, and imagining some higher intel- 
 ligence from another sphere, to describe the physical 
 mutations of which he may be supposed to have taken 
 cognizance from the period when the forests of Port- 
 land were flourishing, to the present time. * Countless 
 ages ere man was created,' he might say, 'I visited 
 these regions of the earth, and beheld a beautiful coun- 
 try ol vast extent, diversified by hill and dale with its 
 rivulets, streams and mighty rivers, flowing through 
 fertile plains; and palms, ferns and forests of conifer- 
 ous trees clothed its surface ; and I saw monsters of 
 the reptile tribes, so huge, that nothing among existing 
 races can compare with them, basking on the banks 
 of the rivers and roaming through its forests, while in 
 
21 
 
 instance, 
 ers of ihe 
 he mighty 
 
 the sepa- 
 ihe newly 
 
 JC reader 
 le forma- 
 powerful 
 2eive the 
 vonderful 
 
 )n a mogt 
 ^"ith since 
 is tvork ; 
 
 gy" In 
 
 sological 
 ctions in 
 lelaphor 
 er intel- 
 physical 
 taken 
 |of Port- 
 untless 
 visited 
 I coun- 
 'ilh its 
 |h rough 
 jonifer- 
 ters of 
 ;isting 
 banks 
 Ihile in 
 
 its fens were sporting thousands of crocodiles and 
 turtles, winged reptiles of strange forms shared with 
 birds the dominion of the air» and the* waters teemed 
 with fishes, shells and Crustacea ; and after a lapse of 
 many ages, 1 again revisited the earth, and the country, 
 with its innumerable dragon forms, and its tropical 
 fruits, ail had disappeared, and the ocean had usurped 
 their place, and the waters teemed with nautili, am- 
 monites, and the cephalopeda of races now extinct, 
 and innumerable fishes and marine reptiles ; and thou- 
 sands of centuries rolled by, and I returned, and lo ! 
 the ocean was gone, and the dry land had again ap- 
 peared, and it was covered with groves and forests, 
 but they were wholly different in character from those 
 of the vanished country of the Iguanodon." 
 
 This very poetical effusion appears indeed everyway 
 worthy to be associated with the Arabian Tales. 
 Countless ages, thousands of centuries, and other 
 epochs stated in these ♦♦wonders," are tolerably latilu- 
 dinary periods, even for faiiy talcs. It is remarkable 
 too, that although the author writes so highly of Doctor 
 Buckland, as a great geologist, he has never mentioned 
 the explanation of the 1st verse of Genesis, which the 
 Doctor has adopted in his Bridgewater Treatise, pur- 
 posely to account for these great periods of geological 
 mutation. At the same time, Mr. Manlell affects to 
 say, that geology rightly understood, does not confute 
 the scriptures, or at least the purest piety. He at the 
 same time would entirely set aside, as by the above 
 extract, the account given by Moses, that the earth, 
 since the separation of the waters in Genesis, has exist- 
 ed only 6,800 years. Now, if this important part of the 
 Bible is not founded on fact, what arguments would 
 
 7 ; 
 
 ii< m 
 
 Jii>i i ' 
 
 li 
 
 il! 
 
 llll 
 
22 
 
 mankind have for disbelieving the remainder? But, 
 fortunately even these " wonders of geology," cannot 
 effect this. For first, I verily believe that the carbo- 
 niferous formations offer sufficient evidence that they 
 were produced before the separation in the universal 
 ocean of Genesis ; I believe thnt these immense club 
 mosses, these arborescent ferns* so immensely larger 
 than any of the present day, were marine ; for I can 
 never believe that any difference of climate could 
 make such immense difference in the size of the plants. 
 In examining coal, that is, not including Lignites or 
 brown coal, in any part of the earth, we find no traces 
 of woody fibre, which, had it been formed of terrestrial 
 trees, would probably have been apparent. Coal ap- 
 pears more likely to have been formed of some soft 
 pulpy mailer such as sea-weed, and to have acquired 
 its present appearance by great heat and pressure, and 
 decomposition. This opinion of the marine formation 
 of coal issupporlcd by Mr. Maletrenck. 
 
 In Sullivan's View of Nature, letter 38, page 109, 
 Mr. Maletrenck, in treating on the origin of coal, 
 snys — **But this is a sul)jecl which we must examine 
 more closely. Vegetables, as I have said, have been 
 considei'cd as the cause of the foi mation of pit coal. 
 A few forests, however, buried i;i the earth, are not 
 sufiicient to foim the masses of coal.^ which exist in its 
 bowels. A greater cause, more proportioned to the 
 magnitude of the efTeci, ib rc(juired,and we find it only 
 
 * Lee, in ]iis Elementary Gooloofy, pajre 67, says, "in 
 treatinj^oiiihe coai formations, vegetables also wliich are now 
 mere herbs, then attained tlie size ot large trees, as for example, 
 ferns, which though tiiey now attain the height of a few feet at 
 the niost, then gvew as large as our tallest trees," 
 
23 
 
 in that prodigious quantity of vegetable matter winch 
 grows in the seas^ and is increased by the imnnense 
 masses which are carried down by the rivers ; these 
 masses are agitated and broken dowrf by the waves, 
 and afterwards covered by argillaceous or calcareous 
 earth, and are decomposed. Nor is it more diflicult 
 to conceive how these masses of marine and other 
 vegetables may form the greater part of the coal, than 
 that shells should form the greater part of the globe. 
 The direct proof in support of this theory are the 
 presence of aquatic and marine substances. The ^jo'ls 
 which contain coal are generally ofschistus and grit; 
 and as the formation of pyrites, as well as that of 
 coal, comes from the decomposiiion of vegetable and 
 animal substances, (for sulphur has been proved to 
 exist naturally in vegetables and animals) all pit coal 
 is more or less pyritous, so that we may consider pit 
 coal as a mixture of pyrites, schistus and bitumen." 
 
 Mr, Maletrenck thus supports our idea of the origin 
 of coal in the secondary formations. I have to add as 
 a further support of this theory, that all coal contains 
 ammonia or its elements. Now terrestrial trees or 
 vegetables will not account for this ingredient of coal. 
 We know% moreover, that the remains of immense 
 masses of animals must have been deposited in the 
 oceans. The remains of whales, sharks, salmon, and 
 all other fish, many species of whi^h I believe are 
 seldom found in the earth fossilized, must have been 
 deposited some wiiere in the ocean, and it appears 
 probable that coal has derived its ammonia from these 
 sources. At all events terrestrial vegetab'ea alone 
 will not account for it, for they do not afford one of its 
 elements, azote. 
 
 Hi ' 
 
24 
 
 But whether time and further observations will 
 prove these opinions correct or not, still the story of 
 the "beautiful country of the Iguanodon" can be 
 accounted for, without overthrowing the narration of 
 Moses. Volcanic action, as I have shown above, must 
 have been immensely more active before the separa- 
 tion, and pending the subaqueous formation of the earth 
 in the ocean of Genesis, than at present. It is possible 
 therefore, that some mountainous countries, may have 
 been elevated above the surface of the waters long 
 previous to the separation of the " dry land of Genesis." 
 and these mountancous countries may have been 
 tenanted by these reptile tribes, and covered by these 
 immense palms, coniferous ferns, club mosses, fine 
 rivers, lakes, &c., for many ages previous to the separa- 
 tion, when the great bulk of the land was made to 
 "appear," and thus the Mosaic account will be yet 
 maintained iji its integrity, notwithstanding the exist- 
 ence of the beautiful country of the " Iguanodon." 
 
 Page 42, line 15, read — As the great discoveries in 
 Pneumatic Chemistry, made during the last 50 or 60 
 years, may not be known to many of my readers, I 
 here subjoin a short account of them. About the 
 beginning of that period, Mr. Black, of Edinburgh, first 
 discovered that the change of lime-stone into lime, by 
 burning, was nothinsf more than the extrication of its 
 carbonic acid gas from the lime-stone by the heat 
 employed. This discovery excited the attention of 
 chemical philosophers to seriform bodies; and Mr. 
 Black's name will be venerable as long as science is 
 cultivated. A few years afterwards, Mr. Cavendiu!* 
 discovered the highly important fact, that water was 
 composed of the bases of the two gases, oxygen and 
 
 hv 
 
 • 
 
 m( 
 wt 
 
 of 
 dec 
 due 
 bv 
 
25 
 
 hydrogen, which was further proved by the experi- 
 ments of Dr. Priestly, and the exact composition of 
 water was finnily confirmed by the acc.urate analysis 
 of Lavoisier and other French chemists, who, having 
 decomposed the water into its elementary gases, repro- 
 duced it by the ignition of the same gases ; and finding 
 by repeated experiments, the weight of the water 
 always equal to the gases produced, and vice versa 
 that the gases emploved to form the water, always 
 produ:!cd an c qua! weight of it. Subsequent chemists 
 have verified these results, and it is now universally 
 allowed, that all water consists of one part of hydrogen, 
 and eight parts of oxygen by weight. 
 
 Our atmosphere has been f irid to be composed of 
 eighty parts of mephitic or azotic gas, and of twenty 
 parts of oxygen gas. These three gases, oxygen, 
 hydrogen, and azote, which may be called primary, 
 iiavo since been discovered by chemists in almost 
 every part ot the vegetable, animal and mineral king- 
 doms, in which also a great variety of compound gases 
 are disc(»vercd every year. 
 
 Page 51, line 17, read — This idea ot no heal in the 
 sun, arose iti port from the existence of ice and snow on 
 high mountains in the torrid zone, which is now tho- 
 roughly explained from terrestrial causes, by Lambin, 
 Do Lui, Bougan. and De Saussure. 
 
 Pai^e 51, line 23, read — "A fact v\ell known,** says 
 De Saussure, ** and which proves strongly to my mind 
 that the action of the solar rays, (considered in them- 
 selves, and independent of all exterior causes of cold,) 
 is as grout on the tops of mountains as in the level 
 country, is, that the force of a lens is the sane at all 
 
 ff n 
 
 T 
 
 
 I i! 
 
26 
 
 heights. I am therefore convinced with Bougan," con- 
 tinues he, " that the principal reason of the cold which 
 reigns on the tops of mountains is, that they are always 
 surn»unded and covered by an air that is invariably 
 cold, and that that air is coid because it cannot be 
 greatly heated, neither by the rays of the sun, in con- 
 sequence of the transparency of this air, nor by the 
 surface of the eaith, on account of its distance from 
 that surface." 
 
 Page 61, line 19, read — Having now presented to 
 the public the th'-ory of the sun's ibrmaibn, arising, 
 as I conceive, oaturally, from the stupendous quantity 
 of light and heat which must have evolved from tliie 
 combustion of the gases required for the formation of 
 the ocean of (jlenesis, and having therein given my ideas 
 on the manner in wh/'ch the waste of the sun's light 
 and heat may be r«:';)]e,""shc(l, I purpose now to make 
 a few observations on ♦he (pinion slated by Dr. Her- 
 schell as to the opaque ie^.s of th'"! sun, and also of the 
 spots which are found on or oijjaccnt to, his surface, 
 
 Sharon Turner, in his Sacred History, page 46, vol. 
 1st, savs — "Of the actual substance of the sun, solittlo 
 satisfactory to our jiulgmcn!. has been discovered, that 
 all which is mentioned concerning it, can rank no 
 higher than conjectures more or less plausible. Dr. 
 Herschell thought his body to be opaque with an upper 
 stratum of black luminous clouus. Black spots of vary- 
 ing magnitude and form are continually appearing 
 upon it and receding ;" and in a Note from La Place, 
 page 20, it is said — " Dr. Herschell has inferred that 
 what he deems the sun's luminous atmosphere, is 2,500 
 miles from its surface.'* 
 
;-;*;:iKtt5i 
 
 27 
 
 The preface to Sharon Turner's Work is dated 1832. 
 IThe first edition of mine was published in 1836 ; — his 
 observations as to the substance of the.sun could not* 
 therefore, include it } ahd 1 shall now make one final 
 observation in support uf the probability of my system, 
 namely, that it is, t conceive, highly probable, the 
 Deity, would convert the stupendous quantity of heat 
 and light which must have been extricated from the 
 combustion of the gases of which the oceanic waters are 
 formed, to some great purpose. The fabric of the sun 
 thereby, was it not the most prominent and necessary 
 one he could have applied it to ? 
 
 Now, respecting Dr. Herscheirs opinion as to the 
 opaqueness of the sun, as I am well aware of the 
 exalted talents of that philosopher, and equally con- 
 scious of my own want of scientific knowledge to cope 
 with them, 1 must leave the decision on the validity of 
 my theory of the sun to men of scientific acquirements, 
 should it meet their eye ; and in that case, I beg to 
 submit to them, should they agree to that validity 
 two questions : — 
 
 1st. The luminous atmosphere of Doctor Herschell 
 being, as he says, 2,500 miles from the sun, will it not 
 be accounted for by the vast bodies of hydrogen and 
 oxygen gases I have supposed, by their combustion, to 
 serve as elementary fuel for the sun? Also — the 
 spots on the sun's surface, or as some say, adjacent 
 thereto, may they not be accounted for by the above 
 said cause, from the denser volume of aqueous vapour 
 which must be produced by this vast combustion of 
 hydrogen ? The combustible gases would probably be 
 ignited at the distance mentioned, (2,500 miles from the 
 sun) and no doubt they would prove luminous enough. 
 
 I. 
 
 h 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 H'i 
 
 ,»1 il 
 
 riliMfillll 
 
 riM 
 
28 
 
 2nd. If, as it has been lately suggested, our almes- 
 phericheatis ptoduced by the sun's rays operating on 
 a calorific medium, can we allow this heat to be pro« 
 duced by any other means than by abstraction from 
 that medium ? 
 
 Heat is undoubtedly a material substance, and 
 whencespever it is abstracted by the sun's rays, and 
 carried olf, must not a corresponding degree of cold be 
 produced ? and must not the whole extent of the space 
 between the earth and the sun become continually 
 more and more refrigerated, unless some means are 
 found for replenishing this waste of heat ? and this 
 we humbly conceive^ our theory of the sun will do. 
 
 1 wish here to reply to a suggestion on our theory, 
 by a person of some scientific acquirements. This 
 was an idea that the gases (which in the above theory 
 we conceive to be employed in supplying the waste of 
 the sun's light and heat) might be ignited before arri* 
 ving at the sun's atmosphere, and thereby endanger 
 the planets. This person, however, observed, that as 
 Sir Humphrey Davy's safety lamp precludes any bad 
 effects in mines, nature may have prepared some con- 
 trivance to ensure safety in the regions of space. The 
 observation was judicious ; for if the science of feeble 
 man can counteract the evil on earth, how much more 
 easily can the power do so who rules the heavens ! 
 Jn fact it is not difficult to conceive an effective mode 
 which may be employed by nature to ensure the safety 
 required. Neither oxygen gas, nor hydrogen gas, are 
 inflammable 7?er se, that is when not in contact with 
 each other ; and it is easy to conceive that each species 
 of gas may come from opposite points of the regions 
 of space. Oxygen may come from the parts of the 
 
 hei 
 wh] 
 
 me( 
 ati 
 igni| 
 thei 
 
29 
 
 lieavens above the sun ; hydrogen from those parti 
 which are below it — and thus, both streams never 
 meet, till they enter their centre of attraction, the 
 atmosphere or body of the sun ; by which means no 
 ignition whatever could take place, until they arrived 
 there. Moreover, there is hardly a doubt, the tails of 
 comets consist of inflammable gaseous matter; and 
 these bodies traverse the regions oi space perhaps in 
 all directions, without injury to the planetary bodies. 
 
 I now present to the reader a short outline of Sir 
 Richard Phillips* Theory of the cause of the motions 
 of the heavenly bodies, taken from a work called 
 *' Wonders of the Heavens," Lecture 2nd, page 30, 
 printed for Richard Phillips, London. I make this 
 extract as presenting a singular sanction of our theory, 
 of the existence of a gaseous medium in the regions of 
 space ; but do not agree with him in rejecting the New- 
 tonian principle of gravity and attraction, and refer our 
 readers to our observations thereon in the introduction 
 to this edition. 
 
 "About 10 years passed from the discovery of the 
 theory of gravitation, without any remarkable addition 
 to it, till llie year 1818, when Sir Richard Phillips, in 
 some essays on the proximate causes ol the phenomena 
 of the universe, impeached the entire theory founded 
 on the simultaneous existence of universal gravitation, 
 projectile force, and an alleged vacuuin in space. 
 
 This writer has shown that Hook's Law of Gravity, 
 which Newton so fortunately applied, is not a universal 
 law, but a law created locally by the transfer of motion 
 through any medium, such as the medium of space, 
 and that the motions of nature, necessarily propagated 
 according to that law, are, in truth, the cause of all the 
 3* 
 
 f. *-' 
 
 m 
 
30 
 
 phenomena which heretofore had been ascribetl to the 
 occult and unintelligible principles of attraction and 
 gravitation. Hence, a? the law called the law of gra- 
 vity, which Newton applied to the problems ofhis 
 Principia, is proved not to be universal, and not an 
 innate property, but an accident of matter, so t!i jre no 
 longer exists any occasion for the projectile force with 
 which Newton endowed the planets to prevent their 
 falling into the sun ; nor was it any longer necessary 
 to extinguish the medium, whiqh it may be supposed 
 is co-existent with space, for the purpose of conferring 
 perpetuity on the projectile force. 
 
 He considered all matter as the possible parent of 
 motion, and m oiion as power, and then proceeded to 
 show, that all bodies on the earth are the parents of its 
 motions, and that its motions are competent to produce 
 all the phenomena which we witness on earth ; that 
 weight or gravity is the mere effect of motion, or a ten- 
 denc)^ to move by the transferred impetus of the earth's 
 motions ; in fine, that twofold motions are powers of 
 aggregation in all planets ; and that these motions, or 
 that of the stin, propagated through the medium of 
 space^ diverge as the square of the distance, and act 
 with the same precision through an elastic medium, as 
 a lever of iron. He showed also, that the fall of bodies 
 to the eaith, ascribed to terrestrial gravitation, is a 
 necessary result of the twofold motions of the earth, 
 and that all the phenomena heretofore explained, by a 
 principle which, considered as universal, led to many- 
 false analogies, are mere results of motions, or acci» 
 dents of matter, altogether local and mechanical. 
 
 The philosophy of material phenomena promulgated 
 bv Sir Richard Phillips, leaches that the univerae con- 
 
 81Sl 
 
 rel| 
 m( 
 
J to the 
 ion aod 
 
 of gra- 
 3 ofhis 
 
 not an 
 -'i jre no 
 ce with 
 nt their 
 cessary 
 ipposed 
 if erring 
 
 [rent of 
 3ded -to 
 ts of its 
 •roduce 
 1 ; that 
 ' a ten- 
 earth's 
 rcrs of 
 ons, or 
 um of 
 id act 
 am, as 
 Dodies 
 
 is a 
 earth, 
 
 bv a 
 nany 
 
 acci^ 
 
 jated 
 con- 
 
 31 
 
 sists of extension of matter under various expansive 
 gaseous, fluid, and ifixed forms of body, proceeding in 
 relative densiiy from the rarest and most extended fluid 
 media, to the most condensed aggregate of fixed atoms. 
 
 "In fine," says Sir Richard Philh'ps, "motions of 
 matter, subject to regular mechanic"' laws» acting abso- 
 lutely or subordinately, generally or locdly, on aggre- 
 gates or atoms, and producing various densities, and 
 different degrees of locomotion, and affinity, in atoms 
 of matter, of different constituent forms, are the proxi- 
 mate causes of all the phenomena ; and as one series of 
 phenomena depends on another, so all existing pheno- 
 mena are, in regard to others, physically fit, compatible 
 and harmonious; and as matter cannot originate its 
 own motion, so in considering motion as the proximate 
 cause of all phenomena, we arrive through the ascend- 
 ing series, at the necessary and sublime First Cauye of 
 all motion and all phenomena."* Page 35. 
 
 The next sanction of our theory of the existence of 
 gaseous matter in the sun's atmosphere, we take from 
 Sir John HerschelTs Astronomy of last yaxr, page 407, 
 chapter 12. 
 
 " We shall conclude this chapter by the mention of 
 a phenomenon which seems to indicate the existence of 
 some slight degree of nebulosity about the sun itself, 
 and even to place it in the list of nebulous stars. It 
 is called the Zodiacal light ; and may be seen any very 
 clear evening soon after sunset, about the month of 
 April or May, or, at the opposite season of the year, 
 before sunrise, as a cone or lenticular shaped light, 
 
 * It being thought by eorae that Sir Richard Phillips' Theory- 
 was of Atheistical tendency, I have extracted the foregoing^ 
 paragraph to show the reverse, ,,^r. '^'^ I.:'->i?'' •" •"' 
 
 1 
 111 
 
 iui 
 
 II 
 
 
 \v 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 i|!!j ; f 'I 
 
 |ii 
 
 !'i* 1 
 
 iwtau 
 
32 
 
 extending from the horizon, obliquely upwards, and 
 following generally the course of the ecliptic, or rather 
 that of the sun*s equator. The apparent angular 
 distance of its orbit from the sun varies according to 
 circumstances from 40*^ to OO'^, and the breadth of its 
 base perpendicular to its axis from 8° to 30°. It is 
 extremely faint and iil dofined, at least, in this climate,, 
 though better seen in tropical regions. 
 
 It cannot be mistaken for any atmospherical meteor 
 or Aurora Borealis. It is manifestly in the nature of a 
 thin lenticular ly formed atmosphere, surrounding the 
 sun, and extending at least beyond the orbit of Mer- 
 cury and even of Venus, and may be conjectured to 
 be no other than the denser part of that medium, which, 
 as we have reason to believe, resists the motion of 
 comets, loaded perhaps with the actual mateiiais of the 
 tails of millions of them, of which they have been strip- 
 ped in their successive perihelion passages, and which 
 may be slowly subsiding into the sun." 
 
 It appears hei*eby that Sir John completely sanc- 
 tions the existence of gaseous matter m the sun s atmos- 
 phere. And for what other purposes could it be there, 
 but for the supply of the waste of its light and heat by 
 the combustion oi this gaseous matter ? And Sir John 
 may well say, as he does in the above most admirable 
 treatise on Astronomy, *'that there is an enormous 
 degree of heat in the sun." 
 
 The last extract we shall here make, as sanctioning 
 our theory of supply of the waste of the sun's heat and 
 light, is from a work published in 184J, called "Gra- 
 ham's Elements of Chemistry." " It has always been 
 observed that there is a black line or lines among the 
 lays received from the sun through the prism on the 
 
33 
 
 jpectrum. These black lines philosophers had not 
 been able to account for. But the fttmosphere of the 
 sun has now received an entirely chemical character 
 ffom late experiments of the celebrated Sir David 
 Brewster, who found that on passing a ray of light 
 from a common lamp through a medium of nitrous 
 oxydgas, >i f:>rmed a thousand black lines on the spec- 
 trum. He, Sir David, thence infers (in accounting for 
 the black lines when rays are received from the sun) 
 that gaseous matter exists in the sun's atmosphere, by 
 which medium the black lines are produced on the 
 apectrum/* Doctor Graham adds, " that we may thus 
 be able hereafter to explain how the light of the suns 
 of other systems ie formed and maintained/' 
 
 He thus evidently considers that the mode of sup- 
 plying the waste of our own sun's light and heat is 
 explained by means of this gaseous atmosphere, and 
 thereby supports our theory of the combustion of that 
 matter for producing that supply.* 
 
 On a review of these concurrent teslimonies, wc, 
 with humility, conceive therefore that our theory of the 
 original formation of our sun, by the light and heat 
 evolved by the combustion of the gases for the for- 
 mation of the universal ocean of Genesis; and of the 
 mode of supplying the waste of the smrs light and heat 
 ruay be considered as nearly established. 
 
 Page 100, after line 24, read-r-ln Evans* Agricul- 
 tpre, printed at Montreal, it is said, page 51, "The 
 ashes of stalks of wheat gathered a month before the 
 
 * The above extract is taken from memory, but the sub- 
 stance will be found in Graham's i^Iem^nts, 
 
 . i' 
 
 m ]:• 
 
34 
 
 e^TSi'jfpf r'n? "s-.'"' ™'''-' 'eaves wi.h. 
 •a/Is in 100 Dart, ^,fu ^''"=" and 65 of AlkZt!^ 
 
 «nJ 'vhenrn'o^ of .ht eaves^»°'* '"■•^''«'" «- «"£ 
 
 salts." Thus, at one «.r?L f.^ °"'^ ^* ofAJkaline 
 
 parts, and at ano.her 3^1 Sn,"™'^/'""^'n^ 12 
 
 h •'.'"I'he plant is comi.fg 'o iS ^M-r'' ')''' J"« « 
 " tills Silica fiad bepn t=i? i"" g''»wih. Now 
 
 the straw ; but if, as by our,hV^^\'"^"^<'^ "irough 
 '.f the vegetable fjiVthe L^.h"''^ ""^ ^"''' '""""ions 
 «l'em, the above m^f .^ , '''* J"'' a^ they require 
 accounted for.* °'' ''"S"'^-- 'act will be^ thereby 
 
 consider the hrmament ,o Sr ICT'' "'"^^ ^^"«« 
 atmosphere. N„^^, ,1,; ° '^nd » mean solely, the 
 above the earth Bri7^ °^ °°''' only fortv-five mil^ 
 
 CO umn of equal bre ftof^^^^' l'^''"'''^' «<=«ed a 
 "'le deep, i„\espect to the reh,f/ "'° ^""^ Part of a 
 each column wolild contain !nf*^"'"""'««of^ater 
 
 plants at this period." ""^«« «'">«« -"ore Silica is formed inX' 
 ^e^irnZl' '° "'"■'"" "y "Oiling exceeds the bulUfthe 
 
35 
 
 " Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,*' 
 which, even in our oceans, would be two miles deep. 
 But tiie 9th verse will make it clear .that the word 
 " firmament" cannot refer to our atmosphere. " And 
 God made the firmament, and divided ihe waters which 
 were under the firmament from the waters which 
 were above thefirmament^ and it was so." Thus, it is 
 evident, that, in either sense of the word, an ocean of 
 waters is here stated to exist above the atmosphere. 
 And as it is very remarkable that no part of the first 
 chapter of Genesis gives any direct account of the for- 
 mation of our atmosphere, we may, perhaps, conclude, 
 that it was formed in the "beginning" when "God 
 created the heavens and the earth" as per 1st verse ; 
 and this is more probable, as we know one ingredient 
 of our atmosphere then existed, namely, oxygen, used 
 in the coinbustion, lor the formation of the oceanic 
 waters o! Genesis, and that air would, probably, bo 
 required for the animals thereof, during the formation 
 of our eailh in those waters. 
 
 i \ 
 
 1% 
 
 Page lOi), from foot of page, read as follows j'—^ 
 
 NOTES TO SECOND EDITION. 
 
 Note 1. In corroboration of our Notes to 1st edition 
 numbers 14 and 15, on the powers of the vegetative 
 functions to produe the primary earths, we have now 
 to add a -:tatement from Sharon Turner. In his " Sa- 
 cred History of the World," vol. 1st, page 93, he says, 
 " Vegetables have even some relation with the Mineral 
 Kingdom ; for they do not only form the carbon they 
 contain, but some have been found to have copper 
 particles," (and in a note it is said) •' That copper exists 
 
 m 
 
 ijjti'ammmssii 
 
36 
 
 in a great number of vegetables, was announced in 
 1 W7. Mr. Targean found five millogrames of copper 
 in a killograme of grey quinquina, eight in Martinico 
 coffee, and nearly eight in wheat." (Bull. Univ. page 
 1 39.) He continues, " And several vegetables secrete 
 flint and likewise sulphur, as in our common corn," 
 (and in a note it is said) " Sulphur exists in combination 
 with different bases in wheat, barley, rye, oats, maize, 
 millet, and rice.,, (Lindsay's Nat. Bot. p 393.) Mr. 
 Tnrner continues, " We may add iron and gold also, 
 for both of tliese have been found in vegetables." 
 
 And in page 393, in a note it is said, " The energy 
 and even creative agency of the living principle of 
 plants appears in its power of converting material par- 
 ticles into other substances. Experiments Oii vegeta- 
 bles seem to prove that the solid matter which entered 
 into their composition in the more advanced period of 
 their growth, must, in part at least, have been produced 
 by some action of the vitol powers and could not have 
 been obtained ab. extra." — Bui. Physic, page 307, and 
 Dr. Thompson's Ch. 
 
 JN^ote 2, Since publishing the first edition of this 
 work, I have found that Doctor Thompson, in his 
 Chemistry, says, " We are certain that no particle of 
 light weighs more than the million millionth part of a 
 grain." — Chemistry, vol. 1st, p. 300. 
 
 Note 3. Doctor Chalmers, in his Natural Theology 
 published in 1830, page 250, says, *' We shall advert 
 once more to the Mosaic ac ount of the creation, more 
 especially as the reconciliation of this history with the 
 indefinite antiquity of the globe, seems not impossible, 
 
 most 
 and 
 
and that, withoat the infliction of any Tidtoi^ce tfn tte 
 literalities of tho record.'* fie then narrn ^s the t#b 
 firit veneBxif l8t of Grenesis, and addn, " rtowlet it bft 
 supposed that the work of the first day in the Nfosaie 
 account, begins with the ** Spirit f>f Cud moving on the 
 face of the waters." The detailed history of creation, 
 in the 1st chapter of Crenesis, begins with the middle 
 of the second verse, and what precedes might be under- 
 stood as an introductory sentence, by which we are 
 most appositely told that God created all things at first, 
 and that afterwards, at what interval of time is not 
 specified, the earth lapsed into a chaos, from the 
 darkness and disorder of which the present system of 
 economy was made to arise. By this hypothesis, nei- 
 ther the 1st verse nor the first half of the second, forms 
 any part of the narration of the first day's operation, 
 the whole forming a preparatory sentence disclosing 
 to us the initial act of^ creation^ at some remote and 
 undefined period ; and the chaotic state of the world 
 at the commencement of those successive acts of 
 creative power, by which out of rudo and undigested 
 materials the present harmony of nature was ushered 
 into being. Between the initiai act and the details of 
 Genesis, the world, for aught we know, might have 
 been the theatre of many revolutions, the traces of 
 which Geology roay^ yet investigate^ and to which, in 
 fact, she has constantly appealed, as the vestiges of so 
 many successive continents which have now passed 
 away. The speculation has ofi[cred a vain triumph to 
 infidielity, seeing first, that the historical evidence of 
 scripture is quite untouched by this pretended discovery 
 of scieiHsei undatbat even) should it turn out to he a 
 substaniial drscoyery, they do not comeiqto caHtstofi 
 
 M 
 
 liji 
 
 f/ 
 
 
 
 111' 
 
 1''! 'i 
 
 „"' ! 
 11 1 
 
 SKBES 
 
 3CS 
 
 -■'.ar.- 
 
38 
 
 with the narrative of Moset. Should, in particular, 
 the explanation we now offer be sustained, this would 
 permitnn indefinite scope to the conjectures of Goology, 
 and without undue liberty to the 1st chapter of Genesis. 
 Thus, Doctor Chalmers has conHrmed, in the year 
 1830, the explanation of the 1st verse of Genesis, we 
 had, OS sated above, formed in 1825. But, with his 
 idea of the earth lapsing into a chnos we do not at all 
 agree; on the contrary, there is strong reason to 
 believe, that from "the beginning" the undeviating 
 design wns carrying on, of the formation of the solid 
 parts of the earth in the waters of Genesis, as stated in 
 our theory ; and this, the 0th verse shews ; for. the 
 earth, having been duly formed by the continued 
 depositions of the waters, was separated from them as 
 appears by that verse. 
 
 Note 4. In further confirmatiou of the construction 
 we have put upon the Jst verse of Genesis, it will bo 
 found, that the Rev. Dr, Adam Clarke, in his com- 
 mentaries on the scriptures, says, in commenting on 
 this verse " that the true translation of it from the 
 Hebrew is * In the beginning God created the elements 
 or substance* to form the Heavens and the Earth." 
 
 Yet, it is to be observed that a great part of mankind 
 have, perhaps, received the erroneous idea from their 
 infancy, " that the world was made out of nothing." 
 Now, Doctor Chalmers, in a lafe publication of his, on 
 Astronomy, says, " that no part of the scriptures 
 asserts that the world was made out of nothing." 
 Modern science has proved that most of the liquids 
 and solids of the vegetable and animal kingdom are 
 formed, in great part, of gaseous bodies ; and the very 
 
39 
 
 days and sands we walk on, which were fornnerly con- 
 sidered mere earths, have been proved by Sir H. 
 Davy's experiments in Galvanism, to consist, in great 
 part, of Oxygen, which must be combined with the 
 bases of these earths in a solid state. 
 
 But for the origin of the elementary gases, of whose 
 composition or origin we are yet ignorant, we must 
 refer to a creating cause. 
 
 Note 5. In the Edinbargh Review of Buckland's 
 Bndgewater Treatise, the U)llowing extract appears 
 from that work. " It is marvellous that mankind have 
 gone on for so many centuries in ignorance of the fact, 
 which is now fully proved, that no small part of the 
 present surface of the earth is derived from the remains 
 of animals that constituted the population of ancient 
 seas. Many extensive plains and massive mountains 
 form as it were the great charnel house of proceeding 
 generations, in which the petrified exuviae of extinct 
 races ot vegetables and animals are piled up, into 
 stupendous monuments of life and death, during almost 
 immeasurable periods of past time." 
 
 Mr. Ehrenberg, an eminent naturalist has £?ince Dr. 
 Buckland's Treatise, discovered by the microscope, 
 the existence of fossil animalculee, or infusoiial organic 
 remains, which form extensiva strata of tripoly or 
 poleschiefer (polishing slate at Franzenbad in Bohemia. 
 The animals belong to the genius Bacularia, and 
 inhabit siliceous shells, the accumulation of which form 
 the strata of polishing slate. The size of one of 
 these animalculas is the 3,000th part of an inch. Yet 
 notwithstanding the conviction which Dr. Buckland so 
 forcibly expresses, of the vast profusion of vegetabid 
 
 II 
 
 
 1 < I' 
 
 m 
 
 II!!! 
 
 1,1!' 
 
 pi *t 
 
 MiMttMMMWi 
 
40 
 
 and animal Hfe whicb must have existiid in the ancient 
 seias, arid Which conld be no other than the waters or 
 Ocean of Genesis, to which the Doctor agrees, by the 
 extract from the Bridge water Treatise, (See page 5 
 of our preface to first edition) yet, notwithstanding 
 this, he gives an opinion,in another part of that treatise, 
 that animal life did not exist, previous to the formation 
 of those strata of the earth where their remains arc 
 first found; namely, the transition or secondary forma- 
 tions. In Note 2nd, to our first edition, p. 102, we 
 have given Mr. Lyall's opinion " that all traces of 
 shells and other organic remains, may be destroyed in 
 rocks, by a heat not amounting to fusion." If'our 
 system of *he formation of the solid parts of our globe, 
 by the primeval deposition of vegetable and animal re- 
 mains, be approved ; it will perhaps, shew that internal 
 heats and fires generated by the gases and metals of 
 these remains, were much more frequent in those early 
 periods of the world, than at present. It is therefore. 
 no proof that vegetable and animal life did not exist 
 prior to the transition formations and during the pri- 
 mary, to say, that their organic remains are Fwt found 
 there : an immensely less heat than that which must 
 have been occasioned by the subterranean fires of the 
 earth, previous to the separation of Genesis, would be 
 sufficient to destroy all traces of organic remains, and 
 to prdduce a chrystaltine structure, and new chemical 
 combinations, as we find them at the present day. 
 This objection, then, to the pre-existence of animal 
 and vegetable life because no present remains are 
 found ih the primary strata, is not, in my opinion, tena- 
 bk. A grisat argument of the modern geologists is, 
 "that the causes at present in operation, must have 
 
41 
 
 i> ., 
 
 been producing the same effects in all preceding ages." 
 Therefore, by a parity of reasoning, conceiving the 
 design of the Creator to have been, to produce the 
 whole circumference and diameter of our globe, by the 
 instrumentality of those natural causes and laws which 
 we now see, every where in operation ; we infer that 
 tha races of vegetable and animal life were continually 
 employed for that end, since ihe foimalion of the pri- 
 meval Ocean of Genesis, as stated in our system ; and 
 that these races were competent thereto, the present 
 formation of a large tract of the earth by even a few 
 species of marine insects, evidently proves ; and it also 
 proves, that the Deity could not have chosen, from 
 among the laws of nature he had created, so energetic 
 an agent of production, since even electricity, though 
 nnuch more sudden and violent in its effects, has not the 
 continuity of the agencies of life. The coral insect 
 alone, has produced, as shewn in this work, an extent of 
 land equal in length to one eighth of the diameter of our 
 globe, and still continues its operation ; and it is even 
 the opinion of some geologists, that another continent 
 will, in time, be formed, in these seas by means of these 
 insects. 
 
 Doctor Buckland allows that some geologists are of 
 opinion that fossil remains may have existed in the 
 primary formations, and all traces of them may have 
 been obliterated by the internal fires; but he appears 
 himself to think, (and gives a quotation, I believe, from 
 another writer,) that the incandescence of the earth 
 was, during the primary formations so great, that no 
 animals could have existed in the ocean. 
 
 Now, if our theory be well founded, thai the same 
 mighty energy of formation which has produced so 
 
 n 
 
42 
 
 large a part of the crust of the earth, (namely, the 
 labours oi the marine animals during liie, and their 
 depositions and those of the marine vegetables after 
 death ;) if we allow that these same most powerful 
 causes may have produced all the formations of the 
 eartl^ through its entire diamater, the incandescence 
 during the primary formations, will not render this 
 theory untenable. By this theory, we account for the 
 productions of the internal fires, by the ignition of the 
 inflammable gases, and the metallic bases resulting 
 from the decompositions of the vegetable and animal 
 remains that had been deposited in the oceanic waters* 
 and attracted to a centre by the laws of gravity ;ind 
 pressure. 
 
 When a sufficient thickness of mass of these re- 
 rnains was thus accumulated, these internal fires would 
 then be generated by the ignition of the inflammable 
 matter of their remains, and during the existence ot 
 these volcanic fires an incandescence might have been 
 , produced over a great part of the earth, which, for a 
 lime, would destroy the animals of the ocean near it ; 
 but, as these fires could last only until the inflammabli 
 matter that generated them was consumed; when 
 that took place, the (then) crust of the earth would be 
 copied down by the waters of the ocean, and further 
 depositions of remains would take place, until again 
 collected in suflicient thickness to reproduce internal 
 fires and incandescence ; when the same refrigeration 
 must, in time, have taken place, all the fuel of these 
 ^res being again coiisumed. 
 
 In fact, this itjcandescence may, perhaps, account for 
 a geoglogical phenomenon stated by geologists, that 
 ei^tire genera pf marine a pim?^!^ appear to have existed. 
 
 ate 
 
 stra 
 
 then 
 
 dest 
 
 the 
 
 whe 
 
..jftauatjmt* 
 
 43 
 
 at ccrUln depths and have disappeared in subsequent 
 SUata, when other genera and species have succeeded, 
 them. May this not have happened by the sudden 
 destruction of these genera by the incandescence, and 
 the re-production or re-appearance of other genera 
 when the refrigeration as above described, had taken 
 place ? 
 
 But further, if Doctor Buckland assents to the entire 
 account of creation, contained in the first chapter of 
 Genesis, which he may well do after agreeing that its 
 first verse will account for all the wonders lately disco- 
 vered by geology ; in this case it wi l;be seen that in 
 our concluding note, page 108 and 109, we have shown 
 that by the 7in verse, the waters of Genesis existed 
 above the firmament, even allowing this word to mean, 
 the atmosphere, as thought by some writers. 
 
 In this universal ocean, by our theory, we conceive- 
 the earth and planets to have been formed ; and we 
 know from the Dth verse, the earth and its oceans were 
 separated from these waters at the six days of the 
 Mosaic account. This universal ocean must, there- 
 fore, be of, perhaps, illimitable extent, and it is not pos- 
 sible that the incandescence of one, or even all the 
 planets, could have more than casually, and for a time, 
 (as we have attempted to explain) prevented the depo- 
 sitions and construction of the primary formations by 
 the vegetable and animal kingdoms of this universol 
 ocean. Heat always tenda to an equilibrium, water 
 is a great conductor or at least an absorber of heat, 
 flind the waters of this universal ocean would be con- 
 tinually flowing over the earth, then fo: * in^ in it, until 
 the equilibrium and consequent rer'^e^ tion ^ya^ 
 ofirected. 
 
 I ' 
 
 H ,:' 
 
 ji ' ' 
 
 \ 
 
 i ; 
 
 ! ; 
 
44 
 
 Note 6. In Good's Book of Nature, page 61, it is 
 sfiid, * To show," says Sir Isaac Newton, on gravity, 
 ** that I do not take gravity to bo an essentia! property 
 of matter, I have added one question concerning its 
 cause, choosing to propose it by way of question, be- 
 cause I am not yet satisfied about it, for want of expe- 
 riments." In this question he suggests " the existence 
 of anetherial and chxstic medium pervading all space," 
 and supports his supposition ' v sti'on^f aigumcnt, and 
 consequently, much apparent confide ucc, deduced 
 from the mediums or gases as they are now called, of 
 h'ght and heat and magnetism, respecting all which, 
 from their exireme subiiliiy, we can only reason con- 
 cerning their properties. This elastic medium he con- 
 ceives to be much rarer within the dense bodies of the 
 sun, the stars, the planets and comets, than in the more 
 empty celestial spaces between ihem; and to grow 
 more and more dense as it recedes from the celestial 
 bodies to still greater distance, by which means all of 
 them, in his opinion, are forced towards each other by 
 the excess of an clastic j)ressure. It is possible, un- 
 douhlediy, to account fur the ellects of gravitation 
 by an etherial medium thus constituted, provided, (as 
 it is also necessary to suppose, that the corpuscles of 
 such a medium, are repelled by bodies of common 
 matter, with a force decreasing like ojic repulsive 
 forces, simply as the distances increase. Its density 
 under these circumstances, would be everywhere such 
 as to produce the semblance of attraction* The hypo- 
 thesis, in connexion with the existence of a repulsive 
 force in common matter, has a great advantage in 
 point of simplicity, and may perhaps hereafter be capa- 
 ble of proof. But at present it can only be regarded; 
 
45 
 
 and was at first only offered as an hypothesis.'**— 
 {Qoocfs Book of Nature.) 
 
 It is with great satisfaction I am 6nabled to present 
 the reader of this second edition of my work, with the 
 theory of the means by which the waste of the sun'a 
 light and heat may be replenished. The opinion of 
 this great man is " a host within itself/* and is the more 
 grateful to me, as this part of m) theory (the possible 
 existence of gaseous bodies in the regions of iofunitc 
 space, was the part 1 was most doubtful of,) and I now 
 trust our theory, having this sanction, may be submitted 
 to the knowledge and judgment of scientific men with 
 greater probability of their approving it. 
 
 Note 7. In the Montreal Herald of 1 3th September, 
 1838, the following notice appeared : — '*Encke*s comet 
 begins to be tniked of. This comet which completes 
 its revolution in 1200 davb, will be visible in the ensu- 
 ing autumn. It will be in its perihelion or part ol its 
 orbit nearest the sun on the 15th December ; about the 
 same period it will be nearest the eurih. It is (says 
 M. Arago) a vast nebulosity, 64,000 times larger in 
 volume than the earth ; yet, such is the tenuity of its 
 substance, that in 1795, Sir Wm. Herschell was able 
 to discover through its mass, a star of the 20th mag^ 
 nitude. It must be an embryo planet, not yet reduced 
 from vapour to a liquid globose volume, ajterwards to 
 be converted into an ocean and earth, and organic 
 formation,** 
 
 * There must certainly be some n)p(l« existing to restore thA 
 vast waste of heat and light emitted continually by the sun» 
 an'i peirhaps our theory of , applying this waste may furnish, 
 tne proof abov^ required of Sir Isaac Newton's hypothesis. 
 
 ,M: 
 
 rn 
 
 in 
 
 ':■ 
 
46 
 
 Here then, is a complete confirmation (as far as the 
 opinion and judgment of Mr. Arago will go with men 
 of science,) of the theory of the possible formation of 
 our ocean, earth, and organic formations which we 
 have in this work ventured to present to the world. 
 Mr. Arago is one of the leading astronomers of the 
 present day. 
 
 Note 8. In Sharon Turner's " Sacred History," vol. 
 1st, page 169, in a note, it is said, " Linnaeus has only 
 three kinds of Marine plants, fuci centenas and ulves. 
 But Lamoreux, has shewn, that they have several 
 natural families ; he proves that the hydrophytes have 
 a more complicated anatomy ihan has been known. 
 He divides them into six families. Lamoreux has re- 
 marked, that the basin of the Atlantic to 40 degrees 
 north has a marked vegetation ; so has the West Sea 
 of the Indies, comprising the Gulf of Mexico, likewise 
 the vast coast of South America, the Indian Ocean and 
 its gulfs, and the shores of New Holland. The Medi- 
 terranean has also a vegetation peculiar to itself, and 
 extending to the Black Sea." — BulL Univers, 1800, 
 page 108. 
 
 Note 9. The Right Hon. and Rev. Francis Henry 
 Earl of Bridgcwater, died in the month of February, 
 1829, and by his last Will and Testament he directed 
 certain Trustees to invest in the Public Funds the sum 
 of eight thousand pounds sterling, to be held at the 
 disposal of the President of the Royal Society of Lon- 
 don, to be paid to the person or persons nominated by 
 him. The Testator furthcv directed, that the person 
 or persons nominated by the said President, should be 
 
vl 
 
 47 
 
 appointed to write, pnnt» and publish 1000 copies of a 
 work on the Wisdom and Goodness of God, as mani- 
 fested in the Creation. There wero eight Treatises 
 on various subjects. The Reverend Doctor Buckland 
 lyas appointed to write the Bridge water Treatise on 
 Geology. 
 
 NOTE TO THIRD EDITION. 
 
 Note. I have perceived in Dr. Thomson's "Organic 
 Chemistry,'* some account of the experiment of Von 
 Helmont, (seep, 43) wherein it is stated, that a certain 
 author has stated an opinion that the distilled water 
 used in it contained sufficient earthy matter to account 
 for the increase of the willow. This, I venture to say, 
 is incorrect, for, in the first place, there is no earthy 
 matter that is volatile at the heat of the boiling point of 
 water ; neither if the earth were reduced to a saline 
 form by acids, would they be volatile or evaporate at 
 that heat ; moreover, the quantity of water used in the 
 five years could not have been more than 456 gallons, 
 that is one quart per day. Now, it is not conceivable 
 that distilled water could contain more than i of an 
 ounce of earth per gallon, which makes 7 lbs. The 
 willow, however, gained 110 lbs. in the five years, 
 making 103 lbs. ptoduced from the water and atmos* 
 phere by the process of vegetation in the five years. 
 
 ^j 
 
 I !.' 
 
 ■! 
 
 
 I ■ 
 
 111 ,y 
 
 ii 
 
48 
 
 I am h^PPy to be able to present the reader of the 
 Pourth Edition of this work with two important ex- 
 tracts from late scientific publications. The one is 
 from the celebrated Arago» the French Astronomer, 
 and the other from Lurdner's Popular Lectures in the 
 American Stater 
 
 I now present ^^3 blowing extract from Arago's 
 Scientific Notices o.n Coij(<h!3, in support of our theorj' 
 of the sun : — 
 
 " If the comet of Buffbn, in striking the sun, had de- 
 tached from it solid fragments, if tne planets of our 
 system had originally been such fragments, they would 
 in a similar manner have grazed the surface of the. sun 
 at e^ch revolution. All the world knows how far 
 that it is from the truth. Did not our naturalist also 
 believe the matter which composes the planets sprung 
 from the solar globe, all ready formed into distinct 
 masses ? He imagined, as I have said, that the comet 
 bad spouted fourth a real torrent of fluid matter in 
 which the impulsions which the various parts received 
 from each other, and their mutual attractions, rendered 
 every assimilation with the movements of solid bodies 
 impossible. The system of Buffon zffords exjylicitly 
 as a result that the solar matter — at least, the exterior 
 of it^s in a state of liquefication ; then, I should 
 hasten to declare that the most scrupulous mpdern 
 observations have not confirmed that idea. 
 
 •* The rapid changes of form which the obscure and 
 luminous solar spots incessantly experience, the im- 
 mense spaces that those changes spread over in very 
 short times, have already led to the very probable 
 supposition^ for some years, that similiar phenomena 
 would occur in a gaseous medium. At present ex- 
 
 pcru 
 
 lumii 
 
 incoi 
 
 and 
 
 ofB 
 
 is noi 
 
49 
 
 perienccd quite of another nature, experiments 
 lumin(»us poliirizaiion mado at Paris observat( 
 
 on 
 rumin(»us polarization mado at Tans observatory 
 incontestibly csiablisli tiiis result ; and if the exterior 
 and incandescent part of the sun is a gas, the system 
 of Bullbn is erroneous in its most essential outset, and 
 is no longer tenable." 
 
 Observations on the above Extract, 
 
 I have shown in the bo;ly of the work, that the T! - 
 ory of Bufibn is not tenable. Mr. Arago now c ifirTj3 
 the fact. In page 27, lijic 22, of this Appendix, I have 
 proposed a quere on the subject of ihc spots on th sun, 
 namely whether they might not be recount d for by 
 the combustion of oxygen and hydrogen gasc. serving 
 (according to our theory) as fuel for ilio sun's fire, and 
 it is with great satisfaction I am now cna!)lcd to add to 
 this fourth edition of my work, the sanction given to 
 this idea, and to our liieorv of tlic sun l)V the above 
 extract from the work above named of the celebrated 
 Astronomer Arago. lie slates, that [)hcnomena, simi- 
 lar to the spois on the sun might arise in a gaseous 
 medium, and allows the orobabiliiv th:it the exterior 
 and incandescent parts of the sun nriy l)e a gas which 
 is precisely consistent with our theory of the sun's for- 
 mation, and the means employed by nature to supply 
 the waste of his heat and light. In fine, it would ap- 
 pear by the experiment on the [)olariz iiion of light 
 stated above that the original idea d! the grcjit Newton, 
 that the sun is a body of fire or flame, will still hold 
 good, and that although he ii:id not the advantage of 
 Uie modern discoveries in pneumatic science to direct 
 him, it shows that on this occasion as on that of the 
 combustibility of the diamond, the genius of the inimpr- 
 
 If 
 
 m 
 
 I'i 
 
50 
 
 (al philosopher had formed a jnsl idea of the nature of 
 the sun. I am happy lo be able to add a further expla- 
 nation of this discovery of Arngo's, from Dr. Lardner's 
 very popular lectures in New York. In page 17, ho 
 says, on ll c subject of Light of the Sun : 
 
 "In optics a beam of light is proved to be susceptible 
 of a peculiar modilicatioii, callcci J^oianzalion, Light 
 may undo? go certain changes, which j^liall polarize it, 
 imparting to two of the sides of the r.':y opposite to 
 each other, a certain proportion which the other two 
 do not j)ossess. Tlic question arises what are these 
 properties? ^ 
 
 " They are various ; o '.c, however, is so simple and 
 so nearly connected with the demonsiraiion to which I 
 call your aitcnlion. that 1 siiall mention it. If a ray of 
 light lall upon a rcflcvUing siirfaco wiih cither of these 
 two sides whicli aie rcpicscricd by the red sides of 
 this wand, it vNill bo rcfloctcd at an aiiL'le equal to that 
 by which it approached the surlace. But, if it strike 
 the smi'aco upon tliC other oppo.-iie sides— the blue — 
 it will not bo rcflcclcd at all ; so ihat two of its faces 
 are capable of rcilccliDn, while the other two arc 
 not. This is one of the qualities by which polarized 
 
 In a rav w hicii .s not polarized. 
 
 li"ht is characterise! 
 
 relleciion takes place uncJcr all circnnisiances» but 
 with polarized light only under certain conditions. 
 Thus, we see !':at light may exi^Jt \r, two distinct states. 
 Now this is the truth which lias been contributed^ to 
 this demonstration by the discoveries ol modern optics. 
 Let us turn to another branch of physics. 
 
 The science of heat has received more attention 
 within a few years past than any other branch of 
 
:ion 
 
 of 
 
 51 
 
 physics. Fourier, n Frcncli pliilosophor, has done 
 much in ihis derailment of Knowloii^Mj. One of the 
 conclusions lie cstublislics is ilii^j*: ** TIioic arc three 
 states in which in;ilcri.il bodies exist; tliv) solid, liquid, 
 and gaseous." Foiiiiei proved thai when a sohd body 
 became incandcsecnl, iho light uliiidi it emits is pnla* 
 rizcclt that the hijht emitted by an i'iean;:ese,ent liquid,. 
 (as naolten iron) is hkc\vise/;oA//7:<;.7, and that the light 
 of incandescent gases is unpoi'irizcit. 'J'hese laels ;ue 
 true, whatever may be l!ie nature of the materials. 
 Here is a distinctiun est::bh'shed by this great natural 
 philosopher, between ihc Hghi emitt'd ('\ iiicaiide.sccnt 
 solids and liquids, and th.it emitted by f^'ciscs. This is 
 the contriijution from the Science ol' lleivt. 
 
 Now,iMr. Arago has, wiili mo.:^. beautiful sa;:acity, 
 availed himscii" ot' these tw(; lacis c:()n.,litiited by the 
 sciences of Light and Heat to deiei'mme the nature of 
 of the sun's aimospheie, 'i'his m:^' cuwly be done; 
 for since it is cstablibhed that i!;e ligiii i\um incandes- 
 cent solids and liquids in pohnizev^i, uli.K) that from 
 heated gases is not polarized, .-.ll . uit i;(ed bo done to. 
 determine this fjoint, is to fy ti:e cxj<e, imeiit, whether 
 the sun\s light h(2 2V'l'niz"(!'(u -no!. A-ano, l;y apply. 
 ing the usual WM^, funnd that it is not pn/anzaL 
 
 The conclusion, is ineviiaiju; ,is it is im))o' lant, is 
 that the surliiec of the sun js ccvcii.-J, n ,i [,v a solid' or 
 liquid, but by an (itmosrhcnt of /lame, lieie is ono of 
 the most beautified hi!e;ene(;s' e.er drawn irorn "tho 
 whole range of piiysics, and it i:; -siahlished bv the 
 aid of science, wiih all the CilirrrriM)'': OR a 
 MATHEMATICAL i)EMO.\:STKA TION. 
 
 Arago lias pn'ved ihcelore ihai the sun's atmos.. 
 phere is au OCEAN OF FLAAIE, 
 
 I 
 
 ! 
 
 I ' 
 
52 
 
 Thus, by the above extract froni Arago*s treatise on 
 Comets, and from Dr. Larclncr's lectures, it appears 
 that our theory of tho sun's formation is powerfully 
 fcanctioncd and confirmed ; and, I C(;nceivc I have great 
 cause to cuiigrntulalc myself on lliis circrmnslance. 
 This iheoiy (»f the sun is based on tho undoubted faCt 
 ihat the guscs of oxycrcMi and hydrogen, ol" which tho 
 Ocean of Genesis was formed, must jjavc been brought 
 into a stale of cond)Uslion before ihey could produce 
 the Ocean of Genesis, and on the no let;s indubiltible 
 JMCt that a most sli )'end(»us qnantiiy of heal and llglit 
 n^ust have been evolved Ironi thai combustion ; and I 
 llicn icasoncd, tliat a Kun being indi.^|k:nsab!y required 
 lo warm and li^Jit t,!io fbinets (•!' the sy.stcm^, liic Deity 
 rould not have aj>i)licd ibis heal and light to a move 
 n.'cdful purpose. 
 
 Many of my subcribers to ii)o sevcial Editions of 
 my theory, and also m.-uiy men of scienci', have done 
 me tho h'onoui' to approve of the same ; but 1 have 
 reason to believe thai a few oilier persons, considering 
 l!;cmse!ves, no dotjbl, of too superior acquirements to 
 approve of anytliir.g tliat liad not been previously 
 taught in tlio schools of science, have i aihcr sneered 
 at this, whicl] I wiili humiliiy had prosenicd to t!io 
 world. However, as iho justly celebialcd Franklin's 
 su^'f^estionsof llu) idcnlity-rLighlninL^and Eleclricily 
 wenj at fiisl laughed ai by the lloyrd Society of Lon- 
 don, I need not be surprised thai the same may have 
 nppened to mv suggestions on the nature of the sua 
 lid his combus'tion. " But now that the gaseous theory 
 u verified by so great authorities as Mr. Arago and 
 Uio Paris OLscrvalorv, as siiown by Doctor Lardner, 
 1 cannot but fc;! content and gratified, By the extract 
 
 h 
 an 
 
S3 
 
 ts to 
 
 ouslv 
 
 ccred 
 
 t!ic 
 
 klin's 
 
 jicily 
 
 Lon- 
 
 have 
 
 c Sim 
 
 icory 
 
 » and 
 
 dner, 
 
 ctract 
 
 / 
 
 \ 
 
 from Arn*vo, it appears that the spots on the sun might 
 exist and be accounted for and e.xpl;iincd by i\fr,iscou$ 
 medium, — tiiis being the case, there is no longer any 
 necessity lor receiving that very improbable iden, that 
 the sun's body is cold and opaque, and I therefore 
 trust our theory will be found by scieniifie men to bo 
 more satisfactory, and correctly founded in nature. 
 In fact, it appears by Doctor Lardnor's obiter vations 
 on this discovery of Arago of the iion pnlarization of 
 the light of ihc sun, that it is rnalheniaiifally proven 
 by hini ihat the sun's surface is an * 0('KAN OF 
 FLAIME ;" and I conceive vvc are hereby juistified in 
 reasoning by analogy, that the case is llie ^arne with 
 the suns or stars of all the systems. 
 
 Conceiving then that that part of our ilicory rela- 
 ting to tlic sun's substance and natuic has been tlms 
 (to me indeed unexpectedly) demons! r;i led by that 
 very high branch of science, the poIarizati(^n of fj'ght, 
 and conceiving also that it is unquesiionabl(\ ihat great 
 as the sun's bulk is, the unceasing emanation of his 
 heat and light would, in time, exhaust bis substance, 
 and thcreiorc the waste must necessarily be supplied 
 with extraneous combustible matter : so I trust that 
 that part of our theory which relates to the supply of 
 that waste, will also be rendered more highly probable 
 by the ab vc discovery. 
 
 One would, indeed, have imagined that by a priori 
 reasoning op this waste of the sun's liglit and heat, 
 philosophers might of old have inferred tliat il must be 
 supported ab extra, but now that the gaseous nature of 
 the sun's incandescence is verified, as shown above, 
 and as Sir John Herschell has shown in his late ad- 
 mired work on Astronomy, that the gaseous tails of 
 6* 
 
 
54 
 
 numerous cometa are deposited in the sun*s vicinity. 
 There can hardly be ;\ doubt that the gaseous fuel for 
 the sun's fire must either be produced therebv, or as by 
 the theory of >ny ivoi k, from currents of the gases rush- 
 ing through the regions of space for that purpose. It 
 h indeed probable that both these sources of gaseous 
 supply muy be employed in nature ; but the latter 
 theory vviii also account for the tides by physical pres- 
 sure, and for the great principle of attraction of the 
 heavenly bodies, namely, the imp'Jtus of motion gene- 
 rated by a gaseous medium rushing through the regions 
 of space ; and I lui^c accordingly adopted that theory 
 in my System of the Creation. 
 
 NOTE TO FOURTH EDITION. 
 
 In further corroboration of the formation of coal 
 from marine plants and trees grown in the oceans, we 
 observe that, in contemplating these immense masses 
 of maiino vegetable matter, we have a right to ask of 
 those who argue tcrrestiial formation, what has be- 
 come of those masses of marine vf3gctation after the 
 termination of their vegetable life? Undoubtedly 
 there can be no other satisfactory account given of this 
 than thallhcyhave, like all otherdcad vegetable matter, 
 suficred decomposition, and by moans of the super- 
 incumbent pressure of other deposils of the oceans, 
 and volcanic heats, have been changed and converted 
 into seams of coal, as we now find them. 
 
 There they lay, containing a considerable quantity 
 of ammonia, icceived from their contact with the ani- 
 mal deposits of the ocean i, and which ammonia cannot 
 be acconnied for by the theory of formation from 
 
55 
 
 icinily. 
 ue! for 
 r asby 
 IS rush- 
 se. It 
 ;aseous 
 
 lai:er 
 il pres- 
 
 of the 
 1 gene- 
 regions 
 theory 
 
 )f coal 
 ns, we 
 masses 
 ask of 
 las be- 
 er the 
 3tcdly 
 of this 
 natter, 
 super- 
 |)ceansi 
 verted 
 
 antity 
 e ani- 
 ;annot 
 from 
 
 terrestrial vegetables, for these yield very little or no 
 ammonia. 
 
 In proof of the diversity of marine production, I 
 extract the following account of that immense sea plant 
 the ♦♦ Fucus Giganlicus" from the celebrated Professor 
 Liebig's familiar Letters on Chemistry. — Letter IJ, 
 page 34. 
 
 «* We well know that marine plants cannot derive a 
 supply of humus for their nourishment through their 
 roots. Look at the great sea- tang, the Fucus Gigan* 
 ticus : this plant, according to Cook rcu(;lies a height 
 of 360 Icet and a single specimen, with its immense 
 ramifications, nourishes thousands of marine animals t 
 yet its root is a small body, no larger than the fist. 
 What nourishment can this draw from a naked rock, 
 upon the surface of which there is no perceptible 
 change? It is quite obivous that these plants require 
 only a hold — a fastening to prevent a cliangc of place 
 as a counterpoise to their specific gravity, wl;ich is less 
 than that of the medium in which they float. That 
 medium provides the necessary nourishtrieiit, and pre- 
 sents it to the surface of every part oi' the plant. Sea- 
 water contains not only carbonic acid and ammonia, 
 but the alkaline and earthy phosphates and carbonate 
 
 s 
 
 required by these plants for their growth, and which 
 we always find as constant constituents of their ashes." 
 
 As some supposed astronomical causes are being 
 produced in support of an idea that the dry land has 
 existed several hundred thousand years, which is con- 
 trary to the interpretation of the Mosaic account, 89 
 explained in our system, and founded on the idea that 
 
56 
 
 the coal seams have each taken thousands of years for 
 formation from terrestrial vegetables, which idea is 
 purely gratuitous ; we have to call the attention of the 
 reader to the note confirming our arguments for the 
 marine formation of coal. 
 
 ADDITIONS 
 TO THE GLOSSARY OF TERMS. 
 
 Aj)petencie&% a supposed aptness of matter to assume certain, 
 
 forms. 
 Affinity, that particular attraction which Chemists observe 
 
 different bodies have for each other. 
 Chaotic Mixture, a solution of all the solid substances of 
 
 the Globe, supposed by the ancients to have existed. 
 Galvanic Power, a species of electricity. 
 Geology, the science of the various substances for^ning the 
 
 interior and the crust of the earth. 
 Matrix, the womb of material or spiritual substance. 
 Orbits, the paths of the moons round their planets, aiid of 
 
 the planets round their sun. 
 Silicon, the metallic basis of siliceous earth or sand. 
 Sodium, a metal lately discovered by Sir H. Davy, to bo 
 
 the basis of soda, produced by marine plants. 
 
 i 
 
 4 
 
 ,Y 
 
 "v - 
 
 
 
 <ar*^»^ 
 
 y,/^/Xj^ 
 
5 of years for 
 hich idea is 
 ention of the 
 lents for the 
 
 ERMS. 
 
 sume certam 
 
 nists observe 
 
 ubstances of 
 lave existed, 
 
 I forhiing the 
 
 stance, 
 nets, and of 
 
 sand. 
 
 Davy, to be 
 nts. 
 
 /