culousness being," as Mr. Sharon Turner has observed, "the true character of created nature.”

A belief in the Hexaëmeron, as an historical record, is the result of no geological conviction, but of a strong confidence in the supernatural power of God, as to things past, just as much as a belief in the resurrection of the dead, is a reliance on the same power as to things future; in strictness, physics can have nothing to do with either. Though I shall never think it wrong, or out of place, to look for, and claim support from, any conformities that may be traced, as in the instance of man's comparatively recent appearance, upon the earth, now known to be a geological as well as a theological fact. St. Paul's illustration of the resurrection of the body, I conceive to be an admirable and fair appeal to physics, as regards the power of God, though the process after all will be, probably, perfectly supernatural.

I do not, therefore, like to read of the "rejection of the Mosaic record of creation," on physical or geological grounds, because, to plain and unphilosophical believers, it must appear to be a rejection or denial of the power of God, which I am sure was not meant by the eminent person, from whom the expression is derived.

Very few I am persuaded when they think of, or repeat the fourth commandment, entertain in their minds, the most distant allusion to any geological facts or physical processes, but I am equally persuaded that it would be difficult, under such circumstances, to divert their minds from a deep consideration and feeling of the infinite power of that Being, to whom such stupendous events, as the six days' pro

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DECLARATIONS OF GEOLOGISTS.

We are apt, perhaps, in considering the Hexaëmeron of Moses, to look at our own planet too much in detail. We should scarcely question the power of God to call into existence, in a moment, any of the heavenly bodies above, as they appear to our eyes; though, for what we know, consisting of as many parts, and containing as great a variety of organised and unorganised bodies as the planet on which we dwell.

It has been shown, beyond denial, that on the continent, some time past, geology had been found to disturb the faith of both Jews and Christians; but it was shown, at the same time, and on the same authority, that in England, the faith of Christians was not so easily to be shaken. That some attempts to that effect had absolutely failed; and I earnestly hope the course of things may continue the same, since I am able, in conclusion of this little work, to bear testimony to two facts of high importance to all true believers.

First, that not only a great abundance of very learned and wise persons see reason still to adhere to the strict letter of divine revelation; but secondly, that the most eminent and respectable of those who avowedly give up the literal sense of certain important passages, and have appeared, from the course and compass of their physical researches, from the unbounded antiquity they assign to this earthly planet, and from expressions too little guarded, to give too much advantage to the infidel and unbeliever; do nevertheless, as far as my reading goes, manifest a great desire to have it understood, that whatever suspicions of a contrary tendency may have arisen in the minds of their less scientific brethren, their own faith in revelation, in the "Gospel of Christ," in "the

truth as it is in Jesus," in "the mystery of godliness," remains as strong as ever, and may not, with any justice or propriety, be questioned or disputed.

This being generally known and understood, it is to be hoped, no ill effects will ensue, from the prosecution of their geological researches. But if by any circumstances, they should appear to come into serious or suspicious competition, with the great truths of revelation, then I would wish to have leave to remind my readers of the very solemn declaration of Dr. Macculloch noticed in a former part of this treatise, namely, that "if geology should be found to contradict the revealed WORD of GOD, he," as a believer in revelation as well as a geologist, "should be among the first to say, the science is in error.”

APPENDIX.

Having omitted the opportunity of introducing the following remarks into the body of my work, I subjoin them as an appendix.

No. I.

I FEEL almost persuaded that modern geological discoveries have had a tendency to impress the mind of man, with new, and perhaps therefore false ideas, of the sublime, as regards the works of God. I find it admitted, by a gentleman very averse from believing the literal accounts of the creation, in the Book of Genesis, that "it is a description of the original formation of the world couched in such magnificent imagery, as the glowing fervour of the most high-wrought imagination may in vain seek to emulate." This then surely is an ample acknowledgment of its sublimity-and in what consists its sublimity? surely in ascribing to the Deity, a power of commanding things into a perfect state of existence, with as little reference to secondary or physical causes as possible; but what is the view taken by the same writer, of the actual course of things? I have already copied the very words, "a long succession of periods or eras, throughout each of which the world had its perfect complement of life in abundant variety, continuing through different stages of indefinitely long duration, successively developing new forms of vitality to supply the place of those that had become extinct : until at length, in the countless revolution of ages, the face of the globe, and the species inhabiting it, began to assume something like its existing appearance, and became a suitable habitation for man." I will take another account from no contemptible writer, certainly quite otherwise:" The state of the globe becoming more and more consolidated, and permanently fitted for living beings of superior organization, and those tremendous convulsions depending upon the destruction of the equilibrium between the heating