called, are in reality denominational and clerical schools, promoted for sectarian purposes, and, if not dependent on the rates yet, that they owe their existence to grants from the consolidated fund, and have therefore no legitimate claim to the title they assume.

In any case, clerical arrogance has received a most severe rebuke; and there is the prospect that at least for the present the education of the masses of the metropolis will be pursued without hindrance from a party which has never yet shown itself truly desirous for the enlightenment and elevation of the people.

IN the Bible

Bible Natural Philosophy.

BY W. J. MILLAR, C.E.

N the Bible we have many statements regarding physical phenomena, which, when looked at in the light of scientific knowledge as then existing, are very extraordinary, and strike us by their truthfulness of expression when viewed in the clearer scientific knowledge of our own time. Thus in Amos v. 8, we have the origin and formation of rain correctly stated in the words"He that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth." In the book of Job, amongst other references, we have it stated that the carth is unsupported-" He stretcheth out the north over the empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." In the first chapter of Genesis, we have a description of the formation of the earth, and in which we have some remarkable statements regarding the condition of our globe at different stages of its formation. In the first verse we read— "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;" here we have the elementary condition of present arrangements. In the second verse we read-"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." The first verse tells us of the introduction of a body in space, in the second verse we have its condition indicated-it was without form and void; its shape had not yet assumed fixed proportions, nor were the elementary constituents yet gathered into definite separate forms; it was void, empty, unfurnished. In the second clause of the verse we have a further picture of these early conditions, viz., that darkness was upon the face of the deep.

It is well known that scientific reasoning points to a fiery epoch in the earth's history, when, as a molten and then as a hot solid body, it

wheeled through space; and still further it is pointed out that the liquid masses, which we now call seas, would at that early period, on account of the great heat, exist in the form of vapour, in which the hot and glowing body of the earth would be enwrapped. This condition seems pointed to in Job when we read in connection with the creation of the earth-" When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it." In the last clause of the second verse we have, however, the action of forces upon these conditions" The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." The condition then of our globe at that period seems to be that the hot and fiery surface, which aforetime had only a mass of vapour encircling it, had cooled so far as to allow of the condensation of a part of the vapour, which now lay around the surface as a watery envelope; above, and resting upon the surface of the latter there was still a dense mass of vapour. In the third verse light is first spoken of, and in the fourth verse that a division now took place between the light and between the darkness. This may be explained by considering that the light from the sun then first broke through the less. dense cloud covering, and, although but dim, was still sufficient to mark, through the rotation of the earth, periods of greater and lesser light, called in the fifth verse Day and Night.

The events described in the sixth verse are those of a still more advanced period when, through a further cooling of the globe, the dense masses of vapour were further condensed, descending no doubt in heavy showers from time to time until they were sufficiently light to rise through the gaseous part which we now call the atmosphere— called in this verse the firmament or expansion-and thus form a new and higher cloud envelope raised above the liquid envelope below. The waters above the firmament were thus the watery vapours, which we call cloud. Clouds being composed of vesicles of watery vapour, remaining higher or lower in the atmosphere according to their weight specifically with the air, upon condensation these clouds return to the surface in the form of rain. The condition, then, of the earth at the close of the events described at the eighth verse is that of a partly cooled hot solid body having an envelope or hollow sphere of water around and resting upon its surface, whilst above and beyond the water surface another hollow concentric sphere of watery vapour or thick cloud was situated, the space between being filled with air; no land was then visible; A shoreless ocean tumbled round the globe," and a dim and uncertain light struggled but feebly to break the darkness of the heavy vaporous atmosphere; occasional convulsions would send mighty waves sweeping along this watery waste, and would throw the heavy clouds into many fantastic shapes.

The ninth verse contains the description of a very important change in this condition of things. The solid crust of the globe which has gradually been cooling has, as a consequence, shrunk inwards, producing throughout its mass changes of form consequent upon the subsidences and upheavals which would accompany this contraction;

hence the surface would now be much broken up in outline, great ridges being thrown up where the pressure was greatest, bounded on both sides by depressions, or valleys; the water, which at one time was spread out over the whole surface, would now be distributed unevenly, retiring into the hollows, and leaving the parts formerly covered with water, dry land. For the first time then we see our globe with its surface features like the present, the land is separated from the water, and we have earth and sea-the former soon to be covered with vegetation, and transformed from a bare and desolate expanse into a fruitful garden-" And the earth brought forth grass, and herb, yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit." And now an important change is to take place. As yet no direct beam of sunlight has fallen upon the solid surface of the globe; these beams had not been able to penetrate the thick cloudy covering that still hung over land and sea, a diffused light only being present. Now, however, the conditions are about to be changed, the upraised mountains with their cooling surfaces rapidly condense the surrounding clouds, and heavy showers fall upon the bare and thirsty wastes, the herbs and trees spring forth, and, as the condensation goes on, aided by the air currents set up on the now varied surface, the cloud wrapper is thinned and broken up until in course of time breaks here and there occur and the light bursts through, the sun now appearing in all his majesty.

We thus read in the fourteenth verse that there were lights in the firmanent of heaven, dividing the day from the night, "and were to give light upon the earth." Had an observer then been upon our earth he would now have during the day the welcome sight of the sun whereby he would be enabled to mark with precision the passage of time, whilst during the silent hours of night the firmanent would be brightened by the pale radiance of the moon and her attendant hosts. of stars.

The earth being now fitted for animate existence, we shortly read of the gradual introduction of living forms, until at length, in progress of time, man, the highest and most perfect form, appeared.

Short Notes.

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION.-It is gratifying to find that the election for the third School Board of London was marked by more activity and earnestness than the election of members of Parliament. It shows the deep interest felt in the cause of education by the inhabitants of the metropolis, and fully justifies the policy of Parliament in having thrown on them the responsibility of making due provision for the education of the juvenile population. The present election has, moreover, been rendered memorable by the struggle which arose out of the determined efforts made by those who abominate the School Board policy, to place their own nominees upon it in order the more successfully to subvert that policy and get the elementary education of the capital into the hands of their own party. The real cause of complaint against the system of the School Board is that Parliament, having set up the Board for London and having endowed it with extensive powers, has made it the most powerful instrument for education, and it has worked so efficiently as to cast the voluntary schools into the shade. Those schools are strictly denominational, and their invariable object is to bring the children up in the doctrines and dogmas of the Established Church. The party maintains that the object of Parliament in creating the School Boards was simply to supplement the deficiencies of the Voluntary schools; but instead of confining themselves to these humble and inadequate labours, they have launched out into a noble and comprehensive scheme of education worthy of the country and of Parliament; that they are over educating the city, carrying out their duties too vigorously, and, above all, eclipsing the clerical and the sectarian schools, which cannot compete with them in efficiency. An effort was, therefore, made, which was sustained by the clergy of the metropolis, to influence the election of members, and to place on the Board a majority of members who would effectually clip its wings, and the Episcopal pulpits resounded with denunciations of the delinquencies of the Board. Unhappily, the Bishop of London was induced to place himself at the head of this agitation, and to commit the dignity of his ecclesiastical position to its success. it was felt that this charge of having adopted too complete a system of education would not be sufficient to arouse public indignation, and a junction was formed with the economists, who are anxious to save themselves the small amount of parish rates which the School Boards are authorised to levy. It was echoed throughout the metropolis that the Board had been too lavish in its expenditure,-in the schoolrooms it had erected, in the sites it had purchased, in the costliness of its school staff, and in various other ways, although in no

But

instance had any sums been laid out without the sanction of the Education Department over which Lord Sandon presides. It was loudly proclaimed that to maintain the School Board policy would be to perpetuate, if not to increase the burden of this taxation, which would be saved by transferring the charge of education to the denominational or voluntary schools, whereas they subsist in a great measure by the subsidies they receive from imperial taxation, which is thus kept out of sight. So virulent was the clamour raised against the Board, that it was generally expected, not only by the public in the metropolis, but even by the members themselves, that they had entirely lost the confidence of the ratepayers, and that their policy was so unpopular that those who were eager to subvert it would meet with easy success. They have been signally, if not ignominiously, defeated, notwithstanding the great name of the Bishop of London. The advocates of the School Board policy have triumphed by an overwhelming majority of ratepayers. Exactly one half the Board consists of new members, and the supporters of the policy of the late Board have a majority of twelve in the present body, and what is still more decisive, with the exception of the city and Westminster, the candidates who were most deeply pledged to carry out that policy to the fullest extent, were at the head of the poll. Those who were in the habit of obstructing the progress of work by endless and unprofitable discussions have lost their support. The result of this election has changed everything. The great majority of ratepayers have assured the Board of their cordial approval of the course it has pursued in raising the tone of education; and by placing three-fifths of the members who approve the policy of the Board in authority, have shown emphatically that they prefer the undenominational course of religious instruction adopted by the Board, to the clerical and sectarian course which alone is admitted in the voluntary schools, and, what is of more importance, that they do not grudge a superior education to the children of the metropolis, though it may require a small increase of rates.

CARDINAL ANTONELLI'S WILL.-A feeling of extraordinary interest has been felt throughout Catholic Europe, respecting the will of Cardinal Antonelli which has just been made public. Considering the position of supreme importance which he held for thirty years at the court of the Vatican, and the fabulous amount which he was reported to have left behind him, this is not to be wondered at. He was not only a Cardinal but a great statesman, the secretary of the Holy see, the right hand of Pius the Ninth, the life and soul of the Papacy, the source of every important movement during the most eventful period in the history of the Vatican. Seldom have the affairs of Rome been in the hands of so rare and extraordinary a genius for the management of business; but if it be remarked that the Papal see was in a worse condition at the death of the Cardinal than when he first took charge of its affairs, it must be remembered that he had to struggle with