is period a host of writers of various merit, mselves on both sides of the question, "wheere real organic substances; and if so, how the places where they are found ?" and other jects. The consequence was, that these wriinvestigate facts in proof of their theories, s period may be dated the commencement ation of just opinions on the subject of geolotime, Steno, a Dane of considerable reputarated that some fossil teeth found in Tuscase of a species of shark still living in the n. Steno's work "On Gems, Crystals, and factions inclosed in solid Rocks," was pub9. He also maintained that fossil vegetables ing plants,* and hinted that these remains e the distinction between marine and river well as some other writers on these subjects, ious to make their doctrines and statements e Mosaic history, alarmed the clergy by their nd hence many theologians again entered the oversy. The points which these reverend efly desirous of protecting from the intrusion y and physics, were, as before, the Mosaic hisly that of the Deluge; and knowing little of y accounted those as nearly confirmed hereuld not ascribe all marine organic remains s, to the effects of the flood. We shall see aic history is, however, not contradicted by e shells in solid strata were deposited long tastrophe occurred. an time, among popular writers, the old docrified shells had never belonged to real aniaintained its ground. Even so late as 1677, Dr. Plott, in his "Natural History of Oxfordutes the origin of fossil shells and fishes to rtue latent in the earth." = will not allow us to enlarge on this curious to detail the different opinions which were of ctly signifies any thing dug out of the earth, but in erm is restricted to organic bodies which have been ineralized by long residence in the ground. Most the world by more of the early geological writers; is perhaps necessary, since the specimens already re examples of the prevailing opinions of the times. ht of truth, however, gradually followed the acion of facts, and the doctrine of "plastic nature" obsolete, and ridiculous, in proportion as men 1 on what they saw. At this time, the celebrated Robert Hooke, a name own in the annals of Mathematics and Natural Phi, published his "Discourse on Earthquakes." was at least a century before his contemporaries, subject, and it appears that his discourse did more e others to think and reason correctly on geologiects, than all who had written before him. He ridiost effectually, the cld notion that fossil shells were ones, so shaped by nature as to imitate such reor to use his own words, "formed for no other purn to play the mimic in the mineral kingdom."' ntained, also, that many species of shells might be or not now living; for it was known at that time, eral fossils had been found, of kinds not known in g state. e present day, many hundred species of shells are hich are considered extinct, no living specimens of having any where been discovered. But in the days e this idea was considered as improper, and even , since, as was claimed, it derogated from the wis- power of the Creator, in as much as it was dea want of perpetuity in his works. But Hooke, in nce, declared that such an opinion was not repugholy writ, for the scriptures taught that there should ■l dissolution of all things, "and as when that hapthe species will be lost, why not some become t one time, and some at another." 1 be observed that the early writers of Geology only the two epochs, the creation, and the delproducing all the appearances which the globe exThey did not estimate the effects of earthquakes, streams, and mountain slides, which in the course ave undoubtedly produced very considerable chanhe earth's surface. Hence early theorists attemptke their doctrines agree with the changes which ibuted to the flood, but which in many instances were doubtedly to be ass There was a prevail cisions to be drawn fr and be brought to contra is apparent want of con pures, was rather a de ng men any excuse and rich arose partly fr edge and partly from the Cader such circumstan refforts to account for the earth, by allowing it then ascribing the ch tian deluge. We will now present th several of the most cel of the Earth; at the sa me of them are from ng the most talented the earth, they are devo Barnet's Theory. Th itle is strikingly cha "The Sacred The count of the original changes which it has consumation of all th Barnet supposed that e of the flood, enjoyed this assumed fact by pic was then coincid Je commotions during sent position, and th sons. He endeavou of the Earth as it rose to contain within itself deluge. A smooth cru waters of the abyss fro rain on the outside, to Professor Brande qu 1796, but this was proba edly to be assigned to causes now in operawas a prevailing timidity with respect to the be drawn from geological facts, lest they ught to contradict the Mosaic history. But want of confidence in the triumph of the s rather a desire to keep from the hands of n any excuse to deny the veracity of Moses; rose partly from want of geological knowrtly from the religious character of the times. 1 circumstances, geological theorists directed > account for the present actual appearances by allowing it a certain form at the creation, ribing the changes since made, to the No Theory. This was published in 1680,* and rikingly characteristic of that age. It runs e Sacred Theory of the Earth, containing an he original of the Earth, and of all the genewhich it has undergone, or is to undergo, till tion of all things." pposed that the primeval earth, down to the lood, enjoyed a perpetual spring, and accounts med fact by assuming that the plane of the then coincident with the earth's axis, and that ons during the flood turned the earth into its tion, and thus produced the vicissitudes of the e endeavours to show, that the original form as it rose out of chaos, was so contrived, as ithin itself the water necessary to produce the smooth crust of earth is made to conceal the e abyss from the time of the creation, but the outside, together with the expansion of the - Brande quotes Burnet's book as being published in I was probably a second edition beneath by heat, rent this crust, which falling down e abyss, caused the universal flood, and at the same y the inequality of the fragments, formed the mounf the earth as we now see them. ot satisfied with these themes, he derived from the scriptures, and from heathen authorities, prophetic of the future revolutions of the globe; gave a terrific otion of the final conflagration, and proved that a new , and a new earth will rise out of a second chaos, which will follow the blessed millenium." s was called, and is known to the present day as the ed Theory," and as absurd, and utterly void of all tion as it appears at the present time, it was receivat day with great applause. King Charles II. comd it to be translated out of the Latin, in which it was , into English. Addison eulogised it in Latin ver-teele praised it in the Spectator, and Warton ranked hor among the "first for understanding, judgment, nation and memory." These encomiums show that t, though ignorant of geology, was no ordinary wrid that it was his fine taste, and his inventive genius ught the admiration of men, who, though judges of qualities, knew nothing of the science about which ote. odward's Theory. In 1695, another celebrated - of the earth was laid before the public. It was en'An Essay towards a Natural History of the Earth errestrial Bodies, especially Minerals; as also of the Rivers and Springs, with an account of the Univereluge, and of the effects it had on the Earth. By Woodward, Professor of Medicine at the University mbridge. that Woodward's views w enlarged than any of his was the fashion of i a to state facts, and he His theory supposes tha pieces and was dissolve that the strata of the earth Cos mass. In corrobo that marine bodies, as sh ording to the order of gra ad the lighter ones in dis doctrine was immed hat fossil bodies are oft with the light, in the sam Although Woodward's pounds, even of plausibi portant facts, and in th ce of any of his conte Whiston's Theory. , and equally chara Whiston. Its title wa herein the Creation of t Deluge, and the Gen de Holy Scriptures, reason and philosophy fessor Brande thinks that Woodward must be cond the first geological theorist who professed to have ely examined the crust of the earth, and to have ed his system on the facts thus developed. He geological tours into different parts of England, and ned strata, and collected specimens with a view to ate his intended work. He also appears to have been st who drew up a series of geological enquiries, - he sent to his friends abroad for the purpose of obg more extensive information on these subjects. om these circumstances it might have been expected Whiston was ard original his views, until Sir probability that the and consequently efore the flood, as assu tation, on which this quished gical It seems to have bee to its igneous origin rd's views would have been more sound and any of his predecessors or contemporaries; ⇒ fashion of that day to form theories rather facts, and he fell into this common error. supposes that the whole terrestrial globe fell was dissolved by the waters of the flood, and a of the earth settled down from this promisIn corroboration of this view, he insisted bodies, as shells, are lodged in the strata ace order of gravity, the heavier shells in stone, But ter ones in chalk, and so of the rest. - was immediately contradicted by the fact, odies are often, however, mixed, the heavy nt, in the same stratum. Woodward's Theory is not founded on any en of plausibility, still his book contains many cts, and in this respect was greatly in the adof his contemporaries. = Theory. The next famous work of this equally characteristic of that period, was that Its title was, "A New Theory of the Earth, Creation of the World in six days, the Univerand the General Conflagration, as laid down in criptures, are shewn to be perfectly agreeable d philosophy." Published in 1696. was originally a disciple of Burnet, and adopts, until Sir Isaac Newton showed there was ity that the earth's axis had changed its direcnsequently that the cause of perpetual spring ood, as assumed by Burnet, was without founwhich this part of his master's system was relin to have been a principal point in all the geoloes of that day, to account for the general deluge In conn of some extraordinary natural cause. this fashion, Whiston in the first place shows earth was originally a comet, which being or re-modelled, was brought into its present he great heat which the earth retained, owing ous origin, inflamed the passions of the whole n race, so that "every imagination of the f man's heart was evil continually." The awful alzed race with the excen |