fourthly, faith in his merits, John i. 9; and fifthly, ready obedience to his voice, Acts i. 13, Heb. ii. 2." the shells which have been found in high mountains, are unquestionable proofs of the deluge. They were ignorant however of an important fact. The lofty, primitive mountains, contain no organic remains whatever. It is manifest, that the deluge, which deposited shells in some high mountains, would have deposited them in all the rest, if it had risen above But even, if the shells them all. some moun On the practical tendency of this work, but one opinion can be entertained. It seems calculated to be useful to all those who have neither time nor opportunity to consult more voluminous writings, without perplexing their minds with speculative theories, or embarrassing them with the subtleties of metaphysical disquisi- which are found in tions. To the humble Christian, whose tains, were discoverable in all the principal aim is to have his heart re-mountains in the world, you would You could never novated, and his life reformed, this gain nothing by it. work may be strongly recommended. | For the propositions that are advanced, plain and satisfactory reasons are generally assigned. Both virtuous and vicious practices are traced to their respective causes, and these are accompanied with such warnings, cautions, and admonitions, as the occasion seems to dictate. It is what its title expresses, "A Practical Dictionary," in which both virtue and vice appear without any artificial covering; the former displaying the native simplicity of its charms, in language that is unadorned, and the latter its deformity, in such a manner, as to become detestable without exaggeration. DISSERTATION ON GEOLOGY. [Concluded from col. 918.] Objection VIII.—It has been always considered, that the earth itself bears witness to the Mosaic account of the deluge; and that the various petrefactions are proofs of its authenticity. But your system annihilates these evidences. You tell us, that these shells, and these bones, were all desposited before the creation of man. Answer. This is certainly what I have asserted, and what I will maintain. I maintain that there is no appearance in nature, no geological fact whatever, that illustrates the Mosaic deluge; that throws the smallest light upon it, or has any connection with it. But do I hereby destroy its evidence? By no means. It rests on the surest foundation; the authority of the Bible. Were the Bible even uninspired, it would still rest, like other events, on the authority of History, and the traditions of various nations. But I again aver, that Geology can say nothing in this matter. Some writers have supposed, that bribe these shells, to give their testi- are in existence now.* 66 Aye; this was brought hither from Asia, by the general deluge." There are, however, four circumstances, which evince, that the fossil elephants were never brought on so long a voyage. 1. From some remains which have been found, it appears, that they were not formed for a hot climate. manifest, from the state and condition of their bones, that the inundation 2. It is * Mrs. Mawe, the wife of the celebrated Traveller and Mineralogist, informs me, that she has compared a shell of the strombus kind, lately found at New South Wales, with a fossil shell which was imbedded in Hordwell Cliffs, Hampshire; and she has ascertained, that the two shells are of the very same species. This fact is curious, and we may with confidence admit it; inasmuch as it rests on the authority of a lady, who possesses so extensive and accurate a knowledge, both of mineralogy and conchology. Two or three other cases have occurred, wherein a species, whose remains were preserved in a fossil state, has been discovered inhabiting our seas. But what are two or three, or even half a dozen such instances, when compared with the immense multitude of genera and species of fishes, and genera and species of quadrupeds, which are now utterly unknown, and appear to be totally extinct? which destroyed them, did not trans- | port them to, but overwhelmed them in the countries where these bones are now preserved. 3. Along with the fossil elephants, there has been found an animal of the didelphis kind. Now, the only species of this genus, which is known to exist in any part of the world, is in North America. 4. The fossil elephants are decidedly of a different species, from either the Indian, or the African elephant. These are ascertained facts: they have been ascertained by Cuvier himself. You see then, that neither the shells deposited in high mountains, nor the elephants buried in northern countries, can give the least account of the flood of Moses. corded, destroyed the whole human race, eight persons only excepted. If, then, the alluvial soil which contains the elephants, had been deposited by the Mosaic deluge, we should have found, at least a few human bones, in common with the bones of beasts. But I have already stated, that not a single human bone has yet been discovered, either in this alluvial soil, or in any other alluvial bed, or in any of the rocky strata. It follows, that as the flood of Moses, could not possibly have been that which annihilated this race of elephants, it must have been a subsequent inundation. But we find no traces of any deluge which was subsequent. If we even perceived the vestiges of one which corresponded in Professor Jameson has an extraor- every other particular, the question dinary passage, in his preface to the would still recur, Where are the translation of Cuvier's Essay. He bones of the human race?" No reason tells us, that the deluge is confirmed can be assigned, why they should have by a careful study of the appearances perished sooner than the bones of quaon or near the earth's surface." In the drupeds. They are composed of the name of all that is strange and won- same materials as the bones of beasts; derful, what does the Professor mean? and their being smaller than some of What are the appearances which con- the petrified bones, cannot be admitfirm the Mosaic deluge? Which of ted as the reason of their perishing; the rocky strata, or which of the allu- for they are also much larger than vial beds, were deposited by it? In some of the bones which have been his account of Cuvier's discoveries, preserved. I think, I have now suffiJameson informs us, that the flood ciently established the position, that which destroyed the elephants, was no appearance in nature, can be remost probably the last, or one of the ferred to that deluge, which the sacred last. Now, it is certain, that the de- historian has recorded. Some Divines luge described by Moses was the last have believed, that the entire crust of general deluge which ever took place the earth was dissolved by the flood; on our globe. It was therefore, either and that the particles of earth, and the that flood, which overwhelmed the ele- water were mixed up, till they were phants, or a subsequent one. But it brought to a consistence something could not have been the former, for like that of GOOSEBERRY-FOOL, or three reasons. 1. Moses assures us STIR-ABOUT. that Noah's flood was universal, and that all the high hills were covered. Jameson, on the contrary, informs us that this flood was not universal; that it did not extend to the high mountains; no, not even to the high valleys. 2. It is undeniable, that the animals which existed in the time of Noah, were of the very same kind as those which live at present. But almost all of the quadrupeds which are found along with the fossil elephants, are of different species from any of whose existence we have any knowledge. Very few of them resemble those which now inhabit the earth; and it is a matter of doubt, whether these few be exactly the same, or not. 3. The universal deluge, which Moscs has re Furthermore, they have * I am assured by men, who are eminently skilled in chemistry and mathematics, that all the waters of the great deep, united to all the waters in the atmosphere, could never produce such an effect. But granting, that the whole of this terrene fabric had been so dissolved, it is manifest, that the waters must have been in a state of the greatest agitation. Two consequences, amongst many others, would therefore indisputably follow.--Firstly, the remains of marine and land animals, would be promiscuously blended. Secondly, these remains would be mixed and jumbled together, in the utmost confusion. Now it happens, unluckily for the enemies of science, firstly, that the greater part of the strata contains the shells and the bones of fishes, but not a single bone of any quadruped; and secondly, that these shells and bones are generally arranged with the greatest regularity. The following case must, believed, that when the waters retired, and the terrene particles subsided, the various strata of the earth were formed. Assuredly, every man of science in Europe would agree with me, that all this, without an express miracle, was absolutely impossible. But whether it was possible or not, we have seen that it was not the case. We have seen, that these strata were deposited at different times; and that some thousand, perhaps several thousand years elapsed, from the formation of the first primitive rock, to that of the last alluvial soil. There is, however, a passage in Bishop Watson's Letters to Gibbon, from which an argument has been drawn against this extended period of the world's duration. It seems, that an author of the name of Recupero, had been employed in writing an history of Mount Etna. He fancied that when the soil had been overwhelmed, and covered by a bed of lava, it would require two thousand years before the lava could be covered with a good vegetable soil. He therefore concluded, that as there had been so many successive eruptions of the mountain, the earth must have a much greater antiquity than is usually ascribed to it. In answer to this, the Bishop brought forward an instance, from a place near Mount Vesuvius. In this place several successive eruptions had formed beds of similar materials; they had been successively covered by good vegetable coating; and all this had positively happened in less than 1700 years. Now the exposition of this fact, was a complete refutation of Recupero. It completely refuted his argument, which was founded on the time supposed necessary to cover a bed of lava with a proper soil. But it has nothing whatever to do with the question of the world's antiquity. I think, convince the most superficial thinker, that the various strata could not have originated from one universal deluge, or from any one general cause. We sometimes find a stratum, the organic remains of which, are disposed with as much symmetry and order, as if they were arranged in the cabinet of a naturalist. In the stratum above this, the organic remains are mixed in indiscriminate confusion. In the stratum above this last, they are arranged with the most perfect order and regularity. Now, it is clear, that the second of these strata was produced by a sudden and violent inundation; but it is equally clear, Geologists do not say, that the vegetable soil which covers, or has covered any of the rocky strata, must have required a long period of time, but that the strata themselves, must have required a long time for their formation. Now, there is no analogy between the strata of the earth, and the soil upon beds of lava; or between the strata of the earth, and beds of lava. Many of them were formed by very different processes, and must have needed very different periods of time, for their deposition. Objection IX.-You have asserted more than once, that although the earth contains the petrified bones of so many animals; there is no instance of a single fossil human bone having been discovered. Does not this circumstance afford an argument against the occurrence of that flood, which Moses has recorded? If all the other deluges were the means of petrifying the bones of land animals, as well as the shells of fishes; how happened it, that the bones of men and of the contemporaneous animals were not mineralized? Answer. This is indeed a most important and interesting question. But it is a question on which I have found myself incompetent to decide. For many weeks it had been to me a subject of meditation; and many an hypotheses I had formed, which at first appeared unobjectionable, but which I afterwards discovered was vain and visionary. I well knew, that the theological world was rich in erudite and pious commentaries; but I knew also, that here it was not probable they would impart the smallest light. At length I resolved to apply to a very eminent Mineralogist, being well convinced, that on a question of this kind, his opinion would be more valuable, than that of all the Divines in Christendom. I therefore wrote to that the first and third were gently deposited by a tranquil ocean. Lastly, when we consider what stupendous masses of stone have been deposited, without breaking, or even attenuating the most minute and delicate shells; we must feel convinced, that the process occupied an immense period of time. Mr. Bakewell seems to think, that at least a hundred thousand years were requisite, to bring the earth from its chaotic state to its present condition; and I have been informed by one of the first mineralogists in this country, that it must have required a much longer period to produce and perfect a ruby. him, requesting that he would peruse with attention the account of Moses, and then give me a solution of the difficulty. The very day after he received my letter, he sent me a long one in return, which I shall feel great pleasure in presenting to my readers. I think it proper to state, that as he gave me permission to retrench it, I have omitted one passage, but it is a very short one. Copy of a Letter from Mr. to H. S. Boyd. as nations best known, (and this is allowed by all commentators,) America, for instance, and the remote parts of Europe, and even the frozen regions in the north of Asia, the continent where man first had his existence. I say it does not appear impious to believe, that only the most fertile and habitable parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, were peopled, and that there only we are to look for marks or proofs, of early population. Again, as mankind, or at least the greater part, were "I have read with attention Moses's either hunters or shepherds, they must account of the deluge, and tried to have occupied the plains and valleys, suppose that it was the first time I or at least not the mountainous parts had heard or read of such a circum- of the earth. In this case, a flood stance. There is nothing in the ac- coming on so suddenly, must have count to make one think, that any of overwhelmed and destroyed them, those great disturbances or disloca- with the greater part of their flocks, tions of the strata near the earth's sur- &c. Their bones then would be exface, happened at that time; for though posed to the action of those agents the "fountains of the great deep" are which are necessary to decompose said to have been broken up," I them. But if we doubt whether many think the expression is not literal, but of them may not have escaped this metaphorical ; 1. "The windows of hea- process of nature, we must look for ven were opened, and it rained forty them in the alluvies of those countries, days and nights," which it need not which are universally believed to have have done, as there was water enough been first fully peopled. Geology is in the sea to cover the highest moun- yet in its infancy. We know but little tains, if such a breaking up of the of the contents of the most recent strata, earth's crust had happened. 2. Such a in the immediate vicinity of the resirevolution must have destroyed the dences of the greatest Geologists, in trees, plants, &c. which was evidently the neighbourhood of the most popunot the case; otherwise the dove could lous cities, and in the almost only part not have brought an olive leaf to the of the earth, (Europe,) where Geology ark. I am not to examine how an or Mineralogy has been heard of as a olive-tree could retain its leaves, after science; and we are absolutely ignobeing six months under water; we rant what organized bodies are conare to believe this to be the fact; and tained in such recent strata, or in the being such, we may suppose that the alluvies of those parts of the earth, flood was as quiet an accumulation of which first gave birth to, and were for water as was necessary to effect its two thousand years the principal place purpose. In this case, the living crea- of residence to the human race. Who tures would perish on the earth's sur- can say, that if search be made in such face, or only be carried to a small plains, human bones might not be depth by the mud, gravel, &c. that found? Bones of various quadrupeds would be washed from the hills, and, are occasionally found in such alluvial to a certain small depth, fill up the val- matter, at a small depth under the leys. There are innumerable instances surface, and though not properly in a of such alluvial deposits, as might state of petrefaction, are yet in many have happened during the above quiet instances in perfect preservation; and retreat of such a flood. When we I believe it is allowed by all philosoconsider the highly figurative and hy-phers, that these bones may have been perbolical language of all the eastern deposited, at a period at least as far nations, we may without impiety doubt back as the time of the deluge."+ whether in the first 2000 years after the creation, (notwithstanding the long lives of the Antediluvians,) the earth was fully peopled; as the expressions "the whole earth,' ""all nations," &c. in most places, mean only those parts, I regret, that the author of the above letter, being actuated by an unreasonable modesty, will not permit me to affix his name to it. His name, if published, would reflect honour on my work, for he is a man as eminent in the world of Art, as in the world of Science He who has read my Essay with attention, will be able to estimate the value of the above remarks. He must be convinced, from all the facts which I have stated, that not one of the phænomena of nature can be referred unto that deluge, which destroyed both man and beast. If then, Divines will obstinately maintain, that such a flood as Moses has described, must have broken up the crust of the earth, and have deposited its various strata, the conclusion is inevitable. The plain inference is, that such a flood never happened. But if we admit with this gentleman, that such a deluge would have produced only a faint and transient impression, the absence of all physical proofs can be no reason for our rejecting it. The world of science, and of art, has been for many years under considerable obligations to the author of the letter; but in the present instance, he must be considered as a benefactor to the Christian public. He has accounted in two different ways, for what appears at first sight an uncommon difficulty; and I conceive, that either of them is sufficient to remove it. When I ventured to combat an assertion of so great a man as Jameson, I said, that the absence of fossil human bones, was a proof that the deluge which overwhelmed the elephants, could not have been that of Moses. I perceive that an argument, drawn from the reasoning of my friend, may be brought against me. It may be answered, that at the time of the deluge, the human race existed only in a confined region of the earth. This argument will avail little. For, although the descendants of Adam may have been confined to one particular spot, the various animals could not have been so circumscribed. The animals which are adapted to northern climates, never existed in the torrid zone. It is therefore certain, that the land animals which at present live in Europe and America, must in general have inhabited them at the period of the flood. Now, of all the quadrupeds which are found with the elephants, the rhinoceroses, the tapirs, the mastodons, &c. there is not one which is of the same species as those of the present day. There are a few which are doubtful; but since they are doubtful, they must be left entirely out of the argument. In the very newest alluvial beds, we find the bones of a few ruminating animals, which are of the same species as those which exist at present. But Jameson has told us, on the authority of Cuvier, that these bones appear not to have been deposited by an inundation; but to have sunk quietly and gradually into alluvial matter. We are hence assured of two facts. 1. That the flood which destroyed the elephants, was not the flood of Moses. 2. That it was the last which left behind it any absolute proofs of its occurrence. The author of the above letter, indeed has intimated, that the bones found in such alluvial matter, may have been deposited by the deluge, but he has not stated that it is probable; he has only intimated the possibility. I have now, according to my measure of ability, performed the task which I had undertaken. If unsuccessfully, to me be attributed the blame, for I have derived no assistance from any human being, except in that one instance which I have recorded. But if I have succeeded, let the praise and the glory be ascribed to Him, to whom alone all praise belongeth. Yet, though I would not seek for human praise, and human admiration, I cannot be indifferent to the good opinion of my fellow-mortals; and I trust, that I have secured the respect both of the Christian and of the infidel. The infidel will observe, that I have shrunk from no inquiry; that I have concealed no truth; and that I have neither denied, nor perverted any geological discovery. The Christian will perceive, that while I walk hand in hand with the unbeliever as to his facts, I am not misled by the error of his deductions. I acknowledge that my situation has been somewhat perilous. My soul had embarked on an ocean which it had never traversed; wafted by the gales of science, in search of the treasures of philosophy. But it beheld the wreck of many a hapless spirit. It beheld, and looked for its security to the Captain of Salvation. Yes, I was led to the brink of a precipice, but I trembled at the abyss below, and clung more firmly to the rock I stood on. Let others trace out blemishes on the face of beauty, and seek for darkness in the midst of light. Let others array their minds in the specious garb of the subtlest metaphysics, that they may confound those things which are incomprehensible, with those which are contradictory. Let others, upborne |
