ssible and to those who are not acquainted with this may be proper to state, that from the very nature of many ects, there must always exist a variety of theories to acthe same facts, until more is known concerning them. es from the circumstance, that the causes of many phehich the earth exhibits, have long since ceased, and therecauses must remain matters of conjecture. Thus coal is he earth in great abundance, but none is formed at the y, and therefore the causes which have produced this or at least the circumstances under which it was formed, subject of theory.

instances, the causes still exist, but their effects only are
as in the case of volcanoes and earthquakes.

instances, the leading facts are admitted by all, but men
en to account for them in different ways, and thus differ-
es have been proposed, to solve the same phenomena.
n many things connected with the natural history of the
chief circumstance in question may rest on a variety of
facts, of the bearing of which geologists differ in opinion.
1 plants, belonging to orders which at present only grow
I climates, and the remains of animals whose species are
only in the hottest regions of the earth, occur in many
Curope, and even in frozen Siberia. Hence some have
hat the climate of Europe has changed since the deposi-
ese remains, and that the plants grew, and the animals
re their relics are now found: while others, reasoning
they consider conflicting facts, maintain that no change
has taken place, and that the main circumstance may be
for, by supposing that these remains were transported
limates.

have become changed. In s
so great, as to repeat the c
me locality, this effect he
B00 strata, where the orig
We shall find that these 1
beneficence, as well as of p

ben but poorly fitted for the
se strata remained in a t

The organic remains of pla
Fare not only object
sabers of the deepest COL!?
ans of vegetables and
deart thousands of years

y existing species, that L Other remains prove fest in length, once crawled ed in height the forests di Wanknown tribes, ins Jened fords of the creation Probably these are the re Jan and his family; and decal beasts to which A This has the earth prese 30, natural bodies of the rts of art can compare Babylon and Egypt are in With respect to what ha ars of creation, we are a 2 and some foreign ge But having examined seve ert both for and against th from the common one, we a day, connected as it is in th other meaning. This, if s at the necessity, which ge Can Zodiacs, or the strata a moment to be admitte misinterpreting the pla Both the Indian tables an tronger apparent proofs Thien geology now oppos We have only to add of at the roots in Fastrata in geology req philology

present day, geological writers profess to maintain their ly by facts, and fair deductions from them, and thus inas are constantly going on, and new facts are perpetually ing, so that ultimately it may be expected that this science st of deductions from truths which are generally admitted. progress towards such a state, hypothetical reasonings, restrictions which the present advanced state of the npose, are not to be deprecated, since this is often almost eans by which men are stimulated to that thorough in1 of facts and phenomena, which characterizes the pracgists of the present day.

not, however, be understood, that geology consists chiefly licting opinions of different authorities. On the contrary, so recent an origin, it already embraces numerous series interesting, curious, and instructive facts, many of which ned to be of great importance to mankind; while others ated to excite profound considerations.

mination of the earth shows that its crust has undergone sometimes repeated mutations. The strata which once ded, are now completely dislocated, one portion being , broken, and distorted, while the other is depressed, and utilated; the whole indicating the effects of an enormous ng from beneath, and at an unknown depth.

art of the earth, except the most recent deposites, present enomena, more or less striking, and in this manner the isposition and direction of all ancient stratified rocks

opinion here attempted to

changed. In some instances, the changes have been to repeat the original number of strata many times. y, this effect has been such as to produce from 30 to where the original number was only four.

ind that these dislocations are marks of wisdom and as well as of power; and that this earth would have ly fitted for the residence and comfort of man, had emained in a horizontal position.

ic remains of plants and animals, the relics of a former t only objects of great curiosity, but afford to the mind e deepest contemplation. Here we have before us the egetables and animals which covered and inhabited usands of years ago; and some of them are so unlike species, that no living analogues are anywhere to be

ains prove that monstrous reptiles, sixty or seventy once crawled among canes and rushes, which emulathe forests of the present day; while huge quadrupeds, tribes, inhabited the higher grounds, where they of the creation.

hese are the remains of animals which were known to s family; and possibly some of them belonged to the sts to which Adam gave names.

he earth preserved, for our examination and instrucbodies of the earliest growth, and with which no can compare in antiquity. Even the remains of Egypt are infants in age, when compared with these

ect to what has been advanced on the subject of the on, we are aware that the opinions of several Amerie foreign geologists of high standing, are against us. xamined several learned expositions of the original and against the admissibility of a different translation mon one, we are fully satisfied that the word rendered ed as it is in the history of the creation, admits of no g. This, if so, ought for ever to settle the question; ty, which geology, or the Hindoo tables, or the Egypor the strata at Etna, seem to present, ought never to be admitted in the mind of a believer, as an excuse reting the plainly intended meaning of the Scriptures. an tables and the Egyptian Zodiacs presented much arent proofs against the veracity of Moses, than any y now opposes to his literal meaning.

only to add on this subject, that when it can be shown, in philology admit of a different translation, and the geology require it, we will cheerfully relinquish the attempted to be maintained.

1*

P