to exist in that which produced the secular disturbance; the whole manifesting the most perfect harmony between the announcements of Scripture, the laws of mechanics, the discoveries and calculations of astronomy, and the researches of geology.

It appears, then, from all that has been said in these sections, that the primary amorphous rocks, either arose from beneath and perforated the superincumbent stratified masses, or elevated these along with themselves, by means of the centrifugal impetus generated in them by the protorotation of the earth around its axis. But as the earth could only have once commenced to revolve, and thereby have caused centrifugal impetus, all the rocks found thrust through, or elevating the strata, must have been moved simultaneously. Such being the case, there would be a period when the strata over the whole surface of the globe were horizontal, and parallel to each other; and a considerable lapse of time must have been required to have deposited them in successive layers, in the order of superposition in which they are generally found.

Now, if we keep the fact steadily in mind, that the earth must have been for a long period without rotatory motion, and blend it with what follows, derived from the first part of the sixty-seventh Theorem, which is equally well authenticated, namely, "That one of the most important qualities of matter in mechanical investigation is INERTIA, or that property which results from its inability to produce in itself spontaneous change or action, either from a state of rest to that of motion, or vice versa, to diminish any motion which it may have received from an external cause, or to change its direction." Their dexterous combination (while it will be recollected how useful this Theorem has already been) will enable us to arrive at another very important deduction, namely,

That the earth, at one period, not having had rotatory motion; and consisting of inert matter, incapable of generating motion in itself, a force sufficient to have overcome the resistance must have been brought to bear upon it from SOME SOURCE EXTERNAL TO, AND INDEPENDent of, itself, before it could have revolved, as it now does, around its axis. The inertia of the whole mass must have been overcome, before it could pos

sibly have moved; before the geological phenomena, now displayed upon its surface, could have been produced.

This is a most important conclusion. It reduces us to one of the greatest difficulties ever encountered by men who depend solely on their own resources, to assign the adequate cause which overcame the inertia of the world and made it revolve around its axis. Science knows no such power. It is only in the Sacred Volume of our Faith that we find any allusion made to the first rotation of the earth, "and the evening and the morning were the first day :" an announcement which must not be looked upon as figurative, but understood in its plain, literal sense-a whole revolution of the earth around its axis in the space of twenty-four hours, or, what is the same, with an angular velocity of fifteen degrees each hour; for, unless this be admitted, and, likewise, that it was its first rotation, the necessary centrifugal force would not have been generated; the geological phenomena arising from that impetus would never have existed.

"God said, Let there be light," is the sublime announcement made to man more than three thousand three hundred years ago; and that the light issued forth at His Omnipotent command the whole geological phenomena-within the research of every one, perceptible to the senses, capable of being seen, touched, and believed in-most amply and emphatically attest. So long, therefore, as a peak of granite is visible and tangible to the senses, may the finger be pointed to those monuments of His power, and then to the sacred page, while we exclaim" Truly did God say, 'Let there be light, and there was light. ... And God divided the light from the

Should any advance in the path of truth and sound knowledge have been made by our endeavours to reconcile mechanical, geological, and astronomical announcements to the sublimer ones of Scripture, it should not be overlooked, that this success will, in great part, be due to the diligent and laborious researches of the followers of those sciences which shall have been rendered instrumental in dispelling those mists which hitherto have hung over this very portion of Scrip

ture; and that, too, although its validity they, at one time, all but threatened to impugn.

As far as GEOLOGY is concerned we must now take occasion to observe, that having in some degree made reparation to Revelation, it is hoped that its scientific pages may hereafter be approached, not only without dread, but even be sedulously studied by all who earnestly desire the advancement of the truth, and the spread of the only knowledge which can alone prosper and flourish. But, while thus advocating the cause of geology, we should also caution its most zealous and most enlightened followers to beware of future errors. Let them guard against such, and also bear in mind that, without a faith, strong as the evidence of sense, in the announcements of Scripture, their discoveries and their influences will be worse than vain; they will be positively injurious. Let them, then, turn with singleness of heart, to the sublime lessons of the Sacred Volume, as the Alpha and Omega of all science: let their zeal, their activity, and their knowledge be hereafter wholly directed to the thorough elucidation of those words, which, though heaven and earth should pass away, will never

pass away.

In offering our acknowledgments to ASTRONOMY for the aid it has afforded in establishing the present theory, we also congratulate its disciples on the new and choice field which is afforded them in what it has now been the means of unfolding. We are incapable of fully appreciating the reciprocal lights it may reflect on the vast and the boundless domain of astronomical research, more glorious than any other, and as enriched with variety of phenomena as are the sparkling myriads of orbs which attract their observation. permitted to congratulate them on the future, we would, with all gentleness, past; and that they have need of great caution in conducting their enquiries, lest they fall again into error from a disregard to the announcements and the chronology of a Book, which is over, above, and beyond all their calculations and all their observations. Oh! how insensible, to despise the revelations of the Creator of all, at the very moment when they were gazing on His most glorious works, beholding in the magni

But, while we may be anticipations of the remind them of the

ficent arch of the starry heavens the brightest representative in nature of His radiant and God-like countenance !

Astronomy has indeed a heavy debt to pay to the sublime truths of the Gospel, a debt which has been accumulating ever since Newton's death; and, knowing this, we trust it will now gather together all its resources, and put forth all its energies in order to cancel the obligation. But let it, likewise, remember that, boundless as these resources are, and infallible as the manipulations appear to be which govern its results, yet the Dynamical Theory has proven that, when existing in cold and lifeless separation from Religion, the former can be drawn from sources of error, and the latter have led to false conclusions.

We, likewise, offer a tribute of thanks for the very important assistance we have derived from the sober and certain science of MECHANICS, which, more conversant with tangible objects, as the ground-work of its conclusions, has revealed the truth, without incurring any errors of hypothesis. But let it rejoice with trembling, and learn to contemplate its own inevitable fate in that which has befallen the sister sciences, should it ever wilfully despise, or willingly lend its aid to any attempt which may be designed to asperse or to impugn the truths of the Sacred Volume.

SECTION VII.

METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA RESULTING FROM THE LIGHT, AND FROM THE EARTH'S PROTOROTATION.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Preliminary advertencies. The consequences likely to result from a world of water being thrown into violent agitation and motion by the first diurnal revolution. Longitudinal effects on it of the elevation of continental ridges, and the depression of oceanic hollows. The effects of the introduction of the principle of Expansion into the primeval water. Chemical analyses of water. No Nitrogen in water. No Hydrogen in the atmosphere. Nitrogen traced to its origin in ammoniacal gas. Chemical analyses of this alkaline substance. Free Oxygen-its source. Appropriateness of the juncture, while these elements abounded, for the introduction of Light into the material universe. Philological corroboration of these assumptions. The diffusion principle of gasses requisite to complete the force which expanded the aerial elements to their prescribed boundaries. Meteorological phenomena. Composition of gases in general, and the indestructibility, in particular, of those which constitute the atmosphere.

AT the close of the fourth section, we considered the earth to be revolving around the unillumined sun, but without diurnal motion having, as yet, been impressed upon it; while its recumbent rocky crust sustained an equally diffused and universally spread mass of water; which, having undergone a purifying process through many ages, had been deprived of nearly the whole of its earthy and acidulous ingredients, and at the period to which we now allude contained only saline materials; free oxygen maintained in that state by the joint agency of carbonic oxide, and carburetted hydrogen; the primeval water, at this stage of its existence, being likewise saturated with ammonia, which arose from the decomposition