,,the ,,religion ,,of ,,geology ,,and ,,its ,,connected ,,sciences4 ,illustration3 ,,section ,,of ,,the ,,earth',s ,,crust4 ,,the ,,religion ,,of ,,geology ,,and ,,its ,,connected ,,sciences4 ,,by ,,edward ,,hitchcock1 ,d4 ,d41 ,,ll4 ,d41 ,,president ,,of ,,amherst ,,college1 ,,and ,,professor ,,of ,,natural ,,theology ,,and ,,geology4 ,science has a foundation1 and so has religion2 let them unite their foundations1 and the basis will be broader1 and they will be two compartments of one great fabric reared to the glory of ,god4 ,let the one be the outer and the other the inner court4 ,in the one1 let all look1 and admire1 and adore2 and in the other1 let those who have faith kneel1 and pray1 and praise4 ,let the one be the sanctuary where human learning may present its richest incense as an offering to ,god2 and the other the holiest of all1 separated from it by a veil now rent in twain1 and in which1 on a blood sprinkled mercy seat1 we pour out the love of a reconciled heart1 and hear the oracles of the living ,god4--,m',cosh4 ,,eighth ,,thousand4 ,,boston3 ,,phillips1 ,,sampson1 ,,and ,,company4 #ahed4 ,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahea1 by ,,phillips1 ,,sampson1 ,,co41 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court for the ,district of ,massachusetts4 ,,stereotyped ,,at ,,the ,,boston ,,stereotype ,,foundry4 ,,to ,,my ,,beloved ,,wife4 ,both gratitude and affection prompt me to dedicate these lectures to you4 ,to your kindness and self-denying labors ,i have been mainly indebted for the ability and leisure to give any successful attention to scientific pursuits4 ,early should ,i have sunk under the pressure of feeble health1 nervous despondency1 poverty1 and blighted hopes1 had not your sympathies and cheering counsels sustained me4 ,and during the last thirty years of professional labors1 how little could ,i have done in the cause of science1 had you not1 in a great measure1 relieved me of the cares of a numerous family6 ,furthermore1 while ,i have described scientific facts with the pen only1 how much more vividly have they been portrayed by your pencil6 ,and it is peculiarly appropriate that your name should be associated with mine in any literary effort where the theme is geology2 since your artistic skill has done more than my voice to render that science attractive to the young men whom ,i have instructed4 ,i love especially to connect your name with an effort to defend and illustrate that religion which ,i am sure is dearer to you than every thing else4 ,i know that you would forbid this public allusion to your labors and sacrifices1 did ,i not send it forth to the world before it meets your eye4 ,but ,i am unwilling to lose this opportunity of bearing a testimony which both justice and affection urge me to give4 ,in a world where much is said of female deception and inconstancy1 ,i desire to testify that one man at least has placed implicit confidence in woman1 and has not been disappointed4 ,through many checkered scenes have we passed together1 both on the land and the sea1 at home and in foreign countries2 and now the voyage of life is almost ended4 ,the ties of earthly affection1 which have so long united us in uninterrupted harmony and happiness1 will soon be sundered4 ,but there are ties which death cannot break2 and we indulge the hope that by them we shall be linked together and to the throne of ,god through eternal ages4 ,in life and in death ,i abide ,your affectionate husband1 ,,edward ,,hitchcock4 ,,preface4 ,most of the following lectures were written as much as eight or ten years ago1 though additions and alterations have been made1 from time to time1 to adapt them to the progress of science4 ,they were undertaken at the suggestion of my friend1 ,rev4 ,henry ,neill1 then of ,hatfield1 now of ,lenox4 ,i had no definite intention as to the use to be made of the lectures2 but having for many years turned my attention to the bearings of science1 and especially of geology1 upon religion1 ,i felt a desire to put upon paper the final results of my examinations4 ,i threw them into the lecture form1 that ,i might1 if best1 deliver them to the geological classes which ,i should instruct in the college with which ,i am connected4 ,this ,i have done for many years1 and also have used them in various places before lyceums4 ,they are at length published1 from a conviction that something of the kind1 from some quarter1 is needed4 ,many of the thoughts1 indeed1 which1 at the time they were put upon paper1 were original1 have since been brought out by other writers4 ,yet enough of this description probably remain to expose me to severe criticism4 ,i beg the intelligent ,christian1 however1 before he condemns my views1 to settle it in his mind what he can substitute for them that will be more honorable to religion4 ,it is much easier to find fault with a mode of defending the truth than to invent a better method4 ,we may not be pleased with certain views in vindication of religion1 and yet the alternative of rejecting them may be so much worse as to lead us at least to be silent4 ,would that ,christian critics had always kept this fact in mind when writing upon the views of geologists6 ,they would find often that they are straining at a gnat and must swallow a camel4 ,if my views are erroneous1 as exhibited in these lectures1 ,i cannot plead that they have been hastily adopted4 ,most of them1 indeed1 have been the subjects of thought occasionally for thirty years4 ,i hope1 however1 that all my suggestions will not be thought of equal importance in my own estimation2 since some of them are merely hypothetical hints thrown out for the consideration of abler minds4 ,this work does not exhibit quite so much of logical exactness as ,i could wish4 ,but my leading object has been fully carried out1 viz41 to exhibit all the religious bearings of geology4 ,several of the lectures1 however1 have been written as if independent of all the rest2 and1 therefore1 the reader will find some leading thoughts repeated1 but always in different connections4 ,after acknowledging that more than a quarter of a century has elapsed since this subject first engaged my attention1 it may be useless for me to ask any indulgence from criticism4 ,but really1 ,i feel less prepared to write upon it than ,i did during the first five years in which ,i studied it4 ,i have learnt that it is a most difficult subject4 ,it requires1 in order to master it1 an acquaintance with three distinct branches of knowledge1 not apt to go together4 ,first1 an acquaintance with geology in all its details1 and with the general principles of zoology1 botany1 and comparative anatomy2 secondly1 a knowledge of sacred hermeneutics1 or the principles of interpreting the ,scriptures2 thirdly1 a clear conception of the principles of natural and revealed religion4 ,as examples of efforts made by men who were deficient in a knowledge of some of these branches1 ,i am compelled to quote a large proportion of the works which1 within the last thirty or forty years1 have been written on the religion of geology2 especially on its connection with revealed religion4 ,i am happy to except such writers as ,dr4 ,j4 ,pye ,smith1 ,dr4 ,chalmers1 ,dr4 ,harris1 ,dr4 ,buckland1 ,professor ,sedgwick1 ,professor ,whewell1 ,dr4 ,king1 ,dr4 ,anderson1 and ,hugh ,miller2 for they1 to a greater or less extent1 acquainted themselves with all the subjects named above1 before they undertook to write4 ,but a still larger number of authors1 although men of talents1 and familiar1 it may be1 with the ,bible and theology1 had no accurate knowledge of geology4 ,the results have been1 first1 that1 by resorting to denunciation and charges of infidelity1 to answer arguments from geology which they did not understand1 they have excited unreasonable prejudices and alarm among common ,christians respecting that science and its cultivators2 secondly1 they have awakened disgust1 and even contempt1 among scientific men1 especially those of sceptical tendencies1 who have inferred that a cause which resorts to such defences must be very weak4 ,they have felt very much as a good ,greek scholar would1 who should read a severe critique upon the style of ,isocrates1 or ,demosthenes1 and1 before he had finished the review1 should discover internal evidence that the writer had never learnt the ,greek alphabet4 ,on the other hand1 prejudices and disgust equally strong have been produced in the mind of many a man well versed in theology and biblical exegesis by some productions of scientific men upon the religious bearings of geology1 because they advanced principles which the merest tyro in divinity would know to be false and fatal to religion1 and which they advocated only because they had never studied the ,bible or theology4 ,and here ,i would remark that it does not follow1 because a man is eminent in geology1 that his opinion is of any value upon the religion of geology4 ,for the two subjects are quite distinct1 and a man may be a ,coryphaeus in the principles of geology1 who is an ignoramus in its religious applications4 ,indeed1 many of the ablest writers upon geology take the ground that its religious bearings do not belong to the science4 ,these statements1 instead of pleading my apology for the following work1 may only show my temerity and vanity4 ,nevertheless1 they afford me an opportunity of calling the attention of the religious public to the great inadequacy of the means now possessed of acquiring a knowledge of the different branches of natural science4 ,i refer especially to comparative anatomy1 zoology1 botany1 and geology1 in our literary and theological seminaries4 ,the latter1 so far as ,i know1 do not pretend to give any instruction in these branches4 ,and in our colleges that instruction is confined almost entirely to a few brief courses of lectures2 often so few that the students scarcely find out how ignorant they are of the subjects2 and hence those who are expecting to enter the sacred ministry vainly imagine that1 at almost any period of their future course1 they can1 in a few weeks1 become sufficiently acquainted with physical science to meet and refute the sceptic4 ,in all our seminaries1 however1 abundant provision is made1 as it ought to be1 for the study of intellectual philosophy and biblical interpretation4 ,so well satisfied are two of the most enlightened and efficient ,christian denominations in ,great ,britain--the ,congregationalists and the ,scottish ,free ,church--of the need of more extensive acquaintance with the natural sciences in ministers of the gospel1 that they have attached a professorship of natural history to their theological seminaries4 ,that in the ,new ,college in ,edinburgh is filled by the venerable ,dr4 ,fleming2 that in the ,new ,college in ,london by ,dr4 ,lankester4 ,from a syllabus of ,dr4 ,fleming's course of lectures1 which he put into my hands last summer1 ,i perceive that it differs little from the instruction in natural science in the colleges of our country4 ,this being the case1 it strikes me that this is not exactly the professorship that is needed in the theological seminaries of our country4 ,but they do need1 it seems to me1 professorships of natural theology1 to be filled by men who are practically familiar with the natural sciences4 ,if any such chairs exist in these seminaries1 ,i do not know it4 ,they are amply provided with instruction in the metaphysics of theology1 hermeneutics1 and ecclesiastical history2 and ,i should be sorry to see these departments less amply provided for4 ,but here is the wide field of natural theology1 large enough for several professorships1 which finds no place1 save a nook in the chair of dogmatics4 ,this might have answered well enough when the battle-field with scepticism lay in the region of metaphysics1 or history1 or biblical interpretation4 ,but the enemy have1 within a few years past1 intrenched themselves within the dominions of natural science2 and there1 for a long time to come1 must be the tug of the war4 ,and since they have substituted skeletons1 and trees1 and stones1 as weapons1 in the place of abstractions1 so must ,christians do1 if they would not be defeated4 ,let me refer to a few examples to show how inadequately furnished the minister must be for such a contest1 who has used only the means of instruction provided in our existing seminaries1 literary and theological4 ,take the leading points discussed in the following lectures4 ,how can a man who has heard only a brief and hurried course of thirty lectures on chemistry1 twenty on anatomy and physiology1 fifteen upon zoology1 ten upon botany1 ten upon mineralogy1 and twenty upon geology1 at the college1 with no additional instruction at the theological seminary1--how can he judge correctly of points and reasoning difficult to be mastered by adepts in these sciences8 ,how certain to be worsted in an argument with an accomplished naturalist who is a sceptic6 ,suppose the sceptic takes the ground advocated by ,oken and the author of the ,vestiges4 ,let the clergyman1 whom ,i have supposed1 read the works of ,miller and ,sedgwick in reply to the development hypothesis1 and see whether he can even understand their arguments without a more careful study of the sciences on which they rest4 ,a subject of no small importance in its religious bearings has recently excited a good deal of sharp discussion in this country4 ,i refer to the questions of the specific unity and unity of origin of the human race4 ,to a person who has never studied the subject1 it seems a matter easy to settle2 yet1 in fact1 it demands extensive research even to understand4 ,and we have seen one of the most accomplished zoologists and anatomists of the present age take ground on these points in opposition to the almost universal opinion4 ,the result has been that not a few talented replies to his arguments have appeared1 mostly1 ,i believe1 from ministers4 ,i have not seen them all4 ,but in respect to those which ,i have read it has seemed to me1 without having the least sympathy with the views of ,professor ,agassiz1 that the authors have not the most remote conception of the principal arguments on which he relies1 derived from zoology and comparative anatomy2 nor do ,i believe that they can understand and appreciate them until they have studied those sciences4#a ,although ,i fear that theologians are not aware of the fact1 yet probably the doctrines of materialism are more widely embraced at this day than almost any other religious error4 ,but in which of our schools1 save the medical1 is there any instruction given in physiology and zoology1 that will prepare a man to make the least headway against such delusions8 ,the arguments by which materialism is defended are among the most subtle in the whole range of theology and natural science2 and without a knowledge of the latter they can neither be appreciated nor refuted4 ,the mere metaphysical abstractions by which they are usually met excite only the contempt of the acute physiologist who is a materialist4 ,i might refer1 in this connection1 to the whole subject of pantheism1 in its chameleon forms4 ,the rhapsodies of spiritual pantheism must1 indeed1 be met by metaphysics equally transcendental4 ,but1 after all1 it is from biology that the pantheist derives his choicest weapons4 ,he appeals1 also1 to astronomy1 zoology1 and geology2 nor is it the superficial naturalist that can show how hollow is the foundation on which he rests4 ,these are only a few examples of the points of physical science on which scepticism at this moment has batteries erected with which to assail spiritual religion4 ,will the minister but slightly familiar with the ground chosen by the enemy be able not only to silence his guns1 but1 as every able defender of the truth ought to do1 to turn them against its foes8 ,surely it needs a professor of natural theology in our theological seminaries1 7and if such chairs existed in our colleges they would be serviceable17 to teach those who expect to be officers in the sacramental host how to carry on the holy war4 ,i do not see how much more time can be given to the natural sciences in our colleges than is usually done1 without encroaching upon other indispensable branches4 ,if1 therefore1 provision be not made for studying the religious bearings of these sciences in our theological seminaries1 our youthful evangelists must go forth to their work without the ability to vindicate the cause of religion against the assaults of the sceptical naturalist4 ,would not1 then1 those wealthy and benevolent individuals be great public benefactors1 who should endow professorships of natural religion in our schools of the prophets8 ,but ,i must not pursue this subject farther4 ,i commit my work to the public with no raised expectations of its welcome reception4 ,i have a high opinion of the enlightened candor of1 the educated classes of our country1 especially those in the ministry4 ,yet ,i know that many prejudices exist against science in its connections with religion4 ,and1 therefore1 my only hope of any measure of success in this effort rests upon the divine blessing4 ,but if the work be not pleasing to ,infinite ,wisdom and ,benevolence1 why should ,i desire for it an ephemeral success among men8 ,,amherst ,,college1 ,may #a1 #ahea4 ,,explanation ,,of ,,the ,,frontispiece4 ,this section of the earth's crust is intended to bring under the eye the leading features of geology4 #a4 ,the relative ,position of the ,stratified and the ,unstratified ,rocks4 ,the unstratified rocks1 viz41 granite1 sienite1 porphyry1 trap1 and lava1 are represented as lying beneath the stratified class1 for the most part1 yet piercing through them in the centre of the section1 and by several dikes or veins1 through which masses have been protruded to the surface4 ,the unstratified class are all colored red1 to indicate their igneous origin4 ,granite seems to have been first melted and protruded1 and it continued to be pushed upward till the close of the secondary period of the stratified rocks1 as is shown by the vein of granite on the section4 ,sienite and porphyry seem to have been next thrust up1 from below the granite2 next1 the varieties of trap were protruded from beneath the porphyry2 and last1 the lava1 which still continues to be poured out upon the surface from beneath all the rest4 #b4 ,the ,stratified ,rocks4 ,the stratified rocks represented on both flanks of the granite peak in the section1 appear to have been deposited from water1 and subsequently more or less lifted up1 fractured1 and bent4 ,an attempt is made1 on the right hand side of the section1 to exhibit the foldings and inclination of the strata4 ,the lowest are bent the most1 and their dip is the greatest2 and1 as a general fact1 there is a gradual approach to horizontality as we rise on the scale4 #c4 ,the right hand side of the ,section4 ,the strata on the right hand are divided into five classes3 first and lowest1 the crystalline1 or primary1 destitute of organic remains1 and probably metamorphosed from a sedimentary to a crystalline state1 by the action of subjacent heat4 #b4 ,the palaeozoic class1 or those containing the earliest types of animals and plants1 and of vast thickness1 mostly deposited in the ocean4 #c4 ,the secondary class1 reaching from the top of the lower new red or ,permian system1 to the top of the chalk4 #d4 ,the tertiary strata1 partially consolidated1 and differing entirely from the rocks below by their organic contents4 #e4 ,alluvium1 or strata now in a course of deposition4 ,this classification is sometimes convenient1 and frequently used by geologists4 #d4 ,the left hand ,side4 ,on the left hand side of the section the strata are so divided as to correspond to the six great groups of animals and plants that have appeared on the globe4 ,the names attached to the groups are derived from ,greek3 zoos 7vivus1 living17 with the ,greek numerals prefixed4 ,the lowest group1 being destitute of organic remains1 is called azoic1 7from ,greek3 a privitive and ,greek3 zoos17 that is1 wanting in the traces of life2 and corresponds to the crystalline group on the other side of the section1 embracing gneiss1 mica slate1 limestone1 and clay slate1 of unknown thickness4 ,the protozoic group corresponds to the palaeozoic of the right hand side1 and embraces lower and upper ,silurian1 ,devonian1 or old red sandstone1 the carboniferous group1 and the ,permian1 or lower new red2 the whole in ,great ,britain not less than thirty-three thousand feet thick4 ,the deutozoic group consists only of the triassic1 or upper new red sandstone1 and is only nine hundred feet thick1 but marks a distinct period of life4 ,the tritozoic embraces the lias and oolite1 with the ,wealden1 and is three thousand six hundred feet thick4 ,the tetrazoic consists of the chalk and green sand1 one thousand five hundred feet thick4 ,the pentezoic embraces the tertiary strata of the thickness of two thousand feet4 ,the hectozoic is confined to the modern deposits1 only a few hundred feet thick1 but entombing all the existing species of animals4 #e4 ,characteristic ,organic ,remains4 ,had space permitted1 ,i should have put upon the section a reference to the most characteristic and peculiar mineral1 animal1 or plant1 in the different groups4 ,thus the azoic group is crystalliferous1 or crystal-bearing4 ,the lower or ,silurian part of the protozoic group is brachiopodiferous1 trilobiferous1 polypiferous1 and cephalopodiferous2 that is1 abounding in brachiopod and cephalopod shells2 in polypifers1 or corals2 and in trilobites1 a family of crustaceans4 ,the middle part1 or the ,devonian1 is thaumichthiferous1 or containing remarkable fish4 ,the upper part1 or the coal measures1 is carboniferous2 that is1 abounding in coal4 ,the deutozoic group is ichniferous1 or track-bearing1 from the multitude of its fossil footmarks4 ,the tritozoic group is reptiliferous1 or reptile-bearing1 from the extraordinary lizards which abound in it4 ,the tetrazoic is foraminiferous1 from the abundance of coral animalcula1 called foraminifera1 or polythalmia1 which it contains4 ,the pentezoic is mammaliferous1 because it contains the remains of mammalia1 or quadrupeds4 ,the hectozoic is homoniferous1 or man-bearing1 because it embraces human remains4 ,there is no one place on earth where all the facts exhibited on this section are presented before us together4 ,yet all the facts occur somewhere1 and this section merely brings them into systematic arrangement4 ,,contents4 ,page ,,lecture ,i4 ,,revelation ,,illustrated ,,by ,,science1 #a ,,lecture ,,ii4 ,,the ,,epoch ,,of ,,the ,,earth',s ,,creation ,,unrevealed1 #cc ,,lecture ,,iii4 ,,death ,a ,,universal ,,law ,,of ,,organic ,,beings ,,on ,,this ,,globe ,,from ,,the ,,beginning1 #ga ,,lecture ,,iv4 ,,the ,,noachian ,,deluge ,,compared ,,with ,,the ,,geological ,,deluges1 #aab ,,lecture ,v4 ,,the ,,world',s ,,supposed ,,eternity1 #adf ,,lecture ,,vi4 ,,geological ,,proofs ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,benevolence1 #agi ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,divine ,,benevolence ,,as ,,exhibited ,,in ,a ,,fallen ,,world1 #bai ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,unity ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,plan ,,and ,,operation ,,in ,,all ,,ages ,,of ,,the ,,world',s ,,history1 #beb ,,lecture ,,ix4 ,,the ,,hypothesis ,,of ,,creation ,,by ,,law1 #bhe ,,lecture ,x4 ,,special ,,and ,,miraculous ,,providence1 #cbg ,,lecture ,,xi4 ,,the ,,future ,,condition ,,and ,,destiny ,,of ,,the ,,earth1 #cgj ,,lecture ,,xii4 ,,the ,,telegraphic ,,system ,,of ,,the ,,universe1 #dji ,,lecture ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,vast ,,plans ,,of ,,jehovah1 #dde ,,lecture ,,xiv4 ,,scientific ,,truth1 ,,rightly ,,applied1 ,,is ,,religious ,,truth1 #dgf ,,the ,,religion ,,of ,,geology4 ,,lecture ,i4 ,,revelation ,,illustrated ,,by ,,science4 ,the leading object1 which ,i propose in the course of lectures which ,i now commence1 is to develop the relations between geology and religion4 ,this cannot be done fully and fairly1 however1 without exhibiting also many of the religious bearings of several other sciences4 ,i shall1 therefore1 feel justified in drawing illustrations and arguments from any department of human knowledge which may afford them4 ,i place geology first and most conspicuous on the list1 because ,i know of no other branch of physical science so prolific in its religious applications4 ,in treating of this subject1 ,i shall first exhibit the relations between science and revealed religion1 and afterwards between science and natural religion2 though in a few cases these two great branches cannot be kept entirely distinct4 ,geology is usually regarded as having only an unfavorable bearing upon revealed religion2 and writers are generally satisfied if they can reconcile apparent discrepancies4 ,but ,i regard this as an unfair representation2 for if geology1 or any other science1 proves to us that we have not fairly understood the meaning of any passage of ,scripture1 it merely illustrates1 but does not oppose1 revelation4 ,a fundamental principle of ,protestant ,christianity is1 that the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments are the only infallible standard of religious truth2 and ,i desire to hold up this principle prominently at the outset1 as one to which ,i cordially subscribe4 ,the mass of evidence in favor of the divine inspiration of the ,bible is too great to be set aside by any thing short of scientific demonstration4 ,were the ,scriptures to teach that the whole is not equal to its parts1 the mind could not1 indeed1 believe it4 ,but if it taught a truth which was only contrary to the probable deductions of science1 science1 ,i say1 must yield to ,scripture2 for it would be more reasonable to doubt the probabilities of a single science1 than the various and most satisfactory evidence on which revelation rests4 ,i do not believe that even the probabilities of any science are in collision with ,scripture4 ,but the supposition is made to show how strong are my convictions of the evidence and paramount authority of the ,bible4 ,but does it follow1 from these positions1 that science can throw no light upon the truths of ,scripture8 ,by no means2 and it will be my leading object1 in this lecture1 to show how this may be done by science in general1 and by geology in particular4 ,in discussing this subject1 we ought to bear in mind the object of science1 and the object of revelation4 ,and by the term science ,i refer mainly to physical science4 ,its grand aim is1 by an induction from facts1 to discover the laws by which the material universe is governed4 ,those laws do1 indeed1 lead the mind almost necessarily to their divine ,author4 ,but this is rather the incidental than the direct result of scientific investigations1 and belongs rather to natural theology than to natural science4 ,on the other hand1 the exclusive object of revelation is of a moral character4 ,it is a development of the divine character and the divine government2 especially that part of it which discloses a plan for the reconciliation of a lost and wicked world to the favor of ,god by the death of his ,son4 ,every other subject mentioned in ,scripture is incidental1 and would not have been noticed had it not some connection with the plan of salvation4 ,the creation of the world and the ,noachian deluge1 for instance1 are intimately related to the divine character and government1 and therefore they are described2 and the same is true of the various phenomena of nature which are touched upon in the ,bible4 ,if these positions be correct1 it follows1 that as we ought not to expect to find the doctrines of religion in treatises on science1 so it is unreasonable to look for the principles of philosophy in the ,bible4 ,nay1 we ought not to expect to find the terms used by the ,sacred writers employed in their strict scientific sense1 but in their popular acceptation4 ,indeed1 as the ,scriptures were generally addressed to men in the earliest and most simple states of society1 with very limited views of the extent of creation1 we ought to suppose that1 in all cases where no new fact is revealed1 the language was adapted to the narrow ideas which then prevailed4 ,when1 for instance1 the sacred writers speak of the rising and setting of the sun1 we cannot suppose they used language with astronomical correctness1 but only according to appearances4 ,hence we ought not to be very confident1 that when they employ the term earth1 they meant that spherical1 vast globe which astronomy proves the earth to be1 but rather that part of it which was inhabited1 which was all the idea that entered into the mind of a ,jew4 ,god might1 indeed1 have revealed new scientific as well as religious truth4 ,but there is no evidence that in this way he has anticipated a single modern discovery4 ,this would have been turning aside from the much more important object he had in view1 viz41 to teach the world religious truth4 ,such being the case1 the language employed to describe natural phenomena must have been adapted to the state of knowledge among the people to whom the ,scriptures were addressed4 ,another inference from these premises is1 that there may be an apparent contradiction between the statements of science and revelation4 ,revelation may describe phenomena according to apparent truth1 as when it speaks of the rising and setting of the sun1 and the immobility of the earth2 but science describes the same according to the actual truth1 as when it gives a real motion to the earth1 and only an apparent motion to the heavens4 ,had the language of revelation been scientifically accurate1 it would have defeated the object for which the ,scriptures were given2 for it must have anticipated scientific discovery1 and therefore have been unintelligible to those ignorant of such discoveries4 ,or if these had been explained by inspiration1 the ,bible would have become a text-book in natural science1 rather than a guide to eternal life4 ,the final conclusion from these principles is1 that since science and revelation treat of the same subjects only incidentally1 we ought only to expect that the facts of science1 rightly understood1 should not contradict the statements of revelation1 correctly interpreted4 ,apparent discrepancies there may be2 and it would not be strange1 if for a time they should seem to be real2 either because science has not fully and accurately disclosed the facts1 or the ,bible is not correctly interpreted2 but if both records are from ,god1 there can be no real contradiction between them4 ,but1 on the other hand1 we have no reason to expect any remarkable coincidences1 because the general subject and object of the two records are so unlike4 ,should such coincidences occur1 however1 they will render it less probable that any apparent disagreement is real4 ,if the positions taken in these preliminary remarks be correct1 it will follow1 that in judging of the agreement or disagreement between revelation and science1 it is important1 in the first place1 that we rightly understand the ,bible2 and1 in the second place1 that we carefully ascertain what are the settled and demonstrated principles of science4 ,an examination of these points will constitute the remainder of this lecture4 ,the meaning of the ,scriptures is to be determined in the same way as the meaning of any other book written in similar circumstances4 ,its inspiration puts no bar in the way of the most rigid application of the rules of criticism1 nor renders it unnecessary to seek for light in whatever quarter it can be obtained4 ,the rules of grammatical and rhetorical construction1 the study of contemporary writers1 a knowledge of the history1 customs1 opinions1 and prejudices of the times1 and other circumstances that need not be mentioned1 become important means of attaining the true usus loquendi1 or principle of interpretation4 ,but ,i pass by all these on the present occasion1 because no one doubts their importance in rightly understanding the ,bible4 ,i maintain that scientific discoveries furnish us with another means of its correct interpretation1 where it describes natural phenomena4 ,and in this position we shall not probably find an entire unanimity of opinion4 ,let us1 therefore1 proceed to examine its truth4 ,it will not be denied that modern science has corrected the opinions of men in regard to very many natural phenomena4 ,the same term that conveyed one idea to an ancient reader1 or hearer1 of the ,bible1 often conveys an opposite meaning to a modern ear4 ,and yet that term may be very proper to use in modern times1 if understood to express only apparent1 and not real truth4 ,the ,jew understood it to mean the latter2 and it would seem as if we might employ modern scientific discovery to enable us to decide in which sense the ,bible did use the term4 ,for if we admit the ,jew to have been correct in his interpretation1 then we bring revelation into direct collision with the demonstrations of physics4 ,but facts are vastly more satisfactory in deciding this question than reasoning1 and ,i shall now proceed to adduce some examples in which modern scientific discovery has thrown light upon the meaning of the ,bible4 ,for one or two examples ,i appeal to chemistry4 ,in the book of ,proverbs1 7chap4 #be1 v4 #bj17 we find it said1 that as vinegar upon nitre1 so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart4 ,we should expect from this statement that when we put vinegar upon what we call nitre1 it would produce some commotion analogous to the excitement of song-singing4 ,but we should try the experiment in vain2 for no effect whatever would be produced4 ,again1 it is said by the prophet ,jeremiah1 7chap4 #b1 v4 #bb17 ,though thou wash thee with nitre1 and take thee much soap1 yet thine iniquity is marked before me1 saith the ,lord4 ,here1 too1 we should expect that the use of the nitre would increase the purifying power of the soap2 but the experiment would prove rather the reverse4 ,the chemist1 however1 informs us that there is a substance1 viz41 the carbonate of soda1 which1 if substituted for the nitre1 would effervesce with vinegar1 and aid the purifying power of soap1 and thus strikingly illustrate the thought both of ,solomon and ,jeremiah4 ,and on recurring to the original1 we find that ,hebrew 7nether1 nitrum1 natrum7 does not necessarily mean the salt which we call nitre1 but rather a fossil alkali1 the natron of the ancients1 and the carbonate of soda of the moderns4 ,it is probably the prevailing opinion among intelligent ,christians at this time1 and has been the opinion of many commentators1 that when ,peter describes the future destruction of the world1 he means that its solid substance1 and indeed that of the whole material universe1 will be utterly consumed or annihilated by fire4 ,this opinion rests upon the common belief that such is the effect of combustion4 ,but chemistry informs us1 that no case of combustion1 how fiercely soever the fire may rage1 annihilates the least particle of matter2 and that fire only changes the form of substances4 ,nay1 there is no reason whatever to suppose that one particle of matter has been annihilated since the world began4 ,the chemist moreover asserts that all the solid parts of the globe have already undergone combustion1 and that although heat may melt them1 it cannot burn them4 ,nor is there any thing upon or within the earth capable of combustion1 but vegetables1 and animals1 and a few gases4 ,has ,peter1 then1 made a mistake because he did not understand modern chemistry8 ,we have only to examine his language carefully1 as it seems to me1 in order to be satisfied that he means only1 that whatsoever upon1 or within1 the earth1 is combustible1 will be burned up at the final conflagration2 and that the whole globe1 the elements1 will melt with fervent heat4 ,he nowhere asserts1 or implies1 that one particle of matter will be annihilated by that catastrophe4 ,thus science1 instead of proving his statements to be erroneous1 only enables us more correctly to understand them4 ,scarcely any truth seems more clearly taught in the ,bible than the future resurrection of the body4 ,yet this doctrine has always been met by a most formidable objection4 ,it is said that the body laid in the grave is ere long decomposed into its elements1 which are scattered over the face of the earth1 and enter into new combinations1 even forming a part of other human bodies4 ,hence not even ,omnipotence can raise from the grave the identical body laid there1 because the particles may enter successively into a multitude of other human bodies4 ,i am not aware that any successful reply has ever been given to this objection1 until chemistry and natural history taught us the true nature of bodily identity2 and until recently the objector has felt sure that he had triumphed4 ,but these sciences teach us that the identity of the body consists1 not in a sameness of particles1 but in the same kinds of elementary matter1 combined in the same proportion1 and having the same form and structure4 ,hence it is not necessary that the resurrection body should contain a single particle of the matter laid in the grave1 in order to be the same body2 which it will be if it consist of the same kinds of matter combined in the same proportions1 and has the same form and structure4 ,for the particles of our bodies are often totally changed during our lives2 yet no one imagines that the old man has not the same body as in infancy4#b ,what but the principles of science could have thus vindicated a precious doctrine of revelation8 ,in the description which ,paul gives of the spiritual body1 a naturalist1--and ,i fancy no one but a naturalist1--will discover its specific identity4 ,by this ,i mean that it will possess peculiarities that distinguish it from every thing else1 but which are so closely related to the characteristics of the natural body in this world1 from which it was derived1 that one acquainted with the latter would recognize the former4 ,hence the ,christian's friends in another world may be recognized by him from their external characters1 just as we identify the plants and animals of spring with those that seemed to perish in the preceding autumn4 ,there is neither time nor room for the proof of this exegesis1 which is founded chiefly upon the principles of natural history2 but for their elucidation1 ,i must refer to another place4#c ,i take my next example from meteorology4 ,it was the opinion of the ancients that the earth1 at a certain height1 was surrounded by a transparent hollow sphere of solid matter1 which they called the firmament4 ,when rain descended1 they supposed it was through windows1 or holes1 made in this crystalline curtain suspended in mid heaven4 ,to these notions the language of the ,bible is frequently conformed4 ,in the account of the creation1 in ,genesis1 we have a description of the formation of this firmament1 and how it divided the waters below it1 viz41 the ocean1 lakes1 and rivers1 from the waters above it1 viz41 the clouds4 ,again1 in the account of the deluge1 the windows of heaven are said to have been opened4 ,but it is hardly necessary to say1 that meteorology has shown that no such solid firmament exists over our heads2 that1 in fact1 nothing but one homogeneous1 transparent atmosphere encloses the earth1 in which the clouds float at different altitudes at different times4 ,are we1 then1 to suppose that the sacred writers meant to teach as certain truth1 the fiction of a solid firmament2 or that on this subject they conformed their language to the prevailing belief1 because it was not their object to teach philosophy1 meaning neither to assert nor to deny the existence of a solid firmament1 but using language that was optically1 although not physically1 correct1 and which1 therefore1 conformed to the general belief8 ,it is doubtful whether any thing but scientific discovery could enable us to decide this question4 ,but since it is certain that the solid firmament does not exist1 we must admit that the ,bible did not intend to teach its existence1 or allow it to teach a falsehood2 and since we know that it does often speak1 in natural things1 according to apparent1 and not real truth1 it is most reasonable to give such a construction to its language in the present instance4 ,but the most decisive example ,i have to give on this subject is derived from astronomy4 ,until the time of ,copernicus1 no opinion respecting natural phenomena was thought more firmly established1 than that the earth is fixed immovably in the centre of the universe1 and that the heavenly bodies move diurnally around it4 ,to sustain this view1 the most decided language of ,scripture could be quoted4 ,god is there said to have established the foundations of the earth1 so that they could not be removed forever2 and the sacred writers expressly declare that the sun and other heavenly bodies arise and set1 and nowhere allude to any proper motion in the earth4 ,and those statements corresponded exactly to the testimony of the senses4 ,men felt the earth to be immovably firm under their feet1 and when they looked up1 they saw the heavenly bodies in motion4 ,what bold impiety1 therefore1 did it seem1 even to men of liberal and enlightened minds1 for any one to rise up and assert that all this testimony of the ,bible and of the senses was to be set aside6 ,it is easy to conceive with what strong jealousy the friends of the ,bible would look upon the new science which was thus arraying itself in bold defiance of inspiration1 and how its votaries would be branded as infidels in disguise4 ,we need not resort to ,catholic intolerance to explain how it was1 that the new doctrine of the earth's motion should be denounced as the most fatal heresy1 as alike contrary to ,scripture and sound philosophy1 and that even the venerable ,galileo should be forced to recant it upon his knees4 ,what though the astronomer stood ready with his diagrams and formulas to demonstrate the motion of the earth2 who would calmly and impartially examine the claims of a scientific discovery1 which1 by its very announcement1 threw discredit upon the ,bible and the senses1 and contradicted the unanimous opinion of the wise and good1--of all mankind1 indeed1--through all past centuries8 ,rather would the distinguished theologians of the day set their ingenuity at work to frame an argument in opposition to the dangerous neology1 that should fall upon it like an avalanche1 and grind it to powder4 ,and to show you how firm and irresistible such an argument would seem1 we need no longer tax the imagination2 for ,francis ,turretin1 a distinguished ,protestant professor of theology1 whose writings have even to the present day sustained no mean reputation1 has left us an argument on the subject1 compacted and arranged according to the nicest rules of logic1 and which he supposed would stand unrefuted as long as the authority of the ,bible should be regarded among men4 ,he propounds the inquiry1 ,do the sun and moon move in the heavens and revolve around the earth1 while the earth remains at rest8 ,this he affirms1 in opposition to certain philosophers1 and sustains his position by the following arguments3 ,first4 ,the sun is said in ,scripture to move in the heavens1 and to rise and set4 7,ps4 #ai1 v4 #e47 ,the sun is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber1 and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race4 7,ps4 #ajd1 v4 #ai47 ,the sun knoweth his going down4 7,eccles4 #a1 v4 #e47 ,the sun also ariseth1 and the sun goeth down4 ,secondly4 ,the sun1 by a miracle1 stood still in the time of ,joshua4 7,joshua1 ch4 #aj1 v4 #ab1 #ac1 #ad17 and by a miracle it went back in the time of ,hezekiah4 7,isa4 ch4 #ch1 v4 #h47 ,thirdly4 ,the earth is said to be fixed immovably4 7,ps4 #ic1 v4 #a47 ,the world also is established1 that it cannot be moved4 7,ps4 #ajd1 v4 #e47 ,who laid the foundations of the earth1 that it should not be removed forever4 7,ps4 #aai1 v4 #ij1 #ia47 ,thou hast established the earth1 and it abideth4 ,they continue this day according to thine ordinances4 ,fourthly4 ,neither could birds1 which often fly off through an hour's circuit1 be able to return to their nests2 for in the mean time the earth would move four hundred and fifty of our miles4 ,fifthly4 ,whatever flies or is suspended in the air ought by this theory to move from west to east2 but this is proved not to be true from birds1 arrows shot forth1 atoms made manifest in the sun1 and down floating in the atmosphere4 ,if it be replied to this reasoning that the ,scripture1 in natural things1 speaks according to the common opinion1 ,turretin answers1 ,first1 that the spirit of ,god best understands natural things2 secondly1 that1 in giving instruction in religion1 he meant these things should be used1 not abused2 thirdly1 that he is not the author of any error2 fourthly1 neither is he to be corrected on this pretence by our blind reason4 ,if it be replied that birds1 the air1 and all things are moved with the earth1 he answers1 ,first1 that this is a mere fiction1 since air is a fluid body2 and secondly1 if so1 by what force would birds be able to go from east to west4--,compendium ,theologicae ,didactico-,elencticae1 7,amsterdam1 #afie47 ,in the present state of knowledge we may smile at some of these arguments2 but to men who had been taught to believe1 as in a self-evident principle1 that the earth was immovable and the heavenly bodies in motion1 the most of them must have been entirely satisfactory2 and especially must the ,scriptures have seemed in point blank opposition to the astronomical heresy4 ,what1 then1 has so completely annihilated this argument1 that now the merest schoolboy would be ashamed to advocate it8 ,the clear demonstrations of science have done it4 ,not only has the motion of the earth been established1 but it has been made equally obvious that this truth is in entire harmony with the language of ,scripture2 so that neither the infidel nor the ,christian ever suspect1 on this ground1 any collision between the two records4 ,so soon as the philologist perceived that there was no escape from the astronomical demonstration1 he was led to reexamine his interpretation of ,scripture1 and found that the whole difficulty lay in his assuming that the sacred writers intended to teach scientific instead of popular truth4 ,only admitting that they spoke of astronomical phenomena1 according to appearances and in conformity to common opinion1 and their language became perfectly proper4 ,it conveyed no error1 and is in fact as well adapted now as ever to the common intercourse of life4 ,yet1 in consequence of the scientific discovery1 that language conveys quite a different meaning to our minds from what it did to those who supposed it to teach a scientific truth4 ,hence it strikingly illustrates the value of scientific discovery in enabling us rightly to understand the ,bible4 ,is it necessary to quote any more examples to establish the principle that scientific discovery is one of the means which the philologist should employ in the interpretation of ,scripture8 ,and if the principle has been found of service in chemistry1 meteorology1 and astronomy1 why should it be neglected in the case of geology8 ,why should not this science also1 which has probably more important religious bearings than any other1 be appealed to in illustration of the meaning of ,scripture1 when phenomena are described of which geology takes cognizance8 ,i know that some will reply1 that the principles of geology are yet too unsettled to be allowed to modify the interpretation of the ,bible4 ,this brings me to the second part of my subject1 in which ,i am to inquire whether the principles of physical science1 and of geology in particular1 are so far settled that we can feel ourselves upon firm ground as we compare them with the principles of revelation4 ,before proceeding to this part of the subject1 however1 ,i must pause a moment1 in order to point out another mode1 in which science may contribute to elucidate ,scripture4 ,in the way just described1 it may enable the interpreter more correctly to understand the language1 but it may also give a fuller illustration to the sentiments of the ,bible4 ,revelation1 for instance1 represents ,god as benevolent4 ,now1 if we can derive from the records of geology striking and hitherto unthought-of manifestations of this attribute1 we shall make the doctrine of ,scripture more impressive2 or1 if we appeal to the numerous changes which the earth has undergone1 and the vast periods which they have occupied1 we find that the unsearchableness of divine wisdom1 and the vastness of the divine plans1 are brought more vividly before the mind1 and task its power of comprehension more than illustrations from any other quarter4 ,in short1 the principles of religion that derive important elucidation from science1 and especially from geology1 are very numerous1 as ,i hope to show in subsequent lectures4 ,but ,i now return to the inquiry1 whether the principles of science1 and especially of geology1 are so well settled that we can employ them in this manner4 ,as to the more mathematical sciences1 there will be no one to doubt but some of their principles must be admitted as infallible truth2 for our minds are so constituted that they are incapable of resisting a fair presentation of mathematical demonstration4 ,now1 there is scarcely any physical science that is not based more or less upon mathematical truth2 and as to the facts in those sciences1 some of them are so multiplied1 and speak so uniformly the same language1 that we doubt them no more than we do a mathematical demonstration4 ,other classes of facts are less decided2 and in some cases they are so insulated as to be regarded as anomalies1 to be set aside until better understood4 ,the same grades of certainty exist in respect to inferences from the facts of science4 ,some theories are scarcely less doubtful than mathematics2 others are as strong as probable reasoning can make them2 and others are merely plausible4 ,hypotheses are still less to be trusted1 though sometimes extremely probable4 ,now1 most of the physical sciences embrace facts1 theories1 and hypotheses1 that range widely along the scale of probability1 from decided demonstration to ingenious conjecture4 ,it is easy1 however1 in general1 to distinguish the demonstrated and the permanent from the conjectural and the fanciful2 and when we bring the principles of any science into comparison with religion1 it is chiefly the former that should be considered1 although scientific hypothesis may sometimes be made to illustrate religious hypothesis4 ,but1 passing by all other sciences1 it is my desire to present before you1 on this occasion1 the claims of geology1 as having fundamental principles so well settled that they claim attention from the interpreter of the ,bible4 ,i ought1 however1 to remark1 that there exists a strange jealousy of this science even among intelligent men2 a suspicion that its votaries have jumped at strange and dangerous conclusions through the influence of hypothesis1 and that in fact the whole science is little else but hypothesis1 and that there is almost no agreement even among its ablest cultivators4 ,it is indeed a comparatively recent science1 and its remarkable developments have succeeded one another so rapidly1 as to leave men in doubt whether it would not prove a dazzling meteor1 instead of a steady and permanent luminary4 ,when the men who are now in the full maturity of judgment and reason1 7and whose favorable opinion ,i am1 therefore1 anxious above that of all others to secure17 when these were young1 geology did not constitute a branch of finished education2 and amid the pressure of the cares and duties of middle life1 how few find the leisure1 to say nothing of the disposition1 carefully to investigate a new and extensive science6 ,even though younger men should be found standing forth as the advocates of geology1 yet how natural for those more advanced to impute this to the ardor and love of novelty1 characteristic of youth6 ,there is another difficulty1 in relation to this subject1 that embarrasses me4 ,it is not even yet generally understood that geology is a branch of knowledge which requires long and careful study fully to understand2 that a previous knowledge of many other sciences is indispensable in order to comprehend its reasonings2 that its reasonings are in fact1 for the most part1 to be mastered only by long and patient consideration2 and finally1 and more especially1 that they will appear inconclusive and feeble1 unless a man has become somewhat familiar with specimens of rocks and fossils1 and has examined strata as they lie in the earth4 ,how very imperfect must be the most intelligent man's knowledge of botany1 who had never examined any plants2 or of chemistry1 who had not seen any of the simple substances1 nor experiments upon them in the laboratory2 or of crystallography1 whose eyes had perhaps never rested upon a crystal4 ,no less important is it that he1 who would reason correctly about rocks and their organic contents1 should have studied rocks4 ,but upon such an amount of knowledge it is no disparagement to say we have no right to presume in all1 even of publicly educated men4 ,before such a state of preparation can exist1 it is necessary that practical geology1 at least1 should be introduced into our schools of every grade1 as it might be with great success4 ,it ought to be mentioned1 in this connection1 that1 within a few years past1 geology has experienced several severe attacks of a peculiar character4 ,men of respectable ability1 and decided friends of revelation1 having got fully impressed with the belief that the views of geologists are hostile to the ,bible1 have set themselves to an examination of their writings1 not so much with a view of understanding the subject1 as of finding contradictions and untenable positions4 ,the next step has been to write a book against geology1 abounding1 as we might expect from men of warm temperament1 of such prejudices1 and without a practical knowledge of geology1 with striking misapprehensions of facts and opinions1 with positive and dogmatic assertions1 with severe personal insinuations1 great ignorance of correct reasoning in geology1 and the substitution of wild and extravagant hypotheses for geological theories4 ,hence ,english literature has been prolific of such works as ,a ,comparative ,estimate of the ,mineral and ,mosaic ,geologies1 by ,granville ,penn2 the ,geology of ,scripture1 by ,fairholme2 ,scriptural ,geology1 by ,dr4 ,young2 ,popular ,geology subversive of ,divine ,revelation1 by ,rev4 ,henry ,cole2 ,strictures on ,geology and ,astronomy1 by ,rev4 ,r4 ,wilson2 ,scripture ,evidences of ,creation1 and ,geology1 and ,scripture ,cosmogony1 by anonymous authors2 and many other similar productions that might be named4 ,the warm zeal displayed1 and doubtless felt1 by these writers for the ,bible2 their familiar reference to eminent geological authors1 as if they understood them2 the skill in philology1 which they frequently exhibit2 and the want of a wide-spread and accurate knowledge of geology in the community1--have given to these works a far more extensive circulation than those works have had1 which view geology as illustrating and not opposing revelation4 ,foremost among these is the lectures of the venerable and learned ,dr4 ,john ,pye ,smith1 late principal of the ,homerton ,divinity ,college1 ,london1 ,on the ,relations between the ,holy ,scriptures and some ,parts of ,geological ,science4#d ,this work1 the result of long and patient research1 and emanating from a man of eminent piety as well as learning1 affords a full refutation of all the works that have been named1 and in the kindness and candor of its spirit exhibits a fine contrast to their intolerance and dogmatism4 ,in the profound works of ,dr4 ,harris1 entitled ,the ,pre-,adamite ,earth1 and ,man ,primeval1 the connections of geology and revelation are briefly but ably treated1 and also its connection with natural religion4 ,quite recently1 a small and more popular work on this subject has been published by ,rev4 ,david ,king1 ,,ll4 ,d41 of ,glasgow1 well worthy of attention4 ,the ,course of ,creation1 by ,rev4 ,john ,anderson1 ,d4,d4 of recent publication1 displays much learning and candor4 ,but the causes that have been mentioned have secured a much wider circulation for the class of works first named1 than for the latter1 among the religious community generally4 ,the consequence is1 that the public mind is possessed of many prejudices unfavorable to the religious bearings of geology1 and unfavorable to an impartial examination of its claims4 ,under these circumstances1 all that ,i can do is to state definitely what ,i apprehend to be the established principles of the science that have a bearing upon religious truth1 and refer my hearers to standard works on the subject for the proof that they are true4 ,if any will not take the trouble to examine the proofs1 ,i trust they will have candor and impartiality enough not to deny my positions4 ,the first important conclusion1 to which every careful observer will come1 is1 that the rocks of all sorts1 which compose the present crust of the globe1 so far as it has been explored1 at least to the depth of several miles1 appear to have been the result of second causes2 that is1 they are now in a different state from that in which they were originally created4 ,it is indeed a favorite idea with some1 that all the rocks and their contents were created just as we now meet them1 in a moment of time2 that the supposed remains of animals and plants1 which many of them contain1 and which occur in all states1 from an animal or plant little changed1 to a complete conversion into stone1 were never real animals and plants1 but only resemblances2 and that the marks of fusion and of the wearing of water1 exhibited by the rocks1 are not to be taken as evidences that they have undergone such processes1 but only that it has pleased ,god to give them that appearance and that in fact it was as easy for ,god to create them just as they now are as in any other form4 ,it is a presumption against such a supposition1 that no men1 who have carefully examined rocks and organic remains1 are its advocates4 ,not that they doubt the power of ,god to produce such effects1 but they deny the probability that ,he has exerted it in this manner2 for throughout nature1 wherever they have an opportunity to witness her operations1 they find that when substances appear to have undergone changes1 by means of secondary agencies1 they have in fact undergone them2 and1 therefore1 the whole analogy of nature goes to prove that the rocks have experienced great changes since their deposition4 ,if rocks are an exception to the rest of nature1--that is1 if they are the effect of miraculous agency1--there is no proof of it2 and to admit it without proof is to destroy all grounds of analogical reasoning in natural operations2 in other words1 it is to remove the entire basis of reasoning in physical science4 ,every reasonable man1 therefore1 who has examined rocks1 will admit that they have undergone important changes since their original formation4 ,in the second place1 the same general laws appear to have always prevailed on the globe1 and to have controlled the changes which have taken place upon and within it4 ,we come to no spot1 in the history of the rocks1 in which a system different from that which now prevails appears to have existed4 ,great peculiarities in the structure of animals and plants do indeed occur1 as well as changes on a scale of magnitude unknown at present2 but this was only a wise adaptation to peculiar circumstances1 and not an infringement of the general laws4 ,in the third place1 the geological changes which the earth has undergone1 and is now undergoing1 appear to have been the result of the same agencies1 viz41 heat and water4 ,fourthly4 ,it is demonstrated that the present continents of the globe1 with perhaps the exception of some of their highest mountains1 have for a long period constituted the bottom of the ocean1 and have been subsequently either elevated into their present position1 or the waters have been drained off from their surface4 ,this is probably the most important principle in geology2 and though regarded with much scepticism by many1 it is as satisfactorily proved as any principle of physical science not resting on mathematical demonstration4 ,fifthly4 ,the internal parts of the earth are found to possess a very high temperature2 nor can it be doubted that at least oceans of melted matter exist beneath the crust1 and perhaps even all the deep-seated interior is in a state of fusion4 ,sixthly4 ,the fossiliferous rocks1 or such as contain animals and plants1 are not less than six or seven miles in perpendicular thickness1 and are composed of hundreds of alternating layers of different kinds1 all of which appear to have been deposited1 just as rocks are now forming1 at the bottom of lakes and seas2 and hence their deposition must have occupied an immense period of time4 ,even if we admit that this deposition went on in particular places much faster than at present1 a variety of facts forbids the supposition that this was the general mode of their formation4 ,seventhly4 ,the remains of animals and plants found in the earth are not mingled confusedly together1 but are found arranged1 for the most part1 in as much order as the drawers of a well-regulated cabinet4 ,in general1 they appear to have lived and died on or near the spots where they are now found2 and as countless millions of these remains are often found piled together1 so as to form almost entire mountains1 the periods requisite for their formation must have been immensely long1 as was taught in the preceding proposition4 ,eighthly4 ,still further confirmation of the same important principle is found in the well-established fact1 that there have been upon the globe1 previous to the existing races1 not less than five distinct periods of organized existence2 that is1 five great groups of animals and plants1 so completely independent that no species whatever is found in more than one of them1 have lived and successively passed away before the creation of the races that now occupy the surface4 ,other standard writers make the number of these periods of existence as many as twelve4 ,comparative anatomy testifies that so unlike in structure were these different groups1 that they could not have coexisted in the same climate and other external circumstances4 ,ninthly4 ,in the earliest times in which animals and plants lived1 the climate over the whole globe appears to have been as warm as1 or even warmer than1 it is now between the tropics4 ,and the slow change from warmer to colder appears to have been the chief cause of the successive destruction of the different races2 and new ones were created1 better adapted to the altered condition of the globe2 and yet each group seems to have occupied the globe through a period of great length1 so that we have here another evidence of the vast cycles of duration that must have rolled away even since the earth became a habitable globe4 ,tenthly4 ,there is no small reason to suppose that the globe underwent numerous changes previous to the time when animals were placed upon it2 that1 in fact1 the time was when the whole matter of the earth was in a melted state1 and not improbably also even in a gaseous state4 ,these points1 indeed1 are not as well established as the others that have been mentioned2 but1 if admitted1 they give to the globe an incalculable antiquity4 ,eleventhly4 ,it appears that the present condition of the earth's crust and surface was of comparatively recent commencement2 otherwise the steep flanks of mountains would have ceased to crumble down1 and wide oceans would have been filled with alluvial deposits4 ,twelfthly4 ,among the thirty thousand species of animals and plants found in the rocks1#e very few living species have been detected2 and even these few occur in the most recent rocks1 while in the secondary group1 not less than six miles thick1 not a single species now on the globe has been discovered4 ,hence the present races did not exist till after those in the secondary rocks had died4 ,no human remains have been found below those alluvial deposits which are now forming by rivers1 lakes1 and the ocean4 ,hence geology infers that man was one of the latest animals that was placed on the globe4 ,thirteenthly4 ,the surface of the earth has undergone an enormous amount of erosion by the action of the ocean1 the rivers1 and the atmosphere4 ,the ocean has worn away the solid rock1 in some parts of the world1 not less than ten thousand feet in depth1 and rivers have cut channels through the hardest strata1 hundreds of feet deep and several miles long2 both of which effects demand periods inconceivably long4 ,fourteenthly4 ,at a comparatively recent date1 northern and southern regions have been swept over and worn down by the joint action of ice and water1 the force in general having been directed towards the equator4 ,this is called the drift period4 ,fifteenthly4 ,since the drift period1 the ocean has stood some thousands of feet above its present level in many countries4 ,sixteenthly4 ,there is evidence1 in regard to some parts of the world1 that the continents are now experiencing slow vertical movements--some places sinking1 and others rising4 ,and hence a presumption is derived that1 in early times1 such changes may have been often repeated1 and on a great scale4 ,seventeenthly4 ,every successive change of importance on the earth's surface appears to have been an improvement of its condition1 adapting it to beings of a higher organization1 and to man at last1 the most perfect of all4 ,finally4 ,the present races of animals and plants on the globe are for the most part disposed in groups1 occupying particular districts1 beyond whose limits the species peculiar to those provinces usually droop and die4 ,the same is true1 to some extent1 as to the animals and plants found in the rocks2 though the much greater uniformity of climate1 that prevailed in early times1 permitted organized beings to take a much wider range than at present2 so that the zoological and botanical districts were then probably much wider4 ,but the general conclusion1 in respect to living and extinct animals1 is1 that there must have been several centres of creation1 from which they emigrated as far as their natures would allow them to range4 ,it would be easy to state more principles of geology of considerable importance2 but ,i have now named the principal ones that bear upon the subject of religion4 ,a brief statement of the leading truths of theology1 whether natural or revealed1 which these principles affect1 and on which they cast light1 will give an idea of the subjects which ,i propose to discuss in these lectures4 ,the first point relates to the age of the world4 ,for while it has been the usual interpretation of the ,mosaic account1 that the world was brought into existence nearly at the same time with man and the other existing animals1 geology throws back its creation to a period indefinitely but immeasurably remote4 ,the question is not whether man has existed on the globe longer than the common interpretation of ,genesis requires1--for here geology and the ,bible speak the same language1--but whether the globe itself did not exist long before his creation2 that is1 long before the six days' work1 so definitely described in the ,mosaic account8 ,in other words1 is not this a case in which the discoveries of science enable us more accurately to understand the ,scriptures8 ,the introduction of death into the world1 and the specific character of that death described in ,scripture as the consequence of sin1 are the next points where geology touches the subject of religion4 ,here1 too1 the general interpretation of ,scripture is at variance with the facts of geology1 which distinctly testify to the occurrence of death among animals long before the existence of man4 ,shall geology here1 also1 be permitted to modify our exposition of the ,bible8 ,the subject of deluges1 and especially that of ,noah1 will next claim our attention4 ,for though it is now generally agreed that geology cannot detect traces of such a deluge as the ,scriptures describe1 yet upon some other bearings of that subject it does cast light2 and so remarkable is the history of opinions concerning the ,noachian deluge1 that it could not on that account alone be properly passed in silence4 ,it is well known that the philosophy of antiquity1 almost without exception1 regarded matter as eternal2 and in modern times1 metaphysical theology has done its utmost to refute the supposed dangerous dogma4 ,geology affords us some new views of the subject2 and although it does not directly refute the doctrine1 it brings before us facts of such a nature as to show1 that1 so far as religion is concerned1 such a refutation is of little importance4 ,this will furnish another theme of discussion4 ,it may be thought extravagant1 but ,i hazard the assertion1 that no science is so prolific of direct testimony to the benevolence of the ,deity as geology2 and some of its facts bear strongly upon the objections to this doctrine4 ,so important a subject will1 therefore1 occupy at least one or two lectures4 ,in all ages1 philosophers have1 in one form or another1 endeavored to explain the origin and the phenomena of creation by a power inherent in nature1 independent of a personal ,deity1 usually denominated natural law4 ,and in modern times this hypothesis has assumed a popular form and a plausible dress4 ,not less than one lecture is demanded for its examination1 especially as its advocates appeal with special confidence to geology for its support4 ,in existing nature1 no one fact stands out more prominently than unity of design2 and it is an interesting inquiry1 whether the same general system prevailed through the vast periods of geological history as that which now adorns our globe4 ,this question ,i shall endeavor to answer in the affirmative1 by appealing to a multitude of facts4 ,another question of deep interest in theology is1 whether the ,deity exercises over the world any special providence2 whether he ever interferes with the usual order of things by introducing change2 or whether he has committed nature to the control of unalterable laws1 without any direct efficiency4 ,light is thrown on these points by the researches of geology1 if ,i mistake not2 and ,i shall not fail to attempt its development4 ,this science also discloses to us many new views of the vast plans of the ,deity1 and thus enlarges our conceptions of his wisdom and knowledge4 ,in this field we must allow ourselves to wander in search of the golden fruit4 ,in the course of the discussion1 we shall direct our attention to the new heavens and the new earth described in the ,bible1 and inquire whether geology does not cast a glimpse of light upon that difficult subject4 ,in approaching the close of our subject1 we shall introduce a few lectures having a wider range1 and deriving less elucidation from geology than from other sciences4 ,one is a consideration of the physical effects of human actions upon the universe4 ,and in conclusion of the whole subject1 we shall endeavor to show that the bearings of all science1 when rightly understood1 are eminently favorable to religion1 both in this world and the next4 ,with a few miscellaneous inferences from the principles advanced1 ,i shall close this lecture4 ,in the first place1 we see that the points of connection between geology and religion are numerous and important4 ,a few years since1 geology1 instead of being appealed to for the illustration of religious truth1 was regarded with great jealousy1 as a repository of views favorable to infidelity1 and even to atheism4 ,but if the summary which ,i have exhibited of its religious relations be correct1 from what other science can we obtain so many illustrations of natural and revealed religion8 ,distinguished ,christian writers are beginning to gather fruit in this new field1 and the clusters already presented us by such men as ,dr4 ,chalmers1 ,dr4 ,pye ,smith1 ,dr4 ,buckland1 ,dr4 ,harris1 and ,dr4 ,king1 are an earnest of an abundant harvest4 ,i hazard the prediction that the time is not far distant when it will be said of this1 as of another noble science1 ,the undevout geologist is mad4 ,secondly4 ,i would bespeak the candid attention of those sceptical minds1 that are ever ready to imagine discrepancies between science and religion1 to the views which ,i am about to present4 ,the number of such is indeed comparatively small2 yet there are still some prepared to seize upon every new scientific fact1 before it is fully developed1 that can be made to assume the appearance of opposition to religion4 ,it is strange that they should not ere this time despair of making any serious impression upon the citadel of ,christianity4 ,for of all the numerous assaults of this kind that have been made1 not one has destroyed even an outpost of religion4 ,just so soon as the subject was fully understood1 every one of them has been abandoned2 and even the most violent unbeliever never thinks1 at the present day1 of arraying them against the ,bible4 ,one needs no prophetic inspiration to be confident that every geological objection to ,christianity1 which perhaps now and then an unbeliever of limited knowledge still employs1 will pass into the same limbo of forgetfulness4 ,finally4 ,i would throw out a caution to those friends of religion who are very fearful that the discoveries of science will prove injurious to ,christianity4 ,why should the enlightened ,christian1 who has a correct idea of the firm foundation on which the ,bible rests1 fear that any disclosures of the arcana of nature should shake its authority or weaken its influence8 ,is not the ,god of revelation the ,god of nature also8 and must not his varied works tend to sustain and elucidate1 instead of weakening and darkening1 one another8 ,has ,christianity suffered because the ,copernican system of astronomy has proved true1 or because chemistry has demonstrated that the earth is already for the most part oxidized1 and therefore cannot literally be burned hereafter8 ,just as much as gold suffers by passing through the furnace4 ,yet how many fears agitated the hearts of pious men when these scientific truths were first announced6 ,the very men who felt so strong a conviction of the truth of the ,bible1 that they were ready to go to the stake in its defence1 have trembled and uttered loud notes of warning when the votaries of science have brought out some new fact1 that seemed perhaps at first1 or when partially understood1 to contravene some statement of revelation4 ,the effect has been to make sceptical minds look with suspicion1 and sometimes with contempt1 upon ,christianity itself4 ,it has built up a wall of separation between science and religion1 which is yet hardly broken down4 ,for notwithstanding the instructive history of the past on this subject1 although every supposed discrepancy between philosophy and religion has vanished as soon as both were thoroughly understood1 yet so soon as geology began to develop her marvellous truths1 the cry of danger to religion became again the watchword1 and the precursor of a more extended and severe attack upon that science than any other has ever experienced1 and the prelude1 ,i am sorry to say1 of severe personal charges of infidelity against many an honest friend of religion4 ,in contrast to the contracted views and groundless fears that have been described1 it is refreshing to meet with such sentiments as the following1 from men eminent for learning1 and some of them veterans in theological science4 ,with these ,i close this lecture4 ,those rocks which stand forth in the order of their formation1 says ,dr4 ,chalmers1 and are each imprinted with their own peculiar fossil remains1 have been termed the archives of nature1 where she hath recorded the changes that have taken place in the history of the globe4 ,they are made to serve the purpose of scrolls or inscriptions1 on which we might read of those great steps and successions by which the earth has been brought into its present state2 and should these archives of nature be but truly deciphered1 we are not afraid of their being openly confronted with the archives of revelation4 ,it is unmanly to blink the approach of light1 from whatever quarter of observation it may fall upon us2 and those are not the best friends of ,christianity1 who feel either dislike or alarm when the torch of science1 or the torch of history1 is held up to the ,bible4 ,for ourselves1 we are not afraid when the eye of an intrepid1 if it be only a sound philosophy1 scrutinizes1 however jealously1 all its pages4 ,we have no dread of any apprehended conflict between the doctrines of ,scripture and the discoveries of science1 persuaded1 as we are1 that whatever story the geologists of our day shall find engraven on the volume of nature1 it will only accredit that story which is graven on the volume of revelation4--,chalmers's ,works1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bbg4 ,for our own part1 says ,rev4 ,henry ,melville1 we have no fears that any discoveries of science will really militate against the disclosures of ,scripture4 ,we remember how1 in darker days1 ecclesiastics set themselves against philosophers who were investigating the motions of the heavenly bodies1 apprehensive that the new theories were at variance with the ,bible1 and therefore resolved to denounce them as heresies1 and stop their spread by persecution4 ,but truth triumphed2 bigotry and ignorance could not long prevail to the hiding from the world the harmonious walkings of stars and planets2 and ever since1 the philosophy which laid open the wonders of the universe hath proved herself the handmaid of revelation1 which divulged secrets far beyond her gaze4 ,and thus1 we are persuaded1 shall it always be2 science may scale new heights and explore new depths1 but she shall bring back nothing from her daring and successful excursions which will not1 when rightly understood1 yield a fresh tribute of testimony to the ,bible4 ,infidelity may watch her progress with eagerness1 exulting in the thought that she is furnishing facts with which the ,christian system may be strongly assailed2 but the champions of revelation may confidently attend her in every march1 assured that she will find nothing which contradicts1 if it do not actually confirm1 the word which they know to be divine4--,sermons1 #b;d ,am4 edit4 vol4 ii4 p4 #bih4 ,shall it then any longer be said1 says ,dr4 ,buckland1 that a science1 which unfolds such abundant evidence of the being and attributes of ,god1 can reasonably be viewed in any other light than as the efficient auxiliary and handmaid of religion8 ,some few there still may be1 whom timidity1 or prejudice1 or want of opportunity1 allow not to examine its evidence2 who are alarmed by the novelty1 or surprised by the extent and magnitude1 of the views which geology forces on their attention1 and who would rather have kept closed the volume of witness1 which has been sealed up for ages1 beneath the surface of the earth1 than impose upon the student in natural theology the duty of studying its contents2--a duty in which1 for lack of experience1 they may anticipate a hazardous or a laborious task1 but which1 by those engaged in it1 is found to afford a rational1 and righteous1 and delightful exercise of their highest faculties1 in multiplying the evidences of the existence1 and attributes1 and providence of ,god4 ,it follows then1 says ,dr4 ,j4 ,pye ,smith1 as a universal truth1 that the ,bible1 faithfully interpreted1 erects no bar against the most free and extensive investigation1 the most comprehensive and searching induction4 ,let but the investigation be sufficient1 and the induction honest2 let observation take its farthest flight2 let experiment penetrate into all the recesses of nature2 let the veil of ages be lifted up from all that has been hitherto unknown1--if such a course were possible1 religion need not fear2 ,christianity is secure1 and true science will always pay homage to the divine ,creator and ,sovereign1 of whom1 and through whom1 and to whom are all things2 and unto whom be glory forever4--,lectures on ,scripture and ,geology1 #dth ,london edit4 p4 #bbc4 ,,lecture ,,ii4 ,,the ,,epoch ,,of ,,the ,,earth',s ,,creation ,,unrevealed4 ,the ,mosaic account of the creation of the universe has always been celebrated for its sublime simplicity4 ,though the subject be one of unparalleled grandeur1 the writer makes not the slightest effort at rhetorical embellishment1 but employs language which a mere child cannot misapprehend4 ,how different1 in this respect1 is this inspired record from all uninspired efforts that have been made to describe the origin of the world6 ,but notwithstanding the great simplicity and clearness of this description1 its precise meaning has occasioned as much discussion as almost any passage of ,scripture4 ,this results chiefly from its great brevity4 ,men with different views of inspiration1 cosmogony1 and philosophy1 engage in its examination1 not so much to ascertain its meaning1 as to find out whether it teaches their favorite speculative views2 and because it says nothing about them1 they attempt to fasten those views upon it1 and thus make it teach a great deal more than the mind of the ,spirit4 ,my simple object1 at this time1 is to ascertain whether the ,bible fixes the time when the universe was created out of nothing4 ,the prevalent opinion1 until recently1 has been1 that we are there taught that the world began to exist on the first of the six days of creation1 or about six thousand years ago4 ,geologists1 however1 with one voice1 declare that their science indicates the earth to have been of far higher antiquity4 ,the question becomes1 therefore1 of deep interest1 whether the common interpretation of the ,mosaic record is correct4 ,let us1 in the first place1 examine carefully the terms of that record2 without reference to any of the conclusions of science4 ,a preliminary inquiry1 however1 will here demand attention1 to which ,i have already given some thoughts in the first lecture4 ,the inquiry relates to the mode in which the sacred writers describe natural phenomena4 ,do they adapt their descriptions to the views and feelings of philosophers1 or even the common people1 in the nineteenth century1 or to the state of knowledge and the prevalent opinions of a people but slightly removed from barbarism8 ,do they write as if they meant to correct the notions of men on natural subjects1 when they knew them to be wrong2 or as if they did not mean to decide whether the popular opinion were true or false8 ,these points have been examined with great skill and candor by a venerable clergyman of ,england1 whose praise is in all the ,american churches1 and whose skill in sacred philology1 and profound acquaintance with the ,bible1 none will question1 any more than they will his deep-toned piety and enlarged and liberal views of men and things4 ,i refer to ,dr4 ,j4 ,pye ,smith1 lately at the head of the ,homerton ,divinity ,college1 near ,london4#f ,he first examines the style in which the ,old ,testament describes the character and operations of ,jehovah1 and shows that it is done in language borrowed from the bodily and mental constitution of man1 and from those opinions concerning the works of ,god in the natural world1 which were generally received by the people to whom the blessings of revelation were granted4 ,constant reference is made to material images1 and to human feelings and conduct1 as if the people addressed were almost incapable of spiritual and abstract ideas4 ,this1 of course1 gives a notion of ,god infinitely beneath the glories of his character2 but to uncultivated minds it was the only representation of his character that would give them any idea of it4 ,nay1 even in this enlightened age1 such descriptions are far more impressive than any other upon the mass of mankind2 while those1 whose minds are more enlightened1 find no difficulty in inculcating the pure truth respecting ,god from these comparatively gross descriptions4 ,now1 if1 upon a point of such vast importance as the divine character1 revelation1 thus condescends to human weakness and ignorance1 much more might we expect it1 in regard to the less important subject of natural phenomena4 ,we find1 accordingly1 that they are described as they appear to the common eye1 and not in their real nature2 or1 in the language of ,rosenmuller1 the ,scriptures speak according to optical1 and not physical truth4 ,they make no effort to correct even the grossest errors1 on these subjects1 that then prevailed4 ,the earth1 as we have seen on a former occasion1 is described as immovable1 in the centre of the universe1 and the heavenly bodies as revolving round it diurnally4 ,the firmament over us is represented as a solid1 extended substance1 sustaining an ocean above it1 with openings1 or windows1 through which the waters may descend4 ,in respect to the human system1 the ,scriptures refer intellectual operations to the reins1 or the region of the kidneys1 and pain to the bones4 ,in short1 the descriptions of natural things are adapted to the very erroneous notions which prevailed in the earliest ages of society and among the common people4 ,but it is as easy to interpret such descriptions in conformity to the present state of physical science1 as it is to divest the scriptural representations of the ,deity of their material dress1 and make them conform to the spiritual views that now prevail4 ,no one regards it as any objection to the ,old ,testament1 that it gives a description of the divine character so much less spiritual than the views adopted by the theologians of the nineteenth century2 why then should they regard it as derogatory to inspiration to adopt the same method as to natural objects8 ,these considerations will afford us some assistance in rightly interpreting the description of the creation1 in the first chapter of ,genesis1 to which we will now turn our attention4 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth4 ,and the earth was without form and void4 ,and darkness was upon the face of the deep4 ,and the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be light1 and there was light4 ,and ,god saw the light that it was good4 ,and ,god divided the light from the darkness1 and the light he called day1 and the darkness he called night4 ,and the evening and the morning were the first day4 ,the first question that arises1 on reading this passage1 is1 whether the creation here described was a creation out of nothing1 or out of preexisting materials4 ,the latter opinion has been maintained by some able1 and generally judicious commentators and theologians1 such as ,doederlin and ,dathe in ,germany1 ,milton in ,england1 and ,bush and ,schmucker in this country4 ,they do not deny that the ,bible1 in other places1 teaches distinctly the creation of the universe out of nothing4 ,but they contend that the word translated to create1 in the first verse of ,genesis1 teaches only a renovation1 or remodelling1 of the universe from matter already in existence4 ,that there is a degree of ambiguity in all languages1 in the words that signify to create1 to make1 to form1 and the like1 cannot be doubted2 that is1 these words may be properly used to describe the production of a substance out of matter already in existence1 as well as out of nothing2 and1 therefore1 we must resort to the context1 or the nature of the subject1 to ascertain in which of those senses such words are used4 ,the same word1 for instance1 7bawraw17 that is used in the first verse of ,genesis1 to describe the creation of the universe1 is employed in the #bgth verse of the same chapter1 to describe the formation of man out of the dust of the earth4 ,there was1 however1 no peculiar ambiguity in the use of the ,hebrew words bawraw and awsaw1 which correspond to our words create and make2 and1 therefore1 it is not necessary to be an adept in ,hebrew literature to judge of the question under consideration4 ,we have only to determine whether the translation of the ,mosaic account of the creation most reasonably teaches a production of the matter of the universe from nothing1 or only its renovation1 and we have decided what is taught in the original4 ,now1 there can hardly be a doubt but ,moses intended to teach1 in this passage1 that the universe owed its origin to ,jehovah1 and not to the idols of the heathen2 and since all acknowledge that other parts of ,scripture teach1 that1 when the world was made1 it was produced out of nothing1 why should we not conclude that the same truth is taught in this passage8 ,the language certainly will bear that meaning2 indeed1 it is almost as strong as language can be to express such a meaning2 and does not the passage look like a distinct avowal of this great truth1 at the very commencement of the inspired record1 in order to refute the opinion1 so prevalent in early times1 that the world is eternal8 ,the next inquiry concerning the passage relates to the phrase the heavens and the earth4 ,does it comprehend the universe8 ,so it must have been understood by the ,jews2 for their language could not furnish a more comprehensive phrase to designate the universe4 ,true1 these words1 like those already considered1 are used sometimes in a limited sense4 ,but in this place their broadest signification is in perfect accordance with the scope of the passage and with the whole tenor of the ,scripture4 ,we may1 therefore1 conclude with much certainty1 that ,god intended in this place to declare the great truth1 that there was a time in past eternity when the whole material universe came into existence at his irresistible fiat3--a truth eminently proper to stand at the head of a divine revelation4 ,but when did this stupendous event occur8 ,does the phrase in the beginning show us when8 ,surely not2 for no language can be more indefinite as to time4 ,whenever it is used in the ,bible1 it merely designates the commencement of the series of events1 or the periods of time1 that are described4 ,in the beginning was the word2 that is1 at the commencement of things the word was in existence2 consequently was from eternity4 ,but in ,genesis the act of creation is represented by this phrase simply as the commencement of the material universe1 at a certain point of time in past eternity1 which is not chronologically fixed4 ,the first verse merely informs us1 that the first act of the ,deity in relation to the universe was the creation of the heavens and the earth out of nothing4 ,it is contended1 however1 that the first verse is so connected with the six days' work of creation1 related in the subsequent verse1 that we must understand the phrase in the beginning as the commencement of the first day4 ,this is the main point to be examined in relation to the passage1 and therefore deserves a careful consideration4 ,if the first verse must be understood as a summary account of the six days' work which follows in detail1 then the beginning was the commencement of the first day1 and of course only about six thousand years ago4 ,but if it may be understood as an announcement of the act of creation at some indefinite point in past duration1 then a period may have intervened between that first creative act and the subsequent six days' work4 ,i contend that the passage admits of either interpretation1 without any violence to the language or the narration4 ,the first of these interpretations is the one usually received1 and1 therefore1 it will be hardly necessary to attempt to show that it is admissible4 ,the second has had fewer advocates1 and will1 therefore1 need to be examined4 ,the particle and1 which is used in our translation of this passage to connect the successive sentences1 furnishes an argument to the ,english reader against this second mode of interpretation1 which has far less force with one acquainted with the original ,hebrew4 ,the particle thus translated is the general connecting particle of the ,hebrew language1 and may be copulative1 or disjunctive1 or adversative2 or it may express a mere annexation to a former topic of discourse1--the connection being only that of the subject matter1 or the continuation of the composition4 ,this continuative use forms one of the most marked peculiarities of the ,hebrew idiom1 and it comprehends every variety of mode in which one train of sentiment may be appended to another4--,j4 ,pye ,smith1 ,scrip4 and ,geol4 p4 #aie1 #dth edit4 ,in the ,english ,bible this particle is usually rendered by the copulative conjunction and2 in the ,septuagint1 and in ,josephus1 however1 it sometimes has the sense of but4 ,and some able commentators are of opinion that it admits of a similar translation in the passage under consideration4 ,the elder ,rosenmuller says we might read it thus3 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth4 ,afterwards the earth was desolate1 c4 ,or the particle afterwards may be placed at the beginning of any of the succeeding verses4 ,thus1 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth1 and the earth was desolate1 and darkness was upon the face of the waters4 ,afterwards the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,dr4 ,dathe1 who has been styled1 by good authority1 7,dr4 ,smith17 a cautious and judicious critic1 renders the first two verses in this manner3 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth2 but afterwards the earth became waste and desolate4 ,if such translations as these be admissible1 the passage not only allows1 but expressly teaches1 that a period intervened between the first act of creation and the six days' work4 ,and if such an interval be allowed1 it is all that geology requires to reconcile its facts to revelation4 ,for during that time1 all the changes of mineral constitution and organic life1 which that science teaches to have taken place on the globe1 previous to the existence of man1 may have occurred4 ,it is a presumption in favor of such an interpretation that the second verse describes the state of the globe after its creation and before the creation of light4 ,for if there were no interval between the fiat that called matter into existence1 and that which said1 ,let there be light1 why should such a description of the earth's waste and desolate condition be given8 ,but if there had been such an intervening period1 it is perfectly natural that such a description should precede the history of successive creative acts1 by which the world was adorned with light and beauty1 and filled with inhabitants4 ,but1 after all1 would such an interpretation have ever been thought of1 had not the discoveries of geology seemed to demand it8 ,this can be answered by inquiring whether any of the writers on the ,bible1 who lived before geology existed1 or had laid claims for a longer period previous to man's creation1 whether any of these adopted such an interpretation4 ,we have abundant evidence that they did4 ,many of the early fathers of the church were very explicit on this subject4 ,augustin1 ,theodoret1 and others1 supposed that the first verse of ,genesis describes the creation of matter distinct from1 and prior to1 the work of six days4 ,justin ,martyr and ,gregory ,nazianzen believed in an indefinite period between the creation of matter and the subsequent arrangement of all things4 ,still more explicit are ,basil1 ,caesarius1 and ,origen4 ,it would be easy to quote similar opinions from more modern writers1 who lived previous to the developments of geology4 ,but ,i will give a paragraph from ,bishop ,patrick only1 who wrote one hundred and fifty years ago4 ,how long1 says he1 all things continued in mere confusion after the chaos was created1 before light was extracted from it1 we are not told4 ,it might have been1 for any thing that is here revealed1 a great while2 and all that time the mighty ,spirit was making such motions in it1 as prepared1 disposed1 and ripened every part of it for such productions as were to appear successively in such spaces of time as are here afterwards mentioned by ,moses1 who informs us1 that after things were digested and made ready 7by long fermentation perhaps7 to be wrought into form1 ,god produced every day1 for six days together1 some creature or other1 till all was finished1 of which light was the very first4--,commentary1 in loco4 ,such evidence as this is very satisfactory4 ,for at the present day one cannot but fear that the discoveries of geology may too much influence him insensibly to put a meaning upon ,scripture which would never have been thought of1 if not suggested by those discoveries1 and which the language cannot bear4 ,but those fathers of the church cannot be supposed under the influence of any such bias2 and1 therefore1 we may suppose the passage in itself to admit of the existence of a long period between the beginning and the first demiurgic day4 ,against these views philologists have urged several objections not to be despised4 ,one is1 that light did not exist till the first day1 and the sun and other luminaries not till the fourth day2 whereas the animals and plants dug from the rocks could not have existed without light4 ,they could not1 therefore1 have lived in the supposed long period previous to the six days4 ,if it be indeed true1 that light was not called into existence till the first day1 nor the sun till the fourth1 this objection is probably insuperable4 ,but it would be easy to cite the opinions of many distinguished and most judicious expounders of the ,bible1 showing that the words of the ,hebrew original do not signify a literal creation of the sun1 moon1 and stars1 on the fourth day1 but only constituting or appointing them1 at that time1 to be luminaries1 and to furnish standards for the division of time and other purposes4 ,the word used is not the same as that employed in the first verse to describe the creation of the world2 and the passage1 rightly understood1 implies the previous existence of the heavenly bodies4 ,the words ,hebrew are not to be separated from the rest1 says ,rosenmuller1 or to be rendered fiant luminaria1 let there be light2 i4 e41 let light be made2 but rather1 let lights be2 that is1 serve1 in the expanse of heaven1 for distinguishing between day and night2 and let them be1 or serve1 for signs1 c4 ,the historian speaks 7v4 #af1 end7 of the determination of the stars to certain uses1 which they were to render to the earth1 and not of their first formation4 ,in like manner we may suppose that the production of light was only rendering it visible to the earth1 over which darkness hitherto brooded2 not because no light was in existence1 but because it did not shine upon the earth4 ,another objection to this interpretation is1 that the fourth commandment of the decalogue expressly declares1 that in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is1 c41 and thus cuts off the idea of a long period intervening between the beginning and the six days4 ,i acknowledge that this argument carries upon the face of it a good deal of strength2 but there are some considerations that seem to me to show it to be not entirely demonstrative4 ,in the first place1 it is a correct principle of interpreting language1 that when a writer describes an event in more than one place1 the briefer statement is to be explained by the more extended one4 ,thus1 in the second chapter of ,genesis1 we have this brief account of the creation3 ,these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth1 when they were created1 in the day that the ,lord ,god made the earth and the heavens4 ,now1 if this were the only description of the work of creation on record1 the inference would be very fair that it was all completed in a single day4 ,yet when we turn to the first chapter1 we find the work prolonged through six days4 ,the two statements are not contradictory2 but the briefer one would not be understood without the more detailed4 ,in like manner1 if we should find it distinctly stated in the particular account of the creation of the universe1 in the first chapter of ,genesis1 that a long period actually intervened between the beginning and the six days1 who would suppose the statement a contradiction to the fourth commandment8 ,it is true1 we do not find such a fact distinctly announced in the ,mosaic account of the creation4 ,but suppose we first learn that it did exist from geology2 why should we not be as ready to admit it as if stated in ,genesis1 provided it does not contradict any thing therein recorded8 ,for illustration3 let us refer to the account given in ,exodus of the parents of ,moses and their family4 ,and there went a man of the name of ,levi1 and took to wife a daughter of ,levi4 ,and the woman conceived and bare a son1 7that is1 ,moses17 and when she saw that he was a goodly child1 she hid him three months4 7,ex4 ii4 #ab47 ,suppose1 now1 that no other account existed in the ,bible of the family of this ,levite2 we could not surely have suspected that ,moses had an elder brother and sister4 ,but imagine the ,bible silent on the subject1 and that the fact was first brought to light in deciphering ,egyptian hieroglyphics in the nineteenth century2 who could hesitate to admit its truth because omitted in the ,pentateuch8 or who would regard it in opposition to the sacred record8 ,with equal propriety may we admit1 on proper geological evidence1 the intercalation of a long period between the beginning and the six days1 if satisfied that it does not contradict the ,mosaic account4 ,hence all that is necessary1 in this connection1 for me to show1 is1 that such contradictions would not be made out by such a discovery4 ,once more3 if this long period had existed1 we should hardly have expected an allusion to it in the fourth commandment1 if the views we have taken are correct as to the manner in which the ,old ,testament treats of natural events4 ,it is literally true1 that all which the ,jews understood by the heavens and the earth1 was made1 7awsaw17 that is1 renovated1 arranged1 and constituted1--for so the word often means1--in six literal days4 ,had the sacred writer alluded to the earth while without form and void1 or to the heavenly bodies as any thing more than shining points in the firmament1 placed there on the fourth day1 he could not have been understood by the ,hebrews1 without going into a detailed description1 and thus violating what seems to have been settled principles in writing the ,bible1 viz41 not to treat of natural phenomena with scientific accuracy1 nor to anticipate any scientific discovery4 ,i wish it to be distinctly understood1 that ,i am endeavoring to show1 only1 that the language of ,scripture will admit of an indefinite interval between the first creation of matter and the six demiurgic days4 ,i am willing to admit1 at least for the sake of argument1 that the common interpretation1 which makes matter only six thousand years old1 is the most natural4 ,but ,i contend that no violence is done to the language by admitting the other interpretation4 ,and in further proof of this position1 ,i appeal to the testimony of distinguished modern theologians and philologists1 as ,i have to several of the ancients4 ,this point cannot1 indeed1 be settled by the authority of names4 ,but ,i cannot believe that any will suppose such men as ,i shall mention were led to adopt this view simply because geologists asked for it1 while their judgments told them that the language of the ,bible would not bear such a meaning4 ,when such men1 therefore1 avow their acquiescence in such an interpretation1 it cannot but strengthen our confidence in its correctness4 ,the interval1 says ,bishop ,horsley1 between the production of the matter of the chaos and the formation of light1 is undescribed and unknown4 ,were we to concede to naturalists1 says ,baumgarten ,crusius1 all the reasonings which they advance in favor of the earth's early existence1 the conclusion would only be1 that the earth itself has existed much more than six thousand years1 and that it had then already suffered many great and important revolutions4 ,but if this were so1 would the relation of ,moses thereby become false and untenable8 ,i cannot think so4 ,by the phrase in the beginning1 says ,doederlin1 the time is declared when something began to be4 ,but when ,god produced this remarkable work1 ,moses does not precisely define4 ,we do not know1 says ,sharon ,turner1 and we have no means of knowing1 at what point of the ever-flowing eternity of that which is alone eternal1--the divine subsistence1--the creation of our earth1 or any part of the universe1 began4 ,all that we can learn explicitly from revelation is1 that nearly six thousand years have passed since our first parents began to be4 ,the words in the text1 says ,dr4 ,wiseman1 do not merely express a momentary pause between the first fiat of creation and the production of light2 for the participial form of the verb1 whereby the ,spirit of ,god1 the creative energy1 is represented as brooding over the abyss1 and communicating to it the productive virtue1 naturally expresses a continuous1 and not a passing action4 ,i am strongly inclined to believe1 says ,bishop ,gleig1 that the matter of the corporeal universe was all created at once2 though different portions of it may have been reduced to form at very different periods4 ,when the universe was created1 or how long the solar system remained in a chaotic state1 are vain inquiries1 to which no answer can be given4 ,the detailed history of creation in the first chapter of ,genesis1 says ,dr4 ,chalmers1 begins at the middle of the second verse2 and what precedes might be understood as an introductory sentence1 by which we are most appositely told1 both that ,god created all things at the first1 and that afterwards--by what interval of time it is not specified--the earth lapsed into a chaos1 from the darkness and disorder of which the present system or economy of things was made to arise4 ,between the initial act and the details of ,genesis1 the world1 for aught we know1 might have been the theatre of many revolutions1 the traces of which geology may still investigate1 c4 ,a philological survey of the initial sections of the ,bible1 7,gen4 i4 #a to ii4 #c17 says ,dr4 ,pye ,smith1 brings out the result2 #a4 ,that the first sentence is a simple1 independent1 all-comprehending axiom1 to this effect1--that matter1 elementary or combined1 aggregated only or organized1 and dependent1 sentient1 and intellectual beings have not existed from eternity1 either in self-continuity or succession1 but had a beginning2 that their beginning took place by the all-powerful will of one ,being2 the self-existent1 independent and infinite in all perfection2 and that the date of that beginning is not made known4 #b4 ,that at a recent epoch1 our planet was brought into a state of disorganization1 detritus1 or ruin1 7perhaps we have no perfectly appropriate term17 from a former condition4 #c4 ,that it pleased the ,almighty1 wise and benevolent ,supreme1 out of that state of ruin to adjust the surface of the earth to its now existing condition1--the whole extending through the period of six natural days4 ,i am forming1 continues ,dr4 ,smith1 no hypotheses in geology2 ,i only plead that the ground is clear1 and that the dictates of the ,scripture interpose no bar to observation and reasoning upon the mineralogical constitution of the earth1 and the remains of organized creatures which its strata disclose4 ,if those investigations should lead us to attribute to the earth and to the other planets and astral spheres an antiquity which millions or ten thousand millions of years might fail to represent1 the divine records forbid not their deduction4--,script4 and ,geol4 p4 #ejb4 ,says ,dr4 ,bedford1 ,we ought to understand ,moses as saying1 indefinitely far back1 and concealed from us in the mystery of eternal ages1 prior to the first moment of mundane time1 ,god created the heavens and the earth4--,smith1 ,script4 and ,geol4 #dth edit4 ,my firm persuasion is1 says ,dr4 ,harris1 that the first verse of ,genesis was designed1 by the divine ,spirit1 to announce the absolute origination of the material universe by the ,almighty ,creator2 and that it is so understood in the other parts of holy writ2 that1 passing by an indefinite interval1 the second verse describes the state of our planet immediately prior to the ,adamic creation1 and1 that the third verse begins the account of the six days' work4 ,if ,i am reminded1 in a tone of animadversion1 that ,i am making science1 in this instance1 the interpreter of ,scripture1 my reply is1 that ,i am simply making the works of ,god illustrate his word in a department in which they speak with a distinct and authoritative voice2 that it is all the same whether our geological or theological investigations have been prior1 if we have not forced the one into accordance with the other4--7,davidson1 ,sacred ,hermeneutics47 ,and that it might be deserving consideration1 whether or not the conduct of those is not open to just animadversion1 who first undertake to pronounce on the meaning of a passage of ,scripture1 irrespective of all the appropriate evidence1 and who then1 when that evidence is explored and produced1 insist on their a priori interpretation as the only true one4--,pre-,adamite ,earth1 p4 #bhj4 ,our best expositors of ,scripture1 says ,dr4 ,daniel ,king1 of ,glasgow1 seem to be now pretty generally agreed1 that the opening verse in ,genesis has no necessary connection with the verses which follow4 ,they think it may be understood as making a separate and independent statement regarding the creation proper1 and that the phrase 'in the beginning' may be expressive of an indefinitely remote antiquity4 ,on this principle the ,bible recognizes1 in the first instance1 the great age of the earth1 and then tells us of the changes it underwent at a period long subsequent1 in order to render it a fit abode for the family of man4 ,the work of the six days was not1 according to this view1 a creation in the strict sense of the term1 but a renovation1 a remodelling of preexisting materials4--,principles of ,geology explained1 c4 p4 #dj1 #ast edit4 ,whether the ,mosaic creation1 says ,dr4 ,schmucker1 of the ,lutheran church in this country1 refers to the present organization of matter1 or to the formation of its primary elements1 it is not easy to decide4 ,the question is certainly not determined by the usage of the original words1 ,hebrew which are frequently employed to designate mediate formation4 ,should the future investigations of physical science bring to light any facts1 indisputably proving the anterior existence of the matter of this earth1 such facts would not militate against the ,christian ,scriptures4 ,that a very long period1 says ,dr4 ,pond1--how long no being but ,god can tell1--intervened between the creation of the world and the commencement of the six days' work recorded in the following verses of the first chapter of ,genesis1 there can1 ,i think1 be no reasonable doubt4 ,but ,i need not adduce any more advocates of the interpretation of ,genesis1 for which ,i contend4 ,men more respected and confided in by the ,christian world ,i could not quote1 though ,i might enlarge the number2 but ,i trust it is unnecessary4 ,i trust that all who hear me are satisfied that the ,mosaic history of the creation of the world does fairly admit of an interpretation which leaves an undefined interval between the creation of matter and the six days' work4 ,let it be recollected that ,i do not maintain that this is the most natural interpretation1 but only that the passage will fairly admit it by the strict rules of exegesis4 ,the question still remains to be considered1 whether there is sufficient reason to adopt it as the true interpretation4 ,to show that there is1 ,i now make my appeal to geology4 ,this is a case1 it seems to me1 in which we may call in the aid of science to ascertain the true meaning of ,scripture4 ,the question is1 ,does geology teach1 distinctly and uncontrovertibly1 that the world must have existed during a long period prior to the existence of the races of organized beings that now occupy its surface8 ,to give a popular view of the evidence sustaining the affirmative of this question is no easy task4 ,it needs a full and accurate acquaintance with the multiplied facts of geology1 and1 what is still more rare1 a familiarity with geological reasoning1 in order to feel the full force of the arguments that prove the high antiquity of the globe4 ,yet ,i know that ,i have a right to presume upon a high degree of scientific knowledge1 and an accurate acquaintance with geology1 among those whom ,i address4 ,in the first place1 ,i must recur to a principle already briefly stated in a former lecture1 viz41 that a careful examination of the rocks presents irresistible evidence1 that1 in their present condition1 they are all the result of second causes2 in other words1 they are not now in the condition in which they were originally created4 ,some of them have been melted and reconsolidated1 and crowded in between others1 or spread over them4 ,others have been worn down into mud1 sand1 and gravel1 by water and other agents1 and again cemented together1 after having enveloped multitudes of animals and plants1 which are now imbedded as organic remains4 ,in short1 all known rocks appear to have been brought into their present state by chemical or mechanical agencies4 ,it is indeed easy to say that these appearances are deceptive1 and that these rocks may1 with perfect ease1 have been created just as we now find them4 ,but it is not easy to retain this opinion1 after having carefully examined them4 ,for the evidence that they are of secondary origin is nearly as strong1 and of the same kind too1 as it is that the remains of edifices lately discovered in ,central ,america are the work of man1 and were not created in their present condition4 ,in the second place1 processes are going on by which rocks are formed on a small scale1 of the same character as those which constitute the great mass of the earth4 ,hence it is fair to infer1 that all the rocks were formed in a similar manner4 ,beds of gravel1 for instance1 are sometimes cemented together by heat1 or iron1 or lime1 so as to resemble exactly the conglomerates found in mountain masses among the ancient rocks4 ,clay is sometimes converted into slate by heat1 as is soft marl into limestone1 by the same cause4 ,in fact1 we find causes now in operation that produce all the varieties of known rocks1 except some of the oldest1 which seem to need only a greater intensity in some of the causes now at work to produce them4 ,by ascertaining the rate at which rocks are now forming1 therefore1 we can form some opinion as to the time requisite to produce those constituting the crust of the globe4 ,if1 for instance1 we can determine how fast ponds1 lakes1 and oceans are filling up with mud1 sand1 and gravel1 conveyed to their bottoms1 we can judge of the period necessary to produce those rocks which appear to have been formed in a similar manner2 and if there is any evidence that the process was more rapid in early times1 we can make due allowance4 ,in the third place1 all the stratified rocks appear to have been formed out of the fragments of other rocks1 worn down by the action of water and atmospheric agencies4 ,this is particularly true of that large proportion of these rocks which contain the remains of animals and plants4 ,the mud1 sand1 and gravel of which these are mostly composed1 must have been worn from rocks previously existing1 and have been transported into lakes1 and the ocean1 as the same process is now going on4 ,there the animals and plants1 which died in the waters1 and were transported thither by rivers1 must have been buried2 next1 the rocks must have been hardened into stone1 by admixture with lime1 or iron1 or by internal heat2 and1 finally1 have been raised above the waters1 so as to become dry land4 ,beds of limestone are interstratified with those of shale1 sandstone1 and conglomerate2 but these form only a small proportion of the whole1 and1 besides1 were mostly formed in an analogous manner1 though by agencies more decidedly chemical4 ,now1 for the most part1 this process of forming rocks by the accumulation of mud1 sand1 and gravel is very slow4 ,in general1 such accumulations1 at the bottom of lakes and the ocean1 do not increase more than a few inches in a century4 ,during violent floods1 indeed1 and in a few limited spots1 the accumulation is much more rapid2 as in the ,lake of ,geneva1 through which the ,rhone1 loaded with detritus from the ,alps1 passes1 where a delta has been formed two miles long and nine hundred feet thick1 within eight hundred years4#g ,and occasionally such rapid depositions probably took place while the older rocks were in the course of formation4 ,but in general1 the work seems to have gone on as slowly as it usually does at present4 ,yet1 in the fourth place1 there must have been time enough since the creation to deposit at least ten miles of rocks in perpendicular thickness1 in the manner that has been described4 ,for the stratified rocks are at least of that thickness in ,europe1 and in this country much thicker2 or1 if we regard only the fossiliferous strata as thus deposited1 7since some geologists might hesitate to admit that the non-fossiliferous rocks were thus produced17 these are six and a half miles thick in ,europe1 and still thicker in this country4 ,how immense a period was requisite for such a work6 ,some do1 indeed1 contend that the work1 in all cases1 as we have allowed it in a few1 may have been vastly more rapid than at the present day4 ,but the manner in which the materials are arranged1 and especially the preservation of the most delicate parts of the organic remains1 often in the very position in which the animals died1 show the quiet and slow manner in which the process went on4 ,in the fifth place1 it is certain that1 since man existed on the globe1 materials for the production of rocks have not accumulated to the average thickness of more than one hundred or two hundred feet2 although in particular places1 as already mentioned1 the accumulations are thicker4 ,the evidence of this position is1 that neither the works nor the remains of man have been found any deeper in the earth than in the upper part of that superficial deposit called alluvium4 ,but had man existed while the other deposits were going on1 no possible reason can be given why his bones and the fruits of his labors should not be found mixed with those of other animals1 so abundant in the rocks1 to the depth of six or seven miles4 ,in the last six thousand years1 then1 only one five hundredth part of the stratified rocks has been accumulated4 ,i mention this fact1 not as by any means an exact1 but only an approximate1 measure of the time in which the older rocks were deposited2 for the precise age of the world is probably a problem which science never can solve4 ,all the means of comparison within our reach enable us to say1 only1 that its duration must have been immense4 ,in the sixth place1 during the deposition of the stratified rocks1 a great number of changes must have occurred in the matter of which they are composed4 ,hundreds of such changes can be easily counted1 and they often imply great changes in the waters holding the materials in solution or suspension2 such changes1 indeed1 as must have required different oceans over the same spot4 ,such events could not have taken place without extensive elevations and subsidences of the earth's crust2 nor could such vertical movements have happened without much intervening time1 as many facts1 too technical to be here detailed1 show4 ,here1 then1 we have another evidence of vast periods of time occupied in the secondary production and arrangements of the earth's crust4 ,in the seventh place1 numerous races of animals and plants must have occupied the globe previous to those which now inhabit it1 and have successively passed away1 as catastrophes occurred1 or the climate became unfit for their residence4 ,not less than thirty thousand species have already been dug out of the rocks2 and excepting a few hundred species1 mostly of sea shells1 occurring in the uppermost rocks1 none of them correspond to those now living on the globe4 ,in ,europe1 they are found to the depth of about six and a half miles2 and in this country1 deeper2 and no living species is found more than one twelfth of this depth4 ,all the rest are specifically and often generically unlike living species2 and the conclusion seems irresistible1 that they must have lived and died before the creation of the present species4 ,indeed1 so different was the climate in those early times1--it having been much warmer than at present in most parts of the world1--that but few of the present races could have lived then4 ,still further3 it appears that1 during the whole period since organized beings first appeared on the globe1 not less than four1 or five1 and probably more--some think as many as ten or twelve--entire races have passed away1 and been succeeded by recent ones2 so that the globe has actually changed all its inhabitants half a dozen times4 ,yet each of the successive groups occupied it long enough to leave immense quantities of their remains1 which sometimes constitute almost entire mountains4 ,and in general1 these groups became extinct in consequence of a change of climate2 which1 if imputed to any known cause1 must have been an extremely slow process4 ,now1 these results are no longer to be regarded as the dreams of fancy1 but the legitimate deductions from long and careful observation of facts4 ,and can any reasonable man conceive how such changes can have taken place since the six days of creation1 or within the last six thousand years8 ,in order to reconcile them with such a supposition1 we must admit of hypotheses and absurdities more wild and extravagant than have ever been charged upon geology4 ,but admit of a long period between the first creative act and the six days1 and all difficulties vanish4 ,in the eighth place1 the denudations and erosions that have taken place on the earth's surface indicate a far higher antiquity to the globe1 even since it assumed essentially its present condition1 than the common interpretation of ,genesis admits4 ,the geologist can prove that in many cases the rocks have been worn away1 by the slow action of the ocean1 more than two miles in depth in some regions1 and those very wide2 as in ,south ,wales1 in ,england4 ,as the continents rose from the ocean1 the slow drainage by the rivers has excavated numerous long and deep gorges1 requiring periods incalculably extended4 ,i do not wonder that1 when the sceptic stands upon the banks of ,niagara ,river1 and sees how obviously the splendid cataract has worn out the deep gorge extending to ,lake ,ontario1 he should feel that there is a standing proof that the common opinion1 as to the age of the world1 cannot be true2 and hence be led to discard the ,bible1 if he supposes that to be a true interpretation4 ,but the ,niagara gorge is only one among a multitude of examples of erosion that might be quoted2 and some of them far more striking to a geologist4 ,on ,oak ,orchard ,creek1 and the ,genesee ,river1 between ,rochester and ,lake ,ontario1 are similar erosions1 seven miles long4 ,on the latter river1 south of ,rochester1 we find a cut from ,mount ,morris to ,portage1 sometimes four hundred feet deep4 ,on many of our south-western rivers we have what are called canyons1 or gorges1 often two hundred and fifty feet deep1 and several miles long4 ,near the source of ,missouri ,river are what are called the ,gates of the ,rocky ,mountains1 where there is a gorge six miles long and twelve hundred feet deep4 ,similar cuts occur on the ,columbia ,river1 hundreds of feet deep1 through the hard trap rock1 for hundreds of miles1 between the ,american ,falls and the ,dalles4 ,at ,st4 ,anthony's ,falls1 on the ,mississippi1 that river has worn a passage in limestone seven miles long1 which distance the cataract has receded4 ,on the ,potomac1 ten miles west of ,washington1 the ,great ,falls have worn back a passage sixty to sixty-five feet deep1 four miles1 continuously--a greater work1 considering the nature of the rock1 than has been done by the ,niagara4 ,the passage for the ,hudson1 through the highlands1 is probably an example of river erosion2 as is also that of the ,connecticut at ,brattleboro' and ,bellows ,falls4 ,in these places1 it can be proved that the river was once at least seven hundred feet above its present bed4 ,on the ,deerfield ,river1 a tributary of the ,connecticut1 we have a gulf called the ,ghor1 eight miles long and several hundred feet deep1 cut crosswise through the mica slate and gneiss by the stream4 ,on the eastern continent ,i might quote a multitude of analogous cases4 ,there is1 for instance1 the ,wady el ,jeib1 in soft limestone1 within the ,wady ,arabah1 south of the ,dead ,sea4 ,the defile is one hundred and fifty feet deep1 half a mile wide1 and forty miles long4 ,in ,mount ,lebanon1 several remarkable chasms in limestone have been described by ,american missionaries1 as that on ,dog ,river1 7,lycus of the ancients17 six miles long1 seventy or eighty feet deep1 and from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and sixty feet wide2 also1 ,wady ,barida1 whose walls are six hundred to eight hundred feet high4 ,on the ,river ,ravendoor1 in ,kurdistan1 is a gorge1 described in a letter from ,dr4 ,perkins1 one thousand feet deep4 ,another on the ,euphrates1 near ,diadeen1 is seventy feet deep1 and is spanned by a natural bridge one hundred feet long4 ,on the ,river ,terek1 in the ,dariel ,caucasus1 is a pass one hundred and twenty miles long1 whose walls rise from one thousand to three thousand feet high4 ,in ,africa1 the ,river ,zaire has cut a passage1 forty miles long1 through mica slate1 quartz1 and syenite2 and in ,new ,south ,wales1 ,cox ,river passes through a gorge twenty-two hundred yards wide and eight hundred feet high4 ,ninthly4 ,since the geological period now passing commenced1 called the alluvial1 or pleistocene period1 certain changes have been going on1 which indicate a very great antiquity to the drift period1 which was the commencement of the alluvial period1 and has been considered among the most recent of geological events4 ,i refer to the formation of deltas and of terraces4 ,of the deltas ,i will mention but a single example1 to which1 however1 many others correspond4 ,the ,mississippi carries down to its mouth #bh1ahh1hjc1hib cubic feet of sediment yearly1 which it deposits2 or one cubic mile in five years and eighty-one days4 ,now1 as the whole delta contains twenty-seven hundred and twenty cubic miles1 it must have required fourteen thousand two hundred and four years to form it in this manner4 ,terraces occur along some of the rivers of our country from four hundred to five hundred feet above their present beds1 and around our lakes to the height of nearly one thousand feet4 ,they are composed of gravel1 sand1 clay1 and loam1 that have been comminuted1 and sorted1 and deposited1 by water chiefly4 ,at a height two or three times greater1 on the same rivers and lakes1 we find what seem to be ancient sea beaches1 of the same materials1 deposited earlier1 and less comminuted4 ,the same facts also occur in ,europe1 and probably in ,asia4 ,now1 it seems quite certain1 that these beaches and terraces were formed as the continents were being drained of the waters of the ocean1 and the rivers were cutting down their beds2 which last process has been going on in many places to the present day4 ,yet scarcely nowhere1 since the memory of man1 have even the lowest of these terraces and beaches been formed1 save on a very limited scale1 and of a few feet in height4 ,the lowest of them have been the sites of towns and cities1 ever since the settlement of our country1 and on the eastern continent much longer4 ,yet we see the processes by which they have been formed now in operation2 but they have scarcely made any progress during the period of human history4 ,how vast the period1 then1 since the work was first commenced6 ,yet even its commencement seems to have been no farther back than the drift epoch1 since that deposit lies beneath the terraces4 ,but the drift period was comparatively a very recent one on the geological scale4 ,how do such facts impress us with the vast duration of the globe since the first series of changes commenced6 ,finally4 ,there is no little reason to believe that1 previous to the formation of the stratified rocks1 the earth passed through changes that required vast periods of time1 by which it was gradually brought into a habitable state4 ,it is even believed that one of its earliest conditions was that of vapor2 that1 gradually condensing1 it became a melted globe of fire1 and then1 as it gradually cooled1 a crust formed over its surface2 and so at last it became habitable4 ,all this is indeed hypothesis2 and1 therefore1 ,i do not place it in the same rank as the other proofs of the earth's antiquity1 already adduced4 ,still this hypothesis has so much evidence in its favor1 that not a few of the ablest and most cautious philosophers of the present day have adopted it4 ,and if it be indeed true1 it throws back the creation of the universe to a period remote beyond calculation or conception4 ,now1 let this imperfect summary of evidence in favor of the earth's high antiquity be candidly weighed1 and can any one think it strange that every man1 who has carefully and extensively examined the rocks in their native beds1 is entirely convinced of its validity8 ,men of all professions1 and of diverse opinions concerning the ,bible1 have been geologists2 but on this point they are unanimous1 however they may differ as to other points in the science4 ,must we not1 then1 regard this fact as one of the settled principles of science8 ,if so1 who will hesitate to say that it ought to settle the interpretation of the first verse of ,genesis1 in favor of that meaning which allows an intervening period between the creation of matter and the creation of light8 ,this is the grand point which ,i have aimed to establish2 and1 in conclusion1 ,i beg leave to make a few remarks by way of inference4 ,first4 ,this interpretation of ,genesis is entirely sufficient to remove all apparent collision between geology and revelation4 ,it gives the geologist full scope for his largest speculations concerning the age of the world4 ,it permits him to maintain that its first condition was as unlike to the present as possible1 and allows him time enough for all the changes of mineral constitution and organic life which its strata reveal4 ,it supposes that all these are passed over in silence by the sacred writers1 because irrelevant to the object of revelation1 but full of interest and instruction to the men of science1 who should afterwards take pleasure in exploring the works of ,god4 ,it supposes the six days' work of creation to have been confined entirely to the fitting up the world in its present condition1 and furnishing it with its present inhabitants4 ,thus1 while it gives the widest scope to the geologist1 it does not encroach upon the literalities of the ,bible2 and hence it is not strange that it should be almost universally adopted by geologists as well as by many eminent divines4 ,i would not forget to notice in this connection1 however1 a recent proposed extension of this interpretation by ,dr4 ,john ,pye ,smith1 founded on the principle already illustrated1 that the sacred writers adapted their language to the state of knowledge among the ,jews4 ,by the term earth1 in ,genesis1 he supposes1 was designed not the whole terraqueous globe1 but the part of our world which ,god was adapting for the dwelling-place of man and animals connected with him4 ,and the narrative of the six days' work is a description adapted to the ideas and capacities of mankind in the earliest ages1 of a series of operations1 by which the ,being of omnipotent wisdom and goodness adjusted and furnished1 not the earth generally1 but1 as the particular subject under consideration here1 a ,,portion of its surface for most glorious purposes4 ,this portion of the earth he conceives to have been a large part of ,asia1 lying between the ,caucasian ridge1 the ,caspian ,sea and ,tartary on the north1 the ,persian and ,indian ,seas on the south1 and the high mountain ridges which run at considerable distance on their eastern and western flanks4 ,this region was first1 by atmospheric and geological causes of previous operation1 under the will of the ,almighty1 brought into a condition of superficial ruin1 or some kind of general disorder1 probably by volcanic agency2 it was submerged1 covered with fogs and clouds1 and subsequently elevated1 and the atmosphere1 by the fourth day1 rendered pellucid4--,script4 and ,geol4 p4 #bge1 #b;d edit4 ,without professing to adopt fully this view of my learned and venerable friend1 ,i cannot but remark1 that it explains one or two difficulties on this subject1 which ,i shall more fully explain farther on4 ,one is1 the difficulty of conceiving how the inferior animals could have been distributed to their present places of residence from a single centre of creation without a miracle4 ,certain it is1 that1 as the climate and position of land and water now are1 they could not thus migrate without certain destruction to many of them4 ,but by this theory they might have been created within the districts which they now occupy4 ,another difficulty solved by this theory is1 that several hundred species of animals1 that were created long before man1 as their remains found in the tertiary strata show1 still survive1 and there is no evidence that they ever became extinct2 nor need they have been destroyed and recreated1 if ,dr4 ,smith's theory be true4 ,nevertheless1 it does not appear to me essential to a satisfactory reconciliation of geology and revelation1 that we should adopt it4 ,but coming from such high authority1 and sustained as it is by powerful arguments1 it commends itself to our candid examination4 ,secondly4 ,i remark1 that it is not necessary that we should be perfectly sure that the method which has been described1 or any other1 of bringing geology into harmony with the ,bible1 is infallibly true4 ,it is only necessary that it should be sustained by probable evidence2 that it should fairly meet the geological difficulty on the one hand1 and do no violence to the language or spirit of the ,bible on the other4 ,this is sufficient1 surely1 to satisfy every philosophical mind1 that there is no collision between geology and revelation4 ,but should it appear hereafter1 either from the discoveries of the geologist or the philologist1 that our views must be somewhat modified1 it would not show that the previous views had been insufficient to harmonize the two subjects2 but only that here1 as in every other department of human knowledge1 perfection is not attained1 except by long-continued efforts4 ,i make these remarks1 because it is well known that other modes1 besides that which ,i have defended1 have been proposed to accomplish the same object2 and it is probable that1 even to this day1 one or two of these modes may be defended1 although the general opinion of geologists is in favor of that which ,i have exhibited4 ,some1 for instance1 have supposed that the fossiliferous strata may all have been deposited in the sixteen hundred years between the creation and the deluge1 and by that catastrophe have been lifted out of the ocean4 ,others have imagined them all produced by that event4 ,but the most plausible theory regards the six days of creation as periods of great1 though indefinite length1 during which all the changes exhibited by the strata of rocks took place4 ,the arguments in defence of this view are the following3 #a4 ,the word day is often used in ,scripture to express a period of indefinite length4 7,luke xvii4 #bd4 ,john viii4 #ef4 ,job xiv4 #f47 #b4 ,the sun1 moon1 and stars were not created till the fourth day2 so that the revolution of the earth on its axis1 in twenty-four hours1 may not have existed previously1 and the light and darkness that alternated may have had reference to some other standard4 #c4 ,the ,sabbath1 or seventh day1 in which ,god rested from his work1 has not yet terminated2 and there is reason to suppose the demiurgic days may have been at least of equal length4 #d4 ,this interpretation corresponds remarkably with the traditional cosmogonies of some heathen nations1 as the ancient ,etruscans and modern ,hindoos2 and it was also adopted by ,philo and other ,jewish writers4 #e4 ,the order of creation1 as described in ,genesis1 corresponds to that developed by geology4 ,this order1 according to ,cuvier and ,professor ,jameson1 is as follows3 #a4 ,the earth was covered with the sea without inhabitants4 #b4 ,plants were created on the third day1 and are found abundantly in the coal measures4 #c4 ,on the fifth day1 the inhabitants of the waters1 then flying things1 then great reptiles1 and then mammiferous animals1 were created4 #d4 ,on the sixth day1 man was created4 ,the following are the objections to this interpretation3 #a4 ,the word day is not used figuratively in other places of ,genesis1 7unless perhaps ,gen4 ii4 #d17 though it is sometimes so used in other parts of ,scripture4 #b4 ,in the fourth commandment1 where the days of creation are referred to1 7,exod4 xx4 #i1 #aj1 #aa17 no one can doubt but that the six days of labor and the ,sabbath1 spoken of in the ninth and tenth verses1 are literal days4 ,by what rule of interpretation can the same word in the next verse be made to mean indefinite periods8 #c4 ,from ,gen4 ii4 #e1 compared with ,gen4 i4 #aa1 #ab1 it seems that it had not rained on the earth till the third day--a fact altogether probable if the days were of twenty-four hours1 but absurd if they were long periods4 #d4 ,such a meaning is forced and unnatural1 and1 therefore1 not to be adopted without urgent necessity4 #e4 ,this hypothesis assumes that ,moses describes the creation of all the animals and plants that have ever lived on the globe4 ,but geology decides that the species now living1 since they are not found in the rocks any lower down than man is1 7with a few exceptions17 could not have been contemporaries with those in the rocks1 but must have been created when man was2 that is1 on the sixth day4 ,of such a creation no mention is made in ,genesis4 ,the inference is1 that ,moses does not describe the creation of the existing races1 but only of those that lived thousands of years earlier1 and whose existence was scarcely suspected till modern times4 ,who will admit such an absurdity8 ,if any one takes the ground that the existing races were created with the fossil ones1 on the third and fifth days1 then he must show1 what no one can1 why the remains of the former are not found mixed with the latter4 #f4 ,though there is a general resemblance between the order of creation1 as described in ,genesis and by geology1 yet when we look at the details of the creation of the organic world1 as required by this hypothesis1 we find manifest discrepancy1 instead of the coincidence asserted by some distinguished advocates of these views4 ,thus the ,bible represents plants only to have been created on the third day1 and animals not till the fifth2 and hence1 at least1 the lower half of the fossiliferous rocks ought to contain nothing but vegetables4 ,whereas1 in fact1 the lower half of these rocks1 all below the carboniferous1 although abounding in animals1 contain scarcely any plants1 and those in the lowest strata1 fucoids1 or sea-weeds4 ,but the ,mosaic account of the third day's work evidently describes flowering and seed-bearing plants1 not flowerless and seedless algae4 ,again3 reptiles are described in ,genesis as created on the fifth day2 but reptilia and batrachians existed as early as the time when the lower carboniferous1 and even old red sandstone strata1 were in a course of deposition1 as their tracks on those rocks in ,nova ,scotia and ,pennsylvania evince4 ,in short1 if we maintain that ,moses describes fossil as well as living species1 we find discrepancy1 instead of correspondence1 between his order of creation and that of geology4 ,but admit that he describes only existing species1 and all difficulties vanish4 ,it appears1 then1 that the objections to this interpretation of the word day are more geological than exegetical4 ,it has accordingly been mostly abandoned by men1 who1 from their knowledge both of geology and scriptural exegesis1 were best qualified to judge4 ,and even those who are inclined to adopt it do also believe in the existence of a long period between the beginning and the demiurgic days4 ,from the earliest times1 however1 in which we have writings upon the ,scriptures1 we find men doubting whether the demiurgic days of ,moses are to be taken in a strictly literal sense4 ,josephus and ,philo regarded the six days' work as metaphorical4 ,origen took a similar view1 and ,st4 ,augustin says1 ,it is difficult1 if not impossible1 for us to conceive what sort of days these were4 ,in more modern times1 we find many able writers1 as ,hahn1 ,hensler1 ,de ,luc1 ,professors ,lee and ,wait1 of the ,university of ,cambridge1 ,faber1 c41 adopting modifications of the same views4 ,mr4 ,faber1 however1 a few years since1 abandoned this opinion2 and for the most part1 geologists and theologians prefer to regard the six days as literal days of twenty-four hours4 ,but1 generally1 they would not regard the opposite opinion to be as unreasonable as it would be to reject the ,bible from any supposed collision with geology4 ,yet1 in general1 they suppose it sufficient1 to meet all difficulties1 to allow of an indefinite interval between the beginning and the six days' work of creation4 ,in the truly scientific system of theology by the venerable ,dr4 ,knapp1 we find a proposed interpretation of the ,mosaic account of the creation1 that would bring it into harmony with geology4 ,if we would form a clear and distinct notion of this whole description of creation1 says he1 we must conceive of six separate pictures1 in which this great work is represented in each successive stage of its progress towards completion4 ,and as the performance of the painter1 though it must have natural truth for its foundation1 must not be considered1 or judged of1 as a delineation of mathematical or scientific accuracy1 so neither must this pictorial representation of the creation be regarded as literally and exactly true4 ,he then alludes to the various hypotheses respecting the early state of the matter of the globe1 and says1 ,any of these hypotheses of the naturalist may be adopted or rejected1 the ,mosaic geogony notwithstanding4#h ,thirdly4 ,the interpretation of ,genesis1 for which ,i have contended in this lecture1 does not affect injuriously any doctrine of revelation4 ,the community have1 indeed1 been taught to believe that the universe was all brought into existence about six thousand years ago2 and it always produces a temporary evil to change the interpretation of a passage of the ,bible1 even though1 as in this case1 it be the result of new light shed upon it2 because it is apt to make individuals of narrow views lose their confidence in the rules of interpretation4 ,but when the change is once made1 it increases men's confidence in the ,word of ,god1 which is only purified1 but not shaken1 by all the discoveries of modern science4 ,in the present case1 it does not seem to be of the least consequence1 so far as the great doctrines of the ,bible are concerned1 whether the world has stood six thousand1 or six hundred thousand years4 ,nor can ,i conceive of any truth of the ,bible1 which does not shine with at least equal brightness and glory1 if the longest chronological dates be adopted4 ,yet1 fourthly4 ,i maintain that several of these doctrines are far more strikingly and profitably exhibited1 if the high antiquity of the globe be admitted4 ,the common interpretation limits the operations of the ,deity1 so far as the material universe is concerned1 to the last six thousand years4 ,but the geological view carries the mind back along the flow of countless ages1 and exhibits the wisdom of the ,deity carrying forward1 with infinite skill1 a vast series of operations1 each successive link springing out of that before it1 and becoming more and more beautiful1 until the glorious universe in which we live comes forth1 not only the last1 but the best of all4 ,all this while1 too1 we perceive the heart of infinite ,benevolence at work1 either in fitting up the world for its future races of inhabitants1 or in placing upon it creatures exactly adapted to its varying condition2 until man1 at last1 the crown of all1 makes it his delightful abode1 with nothing to lament but his own apostasy1--with every thing perfect but himself4 ,can the mind enter such an almost boundless field of contemplation as this1 and not feel itself refreshed1 and expanded1 and filled with more exalted conceptions of the divine plans and divine benevolence than could possibly be obtained within the narrow limits of six thousand years8 ,but ,i will not enlarge2 for ,i hope ,i may be allowed1 in future lectures1 to enter this rich field of thought1 when we have more leisure to survey its beautiful prospects1 and pluck its golden fruit4 ,finally4 ,if the geological interpretation of ,genesis be true1 then it should be taught to all classes of the community4 ,it is1 indeed1 unwise to alter received interpretations of ,scripture without very strong reasons4 ,we should be satisfied that the new light1 which has come to us1 is not that of a transient meteor1 but of a permanent luminary4 ,we should1 also1 be satisfied1 that the proposed change is consistent with the established rules of philology4 ,if we introduce change of this sort before these points are settled1 even upon passages that have no connection with fundamental moral principles1 we shall distress many an honest and pious heart1 and expose ourselves to the necessity of further change4 ,but on the other hand1 if we delay the change long after these points are fairly settled1 we shall excite the suspicion that we dread to have the light of science fall upon the ,bible4 ,nor let it be forgotten how disastrous has ever been the influence of the opinion that theologians teach one thing1 and men of science another4 ,now1 in the case under consideration1 is there any reason to doubt the high antiquity of the globe1 as demonstrated by geology8 ,if any point1 not capable of mathematical demonstration in physical science1 is proved1 surely this truth is established4 ,and how easily reconciled to the inspired record1 by an interpretation entirely consistent with the rules of philology1 and with the scope of the passage1 and the tenor of the ,bible6 ,it seems to me far more natural1 and easy to understand1 than that interpretation which it became necessary to introduce when the ,copernican system was demonstrated to be true4 ,the latter must have seemed to conflict strongly with the natural and most obvious meaning of certain passages of the ,bible1 at a time when men's minds were ignorant of astronomy1 and1 ,i may add1 of the true mode of interpreting the language of ,scripture respecting natural phenomena4 ,nevertheless1 the astronomical exegesis prevailed1 and every child can now see its reasonableness4 ,so it seems to me that the child can easily apprehend the geological interpretation and its reasons4 ,why1 then1 should it not be taught to children1 that they may not be liable to distrust the whole ,bible1 when they come to the study of geology8 ,i rejoice1 however1 that the fears and prejudices of the pious and the learned are so fast yielding to evidence2 and ,i anticipate the period1 when1 on this subject1 the child will learn the same thing in the ,sabbath school and the literary institution4 ,nay1 ,i anticipate the time as not distant1 when the high antiquity of the globe will be regarded as no more opposed to the ,bible than the earth's revolution round the sun and on its axis4 ,soon shall the horizon1 where geology and revelation meet1 be cleared of every cloud1 and present only an unbroken and magnificent circle of truth4 ,,lecture ,,iii4 ,,death ,a ,,universal ,,law ,,of ,,organic ,,beings ,,on ,,this ,,globe ,,from ,,the ,,beginning4 ,death has always been regarded by man as the king of terrors1 and the climax of all mortal evils2 and by ,christians its introduction into the world has generally been imputed to the apostasy of our first parents4 ,for the threatening announced to them in ,eden was1 ,in the day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt surely die1 implying that if they did not eat thereof they might live4 ,but when the woman saw the tree was good for food1 and that it was pleasant to the eyes1 and a tree to be desired to make one wise1 she took of the fruit thereof1 and did eat1 and gave also to her husband with her1 and he did eat4 ,as the result1 it is generally supposed that a great change took place in animals and plants1 and from being immortal1 they became mortal1 in consequence of this fatal deed4 ,but geology asserts that death existed in the world untold ages before man's creation1 while physiology declares it to be a universal law of nature1 and a wise and benevolent provision in such a world as ours4 ,now1 the question is1 ,do not these different statements conflict with one another8 and if so1 is the discrepancy apparent only1 or real8 ,these are the questions which ,i now propose to examine1 by all the light which we can obtain from the ,bible and from science4 ,the first point to be ascertained in this investigation will be1 what the ,bible teaches on this subject4 ,in the first place1 it distinctly informs us that the death which man experiences1 came upon him in consequence of sin4 ,the declaration of ,paul on this subject is as distinct as language can be4 ,by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin1 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned4 ,this corresponds with the original threatening respecting the forbidden fruit4 ,we know that our first parents ate of it2 we know1 also1 that they died2 and the apostle places these two facts in the relation of cause and effect4 ,in the second place1 the ,bible does not inform us whether the death of the inferior animals and plants is the consequence of man's transgression4 ,in order to prove this statement1 it is necessary to show that the language of the ,bible1 which distinctly ascribes the introduction of death into the world1 is limited to man4 ,the first part of the sentence from ,paul1 just quoted1 is indeed very general1 and may include all organic natures4 ,by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin4 ,what terms more general or explicit than these could be used8 ,yet the remainder of the sentence shows that the apostle had man mainly in his eye2 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned4 ,the death here spoken of is limited expressly to man2 and1 therefore1 it is not necessary to show that the same terms1 in the first part of the sentence1 had a more extended meaning4 ,death is spoken of here as the result of sin1 and cannot1 therefore1 embrace animals and plants1 which are incapable of sin4 ,but after all1 the first part of the sentence may intend to teach a general truth respecting the origin of every kind of death in the world4 ,it will be seen in the sequel1 that to such a meaning ,i have no objection1 if it can be established4 ,another very explicit passage on the introduction of death into the world is found in ,corinthians3 ,since by man came death1 by man came also the resurrection of the dead4 ,here1 too1 the last clause of the sentence limits the meaning to the human family4 ,for no one will doubt that ,christ is the man here spoken of1 by whom came the resurrection of the dead4 ,now1 unless the inferior animals and plants will share in a resurrection in consequence of what ,christ has done1 and in the redemption wrought out by him too1 they cannot be included in this passage4 ,and if neither of the texts now quoted extend in their application beyond the human race1 ,i know of no other passage in the ,bible that teaches1 directly or inferentially1 that death among the inferior animals or plants resulted from man's apostasy4 ,i do not deny that there may be a connection between these events2 certainly the ,scriptures do not teach the contrary4 ,but they appear to me rather to leave the question of such a connection undecided1 and open for the examination of philosophers4 ,if so1 we may reason concerning the dissolution of animals1 except men1 without reference to the ,scriptures4 ,under the second part of this investigation1 ,i shall endeavor to show that geology proves violent and painful death to have existed in the world long before man's creation4 ,in the oldest of the sedimentary rocks1 the remains of animals occur in vast numbers2 nor will any one1 ,i trust1 of ordinary intelligence1 doubt but these relics once constituted living beings4 ,through the whole series of rocks1 six miles in thickness1 we find similar remains1 even increasing in numbers as we ascend2 but it is not till we reach the very highest stratum1 the mere superficial coat of alluvium1 that we find the remains of man4 ,the vast multitudes1 then1 of organized beings that lie entombed in rocks below alluvium1 must have yielded to death long before man received his sentence1 ,dust thou art1 and to dust shalt thou return4 ,will any one maintain that none of these animals preceded man in the period of their existence8 ,then why are the remains of men not found with theirs8 for his bony skeleton is as likely to be preserved and petrified as theirs4 ,moreover1 so unlike to man and other existing tenants of the globe are many of these ancient animals1 that the sure laws of comparative anatomy show us1 that both races could not live and flourish in a world adapted to the one or the other4 ,if the temperature had been warm enough for the fossil tribes1 and all the circumstances of food and climate congenial to their natures1 they would have been unsuited to the present races2 and if adapted to the latter1 the former must have perished4 ,the difference between the animals and plants dug out of the rocks in this latitude1 and those now inhabiting the same region of country1 is certainly as great as that between the animals and plants of the torrid and temperate zones2 in most cases it is greater4 ,now1 suppose that the animals and plants of the temperate zones were to change places with those between the tropics4 ,a few species might survive1 but the greater part would be destroyed4 ,hence1 a fortiori1 had the living beings now entombed in the rocks been placed in the same climate with those now alive upon the globe1 the like result would have followed4 ,i say a fortiori2 that is1 for a stronger reason1 the greater number must have perished2 and the stronger reason is1 the greater difference between fossil and living species1 than between the latter in torrid and temperate latitudes4 ,it is true that man is among the species capable of being acclimated to great extremes4 ,and yet no physiologist will imagine that even his nature could have long survived in such a climate as formerly existed1 when probably the atmosphere was loaded with carbonic acid and other mephitic gases1 and with moisture and miasms1 the result of a rank vegetation1 and of a temperature higher than now exists in equatorial countries4 ,this argument1 furnished by comparative anatomy1 to show that man and the fossil animals could not have been contemporaries1 will probably seem to have little force to those who are not familiar with the history of organic life on the globe1 and the distribution of species4 ,it is not generally known that both animals and plants are usually confined to a particular district1 and that a removal beyond its boundaries1 or the access of a few more degrees of cold1 or heat1 than is common in the place assigned them by nature1 will destroy them4 ,to him who understands this curious history1 the argument under consideration is perfectly satisfactory1 to prove the existence and consequent dissolution of myriads of living beings1 anterior to man4 ,judging by these indications of the habits of the animals1 says the distinguished anatomist1 ,sir ,charles ,bell1 we acquire a knowledge of the condition of the earth during their period of existence2 that it was suited at one time to the scaly tribe of the lacertae1 with languid motion2 at another1 to animals of higher organization1 with more varied and lively habits2 and finally1 we learn that at any period previous to man's creation1 the surface of the earth would have been unsuitable to him4 ,any other hypothesis than that of a new creation of animals1 suited to the successive changes in the inorganic matter of the globe1 the condition of the water1 atmosphere1 and temperature1 brings with it only an accumulation of difficulties4--,the ,hand1 its ,mech41 c4 pp4 #ca and #aae4 ,but when arguing with those who do not feel the force of this argument1 ,i would fall back upon that derived from the fact1 that of the ten thousand species of animals dug out of the rocks beneath alluvium1 no relic of man has been found2 and ask them whether they can explain such a fact1 except by the supposition that man was not their contemporary4 ,in his admirable ,bridgewater ,treatise1 ,dr4 ,buckland has conclusively shown that the same great system of organization and adaptation has always prevailed on the globe4 ,it was the same in those immensely remote ages1 when the fossil animals lived1 as it now is4 ,and there is one feature of that system which deserves notice in this argument4 ,at present1 we know that there exist large tribes of animals1 called carnivorous1 provided with organs expressly designed to enable them to destroy other animals1 and of course to inflict on them violent and painful death4 ,exactly similar tribes1 and in a like proportion1 are found among the fossil animals4 ,they were not always the same tribes2 but when one class of carnivora disappeared1 another was created to take their place1 in order to keep down the excessive multiplication of other races1 which appears to be the grand object accomplished by the carnivorous races4 ,and that animals of such an organization not only lived in the ages preceding man's creation1 but actually destroyed contemporary species1 we have the evidence in the remains of the one animal enclosed in the body of another1 by whom it was devoured for food and both are now converted into rock1 and will testify to the most sceptical1 that death among animals existed in the world before man's transgression4 ,under the third part of this investigation1 ,i shall attempt to show that physiology teaches us that death is a general law of organic natures4 ,it is not confined to animals1 but embraces also plants4 ,as they correspond in a striking manner to animals in their reproduction and growth1 so they do in their decay and dissolution4 ,in short1 wherever in nature we find life and organization1 death is inevitable4 ,the amount of vital energy varies in different species1 and in individuals2 but in them all1 it at length becomes exhausted1 and the functions cease4 ,after a certain period1 the vessels which convey the nutritive materials1 and elaborate the proximate principles1 become choked with excrementitious matter1 assimilation is performed imperfectly1 and gradually the vital energies are overpowered1 and yield up their charge to the disorganizing power of chemical agencies4 ,we can hardly see why the delicate machinery cannot hold out longer than it does1 or even indefinitely4 ,but experience shows us that an irresistible law of nature has fixed the period of its operations4 ,in the expressive language of ,scripture1 which applies to plants as well as animals1 there is no discharge in that war4 ,a little reflection will convince any one1 that in such a system as exists in the world1 this universal decay and dissolution are indispensable4 ,for dead organic matter is essential to the support and nourishment of living beings4 ,admit1 for the sake of the argument1 7although it is obviously absurd in respect to the carnivorous races17 that animals might be supported by vegetable food4 ,yet1 if plants must furnish nourishment for their successors1 as well as for animals1 the organic matter must at length be exhausted4 ,and1 furthermore1 how could animals feed on plants without destroying1 as they now do1 multitudes of minute insects and animalcules8 ,it is obvious1 also1 that1 for a variety of reasons1 the multiplication of animals must soon be arrested1 or famine would be the result1 or the world would be more than full4 ,in short1 it would require an entirely different system in nature from the present1 in order to exclude death from the world4 ,to the existing system it is as essential as gravitation1 and apparently just as much a law of nature4 ,to strengthen this argument still further1 comparative anatomy testifies that large classes of animals have a structure evidently intended to enable them to feed on other tribes4 ,the teeth of the more perfect carnivorous animals are adapted for seizing and tearing their prey1 while those which feed on vegetables have cutting and grinding teeth1 but not the canine4 ,so the whole digestive apparatus in the carnivora is more simple1 and of less extent1 than in the herbivorous tribes1 while in the former the gastric juice acts more readily upon flesh1 and in the latter upon vegetables4 ,the muscular apparatus1 also1 is developed in greater power in the former than in the latter1 especially in the neck and fore paw4 ,throughout all the classes of animals1 those which feed on flesh are armed with poisonous fangs1 or talons1 or beaks1 or other formidable weapons1 while the vegetable feeders are usually in a great measure defenceless4 ,in short1 in the one class we find a perfect adaptation1 in all the organs1 for destroying1 digesting1 and assimilating other animals1 and in the other class1 an arrangement1 equally obvious1 for procuring and digesting vegetables4 ,indeed1 you need only show the anatomist the skeleton1 or even a very small part of the skeleton1 of an unknown animal1 to enable him1 in most cases1 to decide1 what is the food of that animal1 with almost as much certainty as if he had for years observed its habits4 ,who can doubt1 then1 that when a carnivorous animal employs the weapons with which nature has furnished it for the destruction of another animal1 in order to satisfy its hunger1 that it acts in obedience to a law of its being1 originally impressed upon its constitution by the ,creator8 ,it is true1 that even the flesh-eating animals may be taught for a time to subsist upon vegetable products4 ,but this is unnatural2 and such an animal usually pays the price of thus inverting its original instinct1 by disease and premature decay4 ,in a state of nature1 an animal would starve rather than thus violate its instinctive desires4 ,i will allude to only one other fact1 that shows death to be inseparable from organized beings1 without a constant miraculous interference1 in such a world as ours4 ,animal organization1 in all conceivable circumstances1 must be liable to accident1 from mere mechanical force1 by which life would be destroyed4 ,it may be possible1 perhaps1 to conceive of a material tenement for the soul1 which should be unaffected by all forms of mechanical violence and chemical action2 if1 for instance1 its constitution were analogous to that supposed medium through which light1 heat1 and electricity1 and perhaps gravitation1 act4 ,but1 surely1 our present bodies are far enough removed from such conditions1 being of all terrestrial things the most liable to ruin from the causes above mentioned4 ,the conclusions from all these facts and reasonings are1 that death is an essential feature of the present system of organized nature2 that it must have entered into the plan of creation in the divine mind originally1 and consequently must have existed in the world before the apostasy of man4 ,whether the entire system of death had any connection with that event1 or whether there is any thing peculiar in the death endured by the human family1 will be questions for examination in a subsequent part of my lecture4 ,in opposition to these conclusions1 however1 the common theory of death maintains that1 when man transgressed1 there was an entire change throughout all organic nature2 so that animals and plants1 which before contained a principle of immortal life1 were smitten with the hereditary contagion of disease and death4 ,those animals which1 before that event1 were gentle and herbivorous1 or frugivorous1 suddenly became ferocious or carnivorous4 ,the climate1 too1 changed1 and the sterile soil sent forth the thorn and the thistle1 in the place of the rich flowers and fruits of ,eden4 ,the great ,english poet1 in his ,paradise ,lost1 has clothed this hypothesis in a most graphic and philosophical dress2 and probably his descriptions have done more than the ,bible to give it currency4 ,indeed1 could the truth be known1 ,i fancy that1 on many points of secondary importance1 the current theology of the day has been shaped quite as much by the ingenious machinery of ,paradise ,lost as by the ,scriptures2 the theologians having so mixed up the ideas of ,milton with those derived from inspiration1 that they find it difficult to distinguish between them4 ,in the case under consideration1 ,milton does not limit the change induced by man's apostasy to sublunary things1 but1 like a sagacious philosopher1 perceives1 also1 that the heavenly bodies must have been diverted from their paths4 ,at that tasted fruit1 ,the sun1 as from ,thyestian banquet1 turned ,his course intended2 else-how had the world ,inhabited1 though sinless1 more than now1 ,avoided pinching cold and scorching heat8 ,this change of the sun's path1 as the poet well knew1 could be effected only by some change in the motion of the earth4 ,some say he bid the angels turn askance ,the poles of earth1 twice ten degrees and more1 ,from the sun's axle2 they with labor pushed ,oblique the centric globe4 ,next we have the effect upon the lower orders of animals described4 ,discord first1 ,daughter of sin1 among the irrational ,death introduced3 through fierce antipathy1 ,beast now with beast 'gan war1 and fowl with fowl1 ,and fish with fish2 to graze the herb all leaving1 ,devoured each other4 ,the question arises here1 whether such views are sustained by the ,bible and by science4 ,few1 ,i presume1 would seriously maintain that the act of our first parents1 which produced what ,dr4 ,chalmers calls an unhingement of the human race1 resulted likewise in a change in the motion of the earth and the heavenly bodies2 since the ,bible so clearly describes the previous ordination of days1 years1 and seasons1 on the fourth day of creation4 ,and is there any thing in the language of the ,bible that will justify the opinion that such changes as this theory supposes took place in the productions of the earth1 and in the nature of its animals8 ,no anatomist can surely be made to believe that1 without a constant miracle1 our carnivorous animals can have become herbivorous1 without such a change in their organization as must have amounted to a new creation4 ,and such a metamorphosis can hardly have passed unnoticed by the sacred writer4 ,true1 only the gramineous and herbaceous substances are in the ,bible given to the inferior animals for food1 while the fruits are assigned to man4 ,but this passage seems only to be a designation of one part of vegetable productions to men1 and another to other animals1 and can hardly be supposed to preclude the idea that there might be other tribes requiring animal food4 ,the sentence pronounced upon the serpent for his agency in man's apostasy seems1 at first view1 favorable to the opinion that animal natures experienced at the same time important changes2 for he is supposed to have been deprived of limbs1 and condemned henceforth to crawl upon the earth1 and to make the dust his food4 ,but is it the most probable interpretation of this passage1 which makes the tempter a literal serpent1 or only a symbolical one8 ,the naturalist does not surely find that serpents live upon dust1 for they all are carnivorous1 and they are as perfectly adapted to crawl upon the ground as other animals to different modes of progression2 and though cursed above all cattle1 they are apparently as happy as other animals4 ,hence the probability is1 that an evil spirit is described in ,genesis under the name and figure of a serpent4 ,this conclusion is supported by other parts of ,scripture1 where the tempter is in several places declared to be the devil1 the old serpent1 and the great dragon4 ,a part of the sentence passed upon man seems1 also1 at first view1 to imply an important change in the vegetable productions of the earth2 for the ground is cursed for man's sake3 it would henceforth produce to him thorns and thistles1 and in the sweat of his brow must he eat of the fruits of it1 all the days of his life4 ,now1 will not the condition and character of ,adam show how this curse might be fulfilled1 without any change in the productions of the soil8 ,the garden of ,eden1 where man had lived in his innocence1 was doubtless some sunny and balmy spot1 where the air was delicious1 and the earth poured forth her abundant fruits spontaneously2 and although he was called to keep and dress that garden1 yet1 with a contented and holy heart1 and with no factitious wants1 the work was neither labor nor sorrow4 ,but now he is driven from that garden into regions far less fertile1 where the sterile soil can be made to yield its fruits only by the sweat of the brow1 and where the thorn and the thistle dispute their right of soil with salutary plants2 and in his heart1 too1 unholy and unsubdued passions have place1 which will infuse sorrow into all his labors4 ,as ,i have remarked in another place1 ,i cannot see why the functions of animal and vegetable organization might not have gone on forever without decay and death1 if such had been the ,creator's will4 ,in other words1 ,i do not see why the operation of the organs should at length be impeded and cease1 as we know they do universally4 ,hence ,i can conceive that it might have been otherwise originally2 and in the case of man it is possible1 as we shall see farther on1 that a change of this sort may have taken place at the time of his apostasy4 ,but1 after all1 it strikes me that the ,bible furnishes very clear evidence that the same system of decay and death prevailed before the apostasy which now prevails4 ,the command given1 both to animals and to man1 to be fruitful and multiply1 implies the removal of successive races by death2 otherwise the world would ere long be overstocked4 ,a system of death is certainly a necessary counterpart to a system of reproduction2 and hence1 where we know the one to exist1 the presumption is very strong that the other exists also4 ,there is no escape from this inference1 except to call in the aid of miraculous power to preserve the proper balance among different races of animals1 by preventing their multiplication4 ,such an interference ,i am always ready to admit1 where the ,scriptures assert it4 ,but to imagine a miracle without proof1 merely to escape a fair conclusion1 is1 to say the least1 very wretched logic4 ,god never introduces a miracle where he can employ the ordinary agency of nature for accomplishing his purposes4 ,nor should we resort to one without the express testimony of the ,bible1 which1 on this subject1 is our only source of evidence4 ,we have in ,scripture the same kind of proof that plants were subject to decay and death1 before the fall1 as we have in respect to animals4 ,for in the account of the creation of plants on the third day1 we find them described as bearing seeds2 and does not this clearly imply the same system of reproduction which now exists throughout the vegetable kingdom8 ,in short1 an unprejudiced mind1 in reading the history of the world in ,genesis1 before and after the fall1 can hardly fail of the conviction1 that animals and plants were originally created on the same plan1 as to reproduction1 decay1 and death1 which now prevails4 ,great1 indeed1 must have been the change at the fall1 if1 previous to that time1 their structure excluded all the organs and means of reproduction2 as must have been the case if decay and death were also excluded4 ,and it is strange that the sacred writer should take no notice of such a change4 ,he states the effect of sin upon the three parties directly concerned in it1 viz41 the tempter1 ,adam1 and ,eve2 and if a transformation of all vegetable and animal natures1 great enough almost to constitute a new creation1 did take place1 it could hardly have been passed in silence4 ,even in the case of man1 we have no remarkable physical change4 ,the effect seems to have been chiefly confined to his intellectual constitution1 where we should expect the effect of sin to be primarily felt4 ,there1 indeed1 in man's noblest part1 has the havoc been the most terrific1 and powerfully has its operation there reacted upon the body1 so as to make death1 in the case of man1 the king of terrors4 ,we find1 then1 insuperable objections to the prevalent notion that an entire revolution took place at the fall in the material world1 and especially in organic nature4 ,those passages of ,scripture which1 literally interpreted1 seem to imply some changes of this sort1 are easily understood as vivid figurative representations of the effects of sin upon men1 while their literal interpretation would involve us in inextricable difficulties4 ,we rest1 therefore1 in the conclusion1 that1 whatever connection there may be between death and the existing system of organic and inorganic nature1 no important change took place at the time of man's first transgression2 in other ,words1 the present system is that which was originally determined upon in the divine mind1 and not the original plan altered after man's transgression4 ,the fourth step in the investigation of this subject leads me to attempt to show that1 in the present system of the world1 death1 to the inferior animals1 is a benevolent provision1 and to man1 also1 when not aggravated or converted into a curse by his own sin4 ,in examining this point1 as well as many others in natural theology1 where the existence of evil is concerned1 we must assume that the present system of the world is the best which infinite wisdom and benevolence could devise4 ,and this we may consistently do4 ,for the prominent design throughout nature appears to be beneficial to animal natures1 and suffering is only incidental1 and happiness1 moreover1 is superadded to the functions of animals1 where it is unnecessary to the perfect performance of the function4 ,we may be certain1 therefore1 that the ,author of such a system can neither be malevolent nor indifferent to the happiness of animals1 but must be benevolent2 and1 therefore1 the system must be the best possible1 since such a ,being could constitute no other4 ,now1 death being an essential feature of such a system1 we should expect to find it1 as a whole1 a benevolent provision4 ,but1 in the case of man1 the ,bible represents it as a penal infliction1 and such is its general aspect in the human family4 ,so far as the mere extinction of life is concerned1 it is the same in man as in other animals2 but sin arms it with a deadly sting1 by pointing the offender to a world of retribution1 as he sees the menacing dart of the great destroyer aimed at his heart4 ,and1 indeed1 through all his days1 man's power of anticipation keeps death ever before him1 as the end of all his present enjoyments1 and the commencement1 it may be1 of unmitigated suffering4 ,but the inferior animals1 being incapable of sin1 find none of these aggravations to give keenness to their final sufferings4 ,no anticipation of death keeps it ever in view1 as a terrific enemy4 ,no guilty conscience points them to a righteous throne of judgment1 where they must be arraigned4 ,but when the stroke comes1 it falls unexpectedly1 and the mere physical suffering is all that gives severity to their dissolution4 ,in the case of man1 too1 there is the sundering of ties too strong for any thing but death to break2--ties which bind him to kindred1 friends1 and country2 and often this separation constitutes the most painful part of the closing scene4 ,but in the case of animals1 we have no reason to suppose these attachments1 so far as they exist1 to be very strong2 nay1 in most cases they are certainly very weak4 ,and even did they exist1 the brute would not be conscious that death would remove him from the society of his beloved companions4 ,the inferior animals1 also1 usually die either a violent and sudden death1 inflicted by some carnivorous enemy1 or in extreme old age1 by mere decay of the natural powers1 without disease4 ,the violent death can usually have in it little of suffering2 and the slow decay still less4 ,but although some men die violent deaths1 how few survive to extreme old age1 and sink at last almost unconsciously into the grave1 because the vital energies are exhausted6 ,were this the case1 the physical terrors of death would be almost taken away1 and we should pass as quietly into eternity as a lamp goes out when the oil is exhausted4 ,but in general we see a constitution yet unbroken1 struggling with fierce disease1 and yielding to its fate only with terrific agonies2 because sin has early implanted the seeds of disease in the constitution4 ,imagine1 now1 that death should come upon a man in the course of nature2 that is1 without disease1 and with little suffering1 and with no painful forebodings of conscience4 ,suppose1 moreover1 that the dying individual should feel that the change passing upon him would assuredly introduce him to a new and spiritual body1 undecaying1 and adapted to the operations of the mind2 that it would1 in fact1 be the building of ,god1 the house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens2 and that the soul1 after death1 would enter into free and full communion with all that is great and ennobling in the universe2 and that joys1 inconceivable and eternal1 would henceforth be its portion3 ,o1 how different would such a death be from what we usually witness6 ,yet1 were men all to accept of the offered ransom from sin and death1 and1 under the guidance of pure religious principle1 were to pay a strict regard to hygienic laws1 such would be1 for the most part1 the character of the death they would experience4 ,the excepted cases would be those of violent and sudden death from accident1 or of disease from unavoidable exposure1 and they would be comparatively few4 ,so that1 in fact1 an observance of the laws1 physical and moral1 which ,god has ordained1 would change almost the entire aspect of death1 even in this fallen world4 ,these remarks seem necessary in order to obtain a correct idea of the character of death1 when not aggravated by the sins of men4 ,for those aggravations seem superadded1 in the case of men1 as penal inflictions for their sins2 and we ought to leave them out of the account1 when we are considering death as a benevolent provision4 ,i do not contend that death1 even in its mildest forms1 is no evil2 nor that the apostasy of man was not the cause of its introduction into the world4 ,these points ,i shall consider in another place4 ,but ,i contend that1 in the present system of the world1 death1 when not aggravated by the sins of men1 is to be regarded as a benevolent provision1 bringing with it more happiness than misery2 although1 had sin never existed1 a system productive of still greater enjoyment might have been adopted in this world4 ,but as the arrangements of the world now are1 death affords the following evidences of infinite benevolence and wisdom4 ,in the first place1 it is a transfer from a lower to a higher state of existence4 ,let me here be understood distinctly as speaking only of the death of those accountable beings1 who1 by the transforming power of grace1 have become prepared for a higher and perfectly holy state of being4 ,for the death of all others can be looked on only in the light of a terrible penal infliction4 ,but the righteous1 when they die1--and all may1 if they will1 become righteous1--have before them the certain prospect of immortal happiness1 such as eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 neither hath it entered the heart of man to conceive4 ,they enter upon fulness of joy1 and pleasures forevermore2 and therefore death to them is infinite gain4 ,whether the inferior animals will exist again after death is a more doubtful point4 ,there is certainly nothing in ,scripture decisive against their future existence2 for the passage in ,psalms which says1 that man that is in honor and abideth not is like the brutes that perish1 if understood to mean the annihilation of animals1 would prove also the annihilation of wicked men4 ,and while most men of learning and piety have suspended their opinion on the existence of the inferior animals after death1 for want of evidence1 some have been decided advocates of the future happy existence of all beings1 who exhibit a spark of intelligence4 ,not a few distinguished ,german theologians and philosophers regard the whole visible creation1 both animate and inanimate1 as at present in a confined and depressed state1 and struggling for freedom4 ,on this principle ,tholuck explains that most difficult passage in ,romans1 which declares that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until now4 ,he supposes this bound or fettered state of nature1 both animate and inanimate1 to have a casual connection with sin1 and the death accompanying it among men2 and1 therefore1 when men are freed from sin and death1 the creation itself1 also1 shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of ,god4 ,the kingdom of ,god1 according to ,tholuck1 ,martin ,luther1 and many other distinguished theologians1 will not be transferred to heaven at the end of the world1 but be established on earth1 where all these transformations of the animate and inanimate creation will take place4 ,this exposition surely carries with it a great deal of naturalness and probability2 and if it be true1 death to the inferior animals must surely be an indication of great benevolence on the part of the ,deity1 since it introduces them to a higher state of existence4 ,but if it be rejected1 still the general principle is eminently applicable to the case of man4 ,in the second place1 the system of a succession of races of animals on earth1 which death alone would render possible1 secures a much greater collective amount of happiness than a single race of animals1 endowed with earthly immortality4 ,i sustain this position by three arguments4 ,the first is1 that young animals enjoy more1 in the same period of time1 than those more advanced in age4 ,this may result1 in part1 in the present organization of animals1 from the superior health and vigor enjoyed by the young4 ,but it is due1 also1 in part1 and largely1 to the novelty of the scenes presented in early life4 ,and so far as it results from the latter cause1 it proves that a succession of races would enjoy more than a single race continued indefinitely1 because the successive races would always be comparatively young4 ,a single continuous race might1 indeed1 be supposed always possessed of the unabated vigor and health of youth2 but1 of necessity1 objects must soon lose the charm of novelty1 and1 therefore1 produce less of enjoyment4 ,the second argument is1 that a succession of races admits of the contemporaneous existence of a greater number of species than could coexist were none removed by death4 ,if only one undying race occupied the globe1 it must subsist exclusively on vegetable food4 ,whereas much the largest part of the species that now live are carnivorous or omnivorous4 ,all the enjoyment of these flesh-eating animals is1 therefore1 so much clear gain to the stock of happiness1 with the exception of the suffering which death inflicts4 ,now1 but few of the inferior animals perish by disease4 ,some die by old age1 and these suffer almost nothing4 ,but the greater part are suddenly destroyed by the violent assault of the carnivorous races4 ,and as the pangs of death are momentary1 and there are no anticipations of its approach1 nor sunderings of the ties of affection1 nor dread of an hereafter1 the suffering endured must be an exceedingly small drawback upon the enjoyment of the whole life4 ,it is far less than it would be1 if animals were left to perish by famine1 or by slow degrees1 from deficient nourishment2 so that the existence of the carnivorous races1 seeming at first view intended to convert the world into a vast ,golgotha1 does in fact add greatly to the amount of enjoyment1 because it so prodigiously multiplies the number of species of animals1 and lessens the sufferings of death4 ,in the third place1 death exerts a salutary moral influence upon man1 and1 as a consequence1 swells the amount of his happiness4 ,and although this consideration affects only one species1 yet man's position on the scale of being makes his happiness an object of no small importance4 ,the final conclusions at which we arrive1 then1 are1 first1 that death is a fixed and universal law of nature1 essential to the existence of the present system of the world2 and secondly1 that1 like all other laws of nature1 it exhibits marks of benevolence1 and wise adaptation on the part of the ,author of nature4 ,the question will indeed arise in every reflecting mind1 why a ,being of infinite power and wisdom could not have secured to his creatures the benefits resulting from a system of death1 without the attendant suffering4 ,but this question resolves itself into the inquiry1 why evil exists at all2 and although1 in my own view1 it exists most probably as a means of greater happiness to the universe1 yet on this point the wisest minds have differed and been baffled1 and equally perplexing is it to every form of religion4 ,hence it is no objection to any views we may adopt1 that they leave this question where they found it4 ,the fifth and last step in our investigation of this subject is to show how science1 experience1 and revelation may be reconciled on the subject of death4 ,we have seen that geology is not alone in proving death to be a law of nature1 essential to the present system of the world1 and1 indeed1 indicative of divine wisdom and benevolence4 ,for anatomy and physiology1 as well as experience1 teach us the same truths4 ,and natural theology shows that1 if death is a law of organic nature1 it must have entered into the plan of the universe in the divine mind1 and was not the result of any change of organic nature subsequent to the fall of man4 ,can these views be reconciled with the declarations of ,scripture1 which certainly represent death among the human family1 if not among the lower animals1 to be the consequence of sin8 ,there are three suppositions by which all apparent discrepancy between science and revelation1 on this subject1 may be removed4 ,i shall present them1 with the arguments in their favor1 leaving to others to decide which is most reasonable4 ,for they are independent of one another1 though not inconsistent2 and1 therefore1 even though different persons should prefer different theories1 they need not be regarded as in opposition to one another4 ,the first theory proceeds on the supposition that death is a universal law of organic nature1 from which man was exempted so long as he obeyed the law of ,god4 ,but ,i will present it in the language of its distinguished author4 ,in the state of pristine purity1 says ,dr4 ,j4 ,pye ,smith1 the bodily constitution of man was exempted from the law of progress towards dissolution1 which belonged to the inferior animals4 ,it must have been maintained in that distinguished peculiarity by means to us unknown2 and it would seem probable that1 had not man fallen by his transgression1 he1 and each of his posterity1 would1 after faithfully sustaining an individual probation1 have passed through a change without dying1 and have been exalted to a more perfect state of existence4--,scrip4 and ,geol4 #dth ed4 p4 #bjh4 ,according to this theory of ,dr4 ,smith1 man saw all other organic beings around him subject to decay and death1 while he1 as a special favor1 remained unaffected by the general law4 ,the penalty of disobedience was1 that he would forfeit this enviable distinction1 and be subjected to death more revolting than the brutes4 ,the reward of obedience was a continued immunity from evil1 and a final translation1 without suffering1 to a more exalted condition4 ,and certainly the nature of the case furnishes a strong presumptive argument to show that man did thus stand exempted from the decay and death which reigned all around him4 ,if not1 what weight or meaning would there be in the penalty8 ,if he had not seen death in other animals1 how could he have any idea of the nature of the threatening8 ,and we may be sure that ,god never promulgates a penalty without affording his subjects the means of comprehending it4 ,i have already intimated that ,i could hardly see why there exists in all organic natures a tendency to decay and death1 except in the will of the ,creator4 ,may not that tendency result1 like the varieties among men1 from some slightly modifying cause implanted by the ,deity in the nature of the animal or plant8 ,and if so1 might not an opposite tendency be imparted to one or more species1 so that the decay and death of the one1 and the continued existence of the other1 might be equally well explained on physiological principles8 ,if this suggestion be admitted1 it would not be necessary to resort to any supernatural or miraculous agency to show how sinless man in paradise might have stood unaffected by decay1 the common lot of all other races4 ,it must be confessed1 however1 that it is not as easy to see how1 by any natural law1 he could have been proof against mechanical violence and chemical agencies2 there we must admit miraculous protection1 or a self-restoring power more wonderful than that possessed by the polypi4 ,these views receive strong confirmation from the history of the tree of life1 that grew in the garden of ,eden4 ,the very name implies that it was intended to give or preserve life4 ,that it had in it a power to preserve life is evident from the sentence pronounced on man4 ,and the ,lord ,god saith1 ,behold1 the man hath become as one of us1 to know good and evil2 and now1 lest he should put forth his hand1 and take also of the tree of life1 and live forever1 therefore the ,lord ,god sent him forth from the garden of ,eden4 ,now1 it appears to me to be in perfect harmony with the principles of physiology to suppose that there might be a virtue in the tree of life--either in its fruit or some other part--to arrest that tendency to decay and dissolution which we now find in all animal bodies4 ,it does seem that it would require only some slight modification of the present functions of the human frame to keep the wheels of life in motion indefinitely4 ,when in ,eden1 man had access to this sure defence against disease4 ,but after he had sinned1 he must forfeit this privilege1 and1 like the plants and inferior animals1 submit to the universal law of dissolution4 ,surely1 of all the expositions that have been given of the meaning of this passage1 this is the most rational1 and it does throw an air of great plausibility over ,dr4 ,smith's views4 ,it will occur to every reflecting mind that we have in ,scripture a few interesting examples of that change1 without dying1 from the present to a higher state of being1 which the theory of ,dr4 ,smith supposes would have been the happy lot of all mankind had they not sinned4 ,by faith ,enoch was translated1 that he should not see death4 ,he walked with ,god1 and he was not2 for ,god took him4 ,gladly would philosophys here interpose a thousand questions as to the manner in which this wonderful change took place2 but the ,scriptures are silent4 ,it was enough for the heart of piety that ,god was the author of the change4 ,and so1 in the case of ,elijah1 we have the sublimely simple description only--,and it came to pass1 as they still went on and talked1 that1 behold1 there appeared a chariot of fire1 and horses of fire1 and parted them both asunder2 and ,elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven4 ,except the transfiguration of ,christ1 which appears to have been of an analogous character1 these are all the actual examples of translation on record4 ,but the apostle declares that1 in the closing scene of this world's history1 this same change shall pass upon multitudes4 ,behold1 ,i show you a mystery4 ,we shall not all sleep2 but we shall all be changed1 in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 at the last trump2 for the trumpet shall sound1 and the dead shall be raised incorruptible1 and we shall be changed4 ,abundant evidence is1 therefore1 before us1 that the great change which death now causes us to pass through with fear and dread1 might as easily have been1 for the whole human family1 a transition delightful in anticipation and joyful in experience4 ,the second theory which will reconcile science and revelation on the subject of death1 is one long since illustrated by ,jeremy ,taylor4 ,and since he could have had no reference to geology in proposing it1 because geology did not exist in his day1 we may be sure1 either that he learnt it from the ,bible1 or that other branches of knowledge teach the existence of death as a general law of nature1 as well as geology4 ,that death1 therefore1 says ,taylor1 which ,god threatened to ,adam1 and which passed upon his posterity1 is not the going out of this world1 but the manner of going4 ,if he had staid in innocence1 he should have gone placidly and fairly1 without vexatious and afflictive circumstances2 he should not have died by sickness1 defect1 misfortune1 or unwillingness4 ,but when he fell1 then he began to die2 the same day1 7,god said17 and that must needs be true2 and1 therefore1 it must mean upon that very day he fell into an evil and dangerous condition1 a state of change and affliction2 then death began2 that is1 man began to die by a natural diminution1 and aptness to disease and misery4 ,change or separation of soul and body is but accidental to death2 death may be with or without either2 but the formality1 the curse1 and the sting1--that is1 misery1 sorrow1 fear1 diminution1 defect1 anguish1 dishonor1 and whatsoever is miserable and afflictive in nature1--that is death4 ,death is not an action1 but a whole state and condition2 and this was first brought in upon us by the offence of one man4 ,in more recent times1 the essential features of these views of ,taylor have been adopted by the ablest commentators and theologians1 and sustained by an appeal to ,scripture4#i ,the position which they take is1 that the death threatened as the penalty of disobedience has a more extended meaning than physical death4 ,it is a generic term1 including all penal evils2 so that when death is spoken of as the penalty of sin1 we may substitute the word curse1 wrath1 destruction1 and the like4 ,thus1 in ,gen4 ii4 #ag1 we might read1 ,in the day thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt surely be cursed3 and in ,rom4 v4 #ab1 ,by one man sin entered into the world1 and the curse by sin1 c4 ,in his commentary on this passage1 ,professor ,stuart says1 ,i see no philological escape from the conclusion that death1 in the sense of penalty for sin in its full measure1 must be regarded as the meaning of the writer here4 ,the same may be said of many other passages of ,scripture1 where the term death is used4 ,according to this exposition1 the death threatened as the penalty of transgression embraces all the evils we suffer in this life and in eternity2 among which the dissolution of the body is not one of the worst4 ,indeed1 some writers will not admit that this was included at all in the penalty4 ,such1 of course1 find no difficulty in the geological statement that literal death preceded man's existence4 ,but from the declaration in #a ,cor4 xv4 #bb1 ,as in ,adam all die1 even so in ,christ shall all be made alive1 it seems difficult to avoid the conclusion1 that the death of the body was brought in upon the race by ,adam's transgression4 ,according to ,taylor's view1 however1 we might reasonably suppose that what constituted the death threatened to ,adam was not the going out of the world1 but the manner of going1 and that1 had he continued holy1 a change of worlds might have taken place1 but it would not have been death4 ,now1 there are some facts1 both in experience and revelation1 that give to these views an air of probability4 ,one is1 the mild character of death in many cases1 when attended by only a few of the circumstances above enumerated1 as constituting its essence4 ,i believe that experience sustains the conclusion already drawn as to the inferior animals1 when not aggravated by human cruelty4 ,pain is about the only circumstance that gives it the character of severity2 and this is usually short1 and not anticipated4 ,nor can it be doubted1 as a general fact1 that1 as we descend along the scale of animals1 we find the sensibility to suffering diminish4 ,but in the human family we find examples still more to the point4 ,in all those cases in which there is little or no disease1 and a man in venerable old age feels the powers of life gradually give way1 and the functions are feebly performed1 until the heart at length ceases to beat1 and the lungs to heave1 death is merely the quiet and unconscious termination of the scene1 so far as the physical nature is concerned4 ,the brain partakes of the gradual decay1 and thus the man is scarcely conscious of the failure of his powers1 because his sensibilities are so blunted2 and therefore1 apart from sin1 his mind feels little of the anguish of dissolution1 and he quietly resigns himself into the arms of death1-- ,as sweetly as a child1 ,whom neither thought disturbs1 nor care encumbers1 ,tired with long play1 at close of summer's day1 ,lies down and slumbers4 ,if now1 in addition to this physical preparation for his departure1 the man possesses a deep consciousness of forgiven sin1 and a firm hope of future and eternal joy1 this change1 which we call death1 becomes only a joyful translation from earth to heaven2 and though the man passes from our view1-- ,he sets1 ,as sets the morning star1 which goes not down ,behind the darkened west1 nor hides obscured ,among the tempests of the sky1 but melts away ,into the light of heaven4 ,nay1 when such faith and hope form an anchor to the soul1 it is not necessary that the physical preparation1 which ,i have described1 should exist4 ,the poor body may be torn by fierce disease1 nay1 by the infernal cruelties of martyrdom1 and yet faith can rise--often has risen--over the pains of nature1 in joyful triumph2 and in the midst of the tempest1 with her anchor fastened to the eternal ,rock1 she can exclaim1 ,o death1 where is thy sting6 ,o grave1 where is thy victory6 ,thanks be to ,god1 which giveth me the victory through my ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,surely such a dissolution as this cannot mean the death mentioned in the primeval curse4 ,look now at the contrast4 ,behold a man writhing in the fangs of unrelenting disease1 and feeling at the same time the scorpion sting of a guilty conscience4 ,his present suffering is terrible1 but that in prospect is more so2 yet he cannot bribe the king of terrors to delay the fatal stroke4 ,the foe1 ,like a stanch murderer1 steady to his purpose1 ,urges the soul through every nook and lane of life4 ,it were enough for an unruffled mind to bear the bodily anguish of that dying hour4 ,but the unpardoned sins of a whole life1 and the awful retributions of a whole eternity1 come crowding into that point of time2 and no human fortitude can stand under the crushing load4 ,this1 this is emphatically death2 the genuine fruit of sin1 and therefore in correspondence with the original threatening4 ,if we turn now to the ,scriptures1 we shall find some passages in striking agreement with the opinion that the death threatened to man was not the mere dissolution of the body and soul2 not a mere going out of the world1 but the manner of going4 ,this is1 indeed1 made exceedingly probable by the facts already stated respecting the translation of ,enoch and ,elijah1 and those alive at the coming of ,christ4 ,for the sacred writers do not call this death1 although it be a removal out of the world1 and a transformation of the natural into the spiritual body4 ,hence1 upon the material part of men1 the same effects were produced as result from ordinary death1 and the subsequent resurrection4 ,if we recur to the original threatening of death as the consequence of sin1 we shall find a peculiarity in the form of expression1 which our ,english translators have rendered by the phrase thou shalt surely die2 but literally it should be1 dying thou shalt die4 ,this mode of expression is indeed very common in the ,hebrew language2 but it certainly was meant to indicate an intensity in the meaning1 as in the phrase blessing ,i will bless thee1 and multiplying ,i will multiply thee2 that is1 ,i will greatly multiply thee4 ,must it not imply1 in the case under consideration1 at least that the death which would be the consequence of transgression1 would possess an aggravated character8 ,may it not imply as much as ,taylor's theory supposes8 ,might it not be intended to teach ,adam that1 when he died1 his death should not be simply the dissolution of the animal fabric1 and the loss of animal life1 as he witnessed it in the inferior creatures around him2 but a change far more agonizing1 in which the mental suffering should so much outweigh the corporeal as to constitute1 in fact1 its essence8 ,i do not assert that this passage has such an extended meaning1 but ,i suggest it4 ,and ,i confess that ,i do not see why its peculiarity of form is understood in our common translation to imply certainty rather than intensity4 ,there is another part of the threatening that deserves consideration4 ,it says1 that man should not only die1 but die the very day of the offence4 ,now1 if by death we understood merely a removal out of the world1 or a separation of soul and body1 the threatening was not executed after the forbidden fruit was tasted4 ,but if it meant also1 and chiefly1 a state of sorrow1 pain1 and suffering1 a liability to disease and fatal accident1 the goadings of a guilty conscience1 and the consequent fear of punishment beyond the grave1 then death began on the very day when man sinned1 and the dissolution of the soul and body was but the closing scene of the tragedy4 ,the beautiful passage in the ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 already quoted1 where the ,christian1 in view of death1 exultingly exclaims1 ,o death1 where is thy sting6 ,o grave1 where is thy victory6 will doubtless occur to all who hear me1 in this connection4 ,here the sting of death is expressly declared to be sin1 and that the pardoned ,christian obtains the victory over it4 ,to him all that renders this king of terrors formidable is gone4 ,its physical sufferings may indeed be left1 but these are hardly worth naming1 when that which constitutes the sting of this great enemy--unpardoned guilt--is taken away4 ,little more than his harmless shadow is left4 ,worlds1 indeed1 are to be exchanged1 and so they must have been if ,adam had never been driven from paradise4 ,the eyes1 too1 must close on beloved friends2 but how soon to open them upon the bright glories of heaven6 ,in short1 the strong impression of this passage upon the mind is1 that the essential thing in death is unpardoned sin2 and therefore the death threatened to ,adam may have been only the terrible aggravations of a departure out of this world1 which have followed in the train of transgression4 ,another striking passage1 bearing upon the same point1 is the declaration of ,paul1 that ,jesus ,christ hath abolished death1 and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel4 ,the apostle does not surely mean that ,christians are freed from what is commonly called death1 since universal experience shows that animal life in them is as sure to be extinguished1 and the soul to be separated from the body1 as in others4 ,but so different is death now1 since ,christ has brought to light a future and an immortal life1 and by the sacrifice of himself shown how the heart may be reconciled to ,god1 and sin forgiven1 and faith inspired1 that1 in fact1 while the shadow of death still occupies the passage to eternity1 its substance is gone4 ,that death1 which sin introduced1 ,christ has abolished1 because1 by his sacrifice and his grace1 he has conquered sin4 ,upon the whole1 though we may not be convinced that either of the theories that have been explained is directly taught in the ,scriptures1 or can be shown to be infallibly true1 yet they are sustained by probable evidence enough to remove the apprehension that there is any real discrepancy between geology and revelation on the subject of death4 ,between these theories there is but a slight difference4 ,they are in fact but modifications of the same general principles2 and ,i say it would be more philosophical to admit the truth of either of them1 than a disagreement between science and ,scripture1 since the truth of both geology and revelation is sustained by such a mass of independent evidence4 ,an objection1 however1 may be stated against both of these theories1 on the ground that they seem to imply that death would have existed in the world1 irrespective of the sin of man1 and therefore they lessen our sense of the evil of sin4 ,it may be doubted1 ,i think1 whether these theories do necessarily imply that there was no connection between the sin of man and the introduction of death into the world4 ,but1 admitting that they do1 is it certain that inadequate views of sin are the result8 ,for poetic effect1 we admire the sublime sentimentalism of ,milton3-- ,earth felt the wound2 and ,nature1 from her seat1 ,sighing through all her works1 gave signs of woe ,that all was lost4 ,but1 after all1 the deepest impression we get of the evil of sin is derived from contemplating its effects upon man1 and especially the immortal mind4 ,witness its lofty powers bowed down in ignominious servitude to base corporeal appetites and furious and debasing passions4 ,see how the understanding is darkened1 the will perverted1 and the heart alienated from all that is holy4 ,see reason and conscience dethroned1 and selfishness reigning in gloomy and undisputed tyranny over the immortal mind1 while appetite and passion have become its obsequious panders4 ,see how the affections turn away with loathing from ,god1 and what a wall of separation has sprung up between man and his ,maker2 how deeply and universally he has revolted from his rightful sovereign1 and has chosen other gods to rule over him4 ,consider1 too1 what havoc has been made in the body1 that curious and wonderful workmanship of the ,almighty2 how the unbridled appetites have sown the seeds of disease therein1 and how pain1 languor1 and decay assail the constitution as soon as we begin to live1 and cease not their attacks till they triumph over the citadel of life4 ,consult the history of the world1 and what a lazar-house and a ,golgotha has it been6 ,what land has not been drenched in human blood1 poured out in ferocious war6 ,what oceans of tears has the thirsty soil drank up6 ,what breeze has ever blown over the land which has not been loaded with sighs1 and groans1 and the story of wrong and oppression1 of treachery and murder1 of suicide and assassination1 of blasted hopes and despairing hearts6 ,these1 therefore1 are the genuine fruits of sin4 ,this1 this is death4 ,and1 need ,i add that these are but the precursors of the second death8 ,the third theory respecting death takes a more comprehensive view of the subject1 and traces its origin to the divine plan of the creation4 ,in creating this world1 ,god did not act without a plan previously determined upon in all its details4 ,of course1 man's character and condition formed prominent items in that plan4 ,his apostasy1 too1 however some would hesitate to regard it as predetermined1 all will allow to have been foreknown4 ,now1 ,i maintain that ,god1 in the beginning1 adapted every other being and event in the world to man's character and condition1 so that there should be entire harmony in its system4 ,and since1 either in the divine appointment1 or in the nature of things1 there is an inseparable connection between sin and death1 the latter must constitute a feature of the system of the world1 because a free agent would introduce the former4 ,death would ultimately exist in the world1 and1 therefore1 all creatures placed in such a world must be made mortal1 at whatever period created4 ,for mortal and immortal natures could not exist in the same natural constitution1 nor could a condition adapted to undying creatures be changed into a state of decay and death without an entirely new creation4 ,death1 therefore1 entered into the original plan of the world in the divine mind1 and was endured by the animals and plants that lived anterior to man4 ,yet1 as the constitution of the world is1 doubtless1 very different from what it would have been if sin had not existed in it1 and as man alone was capable of sin1 it is proper to regard man's transgression as the occasion of all the suffering and death that existed on the globe since its creation4 ,it will probably be objected to this theory1 that it is unjust to make animals suffer for man's apostasy1 especially before it took place4 ,i do not see why such suffering is any more unjust before than after man's transgression2 and we know that they do now suffer in consequence of his sin4 ,but this suffering is not to be regarded in the light of punishment2 and if it can only be proved that benevolence predominates in the condition of animals1 notwithstanding their sufferings1 divine justice and benevolence are vindicated2 and can there be any doubt that such is the fact8 ,death is not necessarily an evil to any animals4 ,it may be a great blessing1 by removing them to a higher state of existence4 ,in the case of the inferior animals1 it is but a small drawback upon the pleasure of life1 even though they do not exist hereafter4 ,we have endeavored to show that even the existence of carnivorous races is a benevolent provision4 ,that animals are placed in an inferior condition1 in consequence of man's apostasy1 is no more cause of complaint than that man is made a little lower than the angels4 ,another objection to these views is1 that it makes the effect precede the cause2 for it-represents the pre-,adamic animals as dying in consequence of man's transgression4 ,i do not maintain that the death of animals1 before or after ,adam1 was the direct and natural consequence of his transgression4 ,nay1 ,i am endeavoring to show directly the contrary4 ,but1 then1 the certainty of man's apostasy might have been the grand reason in the divine mind for giving to the world its present constitution1 and subjecting animals to death4 ,not that ,god altered his plan upon a prospective knowledge that man would sin2 but he made this plan originally1 that is from eternity1 with that event in view1 and he made it different from what it would have been1 if such an event had not been certain4 ,if this be true1 then was there a connection between man's sin and the death that reigned before his existence2 though1 in strict accuracy of speech1 one can hardly be called the cause of the other4 ,and yet it was1 as ,i maintain1 occasioned by man's sin1 and shows the wide-spread influence of that occurrence1 even more strikingly than the ordinary theory of death4 ,a third objection to this theory is1 that it represents ,god as putting man in a place of punishment before he had sinned2 or1 at least1 in a state where death was the universal law1 and where he must die1 though he should keep the law of ,god4 ,there are three suppositions1 either of which will meet this difficulty4 ,we may suppose1 with ,jeremy ,taylor1 that the death threatened to ,adam consisted1 not in going out of the world1 but in the manner of going4 ,if he had not sinned1 the exchange of worlds would have been without fear or suffering1 and an object of desire rather than aversion4 ,christ has not secured to the believer the privilege of an earthly immortality1 but has taken away from a removal out of the world all that constitutes death4 ,or we may suppose1 with ,dr4 ,j4 ,pye ,smith1 that1 while man should continue to keep the divine law1 he would be secured from that tendency to decay and dissolution1 which was the common lot of all other creatures1 until the time should come for his removal1 without suffering or dread1 to a higher state of existence4 ,and that a means of immunity from death existed in the garden of ,eden we learn from the ,scriptures4 ,for there stood the tree of life1 whose fruit had the power to make man live forever1 and1 therefore1 he must be banished from the spot where it grew4 ,or1 finally1 we may suppose that ,god fitted up for man some balmy spot1 where neither decay nor death could enter1 and where every thing was adapted for a being of perfect holiness and happiness4 ,his privilege was to dwell there1 so long as he could preserve his innocence1 but no longer4 ,and surely this supposition seems to accord with the description of the garden of ,eden1 man's first dwelling-place4 ,there every thing seems to have been adapted to his happiness2 but sin drove him out among the thorns and thistles1 and a cherubim and a flaming sword forbade his return to the tree of life4 ,either of these suppositions will meet the difficulty suggested by the objection2 or they may all be combined consistently4 ,let us now look at some of the advantages of the third theory above advanced4 ,in the first place1 it satisfactorily harmonizes revelation with geology1 physiology1 and experience1 on the subject of death4 ,it agrees with physiology and experience in representing death to be a law of organic being on the globe4 ,yet it accords with revelation1 in showing how this law may be a result of man's apostasy2 and with geology1 also1 in showing how death might have reigned over animals and plants before man's existence4 ,to remove so many apparent discrepancies is surely a presumption in favor of any theory4 ,in the second place1 the fundamental principle of this theory is also a fundamental principle of natural and revealed theology1 viz41 that all events in this world entered originally into the plan or purpose of the ,deity4 ,to suppose that ,god made the world without a plan previously determined upon1 is to make him less wise than a human architect1 who would be charged with great folly to attempt building even a house without a plan4 ,and to suppose that plan not to extend to every event1 is to rob ,god of his infinite attributes4 ,in the third place1 this theory falls in with the common interpretation of ,scripture1 which refers the whole system of suffering1 decay1 and death in this world to man's apostasy4 ,and although the general reception of any exegesis of ,scripture does not prove it to be correct1 it is certainly gratifying when a thorough examination proves the obvious sense of a passage to be the true one4 ,for to disturb the popular interpretation is1 with many1 equivalent to a denial of ,scripture4 ,in the fourth place1 this theory shows us the infinite skill and benevolence of ,jehovah in educing good from evil4 ,the free agency of man was an object in the highest degree desirable4 ,yet such a character made him liable to fall2 and ,god knew that he would fall4 ,to human sagacity that act would seem to seal up his fate forever4 ,but infinite wisdom saw that the case was not hopeless4 ,it placed him in a state of temporal suffering and temporal death1 that he might still have a chance of escaping eternal suffering and eternal death4 ,the discipline of such a world was eminently adapted to restore his lost purity1 and death was probably the only means by which a fallen being could pass to a higher state of existence4 ,that discipline1 indeed1 if rightly improved1 would probably fit him for a higher degree of holiness and happiness than if he had never sinned2 so as to make true the paradoxical sentiment of the poet1-- ,death gives us more than was in ,eden lost4 ,misimproved1 this discipline would result in an infinite loss1 far greater than if man never passed through it4 ,but this is all the fault of man2 while all the benefit of a state of probation is the result of ,god's infinite wisdom and benevolence4 ,in the fifth place1 this theory relieves us from the absurdity of supposing that ,god was compelled to alter the plan of creation after man's apostasy4 ,the common theory does convey an idea not much different from this4 ,it makes the impression that ,god was disappointed when man sinned1 and being thereby thwarted in his original purpose1 he did the best he could by changing his plan1 just as men do when some unexpected occurrence interferes with their short-sighted contrivances4 ,now1 such an anthropomorphic view of ,god is inexcusable in the nineteenth century4 ,it was necessary to use such representations in the early ages of the world1 when pure spiritual ideas were unknown2 and hence the ,bible describes ,god as repenting and grieved that he had made man4 ,but with the light of the ,new ,testament and of modern science1 we ought to be able to enucleate the true spiritual idea from such descriptions4 ,the theory under consideration does not reduce ,god to any after-thought expedients1 but makes provision for every occurrence in his original plan2 and1 of course1 shows that every event takes place as he would have it1 when viewed in its relations to the great system of the universe4 ,in the sixth place1 this theory sheds some light upon the important question1 why ,god permitted the introduction of death into the world4 ,it is difficult for some persons to conceive why ,god1 when he foresaw ,adam's apostasy1 did not change his plan of creation1 and exclude so terrible an evil as death4 ,but according to this theory1 he permitted it1 because it was a necessary part of a great system of restoration1 by which the human race might1 if not recreant to their true interests1 be restored to more than their primeval blessedness4 ,it was not introduced as a mere punishment1 but as a necessary means of raising a fallen being into a higher state of life and blessedness2 or1 if he perversely spurned the offered boon1 of sinking him down to the deeper wretchedness which is the just consequence of unrepented sin1 without even the sympathy of any part of the created universe4 ,finally4 ,this subject throws some light upon that strange mixture of good and evil1 which exists in the present world4 ,we have seen1 indeed1 that benevolence decidedly predominates in all the arrangements of nature2 and we are called upon continually to admire the adaptation of external nature to the human constitution4 ,a large portion of our sufferings here may also be imputed to our own sins1 or the sins of others2 and these we cannot charge upon ,god4 ,but1 after all1 it seems difficult to conceive how even a sinless man could escape a large amount of suffering here2 enough1 indeed1 to make him often sigh for deliverance and for a better state4 ,how many sources of sufferings there are in unhealthy climates1 mechanical violence1 and chemical agents2 in a sterile soil1 in the excessive heats of the tropical regions1 and extreme cold of high latitudes2 in the encroachments and ferocity of the inferior animals2 in poisons1 mineral1 vegetable1 and animal2 in food unfitted to the digestive and assimilating organs2 in the damps and miasms of night2 and in the frequent necessity for over-exertion of body and mind6 ,and then1 how many hinderances to the exercise of the mental powers1 in all the causes that have been mentioned6 and how does the soul feel that she is imprisoned in flesh and blood1 and her energies cramped1 and her vision clouded1 by a gross corporeal medium6 ,and thus it is1 to a great extent1 with all nature1 especially animal nature2 and ,i cannot but believe1 as already intimated1 that ,paul had these very things in mind when he said1 ,the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until now1 and waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of ,god2 that is1 for emancipation from its present depressed and fettered condition4 ,in short1 while there is so much in this world to call forth our admiration and gratitude to ,god1 there is enough to make us feel1 also1 that it is a fallen condition4 ,it is not such a world as infinite benevolence would provide for perfectly holy beings1 whom he desired to make perfectly happy1 but rather such a world as is adapted for a condition of trial and preparation for a higher state1 when both mind and body would be delivered from the fetters that now cramp their exercise4 ,now1 the theory which ,i advocate asserts that this peculiar condition of the world resulted from the divine determination1 upon a prospective view of man's transgression4 ,it may1 therefore1 be properly regarded as occasioned by man's transgression1 but not in the common meaning attached to that phrase1 which is1 that1 before man's apostasy1 the constitution of the world was different from what it now is1 and death did not exist4 ,this theory supposes ,god to have devised the present peculiar mixed condition of the world1 as to good and evil1 in eternity1 in order to give man an opportunity to rescue himself from the penalty and misery of sin2 and in order to introduce those who should do this into a higher state of existence4 ,the plan1 therefore1 is founded in infinite wisdom and benevolence1 while it brings out man's guilt1 and the evil of sin1 in appalling distinctness and magnitude4 ,but1 after all1 how little idea would a man have of the entire plot of a play1 who had heard only a part of the first act6 ,how little could he judge of the bearing of the first scene upon the final development6 ,yet we are now only in the first act of the great drama of human existence4 ,death shows us that we shall ere long be introduced into a second act1 and affords a presumption that other acts--it may be in an endless series--will succeed1 before the whole plot shall have passed before us2 and not till then can we be certain what are all the objects to be accomplished by the introduction of sin and death into our world4 ,and if thus early we can catch glimpses of great benefit to result from these evils1 what full conviction1 that infinite benevolence has planned and consummated the whole1 will be forced upon the mind1 when the vast panorama of ,god's dispensations shall lie spread out in the memory6 ,for that time shall ,faith wait1 in confident hope that all her doubts and darkness shall be converted into noonday brightness4 ,,lecture ,,iv4 ,,the ,,noachian ,,deluge ,,compared ,,with ,,the ,,geological ,,deluges4 ,the history of opinions respecting the deluge of ,noah is one of the most curious and instructive in the annals of man4 ,in this field1 ,christians have often broken lances with infidels1 and also with one another4 ,the unbeliever has confidently maintained that the ,bible history of the deluge is at war with the facts and reasonings of science4 ,equally confident has been the believer that nature bears strong testimony to its occurrence4 ,some ,christians1 however1 have asserted1 with the infidel1 that no trace remains on the face of nature of such an event4 ,and as this is a subject which men are apt to suppose themselves masters of1 when they have only skimmed the surface1 the contest between these different parties has been severe and protracted4 ,almost every geological change which the earth has undergone1 from its centre to its circumference1 has1 at one time or another1 been ascribed to this deluge4 ,and so plain has this seemed to those who had only a partial view of the facts1 that those who doubted it were often denounced as enemies of revelation4 ,but most of these opinions and this dogmatism are now abandoned1 because both ,nature and ,scripture are better understood4 ,and among well-informed geologists1 at least1 the opinion is almost universal1 that there are no facts in their science which can be clearly referred to the ,noachian deluge2 that is1 no traces in nature of that event2 and on the other hand1 that there is nothing in the ,mosaic account of the deluge which would necessarily lead is to expect permanent marks of such a catastrophe within or upon the earth4 ,if such be the case1 you will doubtless inquire1 what connection there is between geology and the revealed history of the deluge1 and why the subject should be introduced into this series of lectures4 ,i reply1 that so recently have correct views been entertained on this subject1 and so little understood are they2 that they need to be defined and explained4 ,and if the distribution of animals and plants on the globe come within the province of geology1 then this science has a very important point of connection with the history of the deluge1 as will appear in the sequel4 ,and finally1 the history of opinions on this subject is full of instruction to those who undertake to reason on the connection between science and religion4 ,obviously1 then1 my first object should be to give a brief history of the views that have been entertained respecting the deluge of ,noah1 so far as they have been supposed to have any connection with geology4 ,it is well known1 that in the written and unwritten traditions of almost every nation and tribe under heaven1 the story of a general deluge has been prominent2 and probably1 in all these cases1 some attempt has been made to explain the manner in which the waters were brought over the land4 ,but most of these reasonings1 especially in ancient times1 are too absurd to deserve even to be recited4 ,indeed1 it is not till the beginning of the sixteenth century1 that we find any discussions on the subject worthy of notice4 ,at that time1 some excavations at ,verona1 in ,italy1 brought to light many fossil shells1 and awakened a question as to their origin4 ,some maintained that they were only simulacra1 or resemblances to animals1 but never had a real existence4 ,they were supposed to have been produced by a certain materia pinguis1 or fatty matter1 existing in the earth4 ,others maintained that they were deposited by the deluge of ,noah4 ,such1 indeed1 was the general opinion2 but ,fracastoro and a few others maintained that they were once real animals1 and could not have been brought into their present condition by the last deluge4 ,for more than three hundred years have these questions been more or less discussed2 and though decided many years ago by all geologists1 not a few intelligent men still maintain1 that petrified shells are mere abortive resemblances of real beings1 or that they were deposited by the deluge4 ,the advocates of the diluvial origin of petrifactions soon found themselves hard pressed with the question1 how these relics could be scattered through strata many thousand feet thick1 by one transient flood4 ,they1 therefore1 came to the conclusion1 in the words of ,woodward1 a distinguished cosmogonist of the eighteenth century1 that the whole terrestrial globe was taken to pieces and dissolved at the flood1 and the strata settled down from this promiscuous mass1 as any earthy sediment from a fluid4 ,during that century1 many works appeared upon cosmogony1 defending similar views1 by such men as ,burnet1 ,scheuchzer1 and ,catcott4 ,some of these works exhibited no little ability1 mixed1 however1 with hypotheses so extravagant that they have ever since been the butt of ridicule4 ,the very title of ,burnet's work cannot but provoke a smile4 ,it is called ,the ,sacred ,theory of the ,earth1 containing an ,account of the ,original of the ,earth1 and of all the general ,changes it bath already undergone1 or is to undergo1 till the ,consummation of all ,things4 ,he maintained that the primitive earth was only an orbicular crust1 smooth1 regular1 and uniform1 without mountains and without a sea4 ,this crust rested on the surface of a watery abyss1 and1 being heated by the sun1 became chinky2 and in consequence of the rarefaction of the included vapors1 it burst asunder1 and fell down into the waters1 and so was comminuted and dissolved1 while the inhabitants perished4 ,catcott's work was confined exclusively to the deluge1 and exhibited a good deal of ability4 ,he endeavored to show1 that this dissolution of the earth by the deluge was taught in the ,scriptures1 and his reasoning on that point is a fine example of the state of biblical interpretation in his day4 ,as there are other texts1 says he1 which mention the dissolution of the earth1 it may be proper to cite them4 ,ps4 xlvi4 #b4 ,god is our refuge2 therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed1 be changed1 be quite altered1 as it was at the deluge4 ,god uttered his voice1 the earth melted1 flowed1 dissolved to atoms4 ,again1 ,job xxviii4 #i4 ,he sent his hand the expansion1 his instrument1 or the agent by which he worked against the rock1 he overturned the mountains by the roots1 he caused the rivers to burst forth from between the rocks1 or broke open the fountains of the abyss4 ,his eye symbolically placed for light saw passed through1 or between every minute thing1 every-atom1 and so dissolved the whole4 ,he at last bound up the waters from weeping1 i4 e4 from pressing through the shell of the earth1 as tears make their way through the orb of the eye2 or1 as it is related1 7,gen4 viii4 #b17 ,he stopped the fountains of the abyss and the windows of heaven1 and brought out the light from its hiding-place1 i4 e41 from the inward parts of the earth1 from between every atom where it lay hid1 and kept each atom separate from the other1 and so the whole in a state of dissolution2 his bringing out those parts of the light which caused the dissolution would of course permit the agents to act in their usual way1 and so reform the earth4--,treatise on the ,deluge1 p4 #dc1 7,london1 #agfa47 ,we can hardly believe at the present day1 that a logical and scientific mind1 like that of ,catcott1 could satisfy itself1 by such a dreamy exegesis1 that the ,scriptures teach the earth's dissolution at the deluge2 especially when they so distinctly describe the waters of the deluge1 as first rising over the land1 and then sinking back to their original position4 ,still more strange is it how ,burnet could have thought it consistent with ,scripture to suppose the earth1 before the flood1 to have been covered with an orbicular crust1 smooth1 regular1 and uniform1 without mountains and without a sea1 when the ,bible so distinctly states1 as the work of the third day1 that the waters under the heavens were gathered together unto one place1 and the dry land appeared2 and that ,god called the dry land earth1 and the gathering together of the waters he called seas2 and further1 that1 by the deluge1 all the high hills were covered4 ,yet these men doubtless supposed that1 by the views which they advocated1 they were defending the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,nay1 their views were long regarded as exclusively the orthodox views1 and opposition to them was considered1 for one or two centuries1 as virtual opposition to the ,bible4 ,truly1 this1 in biblical interpretation1 was straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel4 ,it is quite convenient to explain such anomalies in human belief1 by referring them to the spirit of the age1 or to the want of the light of modern science4 ,but in the present case1 we cannot thus easily dispose of the difficulty4 ,for in our own day1 we have seen these same absurdities of opinion maintained by a really scientific man1 selected to write one of the ,bridgewater ,treatises1 as one of the most learned men in ,great ,britain4 ,i refer to ,rev4 ,william ,kirby1 evidently a thorough entomologist and a sincere ,christian4 ,but he adopts the opinion1 not only that there exists a subterranean abyss of waters1 but a subterranean metropolis of animals1 where the huge leviathians1 the gigantic saurians1 dug out of the rocks by the geologist1 still survive2 and this he endeavors to prove from the ,bible4 ,for this purpose he quotes the passage in ,psalms1 though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons1 and covered us with the shadow of death4 ,his exposition of this text is much in the style of that already given from ,catcott4 ,following that writer and ,hutchinson1 he endeavors to show1 by a still more fanciful interpretation1 that the phrase windows of heaven1 in ,genesis1 means cracks and volcanic rents in the earth1 through which air and water rushed inwardly and outwardly with such violence as to tear the crust to pieces4 ,this was the effect of the increasing waters of the deluge2 the bringing together of these comminuted particles1 so as to form the present strata1 was the work of the subsiding waters4 ,these views will seem very strange to those not familiar with the history of geology4 ,but we shall find their origin1 if a few facts be stated respecting what has been called the physico-theological school of writers1 that originated with one ,hutchinson1 in the beginning of the eighteenth century4 ,he was a disciple of the distinguished cosmogonist ,woodward4 ,but he attacked the views of his master1 as well as those of ,sir ,isaac ,newton on gravitation1 in a work which he published in twelve octavo volumes1 entitled ,moses's ,principia4 ,he there maintains that the ,scriptures1 when rightly understood1 contain a complete system of natural philosophy4 ,this dogma1 advocated by ,hutchinson with the most intolerant spirit1 constitutes the leading peculiarity of the physico-theological school1 and has been very widely adopted1 and has exerted a most pernicious influence both upon religion and upon science4 ,it is painful1 therefore1 to find so learned and excellent a man as ,mr4 ,kirby so deeply imbued with it1 so long after its absurdity has been shown again and again4 ,it is devoutly to be wished that the cabalistic dreams of ,hutchinsonianism are not to be extensively revived in our day4 ,and1 indeed1 such is the advanced state of hermeneutical knowledge1 that we have little reason to fear it4 ,nevertheless1 its leaven is yet by no means thoroughly purged out from the literary community4 ,it was one of the settled principles of the physico-theological school1 that1 since the creation1 the earth has undergone no important change beneath the surface1 except at the deluge1 because it was supposed that the ,bible mentions no other event that could produce any important change4 ,hence all marks of changes in the rocks since their original creation must be referred to the deluge4 ,and especially when it was found that most of the petrifactions in the rocks were of marine origin1 not only were they supposed to be the result of the deluge1 but a most conclusive proof of that event4 ,and this opinion is even yet very widely received by the ,christian world4 ,the argument in its favor1 when stated in a popular manner to those not familiar with geology1 is indeed quite imposing4 ,for if the land1 almost every where1 even to the tops of some of its highest mountains1 abounds in sea shells1 this is just what we should expect1 if the sea flowed over those mountains at the deluge4 ,but the moment we come to examine the details respecting marine petrifactions1 we see that nothing can be more absurd than to suppose them the result of a transient deluge4 ,yet this view is maintained in nearly all the popular commentaries of the present day upon ,genesis1 and in many respectable periodicals4 ,it is taught1 therefore1 in the ,sabbath school and in the family2 and the child1 as he grows up1 is shocked to find the geologist assailing it2 and when he finds it false1 he is in danger of becoming jealous of the other evidences of ,christianity which he has been taught4 ,another branch of the modern physico-theological school1 embracing men who have read too much on the subject of geology to be able to believe in the dissolution of the globe by the deluge1 have adopted a more plausible hypothesis4 ,they suppose that between the creation and the deluge1 or in sixteen hundred and fifty-six years1 according to the received chronology1 all the present fossiliferous rocks of our continents1 more than six miles in thickness1 were deposited at the bottom of the ocean4 ,by that event1 they were raised from beneath the waters1 and the continents previously existing sunk down and disappeared2 so that the land now inhabited was formerly the ocean's bed4 ,to prove that such a change took place at the deluge1 ,granville ,penn and ,fairholme quote the declaration of ,god1 in ,genesis1 respecting the flood--,i will destroy them1 7i4 e41 men17 and the earth1 or with the earth2 also the statement of ,peter--,the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 ,the terms earth and world may mean either the solid globe1 or the animals and plants upon it4 ,if in these passages they have the latter meaning1 then they simply teach that the deluge destroyed the natural life of organic beings4 ,if they have the former meaning1 then the inquiry arises1 ,what are we to understand by the destruction here described8 ,it may mean annihilation1 or it may imply ruin in some respects4 ,that annihilation did not result from the deluge is evident from the case of men1 who suffered only temporal death1 and even this was not universal2 and we know1 also1 that the matter of the earth did not perish4 ,we must resort1 therefore1 to the sacred history to learn how far the destruction extended ,that history seems very plain4 ,there was a rain of forty days1 and the fountains of the great deep were broken up2 that is1 as ,professor ,stuart happily expresses it1 ,the ocean overflowed while the rain descended in vast quantities4 ,the waters gradually rose over the dry land1 and after a hundred and fifty days1 began to subside1 and at the end of a year and a few days they were gone4 ,such an overflowing could not take place without producing the almost entire destruction of organic life1 and making extensive havoc with the soil1 especially as a wind assisted in driving these waters from the land4 ,but there is nothing in the narrative that would lead us to suppose either a comminution or dissolution of the earth1 or the elevation of the ocean's bed4 ,the same land which was overflowed is described as again emerging4 ,indeed1 a part of the rivers proceeding out of the garden of ,eden are the same as those now existing on the globe4 ,we must then admit that our present continents--certainly the ,asiatic1--are the same as the antediluvian1 or deny that the account of ,eden1 in ,genesis1 is a part of the ,bible4 ,the latter alternative is preferred by ,penn and ,fairholme4 ,surely such men ought to be cautious how they censure geologists for modifying the meaning of some verses in ,genesis1 when they thus1 without any evidence of its spuriousness1 unceremoniously erase so important a passage4 ,i might add to all this that the facts of geology forbid the idea that our present continents formed the bed of the ocean at so recent a date as that of ,noah's deluge1 and that the supposition that all organic remains were deposited during the two thousand years between the six days' work and the deluge is totally irreconcilable with all correct philosophy4 ,why1 during the time when the fossiliferous rocks were in a course of formation1 four or five entirely distinct races of animals and plants successively occupied the land and the waters1 and passed away in regular order2 and these races were so unlike1 that they could not have been contemporaneous4 ,who will maintain that all this took place in the short period of two thousand years8 ,i am sure that no geologist will4 ,but modern geologists have1 until recently1 supposed that the traces of ,noah's deluge might still be seen upon the earth's surface4 ,i say its surface2 for none of them imagined those effects could have reached to a great depth4 ,over a large part of the northern hemisphere they found extensive accumulations of gravel and bowlders1 which had been removed often a great distance from their parent rocks1 while the ledges beneath were smoothed and striated1 obviously by the grating over them of these piles of detritus4 ,how very natural to refer these effects to the agency of currents of water2 just such currents as might have resulted from a universal deluge4 ,but the inference was a hasty one ,for when geologists came to study the phenomena of drift or diluvium1 as these accumulations of travelled matter are called1 they found that currents of water alone would not explain them all4 ,some other agency must have been concerned2 and the general opinion now is1 that drift has been the result of the joint action of water and ice2 and nearly all geologists suppose that this action took place before man's existence on the globe4 ,some suppose it to have been the result of oceanic currents1 while yet our continents were beneath the waters2 others think that the northern ocean may have been thrown southerly over the dry land by the elevation of its bed2 and others maintain that vast masses of ice may formerly have encircled high latitudes1 whose glaciers1 melting away1 may have driven towards the equator the great quantities of drift and bowlders which have been carried in that direction4 ,in short1 it is now found that this is one of the most difficult problems in geology2 and while most geologists agree that both ice and water have been concerned in producing the phenomena1 the time and manner of their action are not yet very satisfactorily determined4 ,they may have acted at different periods and in divers manners2 but all the phenomena could not have been the result of one transient deluge4 ,from the facts that have now been detailed1 it appears that on no subject of science connected with religion have men been more positive and dogmatical than in respect to ,noah's deluge1 and that on no subject has there been greater change of opinion4 ,from a belief in the complete destruction and dissolution of the globe by that event1 those best qualified to judge now doubt whether it be possible to identify one mark of that event in nature4 ,i shall now proceed to state1 in a more definite form1 the views of this subject entertained by the most enlightened judges of its merits at the present day4 ,in the first place1 most of the cases of accumulations of drift1 the dispersion of bowlders1 and the polish and striae upon rocks in place1 occurred previous to man's existence upon the globe1 and cannot have been the result of ,noah's deluge4 ,from the arguments for sustaining this position ,i shall select only a part4 ,the first is1 that the organic remains found in the alluvium considerably above the drift1 which always lies below the alluvium1 are many of them of extinct species4 ,whether the genuine drift--a heterogeneous mass of fragments1 driven pellmell together--contains any organic relics1 is to me very doubtful4 ,but if the stratified deposits subsequent to the drift present us with beings no longer alive on the globe1 much more would the drift4 ,now1 the presumption is1 that extinct animals and plants belong to a creation anterior to man1 especially if they exhibit a tropical character1--as those do which are usually assigned to the drift1--since we have no evidence of a tropical climate in northern latitudes till we get back to a period far anterior to man4 ,secondly4 ,no remains of man or his works have been found in drift1 nor indeed till we rise almost to the top of the alluvial deposit4 ,even ancient ,armenia has now been examined geologically1 with sufficient care to make it almost certain that human remains do not exist there in drift1 if drift is found there at all2 of which there may be a question4 ,thirdly4 ,the agency producing drift must have operated during a vastly longer period than the three hundred and eighty days of ,noah's deluge4 ,it would be easy to show to a geologist that the extensive erosions which are referrible to that agency1 and the huge masses of detritus which have been the result1 must have demanded centuries1 and even decades of years4 ,nor will any supposed increase of power in the agency explain the results1 without admitting a long period for their action4 ,fourthly4 ,water appears to have been the principal agent in the ,noachian deluge2 but in the production of drift1 ice was at least equally concerned4 ,finally4 ,the phenomena of deltas1 terraces1 and ancient sea-beaches1 make the period of the drift immensely more remote than the deluge of ,noah1 since these phenomena are all posterior to the drift period4 ,i need not go into the details of this argument here1 since ,i have drawn them out in my second lecture4 ,but of all the arguments ever adduced to prove the great length of time occupied in geological changes1 this--which1 so far as the terraces are concerned1 has never before1 ,i believe1 been adduced--seems to me the most convincing to those who carefully examine the subject4 ,we may be sure1 then1 that the commencement of the drift period1 and the deluge of ,noah1 cannot have been synchronous4 ,but the drift agency1 connected1 as nearly all geologists seem now to be ready to admit1 with the vertical movements of continents1 may have operated1 and undoubtedly has1 at various periods1 and very possibly1 in some parts of the world1 long posterior to the period usually called the drift period4 ,i agree1 therefore1 in opinion with one of the most eminent and judicious of the ,european geologists1 ,professor ,sedgwick of ,cambridge1 when he says1 ,if we have the clearest proofs of great oscillations of sea level1 and have a right to make use of them1 while we seek to explain some of the latest phenomena of geology1 may we not reasonably suppose1 that1 within the period of human history1 similar oscillations have taken place in those parts of ,asia which were the cradle of our race1 and may have produced that destruction among the early families of men1 which is described in our sacred books1 and of which so many traditions have been brought down to us through all the streams of authentic history8--,geology of the ,lake ,district1 p4 #ad4 ,secondly4 ,admitting the deluge to have been universal over the globe1 it could not have deposited the fossil remains in the rocks4 ,this position is too plain to the practical geologist to need a formal argument to sustain it4 ,but there are many intelligent men1 who do not see clearly why the remains of marine animals and plants may not be referred to the deluge4 ,and if they could be1 then all the demands of the geologist for long periods anterior to man are without foundation4 ,but they cannot be1 for the following reasons3-- ,first4 ,on this supposition the organic remains ought to be confusedly mingled together1 since they must have been brought over the land promiscuously by the waters of the deluge2 but they are in fact arranged in as much order as the specimens of a well-regulated cabinet4 ,the different rocks that lie above one another do1 indeed1 contain some species that are common2 but the most are peculiar4 ,it is impossible to explain such a fact if they were deposited by the deluge4 ,secondly4 ,on this theory1 at least1 a part of the organic remains ought to correspond with living animals and plants1 since the deluge took place so long after the six days of creation4 ,but with the exception of a few species near the top of the series1 the fossil species are wholly unlike those now alive4 ,thirdly4 ,how1 by this theory1 can we explain the fact1 that there are found in the rocks at least five distinct races of animals and plants1 so unlike that they could not have been contemporaries8 or for the fact1 that most of them are of a highly tropical character8 or for the fact1 that as we rise higher in the rocks1 there is a nearer and nearer approach to existing species8 ,fourthly4 ,this theory requires us to admit1 that in three hundred and eighty days the waters of the deluge deposited rocks at least six miles in thickness1 over half or two thirds of our existing continents2 and these rocks made up of hundreds of thick beds1 exceedingly unlike one another in composition and organic contents4 ,will any reasonable man believe this possible without a miracle8 ,but ,i need not multiply arguments on this point4 ,it is a theory which no reasonable man can long maintain after studying the subject4 ,and if it be indeed true1 that neither in the drift1 nor in the fossiliferous rocks1 can we discover any traces of the deluge1 then we shall find them nowhere on the globe4 ,but ,thirdly4 ,there are no facts in geology that afford any presumption against the occurrence of the ,noachian deluge1 but rather the contrary4 ,the geologist says only1 that if any traces of it exist1 he cannot distinguish them from the effects of other analogous agencies that have operated on the globe at various periods4 ,some parts of the globe do not exhibit marks of any powerful aqueous action1 such as high northern and southern latitudes do exhibit4 ,but the sacred record1 in its account of the access and subsidence of diluvial waters1 does not require us to suppose any great degree of violence in their action on the surface2 and although currents somewhat powerful must have been the result1 yet they may not have existed every where1 nor have always left traces of their passage where they did exist4 ,on the other hand1 the geologist will admit1 as we have already seen1 that in the elevation and subsidence of mountains and continents1 and in volcanic agency generally1 of which geology contains so many examples1 we have an adequate cause for extensive1 if not universal1 deluges2 nor can he say how recently this cause may have operated beneath certain oceans1 sufficiently to produce the deluge of the ,scriptures4 ,so that1 in fact1 we have in geology a presumption in favor of1 rather than against1 such a deluge4 ,nay1 some1 who have examined ,armenia1 have thought they found there a deposit which could be referred to the deluge of ,noah2 but ,i have no access to any facts on this point4 ,fourthly4 ,there are reasons1 both in natural history and in the ,scriptures1 for supposing that the deluge may not have been universal over the globe1 but only over the region inhabited by man4 ,this is a position of no small importance1 and will1 therefore1 require our careful examination4 ,and in the beginning1 ,i wish to premise1 that ,i assume the deluge to have been brought about by natural operations1 or in conformity with the laws of nature4 ,i feel no reluctance in admitting it to have been strictly miraculous1 provided the narrative will allow of such a conclusion4 ,but if it was miraculous1 then we must give up the idea of philosophizing about it1 and believe the facts simply on the divine testimony4 ,for how can we philosophize upon an event that is brought about by the direct efficiency of ,god1 and without reference to existing natural laws1 and1 it may be1 in contravention of them1 unless1 indeed1 the history contains such contradictions as even infinite power and wisdom could not make harmonious8 ,some writers endeavor to show the conformity of the sacred history of the deluge to established natural laws1 until they meet with some objection too strong to be answered1 when they turn round and declare the whole occurrence to have been miraculous4 ,this ,i conceive to be absurd1 and ,i shall accordingly proceed on the supposition that the whole event was a penal infliction1 brought about by natural laws2 or1 at least1 if there was any thing miraculous1 it consisted in giving greater power to natural operations1 without interfering with the regular sequence of cause and effect4 ,and does not the narrative leave the impression on the mind of the reader1 that it was brought about by natural means8 ,the sacred writer distinctly assigns two natural causes of the increase of the waters1 viz41 a rain of forty days and the breaking up of the fountains of the great deep1 which doubtless means an overflow of the ocean2 and1 to hasten the subsidence of the waters1 it is said that ,god made a wind to blow over the surface4 ,it is no proof of miraculous agency1 that the whole work is referred to the immediate power of ,god1 for it is well known that this is the usual mode in which the sacred writers speak of natural events4 ,the first difficulty in the way of supposing the flood to have been literally universal1 is the great quantity of water that would have been requisite4 ,the amount necessary to cover the earth to the tops of the highest mountains1 or about five miles above the present oceans1 would be eight times greater than that existing on the globe at this time4 ,from whence could this immense volume of water have been derived8 ,a great deal of ingenuity has been devoted to give an answer to this inquiry4 ,by some it has been supposed1 that most of the earth's interior is occupied by water1 and the theorist had only to devise means for forcing it to the surface4 ,one does this by the forcible compression of the crust2 another1 by the expansive power of internal heat2 another1 by the generation of various gases through galvanic action4 ,others have maintained that the antediluvian continents were sunk beneath the ocean at that time1 though such find it hard to tell us why there was a rain of forty days upon land that was ready to subside beneath the ocean4 ,others have resort to a comet's impinging against the earth1 and throwing the waters of the ocean over the land4 ,but they were not aware that comets are mere vapor4 ,others suppose 7and surely theirs is the most plausible theory7 that the elevation of the bed of some ocean1 by volcanic agency1 threw its waters over the adjoining continents1 and the mighty wave thus produced would not stop till it had swept over all other continents and islands4 ,but in this case1 it is evident that the continent first overflowed must have been left dry before the wave had reached other continents1 so that1 in fact1 all parts of the earth would not have been enveloped simultaneously2 and besides1 how unlike such a violent rushing of the waters over the land is the scriptural account6 ,in short1 so unsatisfactory have been most of the theories to account for the water requisite to produce a universal deluge1 that most writers have resorted1 in the end1 to miraculous agency to obtain it4 ,and that1 in fact1 is the most satisfactory mode of getting over this difficulty1 if the ,scriptures unequivocally teach the universality of the deluge4 ,a second objection to such a universality is1 the difficulty of providing for the animals in the ark4 ,calculations have indeed been made1 which seemed to show that the ark was capacious enough to hold the pairs and septuples of all the species4 ,but1 unfortunately1 the number of species assumed to exist by the calculators was vastly below the truth4 ,it amounted only to three or four hundred2 whereas the actual number already described by zoologists is not less than one hundred and fifty thousand2 and the probable number existing on the globe is not less than half a million4 ,and for the greater part of these must provision have been made1 since most of them inhabit either the air or the dry land4 ,a thousand species of mammalia1 six thousand species of birds1 two thousand species of reptiles1 and one hundred and twenty thousand species of insects are already described1 and must have been provided with space and food4 ,will any one believe this possible1 in a vessel not more than four hundred and fifty feet long1 seventy-five feet broad1 and forty-five feet high8 ,the third and most important objection to this universality of the deluge is derived from the facts brought to light by modern science1 respecting the distribution of animals and plants on the globe4 ,it was the opinion of ,linnaeus that all animals and plants had their commencement in a particular region of the earth1 from whence they migrated into all other parts of its surface4 ,and had no new facts come to light since his day1 to change the aspect of the subject1 one would hesitate long before adopting views opposed to so distinguished a naturalist4 ,but new facts1 in vast numbers1 have been multiplying ever since his day1 and zoologists and botanists now almost universally adopt the opinion1 early promulgated by ,dr4 ,prichard1 in his admirable work on the ,physical ,history of ,man1 that there must have been several centres of creation1 from which the animals and plants radiated only so far as the climate and food were adapted to their natures1 except a few species endowed with the power of accommodating themselves to all climates4 ,certain it is that they are now thus distributed2 and it is inevitable death for most species to venture beyond certain limits4 ,if tropical animals and plants1 for instance1 were to migrate to the temperate zones1 and especially to the frigid regions1 they could not long survive2 and almost equally fatal would it be for the animals and plants of high latitudes to take up their abode near the equator4 ,but even within the tropics we find distinct species of animals and plants on opposite continents4 ,indeed1 naturalists reckon a large number of botanical and zoological districts1 or provinces1 as they are called1 within which they find certain peculiar groups of animals and plants1 with natures exactly adapted to that particular district1 but incapable of enduring the different climate of adjoining districts4 ,they differ considerably as to the number of these districts1 because the plants and animals of our globe are by no means yet fully described1 and because the districts assigned to the different classes do not fully coincide2 but as to the existence of such a distribution1 they are of one opinion4 ,the most reliable divisions of this kind make twenty-five botanical provinces1 and five kingdoms and fourteen provinces among animals4#aj ,the fact that man1 and some of the domesticated animals1 and a few plants1 are found in almost every climate1 has1 until recently1 blinded the eyes of naturalists to the manner in which the great mass of animals and plants are confined within certain prescribed limits4 ,but so soon as the general fact is stated1 we immediately recur to abundant proof of its truth4 ,we should be disposed to question the veracity of that traveller who should visit a new and remote country1 and describe its vegetable and animal productions as essentially the same as in our own2 and all because the analogy of other portions of the globe leads us to expect that a new geographical province shall present us with a peculiar fauna and flora2 that is1 with peculiar groups of animals and plants4 ,it is obvious that the facts which have been stated have an important bearing upon the mode in which the animals were brought together to enter the ark1 and were afterwards distributed through the earth1 if the deluge were universal4 ,certain it is that1 without miraculous preservation1 they could never have been brought together1 nor again dispersed4 ,we have reason to suppose that the ark was constructed in some part of the temperate zone4 ,now1 suppose the animals of the torrid zone at the present day to attempt1 by natural means1 to reach the temperate zone2 who does not know that nearly all of them must perish8 ,nor is it any easier to conceive how1 after the flood1 they could have migrated into all continents1 and islands1 and climates1 and how each species should have found the place exactly fitted to its constitution1 as we now find them4 ,indeed1 the idea of their collection and dispersion in a natural way is altogether too absurd to be believed4 ,and we must1 therefore1 resort to a miracle1 or suppose a new creation to have taken place after the deluge1 or admit the flood to have been limited4 ,if the latter supposition be not inconsistent with the ,bible1 it completely relieves the difficulty4 ,if we suppose the limited region of ,central ,asia1 where man existed1 to have been deluged1 and pairs and septuples of the most common animals in that region only to have been kept alive in the ark1 the entire account will harmonize with natural history4 ,the question1 then1 whether such a view is consistent with the ,bible1 becomes of great interest2 and to this point ,i beg leave next to direct your attention4 ,if we understand the scriptural account to denote a literal universality1 it is certainly very natural to inquire why such universality was necessary1 since the deluge is represented as a penal infliction upon man4 ,for it seems difficult to believe as some writers have attempted to prove1 that the human family had become very numerous1 or had extended far beyond the spot where they were first planted1 in less than two thousand years2 especially when we recollect how few were the children of patriarchs whose age amounted to many centuries1 and how very probable it is that the extreme wickedness of most of the antediluvians tended to their extinction rather than their multiplication4 ,why1 then1 for the sake of destroying man1 occupying probably only a limited portion of one continent1 was it necessary to depopulate all other continents and islands1 inhabited only by irresponsible animals1 who had no connection with man8 ,if the ,scriptures unequivocally declare that such was the fact1 we are bound to believe it on divine testimony4 ,but if their language admits of a different interpretation1 it seems reasonable to adopt it4 ,and here ,i am willing to acknowledge that the language of the ,bible on this subject seems1 at first view1 to teach the universality of the flood1 unequivocally4 ,the waters1 say they1 prevailed exceedingly upon the earth1 and all the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered4 ,again3 ,behold1 ,i1 even ,i1 do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh1 wherein is the breath of life1 from under heaven2 and every thing that is in the earth shall die4 ,if such language be interpreted by the same rules which we should apply to a modern composition1 it could in no way be understood to teach a limited deluge or a partial destruction4 ,but in respect to this ancient record1 two considerations are to be carefully weighed4 ,in the first place1 the terms employed are not to be judged of by the state of knowledge in the nineteenth century1 but by its state among the people to whom this revelation was first addressed4 ,when the earth was spoken of to that people1 7the ancient ,jews17 they could not have understood it to embrace a much wider region than that inhabited by man1 because they could not have had any idea of what lay beyond those limits4 ,and so of the phrase heaven2 it must have been coextensive with the inhabited earth only4 ,and when it was said that all animals would die by the deluge1 they could not have supposed the declaration to embrace creatures far beyond the dwellings of men1 because they knew nothing of such regions4 ,why1 then1 may we not attach the same limited meaning to these declarations8 ,why should we suppose that the ,holy ,spirit used terms1 adapted1 indeed1 to the astronomy and geography of the nineteenth century1 but conveying only a false idea to those to whom they were addressed8 ,in the second place1 in all ages and nations1 and especially among ancient ones1 universal terms are often used to signify only a very large amount in number or quantity4--,dr4 ,smith1 ,scrip4 and ,geol4 p4 #bab1 #dth ed4--,the ,hebrew ,hebrew1 7kol17 the ,greek3 pas1 and the ,english all1 are alike employed in this manner1 to signify many4 ,there are some very striking cases of this sort in the ,bible4 ,thus in ,genesis it is said that all countries came into ,egypt to ,joseph to buy corn1 because the famine was sore in all lands4 ,this certainly could apply only to the well-known countries around ,egypt2 for transportation would have been impossible to the remotest parts of the habitable globe4 ,in the account of the plagues that came upon ,egypt1 it is said that the hail smote every herb of the field1 and brake every tree of the field2 but1 in a few days afterwards1 it is said of the locusts that they did eat every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left4 ,this day1 said ,god to the ,israelites1 while yet in their journeyings1 will ,i begin to put the fear of thee and the dread of thee upon the face of the nations under all the heavens4 ,but it is obvious that only the nations contiguous to the ,israelites1 chiefly the ,canaanites1 are here meant4 ,in the ,new ,testament1 it is said that1 at the time of the pentecost1 there were dwelling at ,jerusalem ,jews1 devout men1 out of every nation under heaven4 ,yet1 in the enumeration1 which follows this passage1 of the different places from which those ,jews had come1 we find only a region extending from ,italy to ,persia1 and from ,egypt to the ,black ,sea4 ,it could have been a district of only about that size which ,paul meant1 when he said to the ,colossians that the gospel was preached to every creature which is under heaven4 ,in the ,first ,book of ,kings1 it is said that all the earth sought the presence of ,solomon1 to hear his wisdom2--a passage which requires as much limitation as the others above quoted4 ,a similar mode of expression is employed by ,christ1 when he says of the queen of ,sheba that she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of ,solomon2 for her residence1 being probably on the ,arabian ,gulf1 could not have been more than twelve or fourteen hundred miles from ,jerusalem4 ,a like figurative mode of speech is employed in the description of ,peter's vision1 in which he saw a great sheet let down to the earth1 wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth1 and wild beasts1 and creeping things1 and fowls of the air4 ,who will suppose1 since it is wholly unnecessary for the object1 which was to convince ,peter that the ,mosaic distinction into clean and unclean beasts was abolished1 that he here had a vision of all the species of terrestrial vertebral animals on the globe8 ,it would be easy to multiply similar passages4 ,in many of them we should find that the phrase all the earth signifies the land of ,palestine2 in a few1 the ,chaldean empire2 and in one1 that of ,alexander of ,macedon4 ,now1 so similar is the phraseology of the passages just quoted to that descriptive of the deluge1 so universal are the terms1 while we are sure that their meaning must be limited1 that we are abundantly justified in considering the deluge as limited1 if other parts of the ,bible1 or the facts of natural history1 require such a limitation4 ,indeed1 so obviously analogous are the passages quoted to the ,mosaic account of the deluge1 that distinguished writers have regarded the deluge as limited1 long before geology existed1 or natural history had learned the manner in which organic life is distributed on the globe2 nay1 at a period when naturalists1 with ,linnaeus at their head1 supposed animals and plants to have proceeded from one centre3--an opinion that seemed to sustain the notion of the universality of the flood4 ,the inference1 then1 that it was limited1 must have been made chiefly on exegetical grounds4 ,i cannot see1 says ,bishop ,stillingfleet1 more than a century ago1 any urgent necessity from the ,scripture to assert that the flood did spread over all the surface of the earth4 ,that all mankind1 those in the ark excepted1 were destroyed by it1 is most certain1 according to the ,scriptures4 ,the flood was universal as to mankind2 but from thence follows no necessity at all of asserting the universality of it as to the globe of the earth1 unless it be sufficiently proved that the whole earth was peopled before the flood1 which ,i despair of ever seeing proved4--,origines ,sacrae1 ,b4 ,,iii4 chap4 #d1 p4 #ccg1 ed4 #agji4 ,matthew ,poole1 well known for his valuable and extensive commentaries on the ,bible1 thus expresses himself3 ,it is not to be supposed that the entire globe of the earth was covered with water4 ,where was the need of overwhelming those regions in which there were no human beings8 ,it would be highly unreasonable to suppose that mankind had so increased before the deluge as to have penetrated to all the corners of the earth4 ,it is1 indeed1 not probable that they had extended themselves beyond the limits of ,syria and ,mesopotamia4 ,absurd it would be to affirm that the effects of the punishment inflicted upon men alone applied to places in which there were no men4 ,if1 then1 we should entertain the belief that not so much as the hundredth part of the globe was overspread with water1 still the deluge would be universal1 because the extirpation took effect upon all the part of the globe which was inhabited4 ,if we take this ground1 the difficulties which some have raised about the deluge fall away as inapplicable1 and mere cavils2 and irreligious persons have no reason left them for doubting the truth of the ,holy ,scriptures4--,synopsis on ,gen4 vii4 #ai4 ,poole wrote nearly two centuries ago4 ,in more recent times1 we find authorities equally eminent for learning and candor adopting the same views4 ,interpreters1 says ,dathe1 do not agree whether the deluge inundated the whole earth1 or only those regions then inhabited4 ,i adopt the latter opinion4 ,the phrase all does not prove the inundation to have been universal4 ,it appears that in many places ,hebrew 7kol7 is to be understood as limited to the thing or place spoken of4 ,hence all the animals said to have been introduced into the ark were only those of the region inundated4 ,so1 also1 only those mountains are to be understood1 which were surmounted by the waters4--,pentateuchus a ,dathio1 p4 #fc4 ,but no modern writer has treated this subject with so much candor and ability--and the same may be said of his whole work on the ,relation of the ,holy ,scriptures to some ,parts of ,geological ,science--as ,dr4 ,john ,pye ,smith4 ,we can say of him1 what we can say of very few men1 that he is accurately acquainted with all the branches of the subject4 ,eminent as a theologian and a philologist1 and fully possessed of all the facts in geology and natural history1 he gives us his opinion1 not as a young man1 fond of novelties1 but in the full maturity of judgment and of years4 ,from these instances1 says he1 of the scriptural idiom in the application of phraseology similar to that in the narrative concerning the flood1 ,i humbly think that those terms do not oblige us to understand a literal universality2 so that we are exonerated from some otherwise insuperable difficulties in natural history and geology4 ,if so much of the earth was overflowed as was occupied by the human race1 both the physical and the moral ends of that awful visitation were answered4--,scrip4 and ,geol4 p4 #bad1 #dth ed4 ,let us now take the seat of the antediluvian population1 continues ,dr4 ,smith1 to have been in ,western ,asia1 in which a large district1 even at the present day1 lies considerably below the level of the sea4 ,it must not be forgotten that six weeks of continued rain would not give an amount of water forty times that which fell on the first1 or a subsequent day1 for evaporation would be continually carrying up the water to be condensed1 and to fall again2 so that the same mass of water would return many times4 ,if1 then1 in addition to the tremendous rain1 we suppose an elevation of the bed of the ,persian and ,indian ,seas1 or a subsidence of the inhabited land towards the south1 we shall have sufficient cause in the hands of almighty justice for submerging the district1 covering its hills1 and destroying all living beings within its limits1 except those whom divine mercy preserved in the ark4 ,the drawing off of the waters would be effected by a return of the bed of the sea to a lower level1 or by the elevation of some tracts of land1 which would leave channels and slopes for the larger part of the water to flow back into the ,indian ,ocean1 while the lower part remained a great lake1 or an inland sea1 the ,caspian4--p4 #bag4 ,it is a circumstance favoring the above suggestions of ,dr4 ,smith1 that there is a tract of country ten degrees of latitude in breadth1 embracing most of ,asia ,minor1 ancient ,armenia and ,georgia1 and part of ,persia1 extending at least as far east as the ,caspian ,sea1 and probably much farther1 in which volcanic agency has been in operation at a comparatively recent period4 ,i am not aware that we have evidence of any eruption of lava in those regions1 within historic times1 except1 perhaps1 some mud volcanoes in the ,caucasian range4 ,the ,katekekaumene1 or ,burnt ,district1 of ,asia ,minor1 and ,mount ,ararat1 probably experienced eruptions at a date somewhat earlier1 though at a comparatively recent date4 ,yet important changes of level may have been the result of volcanic agency in ,central ,asia1 as recently as the ,noachian deluge1 without leaving any traces which would be obvious1 without more careful observation than has yet been made in those regions4 ,especially might a subsidence of the surface have taken place1 and not have left any striking evidence of its occurrence4 ,still more difficult would it now be to discover the marks of vertical movements in the bed of the ,indian ,ocean at the time of the deluge4 ,i will venture to add another suggestion4 ,if the bed of the ,indian ,ocean was uplifted by volcanic matter1 struggling to get vent1 vapor enough might have been liberated to account1 on natural principles1 for the forty days' rain of the deluge4 ,for it is well known that in volcanic eruptions drenching rains are often the result of the sudden condensation of the aqueous vapor4 ,we are here met1 however1 by a serious objection to the hypothesis1 which gives only a limited extent to the deluge4 ,if the present ,mount ,ararat1 in ,armenia1 is the mountain on which the ark first rested1 a deluge which covered its top must1 by its flux and reflux1 have overspread nearly all other portions of the globe1 for that mountain rises seventeen thousand seven hundred feet above the ocean4 ,but we are informed by ,jerome1 that the name ,ararat was given generally to the mountains of ,armenia2 7indeed1 that is the meaning of the name27 and long before geology existed1 ,shuckford suggested that some spot farther east corresponds better with the scriptural account of the place where the ark rested4 ,for it is said of the families of the sons of ,noah1 that1 as they journeyed from the east1 they found a plain in the land of ,shinar4 ,now1 ,shinar1 or ,babylonia1 lies nearly south of the ,armenian ,ararat1 and the probability1 therefore1 is1 that the true ,ararat1 from whose vicinity the descendants of ,noah probably emigrated1 lay much farther to the south4 ,again1 if the ark rested upon the present ,ararat1 it is impossible1 except by a miracle1 that those who came out of it could have reached the plain below2 for so exceedingly difficult of access is it1 that it is doubtful whether1 since the deluge1 any one ever succeeded in reaching its summit1 till the year #ahbi4 ,indeed1 it is an article in the creed of the ,armenian church that its ascent is impossible4 ,that the almost universal tradition of ,eastern nations should have fixed upon that mountain as the resting-place of the ark is not strange1 considering that there is no mountain in all ,asia so striking to behold4 ,but upon the whole1 the probability is strong that some other elevation1 less lofty and steep1 was the radiating point of the postdiluvian races of man and other animals4 ,the fact of ,noah's sending forth a dove from the ark1 which came back in the evening with an olive leaf in her mouth1 strengthens the preceding view4 ,for neither upon the present ,ararat1 nor around it1 does the olive grow1 because it is too cold4 ,indeed1 all its upper part is covered with perpetual ice4 ,but if the ,ararat of ,scripture lay nearer the tropics1 the olive might find upon it a congenial spot4 ,a distinguished botanist adduced the fact about the olive as evidence against the ,bible4 ,but how easily refuted1 if the theory now under examination be true6 ,in favor of this supposition1 ,i might have urged another consideration1 which1 in my mind1 has no little weight4 ,it is impossible that the waters of the deluge should have covered the earth for a year1 without destroying nearly all the existing vegetation4 ,yet nothing is said of the preservation of seeds in the ark2 and if they had been preserved1 certainly nothing but miraculous power1 and that of the most remarkable kind1 could have scattered them through the remotest continents and islands1 so as to form distinct botanical districts1 such as have been described4 ,the olive1 from which a leaf was plucked by the dove sent out of the ark1 was probably situated upon elevated ground1 and where it remained but a short time beneath the waters1 and therefore did not lose its vitality4 ,it is probable that the theory which makes the deluge limited in extent will meet with more favor than any other1 with candid and intelligent men1 to meet the suggested difficulties of the case4 ,but some1 who are unwilling to abandon the idea of the universality of the deluge1 avoid these difficulties by supposing a new creation to have taken place at that epoch4 ,that such a new creation occurred at the commencement of several geological periods can hardly admit a doubt4 ,and a presumption is hence derived in favor of a similar act at the beginning of the postdiluvian period1 preceded as it was1 like the other geological periods1 by an almost entire destruction of organic life4 ,the principal objection to this view is1 that no notice is taken of such a new creation in the ,bible4 ,and it would seem that an event of so much importance would hardly be passed in silence2 and yet the bringing into existence new races of the inferior animals and plants could have but little bearing upon the object of revelation1 which respects almost exclusively the spiritual condition of man4 ,one1 however1 can hardly see why pairs and septuples of the animals1 even in a limited district1 need to have been preserved in the ark1 if a new creation were to follow the coming catastrophe2 nor why the creation of the antediluvian animals1 so soon to perish1 should have been so particularly described1 while no notice was taken of the postdiluvian races1 which were to occupy the earth so much longer time4 ,a third theory has been suggested by some1 embracing both those which have been described4 ,they admit the deluge to have been of limited extent1 but suppose this limitation not to be sufficient to explain all the facts of revelation and of science1 without a new creation also1 at the commencement of the postdiluvian period4 ,they suppose1 indeed1 that geology and natural history teach the occasional extinction of species1 and the creation of others1 even in our own times4 ,and in regard to this latter view1 it may at least be said that it is not contradicted by the ,bible4 ,nay1 one would almost suppose that the ,psalmist were describing such a state of things when he says1 ,thou hidest thy face2 they animals are troubled4 ,thou takest away their breath2 they die and return to their dust4 ,thou sendest forth thy spirit2 they are created2 and thou renewest the face of the earth4 ,the resemblance between this language and that employed to describe the original creation is striking4 ,indeed1 the same word 7bawraw7 is used4 ,without attempting to decide which of these theories has the highest claim upon our belief1 it is sufficient to remark1 that either of them reconciles the facts of geology and natural history with the inspired record2 nor does the adoption of either of them require us to put a forced and unnatural construction upon the language of the ,bible4 ,even then1 if we should admit that a construction agreeing with these theories is not the most natural meaning1 yet if the facts of natural history unequivocally require such an interpretation to harmonize the ,bible with nature1 it is assuredly one of those cases where science must be allowed to modify our exegesis of ,scripture4 ,in the view of sound philosophy1 such modification at once disarms scepticism of its cavils4 ,with two remarks of a practical character1 ,i close the discussion of this subject4 ,first4 ,the history of opinions respecting the ,noachian deluge furnishes a salutary lesson to those employed in the examination of analogous subjects4 ,we have seen these opinions assume almost every possible shape2 yet1 until recently they have all been maintained with the most positive and dogmatic assurance2 and each particular theory has been regarded as involving the essence of the ,bible1 as being the articulus stantis vel cadentis ecclesiae1 and whoever denied it virtually denied the ,bible4 ,but all reasonable and truly scientific men are fast coming to the conclusion1 that the deluge has had very little to do with the present configuration of the globe1 and that it is doubtful whether any trace of its occurrence will ever be found in nature2 so that1 on the one hand1 all the alarms and denunciations of misguided ,christians on this subject might have been spared2 and1 on the other hand1 if the hasty exultation of the infidel1 in his supposed discovery of discrepancy between nature and ,moses1 had been suppressed until the subject was understood1 he would not have experienced the mortification of entire defeat4 ,it is1 indeed1 very humiliating to human nature to find so many of the wise1 the talented1 and the religious so confident and zealous1 yet so erroneous4 ,but it is a salutary lesson4 ,it shows us the vast importance of being thoroughly acquainted with a subject before we dogmatize upon it4 ,it should not1 indeed1 discourage us1 and produce a universal scepticism on all subjects not admitting a mathematical demonstration2 but it should make us cautious in examining the grounds of our conclusions1 and modest in maintaining them4 ,secondly4 ,it is interesting to observe how1 amid all the diversities and fluctuations of opinion on this subject1 the ,bible has remained unaffected4 ,the infidel felt confident that the arrows which he drew from this quiver would certainly pierce ,christianity to the heart4 ,but they rebounded from her adamantine breastplate1 blunted and broken2 and no one will have the courage to pick them up and hurl them again4 ,the physico-theological school at one time felt certain1 that no other theory but an entire dissolution of the crust of the globe at the deluge1 could possibly be made consistent with the ,bible4 ,more recently1 it has been supposed equally necessary1 to reconcile geology and revelation1 that we should admit the antediluvian continents to have sunk beneath the ocean at that time4 ,still later1 it has been thought quite certain that the surface of the earth bore the most striking marks of a universal deluge1 probably identical with that of ,scripture4 ,at length1 the extreme opinion is now generally reached1 that no trace of the deluge of ,noah remains4 ,and equally wide and well established is the belief that1 amid all these fluctuations of theory1 the ,bible has stood as an immovable rock amid the conflicting waves4 ,the final result is1 that we have only slightly to modify the interpretation of the ,mosaic account1 in conformity with the laws of language1 to make it entirely consistent with the notion that all traces of the deluge have disappeared4 ,thus1 in the midst of human opinions1 veering to every point of the compass1 the ,bible has ever remained fixed to one point4 ,not so with false systems of religion4 ,the ,hindoo religion contains a false astronomy1 as well as anatomy and physiology2 and the ,mohammedan ,koran distinctly advances the ,ptolemaic hypothesis of the universe2 so that you have only to prove these religions false in science in order to destroy their claim to infallibility4 ,but the ,bible1 stating only facts1 does not interfere with1 neither is affected by1 the hypotheses of philosophy4 ,often1 indeed1 in past ages1 have men set up their hypotheses as oracles in the temple of nature1 to be consulted rather than the ,bible4 ,but1 like ,dagon before the ark1 they have fallen to the earth1 and been broken in pieces before the ,word of ,god2 while this has ever stood and ever shall stand1 in sublime simplicity and undecaying strength1 amid the wrecks of every false system of philosophy and religion4 ,,lecture ,v4 ,,the ,,world',s ,,supposed ,,eternity4 ,in our attempts thus far to elucidate the religion of geology1 our attention has been directed to those points where this science has been supposed to conflict with revelation2 and ,i trust it has been made manifest that the collision was rather with the interpretation than with the meaning of ,scripture2 and that1 in fact1 geology1 instead of coming into collision with the ,bible1 affords us important aid in understanding it aright4 ,we now advance to a part of the subject which has a more direct bearing upon natural religion4 ,and here1 if ,i mistake not1 we shall find the illustration of religious truth from this science1 as we might expect1 more direct and palpable4 ,the subject to which ,i wish first to call your attention is the world's eternity1 or the eternal existence of matter4 ,this was the universal belief of the philosophers of antiquity1 and1 indeed1 of most reasoning minds where the ,bible has not been known4 ,the grand argument by which this opinion was sustained is the well-known ex nihilo nihil fit1 7nothing produces nothing47 ,hence men inferred that not even the ,deity could create matter out of nothing2 and1 therefore1 it must be eternal4 ,most of the ancient philosophers1 however1 did not hence infer the non-existence of the ,deity4 ,but they endeavored to reconcile the existence of eternal matter with an eternal ,spirit4 ,they supposed both to be self-existent and coexistent4 ,from this rational thinking principle they supposed all good to be derived2 while from the material irrational principle all evil sprung4 ,plato taught that ,god1 of his own will1 united himself with matter1 although he did not create it1 and out of it produced the present world2 so that it was proper to speak of the world as created1 although the matter was from eternity4 ,aristotle and ,zeno taught that ,god's union with matter was necessary2 and hence they considered the world eternal4 ,in the opinion of ,epicurus1 ,god was entirely separated from matter1 which consisted of innumerable atoms1 floating about from eternity1 like dust in the air1 until at last they assumed the present form of the world4 ,in modern times1 the belief in the eternity of matter has usually been connected with1 or made the basis of1 a refined and popular system of atheism4 ,i refer to the pantheism of ,spinoza4 ,he maintains that there exists in the universe but one substance1 variously modified1 whose two principal attributes are infinite extension and infinite intelligence4 ,this substance1 the ,greek3 to pan of ,spinoza1 he regarded as ,god2 and hence his system is called ,pantheism4 ,under various modifications1 it has been adopted by many sceptical minds1 and is1 undoubtedly1 the most common and plausible system of atheism extant4 ,other modern writers1 among whom may be mentioned that anomalous philosopher ,bayle1 have advocated the views of the ancients respecting the eternity of matter4 ,it may seem strange1 but it is true1 that some ,christian philosophers and divines have been1 in ancient and modern times1 the advocates of the eternity of matter4 ,the ancient ,christians adopted it from ,plato4 ,thus we find ,justin ,martyr maintaining that ,god formed the world from an eternal1 unorganized material4 ,and the schoolmen1 who followed ,aristotle1 taught that ,god had created the world from eternity4 ,on this ground1 even some ,protestant theologians have asserted that it was absurd to speak of an eternal ,god who is not an eternal ,creator4 ,a principle which has thus been adopted by so many acute minds unenlightened by revelation1 and by some who possessed that divine testimony1 must be sustained by some plausible arguments4 ,the principal one relied on is1 that the changes which are going on in the material world are proved to be only transmutations1 which follow one another in series that return into themselves1 and which may1 therefore1 have been going on from eternity2 and if this be admitted1 it is as easy to suppose matter to be self-sustained1 and to have fallen into its present order of itself1 as to suppose the interference of an infinite ,spirit4 ,how do we know1 says ,dr4 ,chalmers1 in stating the atheistic argument1 that the world is a consequent at all8 ,is there any greater absurdity in supposing it to have existed1 as it now is1 at any specified point of time1 throughout the millions of ages that are past1 than that it should so exist at this moment8 ,does what we suppose might have been then1 imply any greater absurdity1 than what we actually see to be at present8 ,now1 might not the same question be carried back to any point or period of duration1 however remote8 or1 in other words1 might we not dispense with a beginning for the world altogether8 ,for aught we can know a priori1 says ,hume1 matter may contain the source or spring of order originally within itself as well as mind does2 and there is no more difficulty in conceiving that the several elements1 from an internal1 unknown cause1 may fall into the most exquisite arrangement1 than to conceive that their ideas1 in the great universal mind1 from a like internal cause1 fall into that arrangement4 ,if this material world rests upon a similar ideal world1 this ideal world must rest upon some other1 and so on without end4 ,it were better1 therefore1 never to look beyond the present material world4 ,by supposing it to contain the principle of its order within itself1 we really assert it to be ,god2 and the sooner we arrive at that divine ,being1 so much the better4 ,now1 in what manner have these ingenious arguments been met8 ,until quite recently1 no one has supposed that any light on this subject could be derived from geology4 ,indeed1 even now1 by many1 that science is regarded as favoring the idea of the world's eternity4 ,neither has it been thought that1 on a question of natural theology1 like this1 it was proper to appeal to the ,bible4 ,philosophers and divines1 however1 have attempted to reply to these arguments1 irrespective of geology and revelation2 and they have generally convinced themselves that they have been successful4 ,but to my mind1 ,i must confess1 this has always appeared the weakest spot in natural religion4 ,some of the arguments to prove the world not eternal do1 indeed1 appear1 at first statement1 very profound2 but they rather silence than convince2 and the longer we reflect upon them1 the more apt are we to doubt their force4 ,and here ,i am constrained to bear testimony to the masterly manner in which this subject has been treated by ,dr4 ,chalmers4 ,perceiving that the defences of natural religion on this subject were weak1 in spite of much show of strength1 he has laid out his giant force of intellect in clearing away the rubbish and building a rampart of rock4 ,his remarkable skill in seizing upon and bringing out prominently the great principles of a difficult subject1 and turning them round and round till they fill every eye1 is here most happily exerted4 ,let us now proceed1 in the first place1 to examine the arguments that have been adduced to prove the non-eternity of the world1 independent of geology and revelation2 and in the second place1 to derive from these two sources of evidence the true ground on which that proposition rests4 ,the first supposed proof that the world has not eternally existed is derived from what is called the a priori argument for the existence of the ,deity1 originally proposed by the monk ,anselmus1 and afterwards more fully illustrated in ,england by ,dr4 ,samuel ,clarke4 ,take the following brief summary of this argument1 as applied to the eternity of matter1 in the words of ,dr4 ,crombie4 ,whatever has existed from eternity1 independent and without any external cause1 must be self-existent4 ,whatever is self-existent must exist necessarily1 by an absolute necessity in the nature of the thing4 ,this is also self-evident4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that unless the material world exist necessarily1 by an absolute necessity in its own nature1 so that it must be a contradiction to suppose it not to exist1 it cannot be independent and eternal4 ,in order to disprove this absolute necessity1 he ,dr4 ,clarke reasoned thus3 ,if matter be supposed to exist necessarily1 then in that necessary existence is included the power of gravitation1 or it is not4 ,if not1 then in a world merely material1 and in which no intelligent being presides1 there never could have been any motion4 ,but if the power of gravitation be included in the pretended necessary existence of matter1 then it follows necessarily1 that there must be a vacuum2 it follows1 likewise1 that matter is not a necessary being4 ,for if a vacuum actually be1 then it is plainly more than possible for matter not to be4 ,is it not passing strange that such a dreamy argumentation as this--and it is a fair sample of ,dr4 ,clarke's extended work on the existence of the ,deity--should have been regarded as sound logic by many of the acutest minds1 and that a majority even of the ablest metaphysicians1 up almost to the present day1 should have felt satisfied with it8 ,a few minds1 indeed1 long ago perceived its fallacy1 among whom was ,alexander ,pope1 who thus sarcastically describes it3-- ,be that my task1 replies a gloomy ,clarke1 ,sworn foe to mystery1 yet divinely dark4 ,let others creep by timid steps and slow1 ,on plain experience lay foundation low1 ,by common sense to common notions bred1 ,and last to nature's cause through nature led1 ,all-seeing in thy mists1 we need no guide1 ,mother of arrogance1 and source of pride6 ,we nobly take the high priori road1 ,and reason downward till we doubt of ,god4 ,dunciad1 ,book ,,iv4 ,it is impossible1 on this occasion1 to go into a formal refutation of this famous argument4 ,but this is unnecessary2 since1 as ,dr4 ,chalmers says1 it has fallen into utter disesteem and desuetude4 ,indeed1 the language of ,dr4 ,thomas ,brown on this subject is not too severe1 when he says1 that he conceives the abstract arguments that have been adduced to show that it is impossible for matter to have existed from eternity1 by reasoning on what has been termed necessary existence1 and the incompatibility of this necessary existence with the qualities of matter1 to be relics of the mere verbal logic of the schools1 as little capable of producing conviction as any of the wildest and most absurd of the technical scholastic reasonings on the properties1 or supposed properties1 of entity and nonentity4 ,in the second place1 it has been argued with much apparent plausibility1 by ,dr4 ,paley1 that wherever we find a complicated organic structure1 adapted to produce beneficial results1 its origin must be sought beyond itself2 and since the world abounds with such organisms1 it cannot be eternal2 that is1 the mere existence of animals and plants proves their non-eternity4 ,now1 without asserting that there is no force in this argument1 ,i have two remarks to make upon it4 ,the first is1 to quote the reply to it1 which such a writer as ,david ,hume has given1 in language which ,i have just repeated4 ,for aught we can know a priori1 says he1 matter may contain the source or spring of order originally within itself1 as well as mind does2 and there is no more difficulty in conceiving that the several elements1 from an internal unknown cause1 may fall into the most exquisite arrangement1 than to conceive that their ideas in the great universal mind1 from a like internal unknown cause1 fall into that arrangement4 ,to say that the different ideas1 which compose the reason of the ,supreme1 fall into order of themselves1 and by their own nature1 is really to talk without any precise meaning4 ,if it has a meaning1 ,i would fain know why it is not as good sense to say1 that the parts of the material world fall into order of themselves and by their own nature4 ,can the one opinion be intelligible while the other is not so8 ,fairly to meet this reasoning of the prince of sceptics is not an achievement of dulness or ignorance4 ,in order to do it triumphantly1 we want1 what ,dr4 ,paley could not find1 a distinct example of the creation of numerous organic beings by some cause independent of themselves4 ,i say1 he could not find such an example2 for on a question of natural theology1 he did not think it proper to appeal to the ,bible2 nor had geology1 when he wrote1 revealed her astonishing record on this subject4 ,but as it is now developed1 it puts an end to all controversy as to the origin of the organic world4 ,my second remark1 however1 on this argument is1 that even admitting its correctness1 it only proves the commencement of organic natures1 but does not show that the matter of which they are composed may not have been eternal4 ,in the third place1 an argument against the eternal existence of matter has been derived by ,sir ,john ,herschel1 one of the most distinguished natural philosophers of the day1 from the atomic constitution of bodies1 as made known to us by chemistry4 ,this science makes it certainly probable1 that even the infinitesimal particles of matter have a definite and peculiar shape1 and size1 and weight1 in each of the elements4 ,now1 says this writer1 when we see a great number of things precisely alike1 we do not believe this similarity to have originated1 except from a common principle independent of them4 ,the discoveries alluded to effectually destroy the idea of an external self-existent matter1 by giving to each of its atoms the essential characters at once of a manufactured article and a subordinate agent4 ,to this argument the atheist's reply would be essentially the same as that last considered2 and in one respect it would even be more forcible1 because the atomic constitution of bodies1 being less complex1 is less obviously the result of foreign agency1 and may more easily be regarded as the necessary property of eternal matter4 ,on the other hand1 however1 it is more obviously an attribute of the original constitution of matter than organic structure2 and if it does require an independent agency for its production1 it seems difficult to conceive of the existence of matter in a previous state4 ,so that1 in this point of view1 this argument is more forcible than the last2 and it is no small evidence that it has real strength1 that it comes to us from one of the most acute and impartial minds in ,europe4 ,in the fourth place1 it is maintained that the idea of an eternal succession1 or chain of being1 which the atheistic advocates of the world's eternity defend1 is highly absurd1 and even mathematically false4 ,the atheist mainly relies upon this notion of an eternal series of things2 for if he can defend that opinion1 he will overturn the main argument of the ,theist for the divine existence1 viz41 that from design in the works of creation4 ,on this ground1 therefore1 he should be fairly met4 ,has he been so met by the reasoning that has usually been employed to refute his opinion8 ,as a fair sample of it1 ,i will here quote the leading points of the argument1 as given by one of the most popular and able theologians of our country4 ,it is asserted by atheists1 says ,dr4 ,dwight1 that there has been an eternal series of things4 ,the absurdity of this assertion may be shown in many ways4 ,first4 ,each individual in a series is a unit4 ,but every collection of units1 however great1 is with intuitive certainty numerable1 and1 therefore1 cannot be infinite4 ,secondly4 ,every individual in the series 7take for example a series of men7 had a beginning4 ,but a collection of beings must1 however long the series1 have had a beginning4 ,this1 likewise1 is intuitively evident4 ,thirdly4 ,it is justly observed by the learned and acute ,dr4 ,bentley1 that in the supposed infinite series1 as the number of individual men is alleged to be infinite1 the number of their eyes must have been twice1 the number of their fingers ten times1 and the number of the hairs on their heads many thousand times1 as great as the number of men4 ,fourthly4 ,it is also observed by the same excellent writer1 that all these generations of men were once present4--,dwight's ,theology1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bd4 ,how is it possible that such reasoning should have satisfied logical and philosophical minds8 ,would it not be equally good to disprove the demonstrated principles of mathematics which relate to infinite quantities8 ,for in mathematics an infinite series of units is a familiar phrase2 and it is also common to speak of one infinite quantity as twice1 or ten times1 or many thousand times1 greater than another1 and that1 too1 in just such cases as the one referred to above4 ,true1 mathematical infinites are in some respects different from metaphysical infinites2 but it is the former that belong to this argument1 since the supposed infinite succession of organic beings forms a mathematical series4 ,an acute writer in our own country1 however1 has recently attempted to show that there can be no number actually infinite1 and therefore no infinite number of generations4#aa ,that the mathematician cannot actually present before us the whole of an infinite series1 is indeed most certain2 for such1 power belongs only to an ,infinite ,being4 ,but does the fact that man's faculties are limited1 prove that an arithmetical process cannot be carried on from eternity to eternity8 ,because man cannot put upon paper the series of numbers representing the miles in infinite space1 or the hours in infinite duration1 is there1 therefore1 no such thing as infinite space1 or infinite duration8 ,certainly not1 if this reasoning be correct4 ,in spite1 however1 of such mathematical metaphysics1 is it not an intelligible statement of the atheist1 when he says of any generation of men and animals in past time1 that there was another that preceded it and unless you have matter-of-fact proof to the contrary1 how will you disprove this assertion8 ,you may show him that practically he can never exhibit a series1 even of numbers1 extending eternally backward2 but he may1 in return1 challenge you to put your finger upon the first link of the chain of organic nature4 ,if you attempt it1 he will reply that other links preceded the one you have named1 and that1 as far as you choose to run backward1 he can go farther2 in other words1 by the very supposition which he makes1 he excludes a beginning to organic nature1 and1 therefore1 all reasoning which assumes such a beginning is of no force against his conclusions4 ,if a series which may thus be extended indefinitely backward be not infinite in a metaphysical sense1 it is to common sense4 ,let me not be thought to be an advocate in any sense for the unsupported notion of an infinite series of organic beings4 ,but the question is1 whether those who1 in spite of common sense1 have maintained this opinion1 have been fairly refuted by such metaphysical evasions as ,i have quoted4 ,the truth is1 that1 in order to end this dispute1 the ,theist needs to bring forward at least one example in which the commencement of some race of animals can be fairly pointed out2 and ,i know not where such an example can be found1 save in the ,bible and geology4 ,in the fifth place1 the changing state of the world has been regarded as incompatible with the world's eternity4 ,this argument is thus stated by ,bishop ,sumner3 ,if the universe itself is the first eternal being1 its existence is necessary1 as metaphysicians speak2 and it must be possessed of all those qualities which are inseparable from necessary existence4 ,of this nature are immutability and perfection4 ,for change is the attribute of imperfection1 and imperfection is incompatible with that ,being1 which is1 as the hypothesis affirms1 independent1 and1 therefore1 can have no source of imperfection4 ,to suppose1 therefore1 of the first independent ,being1 that it could have existed otherwise than it is1 is no less contrary to the idea of necessity1 with which we set out1 than to suppose it not to exist at all4 ,this reasoning is not destitute of plausibility4 ,for there is scarcely any lesson more forcibly impressed on short-lived man than the mutability of the world4 ,and it is indeed true that change is its most striking attribute4 ,but when we look at the subject philosophically1 we find that all this mutability is consistent with the most perfect ultimate stability2 nay1 that the change is essential to secure the stability4 ,apart from what revelation and geology teach1 these changes in nature form cycles1 which1 like those in astronomy1 are perfectly consistent with the eternal permanence of the general system to which they belong4 ,in the motions of the heavenly bodies1 a considerable amount of irregularity and oscillation about a mean state does not tend to the ruin1 but rather to the preservation1 of the system1 provided the anomalies do not extend beyond certain limits4 ,it is just so with other changes that are going on around us4 ,all of them are1 in fact1 as much regulated by mathematical laws as the perturbations of the heavenly bodies2 although those laws are more complicated and difficult to bring out in distinct formulae in the former case than in the latter4 ,yet even in astronomy1 it is not many years since the mutual disturbances among the heavenly bodies were supposed to be the certain precursors of ruin to the system4 ,it was not till the famous problem of the three bodies was solved1 by the use of the most refined mathematical analysis1 that astronomers learnt the true operation of those causes of disturbance among the heavenly bodies which exist in their mutual attractions4 ,it was then found that1 so balanced are they in their action1 and so narrow their limits1 that they can never affect the stability of the system2 or1 rather1 they secure that stability4 ,it is1 indeed1 true1 that when changes in nature go on increasing or decreasing in magnitude indefinitely1 they clearly indicate a beginning and an end to the system to which they belong4 ,and it was on this principle that the earlier astronomers predicted that the celestial perturbations would ultimately bring the universe to a state of chaos4 ,they found1 for instance1 that the moon's orbit was decreasing in size1 and they inferred that1 ultimately1 that luminary must come to the earth4 ,but they now know it to be mathematically certain that1 after a long period1 the diminution of the orbit will cease2 it will begin to expand1 and go on expanding1-until the opposite point of oscillation is reached1 when it will again diminish2 and in this manner1 if ,god's will permit1 perform its eternal round4 ,just so it is with all the irregularities of the solar system4 ,yonder starry sphere ,of planets1 and of fixed1 in all her wheels1 ,resembles nearest mazes intricate1 ,eccentric1 intervolved1 yet regular2 ,then most1 when most irregular they seem4 ,and so it is with all the natural changes which we witness around us1 and with all which science shows us to have taken place on the globe1 excepting some which geology discloses1 and perhaps one which astronomy renders probable4 ,let us look at some of those changes which the argument under consideration regards as inconsistent with the world's eternity4 ,nearly all the changes in nature with which we are acquainted belong to three classes1--the mechanical1 the chemical1 and the organic4 ,astronomical changes are purely mechanical2 and hence the ease with which they may be calculated by mathematics4 ,the universal system of death1 which reigns over all animals and plants1 is the result of organic laws2 and it is this which probably gives to man the strongest impression of the transient nature of sublunary things4 ,but just consider the antagonist agencies to this universal destroyer4 ,i refer to the equally universal system of reproduction1 and to the law by which permanence of species is secured4 ,the consequence is1 that1 while every individual animal and plant dies1 the species survives4 ,in the whole history of the animals and plants now existing on the globe1 only eight or ten certain examples are on record in which a species has become extinct1 and those are some large birds1 such as the dinornis and dodo1 once inhabitants of the ,isle of ,bourbon and ,new ,zealand4 ,every one of the human family1 every elephant1 every ox1 every lion1 c41 die1 but man1 as a species1 still lives2 and so does the elephant1 the ox1 and the lion2 and most obviously this is a law of nature4 ,how easy1 then1 for the atheist to evade the force of your argument against the world's eternity1 drawn from the ravages of death6 ,he has only to suppose the havoc of individuals by death always to have been repaired by the equivalent operation of reproduction1 and that these two agencies have been balanced against each other from eternity2 and how will you prove this impossible1 except by the absurd metaphysical arguments already considered8 ,atmospheric and aqueous changes often1 and1 indeed1 generally1 appear more chaotic and destitute of a controlling force than any others in nature4 ,when the winds are let loose from their prison-house2 when the heavens become dark1 and the clouds1 rent by the lightnings1 pour down their contents1 and the swollen torrents carry desolation down the mountain's side and over the wide plain2 when the ocean rolls in upon the land its giant waves2 when the tornado sweeps all before it1 in rich tropical regions2 or when the sirocco sends its hot blast1 loaded with sand1 over the devoted surface1--in all these cases1 how difficult for us to conceive that all this uproar among the elements is limited and controlled by laws as fixed and unalterable as those which regulate the heavenly bodies6 ,nevertheless1 it must be so2 and although the winds and the waters seem to be rioting at their pleasure1 there are1 in fact1 at work antagonist agencies2 which will confine their wild war to a narrow field1 and soon bring them again into peaceful submission4 ,for such has always been the case1 and the limits of their irregularities are no wider now than six thousand years ago4 ,in other words1 the repressing agency has always been superior to the destroying force1 when the latter has risen to a certain limit2 and ,i doubt not but the profounder mathematics of angelic minds might as easily calculate the anomalies and perturbations of winds and waves as the formulas of ,la ,place can determine those of the solar system4 ,and if such constancy has existed for six thousand years in meteorological changes1--of all others in nature apparently the most irregular1--why1 the atheist will ask1 may not that constancy have been eternal8 ,and with equal reason may he ask the same in respect to all changes resulting from mechanical1 chemical1 and organic laws1 which we witness in nature1 except those which come within the province of geology1 and even concerning some of those2 and what changes in the material world do not result1 directly or remotely1 from one or two1 or all of these laws8 ,yet1 in regard to all these changes1 there is no inconsistency in supposing them to have gone on in an eternal series2 and hence they furnish no proof of the non-eternity of the world4 ,in the seventh and last place1 the recent origin of society1 as shown by historical monuments1 is regarded as evidence of the recent origin of the world4 ,this argument was well understood as long ago as the days of ,lucretius1 who states it very clearly in the oft-quoted lines1-- ,si nulla fuit genitalis origo1 ,terrarum et coeli1 semperque eterna fuit1 ,cur1 supra bellum ,thebanum et funera ,trojae1 ,non alias alii quoque res cecinere poetae8 ,this argument1 though it has been met by a plausible reply1 is certainly of great importance in its bearing upon the recent origin of the human race1 which1 as we shall shortly see1 is a point of much interest4 ,but it is obvious that it proves nothing respecting the origin of matter1 since this might have had an eternal existence before man was placed upon it4 ,we need not1 therefore1 be delayed by its discussion4 ,such is a fair summary1 as ,i believe1 of the arguments usually adduced1 aside from the ,bible and geology1 to prove the non-eternity of the world4 ,i am not prepared to say that they amount to nothing2 but ,i do believe that they perplex1 rather than convince1 and that some of them are mere metaphysical quibbles4 ,they do not produce that instantaneous conviction which most of the arguments of natural theology force upon the mind2 and it is easy to see how a man of a sceptical turn should rise from their examination entirely unaffected1 or affected unfavorably4 ,let us now1 therefore1 turn to geology1 and inquire whether its archives will afford us any clearer light upon the subject4 ,and here we must confess1 at the outset1 that geology furnishes us no more evidence than the other sciences of the creation of the matter of the universe out of nothing4 ,but it does furnish us with examples of such modifications of matter as could be effected only by a ,deity4 ,suppose1 then1 we should be obliged to acknowledge to the atheist1 that we yield to him the point of matter's eternal existence1 if he pleases1 because we can find nowhere in nature decisive evidence of its creation1 and then take our stand upon the arrangements and metamorphoses of matter4 ,or1 rather1 suppose we say to him1 that we shall not contend with him as to the origin of matter1 but challenge him to explain1 if he can1 without a ,deity1 its modifications1 as taught by geology4 ,if that science does disclose to us such changes on the globe as no power and wisdom but those of an infinite ,god could produce1 then of what consequence is it1 so far as religion is concerned1 whether we can1 or cannot1 demonstrate the first creation of matter8 ,i can conceive of no religious truth that would be unfavorably affected1 though we should admit that this point cannot be settled4 ,let us1 then1 at least for the sake of argument1 admit that it cannot be1 and proceed to inquire whether1 aside from this point1 geology does not teach us all that is necessary to establish the most perfect system of ,theism4 ,i shall select four examples from that science1 each of which is independent of the others in its bearing upon the subject1 since in this way the argument will become cumulative2 and if some are not satisfied with one example1 the others may produce conviction4 ,in the first place1 geology teaches that the time has been when the earth existed as a molten mass of matter1 and1 therefore1 all the animals and plants now existing upon its surface1 and all those buried in its rocky strata1 must have had a beginning1 or have been created4 ,i should be sustained by many probabilities1 were ,i to go farther1 and maintain that the time was when the globe existed in a gaseous state--an opinion very widely adopted by able philosophers of the present day4 ,but as this view is more hypothetical than my first position1 which makes the earth a liquid mass1 and as nothing would be gained to the argument by supposing it in a gaseous state1 ,i shall not press that point4 ,that it was once in a state of fusion is probable from the very great heat still remaining in its interior4 ,but more direct proof of this results from the facts1 now admitted by almost all geologists1 that the unstratified rocks have all been melted1 and that the stratified class have all1 or nearly all1 been the result of disintegration and abrasion of the unstratified masses4 ,a striking confirmation of this opinion is the spheroidal figure of the earth1--a figure precisely such as the globe would have assumed in consequence of rotation1 had it been in a fluid state4 ,in fine1 so many and so decisive are the facts which point to the original igneous fluidity of the globe1 that no competent judge thinks of doubting that all the matter of which it is composed1 certainly its crust1 has some time or other been in that state4 ,it is1 however1 the opinion of some geologists of distinction1 that the whole of it was not in fusion at the same time1 and that its different portions have passed successively through the furnace4 ,but this view of the subject scarcely affects my argument1 since at whatever period the fusion of any part took place1 the destruction of organic life1 if it existed1 must have been the consequence4 ,the essential thing is1 to show that such was once the state of the earth that animals and plants could not have existed on it4 ,for if such was the case1 their creation must have been a subsequent operation2 and if this did not require an infinite ,being to accomplish it1 no result in nature would demand his agency4 ,to prove the original igneous fluidity of the globe1 we might have adopted another course of argument4 ,all will admit that the present temperature of the interior of the earth is far more elevated than that of the surrounding planetary spaces4 ,the inevitable result is1 from the known laws of heat1 that its radiation into the celestial spaces is constantly going on1 and consequently the earth's temperature is being constantly lowered4 ,who can tell us now when this process of refrigeration commenced8 ,if no one1 then there must have been a time when the heat was great enough to fuse the whole globe4 ,and the facts already stated confirm such an inference4 ,for all the efforts hitherto made to show that the earth may be passing through regions of various temperatures1 in its march around the centre of centres1 amount to nothing more than dreamy conjecture4 ,in order to feel the force of the argument1 sustained by so many facts in geology1 just picture to yourselves this vast globe as a mass of liquid fire4 ,from such a world every thing organic must have been excluded1 and every thing combustible consumed1 and only such combinations of matter have existed as incandescent heat could not decompose4 ,compare such a world with that now teeming with life1 and beauty1 and glory1 which we inhabit2 and say1 must not the transition to its present condition have demanded the exercise of infinite power1 infinite wisdom1 and infinite benevolence8 ,you can1 indeed1 conceive how a solid crust might have formed over the vast fiery ocean1 by the simple radiation of heat2 and then1 too1 by natural laws1 might the vapors have been condensed into oceans and clouds1 while volcanic force within might have lifted up our continents and mountains above the flood4 ,but what a picture of desolation and ruin would such a world present1 while unadorned with vegetation1 and with no voice of life to break the stillness of universal death6 ,here is1 then1 the precise point where we need the interference of a ,deity4 ,admit1 if you please1 that atheism1 with its eternal matter and the laws of nature at command1 might form a world without inhabitants4 ,who does not see1 that to bestow organization1 and life1 and instinct1 to say nothing of intellect1 upon brute matter1 is the loftiest prerogative of ,jehovah8 especially to fill so vast a world as ours with its teeming millions1 exhibiting ten thousand diversities of size1 form1 and structure4 ,let the atheist then exult in the belief of an eternal world4 ,geology shows him that it must have been without inhabitants2 and that1 therefore1 the most wonderful part of the creation still remains to be accounted for2 while physiology teaches that the interference of an infinite ,deity can alone solve the enigma4 ,my second example from geology to disprove the notion of an eternal series of animals and plants on the globe1 is derived from the history of organic remains4 ,that history shows us clearly1 that the earth1 since its creation1 has been the seat of several distinct economies of life1 each occupying long periods1 and successively passing away4 ,during each of these periods1 distinct groups of animals and plants have occupied the earth1 the air1 and the waters4 ,each successive group has been entirely distinct from that which preceded it1 though each group was exactly adapted to the existing state of the climate and the food provided2 so that1 had the different groups changed places with one another1 they must have perished1 because their constitutions were adapted only to the state of things during the period in which they actually lived4 ,a distinguished naturalist has recently declared that he has discovered1 in surveying the entire series of fossil animal remains1 five great groups1 so completely independent that no species whatever is found in more than one of them4--,deshayes4 ,including the existing races1 this would give us six entirely distinct groups of organic beings that have lived in succession upon this globe since it became a habitable world4 ,but even if it should be found that a few species are common to adjoining groups1 the great truth would still remain1 that the different groups were too much unlike to be contemporaries1 and that consequently a new creation must have taken place whenever each new group commenced its course4 ,it is probable the earth has changed its inhabitants more than the six times that have been mentioned2 some think as many as twelve times4 ,but a larger number cannot yet be proved so clearly2 and could they be1 they would add nothing to this argument2 for it rests mainly on the fact that this change of organic life has even once been complete4 ,we may1 however1 very safely assume that the present animals and plants are the sixth group that have occupied the globe4#ab ,these facts being admitted1 and who does not see the necessity of divine interference1 whenever one race of animals and plants passed from the earth in order to repeople it8 ,it is not difficult to conceive how volcanic fires1 or aqueous inundations1 may have carried universal destruction over the globe1 and bereft it of inhabitants4 ,but where1 save in the fiat of an infinite ,deity1 is the power that can make this universe of death teem again with life and beauty8 ,in the powerful language of ,dr4 ,chalmers1 we may inquire1 ,is there aught in the rude and boisterous play of a great physical catastrophe that can germinate those exquisite structures1 which1 during our yet undisturbed economy1 have been transmitted in pacific succession to the present day8 ,what is there in the rush1 and turbulence1 and mighty clamor of such great elements1 of ocean heaved from its old resting-place1 and lifting its billows above the ,alps and the ,andes of a former continent1--what is there in this to charm into being the embryo of an infant family1 wherewith to stock and to repeople a now desolate world8 ,we see in the sweeping energy and uproar of this elemental war enough to account for the disappearance of all the old generations1 but nothing that might cradle any new generations into existence1 so as to have effloresced on ocean's deserted bed the life and loveliness which are now before our eyes4 ,at no juncture1 we apprehend1 in the history of the world1 is the interposition of the ,deity more manifest than at this2 nor can we better account for so goodly a creation emerging again into new forms of animation and beauty from the wreck of the old one1 than that the spirit of ,god moved on the face of chaos1 and that nature1 turned by the last catastrophe into a wilderness1 was again repeopled at the utterance of his word4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton has said1 that the growth of new systems out of old ones1 without the mediation of a divine power1 seems to me apparently absurd4 ,he seems in this passage to have referred only to the arrangements of matter1 with respect to size1 figure1 proportions1 and properties1 and not to the principle of life1 of instinct1 or of intellect4 ,but when the latter are taken into the account1 it must be superlatively absurd to suppose new systems can grow out of old ones by merely natural operations4 ,he1 indeed1 who can bring himself to believe1 with a certain writer1 that the instincts of animals are nothing more than inert and passive attractions1 derived from the power of sensation1 and the instinctive operations of animals nothing more than crystallizations produced through the agency of that power1--such a man could probably easily persuade himself that1 by the help of galvanism1 animals and plants might be the result of natural operations4 ,such doctrines1 however1 we shall examine in another lecture4 ,my third example from geology1 showing the non-eternity of the present condition of the globe1 is the fact of the disappearance of several large species of animals since the commencement of the most recent or alluvial geological period4 ,certain large pachydermatous and other animals1 such as the fossil elephant1 the mastodon1 the megatherium1 the mylodon1 the megalonyx1 the glyptodon1 the fossil horse1 ox1 deer1 c41 also nine or ten species of huge birds--the dinornis1 the palapteryx1 aptornis1 notornis1 and nestor of ,new ,zealand1 the dodo of ,mauritius and ,bourbon1 and the pezohaps or solitaire of ,rodriguez1--have ceased to exist since the tertiary period2 some of them--the birds1 for instance--since man's creation4 ,now1 if any important species of animals from time to time disappear from any system of organic life1 it shows a tendency to ruin in that system2 for such is the intimate dependence of different beings upon one another1 that you cannot blot out one1 certainly not a large number1 without disturbing the healthy balance between the whole1 and probably bringing the whole to ultimate ruin4 ,at any rate1 if several species die out by natural processes1 no reason can be given why others should not1 in like manner1 disappear4 ,and to prove that any organic system shows a tendency to ruin is to show that it had a beginning4 ,my third example from geology1 demonstrating the special interference of the ,deity in the affairs of this world1 is the fact of the comparatively recent commencement of the human race4 ,that man was among the very last of the animals created is made certain by the fact that his remains are found only in the highest part of alluvium4 ,this is rarely more than one hundred feet in thickness1 while the other fossiliferous strata1 lying beneath the alluvium1 are six miles thick4 ,hence man was not in existence during all the period in which these six miles of strata were in a course of deposition1 and he has existed only during the comparatively short period in which the one hundred feet of alluvium have been formed2 nay1 during only a small part of the alluvial period4 ,his bones1 having the same chemical composition as the bones of other animals1 are no more liable to decay2 and1 therefore1 had he lived and died in any of the periods preceding the alluvial1 his bones must have been mixed with those of other animals belonging to those periods4 ,but they are not thus found in a single well-authenticated instance1 and1 therefore1 his existence has been limited to the alluvial period4 ,hence he must have been created and placed upon the globe--such is the testimony of geology--during the latter part of the alluvial period4 ,i might include in this example nearly all the other species of existing animals and plants1 since it is only a very few of these that are found fossil1 and such species are limited to the tertiary strata4 ,but since this might make some confusion in the argument1 and since man is confessedly at the head of the existing creation1 ,i prefer to let his case stand out alone1 and to regard it instar omnium4 ,here1 then1 we have a case in which geology can lay her finger upon the precise epoch1 in the revolutions of our globe1 in which the most complicated1 perfect1 and exalted being that ever dwelt upon its surface first began to be4 ,it was not the commencement of a mere zoophyte1 or cryptogamean plant1 in which we see but little superiority to unorganized matter1 except in their possession of a low degree of vitality4 ,but we have a being complicated enough to contain a million of parts1 endowed with the two great attributes of life1 sensibility and contractility1 in the highest degree1 and1 above all1 possessing intellect and moral powers far more wonderful than organization and animal life4 ,as to the period when the creation of such a being1 by the most astonishing of all miracles1 took place1 ,i believe there is no diversity of opinion4 ,at least1 all agree that it was very recent2 nay1 although geology can rarely give chronological dates1 but only a succession of events1 she is able to say1 from the monuments she deciphers1 that man cannot have occupied the globe more than six thousand years4 ,now1 if it was difficult to conceive how successive races of the inferior animals and plants could have originated in the laws of nature1 without the special interference of the ,deity1 that difficulty increases in a rapid ratio as we ascend on the scale of organization and intellect1 and attempt in the same manner to account for the origin of man without the miraculous agency of ,deity4 ,the thorough-going materialist1 however1 does not shrink from the effort4 ,thought1 says ,bory de ,st4 ,vincent1 being the necessary result of a certain kind of organization1 wherever this order is established1 thought is necessarily derived from it2 and it is no more possible for the molecules of matter1 arranged in a certain manner1 not to produce thought1 than for brass1 when smitten1 not to return a sound1 or for creatures formed by this matter1 after such and such laws1 not to walk1 not to breathe1 not to reproduce2 in a word1 not to exercise any of the faculties which result from their peculiar mechanism of organization4--,dict4 ,clas4 ,d4 ,hist4 ,nat4 art4 ,matiere4 ,this may seem1 upon a superficial view1 to be settling this matter at once4 ,but it merely shifts the difficulty from one part of the subject to another4 ,admitting the premises of the materialist to be correct1 it does indeed show us the proximate cause of thought4 ,but the mind immediately inquires how a certain organization became possessed of such wonderful power4 ,is it inherent in matter1 or is it a power communicated to organization by a supreme ,being8 ,if the latter1 it is just what the ,theist contends for2 if the former1 then there is just as much necessity for the original interposition of the ,deity1 in order to give matter such an astonishing power1 as there is1 on the theory of the immaterialist1 to impart a spiritual and immortal principle to matter4 ,the materialist will1 indeed1 say that matter has possessed this power from eternity4 ,but this supposition1 evidently absurd1 does in fact invest matter with the attributes of ,deity2 since those attributes1 and those alone1 are sufficient to account for the phenomena4 ,and besides1 how is the fact to be explained that this power was not exerted till six thousand years ago8 ,but with the exception of the materialist1 ,i am sure that most reasoning minds will feel as if the creation of the human family was one of the most stupendous1 perhaps the most stupendous1 exercise of infinite power and wisdom which the universe exhibits4 ,if any change whatever demands a ,deity for its accomplishment1 it must be this2 and1 therefore1 geology presents1 in the case of man1 the most striking example which nature could furnish of a beginning of organic and intellectual life on the globe4 ,it shows us that there was a time1 and that not remote1 when the first link of the curious chain of the human family1 now constantly lengthening by inflexible laws1 was created4 ,i might now refer to certain recent discoveries in astronomy1 which have the same bearing upon the general argument as the examples that have been quoted from geology1 although less decisive4 ,after the famous demonstration of the eternity of the universe by ,la ,grange1 provided the present laws of gravity alone control it1 we could hardly expect that1 so soon1 even astronomy would furnish proof of a disturbing cause1 which must ultimately and inevitably bring ruin among the heavenly bodies1 if some counteracting agency be not exerted4 ,yet such a source of derangement exists in the supposed medium extending through all space1 which has already shown its retarding influence upon ,enke's1 ,biela's1 and ,halley's comets4 ,and who can say that some of the vast periods which geology discloses may not have been commensurate with those intervening between catastrophes among the heavenly bodies as the result of the universal resisting ether8 ,at present1 however1 we can say only that we know such long periods have existed in geology1 and probably in astronomy4 ,and their mere existence is fatal to the idea of the eternity of the world in its present state4 ,if1 then1 geology can clearly demonstrate the present state of the globe to have had a beginning2 if she can show us the period1 by fair induction1 when one liquid1 fiery ocean enveloped the whole earth2 if she can show us five or six economies of organic life successively flourishing and passing away2 if she can trace man back to his origin at a comparatively recent date2 if1 in fact1 she can show us that the most important operations on the globe1 and the most complicated and exalted organic races1 had a beginning2 and if astronomy affords glimpses of similar changes1--then why may we not safely leave the subject of the world's eternity an undecided question1 consistently with the most perfect ,theism8 ,if we can prove that the power1 the wisdom1 and the benevolence of the ,deity have again and again interfered with the regular sequence of nature's operations1 and introduced new conditions and new and more perfect beings1 by using the matter already in existence1 what though we cannot1 by the light of science1 run back to the first production of matter itself8 ,what though the atheist should here be allowed to maintain his favorite theory that matter never had a beginning8 ,what doctrine of natural religion is thereby unfavorably affected1 if we can only show the interposition of the ,deity in all of matter's important modifications8 ,such an admission would not prove matter to be eternal1 but only that science has not yet placed within the reach of man the means of proving its non-eternity4 ,and really1 such an admission would be far more favorable to the cause of truth than to rely1 as theologians have done1 on metaphysical subtilties to prove that matter had a beginning4 ,for the sceptical mind will not merely remain unconvinced by such arguments1 but be very apt to draw the sweeping inference that all the doctrines of natural and revealed religion rest on similar dreamy abstractions4 ,but is natural theology in fact destitute of all satisfactory proof that the matter of the universe had a beginning8 ,such proof1 it seems to me1 she will seek in vain in the wide fields of physical and mathematical science2 and the solution of the question which metaphysics offers1 as we have seen1 does not satisfy4 ,but there are sources of evidence on this point which seem to me of the most satisfactory kind4 ,in the first place1 we may derive from science some presumptive proof of a commencement of the matter of the universe4 ,the fact that the organic races on the globe had a beginning affords such proof4 ,for matter could not have originated itself2 nor is there any proof of its eternal existence2 and to assume that it did eternally exist1 without proof1 is far more unphilosophical than to admit its origination in the divine will4 ,for since ,god has complete control over matter1 it is probable that he created it with such properties as he wished it to possess4 ,and furthermore1 to the power and wisdom that could set in motion the heavenly bodies1 and create and adapt existing organisms out of preexistent matter1 we can assign no limits1 and hence conclude them to be infinite4 ,therefore they are sufficient to the production of matter1 which could not have demanded more than infinite wisdom and power4 ,now1 in confirmation of these presumptions1 we may appeal to the ,bible4 ,it is true that writers have been accustomed to consider it contrary to sound logic to draw from revelation any support or illustrations of natural religion4 ,but why should an historical fact possess less value1 if transmitted to us through the channel of sacred1 rather than profane1 writers8 ,now1 it would be regarded as perfectly good reasoning to seize upon any facts stated by heathen philosophers and historians1 illustrative of natural religion4 ,but the ,scriptures carry with them1 to say the least1 quite as strong evidence of their authenticity and claims to be credited1 as any ancient uninspired writer4 ,we place them on the same ground as any other history1 and demand for them only that they should be believed so far as we have testimony to their authenticity4 ,if a man1 after careful examination of their evidences1 comes to the conclusion that they are mere fables1 then to him their testimony is of no value to prove or illustrate any truth of natural religion4 ,but if he is convinced that they are worthy of credence1 then their statements may decide a point about which the light of nature leaves him in uncertainty4 ,in this way the ,bible is used by the natural theologian1 just as he would employ any curious object in nature--say1 the human hand1 or the eye4 ,these organs exist1 and their mechanism is to be accounted for either with or without a ,god4 ,and so the ,bible exists1 and its contents are to be accounted for2 and if they clearly evince the agency of a ,deity1 then we may use them1 just as we would use the eye or the hand1 to prove or illustrate important truths in natural theology4 ,but the testimony of the ,bible1 as to the origin of the world1 is most explicit and decided4 ,it declares that in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth2 and that the worlds were formed by the word of ,god1 so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear4 ,the obvious meaning of this latter passage is1 that the material universe was created out of nothing4 7,greek3 ta me phainomena47 ,how much more satisfactory this simple and consistent statement1 than a volume of abstract argument to prove the non-eternity of the world6 ,now1 if the testimony of the ,scriptures on all other points has been found correct1 why should we not receive with unhesitating credence1 and even with joy1 the sublime announcement with which that volume opens8 ,true1 we are not compelled to admit this statement1 in order to save ,theism from refutation1 because geology shows us the commencement of several economies on the globe1 which point us to a divine ,author4 ,but the doctrine of matter's creation out of nothing gives a desirable completeness to the system4 ,in looking back upon the subject1 which has thus been discussed1 too briefly for its merits1 but too prolixly for your patience1 several important inferences force themselves upon our attention4 ,and first1 it furnishes a satisfactory reply to a well-known objection1 otherwise unanswerable1 against the argument from design in nature to prove the existence of a ,deity4 ,we present ten thousand examples of exquisite design and adaptation in nature to the atheist4 ,he admits them all2 but says1 it was always so1 and therefore requires no other ,deity but the power eternally inherent in nature4 ,at your metaphysical replies to his objections he laughs2 but when you take him back on geological wings1 and bid him gaze on man1 just springing1 with his lofty powers1 from the plastic hands of his ,creator1 and then1 still earlier1 you point him to system after system of organic life starting up in glorious variety and beauty on the changing earth1 and even still nearer the birth of time1 you show him the globe1 a glowing ocean of fire1 swept of all organic life1 he is forced to exclaim1 ,a ,god6 a personal ,god6 an infinitely wise and powerful ,god6 ,what though he still clings to the notion of matter's eternity8 you have forced him to see the hand of ,deity in its wonderful arrangements and metamorphoses2 the hand of such a ,deity as might have brought it into existence in a moment1 by the word of his power4#ac ,secondly4 ,the subject presents us with a new argument for the existence of a ,god1 or rather a satisfactory modification of the argument from design4 ,in that argument1 as derived from other sciences1 the ,theist finds1 indeed1 multiplied and beautiful proofs of adaptation and apparent design2 but then he cannot1 as already observed1 from those sciences derive proof of the commencement either of matter or its arrangements2 and then1 too1 the sceptic1 with plausible ingenuity1 can take his stand upon law as the efficient agent in nature's movements and harmonies4 ,but when geology shows us1 not the commencement of matter1 but of organism1 and presents us with full systems of animals and plants springing out of inorganic elements1 where is the law that exhibits even a tendency to such results8 ,nothing can explain them but the law of miracles2 that is1 creation by divine interposition4 ,thus is the idea of a ,deity forced nakedly upon us1 as the only possible solution of the enigmas of creation4 ,the metaphysical ,theist must waste half his strength in battling the questions about the beginning of matter1 and the laws of matter2 nor can he ever entirely dislodge the enemy from these strongholds of atheism4 ,but the geological ,theist takes us at once into a field where work has been done1 which neither eternal law1 nor eternal matter1 but an infinite personal ,deity only1 could accomplish4 ,in conclusion1 ,i would merely refer to the interesting fact1 that geology should prove almost the only science that presents us with exigencies demanding the interposition of creating power4 ,and yet1 up to the present time1 geology has been looked upon by many ,christian writers with jealous eye1 because it was supposed to teach the world's eternity1 and so to account for natural changes by catastrophes and the gradual operation of existing agencies1 as to render a ,deity unnecessary1 either for the creation or regulation of the world4 ,one of these writers has even most uncharitably and unreasonably said1 that the mineral geology1 considered as a science1 can do as well without ,god 7though in a question concerning the origin of the earth7 as ,lucretius did4--,granville ,penn1 ,comparative ,estimate1 c4--,how much ground there is for such an allegation1 let the developments made in this lecture answer4 ,surely1 in this case1 geology has followed the directions of the ,oriental poet3-- ,learn from yon ,orient shell to love thy foe1 ,and strew with pearls the hand that brings thee woe2 ,free1 like yon rock1 from base1 vindictive pride1 ,emblaze with gems the wrist that rends thy side4 ,mark where yon tree rewards the stony shower ,with fruit nectareous or the balmy flower4 ,all nature calls aloud1--',shall man do less ,than heal the smiter1 and the railer bless8' ,misunderstood or misinterpreted though this science has been1 she now offers her aid to fortify some of the weakest outposts of religion4 ,and thus shall it ever be with all true science4 ,twin sister of natural and revealed religion1 and of heavenly birth1 she will never belie her celestial origin1 nor cease to sympathize with all that emanates from the same pure home4 ,human ignorance and prejudice may for a time seem to have divorced what ,god has joined together4 ,but human ignorance and prejudice shall at length pass away1 and then science and religion shall be seen blending their parti-colored rays into one beautiful bow of light1 linking heaven to earth and earth to heaven4 ,,lecture ,,vi4 ,,geological ,,proofs ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,benevolence4 ,the subject of the present lecture is the divine benevolence1 as taught by geology4 ,but what connection1 it will be asked1 can there be between the history of rocks and the benevolence of ,god8 ,do not the leading points of that history consist of terrible catastrophes1 aqueous or igneous1 by which the crust of the earth has been dislocated and upheaved1 mountains lifted up and overturned1 the dry land inundated1 now by scorching lava1 and now by the ocean1 sweeping from its face all organic life1 and entombing its inhabitants in a stony grave8 ,who can find the traces of benevolence in the midst of such desolation and death8 ,is it not the very place where the objector would find arguments to prove the malevolence1 certainly the vindictive justice1 of the ,deity8 ,this1 ,i am aware1 is a not unnatural prima facie view of this subject4 ,but it is a false one4 ,geology does furnish some very striking evidence of divine benevolence2 and if ,i can show this1 and from so unpromising a field gather decisive arguments on this subject1 they will be so much clear gain to the cause of ,theism4 ,this is what1 therefore1 ,i shall now attempt to do4 ,in the first place1 ,i derive an argument for the divine benevolence from the manner in which soils are formed by the disintegration and decomposition of rocks4 ,chemical analysis shows us that the mineral constituents of rocks are essentially the same as those of soils2 and that the latter differ from the former1 in a pulverized state1 only in containing animal and vegetable matter4 ,hence we cannot doubt but the soils originated from the rocks4 ,and1 in fact1 the process of their production is continually going on under our eyes4 ,wherever the rocks are exposed to atmospheric agencies1 they are seen to crumble down2 and1 in fact1 most of them1 having been long exposed1 are now covered with a deposit of their own ruins1 forming a soil over them4 ,this process is in part decomposition and in part disintegration2 and as we look upon rocks thus wasting away1 we are apt to be impressed with the idea that it is an instance of decay in nature's works1 which1 instead of indicating benevolence1 can hardly be reconciled with divine wisdom4 ,but when we learn that this is the principal mode in which soils are produced1 that without it vegetation could not be sustained1 and that a world like ours without plants must also be without animals1 this apparent ruin puts on the aspect of benevolence and wise design4 ,my second argument in proof of the divine benevolence is derived from the disturbed1 broken1 and overturned condition of the earth's crust4 ,to the casual observer1 the rocks have the appearance of being lifted up1 shattered1 and overturned4 ,but it is only the geologist who knows the vast extent of this disturbance4 ,he never finds crystalline1 non-fossiliferous rocks1 which have not been more or less removed from their original position2 and usually he finds them to have been thrown up by some powerful agency into almost every possible position4 ,the older fossiliferous strata exhibit almost equal evidence of the operation of a powerful disturbing force1 though sometimes found in their original horizontal position4 ,the newer rocks have experienced less of this agency1 though but few of them have not been elevated or dislocated4 ,mountainous countries exhibit this action most strikingly4 ,there it is shown sometimes on a magnificent scale4 ,entire mountains in the ,alps1 for instance1 appear not only to have been lifted up from the ocean's depths1 but to have been actually thrown over1 so as to bring the lowest and oldest rocks at the top of the series4 ,the extensive range of mountains in this country1 commencing in ,canada1 and embracing the ,green ,mountains of ,vermont1 the ,highlands of ,new ,york1 and most of the ,alleghany chain as far as ,alabama1 a distance of some twelve hundred miles1 has also been lifted up1 and some of the strata1 by a lateral force1 folded together1 and then thrown over1 so as now to occupy an inverted position4 ,let us now see wherein this agency exhibits benevolence4 ,if these strata had remained horizontal1 as they were originally deposited1 it is obvious that all the valuable ores1 minerals1 and rocks1 which man could not have discovered by direct excavation1 must have remained forever unknown to him4 ,now1 man has very seldom penetrated the rocks below the depth of half a mile1 and rarely so deep as that2 whereas1 by the elevations1 dislocations1 and overturnings that have been described1 he obtains access to all deposits of useful substances that lie within fifteen or twenty miles of the surface2 and many are thus probably brought to light from a greater depth4 ,he is indebted1 then1 to this disturbing agency for nearly all the useful metals1 coal1 rock salt1 marble1 gypsum1 and other useful minerals2 and when we consider how necessary these substances are to civilized society1 who will doubt that it was a striking act of benevolence which thus introduced disturbance1 dislocation1 and apparent ruin into the earth's crust8 ,another decided advantage resulting from this disturbing agency is the formation of valleys4 ,if we suppose the strata spread uniformly over the earth's entire surface1 then the ocean must envelop the whole globe4 ,but1 admitting such interruptions in the strata to exist as would leave cavities1 where the waters might be gathered together into one place1 and the dry land appear1 still that dry land must form only an unbroken level4 ,streams of water could not exist on such a continent1 because they depend upon inequalities of surface2 and whatever water existed must have formed only stagnant ponds1 and the morasses which would be the consequence would load the air with miasms fatal to life2 so that we may safely pronounce the world uninhabitable by natures adapted to the present earth4 ,but such1 essentially1 must have been the state of things1 had not internal forces elevated and fractured the earth's crust4 ,for that was the origin of most of our valleys--of all the larger valleys1 indeed1 which checker the surface of primary countries4 ,most of them have been modified by subsequent agencies2 but their leading features1 their outlines1 have been the result of those internal disturbances which spread desolation over the surface4 ,we are apt to look upon such an agency as an exhibition of retributive justice1 rather than of benevolence4 ,and yet that admirable system for the circulation of water1 whereby the rain that falls upon the surface is conveyed to the ocean1 whence it is returned by evaporation1 depends upon it4 ,it imparts1 to all organic nature1 life1 health1 and activity2 and had it not thus ridged up the surface1 stagnation and death must have reigned over all the earth4 ,in the unhealthiness of low1 flat countries1 at present1 we see the terrible condition of things in a world without valleys4 ,can we doubt1 then1 that it was the hand of benevolence that drove the ploughshare of ruin through the earth's crust1 and ridged up its surface into a thousand fantastic forms8 ,it will more deeply impress us with this benevolence to remember that most of the sublime and the beautiful in the scenery of a country depends upon this disturbing agency4 ,beautiful as vegetable nature is1 how tame is a landscape where only a dead level is covered with it1 and no swelling hills1 or jutting rocks1 or murmuring waters1 relieve the monotonous scene6 ,and how does the interest increase with the wildness and ruggedness of the surface1 and reach its maximum only where the disturbance and dislocation have been most violent6 ,some may1 perhaps1 doubt whether it can have been one of the objects of divine benevolence and wisdom1 in arranging the surface of this world1 so to construct and adorn it as to gratify a taste for fine scenery4 ,but ,i cannot doubt it4 ,i see not else why nature every where is fitted up in a lavish manner with all the elements of the sublime and beautiful1 nor why there are powers in the human soul so intensely gratified in contact with those elements1 unless they were expressly adapted for one another by the ,creator4 ,surely natural scenery does afford to the unsophisticated soul one of the richest and purest sources of enjoyment to be found on earth4 ,if this be doubted by any one1 it must be because he has never been placed in circumstances to call into exercise his natural love of the beautiful and the sublime in creation4 ,let me persuade such a one1 at least in imagination1 to break away from the slavish routine of business or pleasure1 and in the height of balmy summer to accompany me to a few spots1 where his soul will swell with new and strong emotions1 if his natural sensibilities to the grand and beautiful have not become thoroughly dead within him4 ,we might profitably pause for a moment at this enchanting season of the year1 7,june17 and look abroad from that gentle elevation on which we dwell1 now all mantled over with a flowery carpet1 wafting its balmy odors into our studies4 ,can any thing be more delightful than the waving forests1 with their dense and deep green foliage1 interspersed with grassy and sunny fields and murmuring streamlets1 which spread all around us8 ,how rich the graceful slopes of yonder distant mountains1 which bound the ,connecticut on either side6 ,how imposing ,mount ,sugar ,loaf on the north1 with its red-belted and green-tufted crown1 and ,mettawampe too1 with its rocky terraces on the one side1 and its broad slopes of unbroken forest on the other6 ,especially1 how beautifully and even majestically does the indented summit of ,mount ,holyoke repose against the summer sky6 ,what sunrises and sunsets do we here witness1 and what a multitude of permutations and combinations pass before us during the day1 as we watch from hour to hour one of the loveliest landscapes of ,new ,england6 ,let us now turn our steps to that huge pile of mountains called the ,white ,hills of ,new ,hampshire4 ,we will approach them through the valley of the ,saco ,river1 and at the distance of thirty miles they will be seen looming up in the horizon1 with the clouds reposing beneath their naked heads4 ,as the observer approaches them1 the sides of the valley will gradually close in upon him1 and rise higher and higher1 until he will find their naked granitic summits almost jutting over his path1 to the height of several thousand feet1 seeming to form the very battlements of heaven4 ,now and then will he see the cataract leaping hundreds of feet down their sides1 and the naked path of some recent landslip1 which carried death and desolation in its track4 ,from this deep and wild chasm he will at length emerge1 and climb the vast ridge1 until he has seen the forest trees dwindle1 and at length disappear2 and standing upon the naked summit1 immensity seems stretched out before him4 ,but he has not yet reached the highest point2 and far in the distance1 and far above him1 ,mount ,washington seems to repose in awful majesty against the heavens4 ,turning his course thither1 he follows the narrow and naked ridge over one peak after another1 first rising upon ,mount ,pleasant1 then ,mount ,franklin1 and then ,mount ,monroe1 each lifting him higher1 and making the sea of mountains around him more wide and billowy1 and the yawning gulfs on either side more profound and awful1 so that every moment his interest deepens1 and reaches not its climax till he stands upon ,mount ,washington1 when the vast panorama is completed1 and the world seems spread out at his feet4 ,yet it does not seem to be a peopled world1 for no mighty city lies beneath him4 ,indeed1 were it there1 he would pass it almost unnoticed4 ,for why should he regard so small an object as a city1 when the world is before him8--a world of mountains1 bearing the impress of ,god's own hand1 standing in solitary grandeur1 just as he piled them up in primeval ages1 and stretching away on every side as far as the eye can reach4 ,on that pinnacle of the northern regions no sound of man or beast breaks in upon the awful stillness which reigns there1 and which seems to bring the soul into near communion with the ,deity4 ,it is1 indeed1 the impressive ,sabbath of nature2 and the soul feels a delightful awe1 which can never be forgotten4 ,gladly would it linger there for hours1 and converse with the mighty and the holy thoughts which come crowding into it2 and it is only when the man looks at the rapidly declining sun that he is roused from his revery and commences his descending march4 ,let such a man next accompany me to ,niagara4 ,we will pass by all minor cataracts1 and place ourselves at once on the margin of one that knows no rival4 ,let not the man take a hasty glance1 and in disappointment conclude that he shall find no interest and no sublimity there4 ,let him go to the edge of the precipice1 and watch the deep waters as they roll over1 and1 changing their sea-green brightness for a fleecy white1 pour down upon the rocks beneath1 and dash back again in spray high in the air4 ,let him go to the foot of the sheet1 and look upward till the cataract swells into its proper size4 ,let him1 on the ,canada shore1 take in the whole breadth of the cataract at once2 and as he stands musing1 let him listen to the deep thunderings of the falling sheet4 ,let him go to ,table ,rock1 and creep forward to its jutting edge1 and gaze steadily into the foaming and eddying waters so far beneath him1 until his nerves thrill and vibrate1 and he involuntarily shrinks back1 exclaiming1-- ,how dreadful ,and dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low6 ,i'll look no more1 ,lest my brain turn4 ,next1 let him stand upon that rock till the sun approaches so near the western horizon that a glorious bow1 forming an almost entire circle on the cataract and the spray1 shall clothe the scene with unearthly beauty1 and1 in connection with the emerald green of the waters1 give it a brilliancy fully equal to its sublimity4 ,and finally1 if he would add the emotions of moral to natural sublimity1 let him follow to ,ontario1 the deep gulf through which all these waters flow1 and1 gathering up the evidence1 which he will find too strong to resist1 that they themselves have worn that gulf backward seven miles1 let him try the rules of geological arithmetic to see if he can reach the period of its commencement4 ,surely1 when he reviews the emotions of that day1 he will never again doubt that the magnificent scenery of our world is the result of benevolent design on the part of the ,creator4 ,if1 now1 we cross the ,atlantic1 we shall easily find scenes of natural beauty and sublimity1 that have long elicited the wonder and delight of thousands of genuine taste4 ,shall we turn our steps first to the valleys and mountains of ,wales8 ,to an ,american eye1 indeed1 they lack one important feature1 in being so destitute of trees4 ,but then their wild aspect1 their ragged and rocky outlines1 present a picture of the sublimity of desolation rarely equalled4 ,and as you ascend the mountains1--,snowdon1 for instance1 the highest of them all1--you find their summits1 not rounded1 as our ,american mountains1 by former drift agency1 nor forming continuous ridges1 but shooting up in ragged peaks and edges1 as if they formed the teeth of mother earth2 although1 in fact1 it was the tooth of time that has gnawed them into their present forms4 ,as you approach the summit1 you feel animated in anticipation of the splendid prospect about to open upon you4 ,but the clouds begin to gather1 and soon envelop the mountain top2 and though you reach the pinnacle1 the dense mist limits your vision to a circle of a few rods in diameter4 ,but ere long the vapor begins to break away1 and the lofty cliffs and deep caverns around you are revealed4 ,now and then1 the lake1 so often found in the recesses of these mountains1 is half seen through the opening cloud1 and1 magnified by the obscurity1 it seems more distant and grand than if distinctly visible4 ,gradually the clouds open in various directions1 disclosing gulf after gulf1 lake after lake1 mountain after mountain1 and1 finally1 the ,irish ,channel1 dotted with sails2 and the whole scene lies spread out before you in glories that cannot be described4 ,you are standing upon the pinnacle of ,england1 and you feel as if almost the whole of it lay within the circle of vision4 ,after enjoying so splendid a scene1 you are thankful that the cloud hid it at first from your sight1 and so much enhanced your pleasure by opening vista after vista1 till the whole became one magnificent circle of picturesque beauty and sublimity4#ad ,to relieve the mind after gazing long on such scenes of rugged grandeur1 let us turn our course southerly1 and follow down the romantic banks of the ,wye1 where every turn presents some new beauties1 occasionally disclosing the ruins of some old castle1 or magnificent abbey1 7,tinton17 and at length ,bristol1 with its aristocratic adjunct1 ,clifton1 turns your thoughts from the works of nature to those of man4 ,and yet1 even ,clifton's elegant ,crescent is but a meagre show by the side of the magnificent gorge which the ,avon has cut in the rocks just before it enters ,bristol ,channel4 ,passing over to the ,isle of ,wight1 and traversing its shores1 we shall witness many unique examples of natural beauty1 swelling sometimes into sublimity1--such are the chalk cliffs near its western extremity1 from two hundred to six hundred feet high1--sometimes hollowed out into magnificent domes1 and the pillars of chalk1 called ,needles1 in the midst of the sea1 alive with sea gulls and cormorants1 and forming the remnants of the chalk bridge that once united the island to ,england4 ,there1 too1 ,alum ,bay1 with its many-colored strata of clay1 unites the interesting in geology with the picturesque in scenery4 ,along the southern coast1 also1 are the stupendous cliffs and the romantic under-cliffs1 as well as the ragged chines1 where an almost tropical climate attracts the invalid1 while the cool sea breezes draw thither the wealthy and the fashionable4 ,but if sublime scenery pleases us more1 we must traverse the ,highlands of ,scotland1-- ,land of brown heath and shaggy furze1 land of lofty and naked mountains1 embosoming lakes of great beauty1 and full of historic and poetic interest4 ,passing over ,loch ,lomond1 the queen of ,scottish lakes1 you go through the long shadow of ,ben ,lomond1 propped by many lesser mountains4 ,rising into the ,highlands1 the sterility and wildness increase1 and reach their maximum in ,glencoe1 whose wildness and sublimity are indeed indescribable2 but if seen1 they can never be forgotten4 ,still farther north1 ,ben ,nevis lifts its uncovered head above all other mountains in the ,british ,isles2 so high1 indeed1 that often1 during the whole summer1 it retains a portion of its snowy1 wintry mantle4 ,yet farther north1 we come to the unique terraces1 called the ,parallel ,roads of ,glen ,roy1 formerly supposed to be the work of giants2 but now1 that they are known to be the product of nature1 proving not only objects of great scenographical interest1 but a problem of special importance and difficulty in geology4 ,if we should pass from ,scotland to the north-east part of ,ireland1 taking ,staffa in our way1 we should find in the basaltic columns of ,fingal's ,cave1 and the ,giant's ,causeway1 what seems1 at first view1 to be stupendous human structures1 or rather the architecture of giants4 ,but you soon find it to be only an example-- ,where nature works as if defying art1 ,and1 in defiance of her rival powers1 ,by these fortuitous and random strokes1 ,performing such inimitable feats1 ,as she1 with all her rules1 can never reach4 ,let any one sail along the coast for a few miles at the ,giant's ,causeway1 enter some of the deep and echoing caverns1 overhung by the basaltic mass1 and see the columns rising tier above tier1 sometimes four hundred feet in height1 and assuming every wild and fantastic shape2 or let him walk over the acres of columns1 whose tops are as perfectly polygonal and as accurately fitted to one another as the most skilful architect could make them1 and he will confess how superior ,nature is1 when she would present a model for human imitation2 and how with accurate system she can combine the wildest disorder1 and thus delight by symmetry1 while she awes by sublimity4 ,let us next pass over to continental ,europe4 ,we have reached the ,rhine at ,bonn1 and the steamboat takes us at once into the midst of the romantic ,drachenfels1 or seven mountains1 the result of volcanic agency1 and still presenting more or less of the conical outline peculiar almost to modern volcanoes4 ,these are the commencement of the romantic scenery of the ,rhine4 ,from thence to ,bingen1 some sixty or seventy miles1 that river has cut its way through hills and mountains1 sometimes rising one thousand feet4 ,along their base1 the inhabitants have planted many a well-known town1 while old castles1 half crumbled down1 recall continually the history of feudal ages2 and here1 too1 springs up a multitude of remembrances of startling events in more recent times4 ,the mind1 indeed1 finds itself drawn at one moment to some historical monument1 and the next to scenery of surpassing beauty or sublimity2 now the bold1 overhanging rock1 now the deep recess1 now the towering mountain1 now the quiet dell with its romantic villages2 while every where on the north bank1 the vine-clad terraces show us what wonders human industry can accomplish4 ,nor does the ,rhine lose its interest when we have emerged from its ,ghor into its more open valley1 from ,bingen to ,basle1 in ,switzerland4 ,on its right bank1 the ,vosges ,mountains1 and on its left1 the ,black ,forest1 with not infrequent volcanic summits1 afford a fine resting-place for the eye1 as the rail car bears us rapidly over the rich intervening level4 ,or if we turn aside1--as to ,heidelberg1 on the ,neckar1--what can be a more splendid sight than to stand by the old castle above the town1 and look down the valley as the sun is sinking in the west6 ,but after all1 it is in ,switzerland1 and there only1 that we meet with the climax of scenographical wonders4 ,nowhere else can we find such lakes in the midst of such mountains2 such pleasant valleys bordered by such stupendous hills2 such gorges1 and precipices1 and passes1 and especially such glaciers2 such avalanches1 such snow-capped mountains1 while vegetation at their base1 and far up their sides1 is fresh and luxuriant4 ,embark1 for instance1 at ,zurich1 and1 crossing its beautiful lake1 direct your course towards ,mount ,righi4 ,as the heavy diligence lifts you above the lake1 you begin to catch glimpses of the grandeur of the ,swiss mountains to the south1 piercing the clouds far off4 ,passing the romantic ,zug1 you come to the valley between the ,rossberg and the ,righi1 and the denuded face of the former tells you whence came the mass of ruins over which you clamber1 and which buried the villages of ,goldau1 ,bussingen1 and ,rothen several hundred feet deep with blocks of stone and soil4 ,long and steep is your ascent of ,righi1 nearly six thousand feet above the sea4 ,but the views you obtain by the way become wider and grander at every step4 ,reaching the summit near sunset1 you may be gratified by a panoramic view of a large part of ,switzerland1 embracing its wildest and grandest scenery4 ,yet1 if the clouds prevent1 you wait for the morning1 in the hope of being more fortunate4 ,with the earliest dawn you awake1 and proceed to the summit of the mountain1 where hundreds1 perhaps1 from all civilized lands1 are congregated1 to witness the rising of the sun4 ,but a dense cloud envelops the mountain1 and hope almost dies within you4 ,wait1 however1 a few moments1 and the rising sun will depress the clouds below the mountain's summit1 and a scene of glory shall open upon you1 which can never be erased from your memory4 ,look now1 for the sun's first rays have shed a flood of glory over the clouds which now fill the valleys beneath your feet4 ,a fleecy white predominates2 but the colors of the prism tinge the edges of the clouds1 and no part of the solid earth rises above them1 save the pinnacle on which you stand1 and to the south the higher peaks of the ,bernese ,alps1--the ,jungfrau1 the ,eiger1 the ,shreckhorn1 and the ,wetterhorn1--covered with snow and glaciers1 and seeming too pure to belong to earth4 ,indeed1 the whole scene seemed to me to be unearthly2 the fittest emblem that my eyes ever rested upon of celestial scenes2 and one cannot repress the desire1 when looking upon it1 to be borne away on wings over the glorious scene1 and to repose for a time upon the gorgeous bed1 forgetful of the lower world4 ,yet when1 at length1 the clouds begin to break away1 and disclose the deep valleys and blue lakes1--places made immortal by the deeds of such patriots and reformers as ,tell and ,zuinglius1--we feel again the attractions of earth2 and as we descend to ,lake ,lucerne1 we have before us such scenery as scarcely any other part of the world can furnish4 ,and these scenes continue1 in ever-changing aspects1 wherever we wander along this enchanting lake2 and though the exhausted brain fails at length1 the objects of interest do not4 ,from this lake we might turn our course easterly1 and soon find ourselves amid the glacial regions of the ,oberland ,alps--scenes full of deep and thrilling interest4 ,but let us rather turn southerly1 and1 following down the great valley of ,switzerland1 find our way among the ,alps of ,savoy1 where the same phenomena attain their maximum of interest and sublimity1 and the great monarch of the ,alps is seen1 wearing his hoary crown4 ,as we pass along towards ,lake ,lehman1 if the air be clear1 the ,bernese ,alps loom up in unrivalled majesty2 and as we sail over ,lake ,lehman1 ,mont ,blanc1 with some of its nearly equal associates1 shows its distant yet impressive form4 ,passing without notice the almost unrivalled beauties of ,lehman1 and following up the ,arve through its stupendous gorges1 we catch views of ,mont ,blanc1 as we approach it1 that possess overpowering sublimity4 ,at length1 ,chamouny is reached--a lovely vale in the midst of ,alpine wonders4 ,from thence we first ascend the ,flegere1 thirty-five hundred feet above the valley1 and sixty-five hundred above the ocean2 and there we get a fine view of ,mont ,blanc and the ,aiguilles1 or ,needles4 ,here distances are vastly diminished to the eye1 and you seem in near proximity even with ,mont ,blanc2 and1 in fact1 should any adventurous visitors have reached the top of that mountain1 a good spy-glass will show them from this spot4#ae ,on the opposite side of the valley from the ,flegere1 and at about the same height1 is ,montanvert1 the most convenient spot for traversing the glacier called the ,mer de ,glace4 ,if1 however1 one would see the lower extremity of that glacier1 and the ,arveron issuing from it1 he must pass along the right hand side of the stream1 and then he can follow up the glacier to ,montanvert2 and strange would it be if1 in doing this1 he should not hear and see the frequent avalanche4 ,we have now reached the field where everlasting war is carried on between heat and cold1 summer and winter4 ,below us1 verdure clothes the valleys1 and climbs up the slopes of the hills2 and there the shepherd watches his flocks4 ,above us there are fields of ice stretching many a league1 save where some needle-shaped summit of naked rock1 too steep for snow to rest upon1 shoots up in lonely grandeur thousands of feet1 and defies the raging elements4 ,from these oceans of ice shoot forth down the valleys enormous glaciers1 appearing like vast rivers of ice1 winding among the hills1 and pushing1 at the rate of a few inches each day1 far into regions of vegetation2 one year encroaching upon the shepherd's pasture ground1 and anon1 by the access of heat1 driven back towards the summit2 hurling down1 from time to time1 as they push forward1 the thundering avalanche4 ,without difficulty at ,montanvert we can enter upon the glacier1 and in spite of the deep crevasse1 and the elemental war1 which always rages in those lofty regions1 we may make our way to their source4 ,nay1 human feet1 as already suggested1 have pressed even the top of ,mont ,blanc2 and should we reach this summit of the ,alps1 we should stand upon the loftiest point of ,europe1 and behold a scene which but few eyes ever have1 or ever will1 rest upon4 ,we should breathe ,the difficult air of the iced mountain's top1 ,where the birds dare not build1 nor insect's wing ,flit o'er the herbless granite4 ,we should1 in fact1 have reached the climax of the sublime in natural scenery4 ,thus far ,i have described1 almost without exception1 only what ,i have seen4 ,but let us now venture into regions where we have only the description of others to guide us4 ,let us enter the region of ancient ,armenia1 a country composed of wide plains1 bounded and intersected by precipitous mountains4 ,as we journeyed south-easterly over one of these plains1 a remarkable conical summit would arrest our attention1 at the distance of sixty miles4 ,day after day1 as we approached1 it would creep up higher and higher above the horizon1 developing its commanding features1 and rivetting more intensely the attention upon it4 ,as we came near its base1 we should see that its top rose far into the region of eternal ice1 whose glassy surface would reflect the light like a mirror1 and whose lower edge had shot forth enormous glaciers as far as the heat would allow them to descend4 ,in the plain below1 we should be sweltering in a tropical heat2 but the same sun that melted us would make no impression upon the wintry crown of the mountain4 ,we could not keep our eyes or thoughts turned away from an object so sublime4 ,and it would deepen the impression to learn that this gigantic cone1 shooting up three and a half miles1 was once a volcano2 and still more would it deepen our interest to learn that this is the mountain which universal tradition in that region regards as the ,mount ,ararat1 the resting-place of the ark4 ,it would strike us forcibly to realize that what seems to us now to be a pillar of heaven1 was the patriarch's stepping-stone from the antediluvian into the postdiluvian world4 ,one more example may suffice4 ,go with me to the ,sandwich ,islands1 and we shall get an impressive glimpse of the principal agency by which the earth's crust has been ridged1 furrowed1 and dislocated4 ,as we land upon ,hawaii1 we perceive it to be composed mainly of lava of no very ancient date4 ,we ascend a lofty plateau1 and many a league in advance of us we see a column of smoke rising from a vast plain4 ,directing our course thither1 while yet some miles from it1 we descend a steep slope to a broad terrace1 and then another slope to a second terrace4 ,these slopes and terraces extend circularly around the pillar of smoke like the seats of a vast amphitheatre4 ,coming near to this column1 our steps are arrested on the margin of a vast gulf1 fifteen hundred feet deep1 and from eight to ten miles in circumference1 whose bottom is the seat of the most remarkable volcano on the globe2--,i mean ,kilauea4 ,wait here till night closes around us1 and we shall witness a scene of awful sublimity4 ,over the immense area of that gulf will the volcanic agency beneath be exerted4 ,ever and anon1 and mingling in strange discord1 will hissings and groanings1 mutterings and thunderings1 be heard rolling from side to side1 and making the earth tremble around4 ,then from one and another volcanic cone--perhaps from fifty--will the glowing lava burst forth2 red-hot stones will be driven furiously upward2 vapor1 and smoke1 and flames will be poured out1 and the dark and jagged sides of that vast furnace will glow with unearthly splendor2 and here and there will lakes of liquid lava appear1 one or two miles in extent1 heaving up their billows1 and dashing their fiery spray high into the air4 ,o1 there is not on earth a livelier emblem of the world of despair2 and yet we know it is not the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone1 nor the abode of lost spirits4 ,we know it to be only one of the safety-valves of our globe1 and an exhibition of that mighty agency within the globe which has heaved and dislocated its crust2 and1 therefore1 as we gaze upon the scene1 and forget our fatigue and sleep1 we experience only the emotions of awful sublimity1 which can hardly fail to rise into adoration of that infinite ,being who can say1 even to this agency1 ,thus far shalt thou go1 and no farther4 ,these are samples only of those delightful emotions which he experiences1 who possesses a taste for natural scenery4 ,and kindred emotions will be awakened within him1 wherever he wanders among the works of ,god4 ,they form some of the purest and most satisfying pleasures which this world affords4 ,they constitute pleasant oases along the dreary journey of life2 and so deeply does memory engrave them on her tablet1 that no change of time or circumstances can hide them from our view4 ,now1 it is obvious that if the ,author of nature and of the human soul had been malevolent1 instead of making every thing which man meets in creation beauty to his eye1 and music to his ear1 he would have made all offensive and painful4 ,instead of the delightful emotions of beauty and sublimity which now rise within us as we open our eyes upon nature1 feelings of aversion and fear would haunt us4 ,every sound would have been discordant1 and every sight terrific4 ,he could not have been even indifferent to our happiness1 when he commissioned those desolating agencies of nature1 fire and water1 to ridge up and furrow out the earth's surface as the groundwork of the future landscape4 ,for he has taken care that the result should be a scene productive of pleasure only to the soul that is in a healthy state4 ,benevolence only1 infinite benevolence1 could have done this4 ,my third argument in favor of the divine benevolence is founded on the arrangements for the distribution of water on the globe4 ,we should expect on so uneven a surface as the earth presents1 that this element1 which forms the liquid nourishment of all organic life1 and which in many other ways seems indispensable1 must be very unequally distributed1 and fail entirely in many places2 and yet we find it in almost every spot where man erects his habitation4 ,and those places where there is a deficiency are usually extended plains2 not1 as we should expect1 the mountainous regions4 ,the latter are usually well watered2 and this is accomplished in three ways4 ,in the first place1 in most mountainous countries1 the strata are so much tilted up1 as to prevent the water from running off4 ,in the second place1 the pervious strata are frequently interrupted by faults sometimes filled by impervious matter4 ,in the third place1 the comminuted materials that cover the rocks as soils1 are often so fine1 or of such a nature1 as to prevent the passage of water2 and thus much of the water that falls upon elevated land remains there1 while enough percolates through the pervious materials to water the valleys and supply the streams4 ,these carry it to the lakes and the ocean1 where it is returned by evaporation in the form of clouds1 and thus an admirable system of circulation is kept up1 whereby this essential element is purified1 and conveyed to every part of the surface where man or beast require it4 ,there is one recent discovery1 which deserves notice here1 because it depends upon the geological structure of the earth4 ,when pervious and impervious strata alternate1 and are considerably inclined1 water may be brought from great depths by hydrostatic pressure1 if the impervious stratum be bored through and the water-bearing deposit be reached4 ,a perpetual fountain may thus be produced1 and water be obtained in a region naturally deficient in it4 ,an ,artesian fountain of this description1 in the suburbs of ,paris1 has been brought from the enormous depth of eighteen hundred feet6#af ,now1 just consider that to deprive the earth of water is to deprive it of inhabitants1 and you cannot but see in the means by which it is so widely1 nay1 almost universally1 diffused1 and made to circulate for purification1--the most decided marks of divine benevolence4 ,why is it not as striking as the curious means by which the blood and the sap of animals and plants are sent to every part of the system to supply its waste1 and give it greater development8 ,i derive a fourth geological argument for the benevolence of the ,deity1 from the manner in which the metallic ores are distributed through the earth's crust4 ,it can hardly be doubted1 by the geologist1 that nearly every part of the earth's crust1 and its interior too1 have been some time or other in a melted state4 ,now1 as the metals and their ores are usually heavier than other rocks1 we should expect that they would have accumulated at the centre of the globe1 and have been enveloped by the rocks so as to have been forever inaccessible to man4 ,and the very great weight of the central parts of the earth--almost twice that of granite--leads naturally to the conclusion that the heavier metals may be accumulated there1 though this is by no means a certain conclusion2 since at the depth of thirty-four miles air would be so condensed by the pressure of the superincumbent mass as to be as heavy as water2 water at the depth of three hundred and sixty-two miles would become as heavy as quick-silver2 and at the centre steel would be compressed into one fourth1 and stone into one eighth1 of its bulk at the surface4 ,still it is most probable that the materials naturally the heaviest would first seek the centre4 ,and yet1 by means of sublimation1 and expansion by internal heat1 or the segregating power of galvanic action1 or of some other agents1 enough of the metals is protruded towards the surface1 and diffused through the rocks in beds1 or veins1 so as to be accessible to human industry4 ,here1 then1 we find divine benevolence1 apparently in opposition to gravity1 providing for human comfort4 ,i have said that these metals were accessible to human industry4 ,and it does require a great deal of labor1 and calls into exercise man's highest ingenuity to obtain them4 ,they might have been spread in immense masses over the surface2 they might all have been reduced to a metallic state in the great furnace1 which we have reason to suppose is always in blast1 within the earth4 ,but then there would have been no requisition upon the exertion and energy of man4 ,and to have these called into exercise is an object of greater importance to society than to supply it with the metals4 ,god1 therefore1 has so distributed the ores as to stimulate man to explore and reduce them1 while he has placed so many difficulties in the way as to demand much mental and physical effort for their removal4 ,man now1 therefore1 receives a double benefit4 ,while the metals themselves are of immense service1 the discipline of body and mind requisite for obtaining them is of still greater value4 ,this is the combined result of infinite wisdom and benevolence4 ,if ,i mistake not1 there is such a relation between the amount of useful metals and the wants of society as could have resulted only from divine benevolence4 ,the metal most widely diffused1 and the only one occurring in all the rock formations1 from the oldest to the newest1 is iron2--the metal by far the most important to civilized society4 ,this is also by far the most abundant1 and easily obtained4 ,it often forms extensive beds1 or even mountain masses upon the surface4 ,all the other metals are confined almost exclusively to the older rocks4 ,among them1 lead1 copper1 and zinc are probably most needed1 and accordingly they are next in quantity and in the facility with which they may be explored4 ,manganese1 mercury1 chrome1 antimony1 cobalt1 arsenic1 and bismuth are more difficult to obtain2 but the supply is always equal to the demand4 ,in the case of tin1 silver1 platinum1 and gold1 we find some interesting properties to compensate in a great measure for their scarcity4 ,gold and platinum possess a remarkable power of resisting those powerful agents of chemical change which destroy every thing else4 ,they are never oxidized in the earth1 and with a very few exceptions1 the most powerful reagents leave them untouched1 while platinum will not yield in the most powerful heat of the furnace4 ,gold1 silver1 and tin are capable of an astonishing extension1 whereby they may be spread over the surface of the more abundant metals to protect and adorn them2 and since the discovery of the galvanic mode of accomplishing this1 so easily is it done1 that ,i know not but a gold or silver surface is to become as common as metallic articles4 ,my fifth geological argument for the divine benevolence is derived from the joint and desolating effects of ice and water upon the earth's surface1 both before and after man's creation4 ,in northern countries1 and perhaps in high southern latitudes1 it seems that after the deposition of the tertiary rocks1 and after the surface had assumed essentially its present shape1 it was subjected for a long time to a powerful agency1 whereby the rough and salient parts were worn down and rounded1 the rocks in place smoothed and furrowed1 valleys scooped out1 huge blocks of stone transported far from the parent bed1 piled up1 and thick accumulations of bowlders1 sand1 and gravel1 strewn promiscuously over the surface4 ,at the commencement of this process1 the ocean1 probably loaded with ice1 stood above a large part of the present continents4 ,it soon began to subside1 or the land to rise1 and a more quiet action succeeded4 ,the joint action of the ocean and the glaciers on the land ground down into sand1 clay1 and loam1 the coarser drift1 and sorted it in the form of beaches1 terraces1 and alluvial deposits4 ,all this while1 both the land and the water seem to have been1 for the most part1 destitute of inhabitants4 ,but these were the very processes needed for man and his contemporary races1 who were to appear during the latter part of the pleistocene period4 ,in other words1 the soils were thus got ready for nourishing the vegetation necessary to sustain the new creation1 which would convert these desolate and deserted sea-beds into regions of fertility and happiness to teeming millions4 ,now1 just consider what must have been the effect of these mighty aqueous and glacial agencies upon the earth's surface4 ,over the level regions they strewed the finer materials2 and where the rocks had been thrown up into ridges and displaced by numerous fissures1 or subsequently worn into bluffs and precipices by the ocean1 it needed just such an agency to smooth down those irregularities1 to fill up those gulfs1 to give to the hills and valleys a graceful outline1 and to cover all the surface with those comminuted materials that would need only cultivation to make them a fertile soil4 ,some rocks do1 indeed1 decompose and form soils2 but this process would be too slow1 unless in moist and warm regions1 where it is easier to find a footing for plants than in climes more uncongenial to their growth4 ,we cannot then hesitate to regard this tremendous agency of ice and water in northern and high southern regions as decidedly beneficial in its influence4 ,it must1 indeed1 have spread terrible destruction over those regions4 ,but it seems that a time was chosen for its operation when the globe was almost destitute of organic life1 and not long before the time when a new and nobler creation than those previously occupying the earth was to be placed upon it4 ,desolating as this agency must have appeared1 and actually was1 at the time1 yet who can doubt1 when we see the ultimate fruits of it1 that its origin was divine benevolence8 ,in the ultimate results of aqueous inundations at the present day1 we can trace the same benevolent design4 ,those floods do1 indeed1 produce partial evils2 nay1 life1 as well as property1 often falls a prey to them4 ,but they produce those alluvial soils which are more prolific of vegetation than any other on the globe4 ,who has not heard of the fertility of the banks of the ,nile1 the ,niger1 the ,ganges1 the ,amazon1 and the ,mississippi8 all of them the fruit of inundations4 ,truly1 such floods as these may be said to clap their hands in praise of the divine goodness4 ,my sixth geological argument for the divine benevolence is derived from the existence of volcanoes4 ,the first impression made on the mind by the history of volcanic action is1 that its effects are examples rather of vindictive justice than of benevolence4 ,and such is the light in which they are regarded by ,mr4 ,gisborne1 an able ,english divine1 in his ,testimony of ,natural to ,revealed ,religion4 ,he looks1 indeed1 upon all the disturbances that have taken place in the earth's crust as evidence of a fallen condition of the world1 as mementoes of a former penal infliction upon a guilty race4 ,and aside from the light which geology casts upon the subject1 this would be a not improbable conclusion4 ,take for an example the case of volcanoes and earthquakes4 ,a volcano is an opening made in the earth's crust by internal heat1 which has forced melted or heated matter through the vent4 ,an earthquake is the effect of the confined gases and vapors1 produced by the heat upon the crust4 ,when the volcano1 therefore1 gets vent1 the earthquake always ceases4 ,but the latter has generally been more destructive of life and property than the former4 ,where one city has been destroyed by lava1 like ,herculaneum1 ,pompeii1 and ,stabiae1 twenty have been shaken down by the rocking and heaving of earthquakes4 ,the records of ancient as well as modern times abound with examples of these tremendous catastrophes4 ,preeminent on the list is the city of ,antioch4 ,imagine the inhabitants of that great city1 crowded with strangers on a festival occasion1 suddenly arrested on a calm day1 by the earth heaving and rocking beneath their feet2 and in a few moments two hundred and fifty thousand of them are buried by falling houses1 or the earth opening and swallowing them up4 ,such was the scene which that city presented in the year #ebf2 and several times before and since that period has the like calamity fallen upon it2 and twenty1 forty1 and sixty thousand of its inhabitants have been destroyed at each time4 ,in the year #ag after ,christ1 no less than thirteen cities of ,asia ,minor were in like manner overwhelmed in a single night4 ,think of the terrible destruction that came upon ,lisbon in #agee4 ,the sun had just dissipated the fog in a warm1 calm morning1 when suddenly the subterranean thundering and heaving began2 and in six minutes the city was a heap of ruins1 and sixty thousand of the inhabitants were numbered among the dead4 ,hundreds had crowded upon a new quay surrounded by vessels4 ,in a moment the earth opened beneath them1 and the wharf1 the vessels1 and the crowd went down into its bosom2 the gulf closed1 the sea rolled over the spot1 and no vestige of wharf1 vessels1 or man ever floated to the surface4 ,how thrilling is the account left us by ,kircher1 who was near1 of the destruction of ,euphemia1 in ,calabria1 a city of about five thousand inhabitants1 in the year #afch6 ,after some time1 says he1 the violent paroxysm of the earthquake ceasing1 ,i stood up1 and1 turning my eyes to look for ,euphemia1 saw only a frightful black cloud4 ,we waited till it had passed away1 when nothing but a dismal and putrid lake was to be seen where the city once stood4 ,in like manner did ,port ,royal1 in the ,west ,indies1 sink beneath the waters1 with nearly all its inhabitants1 in less than one minute1 in the year #afib4 ,still more awful1 though usually less destructive1 is often the scene presented by a volcanic eruption4 ,imagine yourselves1 for instance1 upon one of the wide1 elevated plains of ,mexico1 far from the fear of volcanoes4 ,the earth begins to quake under your feet1 and the most alarming subterranean noises admonish you of a mighty power within the earth that must soon have vent4 ,you flee to the surrounding mountains in time to look back and see ten square miles of the plain swell up1 like a bladder1 to the height of five hundred feet1 while numerous smaller cones rise from the surface still higher1 and emit smoke2 and in their midst1 six mountains are thrown up to the height1 some of them at least1 of sixteen hundred feet1 and pour forth melted lava1 turning rivers out of their course1 and spreading terrific desolation over a late fertile plain1 and forever excluding its former inhabitants4 ,such was the eruption1 by which ,jorullo1 in ,mexico1 was suddenly thrown up1 in #agei4 ,still more terrific have been some of the eruptions in ,iceland4 ,in #aghc1 earthquakes of tremendous power shook the whole island1 and flames burst forth from the ocean4 ,in ,june these ceased1 and ,skaptar ,jokul opened its mouth2 nor did it close till it had poured forth two streams of lava1 one sixty miles long1 twelve miles broad1 and the other forty miles long1 and seven broad1 and both with an average thickness of one hundred feet4 ,during that summer the inhabitants saw the sun no more1 and all ,europe was covered with a haze4 ,around the ,papandayang1 one of the loftiest mountains in ,java1 no less than forty villages were reposing in peace4 ,but in ,august1 #aggb1 a remarkable luminous cloud enveloping its top aroused them from their security4 ,but it was too late4 ,for at once the mountain began to sink into the earth1 and soon it had disappeared with the forty villages1 and most of the inhabitants1 over a space fifteen miles long and six broad4 ,still more extraordinary--the most remarkable on record--was an eruption in ,sumbawa1 one of the ,molucca ,islands1 in #ahae4 ,it began on the fifth day of ,april1 and did not cease till ,july4 ,the explosions were heard in one direction nine hundred and seventy miles1 and in another seven hundred and twenty miles4 ,so heavy was the fall of ashes at the distance of forty miles that houses were crushed and destroyed4 ,the floating cinders in the ocean1 hundreds of miles distant1 were two feet thick1 and vessels were forced through them with difficulty4 ,the darkness in ,java1 three hundred miles distant1 was deeper than the blackest night2 and finally1 out of the twelve thousand inhabitants of the island1 only twenty-six survived the catastrophe4 ,now1 if we confine our views to such facts as these1 we can hardly avoid the conclusion that earthquakes and volcanoes are terrific exhibitions of ,god's displeasure towards a fallen and guilty world4 ,but if it can be shown that the volcanic agency exerts a salutary influence in preserving the globe from ruin1 nay1 is essential to such preservation1 we must regard its incidental destruction of property and life as no evidence of a vindictive infliction1 nor of the want of benevolence in its operation4 ,and the remarkable proofs which modern geology has presented of vast accumulations of heated and melted matter beneath the earth's crust1 do make such an agent as volcanoes essential to the preservation of the globe4 ,in order to make out this position1 ,i shall not contend that all the earth's interior1 beneath fifty or one hundred miles1 is in a state of fusion4 ,for even the most able and decided of those geologists who object to such an inference1 admit that oceans of melted matter do exist beneath the surface4 ,and if so1 how liable would vast accumulations of heat be1 if there were no safety-valves through the crust1 to rend asunder even a whole continent8 ,volcanoes are those safety-valves1 and more than two hundred of them are scattered over the earth's surface1 forming vent-holes into the heated interior4 ,most of them1 indeed1 have the valves loaded1 and the effort of the confined gases and vapors to lift the load produces the terrific phenomena of earthquakes and volcanoes4 ,but if no such passages into the interior existed1 what could prevent the pent-up gases from accumulating till they had gained strength enough to rend a whole continent1 and perhaps the whole globe1 into fragments8 ,is it not1 then1 benevolence by which this agency prevents so dreadful a catastrophe1 even by means that bring some incidental evils along with them8 ,some able writers do1 indeed1 object to the idea that volcanoes are safety-valves to the globe1 deriving their objections from certain facts respecting the position of volcanic craters in the ,sandwich ,islands1 if ,i do not misrecollect4 ,without going into the details of that case1 for want of time and space1 it seems to me that the facts respecting the connection between earthquakes and volcanoes1 admitted by all1 will justify such a view of the latter as is expressed by the term safety-valves4 ,for earthquakes are but the incipient effects of the volcanic force within the globe2 and if these effects have been so terrible at the beginning1 what must be the full exhibition of that force1 if not able to find a passage for the struggling gases and lava through the strata above them8 ,who can say that it might not rend a continent asunder1 and1 if deep enough seated1 even the whole globe8 ,the question will undoubtedly be asked by every reflecting mind1 why infinite wisdom and benevolence could not have devised a plan for securing the good resulting from volcanoes and earthquakes without the attendant evils4 ,the same question meets us at almost every step of our examination of the present system of the world4 ,for we every where meet with evil1 incidentally connected with agencies whose predominant effects are beneficial4 ,i incline to the opinion1 that the true answer to this question is1 that the evil is permitted that thereby greater good may be secured to the universe4 ,still the subject of the origin of evil is one whose full solution can hardly be expected in the present world1 because we cannot here master all its elements4 ,when it can be solved1 we can tell why so much desolation and suffering are permitted to accompany the earthquake and the volcano4 ,but if we can show that benefits far outweighing the evil are the result of this terrific agency1 we gather from it decided evidence of the divine benevolence2--the same evidence which we gain from any other operations of nature2 for in them all there is only a preponderance of good1 not unmixed good4 ,the desolation of this fair world by volcanic agency1 and especially the destruction of life1 do1 indeed1 teach us that this present system of nature is adapted to a state of probation and death1 instead of a state of rewards and immortal life4 ,it is adapted to sinful and fallen beings1 rather than to those who are perfect in holiness and in happiness4 ,in short1 it is earth1 not heaven4 ,it is not such a world as heaven must be1 to secure unalloyed and eternal happiness4 ,nevertheless1 benevolence decidedly predominates in the arrangements of the present system1 even in the desolating agency under consideration4 ,i do not deny that ,god may sometimes employ this agency1 as he may every other in nature1 for the punishment of the guilty4 ,but before we infer that this is the general use and design of volcanoes and earthquakes1 we should ponder well the questions put by our ,savior to some that told him of the ,galileans1 whose blood ,pilate had mingled with their sacrifices4 ,suppose ye1 answered the ,savior1 that these ,galileans were sinners above all the ,galileans1 because they suffered such things8 ,i tell you nay4 ,or those eighteen1 upon whom the tower of ,siloam fell and slew them1 think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in ,jerusalem8 ,i tell you nay4 ,let us follow the example of ,jesus ,christ1 and take a more enlarged view of these startling and distressing events4 ,let us inquire whether they are not the incidental effects of agencies essential to the permanence and happiness of the great system of the universe4 ,this is certainly the case in regard to volcanoes4 ,we have strong reason to believe that they are essential to the preservation of the globe2 and of how much higher consequence is this than the comparatively small amount of property and life which they destroy6 ,if we can only rise to these higher views1 and not suffer our judgment to be warped by the immediate terrors of the earthquake and the volcano1 we shall see the smile of infinite benevolence where most men see only the wrath of an offended ,deity4 ,my seventh geological argument for the divine benevolence is derived from the manner in which coal1 rock salt1 marble1 gypsum1 and other valuable materials were prepared for the use of man1 long before his existence4 ,if a created and intelligent being from some other sphere had alighted on this globe during that remote period when the vegetation now dug out of the coal formation covered the surface with its gigantic growth1 he might have felt as if here was a waste of creative power4 ,vast forests of sigillaria1 lepidodendra1 coniferae1 cycadeae1 and tree ferns would have waved over his head1 with their imposing though sombre foliage1 while the lesser tribes of calamites and equisetaceae would have filled the intervening spaces2 but no vertebral animal would have been there to enjoy and enliven the almost universal solitude4 ,why1 then1 he must have inquired1 is there such a profusion of vegetable forms1 and such a colossal development of individual plants8 ,to what use can such vast forests be applied8 ,but let ages roll by1 and that same being revisit our world at the present time4 ,let him traverse the little ,island of ,britain1 and see there fifteen thousand steam engines moved by coal dug out of the earth1 and produced by these same ancient forests4 ,let him see these engines performing the work of two millions of men1 and moving machinery which accomplishes what would require the unaided labors of three or four hundred millions of men1 and he could not doubt but such a result was one of the objects of that rank vegetation which covered the earth ere it was fit for the residence of such natures as now dwell upon it4 ,let him go to the coal fields of other countries1 and especially those of the ,united ,states1 stretching over one hundred and fifty thousand square miles1 containing a quantity absolutely inexhaustible1 and already imparting comfort to millions of the inhabitants1 and giving life and energy to every variety of manufacture through the almost entire length of this country1 and destined to pour out their wealth through all coming time1 long after the forests shall all have been levelled1--and irresistible must be the conviction upon his mind1 that here is a beautiful example of prospective benevolence on the part of the ,deity4 ,in those remote ages1 while yet the earth was unfitted for the higher races of animals that now dwell upon it1 it was eminently adapted to nourish that gigantic flora which would produce the future fuel of the human race1 when that crown of all ,god's works should be placed upon the earth4 ,ere that time1 those forests must sink beneath the ocean1 be buried beneath deposits of rock thousands of feet thick4 ,but during all that period1 all those chemical changes which are essential to convert them into coal would be accomplished1 and1 at last1 man would find access1 by his ingenuity and industry1 to the deep-seated beds whence his fuel might be drawn4 ,nor would these vast repositories fail him till the consummation of all things4 ,surely there was no waste1 but there was a far-reaching plan of benevolence in the profusion of vegetable life in the earlier periods of our planet4 ,essentially the same remark will apply to the limestone1 gypsum1 rock salt1 and several other mineral products of the earth1 which are almost indispensable to man in a civilized state4 ,for these1 too1 were produced by slow processes1 during those vast periods of duration that preceded man's existence4 ,limestone has been chiefly elaborated by the organs of animals1 many of them of microscopic littleness4 ,yet lofty ranges of mountains and immense deposits in the intervening valleys have been the result4 ,nearly one seventh part of the crust of the globe1 it has been said1 is thus constituted of the works or remains of animals4 ,and can we doubt but that these rocks are thus spread over the surface of the globe because they are needed by all mankind1 like air and water8 ,it must have been benevolence that so arranged the agencies by which they were produced1 during the revolution of primeval ages1 that they have this wide diffusion4 ,gypsum and fossil salt are more sparingly diffused2 but still enough is always to be found to meet the demand4 ,nor is it reasonable to doubt that the same prospective goodness which provided for coal and limestone1 commissioned other agencies to lay up a store of gypsum1 salt1 bitumen1 clay1 and other substances dug out of the earth for man's benefit4 ,my eighth geological argument for the divine benevolence is based upon the perfect adaptation of the natures of animals and plants to the varying condition of the globe through all the periods of its past history4 ,the very slight changes in climate1 situation1 and food1 that will destroy most species of animals and plants1 is hard to be realized by man1 whose nature will sustain very great changes of this kind4 ,so will most of the animals and plants that have been domesticated by man1 and which accompany him into every soil and climate4 ,but the great mass of animals and plants would perish by such a transplantation4 ,they are adapted to a particular region1 often of narrow limits2 and to remove them from thence1 even to one slightly diverse1 is to cause their deterioration and final destruction4 ,in other words1 their natures are exactly adapted to the place of habitation assigned them4 ,and it must have required infinite wisdom thus to fit the delicate machinery of animal and vegetable organization to the great variety of circumstances on the globe in which it is placed4 ,but we find that same wisdom to have been manifested in all the vast periods of organic life4 ,we have the most unequivocal evidence that the condition of the earth has undergone important changes4 ,we cannot examine the remarkable flora and fauna of the older rocks1 the gigantic sauroid fishes1 the huge orthoceratites and ammonites1 the heteroclitic trilobites1 and the strange sigillaria and lepidodendra1 calamites and asterophyllites1 the lofty coniferae1 and the anomalous cycadeae1--we cannot examine these without realizing that a state of the globe very different from the present must have existed when they had possession of it4 ,and when we contemplate also the enormous saurians and batrachians of the middle secondary rocks1 and the colossal quadrupeds of the tertiary strata1 we cannot doubt that a tropical or an ultra-tropical climate must have prevailed in high northern latitudes during their existence4 ,we perceive that there has been a gradual decrease of temperature on the surface from the earliest times4 ,in each successive race of organized beings which have been placed on the globe1 there must have been1 therefore1 some change of constitution to adapt them to the altered state of the climate and productions of the earth4 ,and we find this alteration to have been always made with consummate skill1 so as to secure the most complete development of organic beings1 and the greatest enjoyment to sensitive natures4 ,malevolence would not have done this2 for it might with infinite knowledge at command1 have filled each successive period of the world with natures unadapted to the mutable condition of things1 capable1 indeed1 of a prolonged existence1 not to enjoy1 but only to suffer4 ,but infinite benevolence was fitting up this world by slow secondary agencies for the elevated races which now occupy it1 especially for one species1 rational and immortal2 and it lavished its kindness and wisdom by filling the world1 during those preparatory ages1 with multitudes of happy beings1 fitted exactly to each altered condition of the air1 the water1 and the soil4 ,my ninth and last geological argument for the divine benevolence is founded upon the permanence and security of the world1 in spite of the mighty changes it has undergone1 and the powerful agencies to which it is now subject4 ,when we learn from the records of geology1 as they are inscribed upon the rocks1 how numerous and thorough have been the revolutions of the surface and the crust of the globe in past ages2 how often and how long the present dry land has been alternately above and beneath the ocean2 how frequently the crust of the globe has been fractured1 bent1 and dislocated1--now lifted upward1 and now thrown downward1 and now folded by lateral pressure2 how frequently melted matter has been forced through its strata and through its fissures to the surface2 in short1 how every particle of the accessible portions of the globe has undergone entire metamorphoses2 and especially when we recollect what strong evidence there is that oceans of liquid matter exist beneath the solid crust1 and that probably the whole interior of the earth is in that condition1 with expansive energy sufficient to rend the globe into fragments1--when we review all these facts1 we cannot but feel that the condition of the surface of the globe must be one of great insecurity and liability to change4 ,but it is not so4 ,on the contrary1 the present state of the globe is one of permanent uniformity and entire security1 except those comparatively slight catastrophes which result from earthquakes1 volcanoes1 and local deluges4 ,even the climate has experienced no general change within historic times1 and the profound mathematical researches of ,baron ,fourier have demonstrated that1 even though the internal parts of the globe are in an incandescent state1 beneath a crust thirty or forty miles1 the temperature at the surface has long since ceased to be affected by the melted central mass2 that it is not now more than one seventeenth of a degree higher than it would be if the interior were ice2 and that hundreds of thousands of years will not see it lowered1 from this cause1 more than the seventeenth part of a degree4 ,and as to the apprehension that the entire crust of the globe may be broken through1 and fall into the melted matter beneath1 just reflect what solidity and strength there must be in a mass of hard rock from fifty to one hundred miles in thickness1 and your fears of such a catastrophe will probably vanish4 ,now1 such a uniformity of climate and security from general ruin are essential to the comfort and existence of animal nature4 ,but it must have required infinite wisdom and benevolence so to arrange and balance the mighty elements of change and ruin which exist in the earth1 that they should hold one another in check1 and make the world a quiet1 unchanged1 and secure dwelling-place for so many thousands of years4 ,surely that wisdom must have been guided by infinite benevolence4 ,and it would seem from geology that the same union of wisdom and benevolence have always arranged the past conditions of the earth4 ,for1 during each of the periods of organic existence1 uniformity and security seem to have prevailed so long as the purposes of the ,deity required4 ,in early times1 indeed1 when animals were mostly confined to the waters1 it was not necessary that the dry land should be as exempt as at present from catastrophes2 and probably they were then more frequent2 and it may be that1 while there were uniformity and security in one portion of the globe1 or in one element1 there might have been disturbance and desolation in others4 ,and it is doubtful whether such general quiet has ever prevailed for so long a time as during the present1 or historic period4 ,we see a reason for this in the fact that never before were so many animals in existence1 with a structure so delicate and complicated4 ,such are the evidences of divine benevolence1 drawn from a field at first view most unpromising4 ,and yet1 when we come to look beyond the surface1 where do we find more decisive or more numerous indications of ,god's beneficence8 ,they are not like many hasty generalizations1 which superficial examination has often brought from natural phenomena in proof of this same truth1 but which1 although beautiful at first view1 must be abandoned upon careful research4 ,but these1 though repulsive at first1 gain solidity and beauty by examination4 ,and they are the more interesting because they come from an unexpected quarter4 ,men have been accustomed to search among the drift piled up by water and ice1 among dislocated and rent strata of rocks1 among mountains overturned and fields made desolate by volcanic eruptions1 for the mementoes of penal inflictions2 but they have not imagined that divine benevolence might be seen among these disturbances and desolations2 and that simply because they confined their views to the immediate effect of geological agencies1 and did not enlarge their views to take in their connection with the great system of the universe4 ,but now that we find the stamp of benevolence even here1 we learn an instructive lesson4 ,every reflecting mind is aware that the doctrine of divine benevolence lies at the foundation of all natural and revealed religion1 and that until this be established we labor in vain to erect a superstructure4 ,it is well known1 also1 that the existence of natural and moral evil has been considered a strong objection to this great truth4 ,now1 geology furnishes us with many examples1 in which agencies1 often fraught with terrific evils1 are nevertheless eminently beneficial when the whole extent of their operation is taken into account4 ,why is it not a fair inference that1 in all other cases where evils stand out prominently1 they are only incidental results of some wide system of operations1 of which our limited vision embraces only a part1 but whose tendencies as a whole are eminently salutary1 and whose incidental evils do1 in fact1 increase the salutary effects8 ,if so1 what reason have we to believe that1 when the light of eternity shall clarify our mental eye1 and enlarge our knowledge of the present system of the universe1 we shall find all partial evil to be universal good1 and that our narrow views alone threw obscurity and difficulty over this subject in this life8 ,o1 if even here so many rays of divine love find their way into our narrow prison-house1 what will be their brightness when they pour in upon us from the unveiled glories of the heavenly world6 ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,divine ,,benevolence ,,as ,,exhibited ,,in ,a ,,fallen ,,world4 ,the geological proofs of the divine benevolence considered in the last lecture present only a partial view of that glorious characteristic of ,jehovah4 ,i am tempted1 therefore1 to exhibit it in its more general aspect and broader relations4 ,this will necessarily bring into view other important religious truths respecting man's fallen condition and character1 and1 as a consequence1 the modified aspect of the divine goodness in such a world4 ,to those destitute of a revelation this world has1 indeed1 ever seemed an inextricable maze1 an enigma too dark for human wisdom to solve4 ,nor have those favored with the ,bible agreed in their modes of clearing up the mystery4 ,having endeavored to explain all by following out some leading and favorite idea1 their theories have varied as these predominant conceptions differed4 ,one1 for instance1 fixes his gaze so intently upon the divine benevolence that he is blind to every manifestation of ,jehovah's sterner attributes4 ,another1 deeply impressed with the story of man's original apostasy1 sees only vindictive justice1 and penal infliction1 and disordered action1 in all the movements of nature and the trials and sufferings of man4 ,a third1 captivated by the discoveries of modern geology1 relative to the existence of suffering and death in the world before man's creation1 and learning1 moreover1 from physiology1 that death is a general law of all organized natures1 vegetable as well as animal1 is led to doubt whether the disorders of the world have any important connection with man's apostasy4 ,now1 it were easy to show that our views on these subjects have a most important bearing upon our entire system of theology2 and1 therefore1 they deserve our most thorough and candid examination4 ,to such an examination ,i now invite your serious attention4 ,it is not my object to appeal to the ,scriptures to prove the divine benevolence4 ,that were an easy task4 ,so1 were this an unfallen world1 every object and event would be redolent of ,god's goodness4 ,but where sin and death abound1 that goodness must assume a different aspect1 since its unmixed manifestation would work mischief4 ,now1 the point aimed at in this lecture is to ascertain whether natural religion can point out decisive evidence of divine benevolence4 ,we can conceive it quite possible that in a fallen world ,god might find it necessary so to mingle displays of justice with those of goodness1 that man might be in doubt which predominated4 ,there is another reason for considering this subject apart from scriptural evidence4 ,we need to establish the doctrine of divine benevolence as a basis on which to rest the evidences of inspiration2 or1 rather1 we want to be able to assume ,god's benevolence1 in arguing for the truth of the ,bible1 and in judging of its contents4 ,this doctrine1 therefore1 is one of the most important1 as it is certainly the most difficult1 in natural theology4 ,obviously the first step in this investigation must be to ascertain what is the real state of this world1 as a manifestation of the benevolence and justice of ,god4 ,in other words1 we need to ascertain what exhibitions of these attributes are presented to us in nature1 and in the economy of ,providence1 and how much of the evil in the world is to be imputed to man's perversion of the gifts of ,god4 ,i shall proceed1 therefore1 to state the main points on this subject which fair and candid reasoning seems to me to sustain4 ,when these points are before us1 with a summary of the evidence by which they are supported1 we shall be prepared to deduce important conclusions respecting ,god's character and dispensations1 and man's position and destiny4 ,in the first place1 then1 ,i maintain that benevolence decidedly predominates in the present system of the world4 ,let this proposition be fully understood4 ,it does not mean that there is no mixture of evil in the operations of nature1 but only that good decidedly overbalances the evil4 ,and by the operations of nature ,i mean those processes resulting from natural laws1 which are uninfluenced by the perverseness of man4 ,how much of evil may be imputed to his perversion of the gifts of ,providence will be considered in another place1 as will also those cases in which evil seems inseparable from the original arrangements of the world4 ,all that ,i am now concerned to prove is1 that1 in a vast majority of instances1 we see the marks of benevolent design and benevolent operation in the arrangements of nature4 ,this position is established1 in the first place1 by the fact that the design of every natural contrivance is to produce happiness4 ,to show that such is the case1 by an appeal to facts1 would be1 in truth1 to write the history of every natural process1 and show its design4 ,but it will be sufficient to consider only such cases as appear most decidedly to militate against my position1 and to show that even these are not designed to cause evil or suffering4 ,how does it happen1 then1 you may inquire1 that evil is the result of a multitude of contrivances and processes in nature8 ,it is an incidental effect1 ,i answer2 that is1 an effect happening aside from the main design of the contrivance4 ,take a few illustrations4 ,no one can doubt that the law of gravity is essential to the preservation and comfort of the world1 and to the harmonious motions of the heavenly bodies4 ,yet how often does it give rise to frightful accidents to men and animals6 ,but when they are crushed by falling bodies1 or by falling themselves1 who imagines this to be the design of gravitation8 ,how clear that its real object is beneficial1 and that the evil resulting from it is unavoidable in a world constituted like ours6 ,why the world is not constituted differently1 is an inquiry which men may try to answer2 but an answer is not important to my present object4 ,take an example from the organic world4 ,every one is aware that without a nervous system in animals there would be no sensibility1 nor sensation1 and1 of course1 no enjoyment2 and without these1 animals would be unconscious of danger1 and would not guard against it1 nor withdraw from it4 ,we are sure1 therefore1 that these two objects are the grand design of the nervous system1 and1 of course1 it is a benevolent design4 ,but the nervous system causes a great deal of suffering as well as pleasure4 ,obviously1 however1 this is only an incidental effect1 which could not be prevented without a miracle2 while the main design is to produce happiness and guard against evil4 ,it may be asked1 however1 by what principle we can determine what is the design of a contrivance1 and what the incidental effect4 ,why select a part of the effects1 and call them the object aimed at by the contriver1 while we regard others as incidental1 and merely permitted1 not intended8 ,the principle on which we make this distinction is very clear4 ,we judge of the design of a contrivance by its predominant tendencies and effects4 ,if evil as often results as good1 misery as often as happiness1 we could not decide whether the design was benevolent or malevolent1 or an indifference to both4 ,but the benevolent tendency and effects of every natural contrivance are so obvious1 and so immensely outweigh all its evil results1 that we are compelled to admit the design of the ,author of nature to be benevolent4 ,and1 therefore1 when we see evil occasionally result from such contrivances1 we are authorized to say that this is only an incidental effect2 not1 indeed1 wholly undesigned1 for we cannot doubt that ,god has a design in the permission of all evil4 ,but for each particular arrangement and movement in nature we can discover a predominant and benevolent object4 ,take another example from the human frame4 ,in that frame we find a multitude of organs1 nearly all of which are obviously adapted to a particular use4 ,now1 the anatomist cannot lay his finger upon one of them1 and say1 ,this was intended to produce derangement and suffering in the system4 ,here is a muscle contrived to clog the operations of its neighbors2 here a blood-vessel adapted to corrupt the blood and produce disease2 here a gland whose object is to secrete a poisonous fluid1 to contaminate the whole system2 here a nerve made to produce pain2 here a plexus of vessels suited to bring on disease4 ,on the contrary1 this anatomist perceives at once that all the organs of the animal system1 and their collocation1 are fitted in the best possible manner to produce health4 ,it is obvious at a glance that this is their design4 ,but if such be the fact1 how happens it that so few persons pass through life without disease8 ,is it all to be imputed to an abuse and perversion of the organs and powers of life8 ,not so1 in my opinion4 ,but those organs are all liable to disease2 and when we see how delicate and complicated they are1 we ought not to wonder that even the unavoidable causes of derangement should often bring it on4 ,yet1 after all1 health is the rule and the object1 and disease only the exception4 ,but ,i shall say more on this subject in another part of the argument4 ,some one1 however1 who hears me1 has doubtless ere this had his thoughts recur to the organs of carnivorous animals1 the poisonous fangs of serpents1 and the organs of the scorpion1 the tarantula1 and of insects1 for the generation and protrusion of deadly poison4 ,here we have organs expressly provided for the destruction of other animals4 ,that such is their design1 no physiologist can doubt2 and hence they are intended to produce suffering1 and not happiness4 ,is this an exactly correct statement of the case8 ,true1 suffering is the result of such organs2 but the arrangement is intended to accomplish still higher purposes4 ,the leading one is to procure food for sustenance1 the other is self-defence4 ,both of these are essential to the animal's continued existence4 ,that suffering should be incidentally connected with instruments or organs so important1 is no more difficult to explain than is the existence of evil any where4 ,the object even of these contrivances1 then1 is beneficial4 ,and if so1 ,i know of no other example in nature so seemingly adverse to the position ,i have laid down1 that the main object of every natural contrivance is benevolent in its origin and results4 ,if this be so1 how clearly does it indicate the character of the contriver to be benevolent6 ,my second argument is derived from the fact that the organic functions often produce pleasure where suffering was just as consistent with their most perfect action2 or ,i might say that such are the arrangements of the natural world1 that pleasure often results to sentient beings from its operations1 when they might have been as perfectly performed with the production of pain4 ,a few illustrations will render the meaning of this position obvious4 ,as we look abroad upon nature1 one of the most striking traits we discover is its unbounded variety4 ,with the ,psalmist we involuntarily exclaim1 ,o ,lord1 how manifold are thy works6 ,it is not merely variety as to form1 texture1 attitude1 and arrangement2 but who can describe the countless tints of coloring which are spread over the heavens and the earth8 ,now1 there is in the human soul an aptitude to be pleased with variety2 nay1 there is a craving for it4 ,nor can there be a more terrible infliction than unvarying monotony and sameness of appearance1 arrangement1 and action4 ,if1 therefore1 the ,creator had been malevolent1 or indifferent to the happiness of man and other sentient beings1 he might have gratified this disposition most perfectly by giving to the human soul its present love of variety1 and then spreading over the face of nature a dead uniformity of figure1 position1 arrangement1 and coloring2 forming every thing upon the same model4 ,and this might have been done without impairing at all the perfect operation of all her laws that are essential4 ,every thing might have been as systematic and harmonious as it now is2 but sentient beings would have been miserable2 and this must have been supremely gratifying to infinite malevolence4 ,he might also have so constructed the organs of hearing1 sight1 and smell1 that every sound might have been ungrateful and grating1 every odor repulsive1 and every prospect disgusting4 ,while hunger would have urged animals1 as it now does1 to seek food1 its reception might have been painful1 or utterly void of gustatory enjoyment4 ,so in regard to social enjoyments2 we might have been irresistibly drawn towards our fellow-men1 and yet their society might have been hateful in the extreme4 ,had such a state of things existed1 how very clearly we should have inferred the malevolence of the ,author of nature6 ,or if such a state had been witnessed about as often as its opposite1 we might reasonably have said that he was indifferent to the happiness of his creatures4 ,why1 then1 may we not1 with equal reason1 infer his benevolence1 when we find1 in a vast majority of cases1--nay1 for aught ,i know1 universally1--that pleasure is superadded to animal enjoyment where it was wholly unnecessary to the perfect operation of nature's laws8 ,the fact is1 ,god has made all nature beauty to our eye and music to our ear1 when it was wholly unnecessary for the perfect operation of her laws2 and the inference is irresistible1 that he delights in the happiness of his creatures4 ,nor can the fact that evil exists in the world destroy the force of this argument1 unless that evil is so general as to be obviously the design of the ,creator in devising and arranging the system of the world4 ,while we admit its existence1 we say that it is only incidental1 and that pleasure is so often superadded unnecessarily1 as to prove happiness to be the design1 and evil the exception4 ,the two arguments above presented are the evidence on which ,dr4 ,paley relies to prove the divine benevolence4 ,they are1 indeed1 as it seems to me1 unanswerable4 ,but if ,i mistake not1 they do by no means exhaust the storehouse of nature's proofs of this fundamental principle of natural and revealed religion4 ,i derive a third argument for the predominance of benevolence in the works of nature from the variety of means often provided for the performance of important functions2 so that animals and plants can adapt themselves to different circumstances1 and prolong their existence4 ,the examples which ,i have in mind to illustrate this argument are all derived from the organic world4 ,i refer1 for instance1 to the fact that nearly all our muscles1 and many other important organs1 as the hands1 the feet1 the eyes1 and the lungs1 are in pairs1 so that if one meets with an injury1 or is destroyed1 the other can1 to some extent1 perform the office of both4 ,the brain has two hemispheres1 and one of them may be seriously wounded without destroying the healthy action of the other4 ,but perhaps the most appropriate example is in the blood-vessels1 whose inosculations are so numerous that even though large arteries and veins be tied1 the blood will find its way through the smaller ones1 which ultimately will so enlarge as to keep up the circulation nearly as well as before the injury4 ,and1 in fact1 almost every one of the large blood-vessels has been tied by the surgeon with little ultimate injury to the patient4 ,in the process of deglutition1 or swallowing the nourishment essential to the existence of all the more perfect animals1--since the food and the air for respiration pass for a time through a common opening1 the pharynx1--it is extremely important that the passage to the lungs should be most vigilantly guarded2 since strangulation would follow the introduction there of any thing but air4 ,accordingly1 the entrance of the glottis is so sensitive1 that the approach of the food causes it to close4 ,but lest this security should sometimes fail1 we have an additional guard in the epiglottis1 which shuts down like a valve upon the orifice4 ,even with this double precaution1 strangulation sometimes follows the act of deglutition4 ,how much oftener would it occur1 had not benevolence thus multiplied its vigilant sentinels at the point of danger6 ,another illustration of this argument lies in the fact1 that many of the organs of animals and plants possess the power1 when an exigency requires it1 of greatly increasing their action4 ,when1 for instance1 an unusual quantity of osseous matter is requisite to repair a broken bone1 the glands1 whose office it is to elaborate that matter1 are capable of secreting an extraordinary quantity1 until the injury is repaired4 ,of an analogous character is the sympathy existing between the different organs1 so that when one has an unusual amount of labor to perform1 the rest impart of their nervous energy to sustain their overtasked companion4 ,thus1 and thus only1 could animals be carried through many of the severe exigencies of their existence4 ,their organs help one another1 just as if they were conscious of one another's necessities1 and were prompted by benevolence to aid the weakest4 ,in like manner1 some of the organs possess the power of vicarious secretion2 that is1 of producing1 in peculiar circumstances1 secretions that are usually made by other glands4 ,how they can do this1 and how they can know when to do it1 are among the mysteries of physiology4 ,nevertheless1 the object of this arrangement is most obvious1 viz41 the continuance of health and life in spite of accidents1 which would otherwise prove fatal4 ,the same vicarious system is manifest in the well-known examples1 where the loss of one or more of the senses gives increased acuteness to the rest4 ,the sense of touch1 for instance1 in the blind man1 has sometimes proved no mean substitute for eyes2 and1 indeed1 any of the senses by cultivation1 in peculiar exigencies1 may be prodigiously strengthened4 ,now1 in all these cases1 where the vicarious principle is brought into operation1 or sympathy concentrates the power of many organs in one1 or the loss of one organ or sense quickens the sensibility of the rest1 do we not recognize the prospective care and kindness of infinite benevolence8 ,do you say that it merely shows infinite wisdom1 which adjusts means to ends with consummate skill1 in order to be sure of success in its designs8 ,why1 then1 ,i inquire1 should these provisions for trying exigencies in the animal system always tend to the happiness of the creature8 ,surely there were other means at the command of infinite wisdom for securing the existence of the animal1 which would bring misery upon it instead of happiness4 ,the benevolent tendency of the design1 therefore1 proves the benevolent feelings of the designer4 ,the extraordinary provisions that are made in some cases for the multiplication of animals and plants1 in order to prevent the extinction of any races1 and to give life and happiness to as many animals as can be sustained1 is another indication of benevolent care on the part of the ,creator4 ,not less than five modes of reproduction are known to exist1 viz41 the viviparous1 the ovo-viviparous1 the oviparous1 the gemmiparous1 and the fissiparous2 and among the lowest families of animals several of these modes exist in the same species1 so that their extinction1 or even deficient multiplication1 is scarcely possible4 ,the same benevolence is manifested in the power possessed by animals and plants to adapt themselves to different circumstances4 ,often are they thrown into conditions widely diverse as to food1 temperature1 and exposure to chemical and mechanical agencies1 with no possibility on their part of avoiding them4 ,this is eminently true of man2 and were not animals able to adapt themselves to these various states1 they must perish4 ,true1 there are limits to this adaptation2 but they are wide enough to accomplish the great purposes of existence1 and to make us comfortable and happy amid great changes in our condition4 ,nor is this power of adaptation among animals limited to their physical nature4 ,their mental habits admit of an oscillation equally wide1 so that1 ere long1 we become happy in a condition which at first was painful in the extreme4 ,new habits take the place of the old ones so gradually that we scarcely realize the change4 ,now1 if this power were not possessed in such a world as ours1 could organic natures not bend at all to circumstances1 constant suffering and premature dissolution would be the result4 ,the power of adaptation1 therefore1 looks like the benevolent provision of a kind ,father1 who wishes to make his creatures as happy as he can in the circumstances in which his wisdom has placed them4 ,certainly1 malevolence1 or indifference to their happiness1 would not have introduced this power of adaptation into their natures2 for it is certain that their continued existence might have been secured in some other way1 had no reference been had to their happiness4 ,i base my fourth argument for the predominance of benevolence1 in the arrangements of nature1 upon the aggregate results of the most destructive and terrific agencies which she employs4 ,the immediate effects of these agencies are often so appalling and so unmixed with good1 that men view them only as penal inflictions2 or1 when the sufferers are unconscious of guilt1 as mysterious dispensations of evil1 which need the light of another world to reconcile with infinite benevolence4 ,when the tornado or sirocco's hot breath sweeps over the devoted land2 when the river overflows its banks1 and ingulfs the defenceless inhabitants along its course1 or the giant waves of the ocean roll in upon the devoted shore2 when the heaving earthquake overturns in a moment vast cities1 and the earth swallows them in its bosom2 or when the volcano pours out its suffocating smoke and its scorching lava1 and obliterates from earth the defenceless town1 as once ,herculaneum and ,pompeii were converted into petrified cities1--in the midst of such desolating agencies1 where can we discover a gleam of benevolence8 ,not surely in the immediate effects4 ,but suppose the tornado1 the flood1 the earthquake1 and the volcano are essential to the preservation of the earth from a far wider ruin1 so that1 in fact1 while they destroy some property and life1 they preserve a far greater amount1 and are essential to such preservation1--why is it not benevolence that gives a slight play to these terrific elements1 while it checks their wild war so soon as the requisite security has been obtained8 ,when the storm has sufficiently purified the atmosphere1 when the flood has enriched the wide alluvial fields1 and the earthquake and the volcano have given vent to the pent-up fires in the earth1 so that they no longer threaten to rend a continent asunder1 then a restraining power is put upon them1 and they are allowed no more range than is essential to the general good4 ,we may not1 indeed1 see why the good could not be secured without the evil4 ,but this question leads to the inquiry1 whether the present system of the universe is the best possible2 and that it is so we have the guaranty of the divine perfections4 ,those perfections admit the existence of evil2 but at the same time they take care that the aggregate result of the greatest evils should be beneficial4 ,nor would we limit this position to evils springing out of the nature or the changes of the inanimate world2 for some of the severest evils are dependent upon the organization or operation of animate nature4 ,man1 for instance1 finds himself often grossly annoyed by some species of the inferior animals1 in his comfort1 property1 and even life4 ,and he wonders why infinite wisdom and benevolence should permit certain species to exist1 when they seem fitted only to annoy the rest4 ,but he knows not what he desires when he wishes their extinction4 ,for such is the balance of organic nature1 that to strike out even one species1 is like removing a link from a chain4 ,once broken1 every other link is affected1 and the whole chain lies useless upon the ground4 ,or1 to speak without a figure1 if you blot out certain species of animals or plants1 you disturb the balance of the whole system of organic nature2 nor can you tell where the disturbance thus introduced will end4 ,it may lead to the excessive multiplication of species still more injurious than those you have destroyed4 ,at any rate1 since the perfections of the ,deity lead to the conclusion that the existing proportion between different species is the best1 all things considered1 and change in the balance must be injurious1 we may conclude1 that though noxious animals and plants may produce individual inconvenience and injury1 the aggregate effects upon the whole of organic nature are salutary1 and1 therefore1 indicative of benevolence4 ,similar reasoning will1 ,i think1 apply to the existence of that large class of animals called carnivorous4 ,these are evidently intended to prey upon other animals2 and for this purpose they are provided with weapons for seizing and destroying their prey4 ,it is often extremely painful to a man of kind feelings to witness the scenes of blood and havoc which these flesh-eating animals produce4 ,but we forget two things4 ,the first is1 that in order to keep the numbers of animated beings full in the different tribes1 it is necessary that there should be a great excess of numbers created1 to meet all the casualties to which they are exposed2 and that excess must in some way or other be removed from life4 ,secondly1 all the enjoyment of the carnivorous races is so much clear gain to the sum of animal happiness2 for the excess of numbers in the tribes of vegetable feeders suffer no more in being destroyed by the carnivorous races1 than if they died in some other way2 not so much1 indeed1 as if they perished by famine4 ,we may safely conclude1 then1 that even this system of mutual slaughter1 when viewed in all its relations1 is the means1 in such a world as ours1 of increasing the amount of enjoyment1 and is1 therefore1 a benevolent provision4 ,this course of reasoning may be extended1 as ,i judge1 to the greatest of all mortal evils1--,i mean death4 ,in the case of the inferior animals1 the amount of physical or mental suffering from this cause is comparatively small4 ,and if they survive the change of death1 surely there is benevolence in so easy a translation4 ,or1 if they do not exist hereafter1 the stroke of death is a small deduction from the happiness of a whole life4 ,in man's case1 we must not take into the account the aggravations of death which his own misconduct produces4 ,and aside from these1 what a blessing it would be to be transferred to a more exalted state of being1 by an experience no more painful than that of a ,christian dying what may be called a natural death1 by mere decay6 ,then1 too1 how much greater happiness is the result of a succession of beings on earth1 than one undying race would enjoy1 both because the successive races would be ever passing through novel scenes1 which would soon become monotonous to a continuous race1 and because1 as we have already suggested1 a succession of races admits of the existence1 at any one time1 of a far greater number of species6 ,then1 too1 we must not forget the salutary moral influence which man experiences from the expectation of death2 so great1 indeed1 that without it1 it seems doubtful whether the world would be any thing better than a ,pandemonium4 ,in making indissoluble the connection between sin and death1 therefore1 in such a system as the present1 benevolence presided with wisdom and justice in the councils of ,jehovah4 ,but in the third lecture ,i have treated this whole subject so much more fully1 that ,i need not add any thing further in this connection4 ,i base my fifth and last argument1 to prove the predominance of benevolence in the present system of nature1 on the fact that good so often results from evil as a natural consequence4 ,or1 to state the argument in another form1 good seems generally to be the object or final cause of evil1 whereas evil flows only incidentally from good4 ,this argument scarcely differs from the last1 except in the more general form of its statement4 ,that brings forward certain prominent and appalling evils1 and endeavors to show that1 in striking the balance of their effects1 the preponderance is on the side of benevolence4 ,this advances a step farther1 and attempts to show that the direct object of evil is to produce good4 ,it follows1 hence1 that the examples adduced and elucidated under the last argument are not inappropriate to sustain and illustrate the present4 ,yet others should be added4 ,almost the entire history of medicine and surgery illustrates the manner in which physical evils result in physical good4 ,indeed1 men never resort to the physician1 or the surgeon1 because their remedies and operations are desirable1 but only because they are the necessary means of health and comfort4 ,these means are1 indeed1 for the most part1 of human invention1 but not1 therefore1 the less indicative of the divine intention2 for they are founded upon such a constitution in nature as makes it possible to discover remedies for disease and accidents4 ,and the characteristics of nature's constitution are an index of the intentions of its ,author4 ,the severe mental discipline through which the youth must pass1 who would attain distinction in learning1 affords us an example of intellectual evil resulting in intellectual wealth and happiness4 ,the trial is too severe for many irresolute minds1 and they give over the effort1 and sink down into a state of indolence and neglect4 ,but he who bears manfully the discipline will at length gather the golden fruit4 ,and he will be satisfied1 too1 of the wisdom and benevolence of that law of mental progress1 which makes it impossible ever to find a royal road to the temple of learning1 and which shuts out from that temple all who shrink from the preparatory discipline4 ,still more strikingly illustrative of this argument are the evils which men suffer as necessary precursors of moral good4 ,these may be physical or mental2 embracing all those experiences that take the name of trials1 afflictions1 and disappointments4 ,these are often intensely bitter1 and they constitute1 indeed1 the master evils of life4 ,we shudder when we see them coming2 and we often writhe in agony when in the furnace4 ,but how many have come out of that furnace purified from base alloy1 and ready for the service of ,god and the world6 ,to do good is henceforth their delight2 and they thank ,god for the severe discipline4 ,when his heavy blows fell upon them1 one after another1 they felt as if they were the strokes of an incensed ,deity4 ,but now they see that they were only the necessary inflictions of infinite love4 ,and they admire the wisdom that could thus educe so much good out of so great evil4 ,i do not contend that good is always educed from evil in this world1 or could be2 but only that1 in a plurality of cases1 if men improve the evils they suffer as they might1 such would be the effect4 ,and if this be admitted1 it is sufficient to establish the general principle1 that one of the direct objects of evil in this world is to produce individual benefit4 ,but the converse of this proposition cannot be maintained4 ,we cannot1 indeed1 deny that evil sometimes results from good2 but never as the direct object of the latter4 ,the effect is only incidental2 that is1 not as the main object2 and so a few cases of this sort cannot invalidate the proposition which ,i defend4 ,i might multiply much more the arguments furnished by nature to prove a predominance of benevolence in the arrangements and operations of the present system of things4 ,but ,i see no way of escaping the force of those presented1 and cannot doubt that all will admit the conclusion4 ,i advance1 therefore to a second proposition1 and maintain that the benevolence exhibited in the present system of nature is not unmixed4 ,i mean1 by this statement1 that the divine benevolence exhibited in this world is modified by other perfections4 ,while there is a predominance of benevolence1 there are also indications of ,god's displeasure2 or1 at least1 his dealings seem to be adapted to restrain and amend a wicked race1 rather than to make an innocent and holy race happy2 so that the condition of the human family is far less happy than unmixed benevolence would confer4 ,in proof of this assertion1 ,i maintain1 first1 that evil is incidental to every process and event in nature4 ,this is preeminently true of all those actions which we call vicious4 ,indeed1 they are in themselves evils of the worst kind2 and not only so1 but they are connected incidentally with scarcely any thing but evil1 though sometimes1 as theologians say1 overruled for good4 ,take next the common operations of nature1 which1 of course1 have no moral character4 ,their leading design1 as we have already seen1 is to produce good to sentient beings2 but incidentally they bring much evil4 ,food is intended for gustatory enjoyment and for nourishment2 but it is often the occasion of severe suffering1 and becomes an active poison4 ,gravity is intended to hold the material universe in a proper balance1 and to attach every moving thing on earth to the surface2 but it occasions a vast number of accidents1 and a vast amount of suffering4 ,water and fire are of immense direct benefit2 yet the first buries a vast amount of property and life in its bosom1 and the latter is scarcely less injurious in its incidental effects4 ,indeed1 what natural agency can be named1 that is not armed with the power to do evil8 ,but the same principle extends also to benevolent actions4 ,with our views of divine benevolence1 we might expect that virtuous conduct would never be coupled with evil4 ,but this notion does not accord with facts2 for the incidental evils connected with benevolent action are often the most painful in life4 ,indeed1 in how many instances has doing good been rewarded by the loss of life1 and under all the aggravations of suffering which malignant ingenuity could invent6 ,and the fact has been1 that those whose motives in doing good were the purest have suffered the most4 ,witness the life and the death of ,him who knew no sin1 and yet was led as a lamb to the slaughter4 ,since wickedness in this world is sometimes allowed to have the power of annoying goodness we might expect that the more disinterested the latter1 the more malignant and persecuting would be the former1 because its own deformity is made more manifest4 ,but the incidental evils connected with benevolent action are not limited to those resulting from the malice of the wicked4 ,if1 for instance1 some huge system of iniquity has become incorporated into the very texture of society1 benevolence cannot root it out without producing many a severe laceration of individuals1 who are incidentally connected with the system1 but to whom no blame attaches4 ,the history of the efforts that have been made to substitute ,christianity for heathenism and other false religions1 is full of examples illustrative of this principle1 in conformity with the remarkable declaration of ,christ1 ,think not that ,i am come to send peace on earth2 ,i came not to send peace1 but a sword4 ,alike prolific of illustrations are all the great attempted reforms which the world has witnessed1 whether for delivering religion from human corruptions1 or eradicating slavery1 or intemperance1 or breaking the political yoke of the oppressor4 ,in fine1 no reasonable man ought to expect to do much good in this world1 without suffering much himself and bringing some incidental suffering upon others4 ,now1 although the evils that have been described are incidental1 they belong to the constitution of this world1 and1 therefore1 show the feelings and intentions of its ,author1 as much as those effects of his works which appear to be their final causes4 ,but do not such evils1 incidental to every event1 indicate a feeling in the divine mind different from unmixed benevolence8 ,strictly speaking1 these evils are not penal inflictions4 ,but they certainly do not show in the ,creator a simple desire to promote the happiness of men1 by directly conferring it4 ,they rather indicate a necessity1 on account of some peculiarity in the character of man1 of mingling severity with goodness in the divine conduct towards him4 ,in thus representing incidental effects as indicative of the feelings of the ,deity1 ,i may seem to contradict my reasoning under the first head1 where ,i gave1 as proof of ,god's benevolence1 the fact that the direct object of every contrivance is beneficial1 and evil only incidental4 ,but ,i did not mean to intimate that the incidental effects of a contrivance are no index of the feelings of its author1 but only that the direct effects show more clearly than the incidental what are his wishes and intentions1 especially if the former are the most numerous1 important1 and striking4 ,still1 incidental effects are never without an object2 and where they are evil1 as in the case supposed1 they indicate other feelings towards men1 in the divine mind1 than unmixed benevolence4 ,for it is a strange limitation of ,god's wisdom and power to say1 as some do1 that the evils could not be prevented4 ,it may be said1 however1 that if men only conform to the laws of nature1 they will escape all the evils they suffer4 ,on the other hand1 ,i maintain1--and this constitutes my second argument to show that the divine benevolence is not unmixed1--,i maintain that the highest virtue and the most consummate prudence cannot avoid all the evils of life4 ,such prudence and virtue will not secure any one against many destructive natural agencies and operations to which he is exposed4 ,miasms productive of fatal disease may contaminate the atmosphere we breathe1 unperceived by us2 poison may exist in the food which we take as our necessary sustenance2 the mechanical violence of the elements1 or of gravity1 may crush us2 the lightning may smite us to the earth2 the wild beast may rush from his unnoticed lair as we pass2 or the deadly insect1 or serpent1 may inject its poison into our blood at an unexpected moment2 or the floods may overwhelm1 or the fire consume us4 ,now1 although prudence and virtue may defend us against many evils1 they afford no security against such as ,i have named1 in very many instances4 ,we are often ignorant of their existence or proximity till we become their victims1 and suffering1 often intense1 is the consequence4 ,indeed1 the greatest of all physical evils--,i mean death--is as sure to visit every son and daughter of ,adam as any event can be2 and nothing but insanity1 or its religious synonyme1 fanaticism1 has ever pretended to be proof against disease and death4 ,you cannot1 indeed1 point out any particular organ or agency1 whose direct object is to produce disease and death2 but they are nevertheless the inevitable result of organic operations and agencies in such a world as this4 ,it will be said1 perhaps1 that the good resulting to the whole from even the most severe of these sufferings1 overbalances the evil1 and therefore they are indications of benevolence in such a world as ours4 ,true1 as things are1 this may be so4 ,but the question is1 ,why is there such a constitution given to nature as made it necessary to introduce disease1 accident1 and death8 ,would not unmixed benevolence have conferred the good1 but have withheld the evil8 ,had there not been something in man's character requiring the discipline of trials1 would pure benevolence have sent them8 ,at least1 we should suppose that they might all have been avoided by prudence and virtue4 ,why should benevolence make such severe drawbacks upon the happiness even of the virtuous1 if something were not radically wrong in the human constitution8 ,thirdly4 ,the great sterility of so large a part of the earth1 and the necessity of severe bodily labor to secure sustenance from it1 show us that the benevolence exhibited in nature and in man's condition is not unmixed4 ,though some limited regions are exuberantly fertile1 the larger part of the earth yields up even a mere sustenance only after the severest labor4 ,and the vast majority of the race can do nothing more than to obtain food for the body4 ,the artificial state of most societies does1 indeed1 keep the lower classes much more depressed than a better state of the world would bring them into2 but at the best1 nature unites with revelation in attesting the truth of the sentence passed upon man--,in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread4 ,nor is this necessity for severe labor confined to the cultivation of the earth1 but extends to all kinds of human pursuits4 ,success1 as a general fact1 can be secured only by vigorous industry2 and often1 in spite of their most honest and persevering efforts1 men fail of securing even a competence for the support of themselves and their dependants4 ,some will say that all this arises from a necessity in the very nature of the case4 ,but does not such a view limit the divine power and wisdom8 ,could not ,god have prepared a world more paradisiacal than the present1 where the earth should spontaneously yield her fruits1 and pour out her hidden treasures at man's feet8 ,who will deny this8 ,why1 then1 has he not done it8 ,because obviously a race so prone to evil as man1 so incapable of maintaining his integrity in the lap of ease and indulgence1 needs all this severe discipline to keep him where he ought to be4 ,here1 then1 we see a reason why ,god must mingle seeming severity with benevolence4 ,the same thing is seen1 in the fourth place1 in the confined and depressed condition of the human mind in this world1 and in the multiplied obstacles in the way of its cultivation and enlargement4 ,what a clog to the intellect is a body governed by gross appetites1 and often stopping the ingress of truth1 or perverting its aspect1 by disordered and imperfect senses6 ,nearly one third of the time must that intellect sink into oblivion1 while sleep recruits the physical powers4 ,and nearly another third of life must be given to the wants of the body2 and as we have seen1 the great mass of men are obliged to devote nearly their whole time to serve the necessary wants of the body4 ,what an incalculable waste of mind does the world exhibit6 ,and even when all artificial and unnecessary obstructions are taken out of the way1 what an immense waste must it always present1 while in so gross a corporeal tenement6 for were it free to exhibit its true nature1 we cannot doubt its power of unwearied and incessant activity4 ,and such might have been its condition here1 had it pleased infinite wisdom and benevolence4 ,but what unmixed benevolence would have prompted1 perfect wisdom would not permit to fallen man4 ,i feel confident that my first two propositions are established1 viz41 that there is a predominance of benevolence in the arrangements and operations of the present world1 and yet that it is not unmixed benevolence4 ,i advance to a third proposition1 which asserts that the same mixed system of good and evil1 which now exists1 has always prevailed since the earth was inhabited4 ,geology shows us the true succession of events since the first appearance of organic beings on the globe1 but no chronological dates are registered on the rocks4 ,and it is only by observing processes in existing nature1 analogous to those whose record is engraven on the solid strata1 that we can infer that the years since life first appeared on the surface must have been very many4 ,but however far back in the hoary past that event occurred1 we have indisputable evidence that the same laws then controlled the operations of nature as now1 and the result was the same mixture of good and evil4 ,in the crystalline structure1 and in the perfect crystals of the older rocks1 we learn the laws which predominated at their production4 ,and we find that the same chemical1 electrical1 and electro-magnetical influences presided over their formation as are now exhibited in the laboratory of the chemist or the laboratory of nature4 ,now1 these crystals conduct us back much farther than the dawn of terrestrial life1 though similar ones1 and produced by the same laws1 are found through the whole series of rocks1 from the oldest to the newest4 ,and ,i might appeal to many other facts in the earth's history1 which demonstrate an identity between the physical laws that have controlled nature's processes in every period of past time4 ,we have evidence1 also1 of the same identity in the laws of life1 or organic laws4 ,in the anatomical structure of the earliest animals and plants we find the same general type that pervades the present creation1 modified only1 as it now is1 to meet peculiar circumstances4 ,this is true not only of the osseous1 but also of the muscular1 circulatory1 nervous1 lymphatic1 and nutritive organs4 ,hence1 as we might expect1 we have evidence of the prevalence of the same functional or physiological laws then1 as now4 ,respiration was performed1 as it now is1 and with the same effects4 ,vegetable and animal food was then1 as now1 masticated1 digested1 and assimilated2 and since animals possessed the same senses1 we infer that their habits were essentially the same4 ,there is not1 indeed1 any evidence that ancient animals and plants exhibited any peculiarities of structure or function1 save those necessary to adapt them to the circumstances1 so unlike the present1 in many respects1 in which they lived4 ,we are sure1 also1 that death has ever reigned over all organic nature4 ,it has always been produced by the same causes1 and attended by the same suffering4 ,and its ravages were repaired by the same system of reproduction as now exists4 ,all this we might presume would be the case1 upon the discovery of an identity of laws1 mechanical1 chemical1 and organic2 but we have direct evidence1 also1 in the countless remains of animals and plants entombed in the rocks1 more than twenty thousand species of which have been disinterred by naturalists and described4 ,i might multiply facts almost without number to sustain the position1 that the same mixed system has ever prevailed upon the globe2 for geology is full of the details4 ,but in a subsequent lecture1 the subject will be more amply discussed4 ,such are the facts respecting the divine benevolence1 as they are presented in the volume of nature4 ,though benevolence decidedly predominates1 it is modified by other divine attributes1 and ever has been1 since organic existence began upon the globe4 ,let us now1 in the fourth place1 see what inferences are fairly deducible from the whole subject4 ,for those inferences1 if ,i mistake not1 will not only clear away every cloud from the divine benevolence1 but throw much light upon man's condition4 ,in the first place1 the subject shows us that the world is not in a state of retribution4 ,as a general fact1 virtue is to some extent rewarded1 and vice to some extent punished4 ,but it is not always so4 ,indeed1 the picture is sometimes reversed apparently2 and the good are afflicted because they do good1 and the wicked triumph because they do evil4 ,evil abounds1 but it is not so distributed as righteous retribution would award it2 neither is good4 ,since1 therefore1 ,god's justice must be infinitely perfect1 there must be some other object for the prevalence of good and evil in the world besides righteous retribution4 ,secondly4 ,we learn from the subject that the world is in a fallen condition4 ,i mean1 that man has fallen from holiness and happiness4 ,for the world is evidently not such a world as infinite wisdom and benevolence would prepare for a being perfectly holy and happy4 ,philosophize as we may1 we cannot discover any reason why the abode of such a being should be filled with evils of almost every name--evils which the most consummate prudence and the most elevated virtue cannot wholly avoid--evils which often come upon the good man because he is eminent for holiness4 ,but if man has fallen from original holiness and happiness by transgression1 we might expect just such a world to be fitted up for his residence1 because evil is indissolubly linked to sin1 perhaps in the very nature of things1 certainly by divine appointment4 ,we know that it brings a curse upon every thing with which it is connected2 and here we see a reason for the blight that has marred some of the fairest features of nature1 and introduced pain and suffering into the animal frame1 and brought a cloud over man's noble intellect1 and hebetude over his moral powers4 ,such a fallen condition will explain what no other supposition can1 viz41 the clouded1 fettered1 and depressed condition of all organic nature4 ,yet1 thirdly4 ,we should not infer that man's condition was hopeless1 but rather that mercy might be in store for him4 ,the very fact that the world is not in a state of retribution would seem to afford hope that ,god had other purposes than punishment in allowing evil to be introduced4 ,and then the vast predominance of benevolence and happiness around us cannot but inspire hope for the fallen4 ,this will be still more manifest if we infer1 and can show1 fourthly1 that the world is in a state of probation or trial4 ,by this ,i mean that men are placed in a condition for the trial and discipline of their characters1 in order to fit them for a higher state4 ,if fallen and depraved1 they need to pass through such a discipline before they can be prepared for that higher condition4 ,and surely no one can observe the scenes through which all pass1 without being struck with their eminent adaptedness to train man to virtue and holiness4 ,until we have been pupils for a time in this school1 we are not fit even for the successive states in this life into which we pass2 much less for a higher condition4 ,but there is a marvellous power in this discipline to prepare us for both1 as vast multitudes have testified while they lived and when they died4 ,even death seems1 so far as we can see1 to be the only means by which a sinful being can be delivered from his stains2 and the dread of this terrific evil is one of the most powerful restraints upon vice1 and stimulants to virtue4 ,there is1 in fact1 no condition in which man is placed1 no good or evil that he meets1 which is not eminently adapted1 if rightly improved1 to discipline and strengthen his virtue4 ,hence we cannot doubt that this is the grand object of the present arrangements of the world4 ,true1 if misimproved1 the same means become only a discipline in vice4 ,but this is only in conformity with a general principle of the divine government1 that the things which rightly used are highly salutary1 are proportionably injurious when perverted4 ,fifthly4 ,the subject shows us a reason why suffering and death prevailed in this world long before man's existence4 ,god foresaw--,i will not say foreordained1 though he certainly permitted it--that man would transgress2 and1 therefore1 he made a world adapted to a sinful fallen being1 rather than to one pure and holy4 ,if he had adapted it to an unfallen being1 and then changed it upon his apostasy1 that change must have amounted to a new creation4 ,for1 as ,i have endeavored to show in a previous lecture1 7,lecture ,,iii417 the whole constitution of our world1 and even its relations to other worlds1 must have been altered to fit it for a being who had sinned4 ,to have introduced such a one into a world fitted up for the perfectly holy1 would have been a curse instead of a blessing4 ,it was benevolence on the part of ,god to allow evil to abound in a world which was to be the residence of a sinful creature2 for the discipline of such a state was the only chance of his being rescued from the power of sin1 and restored to the divine favor4 ,it may be thought1 however1 inconsistent with divine benevolence to place the inferior1 irrational animals in a condition of suffering because man would transgress1 and thus punish creatures incapable of sinning for his transgression4 ,animals do1 indeed1 suffer in such a world as ours2 but not as a punishment for their own or man's sin4 ,the only question is1 ,do they suffer so much that their existence is not a blessing8 ,surely experience will decide1 without inquiring as to their future existence1 that their enjoyments1 as a general fact1 vastly outweigh their sufferings2 and hence their existence indicates benevolence4 ,it should also be recollected that their natures are adapted to a world of sin and death1 and they are doubtless more happy here than they would be in a different condition1 which might be more favorable to unfallen accountable beings4 ,finally4 ,this subject harmonizes infinite and perfect benevolence in ,god with the existence of evil on earth4 ,this is the grand problem of theology2 and though ,i would not say that our reasoning clears it of all difficulties1 yet it does seem to me that1 by letting the light of this subject fall upon the question1 we come nearer to its solution than by viewing it in any other aspect4 ,for this subject shows us that benevolence decidedly predominates in all the arrangements of the material universe1 and then it assigns good reasons why this benevolence is not unmixed2 in other words1 why severity is sometimes mingled with goodness4 ,it shows us that ,god1 with a prospective view of man's sin1 adapted the world to a fallen being2 making it1 instead of a place of unmingled happiness1 a state of trial and discipline2 not as a full punishment1 7for that is reserved to a future state17 but as an essential means of delivering this immortal being from his ruin and misery1 and of fitting him for future and endless holiness and happiness4 ,thus1 instead of indicating indifference or malevolence in ,god1 because he introduced evil into the world1 it is a striking evidence of his benevolence4 ,such a plan is1 in fact1 the conjoint result of infinite wisdom and benevolence for rescuing the miserable and the lost4 ,had ,god placed such a being in a world adapted to one perfectly holy1 his sufferings would have been vastly greater1 and his rescue hopeless4 ,thus far do both reason and revelation conduct us in a plain path2 and that1 probably1 is as far as is necessary for all the purposes of religion4 ,up to this point1 infinite benevolence pours its radiance upon the path1 and we see good reasons for the evils incident to this life2 nay1 we see that they are the result of that same benevolence which strews the way with blessings2 that1 in fact1 they are only necessary means of the greatest blessings4 ,i am aware that there is a question lying farther back1 in the outskirts of metaphysical theology1 which still remains unanswered1 and probably never can be settled in this world1 because some of its elements are beyond our reach4 ,the inquisitive mind asks why it was necessary for infinite wisdom and power to introduce evil1 or allow it to be introduced1 into any system of created things4 ,could not such natures have been bestowed upon creatures1 that good only might have been their portion8 ,a plausible answer is1 that evil exists because it can ultimately be made subservient of greater good1 taking the whole universe into account1 than another system4 ,certainly to fallen man we have reason to believe natural evils are the grand means of his highest good2 and hence we derive an argument for the same conclusion in respect to the whole system of evil4 ,indeed1 such are the divine attributes1 that it is absurd to suppose ,god would create any system which was not the best possible in existing circumstances4 ,but even though we cannot solve these questions in their abstract form1 and as applied to the whole creation1 it is sufficient for every practical purpose of religion if we can show1 as we have endeavored to do in this lecture1 how the present system of the world for a fallen being illustrates1 instead of disproving1 the divine benevolence4 ,here1 then1 is the resolution of some of the darkest enigmas of human existence1 which philosophy1 unaided by revelation1 has never solved4 ,here we get hold of the thread that conducts us through the most crooked labyrinths of life1 and enables us to let into the deepest dungeons of despondency and doubt1 the light of hope and of heaven4 ,here1 too1 we find the powerful glass by which we can pierce the clouds that have so long obscured the full-orbed splendors of the divine benevolence4 ,to some1 indeed1--and they sagacious philosophers1--that cloud has seemed surcharged only with vengeance4 ,and even to those who have caught occasional glimpses of the noble orb behind1 the cloud over its face has always seemed to be tinged with some angry rays4 ,indeed1 so long as this is a sinful state1 justice will not allow all the glories of the divine goodness to be revealed4 ,and yet1 through the glass which philosophy and faith have put into our hands1 we can see that the disk is a full-orbed circle1 and that no spots mar and darken its clear surface4 ,how gloriously1 then1 when all those clouds shall have passed away1 and the last taint of evil shall have been blotted out by the final conflagration1 shall that sun1 in the new heavens1 send down its light and heat upon the new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness6 ,on the other hand1 how sad the prospect which the analogies of this subject open before him who misimproves his earthly probation1 and goes out of the world unprepared for a higher and purer state of existence6 ,if we can see reasons why on earth ,god should mingle goodness and severity in this man's lot1 we can also see reasons why the manifestations of benevolence should all be withdrawn when he passes into a state of retribution4 ,for if an individual can resist the mighty influences for good which the present state of discipline affords1 and only become worse under them all1 his case is utterly hopeless1 and ,heaven can do no more1 consistently with the eternal principles of the divine government1 to save him4 ,infinite benevolence gives him over1 and no longer holds back the sword of retributive justice4 ,nay1 the justice which inflicts the punishment is only benevolence in another form4 ,and this it is that makes the infliction intolerable4 ,how much more terrible to the wayward child are the blows inflicted by a weeping1 affectionate father1 than if received from an enemy6 ,god is that affectionate ,father2 and he punishes only because he loves the universe more than the individual2 and he has exhausted the stores of infinite mercy in vain to save him4 ,wicked men sometimes tell us that they are not afraid to trust themselves in the hands of infinite benevolence2 whereas it is eminently this quality of the divine character which1 above all others1 they have reason to fear4 ,for if1 even in this world of probation and hope1 ,god finds it necessary to mingle so much severity with goodness1 what but a cup of unmingled bitterness shall be put into his hands who goes into eternity unrenewed and unpardoned1 and finds that even infinite benevolence has become his eternal enemy6 ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,unity ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,plan ,,and ,,operation ,,in ,,all ,,ages ,,of ,,the ,,world',s ,,history4 ,contrivance1 adaptation1 and design are some of the most striking features of the natural world4 ,they are obvious throughout the whole range of creation1 in the minutest as well as in the most magnificent objects2 in the most complicated as well as in the most simple4 ,so universally present are they1 that whenever we meet with any thing in nature which seems imperfectly adapted to other objects1 as the organ of an animal or plant1 which exhibits malformation1 it excites general attention1 and the mere child need not be told that1 in its want of adaptation to other objects1 it is an exception in the natural world4 ,in order to illustrate what ,i mean by contrivance1 adaptation1 and design1 let me refer to a familiar example--the human eye4 ,made up of three coats and three humors1 of solids and fluids1 of nerves1 blood-vessels1 and muscles1 and rivalling the most perfect optical instrument1 it must have required the most consummate contrivance to give the requisite quantity and position to parts so numerous and unlike1 for producing the phenomena of vision4 ,yet how perfectly it is done6 ,how few1 out of the hundreds of millions of eyes of men and other animals1 fail of vision through any natural defect6 ,no less marvellous are the adaptations of the eye4 ,in order to be adapted to the wonderful effect which we call light1 its coats and humors must be transparent1 and possess a certain density and opacity1 that the rays may form an image on the retina4 ,yet to prevent confusion in the image1 the transparency must be confined to the central parts of the eye1 and a dark plexus of veins and muscles must be so situated as to absorb the scattering rays4 ,in order to adapt the eye to different distances1 and to the greater or less intensity of the light1 delicate muscles must be so situated as to contract and dilate the pupil1 and lengthen and shorten the axis4 ,that the eye might be directed to different objects1 strong muscles must be attached to its posterior surface2 and that the eyelid might defend it from injuries in front1 a very peculiar muscle must give it power to close4 ,no less perfect is the adaptation of the eye to the atmosphere1 or1 rather1 there is a mutual adaptation2 and it is as proper to say that the atmosphere is adapted to the eye1 as that the eye is adapted to the atmosphere4 ,in like manner1 there is a striking relation between the eye and the sun and other heavenly bodies1 and between the eye and day and night2 so that we cannot doubt but they were made for one another4 ,we might1 indeed1 extend the relations of the eye to every object in the universe2 and the same may be said of every organ of plants and animals4 ,the adaptation between them is as wide as creation4 ,and it is the wonderful harmony between so many millions of objects that makes us feel that infinite wisdom alone could have produced it4 ,the design of the multiplied contrivances and adaptations exhibited by the eye is too obvious to need a formal statement4 ,comparatively few understand the wonderful mechanism of the eye2 but we should consider it proof of idiotism1 or insanity1 for the weakest mind to doubt what is the object of the eye4 ,this is1 to be sure1 a striking example4 ,but out of the many organs of animals1 how few are there of which we do not see the design6 ,and as the subject is more examined1 the few excepted cases are made still fewer4 ,they are more numerous in plants1 because we cannot so well understand them1 and because of their microscopic littleness4 ,they are so few1 however1 throughout all nature1 that they never produce a doubt that1 for every individual thing in creation1 there is a distinct object4 ,if we confine our views to the most simple parts of matter1 we can see design in them4 ,if we take a wider view1 and examine those minor systems which are produced by the grouping of the elements of matter1 we shall see design there2 and if we rise still higher in our examination1 and compare systems still more extensive1 until we group all material things1 wise and beautiful design is still inscribed upon all4 ,in fine1 creation is but a series of harmonies1 wheel within wheel1 in countless variety1 yet all forming one vast and perfect machine4 ,examine nature as widely and as minutely as we may1 we never find one part clashing with another part2 no laws1 governing one portion of creation1 different from those governing the others4 ,amid nature's infinitely diversified productions and operations we find but one original model or pattern4 ,as ,dr4 ,paley finely expresses it1 ,we never get amongst such original or totally different modes of existence as to indicate that we are come into the province of a different ,creator1 or under the direction of a different will4 ,all appears to have been the work of one mighty mind1 capable of devising and creating the vast system so perfectly that every part shall beautifully harmonize with every other part2 a mind capable of holding in its capacious grasp at once the entire system1 and seeing the relation and dependence of all its parts1 from the minutest atom up to the mightiest world4 ,in short1 the unity of design which pervades all creation is perfect1 more so than we witness in the most finished machine of human construction2 for ,in human works1 though labored on with pain1 ,a thousand movements scarce one object gain2 ,in ,god's1 one single can its end produce1 ,yet serves to second too some other use4 ,such are the wonderful contrivance1 adaptation1 and design which the material world every where exhibits4 ,but the geologist carries us back through periods of immense antiquity1 and digs out from the deep strata evidences of other systems of organic life1 which have flourished and passed away2 other economies1 which have existed on the globe anterior to the present4 ,and how was it with these8 ,had they any relation to the existing system8 ,were they governed by different laws1 or are they all but parts of one great and harmonious system1 embracing the whole of the earth's past duration8 ,we could not decide these questions beforehand2 but geology brings to light unequivocal evidence that the latter supposition is the true one2 that is1 in the language of the poet1-- ,all are but parts of one stupendous whole1 ,whose body nature is1 and ,god the soul4 ,to present the evidence of this conclusion will be my object in this lecture4 ,in the first place1 the laws of chemistry and crystallography1 electricity and magnetism1 have ever been the same in all past conditions of the earth4 ,chemistry has attained to such a degree of perfection that the analyst can now determine the composition of the various vegetable1 animal1 and mineral substances which he meets1 with an extreme degree of accuracy4 ,in many instances1 he can do this in two ways4 ,he can always separate the elements which exist in a compound1 and ascertain their relative quantity2 and this is called analysis4 ,and sometimes he can take those elements and cause them to unite1 so as to form a particular compound2 and this is called synthesis4 ,by these methods he has ascertained that1 amid the vast variety of substances in nature1 there are only about sixty-four which cannot be reduced to a more simple form1 and are therefore called elements1 or simple substances4 ,now1 the chemist finds that1 when these elements unite to form compounds1 certain fixed laws are invariably followed4 ,they combine in definite quantities1 which are always the same1 or some multiple of the same weight2 so that each element has its peculiar and invariable combining weight2 and it cannot be made to combine in any other proportion4 ,you may mix two or more elements together in any proportion1 but it is only a certain definite quantity of each that will combine1 while the rest will remain in excess4 ,hence the same compound substance1 from whatever part of the world it comes1 or under however diverse circumstances produced1 consists of the same ingredients in the same proportion4 ,these laws are followed with mathematical precision1 and we have reason to believe that the same compound substance1 produced in different parts of the world1 never differs in its composition by the smallest conceivable particle4 ,indeed1 with the exception of the planetary motions and crystallography1 chemical combination is the most perfect example of practical mathematics to be found in nature4 ,such are the laws which the chemist finds invariably to regulate all the changes that now take place in the constitution of bodies4 ,what evidence is there that the same laws have ever prevailed8 ,in the rocks we have chemical compounds1 produced in all ages of the world's history1 since fire and water began to form solid masses4 ,now1 these may be1 and have been1 analyzed2 and the same laws of definite proportion in the ingredients1 which now operate1 are found to have controlled their formation4 ,the oldest granite and gneiss1 which must have been the earliest rocks produced1 are just as invariable in their composition as the most recent salt formed in the laboratory4 ,and the same is true of the silicates1 the carbonates1 the sulphates1 the oxides1 chlorides1 fluorides1 and other compounds which constitute the rocks of different ages4 ,we never find any produced under the operation of different laws4 ,now1 the almost invariable opinion among chemists is1 that the reason why the elements unite thus definitely is1 that they are in different electrical states1 and therefore attract one another4 ,hence the most important laws of electricity have been coeval with those of chemistry2 indeed1 they are identical2 nor can we doubt1 if such be the fact1 that every other electrical law has remained unchanged from the beginning4 ,and from the intimate connection1 if not complete identity1 between electricity and magnetism1 it is impossible to doubt that the laws which regulate the latter are of equal antiquity with those of the former4 ,indeed1 we find evidence in all the rocks1 especially those which are prismatic and concretionary1 of the active influence of galvanism and electro-magnetism in their production4 ,the reasoning is equally decisive to prove the unchanging character of the laws which regulate the formation of crystals4 ,the chemist finds that the same substance1 when it crystallizes1 invariably takes the same geometrical forms4 ,the nucleus or primary form1 with a few exceptions1 of no importance in the present argument1 to which all these secondary forms may be reduced by change1 is one particular solid1 with unvarying angles2 and all the secondary forms1 built upon the primary1 correspond in their angles4 ,in short1 in crystallography we have another example of perfect practical mathematics1 as perfect as the theory4 ,now1 the oldest rocks in the globe contain crystals1 and so do the rocks of all ages1 sometimes of the same kind as those produced in the chemist's laboratory4 ,and they are found to correspond precisely4 ,it matters not whether they were the produce of nature's laboratory countless ages ago1 or of the skill of the nineteenth century1--the same mathematics ruled in their formation with a precision which infinite wisdom alone could secure4 ,in the second place1 the laws of meteorology have ever been the same as at present4 ,under meteorological laws ,i include all atmospheric phenomena4 ,and although we have no direct proof from geology in respect to the more rare of these phenomena1 such as the aurora borealis and australis1 and transient meteors1 yet in respect to the existence of clouds1 wind1 and rain1 the evidence is quite striking4 ,in several places in ,europe1 and in many in this country1 are found1 upon layers of the new red sandstone1 the distinct impressions of rain drops1 made when the rock was fine mud4 ,they correspond precisely with the indentations which falling rain-drops now make upon mud1 and they show us that the phenomena of clouds and storms existed in that remote period1 and that the vapor was condensed as at present4 ,in the fact that the animals entombed in the rocks of various ages are found to have had organs of respiration1 we also infer the existence of an atmosphere analogous to that which we now breathe4 ,the rain-drops enable us to proceed one step farther2 for often they are elongated in one direction1 showing that they struck the ground obliquely1 doubtless in consequence of wind4 ,in short1 the facts stated enable us to infer1 with strong probability1 that atmospheric phenomena were then essentially the same as at present2 and analogy leads us to a similar conclusion as to all the past periods of the world's history1 certainly since animals were placed upon it4 ,what a curious register do these rain-drops present us6 an engraving on stone of a shower that fell thousands and thousands of ages ago6 ,they often become1 too1 an anemoscope1 pointing out the direction of the wind1 while the petrified surface shows us just how many drops fell1 quite as accurately as the most delicate pluviameter4 ,what events in the earth's pre-,adamic history would seem less likely to come down to us than the pattering of a shower8 ,in the third place1 the agents of geological change appear to have been always the same on the earth4 ,whoever goes into a careful examination of the rocks will soon become satisfied that no fragment of them all remains in the condition in which it was originally created4 ,whatever was the original form in which matter was produced1 there is no longer any example of it to be found4 ,the evidence of these changes is as strong almost as that constant changes are going on in human society4 ,and we find them constantly progressing among the rocks1 as well as among men2 nor do the agents by which they are produced appear to have been ever different from those now in operation4 ,the two most important are heat and water2 and it is doubtful whether there is a single particle of the globe which has not experienced the metamorphic action of the one or the other4 ,indeed1 it is nearly certain that every portion of the globe has been melted1 if not volatilized4 ,all the unstratified rocks have certainly been fused1 and probably all the stratified rocks originated from the unstratified1 and have been modified by water and heat4 ,in many of these rocks1 especially the oldest1 we perceive evidence of the joint action of both these agents4 ,evidently they were once aqueous deposits2 but they appear to have been subsequently subjected to powerful heat4 ,as we ascend on the scale of the stratified rocks1 the marks of fire diminish1 and those of water multiply1 so that the latest are mere mechanical or chemical depositions from water4 ,in these facts1 then1 we see proof that heat and water have been the chief agents of geological change since the first formation of a solid crust on the globe2 for some of the rocks now accessible1 as already stated1 date their origin at that early period4 ,we might also trace back the agency of heat much farther1 if the hypothesis adopted by not a few eminent geologists be true1 which supposes the earth to have been once in a gaseous state from intense heat4 ,but to press this point will add very little to my argument1 even could ,i sustain it by plausible reasoning4 ,i will only say1 that1 so far as we know any thing of the state of the earth previous to the consolidation of its crust1 heat appears to have been the chief agent concerned in its geological changes4 ,among other agencies of less importance1 that have always operated geologically1 is gravity4 ,its chief effect1 at present is to bring the earth's surface nearer and nearer to a level1 by causing the materials1 which other agencies have loosened from its salient parts1 to subside into its cavities and valleys4 ,it also condenses many substances from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state1 especially those deep in the earth's crust1 and thus brings the particles more within the reach of cohesive attraction and chemical affinity1 often changing the constitution1 and always the solidity1 of bodies4 ,and in the position of the ancient mechanical rocks1 occupying as they do the former basins of the surface1 and in the superior consolidation of the earlier strata1 we find proof of the action of gravity in all past geological time4 ,electricity too1 in the form of galvanism1 has never been idle4 ,we have reason to think that it operates at this moment in accumulating metallic ores in veins2 and this segregation appears to have operated in all ages1 not only in filling veins1 but also1 probably1 in giving a laminated character and jointed structure to mountains of slate1 as well as a concretionary and prismatic form to others4 ,last1 though not least1 we may reckon among the agents of geological change the forces of cohesion and affinity4 ,when water and heat1 gravity and galvanism1 have brought the atoms of bodies into a proper state1 these agents are always ready to change their form and constitution2 and they have ever been at hand to operate by the same laws1 and we witness their effects in the oldest as well as the newest rocks found in the earth's crust4 ,this point1 however1 has been sufficiently considered1 when treating of the unvarying uniformity of the laws of chemistry and crystallography4 ,but though the nature of the agencies above considered has never changed1 the intensity or amount of their action has varied2 how much is a point not yet settled among geologists4 ,some regard that intensity1 as it has existed during the present or alluvial period1 as a standard for all preceding periods2 that is1 the intensity of these forces has never varied more during any period of the earth's history than it has since the alluvial period commenced4 ,most geologists1 however1 regard this as an extreme opinion1 and think they see evidence in geology of a far greater intensity in these agencies in past periods than exists at present4 ,they think they have proof that the world was once only a molten mass of matter1 and some evidence that previously it was in a state of vapor4 ,they believe that vast mountains1 and even continents1 have sometimes been thrown up from the ocean's bed by a single mighty paroxysmal effort2 and such effects they know to be far greater than the causes of change now in operation can produce1 without a vast increase of their intensity4 ,but this question need neither be discussed nor decided for the sake of my present argument1 since my object is to prove an identity in the nature and laws1 not in the intensity1 of geological agencies4 ,in the fourth place1 the laws of zoology and botany have always been the same on the globe4 ,an examination of the animals now living1 amounting to some hundred thousand species1 perhaps to one or two millions1 shows that they may be arranged in four great classes4 ,the first class embraces the vertebral animals1 distinguished by having a vertebral column1 or back-bone1 a regular skeleton1 and a regular nervous system4 ,it comprehends all the quadrupeds and bipeds1 with man at their head1 and is much superior to all other classes in complexity of organization and strength of the mental powers4 ,the second class embraces the mollusks1 or animals inhabiting shells4 ,they are destitute of a spinal marrow1 and for the most part their muscles are attached to the external covering1 called the shell1 although this shell is sometimes internal4 ,the third class are called articulated animals1 having envelopes connected by annulated plates1 or rings4 ,it includes such animals as the lobster1 bloodsucker1 spider1 and insects generally4 ,the fourth class have a radiated structure1 and often resemble plants1 or their habitation is a stony structure4 ,hence they are sometimes called zoophytes1 which means animal plants2 or lithophytes1 which means stony plants4 ,they swarm in the ocean1 and some of them build up those extensive stony structures called coral reefs4 ,now1 if we examine the descriptions of the organic remains in the rocks1 we find that in all ages of the world these four great classes of animals have existed4 ,but in the earliest times1 the three last classes--the mollusks1 the articulated1 and the radiated tribes--vastly preponderated1 while the vertebral class had only a few representatives2 and it is not till we rise as high as the new red sandstone1 that we meet with any1 except fishes1 save a few batrachians in the old red sandstone1 and the carboniferous group1 detected alone by their tracks4 ,then the reptiles began to appear in abundance1 with tortoises and enormous birds of a low organization1 but no mammiferous animal is found1 until we reach the oolite2 and scarcely any till we rise to the tertiary strata1 when they became abundant2 but not so numerous as at present1 though for the most part of larger size4 ,thus we find that the more perfect animals have been developed gradually1 becoming more and more complex as we rise on the scale of the rocks4 ,but in the three other classes1 there does not appear to have been much advance upon the original types1 although in numbers and variety there has been a great increase4 ,the plants now growing upon the globe1 amounting probably to nearly one hundred thousand species1 are divided into two great classes1 by a very decided character4 ,some of them have distinct flowers1 and others are destitute of them4 ,the former are called phenogamian1 or flowering plants2 and the latter cryptogamian1 or flowerless plants4 ,at present1 the flowering plants very much predominate in the flora of every country4 ,but in the earliest periods of organic existence1 the reverse was the case4 ,we find1 indeed but very few flowering plants1 and these of a character somewhat intermediate between flowering and flowerless2 such as the coniferae and cycadeae1 including the pine tribe4 ,a few palms appeared almost as early1 and some other monocotyledons4 ,but most of the dicotyledons did not appear till the tertiary period1 where more than two hundred species have been found4 ,of the three hundred species found in and beneath the carboniferous group1 two thirds are tree ferns1 or gigantic equisetaceae4 ,more than one third of the entire flora of the secondary formation consists of cycadeae2 whereas1 this family of plants forms not more than the two thousandth part of the existing flora4 ,in short1 we find the more perfect plants as well as animals to be few in the earliest periods1 and to have been gradually introduced up to the present time4 ,but as to the flowerless plants1 most of them seem to have been as perfect at first as they now are4 ,these facts teach us conclusively that the outlines of organic life on the globe have always been the same2 that the great classes of animals and plants have always had their representatives1 and that the variations which have been introduced1 have been merely adaptations to the varying condition of the earth's surface4 ,the higher and more complex natures1 both of animals and plants1 were not introduced at first1 because the surface was not adapted to their existence2 and they were brought in only as circumstances1 favorable to their development1 prepared the way4 ,there is another fact of great interest on this subject4 ,even a cursory examination of the animals and plants now on the globe1 shows such a gradation of their characters that they form a sort of chain1 extending from the most to the least perfect species4 ,but we see at once that the links of this chain are of very unequal length2 or1 rather1 that there are in some instances wide intervals between the nearest species1 as if one or more links had dropped out4 ,how remarkable that some of these lost links should be found among the fossil species6 ,i will refer to a few examples4 ,among existing animals no genera or tribes are more widely separated than those with thick skins1 denominated pachydermata2 such as the rhinoceros and the elephant4 ,but among the fossil animals of the tertiary strata1 this tribe of animals was much more common2 and many of them fill up the blanks in the existing families1 and thus render more perfect and uniform the great chain of being which binds together into one great system the present and past periods of organic life4 ,a similar case occurs among fossil plants4 ,in tropical climates we find a few species--not much over twenty--of a singular family of plants1 the cycadeae connecting the great families of coniferae1 or dicotyledons1 with the palms1 which are monocotyledonous1 and the ferns1 which are acotyledonous4 ,the chasm1 however1 between those great and dissimilar classes of plants is but imperfectly filled by the few living species of cycadeae4 ,but of the fossil species hitherto found above the coal formation1 almost one half are cycadeae2 so that here1 too1 the lost links of the chain are supplied4 ,facts like these1 says ,dr4 ,buckland1 are inestimably precious to the natural theologian1 for they identify1 as it were1 the ,artificer1 by details of manipulation throughout his works4 ,they appeal to the physiologist1 in language more commanding than human eloquence2 the voice of very stocks and stones1 that have been buried for countless ages in the deep recesses of the earth1 proclaiming the universal agency of one all-directing1 all-sustaining ,creator1 in whose will and power these harmonious systems originated1 and by whose universal providence they are1 and have at all times been1 maintained4--,bridgewater ,treatise1 vol4 i4 p4 #ejb4 ,one other fact1 showing the identity of former zoological laws with those which now prevail1 must not be omitted4 ,i refer to the existence on the globe in all past periods of organic life of the two great classes of carnivorous and herbivorous animals2 and they have always existed1 too1 in about the same proportion4 ,to the harmony and happiness of the present system1 we know that the existence and proper relative number of these different classes are indispensable4 ,for in order that the greatest possible number of animals that live on vegetable food should exist1 they must possess the power of rapid multiplication1 so that there should be born a much larger number than is necessary to people the earth4 ,but if there existed no carnivorous races to keep in check this redundancy of population1 the world would soon become so filled with the herbivorous races that famine would be the consequence1 and thus a much greater amount of suffering result than the sudden death inflicted by carnivorous races now produces4 ,to preserve1 then1 a proper balance between the different species is1 doubtless1 the object of the creation of the carnivorous4 ,this system has been aptly denominated the police of nature4 ,and we find it to have always existed4 ,the earliest vertebral animals--the sauroid fishes and sharks--were of this description4 ,the sharks have always lived1 but the sauroid fishes became less numerous when other marine saurians were created2 and when they both nearly disappeared1 during the tertiary period1 other predaceous families were introduced1 more like those now in existence4 ,the history of the mollusks1 or animals inhabiting shells1 furnishes us with an example still more striking4 ,these animals1 as they now exist1 are divisible into the two great classes of carnivorous and herbivorous species1 being distinguished by their anatomical structure2 and so has it ever been4 ,in the fossiliferous rocks below the tertiary1 we find immense numbers of nautili1 ammonites1 and other kindred genera of polythalamous shells1 called cephalopods1 which were all carnivorous4 ,and when they nearly disappeared with the cretaceous period1 there was created another race with carnivorous propensities and organs1 called trachelipods2 and those continue still to swarm in the ocean4 ,had they not appeared when the cephalopods passed away1 the herbivorous tribes would have multiplied to such an extent as ultimately to destroy marine vegetation1 and bring on famine among themselves4 ,these examples are sufficient to prove the existence of the carnivorous and herbivorous races in all ages and in about the same relative numbers4 ,and it certainly furnishes most decisive evidence of the oneness of all these systems of organic life on the globe4 ,in the fifth place1 the laws of anatomy have always been the same since organic structures began to exist4 ,it had long been known that the organs of animals were beautifully adapted to perform the functions for which they were intended4 ,but it was not till the investigations of ,baron ,cuvier1 within the last half century1 that it was known how mathematically exact is the relation between the different parts of the animal frame1 nor how precise are the laws of variation in the different species1 by which they are fitted to different elements1 climates1 and food4 ,it is now well known1 that each animal structure contains a perfect system of correlation1 and yet the whole forms a harmonious part of the entire animal system on the globe4 ,but the language of ,cuvier himself will best elucidate this subject1 so far as it is capable of popular explanation4 ,every organized individual1 says he1 forms an entire system of its own2 all the parts of which mutually correspond1 and concur to produce a certain definite purpose1 by reciprocal reaction1 or by combining towards the same end4 ,hence none of these separate parts can change their forms without a corresponding change in the other parts of the same animal1 and consequently each of these parts1 taken separately1 indicates all the other parts to which it has belonged4 ,thus1 if the viscera of any animal are so organized as only to be fitted for the digestion of recent flesh1 it is also requisite that the jaws should be so constructed as to fit them for devouring prey2 the claws must be constructed for seizing and tearing it to pieces2 the teeth for cutting and dividing its flesh2 the entire system of the limbs1 or organs of motion1 for pursuing and overtaking it2 and the organs of sense1 for discovering it at a distance4 ,nature1 also1 must have endowed the brain of the animal with instinct sufficient for concealing itself1 and for laying plans to catch its necessary victims4 ,in order that the jaw may be well adapted for laying hold of objects1 it is necessary that its condyle should have a certain form2 that the resistance1 the moving power1 and the fulcrum1 should have a certain relative position with respect to each other1 and that the temporal muscles should be of a certain size2 the hollow1 or depression1 too1 in which these muscles are lodged1 must have a certain depth2 and the zygomatic arch1 under which they pass1 must not only have a certain degree of convexity1 but it must be sufficiently strong to support the action of the masseter4 ,to enable the animal to carry of its prey when seized1 a corresponding force is requisite in the muscles which elevate the head2 and this necessarily gives rise to a determinate form of the vertebrae1 to which these muscles are attached1 and of the occiput into which they are inserted4 ,in order that the teeth of a carnivorous animal may be able to cut the flesh1 they require to be sharp1 more or less so in proportion to the greater or less quantity of flesh which they have to cut4 ,it is requisite that their roots should be solid and strong1 in proportion to the greater quantity and size of the bones which they have to break to pieces4 ,the whole of these circumstances must necessarily influence the development and form of all the parts which contribute to move the jaws4 ,to enable the claws of a carnivorous animal to seize its prey1 a considerable degree of mobility is necessary in their paws and toes1 and a considerable strength in the claws themselves4 ,from these circumstances1 there necessarily result certain determinate forms in all the bones of their paws1 and in the distribution of the muscles and tendons by which they are moved4 ,the fore arm must possess a certain facility of moving in various directions1 and consequently requires certain determinate forms in the bones of which it is composed4 ,as the bones of the fore arm are articulated with the arm bone1 or humerus1 no change can take place in the form or structure of the former1 without occasioning correspondent changes in the form of the latter4 ,the shoulder-blade1 also1 or scapula1 requires a correspondent degree of strength in all animals destined for catching prey1 by which it likewise must necessarily have an appropriate form4 ,the play and action of all these parts require certain proportions in the muscles which set them in motion1 and the impressions formed by these muscles must still farther determine the form of all these bones4 ,after these observations it will easily be seen that similar conclusions may be drawn with respect to the hinder limbs of carnivorous animals1 which require particular conformations to fit them for rapidity of motion in general2 and that similar considerations must influence the forms and connections of the vertebrae and other bones constituting the trunk of the body1 and to fit them for flexibility and readiness of motion in all directions4 ,the bones1 also1 of the nose1 of the orbit1 and of the ears1 require certain forms and structures to fit them for giving perfection to the senses of smell1 sight1 and hearing1 so necessary to animals of prey4 ,in short1 the shape and structure of the teeth regulate the forms of the condyle1 of the shoulder-blade1 and the claws1 in the same manner as the equation of a curve regulates all its other properties2 and as1 in regard to a particular curve1 all its properties may be ascertained by assuming each separate property as the foundation of a particular equation1 in the same manner a claw1 a shoulder-blade1 a condyle1 a leg1 an arm bone1 or any other bone1 separately considered1 enables us to discover the description of teeth to which they have belonged2 and so1 also1 reciprocally1 we may determine the form of the other bones from the teeth4 ,thus commencing our investigations by a careful survey of any one bone by itself1 a person who is sufficiently master of the laws of organic structure may1 as it were1 reconstruct the whole animal to which that bone had belonged4 ,after applying the same principle to animals with hoofs1 ,cuvier comes to a conclusion even more surprising4 ,hence1 says he1 any one who observes merely the print of a cloven hoof1 may conclude that it has been left by a ruminant animal1 and regard the conclusion as equally certain with any other in physics or in morals4 ,consequently this single footmark clearly indicates to the observer the forms of the teeth1 of all the leg bones1 thighs1 shoulders1 and of the trunk of the body of the animal which left the mark4 ,it is much surer than all the marks of ,zadig4 ,by thus employing the method of observation1 where theory is no longer able to direct our views1 we procure astonishing1 results4 ,the smallest fragment of bone1 even the most apparently insignificant apophysis1 possesses a fixed and determinate character relative to the class1 order1 genus1 and species of the animal to which it belonged2 insomuch that when we find merely the extremity of a well-preserved bone1 we are able1 by a careful examination1 assisted by analogy and exact comparison1 to determine the species to which it once belonged1 as certainly as if we had the entire animal before us4 ,before venturing to put entire confidence in this method of investigation1 in regard to fossil bones1 ,i have very frequently tried it with portions of bones belonging to well-known animals1 and always with such complete success1 that ,i now entertain no doubts with regard to the results which it affords4 ,the remarkable correlation between the parts of existing animals having been thus proved by the most rigid and satisfactory tests1 we shall inquire with interest for the result1 when ,cuvier applied the same principles to the fossil animals4 ,if the laws of anatomical structure were the same when these extinct races lived as they now are1 these principles will apply equally well to the bones found in the rocks2 and though often only scattered fragments are brought to light1 the anatomist will be able to reconstruct the whole animal1 and present him to our view4 ,cuvier was the first who solved this problem4 ,the quarries around ,paris had furnished a vast number of bones of strange animals1 and these were thrown promiscuously into the collections of that city4 ,well prepared by previous study1 this distinguished anatomist went among them with the inquiry1 ,can these bones live8 ,the spirit of scientific prophecy was upon him1 and1 as he uttered his inspirations1 there was a noise1 and behold a shaking1 and the bones came together1 bone to his bone4 ,and the sinews and the flesh came upon them1 and the skin covered them4 ,i found myself1 says he1 as if placed in a charnel-house1 surrounded by mutilated fragments of many hundred skeletons of more than twenty kinds of animals1 piled confusedly around me4 ,the task assigned me was to restore them all to their original position4 ,at the voice of comparative anatomy1 every bone and fragment of a bone resumed its place4 ,i cannot find words to express the pleasure ,i experienced in seeing1 as ,i discovered one character1 how all the consequences which ,i predicted from it were successively confirmed2 the feet were found in accordance with the characters announced by the teeth2 the teeth in harmony with those indicated beforehand by the feet2 the bones of the legs and thighs1 and every connecting portion of the extremities1 were found set together precisely as ,i had arranged them1 before my conjectures were verified by the discovery of the parts entire2 in short1 each species was1 as it were1 reconstructed from a single one of its component elements4 ,it is hardly necessary to say that1 since this first successful experiment1 the same principles have been more thoroughly investigated and extended with the same success into every department of fossil organic nature4 ,the results which have crowned the labors of such men as ,agassiz1 ,ehrenberg1 ,kaup1 ,goldfuss1 ,bronn1 ,blainville1 ,brongniart1 ,deshayes1 and ,d',orbigny1 on the continent of ,europe1 and of ,conybeare1 ,buckland1 ,mantell1 ,lindley1 and ,hutton1 and eminently of ,owen1 in ,great ,britain1 although sustained by the most rigid principles of science1 are nevertheless but little short of miraculous2 and they demonstrate most clearly the identity of anatomical laws1 in all ages1 among animals and plants of every size and character1 from the lofty lepidodendra and sigillaria to the humblest moss or sea-weed1 and from the gigantic dinotherium1 mastodon1 megatherium1 and iguanodon1 to the infinitesimal infusoria4 ,in the sixth place1 physiological laws have always been the same upon the globe4 ,that death has reigned in all past ages over all animated tribes1 as it now reigns1 so that in that war there has never been a discharge1 ,i need not attempt formally to prove4 ,for the preserved and petrified relics of all the former races1 that now lie entombed in the rocks1 furnish a silent but impressive demonstration of the former triumph of that great physiological law1 which is stamped by the signet of ,jehovah upon all existing organic natures--,dust thou art1 and unto dust shalt thou return4 ,scarcely more necessary is it to attempt to show that the same system of reproduction for filling the chasms which death occasions1 and which is now universal in the animal and vegetable kingdoms1 has always existed4 ,indeed1 such a system is a necessary counterpart to a system of dissolution4 ,and we find the same phases to this reproductive system in ancient and in modern periods4 ,organic remains clearly teach us that there have always been viviparous as well as oviparous creatures1 and gemmiparous as well as fissiparous animals and plants4 ,the second great physiological law of existing nature has1 then1 always been the same4 ,the character of the nourishment by which animals and plants have been sustained has never varied4 ,the latter have ever been nourished by inorganic1 and the former by organic1 matter4 ,some animals have ever fed upon the flesh of other animals1 as their petrified remains1 enclosing the masticated and half-digested fragments of other animals1 testify4 ,other tribes have fed only upon herbs or fruits2 and some were omnivorous2 just1 in fact1 as we find the habits of existing animals4 ,no less certain are we that the processes of digestion and assimilation have ever been unchanged4 ,we find the same organs for these purposes as in existing animals1 viz41 the mouth1 the stomach1 the intestines1 and the blood-vessels1 as the coprolites and the cololites abundantly testify4 ,we infer1 therefore1 with great confidence1 the existence of gastric juice and bile for completing the transformation of the food into blood4 ,indeed1 the discovery by a lady 7,miss ,mary ,anning1 of ,england7 of that singular secretion from which the color called ,india ink is prepared1 with the ink-bag of the sepia1 or loligo1 in a petrified state1 shows that the process of secretion existed in these ancient animals2 and when we find that in all respects their structure was like that of existing animals1 although some of the softer vessels have not been preserved1 we cannot doubt but the entire process of digestion1 and the conversion of blood into bone1 nerve1 and muscle1 was precisely the same as it now is4 ,in the fact1 also1 that we find in fossil specimens organs of respiration1 such as lungs1 gills1 and trachea1 we learn that the process of a circulation of blood1 and its purification by means of the oxygen of the atmosphere1 have never varied4 ,animal heat1 too1 dependent as it is essentially upon this oxygenating process1 was always derived from the same source as at present4 ,the perfectly preserved minute vessels of vegetables enable us1 by means of the microscope1 to identify them with the plants now alive2 and they prove1 too1 incontestably1 that the nourishment of vegetables has always been of the same kind1 and has been converted into the various proximate principles of plants by the same processes4 ,again4 ,we have evidence that these ancient animals possessed the same senses as their congeneric races now on the globe4 ,we have one good example in which that most delicate organ1 the eye1 is most perfectly preserved4 ,it is well known that the visual organ of insects and of crustaceans is composed of a multitude--often several hundreds or thousands--of eyes1 united into one1 so as to serve the purpose of a multiplying glass2 each eye producing a separate image of the object observed4 ,such an eye had the trilobite4 ,each contained at least four hundred nearly spherical lenses on the surface of the cornea1 united into one organ2 revealing to us the interesting fact1 that the relations of light to animal organization were the same in that remote era as they now are4 ,but ,i need not multiply proof of the functional identity of organic nature in all ages4 ,it may1 however1 be inquired1 how this identity1 as well as that of anatomical structure1 is reconciled with the great anomalies1 both in size and form1 which have confessedly prevailed among ancient animals4 ,compare the plants and animals which now occupy the northern parts of the globe with those which flourished there in the remote periods of geological history1 and can we believe them to be portions of one great system of organic nature8 ,compare1 for instance1 the thirty or forty species of ferns now growing to the height of a few inches1 or one or two feet1 in ,europe and this country1 with the more than two hundred species already dug out of the coal mines1 many of which were forty to forty-five feet in height2 or the diminutive ground pines1 and equiseta1 now scarcely noticed in our forests1 with the gigantic lepidodendron1 sigillaria1 calamites1 and equiseta1 of the carboniferous period2 and who will not be struck with the great difference between them8 ,or go to ,germany1 and imagine the bones of the dinotherium to start out of the soil1 and become clothed with flesh and instinct with life4 ,you have before you a quadruped eighteen feet in length1 and of proportional height1 much larger than the elephant1 and with curved tusks reaching two or three feet below its lower jaw1 while no other living animal would be found there larger than the ox1 or the horse--mere pygmies by the side of such a monster1 and evidently unfit to be his contemporaries4 ,again4 ,let the megatherium be brought back to life on the pampas of ,south ,america1 and you have an animal twelve feet long and eight feet high1 with proportions perfectly colossal4 ,its fore feet were a yard long1 its thigh bone three times thicker than that of the elephant1 its width across the haunches five feet1 its spinal marrow a foot in diameter1 and its tail1 where it was inserted into the body1 two feet in diameter4 ,what a giant in comparison with the sloth1 the anteater1 and the armadillo1 to which it was allied by anatomical structure6 ,still more unequal in size1 as compared with living batrachians1 was the labyrinthidon1 once common in ,england and ,germany1 if1 indeed1 the tracks on sandstone were made by that animal4 ,it was1 in fact1 a frog as large as an ox1 and perhaps as large as an elephant4 ,think of such animals swarming in our morasses at the present day6 ,but coming back from ,europe1 and turning our thoughts to the animals that trod along the shores of the estuary that once washed the base of ,mount ,holyoke1 in ,new ,england1 we shall encounter an animal1 probably of the batrachian family1 of more gigantic proportions4 ,it was the ,otozoum ,moodii1 a biped1 with feet twenty inches long1 more than twice the size of those of the labyrinthidon2 yet its tracks on the imperishable sandstone show that such a giant once trod upon the muddy shore of that ancient estuary4 ,along that same shore1 also1 enormous struthious birds moved in flocks1 making strides from three to five feet long1 with feet eighteen inches long1 lifting their heads1 it may be1 from twelve to eighteen feet above the ground1 surpassing1 as it appears1 even the gigantic dinornis of ,new ,zealand1 now that the feet of the latter have been discovered4 ,i refer to the ,brontozoum giganteum1 whose tracks are so common on the new red sandstone of the ,connecticut valley4 ,what dwarfs are we in comparison1 who now consider ourselves lords of that valley6 ,still more remarkable for peculiarities of structure was the tribe of saurians1 which were once so numerous in the northern parts of ,europe and ,america4 ,the ichthyosaurus1 a carnivorous marine reptile1 sometimes thirty feet long1 had the snout of a porpoise1 the teeth of a crocodile1 the head of a lizard1 the vertebrae of a fish1 the sternum of an ornithorhynchus1 and the paddles of a whale4 ,those paddles1 corresponding to the fins of a fish1 or the web feet of water birds1 were composed1 each of them1 of more than one hundred bones4 ,in short1 we find in this animal a combination of mechanical contrivances1 which are now found among three distinct classes of the animal kingdom4 ,its eye1 also1 having an orbital cavity1 in one species1 of fourteen inches in its longest diameter1 was proportionally larger than that of any living animal4 ,the plesiosaurus had the general structure of the ichthyosaurus2 but its neck was nearly as long as its whole body--longer1 in proportion to its size1 than even that of the swan4 ,the iguanodon was an herbivorous terrestrial reptile that formerly inhabited ,england4 ,it approaches nearest in structure to the iguana1 a reptile four or five feet long1 inhabiting the marine parts of this continent4 ,yet the iguanodon was thirty feet long1 with a thigh six feet1 and a body fourteen feet in circumference4 ,what an alarm would it now produce1 to have such a monster start into life in the forests of ,england1 where no analogous animal could be found more than half a foot in length6 ,surely this must have been one of the fabulous monsters of antiquity4 ,still more heteroclitic and unlike existing nature was the pterodactyle1 a small lizard1 contemporary with the ichthyosaurus and plesiosaurus4 ,at one time anatomists regarded it as a bird1 at another as a bat1 and finally as a reptile1 having the head and neck of a bird1 the body and tail of a quadruped1 the wings of a bat1 and the teeth of a saurian reptile4 ,with its wings it could fly or swim2 it could walk on two feet or four2 with its claws it could climb or creep4 ,thus1 says ,dr4 ,buckland1 like ,milton's fiend1 all qualified for all services1 and all elements1 the pterodactyle was a fit companion for the kindred reptiles that swarmed in the seas1 or crawled on the shores of a turbulent planet4 ,the fiend1 ,o'er bog1 or steep1 through straight1 rough1 dense1 or rare1 ,with head1 hands1 wings1 or feet pursues his way1 ,and swims1 or sinks1 or wades1 or creeps1 or flies4 ,now1 when the details of such facts are brought before us1 it is very natural to feel that it is the history of monsters1 and that the ,centaurs1 the ,gorgons1 and ,chimeras of the ancients1 are no more unlike existing animals than these resurrections from the rocks4 ,but further examination rectifies our mistake1 and we recognize them as parts of one great system4 ,all the peculiarities of size1 and structure1 and form1 which we meet1 we find to be only wise and benevolent adaptations to the different circumstances in which animals have been placed4 ,the gigantic size of many of them1 compared with existing races1 may be explained by the tropical1 or even ultra tropical character of the climate2 and not a single anomaly of structure and form can be pointed out1 which did not contribute to the convenience and happiness of the species1 in the circumstances in which they were placed4 ,it is our ignorance and narrow views alone that give any of them the aspect of monsters4 ,listen to the opinion of ,sir ,charles ,bell1 one of the ablest of modern anatomists4 ,the animals of the antediluvian world1 says he1 were not monsters2 there is no lusus1 or extravagance4 ,hideous as they appear to us1 and like the phantoms of a dream1 they were adapted to the condition of the earth when they existed4 ,judging by these indications of the habits of the animals1 we acquire a knowledge of the condition of the earth during their period of existence2 that it was suited at one time to the scaly tribe of the lacertae1 with languid motion2 at another1 to animals of higher organization1 with more varied and lively habits2 and1 finally1 we learn that1 at any period previous to man's creation1 the surface of the earth would have been unsuitable to him4--,bridgewater ,treatise1 pp4 #ce and #ca4 ,a similar view is given of this subject by ,england's geological poet1 7,rev4 ,mr4 ,wilks17 in whose playful verses we find more of true science and just inference than in many a ponderous tome of grave prose4 ,in one of his poems he says1-- ,seamy coal1 ,limestone1 or oolite1 and other sections1 ,give us strange tidings of our old connections2 ,our arborescent ferns1 of climate torrid1 ,with unknown shapes of names and natures horrid2 ,strange ichthyosaurus1 or iguanodon1 ,with many more ,i cannot verse upon1-- ,lost species and lost genera2 some whose bias ,is chalk1 marl1 sandstone1 gravel1 or blue lias2 ,birds1 beasts1 fish1 insects1 reptiles2 fresh1 marine1 ,perfect as yesterday among us seen ,in rock or cave2 'tis passing strange to me ,how such incongruous mixture e'er could be4 ,and yet no medley was it3 each its station ,once occupied in wise and meet location4 ,god is a ,god of order1 though to scan ,his works may pose the feeble powers of man4 ,the facts and reasonings which have now been presented will sustain the following important inferences3-- ,in the first place1 we learn that the notions which have so widely prevailed1 in ancient and modern times1 respecting a chaos1 are without foundation4 ,among all heathen nations of antiquity1 the belief in a primeval chaos was almost universal2 and from the heathen philosophers it was transmitted to the ,christian world1 and incorporated with the ,mosaic cosmogony4 ,it is not1 indeed1 easy to ascertain what is the precise idea which has been attached to a chaos4 ,it is generally described1 however1 as a confused assemblage of elements1 an unformed and undigested mass of heterogeneous matter2 not1 of course1 subject to those laws which now govern it1 and which have arranged it all in beautiful order1 even if we leave out of the account vegetable and animal organization4 ,now1 ,i have attempted to show that there never was a period on the globe when these laws1 with the exception of the organic1 did not operate as they now do4 ,nay1 the geologist1 when he examines the oldest rocks1 finds the results of these laws at the supposed period when chaos reigned2 that is1 in the earliest times of our planet4 ,and what are these results8 ,the most splendid crystallizations which nature furnishes4 ,the emerald1 the topaz1 the sapphire1 and other kindred gems1 were elaborated during the supposed chaotic state of the globe2 for no earlier products have yet been discovered than these most perfect illustrations of crystallographical1 chemical1 and electrical laws4 ,if1 indeed1 any should say1 that by a chaos they mean only that state of the world when no animals or plants existed1--in other words1 when no organic laws had been established1--to such a chaos ,i have no objection4 ,and this is the chaos described in the ,bible1 where it is said that1 before the creation of animals and plants1 the earth was without form and void4 ,the tohu vau bohu of ,moses1 which is thus translated in our ,english ,bible1 means1 simply and literally1 invisible and unfurnished--invisible1 both because the ocean covered the present land1 and darkness was upon the face of the deep2 and unfurnished1 because as yet no organic natures had been called into existence4 ,this is the meaning which the old ,jewish writers1 as ,philo and ,josephus1 attached to these words2 and they have been followed by some of the ablest modern commentators4 ,it is wonderful1 says ,rosenmuller the elder1 that so many interpreters could have persuaded themselves that it was possible to detect a chaos in the words ,hebrew4 ,that notion unquestionably derived its origin from the fictions of the ,greek and ,latin poets1 which were transferred by those interpreters to ,moses4 ,if we follow the practice of the language1 the ,hebrew phrase has this signification3 ,the earth was waste and desert1 or1 as others prefer1 empty and vacuous2 that is1 uncultured and unfurnished with those things with which the ,creator afterwards adorned it4--,antiquiss4 ,tell4 ,hist4 p4 #ai-bc4 ,upon the whole1 there is no evidence whatever1 either in nature or revelation1 that the earth has ever been in a state corresponding to the common notions of a chaos2 while1 on the other hand1 there is strong proof that the present laws of nature have been in operation from the beginning4 ,these laws have varied in the intensity of their action1 and we have strong reason to believe that organic laws did not always exist2 but none of these laws have ever been suspended1 to leave the elements to mix in wild disorder in a formless mass4 ,it is high time that religion was freed from the indescribable incubus of a chaos4 ,finally1 the most important conclusion to which the mind is conducted by this subject is1 that the present and past conditions of this world are only parts of one and the same great system of infinite wisdom and benevolence4 ,we have seen that the same wise and benevolent laws1 organic and inorganic1 have always controlled1 as they now control1 this lower world4 ,it is true we find modified conditions of the globe in its past history2 but they were always the foreseen result of the same laws1 and in harmony with the same great plan4 ,and the modifications of organic structure1 which were great in the successive economies1 were always in perfect correspondence with the earth's physical changes4 ,nowhere do we meet with conflicting plans2 but throughout all nature1 from the earliest zoophyte and sea-weed of the silurian rocks to the young animals and plants that came into existence to-day1 and from the choice gems that were produced when the earth was without form and void1 to the crystals which are now forming in the chemist's laboratory1 one golden chain of harmony links all together1 and identifies all as the work of the same infinite mind4 ,in all the numerous examples of design which we have selected from the various animal and vegetable remains that occur in a fossil state1 says ,dr4 ,buckland1 there is such a never-failing identity in the fundamental principles of their construction1 and such uniform adoption of analogous means to produce various ends1 with so much only of departure from one common type of mechanism as was requisite to adapt each instrument to its own especial function1 and to fit each species to its peculiar place and office in the scale of created beings1 that we can scarcely fail to acknowledge in all these facts a demonstration of the unity of the intelligence in which such transcendent harmony originated2 and we may almost dare to assert that neither atheism nor polytheism would ever have found acceptance in the world1 had the evidences of high intelligence and unity of design which have been disclosed by modern discoveries in physical science been fully known to the authors or the abetters of systems to which they are so diametrically opposed4 ,it is the same handwriting that we read1 the same system and contrivance that we trace1 the same unity of object and relation to final causes which we see maintained throughout1 and constantly proclaiming the unity of the great divine original4--,bridgewater ,treatise1 p4 #ehd4 ,the earth1 from her deep foundations1 unites with the celestial orbs1 that roll throughout boundless space1 to declare the glory and show forth the praise of their common ,author and ,preserver2 and the voice of natural religion accords harmoniously with the testimonies of revelation1 in ascribing the origin of the universe to the will of one eternal and dominant intelligence1 the almighty ,lord and supreme ,first ,cause of all things that subsist2 the same yesterday1 to-day1 and forever1 before the mountains were brought forth1 or ever the earth and the world were made1 ,god from everlasting and without end4--,bridgewater ,treatise1 p4 #eif4 ,,lecture ,,ix4 ,,the ,,hypothesis ,,of ,,creation ,,by ,,law4 ,in all ages of the world1 where men have been enlightened enough to reason upon the causes of phenomena1 a mysterious and a mighty power has been imputed to the laws of nature4 ,a large portion of the most enlightened men have felt as if those laws not only explain1 but possess an inherent potency to continue1 the ordinary operations of nature4 ,most men of this description1 however1 have thought that to originate nature must have demanded the special exercise of an infinite and all-wise ,being4 ,but a few1 in every age1 have endeavored to exalt law into a ,creator1 as well as ,controller1 of the world4 ,the hypothesis has assumed a great variety of forms1 and until recently few have attempted to draw it out in all its details1 and apply it to all nature4 ,among the ancient philosophers it was based on the eternity of matter1 and made the foundation of a system of rank atheism4 ,starting with the position1 as an axiom1 that nothing produces nothing1--in other words1 that creation out of nothing is impossible1--,democritus maintained that all existence was the result of two necessary and self-existent principles1 viz41 space1 infinite in extent1 and atoms1 infinite in number4 ,the latter have been eternally in motion1 in directions varying from right lines2 and their necessary collisions have produced the various forms of organic and inorganic nature4 ,to produce animals and plants1 it was only necessary that the atoms should be suitably arranged4 ,the only animating principle was the rapid agitation of atoms4 ,in modern times1 very few philosophers have ventured to solve the whole problem of the universe by any self-acting1 self-producing power in nature4 ,la ,place limited himself to the mode in which the great bodies of the universe were produced by the vertical movements of nebulous matter2 although his object1 equally with that of ,democritus and ,epicurus1 was to dispense with an intelligent1 personal ,deity4 ,lamarck1 ,geoffrey ,st4 ,hilaire1 and ,bory ,st4 ,vincent1 assuming the existence of matter and its laws1 have endeavored to show1 by the inherent vitality of some parts of matter1 how the first or lowest classes of animals and plants may have been produced2 and how1 from these1 by the theory of development and the force of circumstances1 all the higher families1 with their instincts and intellects1 may have been evolved4 ,a still more recent1 but anonymous1 writer has had the boldness to unite these nebular hypotheses1 with those of spontaneous generation and transmutation1 into a single system1 and to attempt to clothe it with the garb of philosophy2 nay1 to do this in consistency1 not only with ,theism1 but with a belief in revelation4 ,this theory is what ,i denominate the hypothesis of creation by law4 ,and judging from its wide reception1 we should be led to infer that it had strong probabilities in its favor4 ,it should1 therefore1 at least receive a careful and candid examination4 ,for though many of its statements and conclusions are absurd1 and some of them are highly ridiculous1 the hypothesis1 at least in some of its parts1 falls in with certain loose notions that have got possession of the public mind1 and which nothing but cogent reasoning can eradicate4 ,before entering upon such an examination1 however1 it seems necessary to go somewhat more into detail in illustration of the nature of this hypothesis4 ,it may conveniently be described under the heads of cosmogony1 which attempts to account for the origin of the world2 zoogony1 which explains the origin of animals2 and zoonomy1 which describes the laws of animal life4#ag ,the cosmogony of this theory is embraced in what is denominated the nebular hypothesis1 propounded by the eminent mathematician ,la ,place4 ,he supposes that1 originally1 the whole solar system constituted only one vast mass of nebulous matter1 being expanded into the thinnest vapor and gas by heat1 and more than filling the space at present occupied by the planets4 ,this vapor1 he still further supposes1 had a revolution from west to east on an axis4 ,as the heat diminished by radiation1 the nebulous matter must condense1 and consequently the velocity of rotation must increase1 and an exterior zone of vapor might be detached2 since the central attraction might not be able to overcome the increased centrifugal force4 ,this ring of vapor might sometimes retain its original form1 as in the case of ,saturn's ring2 but the tendency would be1 in general1 to divide into several masses1 which1 by coalescing again1 would form a single mass1 having a revolution about the sun1 and on its axis4 ,this would constitute a planet in a state of vapor2 and by the detachment of successive rings might all the planets be produced4 ,as they went on contracting1 by the same law1 satellites might be formed to each2 and the ultimate result would be solid planets and satellites1 revolving around the sun in nearly the same plane1 and in the same direction1 and also on their axes4 ,although this hypothesis has been regarded with favor by many philosophers1 who were ,theists1 and even ,christians1 yet the object of ,la ,place in proposing it was to sustain atheism4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton had expressed the conviction that the admirable arrangement of the solar system cannot but be the work of an intelligent and most powerful ,being4 ,la ,place declared that1 in this statement1 ,newton had deviated from the method of true philosophy1 and brought forward these views to sustain his declaration4 ,whether they do sustain it1 will be considered in another place4 ,but since it is one of those modes in which men have attempted to account for the universe without a ,deity1 it is a proper subject of examination in this lecture1 in which we are inquiring whether law alone will account for the creation and sustentation of the universe4 ,the zoogony of this hypothesis undertakes to show how animals and plants may be produced without any special exercise of creating power on the part of the ,deity4 ,it supposes matter to be endowed with certain laws1 whose operation alone will determine life in brute matter1 or1 rather1 whose operation constitutes life4 ,some would have it that a part of matter is essentially vital2 that is1 endowed with inherent life2 and that this matter1 like leaven1 communicates life to dead matter arranged in a certain order4 ,but the more modern view is1 that life is produced by electrical agency4 ,it is found that the fundamental form of organic beings is a globule1 having another globule forming within it4 ,it is also found that globules may be produced in albumen by electricity2 and if we could discover how nature produces albumen1 it is thought that the whole process by which living organisms are produced would be distinctly before us4 ,it seems to be simply the operation of electricity1 and requires no intervention of special creating energy4 ,if the question arises1 ,whence came such marvellous laws to exist in nature8 the atheist replies that matter and its laws are eternal1 having neither beginning nor end2 while the ,theist1 who maintains this hypothesis1 asserts that1 when ,god created matter1 he endowed it with such laws1 having an inherent1 self-executing power4 ,having thus ascertained1 as it supposes1 how life and organization in the simplest forms may be produced1 the next inquiry is1 how the more perfect and complicated forms of organic beings may be developed by laws1 without divine power4 ,this constitutes the zoonomy of the subject4 ,the ,french zoologist1 ,lamarck1 first drew out and formally defended this hypothesis1 aided by others1 as ,geoffroy ,st4 ,hilaire and ,bory ,st4 ,vincent4 ,their supposition was1 that there is a power in nature1 which they sometimes denominated the ,deity1 yet did not allow it to be intelligent and independent1 but a mere blind1 instrumental force4 ,this power1 they supposed1 was able to produce what they called monads1 or rough draughts of animals and plants4 ,these monads were the simplest of all organic beings1 mere aggregations of matter1 some of them supposed to be inherently vital4 ,and such monads are the only things ever produced directly by this blind deity4 ,but in these monads there was supposed to reside an inherent tendency to progressive improvement4 ,the wants of this living mass of jelly were supposed to produce such effects as would gradually form new organs1 as the hands1 the feet1 and the mouth4 ,these changes would be aided by another principle1 which they called the force of external circumstances1 by which they meant the influence upon its development of its peculiar condition2 as1 for instance1 a conatus for flying1 produced by the internal principle1 would form wings in birds2 a conatus for swimming in water would form the fins and tails of fishes2 and a conatus for walking would form the feet and legs of quadrupeds4 ,thus the organs were not formed to meet the wants1 but by the wants1 of the animal and plant4 ,of course1 new wants would produce new organs2 and thus have animals been growing more and more complicated and perfect from the earliest periods of geological history4 ,man began his course as a monad1 but1 by the force of ,lamarck's two principles1 has reached the most elevated rank on the scale of animals4 ,his last condition before his present was that of the monkey tribe1 especially that of the orang-outang4 ,the advocates of this hypothesis generally1 however1 suppose that there are from three to fifteen species of men1 and that the different races are not mere varieties of one species4 ,the most perfect species1 the ,caucasian1 after leaving the monkey state1 has gradually risen through the inferior species1 and is still making progress2 so that we cannot tell where they will stop4 ,in general1 the advocates of this hypothesis are materialists2 that is1 they do not suppose that there is a soul in man1 distinct from the body1 but that thought is one of the functions of the brain4 ,they usually also regard moral qualities as mainly dependent upon organization1 agreeably to the opinions of ultra phrenologists2 and hence that they are more to be pitied than blamed for their deviations from rectitude4 ,such is the hypothesis4 ,let us now1 in the first place1 assume it to be proved1 and see what inferences follow4 ,i remark1 first1 that the occurrence of events according to law does not remove the necessity of a divine contriving1 superintending1 and sustaining ,power4 ,that every event in the universe takes place according to fixed laws ,i am ready to admit4 ,for what is a natural law8 ,nothing more nor less than the uniform mode in which divine power acts4 ,in the case of miracles1 it may be that the ordinary laws of nature are suspended or counteracted2 at least1 they are increased or diminished in their power4 ,yet from what we know of the divine perfections1 we must conclude that ,god has certain fixed rules by which he is regulated in the performance of miracles2 and1 of course1 in the same circumstances we should expect the same miracles4 ,so that we may reasonably admit that even miracles are regulated and controlled by law1 like common events2 though1 from the infrequency of the former1 men cannot understand the laws that regulate them4 ,now1 if the advocates of this hypothesis mean simply that every event is regulated by law1--in other words1 that with like antecedents like consequents will be connected1--,i have no controversy with them2 and such is the precise statement of a modern anonymous popular writer on the subject4 ,he declares that his purpose is1 to show that the whole revelation of the works of ,god presented to our senses and reason is a system based on what we are compelled1 for want of a better term1 to call law2 by which1 however1 is not meant a system independent or exclusive of the ,deity1 but one which only proposes a certain mode of his working4--,sequel to the ,vestiges of ,nat4 ,hist4 of ,creation1 p4 #b4--;,but this is by no means all that is meant by this hypothesis4 ,nay1 the grand object of the writer above quoted is1 to show that there is no such thing as miraculous interference in the creation or preservation of the universe4 ,he admits only the ordinary laws of nature1 but denies all special and extraordinary laws2 and says that it does not appear necessary that ,god should exercise an immediately superintending power over the mundane economy4--,vestiges1 p4 #bgc4--,nay1 he denies that the original creation of the universe and of animals and plants required any thing but the operation of natural laws2 of such laws as we see and understand4 ,the thought does not seem to have occurred to him1 that special and miraculous acts of the ,deity may be as truly governed by law as the motions of planets4 ,every thing of that sort he seems to regard as a violation of law1--a stepping aside from fixed principles1--a sort of afterthought with ,jehovah1--a remedy for some defect in his original plans4 ,true1 the law of miracles and of special providence is very different from the common course of nature2 and1 therefore1 the one may for a time supersede the others4 ,but this does not prove that the former is not regulated by laws2 nor that it did not enter into the original plan of the universe in the divine mind4 ,it must have been a part of that plan2 every thing was a part of it1 and there can be with him no afterthought1 no improvement1 no alteration of his eternal designs4 ,admitting that every event1 miraculous as well as common1 is under law1 it by no means renders a present directing and energizing ,deity unnecessary4 ,this hypothesis admits that organic life had a beginning1 for its grand object is to show how it began by law alone4 ,now1 who gave to matter1 in a gaseous state1 such wonderful laws that this fair world should be the result of their operation8 ,if it would require infinite wisdom as well as power to create the present universe at once out of nothing1 would it demand less of contrivance and skill to impart such powers to brute matter8 ,it was not merely a power to produce organic natures1 to form their complicated organs1 to give life1 and instinct1 and intellect2 but to adapt each particle1 each organ1 each animal1 and each plant1 most exactly and most wonderfully to its place in the vast system1 so that every single thing should most beautifully harmonize with every other thing4 ,again4 ,what is a natural law without the presence and energizing power of the lawgiver8 ,how easily are men bewildered by words6 and none has led more astray than this word law4 ,we talk about its power to produce certain effects2 but who can point out any inherent power of this sort which it possesses8 ,who can show how a law operates but through the energizing influence of the lawgiver8 ,how unphilosophical then to separate a law of nature from the ,deity1 and to imagine him to have withdrawn from his works6 ,for to do this would be to annihilate the law4 ,he must be present every moment1 and direct every movement of the universe1 just as really as the mind of man must be in the body to produce its movements4 ,take away ,god from the universe1 or let him cease to act mentally upon it1 and every movement would as instantly and certainly cease1 as would every movement of the human frame1 were the mind to be withdrawn1 or cease to will4 ,we realize the necessity of the divine presence and energy to produce a miracle4 ,but if miracles are performed according to law1 as much as common events1--and we surely cannot prove they are not1--why is a present ,deity any more necessary in the one case than in the other8 ,the ,bible considers common and miraculous events exactly alike in this respect4 ,and true philosophy teaches the same4 ,i see not1 then1 why this law hypothesis does not require an infinite ,deity1 just as much as the ordinary belief1 which supposes that ,god originally created the universe by his fiat1 and sustains it constantly by his power1 and from time to time interferes with the regular sequence of cause and effect by miracles4 ,the only difference seems to be this3 ,while the common view represents ,god as always watching over his works1 and ready1 whenever necessary1 to make special interpositions1 the law hypothesis introduces him only at the very dawn of the universe1 exerting his infinite wisdom and power to devise and endow matter with exquisite laws1 capable1 by their inherent self-executing power1 of originating all organic natures1 and producing the infinite variety of nature1 and keeping in play her countless and unceasing agencies4 ,it was only necessary that he should impress attenuated matter with these laws1 and then put the machine in motion1 and it would go on forever1 without any need of ,god's presence or agency2 so that he might henceforward give himself up to undisturbed repose4 ,i know1 indeed1 that ,la ,place1 and some other advocates of this latter hypothesis1 do not admit any necessity for a ,deity even to originate matter or its laws2 and to prove this was the object of the nebular hypothesis4 ,but how evident that in this he signally failed6 ,for even though he could show how nebulous matter1 placed in a certain position1 and having a revolution1 might be separated into sun and planets1 by merely mechanical laws1 yet where1 save in an infinite ,deity1 lie the power and the wisdom to originate that matter1 and to bring it into such a condition1 that1 by blind laws alone1 it would produce such a universe--so harmonious1 so varied1 so nicely adjusted in its parts and relations as the one we inhabit8 ,especially1 how does this hypothesis show in what manner these worlds could be peopled by countless myriads of organic natures1 most exquisitely contrived1 and fitted to their condition8 ,the atheist may say that matter is eternal4 ,but if so1 what but an infinite mind could in time begin the work of organic creation8 ,if the matter existed for eternal ages without being brought into order1 and into organic structures1 why did it not continue in the same state forever8 ,does the atheist say1 ,all is the result of laws inherent in matter8 ,but how could those laws remain dormant through all past eternity1--that is1 through a period literally infinite1--and then at length be aroused into intense action8 ,besides1 to impute the present wise arrangements and organic creations of the world to law1 is to endow that law with all the attributes with which the ,theist invests the ,deity4 ,nothing short of intelligence1 and wisdom1 and benevolence1 and power1 infinitely above what man possesses1 will account for the present world4 ,if there is1 then1 a power inherent in matter adequate to the production of such effects1 that power must be the same as the ,deity2 and1 therefore1 it is truly the ,deity1 by whatever name we call it4 ,in short1 the fact that ,la ,place did not see that his hypothesis utterly failed to account for the universe without a ,deity1 strikingly shows us1 that a man may be a giant in mathematics1 while he is only a pygmy in moral reasoning2 or1 to make the statement more general1 how a man1 by an exclusive cultivation of one faculty of the soul1 may shrivel all the rest into a nutshell4 ,from these views and reasonings1 it is clear1 ,i think1 that the hypothesis of creation by law does not necessarily destroy the theory of religion4 ,for if we admit that every thing in the world of matter and of mind1 not excepting miracles and special providences1 is regulated1 if not produced1 by law1 it does not take away the necessity of a contriving1 sustaining1 and energizing ,deity4 ,even though we admit that ,god has communicated to nature's laws1 at the beginning1 a power to execute themselves1 7though the supposition is quite unphilosophical17 no event is any the less ,god's work1 than if all were miraculous4 ,in consistency with this conclusion1 we find that while some advocates of this hypothesis evidently intended it to sustain atheism1 its most plausible advocate1 as we have seen1 fully admits1 not only the divine existence1 but the reality of revelation4 ,it may1 indeed1 be doubted whether this anonymous writer has not virtually taken away the ,deity1 and even moral accountability1 by his materialism and his ultra-phrenology2 yet we do not see but he may assert his law system without denying ,god's existence or attributes4 ,it must be admitted1 however1 that the influence of this hypothesis upon practical religion is disastrous4 ,it does1 apparently1 so remove the ,deity from all concern in the affairs of the world1 and so foists law into his place1 that practically there is no ,god4 ,if his agency is acknowledged1 as having put the vast machine in motion1 in some indefinitely remote period of past duration1 yet the feeling is1 that since then he has given up the reins into the hands of law1 so that man has nothing to do with him1 but only with nature's laws2 that he has only to submit to these1 and not expect any interposition for his relief1 however earnestly he cry for it4 ,now1 it is obviously the intention and desire of the advocates of this hypothesis thus to remove ,god away from his works1 and from their thoughts2 else why should they so strenuously resist the notion of miracles8 ,for these may just as properly be referred to law as common events4 ,yet it is one of the most striking features of the hypothesis1 that it opposes strongly the idea of any special oversight and interposition on the part of the ,deity4 ,true1 when we look at the subject philosophically1 we must acknowledge that an event is just as really the work of ,god1 when brought about by laws which he ordains and energizes1 as by miraculous interposition4 ,still the practical influence of these two views of ,providence is quite different4 ,whoever the author of the ,vestiges may be1 he has evidently lived in a religious community1 and felt the influence of a religious atmosphere2 for he tries to conform his system as much as possible to the principles of ,protestant ,christianity4 ,in other words1 he feels so much the power of practical piety around him1 that he does not suffer the influence of the system which he advocates to exhibit itself fully1 nor to drive him into those extravagances of belief which naturally result from it4 ,in order to see what is its natural tendency1 we need to go to such a country as ,germany1 or ,switzerland1 where there is little to restrain the wildest vagaries of belief4 ,in the works of ,professor ,lorenz ,oken1 of ,zurich1 we see fully developed the tendencies and results of this hypothesis of development by law1 combined with the unintelligible idealism of ,kant1 ,fichte1 ,schelling1 c4 ,in his ,physio-philosophy1 translated by the ,ray ,society for the edification of sober1 matter-of-fact ,anglo-,saxons1 we find a man1 of strong mind and extensive knowledge1 taking the most ridiculous positions with the stoutest dogmatism1 and the most imperturbable gravity1 yet whose blasphemy is equalled only by their absurdity4 ,let a few quotations illustrate and confirm this statement4 ,the highest mathematical idea1 or the fundamental principle of all mathematics1 is the zero #j4 ,zero is in itself nothing4 ,mathematics is based upon nothing1 and consequently arises out of nothing4 ,real and ideal are no more different from each other than ice and water3 both of these1 as is well known1 are essentially one and the same1 and yet are different1 the diversity consisting in the form4 ,every real is absolutely nothing else than a number4 ,the ,eternal is the nothing of nature4 ,there is no other science than that which treats of nothing4 ,there exists nothing but nothing--nothing but the ,eternal4 ,every thing in the world is endowed with life2 the world itself is alive1 and continues only1 maintains itself by virtue of its life4 ,man is ,god wholly manifested4 ,god has become man1 zero has become --4 ,man is the whole of arithmetic1 compacted1 however1 out of all numbers2 he can1 therefore1 produce numbers out of himself4 ,animals are men who never imagine4 ,they are beings who never attain to consciousness concerning themselves4 ,they are single accounts2 man is the whole of mathematics4 ,arithmetic is the truly absolute or divine science4 ,theology is arithmetic personified4 ,for ,god to become real1 he must appear under the form of the sphere4 ,there is no other form for ,god4 ,god manifesting is an infinite sphere4 ,god is a rotating globe2 the world is ,god rotating4 ,the whole universe is material1 is nothing but matter2 for it is the primary act repeating itself eternally in the centre4 ,the universe is a rotating globe of matter4 ,there is no dead matter2 it is alive through its being1 through the ,eternal that is in it4 ,matter has no existence in itself1 but it is the ,eternal only that exists in it4 ,every thing is ,god that is there1 and without ,god there is absolutely nothing4 ,every thing that is is material4 ,now1 however1 there is nothing that is not2 consequently there is every where nothing immaterial4 ,fire is the totality of ether1 is ,god manifested in his totality4 ,every thing that is has originated out of fire2 every thing is only cooled1 rigidified fire4 ,god being in himself is gravity2 acting1 self-emergent light2 both together1 or returning into himself1 heat4 ,god only is monocentral4 ,the world is the bicentral ,god1 ,god the monocentral world1 which is the same with the monas and dyas4 ,self-consciousness is a living ellipse4 ,god is a threefold trinity2 at first the eternal1 then the ethereal1 and finally the terrestrial1 where it is completely divided4 ,the symbolical doctrine of the colors is correct according to the philosophy of nature4 ,red is fire1 love--,father4 ,blue is air1 truth1 and belief--,son4 ,green is water1 formation1 hope--,ghost4 ,these are the three cardinal virtues4 ,yellow is earth1 the immovable1 inexorable falsity1 the only vice--,satan4 ,there are three virtues1 but only one vice4 ,a result obtained by physio-philosophy1 whereof pneumato-philosophy as yet augurs nothing4 ,the primary mucus1 out of which every thing organic has been created1 is the sea mucus4 ,the whole sea is alive4 ,it is a fluctuating1 ever self-elevating1 and ever self-depressing organism4 ,if the organic fundamental substance consist of infusoria1 so must the whole organic world originate from infusoria4 ,plants and animals can be only metamorphoses of infusoria4 ,no organism has consequently been created of larger size than an infusorial point2 whatever is larger has not been created1 but developed4 ,the mind1 just as the body1 must be developed out of these animals1 7infusoria47 ,the human body has been formed by an extreme separation of the neuro-protoplasmic or mucous mass2 so must the human mind be a separation1 a memberment of infusorial sensation4 ,the highest mind is an anatomized or dismembered mesmerism1 each member whereof has been constituted independent in itself4 ,the liver is the soul in a state of sleep1 the brain is the soul active and awakening4 ,circumspection and forethought appear to be the thoughts of the bivalve mollusca1 and snails4 ,gazing upon a snail1 one believes that he finds the prophesying goddess sitting upon the tripod4 ,what majesty is in a creeping snail1 what reflection1 what earnestness1 what timidity1 and yet at the same time what firm confidence6 ,surely a snail is an exalted symbol of mind slumbering deeply within itself4 ,it is difficult for an ,anglo-,saxon mind to believe that a man who could write thus was not out of his senses4 ,yet ,oken is an eminent physiologist1 and has made1 it is said1 important discoveries in respect to the cranial homologies1 which have been developed in ,professor ,owen's work on the ,homologies of the ,vertebrate ,skeleton4 ,nay1 ,oken declares himself to have written his ,physio-philosophy in a kind of inspiration--from what world the religious man might be in doubt4 ,these extravagant notions show what is the natural tendency of the law hypothesis4 ,yet it does not necessarily convert a man into an atheist4 ,and if any of its advocates declare themselves ,theists1 and even ,christians1 we need not regard them as hypocrites1 though we may consider them as in an eminently dangerous position2 and that1 when they shall act consistently1 they will swing off into utter irreligion4 ,but my arguments against the hypothesis will be based on the position that it is not sustained by facts2 and this is the second position of my lecture4 ,the nebular hypothesis is a part of the foundation on which the doctrine of creation by law rests4 ,and the high scientific reputation of its author1 as well as its apparent coincidence with some of the deductions of geology respecting the earliest condition of the earth1 have made philosophers look upon it with considerable favor4 ,yet very few have been ready to give it implicit credence4 ,and of late the most plausible evidence in its favor seems to be fast vanishing away4 ,the ablest mechanicians are unable to see how a rotary motion should be produced in nebulous matter by refrigeration2 or1 if this be assumed1 how the successive portions1 detached by superior centrifugal force1 should form spherical masses4 ,but a still more formidable objection lies in the fact that1 as improvements are made in telescopes1 one and another of the nebulae1 on which the hypothesis rests1 have been resolved into stars2 and the presumption hence arising is very strong that all are resolvable4 ,in the present aspect of the subject1 no sagacious philosopher would dare to rest even an hypothesis upon the unresolved nebulae4 ,if1 however1 the nebular hypothesis were shown to be true1 it would prove nothing in regard to the production of animals and plants by mere law1 without the special agency of the ,deity4 ,the essential and inherent vitality of some kinds of matter is another doctrine on which this hypothesis rests4 ,in vain1 says ,bory ,st4 ,vincent1 has matter been considered as eminently brute4 ,many observations prove that1 if it is not all active1 by its very nature1 a part of it is essentially so2 and the presence of this1 operating according to certain laws1 is able to produce life in an agglomeration of the molecules2 and since these laws will always be imperfectly known1 it will at least be rash to maintain that an infinite intelligence did not impose them2 since they are manifested by their results4--,dictionnaire ,classique d',histoire ,naturelle1 art4 ,materie4 ,the observations to which this writer refers to sustain his hypothesis are those which had been made upon certain vegetable infusions1 which1 in certain circumstances1 exhibited minute particles in motion1 apparently by vital forces4 ,these were called monads1 and were not supposed to be distinct animals1 but only atoms1 ready to be organized4 ,the more modern and accurate researches of ,ehrenberg and others1 however1 have shown1 beyond all doubt1 that these monads are true animals1 the minutest of all living beings hitherto discovered4 ,not less than twenty-six species of them have been described and figured by microscopists1 the smallest of which never exceeds the twelve thousandth of an inch in diameter4 ,the vegetable physiologists have described certain peculiar motions in the minute vessels of plants1 that might readily be regarded as matter essentially vital4 ,i refer to what they call rotation and cyclosis4 ,but these are never seen save in the living plant2 and1 therefore1 seem dependent on the general life of the vegetable4 ,there is1 however1 danger of mistaking certain motions of the particles of matter1 by chemical agency1 for the effect of vitality4 ,a curious example is thus described by ,ehrenberg1 which was discovered by ,professor ,bornsdorff4 ,if a solution of the chloride of aluminum be dropped into a solution of potassa1 by the alternate precipitation and solution of the aluminum1 in the excess of the alkali1 an appearance will be given to the drop of aluminate matter1 by the chemical changes and reactions which take place1 as if the ,amoeba diffluens were actually present1 both as to its form and evolutions1 and will seem to be alive4 ,such appearance is considered by its able discoverer as bearing the same relationship to the real animalcule as a doll1 or a figure moved by mechanism1 does to a living child4 ,we see1 then1 that the supports on which rests the doctrine of the essential vitality of matter1 give way before better instruments and more careful research4 ,another statement1 however1 of much higher pretensions1 has lately been made1 and on no mean authority4 ,able electricians declare that1 by passing currents of galvanism through solutions of silicate or ferrocyanate of potassa1 or some analogous substance1 after a time1 sometimes several years1 numerous small insects have been developed1 belonging to the acari family4 ,these experiments appear to have been conducted with fairness and skill2 and that the insects showed themselves at the pole of the battery1 around which the gelatinous silex collected1 cannot be doubted4 ,it is true1 however1 that1 when the solution was exposed to the atmosphere1 the insects appeared much sooner and more numerous than when care was taken to exclude every thing but oxygen enough to sustain life4 ,this fact leads to the suspicion that the ova of the insect might have been communicated through the air1 and that1 even when an attempt was made to exclude the atmosphere1 some ova were still present4 ,this conclusion is rendered still more probable by some experiments made by ,professor ,schulz1 of ,berlin1 on the production of infusoria4 ,having first boiled the vegetable and animal infusions1 so as to destroy all germs of organic life1 and expelled all the atmosphere1 he attached an apparatus in such a manner that1 whatever air entered afterwards1 must pass through sulphuric acid1 or a solution of potash4 ,the result was1 that no infusoria or vegetable forms appeared during two months2 but in the same infusion1 placed in the open air1 and exposed to the same light and heat as that enclosed in the glass vessel1 numerous animalcula and fungi appeared in a day or two4 ,it will need1 therefore1 very long and patient experiments to establish the assertion that galvanism alone can produce living animals without the presence of germs4 ,not many years since1 the equivocal or casual production of animalcula1 without any other parentage than law1 was thought to be made out by a multitude of facts4 ,for these minute creatures appeared almost every where1 and in places where it seemed impossible that their ova should be found4 ,but the researches of ,ehrenberg have cleared up the difficulties of their origination in the ordinary modes of reproduction1 in nearly every instance1 and the advocates of the law hypothesis have been fairly driven from this stronghold of their argument4 ,in describing the various modes of reproduction with which nature has provided the infusoria1 ,professor ,owen says1 ,thus each leaves1 by the last act of its life1 the means of perpetuating and diffusing its species by thousands of fertile germs4 ,when once the thickly tenanted pool is dried up1 and its bottom converted into a layer of dust1 these inconceivably minute and light ova will be raised with the dust by the first puff of wind1 diffused through the atmosphere1 and may there remain long suspended2 forming1 perhaps1 their share of the particles which we see flickering in the sunbeam1 ready to fall into any collection of water1 beaten down by every summer shower into the streams or pools which receive or may be formed by such showers1 and1 by virtue of their tenacity of life1 ready to develop themselves whenever they may find the requisite conditions of their existence4 ,the possibility1 or1 rather1 the high probability1 that such is the design of the oviparous generation of the infusoria1 and such the common mode of the diffusion of their ova1 renders the hypothesis of equivocal generation1 which has been so frequently invoked to explain their origin in new-formed natural or artificial infusions1 quite gratuitous4--,lectures on ,comp4 ,anat4 vol4 ii4 p4 #ca4 ,no longer able to maintain a foothold among the animalcula1 the defenders of this hypothesis have of late attempted to take a stand among animals of a somewhat higher grade1 viz41 the entozoa1 or animals inhabiting other animals4 ,these being considerably larger than the infusoria1 their ova could not float in the atmosphere2 but they possess a wonderful tenacity of life2 some of them exhibiting signs of life after having been in boiling water for an hour2 others have revived after having been packed for a long time in ice1 and frozen2 others have revived after lying in a dried state for six or seven years4 ,their power of reproduction1 in the ordinary modes1 is also prodigious1 exceeding even that of the infusoria4 ,it will1 then1 demand very strong evidence to prove that such animals possess also the power of spontaneous production1 without parentage1 or that their existence within other animals cannot be explained without such a supposition4 ,for1 if capable of being produced without parentage1 why should such extraordinary care have been taken for their multiplication1 in almost all the ordinary modes in which animals are reproduced8 ,the extraordinary facts that have been discovered by ,professors ,steenstrup1 ,owen1 and others1 within a few years1 respecting what they call alternate generation1 or parthenogenesis1 have been thought favorable to the hypothesis of development4 ,among the mollusca1 the polyparia1 the entozoa1 and infusoria1 it is found that1 in some species1 the result of sexual union is the production of a larva without sex1 and1 therefore1 incapable of propagating in the usual way4 ,yet that larva can of itself produce another larva quite different from itself1 and this larva another1 and so on1 sometimes for eight or ten generations1 when the spermatic force seems to be exhausted1 and a progeny exactly like the original parents that started the series is produced1 capable of giving rise to another and a similar series4 ,here1 then1 we find a succession of progeny for several generations1 and all quite unlike one another1 yet without any immediate parental agency4 ,why is it not an example of spontaneous generation8 and why may not new species be produced in this manner8 ,there are two facts prominent on this subject which afford a full answer to such questions4 ,one is1 that these generations of larvae always begin with the spermatozoon and the ovum of parents2 the other is1 that the series always closes1 if allowed to run its natural course1 in individuals with sex1 exactly identical with those that started it2 so that the species always remains entire4 ,the whole process is simply one of the infinitely varied modes which nature employs to preserve and perfect the species4 ,the process never stops with any of the larvae intervening between the fertile parents at the beginning1 and the fertile individuals at the end of the series4 ,professor ,owen supposes--certainly with much plausibility--that some of the original germ-cells1 not wanted for the production of the first larva1 pass on to form the successive generations1 till the series is complete2 so that1 after all1 the case is not an exception to the general law of reproduction by parental agency2 and instead of sustaining1 it certainly goes against1 the notion of spontaneous generation and of transmutation of species2 because it shows how far parental influence may reach1 and how tenacious nature is of specific distinctions4 ,for the same reasons1 the case affords a presumption against other alleged cases of equivocal generation and metamorphoses of species4#ah ,appeal has also been made to the vegetable kingdom for examples of the production of organic beings1 viz41 plants without seeds4 ,who has not observed1 for instance1 how the clearing up and burning over of a piece of land will often cause an entirely new tribe of plants to spring up and flourish8 ,whence came the seeds8 ,we have seen1 for instance1 7in ,richmond1 ,virginia17 a thick growth of pines upon a spot where from six to ten feet of soil had been removed a few years previously4 ,it is very possible1 in some cases of this kind1 that the soil1 having been produced by aqueous agencies1 may contain seeds to a considerable depth1 and that their vitality may have been preserved for centuries2 for we know that seeds three thousand years old1 taken from ,egyptian catacombs1 have germinated1 in favorable circumstances4 ,in most cases of this sort1 however1 the winds have probably supplied the seed1 it may be1 long before4 ,we were one day wandering over ,mount ,holyoke1 where a spot recently cleared was covered with the fire-weed1 a species of senecio2 and as we were musing upon its origin1 a strong blast of wind swept over the plants1 just ready to throw off their seeds4 ,sustained by their light egrets1 they floated away on the air in numbers sufficient to cover half the mountain with the plant1 when it should be cleared and burnt over4 ,yet their existence would never be suspected till those circumstances should be developed4 ,at least1 until we can prove that the soil contains no seeds by the most careful examination1 it will be premature to infer the equivocal production of the plants growing upon it4 ,vegetable physiology furnishes another fact1 which seems to me to look still more favorable to this law hypothesis than the preceding1 although it has not been noticed1 so far as ,i know1 by the advocates of that hypothesis4 ,speaking of the matter of which certain flowerless plants are composed1 ,dr4 ,lindlay says1 ,it is even uncertain whether this matter will produce its like1 and whether it is not a mere representation of the vital principle of vegetation1 capable of being called into action1 either as a fungus1 or algae1 or lichen1 according to the particular conditions of heat1 light1 and moisture1 and the medium in which it is placed2 producing fungi upon dead or putrid organic beings1 lichens upon living vegetables1 earth1 or stones1 and algae where water is the medium in which it is developed4 ,again1 in speaking of that green slime which often covers the soil1 rocks1 walls1 and glass in damp places1 he says1 ,the slime resembles a layer of albumen1 spread with a brush2 it exfoliates in drying1 and finally becomes visible by the manner in which it colors green or deep brown4 ,one might call it a provisional creation1 waiting to be organized1 and then assuming different forms according to the nature of the corpuscles which penetrate it1 or develop among it4 ,it may further be said to be the origin of two very distinct existences1 the one certainly animal1 the other purely vegetable4--,natural ,system1 pp4 #cbf1 #cbh1 #ccd4 ,now1 admitting all the facts that have been detailed respecting the production of infusoria1 entozoa1 acari1 and cryptogamian plants to be true1 although most of them are far from being proved1 it seems to me that they do not show us how vitality is produced by mere law1 without the special agency of the ,deity4 ,writers on the subject seem to overlook the distinction between organization and life4 ,the first may be present in its highest perfection without the latter1 as it is in animals and plants recently killed4 ,the organization is merely a preparation to receive the mysterious principles which we call life and intellect4 ,light1 heat1 and electricity may be the essential agents in producing the organization1 but they do not explain the nature1 or account for the presence1 of life4 ,that must1 so far as we know1 come from some other and a higher source4 ,galvanism may bring gelatinous matter into the form of an insect1 or infusoria1 or entozoa2 but there is no evidence that it can impart life1 however exquisite the organization4 ,it may be1 and we have reason to suppose it is1 the divine will to bestow life whenever a certain organization exists2 but this does not show that his special agency is not concerned in it4 ,he may will that the peculiar life of a lichen shall be given to the same elementary matter which1 in another situation1 he constitutes an alga1 or a fungus1 or even an animal4 ,but this would not prove that natural law alone could produce life4 ,there is nowhere any evidence that sensibility1 contractility1 and especially intellect and volition1 are the result of any natural operations4 ,in their properties they are so entirely diverse from all known physical effects1 that we must impute them to some other than a natural cause4 ,we must call in the power of a supreme intelligent ,being4 ,the laws of affinity1 light1 heat1 and electricity1 of endosmose and exosmose1 may prepare the organization1 but their power ends there2 and hence true philosophy requires us to impute the phenomena of life and intellect to an extraneous and infinitely higher cause4 ,the case1 then1 stands thus3 ,in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred1 we are certain that organization requires the previous existence and agency of a being similarly organized1 which we call the parent4 ,but suppose that1 in a very few cases1 the laws of nature can produce the organization4 ,it still demands another and a higher power--not a blind impulse1 but an intelligent cause--to bestow life and intellect4 ,to prove the existence of a natural cause for the arrangement of the atoms into an organic structure1 does by no means prove the same for those higher and mysterious principles that make that structure a living1 thinking being4 ,such1 however1 are the strongest arguments by which the advocates of the law hypothesis sustain their views of the origin of organism1 life1 and intellect4 ,the next step in their reasoning is to show how animals and plants may be transmuted from one species1 or genus1 or family1 to another2 so that the existing vast variety can be traced to a few original germs4 ,they maintain that these developments of the more from the less perfect have proceeded along certain parallel lines2 one series of developments1 for instance1 taking the line of the fishes1 another of the reptiles1 another of the birds1 another of quadrupeds1 and so on4 ,to prove these developments or transmutations1 they appeal first to the physiological history of the mammalian embryo4 ,in its earliest stages1 it can hardly be distinguished1 except in size1 from the unborn polygastric infusoria4 ,the brain of a human embryo appears at first like that of an invertebrate animal2 next like that of a fish2 then successively like that of a reptile1 a bird1 a rodent mammal1 a ruminant1 and a monkey4 ,so the heart1 at an early stage1 looks like that of an insect2 then it has two chambers1 like that of a fish2 then it becomes three chambered1 like that of a reptile2 and finally1 four chambered1 as in the mammalia4 ,the inference which these theorists would draw from such facts is1 that man actually begins his existence as an animalcule1 and passes successively through the mould or condition of other animals1 before he reaches the highest4 ,and the reasons why he does become a man1 rather than an echinoderm1 or a fish1 or a monkey1 is only some slightly modifying circumstance1 as1 for instance1 a longer gestation4 ,it appears to me1 however1 that the inferences sound philosophy should derive from such facts are1 first1 that1 while there is a seeming resemblance between the human embryo and that of lower animals1 there is1 in fact1 a real and a wide diversity2 so that the one infallibly becomes an inferior animal1 and the other a man4 ,could a single example be produced in which a human embryo stopped at and became an insect1 or a fish1 or a monkey1 there might be some plausibility in the supposition4 ,but it is as certain to become a man as the sun is to rise and set2 and1 therefore1 the human condition results from laws as fixed as those that regulate the movements of the heavenly bodies4 ,that is a very superficial philosophy which infers identity of nature from mere external resemblance4 ,the phenomena of hybridity furnish another ground of argument in favor of the transmutation of species1 and of course in favor of the law hypothesis2 for that hybrids are sometimes the result of the union of different species will not be denied4 ,there is1 however1 a natural repugnance to union between different species2 and in a state of nature this can very rarely be overcome4 ,but domestication changes and almost obliterates many natural instincts1 and hence hybridity is far more common among domesticated animals and plants4 ,as a general fact1 also1 the hybrid offspring is incapable of propagating its own race1 without union with one of the original species by which it was produced2 and this inability to continue this mixed race has been generally regarded among naturalists as the best characteristic of species4 ,some1 however1 attempt to show that some hybrid races do continue from generation to generation to propagate their kind4 ,but in most cases the hybrid race ere long runs out1 and there is always a strong tendency to revert to the original stock2 and were it not for the influence of man1 probably such a thing as hybridity would scarcely ever have been heard of4 ,nature seems to have established strong barriers around species1 so that an identity should be preserved2 and even if we admit the possibility of their coalescence in some cases1 yet we have evidence that almost always they are preserved distinct from century to century2 and the same is true even of the more prominent varieties1 for we find not only the same species1 but the same varieties of animals and plants1 preserved some three thousand years in the ,egyptian catacombs1 that are now alive in the same country4 ,how idle1 then1 to suppose that the laws of hybridity will account for such radical and entire transmutations as this hypothesis supposes6 ,to accomplish this1 it would need as strong a tendency in nature to a union of species1 genera1 and families1 as now exists against it4 ,but a special appeal has been made on this subject to geology4 ,the history of organic remains1 it is thought1 corresponds to what we might expect1 if the hypothesis of development is true4 ,in the oldest rocks we find chiefly the more simple invertebrate animals1 and the vertebrated tribes appear at first in the form of fish1 then of reptiles1 then of birds1 then of mammals1 and last of all of man4 ,what better confirmation could we wish than this gradually expanding series8 ,true1 all the great classes of organic beings1 vegetable and animal1 are found nearly at the earliest epoch1 and continue through the entire series of rocks4 ,but we have only to suppose a distinct stirps for each of the classes1 and that the developments took place along parallel lines1 in order to harmonize the facts with the hypothesis4 ,such a general view of the subject of organic remains seems to give plausibility to the hypothesis of organic development4 ,but the tables are turned when we descend to particulars4 ,the idea of a distinct stirps or germ for each great class of animals and plants seems to me to destroy an essential feature of the hypothesis4 ,it supposes that law produces at once a vertebral animal and a flowering plant2 for the first1 certainly1 we find in the very lowest of the fossiliferous rocks4 ,the lower silurian1 says ,sir ,roderick ,murchison1 in #ahdg1 is no longer to be viewed as an invertebrate period1 for the onchus 7a genus of fish7 has been found in the ,llandeilo ,flags1 and in the lower silurian rocks of ,bala4 ,it is also a most important fact1 that this fish of the oldest rock was not1 as the development scheme would require1 of a low organization1 but quite high on the scale of fishes4 ,the same is true of all the earliest species of this class4 ,all our most ancient fossil fishes1 says ,professor ,sedgwick1 belong to a high organic type2 and the very oldest species that are well determined fall naturally into an order of fishes which ,owen and ,mueller place1 not at the bottom1 but at the top of the whole class4--,discourse on the ,studies of the ,university1 c4 #eth edit4 p4 lxiv4 pref4 ,this point has been fully and ably discussed by ,hugh ,miller1 ,esq41 in his late work1 ,the ,footprints of the ,creator1 or the ,asterolepis of ,stromness4 ,the asterolepis was one of these fishes found in the old red sandstone1 sometimes over twenty feet long2 yet1 says ,mr4 ,miller1 instead of being1 as the development hypothesis would require1 a fish low in its organization1 it seems to have ranged on the level of the highest ichthyic-reptilian families ever called into existence4 ,another point which ,mr4 ,miller has labored hard to establish1 and of which there seems to be no reasonable doubt1 is1 that in many families of animals1 not only were the first species that appeared of high organization1 but there was a gradual degradation among those that were created afterwards4 ,of the fishes generally1 he says1 that the progress of the race1 as a whole1 though it still retains not a few of the higher forms1 has been a progress1 not of development from the low to the high1 but of degradation from the high to the low4 ,again he says1 ,we know1 as geologists1 that the dynasty of the fish was succeeded by that of the reptile2 that the dynasty of the reptile was succeeded by that of the mammiferous quadruped2 and that the dynasty of the mammiferous quadruped was succeeded by that of man1 as man now exists--a creature of a mixed character1 and subject1 in all conditions1 to wide alternations of enjoyment and suffering4 ,we know further1--so far1 at least1 as we have succeeded in deciphering the record1--that the several dynasties were introduced1 not in their lower1 but in their higher forms2 that1 in short1 in the imposing programme of creation1 it was arranged as a general rule1 that in each of the great divisions of the procession the magnates should walk first4 ,we recognize yet further the fact of degradation specially exemplified in the fish and the reptile4 ,among these degraded races1 that of the footless serpent1 which goeth upon its belly1 has long been noted by the theologian as a race typical1 in its condition and nature1 of an order of hopelessly degraded beings1 borne down to the dust by a clinging curse2 and curiously enough1 when the first comparative anatomists in the world give their readiest and most prominent instance of degradation among the divisions of the natural world1 it is this very order of footless reptiles that they select4 ,among the invertebrate animals are numerous examples of the deterioration of a race4 ,m4 ,alcide ,d',orbigny1 one of the most accomplished of living paleontologists1 in his ,cours ,elementaire de ,paleontologie et de ,geologie1 speaks as follows of the cephalopods found in the oldest rocks3 ,see1 then1 the result2 the cephalopods1 the most perfect of the mollusks1 which lived in the early period of the world1 show a progress of degradation in their generic forms4 ,we insist on this fact relative to the cephalopods1 which we shall hereafter compare with the less perfect classes of mollusks1 since it must lead to the conclusion that the mollusks1 as to their classes1 have certainly retrograded from the compound to the simple1 or from the more to the less perfect4 ,such facts as these are absolutely fatal to the hypothesis of development2 and geology abounds with them4 ,indeed1 through all her archives1 we search in vain for facts that show any thing like a passage of one species1 genus1 or family1 into another4 ,certain distinct types characterize the different formations up to a certain period1 when there is a sudden change2 and in the subsequent strata we find animals and plants entirely different from those that have disappeared4 ,the new races are1 indeed1 often of a higher grade than those that preceded them1 but could not have sprung from them4 ,the true theory of animal and vegetable existence on our globe appears to be this3 ,such natures were placed upon the earth as were adapted to its varying condition4 ,when the earliest group was created1 such were the climate1 the atmosphere1 the waters1 and the means of subsistence1 that the lower tribes were best adapted to the condition of things4 ,that group occupied the earth till such changes had occurred as to make it unsuited to their natures1 and consequently they died out1 and new races were brought in2 not by mere law1 but by divine benevolence1 power1 and wisdom4 ,these tribes also passed away1 when the condition of things was so changed as to be uncongenial to their natures1 to give place to a third group1 and these again to a fourth1 and so on to the present races1 which1 in their turn1 perhaps1 are destined to become extinct4 ,from the first1 however1 the changes which the earth has undergone1 as to temperature1 soil1 and climate1 have been an improvement of its condition2 so that each successive group of animals and plants could be more and more complicated and perfect2 and therefore we find an increase and development of flowering plants and vertebral animals4 ,and yet1 from the beginning1 all the great classes seem to have existed1 so that the changes have been only in the proportion of the more and less perfect at different periods4 ,in short1 we have only to suppose that the ,creator exactly adapted organic natures to the several geological periods1 and we perfectly explain the phenomena of organic remains4 ,but the doctrine of development by law corresponds only in a loose and general way to the facts1 and cannot be reconciled to the details4 ,if that hypothesis cannot get a better foothold somewhere else1 it will soon find its way into the limbo of things abortive and forgotten4 ,i have now noticed1 ,i believe1 the principal sources of evidence in which the law hypothesis rests2 and at the best1 we find only a possibility1 but rarely1 if ever1 a probability1 that such a power exists in nature4 ,i turn now1 for a few moments1 to the arguments on the other side2 that is1 against the hypothesis4 ,and first1 it cannot explain the wonderful adaptation of animals and plants to their condition and to one another4 ,there is not a more striking thing in nature than that adaptation2 and geology shows us that it has always been so4 ,now1 if any thing requires the exercise of infinite wisdom and power1 it is this feature of creation4 ,but according to this hypothesis1 the laws of nature may be so arranged as to create every animal and plant just at the right time1 and place them in the right spot1 and adjust every thing around them to their nature and wants4 ,in other words1 it supposes law capable of doing what only infinite wisdom and power can do4 ,what is this but ascribing infinite perfection to law1 and imputing to it effects which only an infinite intelligence could bring about8 ,in other words1 it is making a ,deity of the laws which he ordains4 ,theoretically it may be of little importance by what name men call the ,deity2 but practically to impute natural effects to law1 as an independent power1 is to put a blind1 unintelligent agency in the place of ,jehovah4 ,in the second place1 where one fact in nature looks favorable to this hypothesis1 a thousand facts teach the contrary4 ,take for example the reproduction of animals4 ,out of every thousand individuals we have certain evidence that nine hundred and ninety-nine are brought into existence by the ordinary modes of generation2 that is1 they depend upon progenitors4 ,still1 if in the thousandth case the animal's existence was clearly casual1 if we could see an elephant1 or an ox1 start into life without parental agency1 that single case would prove the hypothesis4 ,but never do its advocates pretend that any of the larger animals are produced in this way4 ,nor is it till they get among the smaller and obscure animals1 whose habits are very difficult to trace out1 that we find any examples where a suspicion even can exist of the communication of vitality irrespective of parental agency4 ,is not a strong presumption hence produced that further and more scrutinizing observation will show the few excepted cases not to be real exceptions8 ,does not sound philosophy demand that the proof of the casual production of the thousandth case shall be as decided as that of the normal generation of the nine hundred and ninety-nine8 ,but no one1 it seems to me1 will pretend that any thing like such certainty exists in a single example throughout all nature4 ,the presumption1 then1 is really more than a thousand to one against the hypothesis4 ,take an example from hybridity4 ,while a thousand species retain from age to age their individuality1 not more than one coalesces with its neighbor1 and loses its identity4 ,and even here1 all admit that there is a constant tendency in the hybrid race to revert to the original stock2 and there is strong reason to believe that this will sooner or later take place1 and that it would speedily occur in every case1 were it not for the influence of domestication4 ,such facts make the presumption very strong1 that species are permanent1 and any extensive metamorphosis impossible4 ,hybridity appears to be in a measure unnatural2 and the old proverb true in respect to it-- ,si furca naturam expellas1 ,usque recurret4 ,by the hypothesis under consideration1 we ought to expect at least a few examples of the formation of new organs in animals1 in the efforts of nature to advance towards a more perfect state4 ,it has usually been said that the time since animals were first described is too short for such development4 ,but we have examples1 from the catacombs of ,egypt1 of animals and plants that lived in that country three thousand years ago2 and yet1 according to ,cuvier1--and who is a better judge8--they are precisely like the living species4 ,strange that this great length of time should not have produced even one new organ1 or the marks of a conatus to produce one4 ,we are1 indeed1 pointed to the different varieties of the human species1 as examples of this progress4 ,but these diversities1 also1 can be shown to be the same now as at the earliest date of historical records2 and where1 then1 is the evidence that they ever have undergone1 or ever will undergo1 any change of importance8 ,there may indeed be examples of amalgamation1 but under favorable circumstances the original varieties are again developed4 ,in the third place1 geology contradicts this hypothesis4 ,we have seen that it offers no satisfactory explanation of the gradual increase of the more perfect animals and plants1 as we rise higher in the rocks4 ,that fact is most perfectly explained by supposing that divine wisdom and benevolence adapted the new species1 which from time to time were created1 to the changing and improving condition of the earth4 ,a multitude of species have been dug from the rocks2 but not one exhibits evidence of the development of new organs in the manner described by this hypothesis4 ,new species often appear1 but they differ as decidedly from the previous ones as species now do2 and at the beginning of each formation there is often a very decided advance in the organic beings from those found in the top of the subjacent formation4 ,how can this hypothesis explain such sudden changes1 when its essential principle is1 that the progress of the development is uniform8 ,nothing can explain them surely but special creating interposition4 ,geology also shows us that for a vast period the world existed without inhabitants4 ,now1 what was it that gave the laws of nature power1 after so long an operation unproductive of vitality1 to produce organic natures8 ,who can conceive of any inherent force that should thus enable them1 all at once1 to do what true philosophy shows to have demanded infinite skill8 ,in short1 of all the sciences1 geology most clearly shows special divine interference to explain its phenomena4 ,it presents us with such stupendous changes1 after long periods of repose1 such sudden exhibitions of life1 springing forth from the bosom of universal death1 that nothing but divine1 special1 miraculous agency can explain the results4 ,and of all the vast domains of nature1 it seems to me no part is so barren of facts to sustain this hypothesis as the rocks2 nor so full of facts for its refutation4 ,these1 however1 have been so fully detailed in a previous part of this lecture that they need not be here repeated4 ,in the fourth place1 the prodigious increase of the power and the means of reproduction1 which we find among the lower tribes of animals1 affords a strong presumption against this hypothesis4 ,the animals highest on the scale1 and most perfect in their organization1 have only one mode of reproduction1 viz41 the viviparous4 ,descending a little lower1 we come to the oviparous and ovoviviparous tribes4 ,passing to the invertebrate animals1 we meet with two other modes of reproduction1 the gemmiparous and fissiparous4 ,in the first mode1 the animal is propagated by buds1 like some plants1 as the tiger lily2 by the second mode1 a spontaneous division of the animal takes place4 ,now1 in some of the lowest of the invertebrate tribes1 we find most of the modes of propagation that have been enumerated in operation2 so that the same individual in one set of circumstances is oviparous1 in another gemmiparous or fissiparous4 ,the consequence is1 a power of multiplication inconceivably great4 ,mr4 ,owen calculates that the ascaris lumbricoides1 the most common intestinal worm1 is capable of producing sixty-four millions of young2 and ,ehrenberg asserts that the hydatina senta1 one of the infusoria1 increased in twelve days to sixteen millions1 and another species1 in four days1 to one hundred and seventy billions4 ,why1 now1 are these astonishing powers of reproduction given to these minute animals1 if it be true that they can also be produced without parentage1 and by mere law8 ,this latter mode would supersede the necessity of the former2 and therefore1 the care taken by ,providence to provide the former is a strong presumption that the latter does not exist4 ,in the fifth place1 it is an instructive fact on this subject that1 as instruments have been improved1 and observations have become more searching1 the supposed cases of spontaneous generation have diminished1 until it is not pretended now that it takes place except in a very few tribes1 and those the most obscure and difficult to observe of all living things4 ,a hundred years ago1 naturalists1 and especially other men1 might easily have been made to believe that many of the smaller insects had a casual origin4 ,but long since1 save in the matter of the acari1 the entomological field has been abandoned by the advocates of the law hypothesis1 and they have been driven from one tribe after another1 till at length some of the obscure hiding-places of the entozoa and infusoria are now the only spots where the light is not too strong for the large-pupiled eyes of this hypothesis4 ,is not the presumption hence arising very strong that it will need only a little further improvement in instruments and care in observation to carry daylight into these recesses1 and demonstrate the parentage and normal development of all organic beings8 ,finally4 ,the gross materialism inseparable from this hypothesis is a strong argument against it4 ,i am not aware that any one1 except ,oken1 perhaps1 has ever attempted to show that mind1 as a spiritual essence1 distinct from matter1 has been created by natural laws2 in other words1 that there is in nature a power to produce mind4 ,all such maintain that intellect is material1 or1 rather1 the result of organization1 the mere function of the brain1 as are also life and instinct4 ,generally1 also1 they contend--and1 indeed1 consistency seems to require it--that the moral powers depend chiefly upon different developments of the brain2 so that a disposition to do wrong results more from organization than from punishable mental obliquity2 indeed1 the worst of criminals are often1 on this account1 more to be pitied than blamed1 and the physician is of more importance than the moralist and the divine for their reformation4 ,now1 if this system of materialism is true1 we ought to embrace it1 without any fear of ultimate bad effects4 ,but a philosopher will hesitate long before he adopts a system which thus seems to degrade man from his lofty standing as a spiritual1 accountable1 and immortal being1 and makes his intellectual and moral powers dependent upon the structure of the brain1 and1 therefore1 destined to perish with the material organization1 with no hope of future existence1 unless ,god chooses to recreate the man4 ,nay1 if there be no distinct spirit in man1 what evidence have we that there is one in ,jehovah8 ,a true philosopher1 ,i say1 will demand very strong evidence before he adopts any hypothesis that leads a logical mind to such conclusions2 and ,i see not how the one under consideration can terminate in any thing else4 ,such are the reasons that lead me to reject the hypothesis of creation by law4 ,i have endeavored to treat the subject in a candid and philosophical manner1 not charging atheism upon its advocates when they declare themselves ,theists and ,christians4 ,neither have ,i called in the aid of ridicule1 as might easily be done1 and as1 in fact1 has been done by almost every opponent of the system who has written upon it4 ,i have endeavored to show that the hypothesis1 tried in the balances of sound philosophy1 is found wanting2 because1 in the first place1 the facts adduced to sustain it are insufficient2 and secondly1 because1 where one fact seems to favor it1 a thousand testify against it4 ,is not the conclusion a fair one1 that the hypothesis has no solid foundation8 ,is not the evidence against it overwhelming8 ,yet it has many advocates1 and ,i must think--,i hope not uncharitably--that these are the reasons3 ,first1 because men do not like the idea of a personal1 present1 overruling ,deity2 and secondly1 because there is very little profound and thorough knowledge of natural history in the community4 ,it is just such an hypothesis as chimes in with the taste of that part of the world who have a smattering of science1 and who do not wish to live without some form of religion1 but who still desire to free themselves from the inspection of a holy ,god1 and from the responsibility which his existence and presence would impose4 ,depend upon it1 gentlemen1 you will meet these delusions not unfrequently among the cultivated classes of society1 where they have already done immense mischief4 ,you will1 indeed1 find all the eminent comparative anatomists and physiologists1 such as ,cuvier and ,owen2 such chemists as ,liebig2 such zoologists as ,agassiz and ,edward ,forbes2 such botanists as ,hooker1 ,henslow1 ,lindley1 ,torrey1 and ,gray2 and such geologists as ,de la ,beche1 ,lyell1 ,murchison1 ,sedgwick1 ,d',orbigny1 ,buckland1 and ,miller1 decided in their rejection of these views4 ,but when even educated men obtain only a smattering of natural science1 they find something very fascinating in this hypothesis2 and this is just the religion1 or1 rather1 the irreligion1 that suits the superficial1 selfish1 and pleasure-seeking exquisites of fashionable drawing-rooms1 theatres1 and watering-places4 ,you will find1 therefore1 the need of thoroughly studying this subject1 or you will not be able1 as you would wish1 to vindicate the cause of true science and true religion4 ,i cannot terminate this discussion without referring to an ingenious analogy1 suggested by ,hugh ,miller1 in his ,footprints of the ,creator1 and drawn from the facts he had stated respecting the degradation of species4 ,no one who has thoroughly studied ,bishop ,butler's ,analogy of ,natural and ,revealed ,religion to the ,course of ,nature will venture to say that ,mr4 ,miller's suggestions are mere fancy4 ,as the ideas are entirely original with him1 ,i give them in his own words4 ,having spoken of the several dynasties of animals that have succeeded one another on the globe1 in a passage which we have already quoted1 he says1 ,passing on to the revealed record1 we learn that the dynasty of man in the mixed state and character is not the final one2 but that there is to be yet another creation1 or1 more properly1 re-creation1 known theologically as the resurrection1 which shall be connected in its physical components1 by bonds of mysterious paternity1 with the dynasty which now reigns1 and be bound to it mentally by the chain of identity1 conscious and actual2 but which1 in all that constitutes superiority1 shall be as vastly its superior as the dynasty of responsible man is superior to even the lowest of the preliminary dynasties4 ,we are further taught that1 at the commencement of this last of the dynasties1 there will be a re-creation of not only elevated1 but also of degraded beings--a re-creation of the lost4 ,we are taught yet further that1 though the present dynasty be that of a lapsed race1 which at their first introduction were placed on higher ground than that on which they now stand1 and sank by their own act1 it was yet part of the original design1 from the beginning of all things1 that they should occupy the existing platform2 and that redemption is thus no afterthought1 rendered necessary by the fall1 but1 on the contrary1 part of a general scheme1 for which provision had been made from the beginning2 so that the divine ,man1 through whom the work of restoration has been effected1 was in reality1 in reference to the purposes of the ,eternal1 what he is designated in the remarkable text1 the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world4 ,slain from the foundation of the world6 ,could the assertors of the stony science ask for language more express8 ,by piecing the two records together1--that revealed in ,scripture and that revealed in the rocks1--records which1 however widely geologists may mistake the one1 or commentators misunderstand the other1 have emanated from the same great ,author1--we learn that in slow and solemn majesty has period succeeded period1 each in succession1 ushering in a higher and yet higher scene of existence2 that fish1 reptiles1 mammiferous quadrupeds1 have reigned in turn2 that responsible man1 'made in the image of ,god1' and with dominion over all creatures1 ultimately entered into a world ripened for his reception2 but1 further1 that this passing scene1 in which he forms the prominent figure1 is not the final one in the long series1 but merely the last of the preliminary scenes2 and that that period to which the by-gone ages1 incalculable in amount1 with all their well-proportioned gradations of being1 form the imposing vestibule1 shall have perfection for its occupant and eternity for its duration4 ,i know not how it may appear to others1 but for my own part ,i cannot avoid thinking that there would be a lack of proportion in the series of being1 were the period of perfect and glorified humanity abruptly connected1 without the introduction of an intermediate creation of responsible imperfection with that of the dying1 irresponsible brute4 ,that scene of things in which ,god became man1 and suffered1 seems1 as it no doubt is1 a necessary link in the chain4 ,a single concluding thought forces itself upon my mind4 ,it is this3 ,how ingenious and persevering men are in deluding themselves on the subject of religion6 ,since the time of ,christ1 what countless devices have they framed to escape from the lofty truths and spiritual piety of his gospel6 ,nor are they satisfied with this2 for the gospel has shed so much light upon the religion of nature1 that even this is more than men like2 and1 therefore1 every science is ransacked for facts to neutralize all religion4 ,men's consciences do not permit them to throw off all the forms of religion2 and1 therefore1 they are satisfied if they can only tear out its heart4 ,they like to preserve and to embalm its external covering1 as the naturalist does the skin of an animal for his cabinet4 ,and as the latter fills his specimen with straw and arsenic1 and fits glass eyes into it1 so do men fill up their religious specimen with error and vain speculation1 and fit into its head the eyes of false philosophy1 and then claim for it intellectual worship4 ,it is the business of educated men to show that such caricatures are neither science nor religion4 ,may you1 gentlemen1 have your full share in this most useful and noble work4#ai ,,lecture ,x4 ,,special ,,and ,,miraculous ,,providence4 ,next in importance to the question whether the ,deity exists1 is the inquiry whether he exerts any direct agency in upholding the universe and in controlling its events4 ,this point has been discussed in all ages in which there have been philosophers or theologians1 and the current of opinion has fallen principally into three channels4 ,in the first place1 some have removed the ,deity entirely from his works into a fancied extra-mundane sphere1 where in solitude he might enjoy the blessedness of his own infinite nature1 without the trouble of directing the events of the universe1 or watching over the works of his hand4 ,forgetful of the great principle1 that the intellectual powers produce happiness only when called into exercise1 they have fancied that the care of the universe must be a burden to its ,creator1 and that it would derogate from his dignity4 ,it is supposed1 therefore1 that the world has been given up to the rule of fate or chance4 ,in the second place1 a more numerous class have maintained that the ,supreme ,being1 after creating the world1 committed its preservation and government either to a subordinate agent1 or to the laws which he impressed upon matter and mind1 which possess an inherent power to execute themselves2 so that1 in fact1 ,god exercises no direct and immediate agency in natural operations4 ,the learned and usually profound ,cudworth adopted the hypothesis of a plastic nature1 as he terms it1 by which he means a vital1 spiritual1 and unintelligent1 yet subordinate agent1 by whose agency the world is governed and its operations carried on4 ,at first view1 this hypothesis would seem to lead inevitably to atheism2 but such was not the intention of its author4 ,still1 it is obviously so clumsy1 that had it not been the product of a great mind1 it never would have received so much notice1 or called forth such mighty efforts for its refutation1 as have been bestowed upon it4 ,two varieties of opinion exist among those who believe the world governed and sustained by natural laws1 established by the ,deity4 ,some maintain that these laws are general1 not particular2 not extending to minor events1 but only the more important2 not providing for species1 but only for families4 ,hence they suppose that these general cases may interfere with one another1 and produce results apparently repugnant to the intention of their ,author4 ,others1 shocked at the absurdity of such conclusions1 believe the laws of nature to extend to every event1 and never to interfere with one another1 and always to act in accordance with the divine will and appointment1 but without any direct agency exerted by the ,deity4 ,they suppose these laws--in other words1 secondary agencies--to have the power of producing all natural phenomena4 ,in the third place1 there are others who believe that a law can have no efficiency without the presence and agency of the lawgiver4 ,they1 therefore1 suppose every event in the natural world to be the result of the direct and immediate agency of ,god4 ,what we call laws are only the uniform mode of his operation4 ,they agree with the advocates of the last-named theory in supposing the laws of nature to extend to every event1 and to be in accordance with the ordination of the ,deity2 but they differ in maintaining that the presence and direct efficiency of a lawgiver are essential to the operation of natural laws4 ,i should then define a ,special ,providence to be an event brought about apparently by natural laws1 yet1 in fact1 the result of a special agency1 on the part of the ,deity1 to meet a particular exigency1 either by an original arrangement of natural laws1 or by a modification of second causes1 out of sight at the time4 ,the doctrine1 which supposes the ,deity to exercise a superintendence and direction over all the affairs of the universe1 in any of the modes that have been mentioned1 whether by a subordinate agent1 or by laws1 general or particular1 with inherent self-executing power1 or by the direct efficiency of the divine will1 is called the doctrine of divine providence4 ,if the superintendence extend only to general laws1 it is called a general providence4 ,if those laws reach every possible case1 it is called a particular or universal providence4 ,by a ,miraculous ,providence is meant a superintendence over the world that interferes1 when desirable1 with the regular operations of nature1 and brings about events1 either in opposition to natural laws1 or by giving them a less or greater power than usual4 ,in either of these cases1 the events cannot be explained by natural laws2 they are above1 or contrary to1 nature1 and1 therefore1 are called miracles1 or prodigies4 ,there may be1 and1 as ,i believe1 there is1 another class of occurrences1 intermediate between miracles and events strictly natural4 ,these take place in perfect accordance with the natural laws within human view1 and appear to us to be perfectly accounted for by those laws2 and yet1 in some way or other1 we learn that they required some special exercise of divine power1 out of human view1 for their production4 ,thus1 according to the views of most ,christian denominations1 conversion takes place in the human heart in perfect accordance with the laws of mind1 and could be philosophically explained by them2 yet revelation assures that it is not of blood1 natural descent1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,divine power1 therefore1 is essential to the change1 although we see only the operation of natural causes4 ,so a storm may appear to us to be perfectly accounted for by natural laws2 and yet divine efficiency might have produced a change in some of those laws out of our sight1 and thus meet a particular exigency4 ,such events ,i call special providence2 and ,i maintain that we cannot tell how frequently they may occur4 ,it is chiefly the bearings of science1 especially of geology1 upon the doctrine of miraculous and special providence1 which ,i wish to consider4 ,but it may form a useful introduction1 to state the evidence1 which goes to show that the agency of the ,deity1 in the ordinary operations of nature1 is a direct efficiency2 or1 in other words1 that the laws of nature are only the modes in which divine agency operates4 ,in the first place1 if we suppose ever so many secondary causes to be concerned in natural events1 the efficiency must1 after all1 be referred to ,god4 ,what is a secondary cause8 or1 in other words1 what is a law of nature considered as a cause8 ,it is simply a uniform mode of operation4 ,we find that heavy bodies uniformly tend towards the earth's centre1 and that we call the law of gravity2 but if those bodies sometimes ascended1 and sometimes moved horizontally1 under the same circumstances1 we could not infer the existence of such a law4 ,now1 there must be some cause for uniformity of operation in nature4 ,there must be some foreign power1 which gives the uniformity1 since it is certain that the law itself can possess no efficiency4 ,we may1 indeed1 find one law dependent upon a second law1 and this upon a third1 and so on4 ,but the inquiry still arises1 ,what gives the efficiency to this second and third law8 and still the answer must be1 ,something out of itself4 ,so that if we run back on the chain of causes ever so far1 we must still resort to the power of the ,deity to find any efficiency that will produce the final result4 ,in most cases1 we can trace back only one or two links on the chain4 ,for instance1 we account for the falling of all bodies by the law of gravity4 ,but philosophers have wearied themselves in vain to find any cause for gravity1 except in the will of ,god4 ,the failure of every other hypothesis1 though invented by such men as ,newton and ,le ,sage1 has been signal4 ,sound philosophy1 then1 requires us to infer that gravity owes its efficiency to the direct exertion of divine power4 ,and so in all cases1 when we can no longer discover second causes for any phenomenon1 why should we imagine their existence1 rather than refer it to the agency of ,god8 ,for go back as far as we may1 and discover a thousand intervening causes1 the efficiency resides alone in ,god4 ,we have no evidence that even infinite power can communicate that efficiency to the laws of nature1 so that they can act without the presence and agency of ,god4 ,the common idea1 which endows those laws with independent power1 will not bear examination4 ,in the second place1 if natural operations do not depend upon the exercise of divine power1 no other efficient cause can be assigned for their production4 ,we have seen that in the laws of nature1 independently of the ,deity1 there is no efficiency2 and ,i know not where else we can resort for any agency to carry forward the operations of nature1 except to the same infinite ,being4 ,the fate and chance of the ancients1 the plastic nature of ,cudworth1 the delegated nature of ,lamarck1 are indeed names invented by men to designate a certain imaginary efficiency residing somewhere1 independent of the ,deity1 by which the phenomena of nature have been supposed to be produced4 ,but the moment they are described1 they are found to be mere imaginary agencies1 meaning nothing more than the course of nature1 or the laws of nature1 which we have seen possess no independent efficiency4 ,to a divine agency1 therefore1 we must resort1 or be left without any adequate cause for the complicated and wonderful processes of nature4 ,in the third place1 this view of the subject is strongly confirmed by the ,christian ,scriptures4 ,how universal is the divine agency represented in the well-known passage--for of him1 and through him1 and to him1 are all things4 ,equally vivid is ,paul's statement on ,mars ,hill--,in him we live1 and move1 and have our being4 ,how graphic a description is the #adgth ,psalm of ,god's agency in the natural world6 ,not only is all good ascribed to ,god1 but evil also4 ,by the mouth of ,isaiah he says1 ,i form light and create darkness2 ,i make peace and create evil2 ,i the ,lord do all these things4 ,in short1 no event in the material or spiritual world is by the sacred writers ascribed to chance1 or to nature1 or the laws of nature1 as it is among men2 but to the direct efficiency of ,god4 ,nor is there any difference in this respect between miracles and common events4 ,the one class is represented as originating in the agency of ,god1 just as much as the other4 ,finally4 ,it will hardly be thought strange1 in view of the preceding considerations1 that a large proportion of the most acute and philosophical minds in modern times have preferred this view of divine providence to any other4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton declares that the various parts of the world1 organic and inorganic1 can be the effect of nothing else than the wisdom and skill of a powerful1 ever-living ,agent1 who1 being in all places1 is more able by his will to move the bodies within his boundless1 uniform sensorium1 thereby to form and reform the parts of the universe1 than we are by our will to move the parts of our own bodies4 ,says ,dr4 ,clarke1 the friend and disciple of ,newton1 ,all things which we commonly say are the effects of the natural powers of matter1 and laws of motion1 are1 indeed1 if we will speak strictly and properly1 the effects of ,god's action upon matter continually1 and at every moment1 either immediately by himself1 or mediately by some created1 intelligent being4 ,consequently there is no such thing as the course of nature1 or the power of nature1 independent of the effects produced by the will of ,god4 ,in speaking of the principle of vegetable life1 ,sir ,james ,edward ,smith1 the eminent botanist1 says1 ,i humbly conceive that1 if the human understanding can in any case flatter itself with obtaining1 in the natural world1 a glimpse of the immediate agency of the ,deity1 it is in the contemplation of this vital principle1 which seems independent of material organization1 and an impulse1 of his own divine energy4--,introduction to ,botany1 p4 #bf1 7,boston edition47 ,we would no way be understood1 says ,sir ,john ,herschel1 to deny the constant exercise of this ,god's direct power in maintaining the system of nature1 or the ultimate emanation of every energy1 which material agents exert1 from his immediate will1 acting in conformity with his own laws4--,discourse on ,nat4 ,philosophy4 ,a law1 says ,professor ,whewell1 supposes an agent and a power2 for it is the mode according to which the agent proceeds1 the order according to which the power acts4 ,without the presence of such an agent1 of such a power1 conscious of the relations on which the law depends1 producing the effects which the law prescribes1 the law can have no efficiency1 no existence4 ,hence we infer that the intelligence by which the law is ordained1 the power by which it is put in action1 must be present at all times and in all places where the effects of the law occur2 that thus the knowledge and the agency of the divine ,being pervades every portion of the universe1 producing all action and passion1 all permanence and change4 ,the laws of nature are the laws which ,he1 in his wisdom1 prescribes to his own acts2 his universal presence is the necessary condition of any course of events2 his universal agency the only origin of any efficient force4--,bridgewater ,treatise1 p4 #bgj4 ,the student in natural philosophy1 observes the ,bishop of ,london1 will find rest from all those perplexities1 which are occasioned by the obscurity of causation1 in the proposition which1 although it was discredited by the patronage of ,malebranche and the ,cartesians1 has been adopted by ,clarke and ,dugald ,stewart1 and which is by far the most simple and sublime account of the matter--that all events which are continually taking place in the different parts of the material universe are the immediate effects of the divine agency4--,whewell's ,bridgewater ,treatise1 p4 #bgc4 ,jonathan ,edwards1 says ,m',cosh in his ,method of the ,divine ,government1 somewhere illustrates the manner in which ,god upholds the universe1 by the way in which an image is upheld in a mirror4 ,that image is maintained by a continual flow of rays of light1 each succeeding pencil of which does not differ from that by which the image was first produced4 ,he conceives that the universe is1 in every part of it1 supported in a similar way by a continual succession of acts of the divine will1 and these not differing from that which at first caused the world to spring into existence4 ,now1 it may be safely said of this theory that it cannot be disproved4 ,several considerations may be urged in support of it4 ,which of the views respecting divine providence that have been stated has the best practical tendency1 seems hardly to admit of doubt4 ,if we believe that ,god has submitted the direction and government of this world to a subordinate agent1 a plastic nature2 or if we suppose he has impressed matter and mind with certain general laws1 which have the power of executing themselves without his agency1 and especially if in their operation they do sometimes actually clash with one another1 or even if those laws extend to every movement of matter and mind1--still1 if they do not require divine efficiency1 men cannot but feel that ,god is removed from his works1 and that the laws of nature1 and not his agency1 are their security4 ,but if they believe that every movement of matter or mind requires a direct exercise of divine power or efficiency1 just as much as if every event was a miracle1 it cannot but bring ,god near to us1 and make us realize his presence4 ,if we obtain a timepiece from ,london or ,paris1 which contains all the springs and wheels requisite to keep it in operation1 by occasionally winding it up1 how little do we think of the artist who constructed it1 except1 perhaps1 occasionally to admire his ingenuity6 ,but if it had been necessary for that artist to accompany the chronometer1 and actually to put forth the strength of his own arm every moment to keep it in motion1 how much more should we think of him and realize his presence6 ,the same effect1 in a greater or less degree1 will attend the belief that ,god must be not only virtually1 but substantially1 present every where1 and be constantly exercising his power to keep in operation the vast machine of the universe4 ,it cannot but deeply impress the heart1 and exert a most salutary influence upon the affections1 to realize that every event around us is brought about by the immediate agency of the supreme ,being4 ,but notwithstanding the salutary influence of this view of ,providence upon our moral feelings1 and though philosophy pronounces it decidedly the most reasonable1 still it meets with strong opposition4 ,i need not stop to notice the objections1 that it makes ,god the author of evil as well as good1 and that it represents man as a mere machine in the hands of the ,deity1 and therefore takes away human responsibility4 ,i say ,i need not stop to answer such objections1 because they lie equally strong against any system which makes ,god the original author of the universe4 ,but a more plausible objection is1 that it makes all events miraculous4 ,this objection is based on the supposition that every event which takes place through the direct and immediate agency of ,god is a miracle4 ,but is this the true meaning of a miracle8 ,is the term ever applied to any but extraordinary events8 ,it may or it may not imply a contravention of the laws of nature4 ,but it does always imply something which the laws of nature cannot produce1 and which1 of course1 they cannot explain4 ,it is always the result of some new force coming in to the aid of the laws of nature1 or in the place of them1 or even sometimes1 perhaps1 in opposition to them2 as when the sun stood still upon ,gibeon1 and the moon in the valley of ,ajalon4 ,hence an event may take place through the direct and immediate agency of ,god1 and yet not be a miracle4 ,if it be neither above1 nor independent of1 nor in opposition to the laws of nature1 then it forms a part of the ordinary providence of ,god2 it is a part of the usual1 the fixed and uniform course of nature1 and can be explained by known and unalterable laws4 ,the nature of the event is not affected at all by the question whether it is produced by the direct efficiency of ,god1 or by a power inherent in those laws4 ,we1 who believe that the direct efficiency of ,god is necessary to the operation1 and even to the existence1 of the laws of nature1 are just as firm believers in the constancy of those laws as he who supposes them possessed of inherent powers4 ,when that constancy is interrupted in any way1 we call it a miracle4 ,hence it appears that our views of the nature of a miracle are the same as his1 viz41 an event which takes place out of the ordinary course of nature2 and1 therefore1 our system is no more liable to the objection that all events are made miracles than his system4 ,the way is now prepared for inquiring what geology teaches respecting the ordinary and extraordinary providence of ,god over this world4 ,the evidences of ordinary providence1 which are common to geology and other sources of proof1 ,i shall pass by2 both because they are familiar to all1 and because ,i have1 in a former lecture1 shown the existence and operation of the present laws of nature in all past ages4 ,but there is one feature of the past condition of the world taught by geology to which ,i would call your attention1 as exhibiting a more impressive view of the wisdom and skill of ordinary providence than almost any other department of nature presents4 ,when the heavenly bodies are once put under the control of the two great forces that guide them1 viz41 the centrifugal and centripetal1 we see no reason why they may not move on forever in their accustomed paths4 ,but the two great agents of geological change1 fire and water1 have an aspect of great irregularity and violence1 and are apparently less under the control of mathematical laws4 ,in the mighty intensity of their action in early times1 we can hardly see how there could have been much of security or permanence in the state of the globe1 without the constant restraining energy of ,jehovah4 ,we feel as if the earth's crust must have been constantly liable to be torn in pieces by volcanic fires1 or drenched by sweeping deluges4 ,and yet the various economies of life on the globe1 that have preceded the present1 have all been seasons of profound repose and uniformity4 ,the truth is1 these mighty agencies have been just as much under the divine control as those which regulate the heavenly bodies2 and ,i doubt not but the laws that regulate their action are as fixed and mathematical as those which guide the sun1 moon1 and planets4 ,still1 it must have required infinite wisdom and power so to arrange the agencies of nature that the desolating action of fire and water should take place only at those epochs when every thing was in readiness for the ruin of an old economy and the introduction of a new one4 ,geological agencies differ from astronomical in this--that the former must be allowed an irregular action within certain limits2 whereas the latter act with unvarying uniformity in all circumstances4 ,if the former had not some room for irregular action1 they would not act at all2 but if allowed too much liberty1 they will destroy what they were intended to preserve4 ,and ,god does restrain1 and always has restrained them1 just at the point where desolation would be the result of their more powerful operation4 ,i do not1 indeed1 contend that it requires more power or wisdom to bind those mighty agencies within proper limits than to control the heavenly bodies4 ,but to our limited faculties it certainly seems a more difficult work2 and1 therefore1 the geological history of the globe gives us a more impressive idea of the ordinary providence of ,god than we see in the calm and uniform movements of nature around us4 ,in the second place1 geology furnishes us with some very striking examples of miraculous providence4 ,in disproving the eternity of the organic world1 in a former lecture1 ,i adduced and illustrated these examples so fully1 that ,i shall do little more in this place than give a recapitulation of that argument4 ,if we suppose the earth originally to have been merely a diffused mass of vapor1 like comets1 or nebulae1 ,i can conceive how1 by the operation of such natural laws as now exist1 it might have been condensed into a solid globe2 into a melted state1 indeed1 from the amount of heat extricated in the condensation4 ,those same laws might subsequently form over the molten mass a solid crust1 which1 at length1 might be ridged and furrowed by the action of internal heat1 so as to form the basis of continents and the beds of oceans4 ,in due time1 the vapors might condense1 so as to fill those basins with water2 and1 by the mutual and alternate action of the waters above and the heat beneath1 the rocks might be comminuted1 so as to form the basis of soils4 ,so far might the arrangements of the world have proceeded by natural laws2 in other words1 by the ordinary providence of ,god4 ,but at this point we must bring in an extraordinary agency of the ,deity1 or the world would have remained1 in the expressive language of revelation1 without form and void2 that is1 invisible and unfurnished4 ,you have1 indeed1 the framework of a world1 but the most difficult and complicated part of the work1 the creation of plants and animals1 remains yet to be performed4 ,here1 then1 is the precise point where you must call in the miraculous agency of the ,deity1 or the earth would forever remain an uninhabited waste4 ,for if it does not require miraculous agency to bring into existence animals and plants1 ,i know not what can require it1 or prove its operation4 ,i can almost as easily conceive how matter might spring from nothing fortuitously1 certainly ,i can as easily conceive of its eternity1 as that organism and life can result from the ordinary laws of nature4 ,it may be1 however1 that ,i shall here be met by the statement1 that some distinguished geologists maintain the probable existence of organized beings on the globe at an indefinitely earlier period than that in which their remains first appear in the rocks4 ,they contend that the extreme heat which has melted the older rocks has obliterated all traces of organic existence below a certain line4 ,now1 in order to meet this difficulty1 it is not necessary to show this opinion to be erroneous4 ,we have only to advance another step in our general argument1 which brings us upon ground admitted to be good by the geologists above alluded to4 ,they all of them believe that many new animals and plants have from time to time appeared on the globe2 that1 in fact1 there have been several almost entire changes in its inhabitants4 ,most of them suppose these new races to have been introduced in large numbers at particular epochs1 though some prefer the theory which supposes the new species to have been introduced one by one1 as the old ones became extinct4 ,but even this supposition does not essentially affect my argument2 because they all allow that these successive species were really new1 and could not have been the result of any metamorphosis of the old species4 ,and it is the fact that new organic beings have1 from time to time1 been created1 that is alone essential to my argument4 ,whether they were created by groups or singly1 is an interesting geological question2 but1 in either case1 miraculous power must have been put forth as really and as efficiently to call into existence a single new species of animalcula1 or sea-weed1 as to introduce an entirely new race4 ,the successive economies of organic life that have existed on the earth1 and passed from it1 do most unequivocally demonstrate the extraordinary or miraculous providence of ,god4 ,but we might abandon even this strong ground of our argument1 and still geology would afford us a most unequivocal example of the creative agency of the ,deity4 ,that science shows1 beyond all question1 that man1 and most of his contemporary races of animals and plants1 have not always occupied this globe2 and1 indeed1 that they were not placed upon it till nearly every form buried in the rocks had passed away4 ,and since those races which now inhabit the globe have among them a larger proportion of highly organized and more complicated species than have ever before been contemporaries1--especially since man is among them1 confessedly the most perfect in organization and in intellect of all the beings that ever occupied this planet1--we can here point to the highest exercise of creative power ever exhibited in this lower world1 as a certain memento of ,god's extraordinary or miraculous providence4 ,indeed1 who1 that has any adequate idea of the wonders of man's intellectual1 moral1 and immortal nature1 and of the strange extremes that meet and harmonize in his physical and intellectual constitution1 will believe that any loftier miracle has ever been exhibited on this globe than his creation8 ,but ,i have already dwelt so long upon this whole argument in a former lecture1 that ,i will add no more in this place4 ,if the facts which ,i have stated do not prove the miraculous agency of the ,deity in past ages1 ,i know not how it can be proved4 ,but assuming this position to be established1 and several inferences of importance will follow4 ,in the first place1 this subject removes all philosophical presumption against a special revelation from heaven4 ,if we can prove that the ,deity has often so interfered with the course of nature as to introduce new species1 nay1 whole races of animals and plants upon the globe1--if1 in a comparatively recent period1 he has created a moral and immortal being1 endowed with all the powers of a free and an accountable agent1--it would surely be no more wonderful if he should communicate to that being his will by a written revelation4 ,indeed1 the benevolence of the ,deity1 as we learn it from nature1 would create a presumption that such a revelation would be given1 if it appear1 as we know it does1 that no sufficient knowledge is inherent in his nature to guide him in the path of duty2 since such a revelation would be no greater miracle than to people the world1 originally destitute of life1 and then to repeople it again and again1 with so vast a variety of organic natures4 ,philosophy has sometimes been disinclined to admit the claims of revelation1 because it implies a supernatural agency of the ,deity2 and1 until recently1 revelation seemed to be a solitary example of special interference on the part of ,jehovah4 ,but geology adds other examples1 long anterior to revelation--examples registered1 like the laws of ,sinai1 on tables of stone4 ,and the admission of the geological evidence of special interference with the regular sequence of nature's operations ought to predispose the mind for listening to the appropriate proofs of a moral communication to ignorant and erring man4 ,in the second place1 the subject shows us how groundless is the famous objection to the miracles recorded in ,scripture1 founded on the position that they are contrary to experience4 ,it is1 says ,mr4 ,hume1 a maxim worthy of our attention1 that no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle1 unless the testimony be of such a kind1 that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish4 ,hence he asserts1 that the evidence of testimony1 when applied to a miracle1 carries falsehood on the very face of it1 and is more properly a subject of derision than of argument1 and that whoever believes the ,christian religion is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person1 which subverts all the principles of his understanding1 and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience4 ,at the time when ,mr4 ,hume wrote1 and with his great skill in weaving together metaphysical subtilties1 such an argument might deceive superficial minds2 for then a miracle was supposed to be contrary to all experience4 ,but geology has disclosed many new chapters in the world's history1 and shown the existence of miracles earlier than chronological dates4 ,even ,mr4 ,hume would hardly deny that the creation of whole series of animals and plants was miraculous2 and yet1 in proof of that creation1 we need not depend upon testimony2 for we can read it with our own eyes upon the solid rocks4 ,such proof appeals directly to our common sense2 nor can any ingenious quibble1 concerning the nature of human testimony1 weaken its influence in producing conviction4 ,and if ,god has wrought stupendous miracles of creation in order to people the world1 who does not see that it is still more probable he would perform other miracles when they were needed to substantiate a revelation of his will to those moral and accountable beings1 who needed its special teachings to make them acquainted with their ,god1 their duty1 and their destiny8 ,finally4 ,the subject removes all presumption against the exercise of a special and miraculous providence in the divine government of the world4 ,in all ages of the world1 philosophers1 and even many theologians1 have been strenuous opposers of special and miraculous providence4 ,if they have admitted1 as most of the latter class have done1 that some miracles were performed in ancient times1 they have strenuously maintained that the doctrine of special providence in these days is absurd1 and that ,god cannot1 without a miracle1 bestow any special favors upon the virtuous in answer to their prayers1 or inflict any special punishments upon the wicked2 and that it is fanaticism to expect any other retributions than such as the ordinary and unmodified course of nature brings along with it4 ,the unvarying constancy of nature1 in consequence of being governed by fixed laws1 is the grand argument which they adduce in opposition to any supposed special providence4 ,since the fathers fell asleep1 say they1 all things continue as they were from the beginning4 ,god has subjected the world to the government of laws1 and he will not interfere with1 counteract1 set aside1 or give a supernatural force to those laws1 to meet particular exigencies4 ,for the adjustment of all apparent inequalities of good and evil1 suffering and enjoyment here1 we must wait for the disclosure of eternity1 when strict retributive ,justice will hold her even scales4 ,when natural evils come upon us1 therefore1 it is idle to expect their removal1 except so far as they may be mitigated or overcome by natural means2 and hence it is useless to pray for their removal1 or to expect ,god will deliver us from them in any other way4 ,when the heavens over us become brass1 and the earth under our feet iron1 and the rain of our land is powder and dust1 and want1 and famine1 as the consequence1 stalk forth among the inhabitants1 of what use to pray to ,god for rain1 since to give it would require a miracle1 and the age of miracles has passed8 ,when the pestilence is scouring through the land1 and our neighbors and nearest friends are within its grasp1 and we may next become its victims1--nay1 when we1 too1 are on the borders of the grave1--why should we expect relief by prayer1 since sickness is the result of natural causes1 and ,god will not interpose to save us from the effects of natural evils1 because that would be contrary to a fixed rule of his government8 ,when dangers cluster around the good man in the discharge of trying duties1 it would be enthusiasm in him to expect any special protection against his enemies1 though he pray ever so fervently1 and trust in divine deliverance with ever so much confidence4 ,he must look to another world for his reward1 if called to suffer here4 ,nor has the daringly wicked man any reason to fear that ,god will punish his violations of the divine law by any unusual display of his power2 not in any way1 indeed1 but by the evils which naturally flow from a wicked life4 ,in short1 it will be useless to pray for any blessing that requires the least interference with natural laws1 or for the removal of any evil which depends upon those laws4 ,and since our minds are controlled as much by laws as the functions of our bodies1 we are not to expect any blessings in our souls1 which require the least infringement of intellectual laws4 ,in fine1 the effect of prayer is limited almost entirely to its influence upon our own hearts1 in preparing them to receive with a proper spirit natural blessings1 and to bear aright natural evils2 to stimulate us to use with more diligence the means of avoiding or removing the latter1 and securing the former4 ,not a few philosophers of distinction1 and some theologians1 have adopted these views4 ,even ,dr4 ,thomas ,brown uses the following language3 ,it is quite evident that even ,omnipotence1 which cannot do what is contradictory1 cannot combine both advantages--the advantage of regular order in the sequences of nature1 and the advantages of a uniform adaptation of the particular circumstances of the individual4 ,we may take our choice1 but we cannot think of a combination of both2 and if1 as is very obvious1 the greater advantage be that of uniformity of operation1 we must not complain of the evils to which that very uniformity which we cannot fail to prefer--if the option had been allowed us--has been the very circumstance that gave rise4--,lecture #id4 ,science1 says ,george ,combe1 has banished from the minds of profound thinkers belief in the exercise by the ,deity1 in our day1 of special acts of supernatural power1 as a means of influencing human affairs2 and it has presented a systematic order of nature1 which man may study1 comprehend1 and follow1 as a guide to his practical conduct4 ,many educated laymen1 and also a number of the clergy1 have declined to recognize fasts1 humiliations1 and prayers1 as means adapted1 according to their views1 to avert the recurrence of the evil1 the potato blight4 ,indeed1 these observances1 inasmuch as they mislead the public mind with respect to its causes1 are regarded by such persons as positive evils4 ,the most irreligious of all religious notions1 as it seems to us1 says the ,north ,american ,review1 is a belief in special providences2 for if the doctrine has any weight at all1 it is gained at the expense of a general providence4 ,to assume to detect ,god as nearer to us on some occasions is to put him farther off from us on other occasions4 ,to have him in special incidents is to forget him in the common tenor of events4 ,the doctrine of special providences evidently has no other foundation than this1 that men think they can detect ,god's purpose and presence more signally in some incidents than in others2 so that the doctrine1 after all1 is only a compliment to man's power of detection1 instead of an acknowledgment of ,god's special presence4 ,such views and reasonings seem1 upon a superficial examination1 to be very plausible4 ,but when we look into the ,bible1 we cannot but see that the main drift of it is directly opposed to such notions4 ,that book does encourage man to pray to ,god for the removal of evils of every kind2 evils as much dependent upon natural laws as the daily course of the sun through the heavens4 ,it does teach us to look to ,god in every trying situation for deliverance1 if it is best for us to be delivered4 ,it does represent the wicked man as in danger of special punishment4 ,it exhibits a multitude of examples1 in which ,god has thus delivered those who trusted in him1 and punished those who violated his laws4 ,in every age1 too1 the most devotedly pious men have testified1 that they have found deliverance and support in circumstances in which mere natural laws could afford them no relief4 ,moreover1 when men are brought into great peril or suffering of any kind1 they involuntarily cry to ,god for help4 ,when the vessel founders in the fury of the storm1 the hardened sailor employs that breath in ardent prayer which just before had been poured out in blasphemies4 ,and when the widowed mother hears the tempest howling around her dwelling at night1 she cannot but pray for the protection of her child upon the treacherous sea4 ,when violent disease racks the frame1 and we feel ourselves rapidly sinking into the grave1 it is scarcely in human nature to omit crying to ,god with a feeling that he can save us4 ,in short1 it is a dictate of nature to call upon ,god in times of trouble4 ,our reasoning about the constancy of nature1 which appears to us while in safety so clearly to show prayer for the removal of natural evils to be useless1 loses its power1 and the feelings of the heart triumph4 ,it now becomes1 therefore1 an important practical question1 which of these views of the providence of ,god is correct4 ,is it those which our reasoning derives from the constancy of nature1 or those inspired by piety and the ,bible8 ,i have already said1 that the subject of this lecture removes all presumption against the latter view2 and ,i now proceed to show how ,god can exercise a special providence over the world1 so as to meet the case of every individual1 whether for blessing or punishment1 and that1 too1 without miracles4 ,whoever believes that geology discloses stupendous miracles of creation1 at various epochs1 will not doubt that all presumption against miraculous agency at any other time is thus removed4 ,for we are thus shown that the law of miracles forms a part of the divine plan in the government of the world4 ,but this does not prove the same to be the fact in respect to a law of special providence4 ,it is indeed true that geology gives us no distinct examples of special providence1 in the sense which we have attached to that term in the present lecture4 ,but it does furnish a multitude of instances in which changes of physical condition in the earth were met by most wisely adapted changes of organic nature4 ,and even though these changes were the result of miraculous agency1 they disclose this principle of the divine government1 viz41 that peculiarities of condition are to be met by special arrangements1 so that every exigency shall be provided for in the manner infinite wisdom sees to be best4 ,now1 this principle constitutes the essence of special providence2 and1 therefore1 geology1 in showing its past operation in the world's early organic history1 affords a presumption that the same unchanging ,god may still employ it in his natural and moral government4 ,but does not this principle of special adaptation to individual exigencies demand miraculous agency in all cases8 ,can the wants of individuals be met in any other way than by miracles1 or by the ordinary and settled laws of nature8 ,i maintain that there are other modes in which this can be done2 in which1 in fact1 every case requiring special interference can be met exactly and fully4 ,this can be done1 in the first place1 by a divine influence exerted upon the human mind1 unperceived by the individual4 ,if it were perceived1 it would constitute a miracle4 ,but can we doubt that the ,author of mind should be able to influence it directly and indirectly1 unperceived by the man so acted upon8 ,even man can do this to his fellow2 and shall such a power be denied to ,god8 ,now1 in many cases1--,i do not say all1--it only needs that the minds of others should be inclined to do so and so towards a man1 in order to place him in circumstances most unlike those that would have surrounded him without such an influence4 ,even the very elements1 being to some extent under human control1 can thus be made subservient1 or adverse1 to an individual2 and1 indeed1 by a change in the feelings and conduct of others towards us1 by an unseen influence upon their minds1 our whole outward condition may be changed4 ,in this way1 therefore1 can ,god1 in many instances1 confer blessings on the virtuous1 or execute punishment upon the wicked1 or give special answers to special prayer2 and yet there shall be no miracle about it1 nor even the slightest violation of a law of matter or of mind4 ,the result may seem to us only the natural effect of those laws1 and yet the divine influence may have modified the effect to any extent4 ,in the second place1 ,god can so modify the second causes of events out of our sight1 as to change wholly1 or in part1 the final result1 and yet not disturb the usual order of nature within sight1 so that there shall be no miracle4 ,a miracle requires that the usual order of nature1 as man sees it1 be interrupted1 or some force superadded to her agency4 ,but if such change take place out of our sight1 it might not disturb that order within sight2 and1 therefore1 to us it would be no miracle4 ,the mode in which this can be done depends upon the fact that in nature we often find several causes1 essential to produce an effect1 connected together1 as it were1 in a chain2 so that each link depends upon that which precedes it4 ,thus the power of vision depends upon the optic nerve1 in the bottom of the eye4 ,but this would be useless1 were not the coats and humors of the eye of a certain consistence and curvature1 in order to bring the rays together to form an image on the retina4 ,again1 these coats and humors depend upon light1 and light depends for its transmission1 probably1 upon that exceedingly elastic medium called the luminiferous ether4 ,this is as far back as we can trace the series of causes concerned in producing vision4 ,and yet this elastic ether may depend upon something else1 and this cause of the movement of the ether upon another cause2 and we know not how long the chain may be before we reach the great ,first ,cause4 ,now1 if any one of this series of second causes be modified1 the effect will be a modification of the final result4 ,this supposed modification may take place in that part of the chain of causes within our view1 or in that part concealed from us4 ,if it took place within sight1 it would constitute a miracle2 because the regular sequence of cause and effect would be broken off1 or an unnatural power be imparted to the cause producing the ultimate effect4 ,if the modification took place in that part of the chain of second causes out of our sight1 the final effect would be no miracle2 because it would be brought about by natural laws1 and these would perfectly explain it4 ,nevertheless1 this ultimate effect would be different from what it would be if ,god had not touched and modified that link of causation which lies out of our sight1 back among the secret agencies of his will4 ,and ,i see not but in this way he might modify the ultimate effect as much as he pleased1 and still preserve the unvarying constancy of nature4 ,for in all these cases we should see only the links of the chain of causes nearest to us2 and1 provided they operated in their usual order1 how could we know that any change had taken place in the region beyond our knowledge8 ,if the whole chain of causation were open to our inspection1 then1 indeed1 would the transaction be an obvious miracle2 but now we see nothing but the unchanging operation of natural laws4 ,to illustrate this principle1 let us imagine a few examples4 ,suppose the land visited by drought1 and its pious inhabitants assemble to pray for rain4 ,we know very well that the causes on which a storm of rain depend are very complicated4 ,how easy for the divine ,being1 in answer to those prayers1 to modify one or more of these secret agencies of meteorological change1 that are concealed from our sight1 so as to bring together the vapors over the land and condense them into rain6 ,and yet that storm shall have nothing about it unusual1 and it results from the same laws which we have before seen to be in operation4 ,still1 it may have been the result of a special agency exerted by ,jehovah in answer to prayer1 yet in such a manner that no known law of nature is infringed upon1 or even rendered more powerful in its action4 ,equally intricate and complicated are the causes of disease1 and especially of those pestilences that sometimes march over a whole continent1 with the angel of death in their train2 and alike easy is it for ,god1 in answer to earnest prayer1 to avert their progress1 or to cripple their power1 or turn them aside from a particular district1 without the least interference with the visible connection of cause and effect4 ,the beloved father of a family lies upon a bed of sickness1 and disease is fast gaining upon the powers of life4 ,his numerous and desolate family1 in spite of the cold suggestion that it will be of no avail1 will earnestly beseech the ,being in whose hands is the power of disease1 to arrest the fatal malady4 ,and could not their ,father in heaven1 in the way ,i have pointed out1 give them their request1 and yet their parent's recovery be the natural result of careful nursing and medical skill8 imposing1 however1 upon that family as great an obligation as if a manifest miracle had been wrought to save him4 ,the widow's only son1 in spite of her counsels and entreaties1 becomes a vagabond upon the seas1 and1 at length1 one of the crew of the battle ship4 ,the perils of the deep and of vicious companions are enough to make that widow a daily and most earnest suppliant at the mercy-seat of her heavenly ,father1 for his protection and salvation4 ,but1 at length1 war breaks out1 and the perils of battle render his fate more doubtful4 ,still1 faith in ,god buoys up her heart1 and she cannot abandon the hope of yet seeing her son returned1 reformed1 and becoming a useful man4 ,and at length1 rescued from the storm and shipwreck1 and the carnage of battle1 and the yet more dangerous snares of sin1 that youth returns1 a renovated man1 and cheers that mother's setting sun by an eminently useful life4 ,now1 all this may have happened simply by the operation of natural laws4 ,but it may also have been the result of divine interference in answer to prayer2 and hard will you find it to convince that rejoicing mother that the hand of ,god's extraordinary providence was not in it4 ,the devoted missionary1 at the promptings of a voice within1 quits a land of safety and peace1 and finds himself in the midst of dangers and sufferings of almost every name2 in perils of waters1 in perils of robbers1 in perils in the city1 in perils in the wilderness1 in weariness1 in watchings often1 in hunger and thirst1 in fastings often1 in cold and nakedness4 ,the furnace of persecution is heated1 and he performs his duties with his life constantly in his hand4 ,but he uses no weapon save faith and prayer4 ,he feels that he is immortal till his work is done4 ,and1 in fact1 he outlives all his dangers1 and1 in venerable old age1 surrounded by the fruits of his labor1--a reformed and affectionate people1--he passes quietly into the abodes of the blessed4 ,here1 again1 why should we hesitate to refer his protection and deliverance to the special interposition of his heavenly ,father1 in the manner ,i have pointed out8 ,on the other hand1 the history of dreadfully wicked men is full of terrible examples of calamity and suffering1 as the consequence of their sins4 ,true1 the evil came upon them apparently by the operation of natural laws2 but shall we hence infer that ,god in no case has so modified these laws1 by an agency among the hidden causes of events1 as to make the result certain8 ,he certainly could do this2 and to say that he never has done it1 is to remove one of the most powerful restraints that operate upon the wicked4 ,in several examples recorded in the ,bible1 both of deliverance for the virtuous and of punishment for the wicked1 so many natural agencies are concerned1 that we are left in doubt whether the events are to be regarded as miraculous or not4 ,let the deluge1 the destruction of ,sodom1 and the passage of the ,israelites through the ,red ,sea1 serve as examples4 ,in the first1 we find the flood imputed to a forty days' rain and the overflowing of the ocean2 and its reduction to a wind4 ,in the destruction of the cities of the plain1 the phenomena described correspond very well with the effects of volcanic agency2 and we find accordingly that the region where those cities stood shows marks of that agency4 ,in the passage of the ,red ,sea1 the removal of the waters1 to allow the ,israelites to pass1 is imputed to a strong east wind all night4 ,nevertheless1 the pillar of a cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night were a manifest and standing miracle in this transaction4 ,now1 may it not be that1 in all these cases1 so far as natural agencies were concerned1 they were made to conspire with the miraculous in the manner which ,i have described1 viz41 by such a modification of some of the remote causes by which they were brought into action1 as exactly to answer the divine purpose in the catastrophe of the deluge1 of ,sodom1 and in the passage of the ,red ,sea8 ,a third mode by which the purposes of special providence can be brought about without miracles is by such an adjustment of the direct and lateral influences on which events depend1 that the time and manner of their occurrence shall exactly meet every exigency4 ,although it expresses a truth to represent the second causes of events as constituting the links of a chain1 it is not the whole truth4 ,for1 in fact1 those causes are connected together in the form of a network1 or1 more exactly still1 by a sphere filled with interlocked meshes2 or1 to speak more mathematically1 the forces by which events are produced are both direct and indirect4 ,it would be easy to calculate the effect of a single direct force2 but if1 in its progress1 it meets with a multitude of oblique impulses1 striking it at every possible angle1 what human mathematics can make out the final resultant8 ,yet1 in fact1 such is the history of almost every event4 ,the lateral influences1 which meet and modify the direct force1 are so numerous1 and unexpected often1 that men are amazed at the result1 sometimes as unexpected as a miracle4 ,when an individual1 says ,isaac ,taylor1 receives an answer to his prayer1 the interposition may be made1 not in the line which he himself is describing1 but in one of those which are to meet him on his path2 and at a point1 therefore1 where1 even though the visible constancy of nature should be violated1 yet1 as being at the time beyond the sphere of his observation1 it is a violation not visible to him4 ,and herein is especially manifested the perfection of divine wisdom1 that the most surprising conjunctions of events are brought about by the simplest means1 and in a manner that is perfectly in harmony with the ordinary course of human affairs4 ,this is1 in fact1 the great miracle of providence1 that no miracles are needed to accomplish its purposes4--,nat4 ,history of ,enthusiasm1 p4 #abh4 ,this complication of causes does not merely give variety to the works and operations of nature1 but it enables ,god to produce effects which could never have resulted from each law acting singly2 nor is there a scarcely conceivable limit to these modifications4 ,indeed1 in this way can ,providence accomplish all his beneficent purposes1 and meet every individual case1 just as infinite wisdom would have it met4 ,by this agency1 says ,m',cosh1 ,god can at one time increase1 and at another time lessen1 or completely nullify1 the spontaneous efforts of the fixed properties of matter4 ,now he can make the most powerful agents in nature--such as wind1 fire1 and disease--coincide and cooperate to produce effects of such a tremendous magnitude as none of them separately could accomplish2 and again1 he can arrest their influence by counteracting agencies1 or1 rather1 by making them counteract each other4 ,he can1 for instance1 by a concurrence of natural laws1 bring a person1 who is in the enjoyment of health at present1 to the very borders of death1 an hour or an instant hence2 and he can1 by a like means1 suddenly restore the same or another individual to health1 after he has been on the very verge of the grave4 ,by the confluence of two or more streams1 he can bring agencies of tremendous potency to bear upon the production of a given effect1 such as a war1 a pestilence1 or a revolution2 and1 on the other hand1 by drawing aside the stream into another channel1 he can arrest1 at any given instant1 the awful effects that would otherwise follow from these agencies1 and save an individual1 a family1 or a nation1 from the evils which seem ready to burst upon them4 ,guided by these principles and guarded by sound sense1 the inquiring mind will discover many and wonderful designed connections between the various events of divine providence4 ,read in the spirit of faith1 striking coincidences will every where manifest themselves4 ,what singular unions of two streams at the proper place to help on the exertions of the great and good6 ,what curious intersections of cords to catch the wicked as in a net1 when they are prowling as wild beasts6 ,by strange but most apposite correspondences1 human strength1 when set against the will of ,god1 is made to waste away under ,god's indignation burning against it1 as1 in heathen story1 ,meleager wasted away as the stick burned which his mother held in the fire4--,method of the ,divine ,government1 pp4 #agf1 #bjc4 ,in many cases1 the lateral streams of influence that flow in and bring unexpected relief to the pious man1 and unexpected punishment to the wicked1 or a marked answer to prayer1 seem to the individuals little short of miraculous4 ,yet1 after all1 they can see no violation of the natural order of cause and effect4 ,but the wonder is1 how the modifying influence should come in just at the right moment4 ,it may1 indeed1 have received a commission to do this very thing from the immediate impulse of ,jehovah2 yet1 being unperceived by us1 it is no miracle4 ,or the whole plan may have been so arranged at the beginning that its development will meet every case of special providence exactly4 ,which of these views may be most accordant with truth1 may admit of discussion4 ,yet we think that all the modes that have been pointed out1 by which miraculous and special providences are brought about1 may be referred to one general proposition1 which we now proceed to state4 ,in the fourth place1 the plan of the universe in the divine mind1 at the beginning1 must have embraced every case of miracles and of special providence4 ,from the nature of the divine attributes we infer with certainty that every event occurring in the universe must have entered into the original plan of creation in the mind of ,god4 ,surely no one will deny that he must have foreseen the operation of every law which he established1 and1 consequently1 every event which it would produce4 ,but there must be some ground for foreknowledge to rest upon2 otherwise it is conjecture1 not knowledge4 ,and what could that basis be but the divine plan8 ,equally clear is it that1 whatever plans existed in the mind of ,god1 when he brought the universe into existence1 must always have been there4 ,for to suppose that there was a point of duration when the plan was first conceived1 would imply new knowledge in one confessedly omniscient2 and that destroys the idea of omniscience4 ,similar reasoning from the nature of the divine attributes leads us to the conclusion that ,god always acts according to law4 ,that he does this in the ordinary operations of nature1 all admit4 ,but even when he introduces a miracle1--perhaps by a counteraction of ordinary laws1--he may still act by some rule2 so that1 were precisely the same circumstances to occur again1 the same miracle would be repeated4 ,beforehand1 we could not say whether ,god would conduct the affairs of the universe by one unvarying system of natural laws1 or occasionally interfere with the regular sequence of cause and effect by miracle4 ,but though the latter course should be adopted1 as we have reason to think it is1 even the special interference must be according to law2 so that1 in fact1 there is a law of miracles as well as of common events4 ,again1 if ,god sometimes alters one or more of the links out of sight1 in a chain of second causes1 in order to meet a providential exigency1 or if he modifies for the same purpose some of the oblique influences by which events are affected1 all this must be done by rule2 that is1 by law4 ,indeed1 to suppose him ever to act without law1 is to represent him as less wise than men1 who1 if judicious1 are always governed by settled principles1 which produce the same conduct in the same circumstances4 ,from this reasoning we may safely infer two things3 first1 that the laws regulating miracles and special providences are as fixed and certain as those of ordinary events2 and secondly1 that those laws must have formed a part of the plan of creation originally existing in the divine mind4 ,and hence1 thirdly1 we must admit that every case of miracle and special providence must have entered into that plan4 ,when he formed it1 he foresaw every possible event that would result from its operation to the end of the world4 ,he saw distinctly the condition of every individual of the human family1 from the beginning to the close of life2 all his dangers and trials1 his sufferings and his sins2 and he knew just when and where every prayer would be offered up4 ,nor can it be any more doubtful that1 with infinite wisdom to guide him1 and infinite power to execute his will1 ,god could so have arranged and constituted the laws of nature1 as to meet exactly every case that should ever occur1 just in the way he would wish to have it met4 ,those laws might have been so framed and disposed that1 after running on in one unvarying course for ages1 a new one might come in1 or the old ones be modified1 and at once produce effects quite different1 and then the first laws resume again their usual course4 ,and the new or modified law might be made to produce its extraordinary or peculiar effects just at the moment when some miracle or special providence would be needed4 ,thus what would be to us a special or miraculous interposition of divine power1 might be the foreseen and foreordained result of ,god's original purpose4 ,and if we can conceive how such an effect could be produced once1 we cannot doubt that infinite wisdom and power could in like manner meet every possible case in which what we call special and miraculous providence would be needed4 ,with our limited powers1 we are obliged1 after constructing a complicated machine1 to put it into operation before we can judge certainly of its effects2 and then1 if our wishes are not met1 we must alter the parts1 or in some other way meet the new cases that occur2 and hence we find it difficult to conceive how it can be otherwise with ,god4 ,but he saw the operation of the vast machine of the universe just as clearly at the beginning as at any subsequent period4 ,he1 therefore1 can do at the beginning what we can do only after experience1 viz41 adapt the parts to every variety of circumstances4 ,if ,i mistake not1 we are indebted to ,bishop ,butler for the germ of these views2 but ,professor ,babbage has illustrated them by reference to an extraordinary machine of his own invention1 called ,the ,calculating ,engine4 ,it is adapted to perform the most extensive and complicated numerical calculations1 of course with absolute certainty1 because its parts are arranged by certain laws4 ,and he finds that precisely such effects1 on a small scale1 can be produced by this machine1 as have been imputed above to the divine agency in creation4 ,it is moved by a weight and a wheel which turns at a short interval around its axis1 and prints a series of natural numbers1--#a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 c41--each exceeding its antecedent by unity4 ,now1 reader1 let me ask you1 says ,professor ,babbage1 how long you will have counted before you are firmly convinced that the engine1 supposing its adjustments to remain unaltered1 will continue1 whilst its motion is maintained1 to produce the same series of natural numbers4 ,some minds1 perhaps1 are so constituted that1 after passing the first hundred terms1 they will be satisfied that they are acquainted with the law4 ,after seeing five hundred terms1 few will doubt2 and after the fifty thousandth term1 the propensity to believe the succeeding term will be fifty thousand and one1 will be almost irresistible4 ,that term will be fifty thousand and one2 the same regular succession will continue2 the five millionth and the fifty millionth term will appear in their expected order1 and one unbroken chain of numbers will pass before you1 from one up to one hundred millions4 ,true to the vast induction which has thus been made1 the next succeeding term will be one hundred millions and one2 but after that1 the next number presented by the rim of the wheel1 instead of being one hundred millions and two1 is one hundred millions ten thousand and two4 ,the law which seemed to govern this series fails at the one hundred million and second term4 ,that term is larger than we expected by ten thousand4 ,the next term is larger than was anticipated by thirty thousand4 ,if we still continue to observe the numbers presented by the wheel1 we shall find that for a hundred1 or even for a thousand terms1 they continue to follow the new law relating to the triangular numbers2 but after watching them for twenty-seven hundred and sixty-one terms1 we find that this law fails in the case of the twenty-seven hundred and sixty-second term4 ,if we continue to observe1 another law then comes into action4 ,this will continue through fourteen hundred and thirty terms1 when a new law is again introduced1 which extends over about nine hundred and fifty terms2 and this1 too1 like all its predecessors1 fails1 and gives place to other laws1 which appear at different intervals4 ,it is also possible so to arrange the engine1 that at any periods1 however remote1 the first law shall be interrupted for one or more times1 and be superseded by any other laws1 after which the original law shall be again produced1 and no other deviation shall ever take place4 ,now1 it must be remarked that the law that each number presented by the engine is greater by unity than the preceding number1 which law the observer had deduced from an induction of a hundred million of instances1 was not the true law that regulated its action2 and that the occurrence of the number one hundred million ten thousand and two at the one hundred million and second term was as necessary a consequence of the original adjustment as was the regular succession of any one of the intermediate numbers to its immediate antecedent4 ,the same remark applies to the next apparent deviation from the new law1 which was founded on an induction of two thousand seven hundred and sixty-one terms2 and to all the succeeding laws1 with this limitation only1 that whilst their consecutive introduction at various definite intervals is a necessary consequence of the mechanical structure of the engine1 our knowledge of analysis does not yet enable us to predict the periods at which the more distant laws will be introduced4--,ninth ,bridgewater ,treatise4 ,the application of these statements to the doctrine of special as well as of miraculous providence is very obvious4 ,if human ingenuity can construct a machine which shall exhibit the introduction of new laws1 after the old ones had been established by an induction of a hundred million of examples1 and these new ones be succeeded by others1 how much easier for the infinite ,god to construct the vast and more complicated machine of the universe1 so that new laws1 or modifications of the old ones1 shall be introduced at various periods of its history1 to meet every exigency6 ,how easy for him so to adjust this machine at the beginning1 that the new laws and new modes of action should be introduced1 precisely at those points where a special providence would be desirable1 to reward the virtuous and to punish the wicked1 and then the old law again assume its dominion6 ,and how easily1 in this way1 could the case of every individual be met1 from the beginning to the end of the world6 ,i mean1 how easy would this work be to infinite wisdom and power6 ,but if all events1 miraculous as well as common1 may depend upon unbending law1 how does such a view differ from the one ,i am now opposing1 viz41 that the constancy of nature's laws precludes the idea of any special interference on the part of ,god1 in human affairs8 ,the main point of difference1 ,i reply1 is1 that the advocates of the latter view will not admit any such thing at the present day as special interference1 on the part of the ,deity1 with nature4 ,they admit only uniform and ordinary laws1 which they suppose are never interrupted4 ,this ,i deny2 and endeavor to show1 not only that the contrary may be a fact1 but that ,god purposed it originally1 and determined the laws by which it might be accomplished4 ,the fact that he did this beforehand1 even from eternity1 no more precludes his agency1 than the special interference of a father to help his child through a dangerous pass is disproved1 because he foresaw the danger and provided the means of defence even before the child was born4 ,if the father was actually with the child1 as he went through the danger1 and held out to him the requisite help1 what difference could it make1 though the father purposed to do so a long time previously8 ,and if we admit that ,god's efficiency alone gives power to the ordinary laws of nature1 we shall admit that in every special law he is as really present with his energy1 as a father who should lead his child by the hand through the dangerous path4 ,so that1 practically at least1 the difference between these two views of the subject is very great2 the one removing ,god far away1 and putting law in his place2 and the other bringing him near1 and making him the actual and constant agent in every event4 ,the one view is practical atheism1 although often adopted by religious men2 the other is practical ,christianity4 ,by the principles of physical science1 then1 the scriptural doctrines of miraculous and special providence are proved to be in accordance with philosophy4 ,the miracles of revelation are shown to have been preceded by the miracles of geology2 and are1 therefore1 in conformity with the principles of the divine government4 ,the modifications which ,god can make in the causes of events out of human view1 or the changes which he can produce by lateral influences upon the final result1--all1 it may be1 in conformity to an eternal plan1 reaching the minutest of human affairs1--enable him to execute every purpose of special providence so as to satisfy every exigency4 ,the sceptic may say1 that we cannot prove by facts that ,god does so modify and arrange the laws and operations of nature as to adapt his dealings to the case of individuals4 ,but1 on the other hand1 neither can he show that ,god does not thus interfere with nature's uniformity4 ,it is enough to show that he can do it without a miracle1 in order to establish the doctrine of special providence4 ,how often he exercises this power1 we cannot know2 but we may be sure as often as is desirable4 ,a most important application of these principles may be made to the subject of prayer4 ,for in answering prayer1 ,god is1 in fact1 merely executing some of the purposes of his special providence2 and it is gratifying to the pious heart to see how he can give an answer to the humblest petitioner4 ,no matter though all the laws of nature seem in the way of an answer1--,god can so modify their action as to conform them to the case of every petitioner4 ,war1 famine1 and pestilence may all be upon us1 yet humble prayer may turn them all aside1 and every other physical evil2 and that without a miracle1 if best for us and for the universe4 ,tell a man that the only effect of prayer is its reflex influence upon himself1 in leading him to conform more strictly to nature's laws1 and you send a paralysis and a death chill into all his moral sensibilities4 ,indeed1 he cannot pray2 but tell him that ,god will be influenced1 as is any earthly friend1 by his supplications1 and his heart beats full and strong1 the current of life goes bounding through his whole system1 the glow of health mantles his cheek1 and all his senses are roused into intense and delightful action4 ,the sad influence of a perversion and misunderstanding of the doctrine of nature's constancy upon the youthful mind is well exhibited by a late able writer4 ,early trained to it under the domestic roof1 says ,m',cosh1 the person regularly engaged in prayer during childhood and opening manhood4 ,but as he became introduced to general society1 and began to feel his independence of the guardians of his youth1 he was tempted to look upon the father's commands1 in this respect1 as proceeding from sourness and sternness1 and the mother's advice as originating in an amiable weakness and timidity4 ,he is now careless in the performance of acts which in time past had been punctually attended to4 ,how short1 how hurried1 how cold are the prayers which he now utters6 ,then there come to be mornings on which he is snatched away to some very important or enticing work without engaging in his customary devotions4 ,there are evenings1 too1 following days of mad excitement or sinful pleasure1 in which he feels utterly indisposed to go into the presence of ,god1 and to be left alone with him4 ,he feels that there is an utter incongruity between the ball-room1 or the theatre1 which he has just left1 and the throne of grace1 to which he should now go4 ,what can he say to ,god1 when he would pray to him8 ,confess his sins8 ,no2 he does not at present feel the act to be sinful4 ,thank ,god for giving him access to such follies8 ,he has his doubts whether ,god approves of all that has been done4 ,but he may ask ,god's blessing8 ,no2 he is scarcely disposed to acknowledge that he needs a blessing1 or he doubts whether the blessing would be given4 ,the practical conclusion to which he comes is1 that it may be as consistent in him to betake himself to sleep without offering to ,god what he feels would only be a mockery4 ,what is he to do the following morning8 ,it is a critical time4 ,confess his error8 ,no2 cherishing as he does the recollection of the gay scene in which he mingled1 and with the taste and relish of it yet upon his palate1 he is not prepared to acknowledge his folly4 ,morning and evening now go and return1 and bring new gifts from ,god1 and new manifestations of his goodness2 but no acknowledgment of the divine bounty on the part of him who is yet ever receiving it4 ,no doubt there are times when he is prompted to prayer by powerful feelings1 called up by outward trials or inward convictions2 but ever when the storms of human life would drive him to the shore1 there is a tide beating him back4 ,his course continues to be a very vacillating one--now seeming to approach to ,god1 and anon driven farther from him1 till he obtains from books1 or from lectures1 a smattering of half-understood science4 ,he now learns that all things are governed by laws1 regular and fixed1 over which the breath of prayer can exert as little influence1 as they move on in their allotted course1 as the passing breeze of the earth over the sun in his circuit4 ,false philosophy has now come to the aid of guilty feelings1 and hardens their cold waters into an icicle lying at his very heart1 cooling all his ardor1 and damping all his enthusiasm4 ,he looks back1 at times1 no doubt1 to the simple faith of his childhood with a sigh2 but it is as to a pleasing dream1 or illusion1 from which he has been awakened1 and into which1 the spell being broken1 he can never again fall4--,method of the ,divine ,government1 p4 #bbd4 ,o1 what a change would this world exhibit1 were the whole ,christian church to exercise full faith in ,god's ability to answer prayer without a miracle1 only to the extent pointed out by philosophy1 to say nothing of the ,bible2 for1 in fact1 a large proportion of that church1 confounded by the specious argument derived from nature's constancy1 have virtually yielded this most important principle to the demands of scepticism4 ,when natural evils1 such as war1 famine1 drought1 and pestilence1 came upon our forefathers1 they1 taking the ,bible for their guide1 observed days of fasting and prayer for their removal4 ,but how seldom do their descendants follow their example6 ,and yet even physical science testifies that the fathers acted in conformity to the true principles of philosophy4 ,would that the ,christian church would consent to be led back to the ,bible doctrine on this subject by philosophy4 ,that same philosophy1 also1 should lead the good man1 when struggling through difficulties1 to exercise unshaken confidence in the divine protection1 even though all nature's laws seem arrayed against him2 for at the unseen touch of ,god's efficiency1 the iron bars of law shall melt away like wax1 and deliverance be given in the midst of appalling dangers1 if best for the man and for the universe2 and if not best1 he will not desire it4 ,science1 too1 bids the wicked man not to fancy that the constancy of nature will shield him from the infliction of merited and special punishment1 should ,god choose to make bare the rod of his justice2 for the blow may come as certainly in the course of nature as against it4 ,let modern ,christian theology1 then1 receive meekly the rebuke administered on this important point by physical science4 ,for how lame and halting a defence of the ,scripture doctrine of special providence and prayer has that theology been able to make6 ,how few of our systems of theology contain a manful vindication of truths so important6 ,let not the ,christian divine1 therefore1 refuse the aid thus offered by physical science4 ,let him no longer indulge groundless jealousies against true philosophy1 as if adverse to religion4 ,especially let him not spurn the aid of geology1 which alone1 of all the sciences1 discloses stupendous miracles of creation in early times1 and thus removes all presumption against the miracles of ,christianity and special providence at any time4 ,it is1 indeed1 an instructive fact1 that a science which has been thought so full of danger to ,christianity should thus early be found vindicating some of the most peculiar and long-contested doctrines of revelation4 ,and yet it ought not to surprise us1 for geology is as really the work of ,god as revelation4 ,and though1 when ill understood and perverted1 she may have seemed recreant to her celestial origin1 yet the more fully her proportions are developed1 and her features brought into daylight1 the more clearly do we recognize her alliance to every thing pure and noble in the universe4 ,and surely1 says a late writer1 it must be gratifying thus to see a science1 formerly classed1 and not perhaps unjustly1 amongst the most pernicious to faith1 once more become her handmaid2 to see her now1 after so many years of wandering from theory to theory1 or rather from vision to vision1 return once more to the home where she was born1 and to the altar at which she made her first simple offerings2 no longer1 as she first went forth1 a wilful1 dreamy1 empty-handed child1 but with a matronly dignity1 and a priest-like step1 and a bosom full of well-earned gifts1 to pile upon its sacred hearth4 ,for it was religion which gave geology birth1 and to the sanctuary she hath once more returned4--,wiseman's ,lectures on ,science and ,revealed ,religion1 p4 #aib1 ,am4 ed4 ,,lecture ,,xi4 ,,the ,,future ,,condition ,,and ,,destiny ,,of ,,the ,,earth4 ,man has a stronger desire to penetrate the future than the past4 ,and yet the details of most future events are wisely concealed from him4 ,there are two1 and only two1 sources of evidence from which he can obtain some glimpses of what will be hereafter4 ,the one is revelation1 the other analogy4 ,so far as ,god has thought proper to reveal the future1 our information is precise and certain4 ,but it does not embrace a multitude of events about which we have strong curiosity4 ,by analogy is meant a prediction of the future from the past4 ,on the principle that nature is constant1 we infer what will be from what has been4 ,if1 however1 new laws are hereafter to come into operation1 or if present agencies will then operate very differently from what they now do1 it is obvious that analogy can be only an imperfect guide4 ,still1 in respect to many important events1 its conclusions are infallible4 ,judging1 for instance1 from the past1 we are absolutely certain that no living thing will escape the great law of dissolution1 which1 thus far1 apart from the few exceptions made known to us by revelation1 has been universal4 ,the future changes in the condition of the earth1 as they are taught us by revelation and analogy1 or1 rather1 by geology1 will form the subject of my present lecture4 ,and my first object will be1 to ascertain1 if possible1 precisely what the ,bible teaches us concerning these changes4 ,we find in the ,scriptures several descriptions1 more or less definite1 of the changes which this globe will hereafter undergo4 ,some of them1 however1 are couched in the figurative language of prophecy1 and others are incidental allusions2 and concerning the precise meaning of such descriptions1 there will1 of course1 be a diversity of opinion4 ,there are1 however1 some passages on this subject as literal and as precise in their meaning as language can be4 ,now1 it is one of the rules for interpreting language1 that1 where a work contains several accounts of the same event1 the description which is most simple and literal ought to be made the index for obtaining the meaning of those passages which are figurative1 or1 on any account1 obscure4 ,i shall1 therefore1 select the passage of ,scripture which all acknowledge to be most plain and definite1 respecting the future destruction of the earth1 and the new heavens and earth that are to succeed1 and first inquire into its precise meaning2 after which1 we shall be better prepared to ascertain what modification of that meaning other passages of sacred writ demand4 ,it needs but a cursory examination of the ,bible to convince any one that the description in the ,second ,epistle of ,peter of the future destruction and renovation of the earth and heavens1 is eminently the passage first to be examined1 because the fullest and clearest on this subject4 ,it is the apostle's object directly and literally to describe these great changes1 apart from all embellishments of language4 ,there shall come1 says he1 in the last days1 scoffers1 walking after their own lusts1 and saying1 ,where is the promise of his coming8 for since the fathers fell asleep1 all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation4 ,for this they willingly are ignorant of1 that by the word of ,god the heavens were of old1 and the earth standing out of the water and in the water2 whereby the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 ,but the heavens and the earth1 which are now1 by the same word are kept in store1 reserved unto fire1 against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men4 ,but1 beloved1 be not ignorant of this one thing1 that one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day4 ,the ,lord is not slack concerning his promise1 as some men count slackness1 but is long suffering to us-ward1 not willing that any should perish1 but that all should come to repentance4 ,but the day of the ,lord will come as a thief in the night1 in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat2 the earth1 also1 and the works that are therein1 shall be burned up4 ,seeing1 then1 that all these things shall be dissolved1 what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness8 ,looking for1 and hasting unto the coming of the day of ,god1 wherein the heavens1 being on fire1 shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat4 ,nevertheless1 we1 according to his promise1 look for new heavens1 and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,it would require too much time1 and1 moreover1 is not necessary to the object ,i have in view1 to enter into minute verbal criticism upon this passage4 ,i will only remark that the phrase translated the earth and the works that are therein1 might with equal propriety be rendered the earth and the works that are thereon2 and yet the difference of meaning between the two modes of expression is of no great importance4 ,again1 by the term heavens1 in this passage1 we are evidently to understand the atmosphere1 or region immediately surrounding the earth2 as in the first chapter of ,genesis1 where it is said that ,god called the firmament heavens2 the plural form being used in the ,hebrew1 though not in the ,english translation4 ,what1 now1 by a fair exegesis1 is taught in this passage concerning the destruction and renovation of the world8 ,the following train of remark may conduct us to the true answer to this inquiry3-- ,in the first place1 this passage is to be understood literally4 ,it would seem as if it could hardly be necessary to present any formal proof of this position to any person of common sense1 who had read the passage4 ,but the fact is1 that men of no mean reputation as commentators have maintained that the whole of it is only a vivid figurative prophecy of the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,others suppose the new heavens and new earth here described to exist before the conflagration of the world4 ,but these new heavens and earth are represented as the residence of the righteous1 after the burning and melting of the earth1 which1 according to other parts of ,scripture1 is to take place at the end of the world1 or at the general judgment4 ,how strange that1 in order to sustain a favorite theory1 able men should thus invert the obvious order of these great events1 so clearly described in the ,bible6 ,still more absurd is it to attempt to fasten a figurative character upon this most simple statement of inspiration4 ,it is1 indeed1 true1 that the prophets have sometimes set forth great political and moral changes1 the downfall of empires1 or of distinguished men1 by the destruction of the heavens and the earth1 and the growing pale and darkening of the sun and moon4 ,but in all these cases the figurative character of the description is most obvious2 while in the passage from ,peter its literal character is equally obvious4 ,take1 for example1 this statement--,by the word of ,god the heavens were of old1 and the earth1 standing out of the water and in the water2 whereby the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 ,but the heavens and the earth1 which are now1 by the same word are kept in store1 reserved unto fire1 against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men4 ,i believe no one has ever doubted that the destruction of the world by water1 here described1 refers to ,noah's deluge4 ,now1 how absurd to admit that this is a literal description of that event1 and then to maintain the remainder of the sentence1 which declares the future destruction of that same world by fire1 to be figurative in the highest degree6 ,for if this destruction mean only the destruction of ,jerusalem1 or any other great political or moral revolution1 the language is one of the boldest figures which can be framed4 ,who1 that knows any thing of the laws of language1 does not see the supreme absurdity of thus coupling in the same sentence the most simple and certain literality with the strongest of all figures8 ,what mark is given us1 by which we may know where the boundary is between the literal and the metaphorical sense8 ,from what part of the ,bible1 or from what uninspired author1 can a parallel example be adduced8 ,what but the strongest necessity1 the most decided exigentia loci1 would justify such an anomalous interpretation of any author8 ,nay1 ,i do not believe any necessity could justify it4 ,it would be more reasonable to infer that the passage had no meaning1 or an absurd one4 ,but surely no such necessity exists in the present case4 ,understood literally1 the passage teaches only what is often expressed1 though less fully1 in many other parts of ,scripture2 and even though some of these other passages should be involved in a degree of obscurity1--and ,i am not disposed to deny that some obscurity rests upon one or two of them1--it would be no good reason for transforming so plain a description into a highly-wrought figurative representation2 especially when by no ingenuity can we thus alter more than one part of the sentence4 ,i conclude1 therefore1 that1 if any part of the ,bible is literal1 we are thus to consider this chapter of ,peter4 ,in the second place1 this passage does not teach that the earth will be annihilated4 ,the prevailing opinion in this country1 probably1 has been1 and still is1 that the destruction of the world described by ,peter will amount to annihilation--that the matter of the globe will cease to be4 ,but in all ages there have been many who believe that the destruction will be only the ruin of the present economy of the world1 but not its utter extinction4 ,and surely ,peter's description does not imply annihilation of the matter of the globe4 ,he makes fire the agent of the destruction1 and1 in order to ascertain the extent of the ruin that will follow1 we have only to inquire what effect combustion will have upon matter4 ,the common opinion is1 that intense combustion actually destroys or annihilates matter1 because it is thereby dissipated4 ,but the chemist knows that not one particle of matter has ever been thus deprived of existence2 that fire only changes the form of matter1 but never annihilates it4 ,when solid matter is changed into gas1 as in most cases of combustion1 it seems to be annihilated1 because it disappears2 but it has only assumed a new form1 and exists as really as before4 ,since1 therefore1 biblical and scientific truth must agree1 we may be sure that the apostle never meant to teach that the matter of the globe would cease to be1 through the action of fire upon it2 nor is there any thing in his language that implies such a result1 but most obviously the reverse4 ,if these things be so1 then1 in the third place1 we may infer that ,peter did not mean to teach that the matter of the globe would be in the least diminished by the final conflagration4 ,i doubt not the sufficiency of divine power partially or wholly to annihilate the material universe4 ,but heat1 however intense1 has no tendency to do this2 it only gives matter a new form4 ,and heat is the only agency which the apostle represents as employed4 ,in short1 we have no evidence1 either from science or revelation1 that the minutest atom of matter has ever been destroyed since the original creation2 nor have we any more evidence that any of it ever will be reduced to the nothingness from which it sprang4 ,the prevalent ideas upon this subject all result from erroneous notions of the effect of intense heat4 ,in the fourth place1 the passage under consideration teaches us that whatever upon or within the earth is capable of combustion will undergo that change1 and that the entire globe will be melted4 ,the language of ,peter has always seemed to me extremely interesting4 ,he says that the heavens or atmosphere will pass away with a great noise1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat2 the earth1 also1 and the works that are therein1 shall be burned up2 looking for1 and hasting unto the coming of the day of ,god1 wherein the heavens1 being on fire1 shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat4 ,this language approaches nearer to an anticipation of the scientific discoveries of modern times than any other part of ,scripture4 ,and yet1 at the time it was written1 it would not have enabled any one to understand the chemistry of the great changes which it describes4 ,but1 now that their chemistry is understood1 we perceive that the language is adapted to it1 in a manner which no uninspired writer would have done4 ,the atmosphere is represented as passing away with a great noise--an effect which the chemist would predict by the union of its oxygen with the hydrogen and other gases liberated by the intense heat4 ,yet what uninspired writer of the first century would have imagined such a result8 ,again1 when we consider the notions which then prevailed1 and which are still widely diffused1 why should the apostle add to the simple statement that the earth would be burnt up1 the declaration that its elements would be melted8 ,for the impression was1 that the combustion would entirely destroy the matter of the globe4 ,but the chemist finds that the greater part of the earth has already been oxidized1 or burnt1 and on this matter the only effect of the heat1 unless intense enough to dissipate it1 would be to melt it4 ,if1 therefore1 the apostle had said only that the world would be burnt up1 the sceptical chemist would have inferred that he had made a mistake through ignorance of chemistry4 ,but he cannot now draw such an inference2 for the apostle's language clearly implies that only the combustible matter of the globe will be burnt1 while the elements1 or first principles of things1 will be melted2 so that the final result will be an entire liquid1 fiery globe4 ,such a wonderful adaptation of his description to modern science could not surely have resulted from human sagacity1 but must be the fruit of divine inspiration4 ,and this adaptation is the more wonderful when we find it running through the whole ,bible wherever the sacred writers come in contact with scientific subjects4 ,in this respect1 the ,bible differs from every other system of religion professedly from heaven4 ,whenever other systems have treated of the works of nature1 they have sanctioned some error1 and thus put into the hands of modern science the means of detecting the imposture4 ,the ,vedas of ,india adopt the absurd notions of an ignorant and polytheistic age respecting astronomy1 and the ,koran adopts as infallible truth the absurdities of the ,ptolemaic system4 ,but hitherto the ,bible has never been proved to come into collision with any scientific discovery1 although many of its books were written in the rudest and most ignorant ages4 ,it does not1 indeed1 anticipate scientific discovery4 ,but the remarkable adaptation of its language to such discoveries1 when they are made1 seems to me a more striking mark of its divine origin than if it had contained a revelation of the whole system of modern science4 ,in the fifth place1 the passage under consideration teaches that this earth will be renovated by the final conflagration1 and become the abode of the righteous4 ,after describing the day of ,god1 wherein the heavens1 being on fire1 shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat1 ,peter adds1 ,nevertheless1 we1 according to his promise1 look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,now1 the apostle does not here1 in so many words1 declare that the new heavens and earth will be the present world and its atmosphere1 purified and renovated by fire4 ,but it is certainly a natural inference that such was his meaning4 ,for if he intended some other remote and quite different place1 why should he call it earth1 and1 especially1 why should he surround it with an atmosphere8 ,the natural and most obvious meaning of the passage surely is1 that the future residence of the righteous will be this present terraqueous globe1 after its entire organic and combustible matter shall have been destroyed1 and its whole mass reduced by heat to a liquid state1 and then a new economy reared up on its surface1 not adapted to sinful1 but to sinless beings1 and1 therefore1 quite different from its present condition--probably more perfect1 but still the same earth and surrounding heavens4 ,there are1 indeed1 some difficulties in the way of such a meaning to this passage1 and objections to a material heaven2 and these ,i shall notice in the proper place4 ,but ,i have given what seems to me the natural and obvious meaning of the passage4 ,such1 as ,i conceive1 are the fair inferences from the apostle's description of the end of the world4 ,let us now inquire whether any other passages of ,scripture require us to modify this meaning4 ,the idea of a future destruction of the world by fire is recognized in various places1 both in the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,christ speaks more than once of heaven and earth as passing away4 ,paul speaks of ,christ as descending1 at the end of the world1 in flaming fire4 ,and the ,psalmist describes the destruction of the heavens and the earth as a renovation4 ,they shall perish1 says he1 but thou ,god shalt endure2 yea1 all of them shall wax old like a garment1 and as a vesture shalt thou change them1 and they shall be changed4 ,in ,revelation1 after the apostle had given a vivid description of the final judgment and its retributions1 he says1 ,and ,i saw a new heaven and a new earth2 for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away1 and there was no more sea4 ,he then proceeds to give a minute and glowing description of what he calls the ,new ,jerusalem1 coming down from ,god1 out of heaven4 ,it is scarcely possible to understand the whole of this description as literally true4 ,we must rather regard it as a figurative representation of the heavenly state4 ,and hence the first verse1 which speaks of the new heavens and the new earth1 in almost the same language which ,peter uses1 may be also figurative1 indicating merely a more exalted condition than the present world4 ,hence1 ,i would not use this passage to sustain the interpretation given of the literal description by ,peter4 ,and yet it is by no means improbable that the figurative language of ,john may have for its basis the same truths which are taught by ,peter4 ,nor ought we to infer1 because a figure is built upon that basis in the apocalyptic vision1 that the simple statements of ,peter are metaphorical4 ,in the passage quoted from ,peter1 it is said1 ,nevertheless1 we1 according to his promise1 look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,most writers have supposed the apostle to refer either to the promise made to ,abraham1 that his seed should inherit the land1 or to a prophecy in ,isaiah1 which says1 ,behold1 ,i create new heavens1 and a new earth1 and the former shall not be remembered1 or come into mind4 ,but be you glad and rejoice forever in that which ,i create2 for behold1 ,i create ,jerusalem a rejoicing1 and her people a joy4 ,and ,i will rejoice in ,jerusalem1 and joy in my people2 and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her1 nor the voice of crying4 ,there shall be no more thence an infant of days1 nor an old man that hath not filled his days2 for the child shall die a hundred years old2 but the sinner1 being a hundred years old1 shall be accursed4 ,and they shall build houses1 and inhabit them2 and they shall plant vineyards1 and eat the fruit of them4 ,they shall not build1 and another inhabit2 they shall not plant1 and another eat2 for as the days of a tree are the days of my people1 and mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands4 ,the wolf and the lamb shall feed together1 and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock2 and dust shall be the serpent's meat4 ,they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain1 saith the ,lord4 ,now1 it seems highly probable that the new heavens and earth1 here described1 represent a state of things on the present earth before the day of judgment1 and not a heavenly and immortal state2 for sin and death are spoken of as existing in it2 both which1 we are assured1 will be excluded from heaven4 ,hence able biblical writers refer this prophecy to the millennial state1 or the period when there will be a general prevalence of ,christianity4 ,in this they are probably correct4 ,but some of these writers1 as ,low and ,whitby1 proceed a step farther1 and infer that ,peter's description of the new heavens and new earth belong also to the millennial period2 first1 because they presume that the apostle referred to this promise in ,isaiah2 and secondly1 because he uses the same terms1 namely1 new heavens and new earth4 ,but are these grounds sufficient to justify so important a conclusion8 ,how common it is to find the same words and phrases in the ,bible applied by different writers to different subjects1 especially by the prophets6 ,even if we can suppose ,peter to place the new heavens and the new earth before the judgment1 in despite of his plain declaration to the contrary1 yet there are few who will doubt that the new heavens and earth described in revelation are subsequent to the judgment day1 so vividly described in the verses immediately preceding4 ,and as to the promise referred to by ,peter1 if he really describes the heavenly state1 surely it may be found in a multitude of places2 wherever1 indeed1 immortal life and blessedness are offered to faith and obedience4 ,isaiah1 therefore1 may be giving a figurative description of a glorious state of the church in this world1 under the terms new heavens and new earth1 emblematical of those real new heavens and new earth beyond the grave1 described by ,peter4 ,and hence1 it seems to me1 the language of the prophet should not be allowed to set aside1 or modify1 the plain meaning of the apostle4 ,i shall quote only one other passage of the ,bible on this subject4 ,i refer to that difficult text in ,romans1 which represents the whole creation as groaning and travailing together in pain until now2 and that it will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of ,god4 ,i have stated in a former lecture1 that ,tholuck1 the distinguished ,german theologian1 considers this a description of the present bound and fettered condition of all nature1 and that the deliverance refers to the future renovation of the earth4 ,such an exposition chimes in perfectly with the views on this subject which have long and extensively prevailed in ,germany4 ,and it certainly does give a consistent meaning to a passage which has been to commentators a perfect labyrinth of difficulties4 ,if this be not its meaning1 then ,i may safely say that its meaning has not yet been found out4 ,in view1 then1 of all the important passages of ,scripture concerning the future destruction and renovation of the earth1 ,i think we may fairly conclude that none of them require us to modify the natural and obvious meaning of ,peter which has been given4 ,in general1 they all coincide with the views presented by that apostle2 or if1 in any case1 there is a slight apparent difference1 the figurative character of all other statements besides his require us to receive his views as the true standard1 and to modify the meaning of the others4 ,we may1 therefore1 conclude that the ,bible does plainly and distinctly teach us that this earth will hereafter be burned up2 in other words1 that all upon or within it1 capable of combustion1 will be consumed1 and the entire mass1 the elements1 without the loss of one particle of the matter now existing1 will be melted2 and then1 that the world1 thus purified from the contamination of sin1 and surrounded by a new atmosphere1 or heavens1 and adapted in all respects to the nature and wants of spiritual and sinless beings1 will become the residence of the righteous4 ,of the precise nature of that new dispensation1 and of the mode of existence there1 the ,scriptures are indeed silent4 ,but that1 like the present world1 it will be material1--that there will be a solid globe1 and a transparent expanse around it1--seems most clearly indicated in the sacred record4 ,the wide-spread opinion that heaven will be a sort of airy ,elysium1 where the present laws of nature will be unknown1 and where matter1 if it exist1 can exist only in its most attenuated form1 is a notion to which the ,bible is a stranger4 ,the resurrection of the body1 as well as the language of ,peter1 most clearly show us that the future world will be a solid1 material world1 purified indeed1 and beautified1 but retaining its materialism4 ,let us now see whether1 in coming to these conclusions from ,scripture language1 we are influenced by scientific considerations1 or whether many discerning minds have not1 in all ages1 attached a similar meaning to the inspired record4 ,among all nations1 the history of whose opinions have come down to us1 and especially among the ,greeks1 the belief has prevailed that a catastrophe by fire awaited the earth1 corresponding to1 or rather the counterpart of1 a previous destruction by water4 ,these catastrophes they denominated the cataclysm1 or destruction by water1 and the ecpyrosis1 or destruction by fire4 ,the ruin was supposed to be followed1 in each case1 by the regeneration of the earth in an improved form1 which gradually deteriorated2 the first age after the catastrophe1 constituting the golden age2 the next1 the silver age2 and so on to the iron age1 which preceded another cataclysm1 or ecpyrosis4 ,the intervals between these convulsions were regarded as of various lengths1 but all of them of great duration4 ,these opinions the ,greeks derived from the ,egyptians4 ,the belief in the future conflagration of the world also prevailed among the ancient ,jews4 ,philo says that the earth1 after this purification1 shall appear new again1 even as it was after its first creation4--,de ,vita ,mosis1 tom4 ii4--,among the ,jews1 these ideas may have been1 in part1 derived from the ,old ,testament2 though its language1 as we have seen1 is far less explicit on this subject than the ,new ,testament4 ,that distinguished ,christian writers1 in all ages since the advent of ,christ1 have understood the language of ,peter as we have explained it1 would be easy to show4 ,i have room1 however1 to quote only the opinions of a few distinguished modern writers4 ,dr4 ,knapp1 one of the most scientific and judicious of theologians1 thus remarks upon the passage of ,peter already examined3 ,it cannot be thought that what is here said respecting the burning of the world is to be understood figuratively1 as ,wettstein supposes2 because the fire is here too directly opposed to the literal water of the flood to be so understood4 ,it is the object of ,peter to refute the boast of scoffers1 that all things had remained unchanged from the beginning1 and that1 therefore1 no day of judgment and no end of the world could be expected4 ,and so he says that originally1 at the time of the creation1 the whole earth was covered and overflowed with water1 7,gen4 i417 and that from hence the dry land appeared2 and the same was true at the time of ,noah's flood4 ,but there is yet to come a great fire revolution4 ,the heavens and the earth 7the earth with its atmosphere7 are reserved1 or kept in store1 for the fire1 until the day of judgment1 7v4 #aj47 ,at that time the heavens will pass away with a great noise1 and the elements will be dissolved by fervent heat1 and every thing upon the earth will be burnt up4 ,the same thing is taught in verse #ab4 ,but in verse #ac ,peter gives the design of this revolution4 ,it will not be annihilation1 but we expect a new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness1 i4 e41 an entirely new1 altered1 and beautiful abode for man1 to be built from the ruins of his former dwelling-place1 as the future habitation of the pious1 7,rev4 xxi4 #a47 ,this will be very much in the same way as a more perfect and an immortal body will be reared from the body which we now possess4--,theology1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fdi4 ,from ,dr4 ,chalmers my extracts will be longer than are necessary to show his opinion upon this subject1 because he felicitously refutes certain erroneous ideas1 widely prevalent1 respecting matter1 and spirit4 ,we know historically1 says he1 that earth1 that a solid1 material earth1 may form the dwelling of sinless creatures1 in full converse and friendship with the ,being who made them4 ,man1 at the first1 had for his place this world1 and1 at the same time1 for his privilege an unclouded fellowship with ,god1 and for his prospect an immortality1 which death was neither to intercept nor put an end to4 ,he was terrestrial in respect to condition1 and yet celestial1 both in respect of character and enjoyments4 ,the common imagination that we have of paradise on the other side of death1 is that of a lofty aerial region1 where the inmates float in ether1 or are mysteriously suspended upon nothing2 where all the warm and sensible accompaniments1 which give such an expression of strength1 and life1 and coloring to our present habitation1 are attenuated into a sort of spiritual element1 that is meagre and imperceptible1 and utterly uninviting to the eye of mortals here below2 where every vestige of materialism is done away1 and nothing left but certain unearthly scenes1 that have no power of allurement1 and certain unearthly ecstasies with which it is felt impossible to sympathize4 ,the holders of this imagination forget all the while that there is no necessary connection between materialism and sin2 that the world which we now inhabit had all the solidity and amplitude of its present materialism before sin entered into it2 that ,god1 so far1 on that account1 from looking slightly upon it1 after it had received the last touch of his creating hand1 reviewed the earth1 and the waters1 and the firmament1 and all the green herbage1 with the living creatures1 and the man whom he had raised in dominion over them1 and he saw every thing that he had made1 and behold1 it was all very good4 ,they forget that1 on the birth of materialism1 when it stood out in the freshness of those glories which the great ,architect of nature had impressed upon it1 that the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy4 ,they forget the appeals that are every where made in the ,bible to his material workmanship1 and how1 from the face of these visible heavens1 and the garniture of this earth which we tread upon1 the greatness and goodness of ,god are reflected on the view of his worshippers4 ,no1 my brethren1 the object of the administration we sit under is to extirpate sin1 but it is not to sweep away materialism4 ,by the convulsions of the last day it may be shaken and broken down from its present arrangement1 and thrown into such fitful agitations as that the whole of its existing framework shall fall to pieces2 and with a heat so fervent as to melt the most solid elements1 may it be utterly dissolved4 ,and thus may the earth again become without form and void1 but without one particle of its substance going into annihilation4 ,out of the ruins of this second chaos may another heaven and another earth be made to arise1 and a new materialism1 with other aspects of magnificence and beauty1 emerge from the wreck of this mighty transformation1 and the world be peopled1 as before1 with the varieties of material loveliness1 and space be again lighted up into a firmament of material splendor4 ,it is1 indeed1 a homage to that materialism1 which many are for expunging from the future state of the universe altogether1 that1 ere the immaterial soul of man has reached the ultimate glory and blessedness designed for it1 it must return and knock at the very grave where lie the mouldered remains of the body which it wore1 and there inquisition must be made for the flesh1 and the sinews1 and the bones which the power of corruption has1 perhaps centuries before1 assimilated to the earth around them1 and then the minute atoms must be reassembled into a structure that bears upon it the form1 and lineaments1 and general aspect of a man1 and the soul passes into this material framework1 which is hereafter to be its lodging-place forever2 and that not as its prison1 but as its pleasant and befitting habitation2 not to be trammelled1 as some would have it1 in a hold of materialism1 but to be therein equipped for the services of eternity2 to walk embodied among the bowers of our second paradise2 to stand embodied in the presence of our ,god4 ,the glorification of the visible creation1 says ,tholuck1 the distinguished ,german divine1 is more definitely declared in ,rev4 xxi4 #a1 although it must be borne in mind that a prophetic vision is there described4 ,still more definitely do we find the belief of a transformation of the material world declared in #b ,peter1 iii4 #g-ab4 ,the idea that the perfected kingdom of ,christ is to be transferred to heaven1 is properly a modern notion4 ,according to ,paul and the ,revelation of ,john1 the kingdom of ,god is placed upon the earth1 in so far as this itself has part in the universal transformation4 ,this exposition has been adopted and defended by most of the oldest commentators2 e4 g41 ,chrysostom1 ,theodoret1 ,hieronymus1 ,augustine1 ,luther1 ,koppe1 and others4 ,luther says1 in his lively way1 ',god will make1 not the earth only1 but the heavens also1 much more beautiful than they are at present4 ,at present1 we see the world in its working clothes2 but hereafter it will be arrayed in its ,easter and ,whitsuntide robes4' ,i cannot but feel astonishment1 says ,dr4 ,john ,pye ,smith1 that any serious and intelligent man should have his mind fettered with the common1 ,i might call it the vulgar1 notion of a proper destruction of the earth2 and some seem to extend the notion to the whole solar system1 and even the entire material universe2 applying the idea of an extinction of being1 a reducing to nothingness4 ,this notion has1 indeed1 been often used to aid impassioned description in sermons and poetry2 and thus it has gained so strong a hold upon the feelings of many pious persons1 that they have made it an article of their faith4 ,but ,i confess myself unable to find any evidence for it in nature1 reason1 or ,scripture4 ,we can discover nothing like destruction in the matter of the universe as subjected to our senses4 ,masses are disintegrated1 forms are changed1 compounds are decomposed2 but not an atom is annihilated4 ,neither have we the shadow of reason to assert that mind1 the seat of intelligence1 ever was1 or ever will be1 in a single instance1 destroyed4 ,the declaration in ,scripture that the heavens and the earth shall flee away1 and no more place be found for them1 is undoubtedly figurative1 and denotes the most momentous changes in the scenes of the divine moral government4 ,if it be the purpose of ,god that the earth shall be subjected to a total conflagration1 we perfectly well know that the instruments of such an event lie close at hand1 and wait only the divine volition to burst out in a moment4 ,but that would not be a destruction2 it would be a mere change of form1 and1 no doubt1 would be subservient to the most glorious results4 ,we1 according to his promise1 look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4--,lectures on ,geology and ,revelation1 p4 #afa1 7#dth ,london edition47 ,says ,dr4 ,griffin1 one of the ablest of the ,american divines1 ,a question here arises1 whether the new heavens and new earth will be created out of the ruins of the old2 that is1 whether the old will be renovated and restored in a more glorious form1 or whether the old will be annihilated1 and the new made out of nothing4 ,the idea of the annihilation of so many immense and glorious bodies1 organized with inimitable skill1 and declarative of infinite wisdom1 is gloomy and forbidding4 ,indeed1 it is scarcely credible that ,god should annihilate any of his works1 much less so many and so glorious works4 ,it ought not to be believed without the most decisive proof4 ,on the other hand1 it is a most animating thought that this visible creation1 which sin has marred1 which the polluted breath of men and devils has defiled1 and which by sin will be reduced to utter ruin1 will be restored by our ,jesus1 will arise from its ruins in tenfold splendor1 and shine with more illustrious glory than before it was defaced by sin4 ,after a laborious and anxious search on this interesting subject1 ,i must pronounce the latter to be my decided opinion4 ,and the same1 ,i find1 has been the more common opinion of the ,christian fathers1 of the divines of the reformation1 and of the critics and annotators who have since flourished4 ,i could produce on this side a catalogue of names which would convince you that this has certainly been the common opinion of the ,christian church in every age1 as it was also of the ,jewish4 ,the words which are employed to express the destruction of the world do not necessarily imply annihilation4 ,is it said that the world shall perish8 ,the same word is used to express the ancient destruction of the world by the flood1 when certainly it was not annihilated4 ,is it said that the world shall have an end1 and be no more8 ,this may be understood only of the present form and organization of the visible system8 ,is it said that the heavens and the earth shall be dissolved by fire8 ,but the natural power of fire is not to annihilate1 but only to dissolve the composition and change the form of substances4--,sermons1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dej4 ,we have now examined the most important testimony respecting the future destruction and renovation of the earth2 for inspiration only can certainly determine its future condition4 ,but science may throw some light upon the changes through which it is to pass4 ,and ,i now proceed to inquire whether geology affords us any glimpses of its future condition4 ,in the first place1 geology shows us that the earth contains within itself all the agencies necessary for its future destruction in the manner pointed out in the ,bible4 ,some author has remarked that1 from the earliest times1 there has been a loud cry of fire4 ,we have seen that it began with the ancient ,egyptians1 and was continued by the ,greeks4 ,but in recent times it has waxed louder and far more distinct4 ,the ancient notions about the existence of fire within the earth were almost entirely conjectural1 but within the present century the matter has been put to the test of experiment4 ,wherever1 in ,europe and ,america1 the temperature of the air1 the waters1 and the rocks in deep excavations has been ascertained1 it has been found higher than the mean temperature of the climate at the surface2 and the experiment has been made in hundreds of places4 ,it is found1 too1 that the heat increases rapidly as we descend below that point in the earth's crust to which the sun's heat extends4 ,the mean rate of increase has been stated by the ,british ,association to be one degree of ,fahrenheit for every forty-five feet4 ,at this rate1 all known rocks would be melted at the depth of about sixty miles4 ,shall we hence conclude that all the matter of the globe below this thickness 7or1 rather1 for the sake of round numbers1 below one hundred miles7 is actually in a melted state8 ,most geologists have not seen how such a conclusion is to be avoided4 ,and yet this would leave only about one eight hundredth part of the earth's diameter1 and about one fourteenth of its contents1 or bulk1 in a solid state4 ,how easy1 then1 should ,god give permission1 for this vast internal fiery ocean to break through its envelope1 and so to bury the solid crust that it should all be burnt up and melted6 ,it is conceivable that such a result might take place even by natural operations4 ,and certainly it would be easy for a special divine agency to accomplish it4 ,it may be thought1 however1 that the igneous fluidity of the internal part of the globe is too mighty and improbable a conclusion to be based upon the increase of temperature1 observed only to the depth of two or three thousand feet4 ,but this is not the only evidence of such a condition of the earth's interior4 ,three hundred active volcanoes1 and still more numerous extinct ones1 have opened their mouths and poured forth their molten contents from a great depth1 to bear witness to the existence of vast masses of melted rock beneath the earth's crust4 ,the globe1 too1 is flattened at the poles1 just to the amount it would be by rotation on its axis1 had it been a liquid mass2 and1 therefore1 there is every probability that it was once liquid2 and if so once1 its interior is probably still so1 because the period for cooling it1 when once surrounded by a solid crust1 must be incalculably long4 ,that this solid crust has once been liquid from heat1 is most obvious to all who carefully examine it4 ,for the unstratified rocks have certainly once been melted1 and most of the stratified series were derived from the unstratified4 ,again1 the organic remains dug out from the deep-seated strata prove that1 when they were alive1 the surface1 even in high latitudes1 must have been subject to a tropical1 or even an ultra-tropical heat2 thus showing us that the temperature of the globe has gradually diminished1 as we should expect from the theory of original igneous fluidity4 ,and1 finally1 no other hypothesis but the gradual cooling of the earth's crust1 and the powerful volcanic agency that must from time to time have torn and ridged up that crust1 will account for the present fractured and overturned condition of the strata1 and the elevation of our continent from the ocean's bed4 ,but this supposition does most satisfactorily explain all these phenomena1 and also those of earthquakes and volcanoes4 ,i must acknowledge1 however1 that all these arguments fail of convincing a few geologists of the doctrine of internal igneous fluidity1 to the extent above described4 ,but they all admit that the facts do prove the existence of vast oceans of melted matter beneath the earth's crust4 ,nor do even these geologists doubt but the globe contains within itself the agencies requisite for a universal conflagration4 ,mr4 ,lyell says that there must exist below enormous masses of matter1 intensely heated1 and in many instances in a constant state of fusion4 ,he says1 also1 ,when we consider the combustible nature of the elements of the earth1 so far as they are known to us1 the facility with which their compounds may be decomposed and made to enter into new combinations1 the quantity of heat which they evolve during those processes2 when we recollect the expansive power of steam1 and that water itself is composed of two gases1 which1 by their union1 produce intense heat2 when we call to mind the number of explosive and detonating compounds which have been already discovered1--we may be allowed to share the astonishment of ,pliny1 that a single day should pass without a general conflagration4 ',excedit profecto omnia miracula1 ullum diem fuisse quo non cuncta conflagrarent4'--,lyell's ,principles of ,geology1 b4 ii4 chap4 xx4 vol4 ii4 ,as a consequence of the refrigeration of the centre and crust of the globe1 says ,d',orbigny1 the withdrawment of matter has produced elevations and depressions on the consolidated crust2 to which movements1 in connection with those of the waters1 we must impute the complete destruction of the existing fauna4 ,these dislocations have brought about at each epoch changes of level in the consolidated beds and in the seas4 ,and after a period of agitation1 more or less prolonged1 after each of these geological revolutions1 different beings have been created to cover anew and enliven the surface of the earth4--,cours ,elementaire ,paleontologie1 p4 #adh4 ,all geologists1 then1 agree that the elements of the earth's final conflagration are contained within its bosom or upon its surface4 ,at present1 these elements are so bound down by counteracting agencies1 that all is quiet and security4 ,but let the fiat of the ,almighty go forth for their liberation1 and the scenes of the last day1 as described in the ,bible1 will commence4 ,the ploughshare of ruin will be driven onward1 until this fair world is all ingulfed1 and no trace of organic life remains4 ,yet to him who realizes that the destruction is only a necessary preparation for a brighter world1 which will emerge from the ruins of the present2 that1 when the matter of the globe has been purified1 its surface shall be covered with new and lovelier forms of beauty1 surrounded by a still more bland and balmy atmosphere1 and inhabited by sinless and immortal beings1--to him who realizes all this1 the desolation will put on the aspect of a glorious transformation4 ,in the second place1 still deeper will be this impression1 when we recollect that similar transmutations have already been experienced by the earth with an improvement of its condition4 ,there is no evidence that the entire surface of the earth has ever undergone a complete fusion since organic life first appeared upon it4 ,but we have reason to think that1 frequently1 at least1 when one race of animals and plants has disappeared from the earth1 it has been the result of violent catastrophes1 proceeding from the elevation or subsidence of continents or chains of mountains4 ,says ,agassiz1 ,a very remarkable1 and perhaps the most surprising fact is1 that the appearance of the chains of mountains1 and the inequalities of the surface resulting from it1 seem to have coincided generally with the epochs of the renewal of organized beings4--,ed4 ,journal of ,science1 ,oct4 #ahdb1 p4 #cid4--,these vertical movements of such large portions of the earth's crust could have resulted only from the direct or indirect agency of volcanic power1 though the destruction of organic life1 which must have been the consequence1 may have resulted as often from aqueous as igneous inundations4 ,but usually both agencies were probably concerned1 and the predominance of one or the other of these agencies is of little consequence to the argument2 for if such wide-spread ruin has already repeatedly passed over the earth1 a still wider desolation may be presumed possible1 if only a little wider play shall be given to the agents of destruction4 ,already have the changes of this sort which the earth1 or portions of it1 have undergone1 resulted in an improved condition of its surface4 ,in other words1 at each successive epoch1 animals and plants of a higher and more perfect organization have appeared1 because the temperature1 the air1 and the earth's general condition have been better adapted to their happy existence4 ,the amount of limestone seems to have been constantly increasing1 and1 as a consequence1 the fertility of the soil2 probably1 also1 the amount of carbonic acid has diminished in the atmosphere1 as animals with lungs have been multiplied4 ,in short1 there is a prodigious increase1 among the present inhabitants of the globe1 of animals and plants possessing complicated and delicate organization and loftier intellectual powers1 over all former conditions of the globe4 ,but we have reason to believe1 from the ,christian ,scriptures1 that the next economy of life which shall be placed upon the globe will far transcend all those that have gone before4 ,every vestige of sin1 suffering1 decay1 and death will disappear4 ,says the ,bible1 ,there shall be no more death1 neither sorrow nor crying1 neither shall there be any more pain1 for the former things are passed away4 ,and there shall in no wise enter it any thing that defileth1 neither whatsoever worketh abomination1 or maketh a lie4 ,in short1 the change is no other than the conversion of this world into heaven4 ,reasonably1 therefore1 might we anticipate a most thorough destruction of the present world1 to prepare the way for the introduction of such a glorious state4 ,the ,scriptures describe that state by the most splendid imagery that can be derived from existing nature4 ,it is represented1 figuratively1 no doubt1 as a splendid city1 prepared of ,god1 and let down to the earth4 ,its twelve foundations are all precious stones1 its gates pearls1 its wall jasper1 and its streets pure gold1 as it were1 transparent glass4 ,the ,lord ,god ,almighty and the ,lamb are the temple of that city4 ,instead of the sun and the moon1 the glory of ,god enlightens it1 and the ,lamb is the light thereof4 ,from out of their throne proceeds the water of life1 clear as crystal1 and along its banks grows the tree of life1 with its twelve manner of fruits1 yielding its fruit every month4 ,here1 then1 we have the most splendid and enchanting objects in nature brought before us as representatives of the new heavens and the new earth4 ,yet we cannot learn from the ,bible1 or science1 what material dress nature will then put on4 ,we are taught only that it will far exceed1 in splendor and perfection1 the drapery which she now wears4 ,we may be assured that it will be eminently adapted to a spirit that is henceforth to be perfectly holy1 happy1 incorruptible1 and immortal4 ,both revelation and geology agree in assuring us that the new earth1 which will emerge from the ruins of the present1 will be improved in its condition2 but the particulars of that condition are not described--probably because we could not1 in our present state1 understand them4 ,such are the views concerning the earth's future destruction and renovation1 which appear to me to be taught by a fair interpretation of ,scripture1 and which harmonize with the teachings of geology4 ,but we are met here by two formidable difficulties4 ,in the first place1 if the present earth is to be burnt up and melted at the last day1 it must require thousands of years before another solid crust shall be formed upon its surface1 capable of sustaining organic natures which are material4 ,but the ,bible represents the righteous1 at the day of judgment1 as reunited to their bodies1 which they left in the grave1 and entering at once into their residence upon the new earth4 ,where1 then1 can we find the thousands of years which1 by this theory1 are essential to prepare this residence for their reception8 ,into what intermediate place1 what new ,hades1 shall they pass1 until verdure shall clothe the new earth1 and more than the primeval beauty of ,eden take the place of the volcanic desolation which must reign over a world just beginning to cool from incandescent heat8 ,i freely acknowledge that this is a serious objection to my theory2 and perhaps it is insuperable1 unless we resort to miraculous interference4 ,it were easy to say1 that ,god can1 in a moment1 convert a globe of fire into a paradise of beauty1 and make its landscapes smile with charms transcending the bowers of paradise lost4 ,indeed1 the ,scriptures represent the ,new ,jerusalem as prepared by ,god's own hands1 and let down at once upon the earth to form the metropolitan abode of the righteous4 ,but1 after all1 ,i am unwilling thus to dispose of the difficulty4 ,for it is a clumsy way to meet objections1 when we undertake to philosophize upon events1 either past1 present1 or future1 to foist in a miracle1 in order to eke out our hypothesis4 ,we thus make an image of as incoherent parts as that in ,nebuchadnezzar's dream1 and as easily broken in pieces4 ,there is a second mode by which the difficulty under consideration can be completely obviated1 could we only admit the theory on which it rests4 ,some theological writers have maintained that the day of judgment will occupy a long period1--thousands and tens of thousands of years perhaps1--in order that every individual may experience a literal trial before the universe for all his conduct on earth1 so that the conscience of every one in that vast assembly shall approve the final sentence4 ,they appeal to various texts of ,scripture1 where it is strongly stated that rigid inquisition will be made on that solemn day into the conduct and motives of every individual4 ,and it may be1 indeed1 that such descriptions are to have a literal fulfilment2 and if so1 we should have a period long enough for the new earth to be recovered by natural means from its volcanic desolation1 and to be covered over with new forms of beauty4 ,but ,i confess the theory of such a long period of judgment does not seem to me to be sustained by the most approved rules of exegesis1 and therefore ,i am unwilling to rest upon it to sustain my own hypothesis4 ,but is it not possible that our difficulty of conceiving how the spiritual body can enter at once upon its residence in the new heavens and earth1 while yet the globe is only a shoreless ocean of fire1 results from a mistaken conception of the nature of the spiritual body8 ,do we not judge of it by our own present bodies1 and imagine that it must necessarily possess such an organization as would be destroyed by the extremes of heat and cold8 ,and are we authorized to draw such an inference8 ,the ,scriptures have1 indeed1 left us very much in the dark as to the specific nature of the future glorified body1 which ,paul calls a spiritual body4 ,he does not mean that it is composed of spirit1 for then it would not differ from the soul itself1 by which it is to be animated4 ,he certainly means that it is composed of matter2 unless1 indeed1 there be in the universe a third substance1 distinct both from matter and spirit4 ,but of the existence of such a substance we have no positive evidence2 and1 therefore1 must conclude the spiritual body to be matter2 called spiritual1 probably1 because eminently adapted to form the immortal residence of pure spirit4 ,yet we learn from the apostle's description that it is not composed of flesh and blood1 which1 he says1 cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god2 neither is it capable of decay1 like our present bodies4 ,indeed1 the illustration which he derives from the decay and germination of a kernel of wheat shows us that the future body will be as much unlike the present as a stalk of wheat is different from the seed whence it sprang2 and1 in appearance1 scarcely any two things are more unlike4 ,hence we may suppose the resurrection body of the righteous to be as different from that which the soul now animates as matter can be1 in its most diverse forms4 ,now1 the question arises1 ,do we know of any form of matter in the present world which remains the same at all temperatures1 and in all circumstances1 which no chemical or mechanical agencies can alter8--a substance which remains unchanged in the very heart of the ice around the poles1 and in the focus of a volcano2 which remains untouched by the most powerful reagents which the chemist can apply1 and by the mightiest forces which the mechanician can bring to bear upon it8 ,it seems to me that modern science does render the existence of such a substance probable1 though not cognizable by the senses4 ,it is the luminiferous ether1 that attenuated medium by which light1 and heat1 and electricity are transmitted from one part of the universe to another1 by undulations of inconceivable velocity4 ,this strange fluid1 whose existence and action seems all but demonstrated by the phenomena of light1 heat1 and electricity1 and perhaps1 too1 by the resistance experienced by ,encke's1 ,biela's1 and ,halley's comets1 must possess the extraordinary characteristic above pointed out4 ,it must exist and act wherever we find light1 heat1 or electricity2 and where do we not find them8 ,they penetrate through what has been called empty space2 and1 therefore1 this ether exists there1 propagating its undulations at the astonishing rate of two hundred thousand miles per second4 ,they emanate in constant succession from every intensely heated focus1 such as the sun1 the volcano1 and the chemical furnace2 and1 therefore1 this strange medium is neither dissipated nor affected by the strongest known heat4 ,both light and heat are transmitted through ice2 and1 therefore1 this ether cannot be congealed4 ,the same is true of glass1 and every transparent substance1 however dense2 and even the most solid metals convey heat and electricity with remarkable facility2 and1 therefore1 this ether exists and acts with equal facility in the most solid masses as in a vacuum4 ,in short1 it seems to be independent of chemical or mechanical changes1 and to act unobstructed in all possible modifications of matter4 ,and1 though too evanescent to be cognizable by the senses1 or the most delicate chemical and mechanical tests1 it possesses1 nevertheless1 a most astonishing activity4 ,now1 ,i am not going to assert that the spiritual body will be composed of this luminiferous ether4 ,but1 since we know not the composition of that body1 it is lawful to suppose that such may be its constitution4 ,this is surely possible1 and that is all which is essential to my present argument4 ,admitting its truth1 the following interesting conclusions follow3-- ,in the first place1 the spiritual body would be unaffected by all possible changes of temperature4 ,it might exist as well in the midst of fire1 or of ice1 as in any intermediate temperature4 ,hence it might pass from one extreme of temperature to another1 and be at home in them all2 and this is what we might hope for in a future world4 ,some1 indeed1 have imagined that the sun will be the future heaven of the righteous2 and on this supposition there is no absurdity in the theory4 ,nor would there be in the hypothesis which should locate heaven in solid ice1 or in the centre of the earth4 ,in the second place1 on this supposition1 the spiritual body would be unharmed by those chemical and mechanical agencies which matter in no other form can resist4 ,the question has often arisen1 how the glorified body1 if material1 would be able to escape all sources of injury1 so as to be immortal as the soul4 ,in this hypothesis1 we see how it is possible2 for though the whole globe should change its chemical constitution1 though worlds should dash upon worlds1 the spiritual body1 though present at the very point where the terrible collision took place1 would feel no injury2 and safe in its immortal habitation1 the soul might smile amid the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds4 ,in the third place1 on this supposition1 the soul might communicate its thoughts and receive a knowledge of events and of other minds1 through distances inconceivably great1 with the speed of lightning4 ,if we suppose the soul1 in such a tenement1 could transmit its thoughts and desires1 and receive impressions1 through the luminiferous ether1 with only the same velocity as light1 it might communicate with other beings upon the sun1 at the distance of one hundred million miles1 in eight minutes2 and such a power we may reasonably expect the soul will hereafter possess1 whether derived from this or some other agency4 ,we cannot believe that1 in another world1 the soul's communication with the rest of the universe will be as limited as in the present state4 ,on this supposition1 she need not wander through the universe to learn the events transpiring in other spheres1 for the intelligence would be borne on the morning's ray or the lightning's wing4 ,finally1 on this supposition1 the germ of the future spiritual body may1 even in this world1 be attached to the soul2 and it may be this which she will come seeking after on the resurrection morning4 ,i know not but this wonderful medium1 in some unknown form1 may attach itself to the sleeping dust2 and though that dust be scattered upon the winds1 or diffused in the waters of the ocean1 and transformed into other animal bodies1 still that germ may not be lost4 ,the chemist has often been perplexed1 when he thinks how the bodies of men are decomposed after death1 and how every particle must1 in some cases1 pass into other bodies2 he has been perplexed1 ,i say1 to see how the resurrection body should be identified1 and especially how those particles could become a part of different bodies4 ,perhaps the hypothesis under consideration may relieve the difficulty4 ,perhaps1 too1 it may teach us how the soul exists and acts1 when separated from the body4 ,it may act through this universal medium1 though in a manner less perfect than after it has united itself to the spiritual body raised from the grave4#bj ,but ,i fear ,i am venturing too far into the region of conjecture4 ,my only object is1 to show that we do know of a substance which might form a spiritual body which should be in its element upon the new earth1 even though it were in the condition of a fiery ocean4 ,it could not1 indeed1 be an organic body of such a kind as heat would destroy2 though ,i see no reason why it may not possess an organism far more delicate and wonderful than that of our present bodies1 and yet be unaffected by heat or cold1 or mechanical or chemical agencies4 ,i do not feel1 therefore1 that the objection which ,i am considering is insuperable4 ,it results1 ,i apprehend1 from the false assumption that the spiritual body will be subject to those influences by which our present comparatively gross bodies are so powerfully affected4 ,shall ,i be pardoned if ,i say that1 in the experiments of an incipient and maltreated science1 we have1 perhaps1 a glimpse of the manner in which the soul will act in the future spiritual body8 for if those experiments be not all delusion1--and how can we reasonably infer that experiments so multiplied1 so various1 and in many cases1 when not in the hands of itinerant jugglers1 so fairly performed1--,i say1 how can we regard all these as mere trickery8 and if not1 they are best explained by supposing the soul to act independently of the bodily organs1 and through the same medium which we have supposed to constitute the future spiritual body4 ,in this view1 mesmerism assumes a most interesting aspect1 forming1 as it were1 a link between the present and the future world4 ,the theory which ,i have advanced does not1 indeed1 fall to the ground1 though mesmerism should be found a delusion2 yet it is but justice to say1 that it first came under my eye in that most classical1 philosophical1 and attractive work1 ,townsend's ,facts in ,mesmerism4 ,a similar view1 however1 was presented several years earlier1 in a work by ,isaac ,taylor1 no less ingenious and profound1 the ,physical ,theory of ,another ,life1 a work1 however1 which makes not the slightest allusion to mesmerism4 ,the author supposes such a state of things as ,i have imagined in another life to be in existence even now4 ,the sensation of light1 says he1 is now believed to result from the vibrations1 not the emanations1 of an elastic fluid1 or ether2 but this same element may be capable of another species of vibrations2 or the electric or the magnetic fluids may be susceptible of some such vibrations2 or an element as universally diffused as light through the universe may be the medium of sonorous undulations1 equally rapid and distinct1 and serving to connect the most remote regions of the universe by the conveyance of sounds1 just as the most remote are actually connected by the passage of light4 ,yet the sonorous vibrations of this supposed element may be far too delicate to awaken the ear of man1 or1 in fact1 of a kind not perceptible by the human auditory nerve4 ,we refuse to allow that a conjecture of this sort is extravagant1 or destitute of philosophical probability2 on the contrary1 consider it as borne out1 in a positive sense1 by the discoveries of modern science4 ,might we then rest for a moment upon an animating conception 7aided by the actual analogy of light7 such as this1 viz41 that the field of the visible universe is the theatre of a vast social economy1 holding rational intercourse at great distances8 ,let us claim leave to indulge the belief1 when we contemplate the starry heavens1 that speech1 inquiry and response1 commands and petitions1 debate and instruction1 are passing to and fro2 or shall the imagination catch the pealing anthems of praise1 at stated seasons1 arising from worshippers in all quarters1 and flowing on with thundering power1 like the noise of many waters1 until it meet and shake the courts of the central heavens8--,physical ,theory of ,another ,life1 p4 #bjb1 #c;d ,am4 ed4 ,the second objection to the view which ,i have presented of the future destruction and renovation of the earth1 as an abode of the righteous1 may be thus stated3 ,heaven is an unchanging state2 but a world which has been burned up and melted1 even if we might suppose spiritual beings to dwell upon it1 must undergo still further change4 ,the radiation of its heat would form a crust over its surface2 the waters1 dissipated into vapor1 would be recondensed2 volcanic agency would ridge up the crust into mountains and valleys2 and1 in short1 geological agencies would at length form such a surface1 so far as rocks and soil are concerned1 as we now tread upon4 ,and even though organic beings should not be again placed upon it1 those changes would proceed1 till1 perhaps1 another and another great catastrophe by fire might pass over it2 nor can we say where these mutations would end4 ,can we believe such a world to be heaven8 ,here1 again1 as in the last objection1 it appears to me1 the main difficulty lies in our judging of the future spiritual body by that organism which we now inhabit4 ,heaven is1 indeed1 an unchanging state of happiness and holiness4 ,but does it1 therefore1 follow that there can be no change in its material form and aspect8 ,i have already shown that the spiritual body may be of such a composition that no change of temperature1 of place or constitution1 in surrounding bodies1 can at all affect it4 ,if the soul could be happy in one set of physical circumstances while in such a tenement1 it might be happy in any other circumstances with which we are acquainted4 ,but it does not follow that the happiness of the soul might not be increased by the changes of the material world around it4 ,what is it on earth that affords the greatest amount of happiness derived from the external world8 ,it is the immense variety of creation1 produced chiefly by chemical and mechanical agencies4 ,these changes afford us the most striking exhibitions of the wisdom1 power1 and benevolence of the ,deity1 within our knowledge2 and why may not analogous1 or still more wonderful changes1 and greater variety1 give still higher conceptions of the divine character to the inhabitants of heaven1 and excite a purer and a stronger love8 ,and to study that character will form1 ,i doubt not1 the grand employment of heaven4 ,who can tell what depths of knowledge may there be laid open into the internal constitution of matter1 and its combinations1 and especially its union with spirit6 ,and what surer means of bringing out these developments than change1 constant and everlasting change8 ,for who can set limits to those mutations which an infinite ,god can produce upon the matter of this vast universe8 ,it is easy to see that they may be literally infinite4 ,once more4 ,we have seen that the geological changes which our world has hitherto undergone have been an improvement of its condition1 and that each successive economy has been a brighter exhibition of divine wisdom and benevolence3 ,shall this progress be arrested when the present economy closes8 ,we know that the righteous will forever advance in holiness and happiness4 ,why may not a part of that increase depend upon their introduction into higher and higher economies through eternal ages8 ,may not this be one of the modes in which new developments of the character of ,god will open upon them in the world of bliss8 ,the ,scriptures represent the material aspect of the new heavens and the new earth1 when first the righteous enter upon them1 to be one of surpassing glory4 ,but why may not other developments await them in the round of eternal ages1 as their expanding faculties are able to understand and appreciate them8 ,the greater the variety of new scenes in the material world which shall be presented to the mind1 such as an infinite ,deity shall devise1 the more intense the happiness of their contemplations2 and who can set limits to the permutations which such a being can produce1 even upon matter8 ,i can form no conjecture as to the nature of those new developments2 nor do ,i believe they could be understood in our present state4 ,i feel as if those formed too low an estimate of the new heavens and the new earth1 who imagine a repetition there of the most curious organic structures1 the most splendid flowers and fruits1 and the most enchanting landscapes of the present world3 ,i fancy that scenes far more enchanting1 and objects far more glorious1 will meet the soul at its first entrance upon the new earth1 even though to mortal vision it should present only an ocean of fire4 ,i imagine a thousand new inlets into the soul--nay1 ,i think of it as all eye1 all ear1 all sensation2 now plunging deeper into the infinitesimal parts of matter than the microscope can carry us1 and now soaring away1 perhaps on the waves of the mysterious ether1 far beyond the ken of the telescope4 ,and if such is the first entrance into heaven1 who can conjecture what new fields and new glories shall open before the mind1 and fill it with ecstasy1 as it flies onward without end6 ,but ,i dare not indulge further in these hypothetical1 yet fascinating thoughts2 yet let us never forget1 that in a very short time1 far shorter than we imagine1 all the scenes of futurity will be to us a thrilling reality4 ,we shall then know in a moment how much of truth there is in these speculations4 ,but if they all prove false1 fully confident am ,i that the scenes which will open upon us will surpass our liveliest conceptions4 ,the glass through which we now see darkly will be removed1 and face to face shall we meet eternal glories4 ,then shall we learn that our present bodily organs1 however admirably adapted to our condition here1 were in fact clogs upon the soul1 intended to fetter its free range1 that we might the more richly enjoy the liberty of the sons of ,god1 and expatiate in the spiritual body1 the building of ,god1 the house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens4 ,let us1 then1 live continually under the influence of the scenes that await us beyond the grave4 ,they will thus become familiar to us and we shall appreciate their infinite superiority to the objects that so deeply interest us on earth4 ,we shall be led to look forward even with strong desire1 in spite of the repulsive aspect of death1 to that state where the soul will be freed from her prison-house of flesh and blood1 and can range in untiring freedom through the boundless fields of knowledge and happiness that are in prospect4 ,then shall we learn to despise the low aims and contracted views of the sensualist1 the demagogue1 and the worldling4 ,high and noble thoughts and aspirations will lift our souls above the murky atmosphere of this world1 and1 while yet in the body1 we shall begin to breathe the empyreal air of the new heavens1 and to gather the fruits of the tree of life in the new earth1 where righteousness only shall forever dwell4 ,,lecture ,,xii4 ,,the ,,telegraphic ,,system ,,of ,,the ,,universe4 ,in order to impress some important truth or transaction1 men have sometimes represented surrounding inanimate objects as looking on and witnessing the scene1 or listening to the words1 and ready ever afterwards to open their mouth to testify to the facts1 should man deny them4 ,i know of no writings from which to derive so striking an illustration of these strong figurative representations as the sacred ,scriptures4 ,take1 for a first example1 the solemn covenant entered into between ,jehovah and the ,israelites1 in the time of ,joshua4 ,to fix the transaction as firmly as possible in the minds of the fickle people1 he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the ,lord4 ,and ,joshua said unto all the people1 ,behold1 this stone shall be a witness unto us4 ,for it hath heard all the words of the ,lord which he spake unto us4 ,it shall1 therefore1 be a witness unto you1 lest ye deny your ,god4 ,in a second example1 the prophet ,habakkuk describes the insatiable wickedness of the ,chaldeans2 and addressing the nation as an individual1 he says1 ,thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people1 and hast sinned against thy soul4 ,for the stone shall cry out of the wall1 and the beam out of the timber shall answer it4 ,such abominations had aroused even the most insensible part of creation1 the very timber and the stone1 to life and indignation4 ,in a third example1 the whole multitude of ,jews had just spread their garments upon the ground for ,christ to ride over1 they meanwhile crying out1 ,blessed be the ,king that cometh in the name of the ,lord4 ,peace in heaven and glory in the highest4 ,but some of the ,pharisees said1 ,master1 rebuke thy disciples2 and he answered and said unto them1 ,if these should hold their peace1 the stones would immediately cry out4 ,if man refused to do homage to the ,king of glory1 when he came among them1 the rocks1 more sensible1 would break forth in his praises4 ,the discoveries of modern science1 however1 show us that there is a literal sense in which the material creation receives an impression from all our words and actions that can never be effaced2 and that nature1 through all time1 is ever ready to bear testimony of what we have said and done4 ,men fancy that the wave of oblivion passes over the greater part of their actions4 ,but physical science shows us that those actions have been transfused into the very texture of the universe1 so that no waters can wash them out1 and no erosions1 comminution1 or metamorphoses1 can obliterate them4 ,the principle which ,i advance in its naked form is this3 ,our words1 our actions1 and even our thoughts1 make an indelible impression on the universe4 ,thrown into a poetic form1 this principle converts creation ,into a vast sounding gallery2 ,into a vast picture gallery2 ,and into a universal telegraph4 ,this proposition ,i shall endeavor to sustain by an appeal to well-established principles of science4 ,yet1 since some of these principles are not the most common and familiar1 and have not been applied1 except in part1 to this subject1 ,i must be more technical in their explanation than ,i could wish1 and more minute in the details4 ,the grand point1 however1 on which the whole subject turns1 is the doctrine of reaction4 ,by this is meant the mutual or reciprocal action of different things upon one another4 ,thus1 if a body fall to the earth1 the earth reacts upon it1 and stops it1 or throws it back4 ,if sulphuric acid be poured upon limestone1 a mutual action ensues2 the acid acts on the stone1 and the stone reacts upon the acid1 and a new compound is produced4 ,if light fall upon a solid body1 the body reacts upon the light1 which it sends back to the eye with an image of itself4 ,these are examples of what is meant by reaction1 or the reciprocal action of different substances upon one another4 ,but it is not every kind of reaction that will prove a permanent impression to be made upon the universe by our conduct4 ,hence we must be more specific4 ,in the first place1 the principle is proved and illustrated by the doctrine of mechanical reaction4 ,from the principle1 long since settled in mechanics1 that action and reaction are equal1 it will follow that every impression which man makes by his words1 or his movements1 upon the air1 the waters1 or the solid earth1 will produce a series of changes in each of those elements which will never end4 ,the word which is now going out of my mouth causes pulsations or waves in the air1 and these1 though invisible to human eyes1 expand in every direction until they have passed around the whole globe1 and produced a change in the whole atmosphere2 nor will a single circumgyration complete the effect2 but the sentence which ,i am now uttering shall alter the whole atmosphere through all future time4 ,so that1 as ,professor ,babbage remarks1 to whom we are indebted for the first moral application of this mechanical principle1 the air is one vast library1 on whose pages are forever written all that man has ever said1 or woman whispered4 ,not a word has ever escaped from mortal lips1 whether for the defence of virtue or the perversion of the truth1 not a cry of agony has ever been uttered by the oppressed1 not a mandate of cruelty by the oppressor1 not a false and flattering word by the deceiver1 but it is registered indelibly upon the atmosphere we breathe4 ,and could man command the mathematics of superior minds1 every particle of air thus set in motion could be traced through all its changes1 with as much precision as the astronomer can point out the path of the heavenly bodies4 ,no matter how many storms have raised the atmosphere into wild commotion1 and whirled it into countless forms2 no matter how many conflicting waves have mixed and crossed one another2 the path of each pulsation is definite1 and subject to the laws of mathematics4 ,to follow it requires1 indeed1 a power of analysis superior to human2 but we can conceive it to be far inferior to the divine4 ,the same thing is true of the waters4 ,no wave has ever been raised on their bosom1 no keel has ever ploughed their surface1 which has not sent an influence and a change into every ocean1 and modified every wave1 that has rolled in upon the farthest shores4 ,as the vessel crosses the deep1 the parted waves close in1 and every trace of disturbance soon disappears from human vision4 ,nevertheless1 it is certain that every track thus furrowed in the waters has sent an influence through their entire mass1 such as is calculable by distinct formulae2 and it may be that glorified minds1 by the principles of celestial mathematics1 can as easily trace out the paths of the unnumbered vessels that have crossed the waters1 as the astronomer can the paths of the planets or the comets4 ,the solid earth1 too1 is alike tenacious of every impression we make upon it2 not a footprint of man or beast is marked upon its surface1 that does not permanently change the whole globe4 ,every one of its countless atoms will retain and exhibit an infinitesimal1 but a real1 effect through all coming time4 ,it is too minute1 indeed1 for the cognizance of the human senses4 ,but in a higher sphere there may be inlets of perception acute enough to trace it through all its bearings1 and thus render every atom of the globe a living witness to the actions of every living being4 ,in view of these facts1 we cannot regard the glowing language of ,babbage an exaggeration1 when he says1 ,the soul of the negro1 whose fettered body1 surviving the living charnel-house of his infected prison1 was thrown into the sea to lighten the ship1 that his ,christian master might escape the limited justice at length assigned by civilized man to crimes whose profit had long gilded their atrocity1 will need1 at the last great day of human accounts1 no living witness of his earthly agony3 when man and all his race shall have disappeared from the face of our planet1 ask every particle of air still floating over the unpeopled earth1 and it will record the cruel mandate of the tyrant4 ,interrogate every wave which breaks unimpeded on ten thousand desolate shores1 and it will give evidence of the last gurgle of the waters which closed over the head of his dying victim4 ,confront the murderer with every corporeal atom of his immolated slave1 and in its still quivering movements he will read the prophet's denunciation of the prophet king4 ,the distinguished mathematical professor from whom ,i have just quoted limits the effects of this mathematical reaction to this globe and its atmosphere4 ,but if1 as the philosophers now generally admit1 there is a subtile and extremely elastic medium pervading all space1 why must they not extend to other worlds1 yea1 to the whole universe8 ,without an accurate acquaintance with the facts1 indeed1 it will seem a mere extravagant imagination to say that our most trivial word or action sends a thrill throughout the whole material universe2 but ,i see not why sober and legitimate science does not conduct us to this conclusion4 ,nay1 still further1 it teaches us that the vibrations and changes which our words and actions produce upon the universe shall never cease their action and reaction till materialism be no more4 ,we venture1 then1 to push this thought of the ingenious mathematician into another sphere1 which he did not enter4 ,the majority1 probably1 of the ablest expounders of the ,bible have maintained1 as previously shown1 that the apostle ,peter most unequivocally teaches us that the new heavens1 or atmosphere1 and the new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness1 are merely our present earth and atmosphere1 melted and burnt by the fires of the last day1 and fitted up anew1--a second and a lovelier paradise1--to be the everlasting abode of holiness and happiness4 ,indeed1 to attempt to fix any other meaning upon ,peter's language makes of it a most absurd jumble of literal and figurative expressions1 and produces an inversion of chronological events4 ,but1 admitting the literal meaning of the apostle to be the true one1 then those reactions1 produced by our words and conduct upon the present world1 shall not be destroyed by the fires of the last day1 but reappear in the new economy1 and modify the pulsations of the new heavens and the new earth through all eternity4 ,but even though heaven should be in some other part of the universe1 and not this earth refitted1 yet1 if it be a material residence1 why1 on the principles already explained1 should it not be reached and affected by those vibrations which the laws of mathematics assure us are now spreading from each individual1 as a centre1 through the whole universe8 ,the conflagration of the earth will alter its chemical constitution1 and convert matter into new forms2 but the mechanical character of the atoms will not be destroyed2 and when they emerge from the final catastrophe1 in new and brighter forms1 they may still bear and exhibit the impress of every word and every action which they now receive4 ,such representations as these1 ,i am aware1 will1 upon first thought1 seem to most minds little better than the dreams of fancy1 although founded upon the laws of mathematics4 ,for how soon does every trace disappear from the earth of the most terrible convulsions and the mightiest human efforts6 ,the shout of countless multitudes1 the thunder and the crash of battle1 and even the volcano's bellowing1 are soon succeeded by unbroken silence2 and we cannot discover a trace of any of those countless scenes of noise and convulsion that have been acted upon the world's busy stage4 ,how practically absurd1 then1 to imagine that any influence goes out from the feeble efforts of individuals1 that can be recognized1 either now or hereafter1 on the wide field of the universe6 ,such objections as these1 however1 are based upon the impression1 of which it is hard to divest ourselves1 that our present means of distinguishing the effects of physical forces are as perfect as we can hope for in eternity4 ,and yet1 who will doubt that1 when our present gross bodies shall be laid aside1 the soul1 looking forth from a spiritual body1 with quickened powers and unobstructed vision1 shall penetrate a new world in the infinitesimal parts of creation8 ,what absurdity in the supposition that then the minutest movement among the atoms1 which can now be discovered only by the mathematics of quantities infinitely small1 may then stand out as distinctly to our inspection as do now the features of the landscape8 ,what absurdity in the supposition that1 even now1 there are finite minds in the universe who possess this quickened power of perception1 and1 though in distant worlds1 do actually know what is passing here by the vibrations which our words and actions produce upon elastic matter8 ,thus far ,i have spoken of the influence of our words and actions only upon the material universe1 although the principle with which ,i started includes thoughts also4 ,but are not actions merely the external manifestation of thoughts and purposes8 and1 therefore1 is not thought the efficient agency that impresses the universe8 ,i shall also attempt to show that there are other modes in which the intellect may do this1 aside from ordinary words and actions4 ,but ,i proceed to the second proof of the general principle4 ,and ,i derive it from what may be called optical reactions2 that is1 the reaction of light and the substances on which it impinges4 ,these exert such an influence upon it1 that1 when it is thrown back from them1 and enters the organs of vision1 or even a transparent lens1 with a screen behind it1 it produces an image of those objects2 in other words1 what we call vision4 ,now1 it is this fact1 in connection with the progressive motion of light1 that forms the basis of this branch of the argument4 ,though light moves with such immense velocity1 that1 for all practical purposes on earth1 it is instantaneous1 yet1 in fact1 it does occupy a little more than a second for every two hundred thousand miles which it passes over4 ,hence a flash of lightning occurring on earth would not be visible on the moon till a second and a quarter afterwards2 on the sun1 till eight minutes2 at the planet ,jupiter1 when at its greatest distance from us1 till fifty-two minutes2 on ,uranus1 till two hours2 on ,neptune1 till four hours and a quarter2 on the star of ,vega1 of the first magnitude1 till forty-five years2 on a star of the eighth magnitude1 till one hundred and eighty years2 and on a star of the twelfth magnitude1 till four thousand years2 and stars of this magnitude are visible through telescopes2 nor can we doubt that1 with better instruments1 stars of far less magnitude might be seen2 so that we may confidently say that this flash of lightning would not reach the remotest heavenly body till more than six thousand years--a period equal to that which has elapsed since man's creation4 ,now1 suppose that1 on these different heavenly bodies1 beings exist with organs of vision sufficiently acute to discern a flash of lightning on earth1 or1 rather1 to see all the scenes on that hemisphere of our world that is turned towards them2 it is obvious that1 on the remotest star1 the earth would be seen1 at this moment1 just coming forth from the ,creator's hand1 in all the freshness of ,eden's glories1 with our first parents in the beauty of innocence and happiness1 and all the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air playing around them4 ,on a star of the twelfth magnitude would be seen the world as it showed itself four thousand years ago2 on a star of the eighth magnitude1 as it appeared one hundred and eighty years ago2 and so on to the moon1 where would be seen the occurrences of the present moment4 ,and since there are ten thousand times ten thousand worlds1 scattered through these extremes of distance1 is it not clear that1 taking them all together1 they do at this moment contain a vast panorama of the world's entire history1 since the hour when the morning stars sang together1 and the sons of ,god shouted for joy on creation's morning8 ,thus1 says the unknown author of a little work entitled ,the ,stars and the ,earth1 in which these ideas were first developed--thus the universe encloses the pictures of the past1 like an indestructible and incorruptible record1 containing the purest and the clearest truth2 and as sound propagates itself in the air1 wave after wave1 or1 to take a still clearer example1 as thunder and lightning are in reality simultaneous1 but in the storm the distant thunder follows at the interval of minutes seconds8 after the flash1 so1 in like manner1 according to our ideas1 the pictures of every occurrence propagate themselves into the distant ether1 upon the wings of the ray of light2 and although they become weaker and smaller1 yet1 in immeasurable distance1 they still have color and form2 and as every thing possessing color and form is visible1 so must these pictures also be said to be visible1 however impossible it may be for the human eye to perceive it with the hitherto discovered optical instruments4 ,this last statement of the writer every one will acknowledge is true when applied to ,god2 for who will doubt that his eye can take in at a glance that universe which he has made8 ,and to do that is to have before him the entire daily history of our globe2 nay1 probably1 also1 of every other world4 ,indeed1 such a supposition affords us a lively conception of the divine omniscience1 since we have only to suppose this panorama of the indefinite past to extend indefinitely into the future1 and the infinite picture will also be present at this moment before the divine mind4 ,but is the supposition an absurdity1 that there may be in the universe created beings1 with powers of vision acute enough to take in all these pictures of our world's history1 as they make the circuit of the numberless suns and planets that lie embosomed in boundless space8 ,suppose such a being at this moment upon a star of the twelfth magnitude1 with an eye turned toward the earth4 ,he might see the deluge of ,noah1 just sweeping over the surface4 ,advancing to a nearer star1 he would see the patriarch ,abraham going out1 not knowing whither he went4 ,coming still nearer1 the vision of the crucified ,redeemer would meet his gaze4 ,coming nearer still1 he might alight upon worlds where all the revolutions and convulsions of modern times would fall upon his eye4 ,indeed1 there are worlds enough and at the right distances1 in the vast empyrean1 to show him every event in human history4 ,we may proceed a step farther1 and inquire whether such an exaltation of vision as we have supposed may not be hereafter enjoyed by the glorified human mind when it passes into the spiritual body4 ,we can hardly believe such a transformation possible4 ,but suppose an individual born blind to grow up to manhood and intelligence without ever having been told any thing about vision4 ,then suppose the oculist to attempt an operation for the restoration of his sight1 and1 to prepare him for the transition1 let the wonders of human vision be described to him1 and he be told that1 by a few moments of suffering1 he can be put in possession of this astonishing faculty2 would it not appear as improbable to him as it now does to us1 to imagine that our vision can be so clarified and exalted1 that we can discern the events which are passing in distant worlds as easily as we now do those immediately around us4 ,but if such a power of reading human history1 from its panorama spread out on the face of the universe1 be now possessed by unfallen beings in other spheres1 what idea must they form of the character of man8 ,at one time1 they must regard the race as given up to hopeless rebellion1 and the inflictions of vindictive justice4 ,and then1 anon1 they would see the sceptre of mercy stretched out1 and a few faithful soldiers marching under the banner of virtue and fighting the battles of the ,lord4 ,surely they would need a revelation to understand the anomalies and solve the paradoxes which passed under their eyes4 ,they would wonder why a world so filled with tokens of divine goodness1 yet so disfigured by wickedness in every form1 had not long since been struck from its orbit by the hand of divine justice4 ,thus far1 in the present argument1 ,i have been following1 for the most part1 in the track marked out by others4 ,but ,i now venture to advance into regions hitherto untrodden for any such purpose2 yet ,i trust that the light which we may find to guide our steps may not prove the bewildering gleam of an ignis fatuus1 but the lamp of true science4 ,my third argument is based upon electric reactions4 ,whatever may be the true nature of electricity1 it is convenient1 and probably leads to no error1 to speak of it as a fluid1 or rather two fluids4 ,for we find two kinds of electricity1 denominated positive and negative2 and it is a general fact1 that1 when a body is brought into one electrical state1 it throws other bodies around it into the opposite state1 by a power called induction4 ,those bodies1 whose electrical condition has been thus altered1 will act on others lying in a remoter circle1 and these upon others1 and so on1 we cannot tell how widely1 for we have reason to suppose that electricity is a power that extends through all nature4 ,it can hardly be doubted that is the force which constitutes what we call chemical affinity by which the constituent parts of all compound bodies are held together2 and in those stony and metallic masses1 that occasionally fall from the heavens1 we have proof that this same power holds sway in other worlds2 for the most reasonable supposition is1 that these meteors move like the planets through the regions of celestial space1 and give us some idea of the constitution of planetary worlds4 ,if so1 the same chemical laws1 and1 of course1 the same chemical forces1 prevail there as in our planet4 ,indeed1 the uniformity of nature would lead us to such a conclusion were there no facts like those of meteors to teach it directly4 ,it follows1 from these principles1 that1 whenever we change the electrical condition of bodies around us1 we start a movement to whose onward march we can assign no limits but the material universe4 ,these waves of influence consist of a series of attractions and repulsions1 and are independent of the mechanical reactions already considered1 which are produced by onward impulses alone4 ,now1 a change in the electric condition of bodies is produced often by the slightest mechanical1 chemical1 thermal1 physiological1 and probably even mental change in man4 ,the usual way of exciting currents of electricity is by friction4 ,but chemical action1 as in the galvanic battery1 produces a still more energetic and uninterrupted current4 ,the slightest change of temperature1 also1 may disturb the electric equilibrium perceptibly4 ,it has been of late ascertained1 likewise1 that a change of physiological condition--that is1 a change as to healthy and normal action--affects the electricity of the parts of the system1 and consequently of surrounding bodies4 ,substitute a man in the place of a galvanic battery1 making his two hands the electrodes1 and there will go out from him an electric current1 that shall sensibly deflect the needle of a galvanometer1 an instrument employed for showing the presence of small portions of electricity4 ,nay1 further1 it seems to be most probably established as a fact in science1 that a man1 in the condition above specified1 by a simple act of his will upon his muscles1 by which those of one arm only shall be braced1 will thereby send an electrical current of one sort through the galvanometer1 while a like volition1 which shall brace the muscles of the other arm will set in motion an opposite current4 ,it is also ascertained1 that of the two sorts of nerves which supply every muscle1 the nerve of sensibility is a positive pole of a ,voltaic circuit1 while the nerve of motion1 or the muscle into which it passes1 is a negative pole4 ,so that the sensor nerves act as electric telegraphs to carry the sensations to the brain1 and inform it what is needed1 while the motor nerves bring back the volition to the muscles--the brain acting as a galvanic battery1 very much like the electric organs of certain fishes4 ,from these statements it clearly follows1 that1 besides the mechanical effects produced by our actions1 there is also an electric influence excited and propagated by almost every muscular effort1 every chemical change within us1 every variation in the state of health1 or vigor1 and especially by every mental effort2 for no thought1 probably1 can pass through the mind which does not alter the physiological1 chemical1 and electric condition of the brain1 and consequently of the whole system4 ,the stronger the emotion1 the greater the change2 so that those great mental efforts1 and those great decisions of the will1 which bring along important moral effects1 do also make the strongest impression upon the material universe4 ,we cannot say how widely1 by means of electric force1 they reach2 but if so subtile a power does1 as we have reason to suppose1 permeate all space1 and all solid matter1 there may be no spot in the whole universe where the knowledge of our most secret thoughts and purposes1 as well as our most trivial outward act1 may not be transmitted on the lightning's wing2 and it may be1 that1 out of this darkened world1 there may not be found any spot where beings do not exist with sensibilities keen enough to learn1 through electric changes1 what we are doing and thinking4 ,if there be no absurdity in supposing that even the mechanical influence of our actions may be felt throughout the universe1 still less is it absurd to infer the same results from electric agencies4 ,it would seem1 from recent discoveries1 that electricity has a more intimate connection with mental operations than any other physical force4 ,if not identical with the nervous influence1 it seems to be employed by the mind to accompany that influence to every part of the system2 and the greater the mental excitement1 the more energetic the electric movement4 ,it seems to us a marvellous discovery1 which enables man to convey and register his thoughts at the distance of thousands of miles by the electric wires4 ,should it excite any higher wonder to be told1 that1 by means of this same power1 all our thoughts are transmitted to every part of the universe1 and can be read there by the neuter perceptions of other beings as easily as we can read the types or hieroglyphics of the electric telegraph8 ,yet what a startling thought is it1 that the most secret workings of our minds and hearts are momentarily spread out in legible characters over the whole material universe6 nay1 that they are so woven into the texture of the universe1 that they will constitute a part of its web and woof forever6 ,to believe and realize this is difficult2 to deny it is to go in the face of physical science4 ,how many things we do believe that are sustained by evidence far less substantial6 ,my fourth argument in support of the general principle is based upon odylic reaction4 ,and what is odylic reaction8 ,what is odyle8 you will doubtless inquire4 ,it is1 indeed1 a branch of science emphatically new4 ,i know of no account of it1 save what appears in a late work1 of nearly five hundred pages1 by ,baron ,reichenbach1 of ,vienna1 entitled ,researches on ,magnetism1 ,electricity1 ,heat1 ,light1 ,crystallization1 and ,chemical ,attraction1 in their ,relations to the ,vital ,force1 translated by ,william ,gregory1 professor of chemistry in the ,university of ,edinburgh4 ,this writer endeavors to show1 by a great number of experiments1 that there exists in all bodies1 and throughout the universe1 a peculiar principle1 analogous to magnetism1 electricity1 light1 and heat1 yet distinct from them all1 to which he gives the name of odyle4 ,it is most manifest in powerful magnets2 next in crystals1 and exists in the human body1 the sun1 moon1 stars1 heat1 electricity1 chemical action1 and1 in fact1 the whole material universe4 ,those who are most sensitive to this influence are persons of feeble health1 especially somnambulists2 but it is found that about one third of individuals1 taken promiscuously1 and many in good health1 are sensible of it2 and it was by a series of observations on persons of all classes and conditions for years1 that the facts have been elicited4 ,the inquiry seems to have been conducted with great fairness and scientific skill1 and the author has the confidence of several of the most distinguished scientific men in ,europe4 ,if there be no mistake in the results1 they promise to explain philosophically many popular superstitions1 and also the phenomena of mesmerism1 without a resort to superhuman agency1 either satanic or angelic4 ,they yield1 also1 an interesting support to the principle of this lecture4 ,says ,baron ,reichenbach1 ,there is nothing in these observations which he had just detailed that1 after the contents of the preceding treatises1 can much surprise us2 but they are certainly a fine additional confirmation of what has been stated in regard to the sun and moon1 and also of the fact that the whole material universe1 even beyond our earth1 acts on us with the very same kind of influence which resides in all terrestrial objects2 and lastly1 it shows that we stand in a connection of mutual influence1 hitherto unsuspected1 with the universe2 so that1 in fact1 the stars are not altogether devoid of action on our sublunary1 perhaps even on our practical1 world1 and on the mental processes of some heads4--,p4 #afb4 ,by the experiments here referred to by this author1 he had endeavored to show1 that even the light of the stars exerted an odylic influence upon the human system2 that is1 certain effects independent altogether of their light2 and if there be no mistake in the experiments1 they certainly do show this4 ,such a fact almost realizes the suggestions already made1 that beings in other spheres may possess such an exaltation of sensibilities as to be able to learn what is going on in this world1 and that it is easy to conceive how our sensorium may be raised to the same exalted pitch4 ,my fifth argument1 illustrative of the general principle1 is based upon chemical reaction4 ,mechanical reaction changes the form and position of bodies2 chemical reaction alters their constitution4 ,by the decomposition of some compounds1 the elements are obtained for forming others2 and such changes are going on around us and within us in great numbers unperceived4 ,in the worlds above us1 and in the earth beneath us1 from its circumference to its centre1 the transmutations of chemistry are in progress1 and many of them are modified by the agency of man2 so that here is another channel through which human actions exert an influence upon the material universe1 and to an extent which we cannot measure4 ,let us look at some of the modes in which this is done4 ,take1 in the first place1 the facts respecting photography1 or the art of obtaining sketches of objects by means of the action of light4 ,this is strictly a chemical process4 ,in a beam of light1 that comes to us from the sun1 we find not only rays of light and heat1 but chemical rays1 which act upon some bodies to change their constitution4 ,when these rays are reflected from a human countenance1 and fall upon a silvered plate1 that has been coated with iodine and bromine1 they leave an impression1 which is fixed and brought out as a portrait by the vapor of mercury and some other agents4 ,here the chemical changes produced by these rays are exceedingly perfect2 but they produce effects upon many other substances1 artificially or naturally prepared2 such as paper1 for instance1 immersed in a solution of bichromate of potash1 or upon vegetation1 whose green color is probably the result of this action1 7as is obvious from the fact that plants growing in the dark are destitute of color47 ,indeed1 a large part of the changes of color in nature depend upon these invisible rays4 ,it seems1 then1 that this photographic influence pervades all nature2 nor can we say where it stops4 ,we do not know but it may imprint upon the world around us our features1 as they are modified by various passions1 and thus fill nature with daguerreotype impressions of all our actions that are performed in daylight4 ,it may be1 too1 that there are tests by which nature1 more skilfully than any human photographist1 can bring out and fix those portraits1 so that acuter senses than ours shall see them1 as on a great canvas1 spread over the material universe4 ,perhaps1 too1 they may never fade from that canvas1 but become specimens in the great picture gallery of eternity4 ,the thought may perhaps cross some mind1 that1 though those human actions which are performed in sunlight may be imprinted upon the universe1 yet no deed of darkness can thus reveal its author1 and remain an eternal stigma upon his name4 ,but there is another phase to this subject4 ,what is the evidence that the chemical rays of a sunbeam are rays of light8 ,we know that they are unequally diffused through the spectrum1 being most energetic at its violet extremity2 but there is no proof that they are visible4 ,they may1 like heat1 exert their appropriate influence1 which seems to be mainly that of deoxidation1 and yet not be colorific4 ,if so1 we might expect them to operate in the dark2 and experiment proves that they do4 ,an engraving on paper1 placed between an iodized silver plate and an amalgamated copper plate1 was left in the dark for fifteen hours4 ,on exposing the amalgamated plate to the vapor of mercury1 a very nice impression of the engraving was brought out--it having been effected through the thickness of the paper4--,mr4 ,hunt1 ,on the ,changes which ,bodies are capable of undergoing in ,darkness1 ,phil4 ,mag4 vol4 xxii4 p4 #bgg4--,many like experiments prove the existence2 among bodies1 of a power analogous to1 if not identical with1 that which accompanies light1 and is the basis of the photographic process4 ,some philosophers do not regard them as identical4 ,but this is of little consequence in my present argument4 ,for all agree that there is a power in nature capable of impressing the outlines of some objects upon others in total darkness4 ,in respect to such cases1 there are one or two facts deserving of special notice4 ,and1 first4 ,we must not infer1 because man has yet been able to bring out to human view but a few examples of this sort1 that they are1 therefore1 few in nature4 ,rather should the discovery of a few lead to the conclusion that nature may be full of them1 and that a more delicate and refined chemistry may yet disclose them4 ,for the few known cases give us a glimpse of a recondite law of nature1 which most likely pervades creation4 ,some regard these dark rays as neither light1 nor heat1 nor chemical rays1 but a new element2 but1 whatever its nature1 no reason can be given why it should operate only in a few cases1 and those of artificial preparation4 ,more probably1 through this influence1 all bodies brought into contact1 or proximity1 impress their images upon one another2 and the time may come1 when1 touched by a more subtile chemistry than man now wields1 these images shall take a place among obvious and permanent things in the universe1 to the honor and glory of some1 but to the amazement and everlasting contempt of more4 ,of more1 ,i say2 for wickedness has oftener sought the concealment of darkness than modest virtue4 ,the foulest enormities of human conduct have always striven to cover themselves with the shroud of night4 ,the thief1 the counterfeiter1 the assassin1 the robber1 the murderer1 and the seducer1 feel comparatively safe in the midnight darkness1 because no human eye can scrutinize their actions4 ,but what if it should turn out that sable night1 to speak paradoxically1 is an unerring photographist6 ,what if wicked men1 as they open their eyes from the sleep of death1 in another world1 should find the universe hung round with faithful pictures of their earthly enormities1 which they had supposed forever lost in the oblivion of night6 ,what scenes for them to gaze at forever6 ,they may now1 indeed1 smile incredulously at such a suggestion2 but the disclosures of chemistry may well make them tremble4 ,analogy does make it a scientific probability that every action of man1 however deep the darkness in which it was performed1 has imprinted its image upon nature1 and that there may be tests which shall draw it into daylight1 and make it permanent so long as materialism endures4 ,there is another chemical principle1 called catalysis1 through which human actions may make powerful and permanent impressions on the universe1 and that1 too1 unperceived by man4 ,in some cases1 the mere presence of a certain agent1 in a small quantity1 will produce extensive changes of constitution in other bodies1 while the agent itself remains unaltered4 ,thus a strip of platinum will determine the union of oxygen and hydrogen in the platinum lamp2 and sulphuric acid1 in a solution of starch1 will change it first into gum1 and then into sugar2 while neither the platinum nor the acid experiences any change4 ,these are called catalytic changes4 ,more often1 however1 the catalytic agent is itself in the process of change1 and it produces an analogous change in other bodies4 ,a familiar example is yeast1 or ferment4 ,this substance contains a principle called diastase1 one part of which is capable of converting two thousand parts of starch into sugar2 and this is what is done in the familiar process of fermentation1 when we always see verified the scriptural declaration1 ,a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump4 ,the precise manner in which the diastase operates in these cases we may not be able to explain4 ,the particles of the diastase1 being themselves in motion1 possess the power of putting in motion the particles of other bodies2 and these1 again1 operate upon others1 and so on1 often to an astonishing extent4 ,in the case of the platinum and the acid1 however1 no change takes place in their molecules1 and we can only state it1 as an unexplained fact1 that they do produce changes in other bodies4 ,we have other examples of catalytic influences in nature1 exhibiting an agency still more subtile and energetic4 ,i refer to contagious and epidemic diseases in animals and plants4 ,an influence goes abroad1 and seems to be propagated through the atmosphere1 traversing whole continents1 and crossing wide oceans1 powerful and deadly in its effects1 yet inappreciable by the most delicate mechanical or chemical tests4 ,but the phenomena admit of explanation by supposing a movement1 either in the particles of the atmosphere1 or of the still more subtile and elastic medium that pervades all space2 a movement started at a particular spot1 as the cholera in ,india1 and the small-pox or some epidemic from some focus1 and communicating an unhealthy movement from atom to atom1 till it has encircled the earth and mowed down its hecatombs4 ,now1 when we look at such facts1 who can suppose it improbable that man1 who can hardly lift a finger without producing some chemical change1 should start some of these movements1 that may reach far beyond his imagination8 ,and here1 as in the cases that have preceded1 we must not estimate the actual change in the constitution of bodies by the apparent2 for we know that multitudes of such changes are passing within us and around us1 without our cognizance2 and yet there may be chemical eyes in the universe quick enough to see them all1 and to follow them onward to the final result2 for there must be a final resultant of all such forces2 nor can we doubt that1 some time or other1 and to some beings1 if not to ourselves1 it will be manifest4 ,here1 then1 is another mode in which a chemical influence may go forth from us1 reaching the utmost limits of matter and of time2 nay1 perhaps extending into eternity1 and revealing our actions to the finer sensibilities of exalted beings4 ,i derive my sixth argument in support of the general principle from organic reaction4 ,few persons1 save the zoologist and comparative anatomist1 have any idea of the great nicety and delicacy of the relations that exist between all the species of animals and plants1 so that what affects one affects all the rest4 ,perhaps the subject may be illustrated by supposing all the species of organic beings to be distributed at different distances through a hollow sphere1 while between them all there is a mutual repulsion1 and the whole are retained in the form of a sphere by an attracting force directed to the centre4 ,by such an arrangement1 if one species be taken out of the sphere1 or its repellency become stronger or weaker1 the relative position of all the rest would be altered4 ,no matter how many millions of species there are1 the movements of one will cause a reaction among all the rest4 ,now1 this illustration1 although an approximation1 falls short of representing the actual state of things in nature4 ,it is no exaggeration to say that a relation similar to the supposed one exists throughout the vast dominions of animate beings2 so that you cannot obliterate or change one species without affecting all the rest4 ,often the change is effected so slowly and indirectly that the beings experiencing it are unconscious of it2 or they may realize some slight disturbance of the balance in organic nature1 and yet be unconscious of the cause4 ,by the illustration above given1 when one or more species is removed from the supposed sphere1 or its repellent force weakened or strengthened1 although an influence will reach all the other species1 yet a new equilibrium will soon be established1 and no permanently bad effects seem to follow4 ,but not so in nature4 ,there the balance originally fixed between different beings by infinite wisdom is the best possible2 and every change1 not intended by ,providence1 must be for the worse4 ,it was intended1 for instance1 that man should subdue forests and extirpate noxious plants1 as well as ferocious and noxious animals2 and1 therefore1 such a change operates to his advantage1 but to the injury of the inferior animals4 ,yet often he pushes this exterminating process so far as to injure himself also4 ,thus the farmer wages a relentless war against certain birds1 because of some slight evils which they occasion4 ,but when they are extirpated1 opportunity is given for noxious insects to multiply1 and to bring upon the farmer evils much greater than those he thus escapes4 ,to prevent an excessive multiplication of some species is one of the grand objects of the present balance established among the whole4 ,such an increase is an inevitable effect of the extinction of a species1 and it often occasions great mischief4 ,the carnivorous species1 especially1 were intended to act as nature's police1 to prevent a too great increase of the herbivorous races1 which are rendered excessively fruitful to keep the world full4 ,if1 then1 a carnivorous species become extinct1 the species on which it has fed will so multiply as to prove great nuisances1 and to produce wide disorder among many species1 not only of animals1 but of plants4 ,and often has man1 in this way1 by the extermination of species1 in particular districts1 unwittingly brought a powerful reaction on himself4 ,on the ,island of ,new ,zealand1 within one or two hundred years past1 eight or ten species of gigantic birds--the dinornis and palapteryx--have become extinct1 probably through the persecution of man4 ,the natives1 without doubt1 hunted them down for food1 until all disappeared3 and as no quadruped of much size inhabits the island1 we think there is no little plausibility in the suggestion of ,professor ,owen1 that when the birds were all gone1 or nearly gone1 the natives were tempted to the practice of cannibalism1 as the only means of gratifying their passion for meat4 ,what a terrible retribution for disturbing the equilibrium of organic nature6 ,the records of zoology and botany afford endless illustration of this subject4 ,but the great truth which they all teach is1 that so intimately are we related to other beings1 that almost every action of ours reacts upon them for good or evil2 for good1 upon the whole1 when we conform to the laws which ,god has established2 and for evil1 when by their violation we disturb the equilibrium of organized nature1 and produce irregular action4 ,in this latter case1 we cannot tell where the disturbance1 thus introduced1 will end2 for it is not a periodical oscillation1 like the perturbations of the heavenly bodies1 nor a mere change of position and intensity by mechanical forces4 ,but does not this law of mutual influence between organic beings extend to other worlds8 ,why should it not be transmitted by means of the luminiferous ether to the limits of the universe8 ,who knows but a blow struck upon a single link of organic beings here may be felt through the whole circle of animate existence in all worlds8 ,that is a narrow view of ,god's work1 which isolates the organic races on this globe from the rest of the universe4 ,the more philosophical view throws the golden chain of influence around the whole animal creation1 whether small or great1 near or remote4 ,reverting to the reasoning which we employed in tracing out the extent of mechanical reaction1 we shall see that organic reaction may extend not only to other worlds1 but also into eternity4 ,for if the matter of the universe is to survive the conflagration of the last day1 the future economy of life must have some connection with the present1 whether this earth or some other part of the universe be the theatre of its development4 ,i speak here not of moral influences1 which we know will pass over from time into eternity1 but of a physical reaction1 which may also reach beyond the same gulf4 ,for at least a part of those creatures1 who in this world have felt the modifying power of other beings1 will survive the world's final catastrophe1 and occupy material1 though spiritual bodies1 whose germ is represented as derived from their bodies on earth4 ,we have reason1 then1 to suppose some connection and modifying influence between them4 ,and we might show1 also1 that moral causes1 which so affect the physical character here1 may exert a like power in eternity4 ,but time will not permit the argument to be followed out4 ,the conclusion1 then1 from this argument also1 is1 that probably every action of ours on earth modifies the condition and destiny of every other created being in this and other worlds through time and eternity4 ,what though human experience1 dependent on the bluntness of mortal sensibilities1 cannot demonstrate such an influence8 ,shall the gross perceptions of this disordered world be made the standard of all that exists8 ,rather let us listen to the suggestions of science1 which tell us of the possibility of senses far more acute in other worlds1 and in a future state of being--senses that can trace out and feel the vibrations of the delicate web of organic influence that binds together the great and the small1 the past1 the present1 and the future1 throughout the universe4 ,my seventh argument in support of the general principle depends upon mental reaction4 ,mental reaction operates in two ways--indirectly and directly2 indirectly through matter1 directly by the influence of mind upon mind1 without an intervening medium4 ,when describing electric reactions1 ,i have shown how our thoughts and volitions change the electric1 chemical1 and even mechanical condition of the body1 and1 through these media1 that of all the material universe2 and ,i need not repeat that argument4 ,but to modify the inanimate world through these agencies necessarily affects all other intellects1 which are connected with matter2 and since man in a future world is to assume a spiritual body1 we may reasonably suppose that all created beings are in some way connected with matter2 and1 therefore1 by means of materialism1 through the subtile agencies that have been named1 we may be sure that an influence goes out from every thought and volition of ours1 and reaches every other intellect in the wide creation4 ,i know not whether1 in other worlds1 their inhabitants possess sensibilities acute enough to be conscious of this influence2 certainly1 in this world1 it is only to a limited extent that men are conscious of it4 ,yet we must admit that it exists and acts1 or deny the demonstrated verities of science4 ,but is there not evidence that mind sometimes acts directly upon other minds1 without any gross1 intervening media8 ,it may1 indeed1 be doubted whether any created intellect operates1 except in connection with some form of matter4 ,yet there are certain facts in the history of individuals in an abnormal state1 which show that one mind acts upon another1 independent of the senses1 or any other material means or intercommunication discoverable by the senses4 ,take the details of sleep-waking1 or somnambulism2 and do not they present us with numerous cases in which impressions are made by one mind upon another1 even when separated beyond the sphere of the senses8 ,take the facts respecting double consciousness1 and those where the power was possessed of reading the thoughts1 of others1 or the facts relating to prevision2 and surely they cannot be explained but by the supposition of a direct influence of one mind upon another4 ,still more decided in this respect are the most familiar facts of artificial somnambulism1 called mesmerism4 ,whatever may be our views of this unsettled branch of knowledge as a whole1 it would seem as if we could not doubt that its facts prove the action of mind upon mind1 independently of bodily organization1 without rejecting evidence which would prove any thing else4 ,now1 if we admit that mind does operate upon other minds while we are in the body1 independent of the body1 can we tell how far the influence extends8 ,if electricity1 or some other subtile agent1 be essential to this action1 it would indeed transfer this example to electric reaction1 but it would still be real4 ,yet1 in the absence of all certain proof of the electric power in this case1 and with certain proof of the existence of such an influence1 we may place it among those marvellous means by which man makes an impression1 wide beyond our present knowledge1 upon the universe1 material and mental2 and it ought to make us feel that our lightest thoughts and feeblest volitions may reach the outer limit of intellectual life1 and its consequences meet us in distant worlds1 and far down the track of eternity4 ,finally4 ,i derive an argument in support of the general principle from geological reaction4 ,by this expression1 ,i mean those reactions of whose existence geology furnishes the proof4 ,they are1 in fact1 the reactions already considered2 but geology proves that they have actually operated in past time in many instances1 by evidence registered on the rocks1 and thus tends to confirm our reasoning derived from other sources4 ,i do not mean that the proof is before us of precisely such an action as our reasoning has supposed1 but so analogous to that supposed as to lend it confirmation4 ,a few examples will illustrate the argument4 ,the effects of mechanical reaction are1 perhaps1 most frequent and striking in the rocks1 especially those deposited from water4 ,here we have1 for instance1 the ripple marks1 which present us with a faithful register of the slightest movement of the waters1 and also of the motions of the atmosphere1 or of the currents in it1 that agitated the waters4 ,in the almost impalpable powder that sometimes constitutes the rocks1 we can trace the slightest erosion and comminution of the strata from which the deposit was worn4 ,in the petrified rain drops we find an indelible trace of the most gentle shower4 ,and here1 too1 we can see the direction of the wind4 ,such facts1 also1 imply the operation of electricity and gravity1 of heat and cold1 collecting and condensing the rain1 and bringing it down2 and so similar to present meteorological phenomena do these ancient showers appear to have been1 that we may conclude that electrical reactions1 in all respects1 were the same as at present4 ,the preservation of the tracks of numerous animals in some of the sandstones shows us how deep and permanent an impression the most trivial action of a living being may make4 ,in these footmarks we sometimes notice a change in the direction of the animal along the surface2 and1 of course1 an impression deeper or more shallow than usual1 of parts of the foot1 by the action of the muscles employed in changing the animal's course4 ,here1 then1 we have the register of so slight an action as an increased or diminished action of a particular muscle of the leg4 ,nay1 further1 such a movement affords us an infallible register of an act of the animal's will1 since that must have preceded the change2 and that implies an electric current1 first inward along the sensor nerves1 and then outward along the motor nerves4 ,geology lays open before us a map of the changes in organic nature from the apparent commencement of life on the globe1 and thus enables us to see examples of this kind of reaction4 ,we find different economies of life to have appeared1 but all of them most wisely adapted to existing circumstances4 ,in each economy we perceive the balance between the different tribes provided for4 ,if1 for instance1 one race of carnivorous species died out1 new races were created to occupy their place1 so that the herbivorous species should not overrun the globe4 ,thus1 when the early sauroid fishes diminished1 the gigantic and carnivorous marine saurian reptiles were introduced4 ,and when the chambered shells1 whose occupants were carnivorous1 disappeared with the secondary period1 numerous univalve mollusks were created to feed on other animals2 although previously that family were herbivorous4 ,it would seem1 however1 as if each successive economy of organic life had contained within itself the seeds of extinction4 ,it was1 indeed1 mainly a change of climate which first caused some species to disappear4 ,but their destruction so disturbed the balance of creation that others followed1 until total extinction was the result1 which1 however1 was often hastened by catastrophes4 ,thus we have in the stony volume of the earth's history actual examples of effects resulting from the acts1 and even volitions1 of the inferior animals1 which can never be erased while the rocks endure4 ,if1 therefore1 with our imperfect senses1 we can see these results so distinctly1 we may safely infer that human conduct1 and thought1 and volition impress upon the globe1 nay1 upon the universe1 marks which nothing can obliterate4 ,the thoughts which press upon the mind1 in view of such a conclusion1 are numerous and interesting4 ,a few we can hardly help noticing4 ,in the first place1 what a centre of influence does man occupy6 ,it is just as if the universe were a tremulous mass of jelly which every movement of his made to vibrate from the centre to the circumference4 ,it is as if the universe were one vast picture gallery1 in some part of which the entire history of this world1 and of each individual1 is shown on canvas1 sketched by countless artists1 with unerring skill4 ,it is as if each man had his foot upon the point where ten thousand telegraphic wires meet from every part of the universe1 and he were able1 with each volition1 to send abroad an influence along these wires1 so as to reach every created being in heaven and in earth4 ,it is as if we had the more than ,gorgon power of transmuting every object around us into forms beautiful or hideous1 and of sending that transmuting process forward through time and through eternity4 ,it is as if we were linked to every created being by a golden chain1 and every pulsation of our heart or movement of our mind modified the pulsation of every other heart and the movements of every other intellect4 ,wonderful1 wonderful is the position man occupies1 and the part he acts6 ,and yet it is not a dream1 but the deliberate conclusion of true science4 ,secondly4 ,we see in this subject the probability that our minutest actions1 and perhaps our thoughts1 from day to day1 are known throughout the universe4 ,i speak not here of the divine omniscience1 which we know reaches every thought and action2 but ,i refer to created beings4 ,science shows us how1 in a variety of modes1 such knowledge may be conveyed to them by natural agencies2 and we have only to suppose them to be possessed of far more acute sensibilities than man's1 in order to be affected by these agencies as we are by more powerful impressions4 ,and when we consider how fettered and depressed a condition this world obviously is in1 because of its sinfulness1 who will doubt but the unfallen beings of other spheres may enjoy those keener perceptions that will bring our whole history distinctly before them1 day by day8 ,the thought is1 indeed1 startling1 but not unphilosophical4 ,if this suggestion be true1 then may we indulge the thought as highly probable that our friends1 who have gone before us into the eternal world1 may be as familiar with our conduct1 our words1 and even our thoughts1 as we are ourselves4 ,if we are acting as we ought1 and so as will please them1 this must be an animating idea2 but if we are not1 let it serve to stimulate us to our duty1 if a sense of the divine omniscience is not sufficient4 ,we infer from this subject1 thirdly1 the probability that1 in a future state1 the power of reading the past history of the world1 and of individuals1 may be possessed by man4 ,the nature of the future spiritual body1 and of the heavenly state and employments1 impresses the mind with the belief that it will be a condition far more exalted than the present1 and that the inlets to the soul will be cleared of all obstructions2 so that no impression made on such a sensorium shall fail to give the mind a distinct perception4 ,in heaven1 such extreme sensibility might become a source of richest pleasure2 in the world of despair1 an instrument of severe punishment2 yet in both cases it might be the natural result of a man's earthly course4 ,now1 such an indefinite exaltation of the perceptions in futurity scarcely any one will doubt4 ,why should we doubt any more that it may rise so high that man will be able to read1 through the agencies we have pointed out1 the minutest action and thought in human experience8 ,if1 as we have reason to suppose1 angels can do it now1 the ,bible informs us that we shall be like the angels4 ,if this view be admitted1 then it may be that the present world is the only spot in the universe where deeds of wickedness can be concealed4 ,in a sinful world we can see reasons why the power of concealment should exist to some extent4 ,for though no man should do or think any thing which he is ashamed to have known1 yet1 if all the plans of men for the promotion of good objects were fully known from their inception1 the wicked could generally defeat them4 ,but in a world of perfect holiness no such necessity would exist1 since the universal desire would be to promote every worthy object2 and1 therefore1 it may be that every soul will lie perfectly open to the inspection of all other souls--an arrangement that seems appropriate to such a world4 ,in what an aspect does this principle present the conduct of the suicide6 ,tired of earthly scenes1 he rushes unbidden into eternity to escape them4 ,but instead of escaping them1 he goes where every one of these mortal evils--yea1 and multiplied1 too1 a thousand fold--shall start up in his path with a distinctness of which he had no conception4 ,and henceforth he can never find1 as in this world1 even a partial deliverance from their terrible vividness4 ,it is as if1 to avoid the moonlight1 because too bright1 a man should plunge into the sun4 ,again1 if this principle be true1 how annoying will it be1 to the man who has not acted well his part in this world1 to meet in eternity the ever-recurring mementoes of his evil deeds6 ,he will hardly be able to open his eyes without seeing some plague-spot on creation as the result of his conduct2 and although infinite wisdom and power have stayed the plague1 no thanks are due to him4 ,the tendencies of his conduct on earth will be most distressing to look upon2 and these shall not cease to lie open before him till the last sand in the glass of eternity is run out4 ,but1 on the other hand1 how does this principle strew the path of eternity with flowers to that man who1 in this world1 finds his highest pleasure in doing good6 ,not merely his highest and noblest deeds of benevolence here shall loom up in bright perspective there1 but a thousand acts of private beneficence1 unknown to the world and forgotten by himself1 shall stand out distinctly on the moving panorama of that better world2 and he will be amazed to see what a wide and blessed influence they have exerted1 and will exert1 as the catalytic influence moves on and widens in its endless march4 ,it might have ruined him to see these fruits in this world1 by exciting pride and vain glory2 but it will awaken there only gratitude and love to the grace that enabled him thus1 in time1 to sow the seeds which should fill eternity with flowers1 and fragrance1 and golden fruit4 ,finally4 ,what new and astonishing avenues of knowledge does this subject show us will probably open upon the soul in eternity6 ,i do not now speak of the new knowledge of the divine character which will then astonish and delight the soul by direct intuition1 but rather of those new channels that will be thrown open1 through which a knowledge of other worlds1 and of other created beings1 can be conveyed to the soul almost illimitably4 ,and just consider what a field that will be4 ,at present we know nothing of the inhabitants of other worlds1 and it is only by analogy that we make their existence probable4 ,nor1 with our present senses1 could we learn any thing respecting them but by an actual visit to each world4 ,but let the suggestions to which our reasonings have conducted us prove true1--let our sensorium be so modified and spiritualized that every thought1 word1 and action in those worlds shall come to us through pulsations falling upon the organ of vision1 or by an electric current through the nerve of sensation1 or by some transmitted chemical change1--and on what vantage ground should we be placed6 ,without leaving the spot of our residence1 supposing the universe constituted as it now is1 we might study out the character and constitution of the countless inhabitants of at least one hundred millions of worlds1 which we know to exist2 nay1 of ten thousand times that number1 which probably exist4 ,every movement of matter around us1 however infinitesimal1 would be freighted with new knowledge1 perhaps from distant spheres4 ,every ray of light that met our gaze from the broad heavens above us would print an image upon our visual organs of events transpiring in distant worlds1 while every electrical flash might convey some idea to our mind never before thought of4 ,every chemical ray1 too1 might inform us of scenes far off in the regions of night2 and then who can calculate what organic and mental influences might be transmitted to us from beings of all ranks and scattered through all worlds8 ,to speak of organs1 indeed1 as the medium of perceptions in another world1 may be absurd2 but we mean only1 by that term1 whatever may be substituted for our present organs2 and we assume that the properties of matter will exist forever2 and1 therefore1 we may presume that light1 and electricity1 and chemical affinity1 and corporeal and mental influences will1 under modified forms1 be the modes by which knowledge shall ever be transmitted4 ,at least1 assuming that they will be1 and the magnificent conceptions we have now traced out may be hereafter realized4 ,and surely1 if they be only slightly probable1 the anticipation is full of thrilling interest1 and the moral effect of dwelling upon it must be salutary4 ,it spreads out before us fields of knowledge which eternity can never exhaust1 and attractive so immeasurably above all the knowledge of earth that we almost wait impatiently for the summons to break from our prison-house below1 and to rise on our new pinions to celestial scenes4 ,if such rich means of knowledge of created things be enjoyed by celestial minds1 and they can drink it in to the full measure of their faculties1 then one inevitable effect must be to make them unite1 ever and anon1 in adoration and praise to the infinite ,being who created and sustains all1 and whose glory is illustrated by all his works4 ,and we can conceive that there may be stated periods1 when1 from every part of the universe1 the anthem of praise comes rolling onwards towards some central spot1 where the divine presence is most felt4 ,o1 how gladly will each happy soul1 animated by every new accession of knowledge1 join in the swelling paean as it mounts up to the third heavens6 ,who knows but this is the hour when the peal is beginning8 ,o1 let not this world be the only spot in the universe where it shall be unheard and unheeded4 ,surely we see enough of the divine glory here to begin the song1 which we hope to pour forth in loftier notes on high1 unto the ,king eternal1 immortal1 invisible1 the only wise ,god2 to whom be honor and glory1 forever and ever4 ,amen4 ,,lecture ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,vast ,,plans ,,of ,,jehovah4 ,it is interesting and instructive to trace the history of man's progress in the knowledge of the existence1 character1 and plans of ,jehovah4 ,we shall find that progress to have been marked by epochs1 rather than continuous advancement4 ,some new revelation from heaven1 or some new discovery in science1 has given a sudden expansion to his views of the ,deity1 which have then remained in a good degree stationary for a long period4 ,my chief object in this lecture is to show what accessions to our knowledge of the divine plans have been derived from science1 especially from geology4 ,but it will give greater distinctness and impressiveness to the subject to take a review of the principal steps by which the human mind has reached its present accurate spiritual and enlarged views of the ,deity4 ,we will first look at man in the rudest condition in society1 in which he has any idea of the existence of beings superior to himself4 ,for there is a state of his being in which no such ideas exist in his mind2 tribes of men1 and especially individuals1 who have lived in a wild state1 away from all human intercourse1 have been found with no idea of a superior being of any sort4 ,other tribes have existed a little more elevated above the irrational animals1 and these have an impression1 derived perhaps from their moral sense1 or growing out of their superstitious fears1 that some power exists in the universe greater than themselves4 ,but having never entertained an abstract idea on any other subject1 and depending alone upon their senses for their knowledge1 they identify ,god with the most remarkable objects of nature4 ,they listen to his voice in the wind and the thunder1 in the ocean's roar1 and the volcano's bellowing2 and they see him in the sun1 moon1 and stars4 ,they feel that he must be superior to themselves2 but how much superior1 they know not4 ,they never think of him as infinite1 because the idea of infinity on any subject never enters their mind4 ,they conceive of the earth only as a plain of considerable extent1 bounded by a circle1 beyond which their thoughts never wander2 and they look up to the heavens as a dome1 perhaps solid1 studded by luminous bodies1 it may be a few feet or yards in diameter4 ,they suppose that1 somehow or other1 this superior ,being has the control of their destinies2 but the idea of any thing like worship is too spiritual to be conceived of1 except1 perhaps1 some superstitious rite1 performed to deprecate the divine displeasure4 ,in short1 every thing in their notion of ,god is indefinite1 gross1 and confined to the narrow sphere of the senses4 ,in the second place1 polytheism1 especially among nations somewhat civilized1 is an advance in man's conceptions of the ,supreme ,being4 ,polytheism probably originated in the deification of distinguished men4 ,superior minds1 who had been the leaders or the benefactors of mankind1 were suddenly torn from an admiring world by death4 ,their bodies were left behind1 but the animating principle1 the immortal mind1 had vanished in a moment2 and it was a most natural inquiry1 even among the most ignorant1 whether some undying principle had not escaped and gone to a higher sphere2 for it would be difficult to conceive how so much intelligence and virtue should be quenched in a moment in eternal night4 ,it would be a most natural and gratifying conclusion with survivors1 that their departed leaders and benefactors still lived1 and were in some way concerned in watching over their interests1 and in controlling their destinies4 ,conjectures of this sort would1 in a few generations1 settle into positive belief4 ,now1 this would be a most important advance upon the gross materialism1 and indefinite ideas1 which identified divinity with striking objects of nature2 for if distinguished warriors and statesmen were still alive after their bodies were laid in the grave1 there must have escaped1 at the moment of death1 some principle too subtile to be cognizable by the senses1 or by chemical1 mechanical1 or electrical agencies2 and which1 therefore1 may have been immaterial4 ,at least1 by such a belief1 men would be led insensibly to form an idea of the human soul as an extremely tenuous1 if not immaterial1 principle4 ,especially would educated men--those devoted to philosophical pursuits--come at length to have a clear conception of a spiritual being1 neither visible by the senses1 nor dependent upon the senses for the exercise of its faculties4 ,very soon would the imagination fill the universe with such beings1 and conceive them as holding intercourse with one another1 and as presiding over all the objects of this lower world1 and directing all its destinies4 ,it would be very natural1 however1 to endow these superior beings with human characteristics1 and to suppose them actuated by human passions2 and thus would the celestial society be represented as a counterpart of that on earth1 deformed by the same vices and crimes4 ,this would lead to the idea of a gradation in rank1 power1 and intellect among the gods1 and to the conception of one as supreme4 ,in the popular mythology1 however1 even ,jupiter was represented as acting under the influence of selfishness1 pride1 lust1 and passion2 and as sometimes brought into peril by his powerful inferiors4 ,some of the philosophers of ,greece and ,rome did1 indeed1 give descriptions of their supreme divinity not unworthy the biblical views of ,jehovah4 ,it may be that they got the clew to these just and elevated conceptions from the ,bible4 ,but it is not difficult to conceive that1 in the manner which ,i have described1 they might1 by reasoning1 with1 perhaps1 some hints derived from revelation1 have gradually attained to these just and noble conceptions of the supreme divinity4 ,yet it ought not to be forgotten that these exalted views of the philosophers were not shared at all by the common people1 and that even the philosophers themselves were for the most part polytheists4 ,the next step in man's knowledge of ,god was an immeasurable advance upon polytheism4 ,i refer to the revelation which ,god made of himself to the ,jews in the ,old ,testament4 ,most of this revelation did1 indeed1 precede the writings of the ,greek and ,roman philosophers1 but it was confined to a rude and almost unknown people1 until the days of their glory had gone by1 and did not spread over the globe till an opportunity had been afforded to prove that the world by wisdom knew not ,god4 ,you may1 indeed1 find1 in the writings of a few philosophers1 passages descriptive of the natural attributes of the ,deity that will compare favorably with those of the ,old ,testament4 ,but his moral attributes1 his benevolence1 mercy1 justice1 and holiness1 are brought out in the ,old ,testament in a far more distinct and impressive manner than in all other ancient writings4 ,another point1 and a vital one1 with the writers of the ,old ,testament1 in which that inspired volume goes infinitely beyond the philosophers1 is the unity of ,god4 ,they teach1 as a fundamental principle1 and with all the earnestness which inspiration can bestow1 not only that ,jehovah is supreme1 but that he is ,god alone1 and that no other gods exist4 ,you may1 indeed1 find statements to this effect in the works of the philosophers2 but the conduct of ,socrates1 the most enlightened of them all1--in his dying moments1--in directing a sacrifice to be made to ,a,esculapius1 is a good practical commentary upon their doctrine of the divine unity4 ,it shows that1 with some correct notions of the supreme divinity1 they believed in the existence of inferior deities2 or1 at least1 they did not regard the popular error on this subject of importance enough to require them boldly to testify against it4 ,but such testimony constitutes the burden of the ,old ,testament1 as if all other religious truths were of little importance without it4 ,and so far as these inspired books succeeded in fixing this doctrine in the minds of the ,jews1 they performed an immense service for religion4 ,they swept at once from the universe the thirty thousand divinities of ,greece and ,rome1 and placed ,jehovah only on the throne4 ,but1 for some reason or other1 polytheism has always been a doctrine most congenial to human nature2 especially to the uncultivated mind2 and the probability is1 that the great mass of the ,jews1 while they believed in the supremacy of ,jehovah1 still supposed that the gods of the heathen had a real existence4 ,this certainly was the case before the ,babylonish exile1 though doubtless the patriarchs had more correct notions4 ,this fact explains the otherwise unaccountable disposition of the ,jews to fall away to idolatry1 in spite of all which ,jehovah did to preserve among them his true worship4 ,on the subject1 also1 of the divine spirituality1 we have evidence that the notions of the great mass of the ,jewish nation were low and confused4 ,they distinguished1 it is true1 very clearly between the body and the soul4 ,but they probably conceived of the latter as a very subtile1 invisible1 corporeal essence1 and not that pure1 immaterial substance which is understood by that term in metaphysics4 ,the abstract ideas attached to the soul in the nineteenth century probably never entered their minds2 and though in strict language they might be called materialists1 they were by no means such materialists as modern times have produced1 who understandingly deny the existence of the soul1 and regard it as a function of the brain4 ,the ,jews thought of ,god as the most subtile essence of which they could form any idea2 but whether he were material1 or immaterial1 probably they never inquired4 ,and it cannot escape the notice of a reader of the ,old ,testament how frequently ,god is represented by figures derived from material objects4 ,this was in accommodation to the rude and uncultivated state of most minds in those early days4 ,purely abstract truths would have conveyed no ideas to minds which had never been accustomed to abstractions4 ,hence it is1 that we meet in the ,bible with so many descriptions of the ,deity1 which theologians and philosophers denominate anthropopathic and anthropomorphic4 ,it was in accommodation to the uncultivated state of common minds1 which could form no conceptions of ,god that were not founded on some property belonging to man4 ,the language of the sacred writers does1 indeed1 when correctly interpreted1 convey the idea of the most perfectly simple1 spiritual1 and immaterial substance as constituting the divine essence2 and minds accustomed to abstract ideas find no difficulty in enucleating the spiritual meaning of ,scripture4 ,but had the divine ,being been described by abstract terms1 the great mass of men1 even at the present day1 would receive no impressive conception of the ,godhead4 ,god1 therefore1 in the ,old ,testament1 revealed as much concerning himself and his plans1 as men would understand4 ,but other revelations and developments would follow1 when the human mind should be prepared to receive and appreciate them4 ,the revelations of ,christianity have brought to light so much respecting the moral character and moral government of ,jehovah1 as to leave little further to be desired or expected in this world4 ,the natural attributes of the ,deity have a more spiritual and less anthropopathic aspect in the ,new ,testament than in the ,old4 ,we are told in the former distinctly1 that ,god is a spirit1 and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth4 ,but ,god's moral character1 as developed in the ,new ,testament1 in the plan of redemption and salvation1 presents us with a perfection and a glory unknown in all previous revelations4 ,we have1 it is true1 in the ,old ,testament intimations and predictions of the plan1 which is fully developed and exemplified in the new dispensation4 ,but these were only shadows of ,jesus ,christ and him crucified4 ,when he appeared1 and by his sufferings1 as a substitute for man1 reconciled divine justice and mercy1 and made a clear exposition of the moral law1 and a disclosure of a future state of retributions1 a flood of light was thrown upon ,god's moral character4 ,every cloud that had rested upon it was cleared away1 and immaculate holiness covered it with unapproachable splendor4 ,in short1 the human mind is incapable of forming a more correct estimate of moral excellence than is exhibited in the scriptural plan of salvation4 ,the more it is meditated upon1 and the more we experience its practical influence1 the higher will be our conceptions of the moral glory of the divine character2 nor have we reason to suppose that any further revelations would increase our apprehensions of it4 ,for benevolence1 mercy1 justice1 and grace are here exhibited in unlimited1 that is1 in infinite1 glory and perfection1 and therefore can never be exceeded4 ,but though the exhibitions of the divine character and plans contained in the ,bible are thus perfect and excellent1 they are not the only exhibitions which the universe contains1 and which man is capable of understanding4 ,lo1 these are a part of his ways4 ,the ,bible has left the wonders of the natural world where it found them1 to be examined and developed by philosophy4 ,some have thought that it has anticipated a few scientific discoveries2 but if it had done this in one instance1 it must have carried the same plan through the whole circle of science2 else how could readers determine when the sacred writers were describing phenomena according to appearances and general belief1 and when according to real scientific truth8 ,but the fact is1 scientific discoveries are left to man's ingenuity2 and as they are made from time to time1 they bring out new and splendid illustrations of the character and plans of ,jehovah4 ,let us now recur to some of these discoveries1 that have opened the widest vistas into the arcana of nature4 ,the discoveries in modern astronomy constitute the fifth step in man's knowledge of ,god4 ,in order to see how much man's conceptions of the universe have been enlarged by these discoveries1 compare the opinions which prevailed before the introduction of the ,copernican system with what is now certain knowledge1 founded upon physico-mathematics1 respecting the extent of the universe4 ,then this earth was thought to be the centre and the principal body of the creation1 immovably fixed1 with the heavenly bodies1 generally thought to be of diminutive size1 revolving around it every twenty-four hours4 ,the earth1 too1 except in the opinion of a few sagacious philosophers1 was not imagined to be that vast globe which we now understand it to be1 but a flat surface1 perhaps a few hundred or thousand miles in extent1 bounded by a circle1 and resting on an imaginary foundation4 ,the heavenly bodies were looked upon as little more than shining points1 or at most a few yards1 or by the most daring fancies a few miles1 in extent4 ,what a change have the telescope1 the quadrant1 and the transit instrument1 aided by profound mathematics1 and the talismanic power of the ,newtonian theory of gravitation1 produced6 ,every schoolboy now knows that this globe1 enormous though it be compared with what the eye can take in from the loftiest eminence1 is but a mere speck in creation1 and1 with the exception of the moon1 appearing from other worlds only as one of the smallest stars in their heavens2 so small that its extinction would not be noticed4 ,to the ignorant mind1 distances and magnitudes exceeding a hundred miles are conceived of only with great difficulty4 ,but the astronomer1 when he conceives of magnitudes1 must make a thousand miles his shortest unit1 and a million of miles when he conceives of distances in the solar system4 ,and when he attempts to go beyond the sun and the planets1 the shortest division on his measuring line must be the diameter of the earth's orbit2 and even then he will be borne onward so far1 not on the wings of imagination1 but of mathematics1 that this enormous distance has vanished to a point4 ,even then he has only reached the nearest fixed star1 and1 of course1 has only just entered upon the outer limit of creation4 ,he must prepare himself for a still loftier flight4 ,he must give up the diameter of the earth's orbit as the unit of his measurements1 because too short1 and take as his standard the passage of light1 at the rate of two hundred thousand miles per second4 ,with that speed can he go on1 until his mind has reckoned up six thousand years of seconds1 and he will reach fixed stars whose light has not yet arrived at the earth1 because it did not commence its journey till the time of man's creation4 ,but it is not merely in respect to distance and magnitude that astronomy has enlarged our knowledge of the universe4 ,numerically it has opened a field equally wide4 ,think of two thousand worlds rolling nightly around us1 visible to the naked eye4 ,take the telescope1 and see those two thousand multiply to fifty or one hundred millions1 and then recollect how very improbable it is that the keenest optics of earth can reach more than an infinitesimal part of creation4 ,surely the mind is as much confounded and lost1 when it attempts to conceive of the number of the worlds in the universe1 as when it contemplates their distances and magnitudes4 ,in respect to number and distance1 at least1 we find no resting-place but in infinity4 ,now1 when we turn our thoughts to the ,author of such a universe1 our conceptions of his power1 wisdom1 and benevolence cannot but enlarge in the same ratio as our views of his works4 ,they must1 therefore1 experience a prodigious expansion4 ,and1 indeed1 the merest child in a ,christian land1 in the nineteenth century1 has a far wider and nobler conception of the perfections of ,jehovah than the wisest philosopher who lived before astronomy had gone forth on her circumnavigation of the universe4 ,from the fact1 also1 which astronomy discloses1 that worlds are in widely different chemical and geological conditions1 some gaseous and transparent1 some solid and opaque1 and some liquid and incandescent1 the mind can hardly avoid the inference that they are fulfilling the vast and varied plans of ,jehovah4 ,the sixth step in man's knowledge of ,jehovah has been made by the microscope4 ,to give any correct idea of the boundless field which that instrument has opened into the infinitesimal parts of creation1 it would be necessary to go into details too extended for the present occasion4 ,perhaps the animalcula or infusoria furnish the best example4 ,in the clearest waters1 says an able writer1 and also in the strongly-troubled acid and salt fluids of the various zones of the earth2 in springs1 rivers1 lakes1 and seas2 in the internal moisture of living plants and animal bodies2 and probably1 at times1 carried about in the vapor and dust of the whole atmosphere of the earth1 exists a world1 by the common senses of mankind unperceived1 of very minute living beings1 which have been called1 for the last seventy years1 infusoria4 ,in the ordinary pursuits of life1 this mysterious and infinite kingdom of living creatures is passed by without our knowledge of1 or interest in1 its wonders4 ,but to the quiet observer how astonishing do these become1 when he brings to his aid those optical powers by which his faculty of vision is so much strengthened6 ,in every drop of dirty1 stagnant water1 we are generally1 if not always1 able to perceive1 by means of the microscope1 moving bodies1 of from one eleven hundred and fiftieth to one twenty-five thousandth of an inch in diameter1 and which often lie packed so closely together that the space between each individual scarcely equals that of their diameter4--,prichard1 ,history of ,infusoria1 p4 #b1 #ahda4 ,again says he1 ,it is hardly conceivable that1 within the narrow space1 of a grain of mustard-seed1 eight millions of living1 active creatures can exist1 all richly endowed with the organs and faculties of animal life4 ,such1 however1 is the astonishing fact4--,ib4 p4 #c4 ,in short1 whoever will thoroughly study this subject will be satisfied that ,dr4 ,ehrenberg does not exceed the truth when he asserts1 as the result of his inquiries1 that experience shows an unfathomableness of organic creations1 when attention is directed to the smallest space1 as it does of stars1 when revealing the most immense4--,prichard1 p4 #h4 ,he who follows out the revelations of the telescope1 as it penetrates deeper and deeper into space1 will feel1 when he has seen the remotest object which its power discloses1 that there must certainly be a vast unknown region beyond1 infinitely exceeding that one over which he has passed4 ,just so is it with the microscope4 ,it penetrates to an astonishing distance into the infinitesimal forms of organic and inorganic matter2 but every improvement in the instrument reaches a new and equally interesting field2 and the conclusion forces itself upon the mind that there are regions beyond of indefinite extent1 teeming with countless millions even of organic beings1 of a size much more diminutive than those yet discovered1 and with inorganic forms too minute for the imagination to conceive4 ,indeed1 we can no more set limits to creation in the direction pointed out by the microscope than in that laid open by the telescope4 ,we hence get a most impressive conception of divine wisdom and benevolence1 which could thus bestow exquisite organization and life upon atoms minute beyond the power of the imagination to conceive4 ,indeed1 it seems to me that the lesson is even more striking than the contemplation of vast worlds in rapid and harmonious motion2 because the latter seem to demand only infinite power1 but the former requires infinite wisdom to direct infinite power4 ,in the seventh and last place1 geology has given great enlargement to our knowledge of the divine plans and operations in the universe1 and in the following particulars3-- #a4 ,it expands our ideas of the time in which the material universe has been in existence as much as astronomy does in regard to its extent4 ,to those not familiar with the details of geology1 this will probably seem a startling and extravagant assertion4 ,there has been1 and still is1 an extreme sensitiveness in the minds of intelligent men on this subject4 ,and ,i highly respect the ground from which their apprehensions spring1 viz41 a fear that to admit the great antiquity of the globe would bring discredit upon revelation4 ,and yet ,i believe the most candid and able theologians of the present day do not fear that to admit the existence of the matter of the world previous to the six days' work of creation1 is inconsistent with the ,mosaic statement4 ,but if we allow any period between its creation and the six demiurgic days1 it is no more derogatory to ,scripture to make that period ten millions of years than ten years4 ,for if the sacred writer would pass over ten years in silence1 he could1 with the same propriety1 pass over ten millions4 ,now1 the longer ,i study geology1 the nearer do my ideas approximate to the latter number as a measure of the earth's duration4 ,let us contemplate a few facts4 ,we are able to trace the geological changes that have taken place on the earth since man's existence upon it with a good deal of accuracy4 ,for since his remains are found only in alluvium1 we must regard all changes that took place previous to the deposition of that formation to have been of an earlier date than his creation4 ,now1 what are the changes which the last six thousand years have witnessed8 ,in some places1 the agency of rivers and other causes have made an accumulation of alluvial matter to the depth of not more than one or two hundred feet1 although in particular places it is several hundred feet4 ,these deposits have been pushed forward at the mouths of some large rivers1 so as to cover hundreds1 and even thousands1 of square miles4 ,oceanic currents have also made deposits in the bottom of wide seas of considerable extent2 and in some limited spots these deposits have been consolidated into rock4 ,the action of frost and gravity1 also1 has crumbled from precipitous ledges angular fragments enough to form a slope of detritus sometimes a hundred feet high4 ,the polyparia1 or coral builders1 have advanced their work only a few feet in thickness during this period1 and soils have accumulated in some places about as much4 ,volcanic action has occasionally thrown up a new island from the ocean's bed2 but only a few of them have been permanent4 ,some tracts of country1 in no case more than a few hundred miles in extent1 have1 by the same agency1 been raised a few feet1 or sunk down the same amount4 ,but after all1 the earth's surface remains essentially the same as when man was placed upon it4 ,now1 compare these slight changes with those which have preceded it1 through the operation of the same agencies1 since the first existence of animals upon the globe4 ,i will not contend1 with some distinguished geologists1 that these same changes have always operated with the same intensity as at present4 ,but there are several circumstances which show that the depositions from water could not have been essentially different in ancient and modern times4 ,now1 just compare six or eight miles in thickness of the fossiliferous deposits of the previous periods with the two hundred feet of alluvium accumulated during the historic period2 and1 after you have made all reasonable allowance for the greater intensity of action in former times1 you will still find yourselves confounded by the incalculable time requisite to pile up such an immense thickness of materials1 and then to harden most of them into stone2 especially when you call to mind the numerous changes of organic life1 and the vast amount of animal remains which they exhibit4 ,a superficial observer might lump such a work1 and crowd it into a few thousand years4 ,but the more its details are studied1 the longer does the period appear that is requisite for its production4 ,each successive investigation discovers new evidence of changes in composition1 or organic contents1 or of vertical movements effected by extremely slow agencies1 so as to make the whole work immeasurably long4 ,but when we have gone back to the commencement of animal existence on the globe1 we have taken but one step in our review of its early history4 ,the next backward step embraces that wide period during which the stratified1 non-fossiliferous rocks--far thicker than the fossiliferous--were deposited2 probably by the agency of fire and water4 ,or if we adopt the metamorphic theory of ,mr4 ,lyell1 we shall be still more deeply impressed by the length of that period1 during which these rocks were in a course of deposition1 consolidation1 and metamorphosis4 ,for he supposes them originally deposited from water1 just as mud1 sand1 and gravel now are accumulating in the ocean's bed1 and to have enveloped organic beings1 as similar materials now do4 ,next the whole were consolidated1 so as to form the exact prototype of the existing fossiliferous rocks2 and finally it underwent almost complete fusion1 by the slow propagation of internal heat upwards1 until all the organic contents were obliterated1 and a crystalline structure was substituted4 ,nay1 according to this theory1 other systems of rocks1 of an analogous character1 may have preceded the present primary stratified ones1 and have been at length entirely melted into the unstratified2 so that we cannot say when organic life first began on the globe4 ,but ,i will not press this theory1 because most of the ablest geologists reject it1 at least in its full extent4 ,and we have a period long enough to confound the imagination1 if we take the common view1 which supposes the non-fossiliferous rocks to have been deposited from water1 at a temperature too high to admit the existence of organic beings4 ,we have now gone back to that point in the earth's history when a crust had begun to form over the shoreless ocean of melted matter1 of which we have reason to suppose it was then composed4 ,shall we attempt to trace back that history any farther8 ,the light does1 indeed1 grow dim1 and the clew more and more uncertain1 the farther we recede along the track of the earth's existence4 ,still there are some scattered rays that seem to recall to us a condition of the earth still earlier than that in which it constituted a molten globe4 ,it may have been dissipated into vapor1 like a comet1 or a nebula2 and subsequently1 by the slow radiation of its heat1 have been condensed into an opaque1 though a melted1 incandescent mass4 ,several analogies certainly throw an air of plausibility over this hypothesis4 ,and if such was1 indeed1 the earliest condition of the earth1 the time requisite to condense it into melted matter must have been longer than any other period of its history4 ,who1 now1 at all familiar with the dynamics of geological agencies1 shall undertake to give an arithmetical expression to the periods that make up the world's entire history8 ,not only does the reasoning faculty fail to grasp the entire sum1 but even imagination1 as she flies backwards through period after period1 tires in the effort1 and brings back not even a conjectural result4 ,the same feeling does1 in fact1 come over the mind1 which she experiences when astronomy has hurried her from world to world1 from sun to sun1 from system to system1 from nebula to nebula1 and yet she seems no nearer to the limits of creation than when she started4 ,we know certainly that there are limits2 because matter cannot be infinite4 ,but we cannot conjecture where they are fixed4 ,we know1 also that there was a time when this world did not exist1 an epoch when its entire mass was spoken into existence by the fiat of ,jehovah2 because the ,bible expressly declares it4 ,but that epoch is unrevealed4 ,if there is any truth in geology1 it was certainly more than six thousand years ago4 ,nay1 that science carries us as far back into the arcana of time as astronomy does into the arcana of space4 ,neither the distance in the one case1 nor the duration in the other1 can be estimated4 ,but there is a sublime inspiration in the effort to grasp the subject2 and ,i see not why there is not as much grandeur and high gratification in the idea of vast duration as of vast expansion4 ,and ,i see not why we do not gain as much enlargement of our conceptions of the plans of ,jehovah respecting the universe in the one case as in the other4 ,we cannot but infer1 from the pre-,adamic state of our world1 that it must have subserved other purposes than to sustain its present inhabitants4 #b4 ,in the second place1 geology gives us impressive examples of the extent of organic life on the globe since its creation4 ,i shall not contend1 with some geologists1 that even the primary crystalline rocks may once have been filled with organic remains1 which have been obliterated by heat2 and that1 in this way1 there may have been a number of creations of organized beings on the globe1 of which no trace now remains4 ,i take as the basis of my argument only the relics of animals and plants actually found in the rocks4 ,and when one sees mountain masses1 often of small shells1 and spread over wide areas1 he is amazed to learn how prolific nature has been4 ,what a countless number of vegetables1 too1 must have been required to produce beds of coal from one to fifty feet thick1 and extending over thousands of square miles1 and alternating several times with sandstone in the same basin6 ,there is reason to believe1 too1 that the number of animals preserved in the strata bears only a small proportion to those which have been utterly destroyed and decomposed into their original elements4 ,for example1 in the sandstone along ,connecticut ,river1 the tracks of more than forty species of bipeds and quadrupeds have been found most distinctly marked4 ,some of these bipeds must have been of colossal size--as much as twelve or fifteen feet in height4 ,and yet scarcely any other vestige of their existence has been discovered4 ,they were the giant rulers of that valley for centuries2 but they have all vanished4 ,how numerous1 then1 may have been the softer animals of the ancient world1 which have not left even a footmark to certify their existence to coming generations6 ,but the facts recently brought to light respecting infusoria and polythalamia fill us with the greatest admiration of the extent of organic life upon the globe4 ,we have already seen that some of these animals are so minute that eight millions of them are found in a space not larger than a mustard-seed2 and yet they had skeletons of silex1 lime1 and iron2 and1 of course1 these skeletons have been preserved2 and1 though of the smallest size1 it requires not less than forty-one billions to make a single cubic inch2 yet deposits of them1 or of species not much larger1 occur1 several feet in thickness1 and extending over several square miles4 ,nay1 the chalk of ,northern ,europe1 and also of ,western ,asia1 where it constitutes most of ,mount ,lebanon1 and extends southerly through ,palestine into ,arabia and ,egypt1 and also deposits in ,north and ,south ,america1 thousands of miles in extent1--this rock1 ,i say1 is nearly half composed of microscopic shells4 ,the oolite1 also1 contains them2 and1 indeed1 infusorial remains occur in flint and opal2 and1 as instruments and observations are perfected1 more and more of the solid rocks are found to have once constituted the framework of animals4 ,it is hardly to be doubted that such was the fact with nearly all the limestone on the globe1 occupying at least a seventh part of its surface4 ,in fact1 we seem fast coming to regard as sober truth the ancient adage1 apparently so extravagant--,omnis calx e vermibus2 omne ferrum e vermibus2 omnis silex e vermibus4 ,indeed1 it is the opinion of so competent a geologist as ,dr4 ,mantell that probably there is not an atom of the solid materials of the globe which has not passed through the complex and wonderful laboratory of life4--,wond4 of ,geology1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fgj4--,what a vast field here opens before us to contemplate the far-reaching plans1 the benevolence1 and the wisdom of the ,deity6 ,in the third place1 geology shows us that the present system of organic life on the globe is but one link of a series1 extending very far backward and infinitely forward4 ,revelation describes only the existing species1 leaving to science the task and the privilege to lift up the veil that hangs over the past1 and to disclose other economies that have passed away4 ,how many of them have existed we do not certainly know4 ,if1 with ,agassiz1 we characterize them by their predominant tribes1 we might say that all the period previous to the new red sandstone constituted the reign of fishes2 from thence to the chalk1 the reign of reptiles2 from thence to the drift1 the reign of mammifera4 ,but this is a less philosophical view than that of ,deshayes1 who finds five great groups of animals1 specifically independent of one another4 ,but who will attempt to fix the chronological limits of these systems8 ,we can only say that they must have been exceedingly long1 if we can place any dependence upon existing analogies2 and we know that each one of them is made up of numerous subdivisions1 or minor groups1 widely1 though not entirely1 different in composition and organic contents4 ,we know that the more we examine the whole series1 the deeper does our conviction become that its commencement runs back far1 very far1 into the depths of past eternity4 ,we know1 also1 from the joint testimony of ,scripture and geology1 that another change is to pass over the world1 to prepare it for inhabitants far more elevated than those now living upon it1 and in possession of perfect holiness and perfect happiness4 ,and it may be it will experience far greater changes1 adapting it for higher and higher grades of being1 through periods of duration to which we can assign no limits4 ,o1 what a vast chain of being is here spread out before the imagination1 reaching immeasurably far into the depths of the eternity which is past1 and into the eternity which is to come6 ,what a field for the display of ,god's infinite perfections6 ,what a vista does it open to us into the vast plans and purposes of ,jehovah6 ,in the fourth place1 geology reveals to us a curious series of improvements in the condition of worlds1 as they pass through successive changes4 ,if the earth began its existence in the state of vapor1 we can hardly imagine it in that state capable of sustaining any organic natures1 formed upon the general type of those now existing4 ,nor1 when the vapor was condensed into a molten globe1 could such natures inhabit it1 till a crust had formed over its surface1 and the heat had been so reduced as not to decompose animals and plants4 ,even then1 the natures placed upon it must have been of a peculiar and low type of organization1 capable of enduring the high temperature and catastrophes which would destroy those of more delicate and complicated organization4 ,but gradually did the temperature diminish1 while aqueous and atmospheric agencies were accumulating a deeper and a richer soil1 so that the next change of inhabitants would allow natures of a higher organization and a denser population to occupy the surface4 ,their remains1 buried in the earth1 would increase the quantity of carbonate of lime in a form available for the use of animals and plants2 that is1 lime would gradually be eliminated1 by plants and animals1 from its more concealed combinations in the crystalline rocks1 and be converted into carbonates1 sulphates1 and humates4 ,a larger amount of organic matter would also be converted into humus4 ,now1 limestone soils are of all others most favorable to vegetation1 when there is a sufficient supply of organic matter4 ,hence every successive change becomes more and more adapted for animals and plants1 because the lime and the organic matter in a state favorable for their support have been increasing2 and the present state of the surface is more favorable than any conditions which have preceded it1 and accordingly it is peopled with more perfect and more numerous organic natures4 ,can we doubt but that1 if another change passes over the earth1 this same great principle of progressive improvement will be manifested in the renovated world8 ,i am not prepared to maintain1 however1 that this future change will be1 like the past ones1 an improvement as to soil and climate2 for the change1 as ,scripture teaches1 will be accomplished by fire2 and so different will be the state of existence in the new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness1 that we cannot say how far the present system of nature will be introduced4 ,but that it will be an improved condition1 we can hardly doubt1 if we infer any thing from the splendid figures by which it is described in the ,bible1 and from the character of those who are to be its denizens4 ,some of the facts of modern astronomy impress us with the idea that this principle of progress may extend to other worlds4 ,some of these are in a gaseous state1 some condensed into fiery liquid globes1 some covered with a crust of solidified volcanic matter1 and some surrounded by a liquid1 like water4 ,do not these facts justify the supposition1 that the changes which our earth has undergone are merely a single example of a great principle in ,god's government of the natural world8 ,if so1 it presents the divine wisdom in an interesting aspect4 ,we see the ,deity employing the same matter for different purposes4 ,instead of creating it for one single economy of organic beings1 he seems to have made it the theatre for the display of his benevolence through successive periods2 but at the same time not losing sight of the highest use he intended to make of it1 by the introduction of rational and immortal natures upon it4 ,human wisdom would have pronounced this impossible2 but divine wisdom1 prompted by divine benevolence1 could accomplish it4 ,finally1 geology discloses to us chemical change as a great animating1 controlling1 and conservative principle of the material universe4 ,when ,newton brought to light the principle of gravitation1 and showed how it controls and keeps in harmonious movement the heavenly bodies1 he developed the great mechanical power by which the universe is governed4 ,and this power was supposed for a long time to be superior to all others4 ,but geology has brought out a second great controlling and conservative agency1--the chemical power1--the second right hand of the ,creator1 as ,dr4 ,mc,culloch expressively calls it4 ,suppose matter under the control of gravity1 and let it be balanced by a centrifugal force4 ,you have1 indeed1 harmonious motions among the celestial bodies1 and1 if no disturbing cause come in1 you have endless motion4 ,but until you introduce chemical agencies1 every thing in the individual worlds would be compacted by gravity into one dead mass of matter1 destined to no resurrection4 ,but let chemical agencies leaven that mass1 let affinity and cohesion commence their segregating processes1 and constant motion and change would follow1 with a thousand new and splendid forms4 ,especially when the ,deity had infused the living principle into portions of that matter1 and put chemistry1 and her handmaid electricity1 under the control of the vital power1 would these worlds teem with animation1 and countless exhibitions of beauty4 ,and in all known worlds1 these chemical changes are at work unceasingly4 ,we know not whether those worlds are all inhabited1 but we have evidence that all are undergoing the transmutations of chemistry2 not on their surface merely1 but in their deep interior4 ,the consequence is1 universal change2 change often upon a vast scale2 change extending through thousands and millions of years1 and through the entire mass of immense worlds4 ,we have glanced1 in these lectures1 at the most important of those changes which this world has undergone1 and we have seen it to be almost universal4 ,we have found that the entire crust of the globe1 many miles in thickness1 and probably to its centre1 has been dissolved by heat1 and much of it also by water2 that a large part of it1 at least1 has1 by the same chemistry1 been made to constitute portions of the animal frame2 that1 even now1 much of its interior is held in igneous solution1 and that probably the time was when its entire mass was a molten1 self-luminous world4 ,indeed1 the conjecture is not without some foundation1 which carries back this chemical action one step farther1 and makes the world originally a diffused mass of nebula4 ,at this point of the argument1 geology appeals to astronomy1 to show how widely this principle of chemical change has operated1 and still operates1 in the universe4 ,we look first at the nebulae2 for here we probably find matter in its most chaotic and attenuated form1 constituting self-luminous1 diffused masses of vapor4 ,in some of them1 however1 that matter has begun to condense1 doubtless by the radiation of its heat4 ,in the comets1 we find probably similar matter1 some of it still farther advanced in the process of condensation1 so that perhaps a nearly solid nucleus may exist4 ,in the sun and fixed stars1 the condensation has gone on so far that cohesive attraction begins to operate1 the latent heat of the vapor is extricated1 and melted luminous worlds are the result4 ,around them1 however1 there probably still floats a wide atmosphere of the more elastic materials1 which the heat dissipates1 of which the zodiacal light1 perhaps1 furnishes us with an example4 ,the nebulosity which surrounds the asteroids1 ,ceres1 ,pallas1 ,juno1 ,vesta1 and ,astrea1 renders it probable that1 though they have advanced so far in the process of refrigeration as to become opaque1 they may still retain heat enough to dissipate much of their substance4 ,still farther advanced towards the condition of a habitable world is the moon2 and yet volcanic desolation covers its surface4 ,not improbably ,jupiter is nearly surrounded with a fluid like water1 and ,saturn by a fluid lighter than water--being still farther advanced towards the condition of the earth4 ,i acknowledge that these are but slight glimpses of the geology and chemistry of other worlds4 ,and yet1 taken in connection with the geological history of our own globe1 do they not furnish us with some extremely probable examples of those changes to which our earth has been subject8 ,they show us that worlds may exist in the form of vapor1 and that some are actually at this time in the various conditions through which geology supposes this world to have passed4 ,do we not1 in these examples1 gather strong intimations of a great law of chemical change in the universe8 ,gaseous matter1 so far as we know1 appears to have been the earliest state of the universe2 and then1 by the agency of heat1 it passes through the successive changes of liquid and solid1 which have been described4 ,the chemical changes that take place on the earth1 under our immediate cognizance1 through the agency of water1 usually proceed1 under favorable circumstances1 in a cycle2 that is1 the substance1 after passing through a series of changes1 returns at length into the same condition from which it started4 ,thus aqueous vapor1 by the loss of heat1 is first converted into water1 next into ice1 and then1 by the access of heat1 into water again1 and at last into vapor4 ,the question naturally arises1 whether those mutations1 through which worlds are passing1 may not form a similar cycle4 ,we are able to trace them through several steps1 from gaseous to liquid1 and from the liquid to the solid2 and we are assured1 on the testimony of ,scripture1 that the next change of the earth will be from solid to liquid4 ,and in those stars which in past ages have suddenly broken forth with remarkable splendor1 and then disappeared1 may we not have examples of other worlds burnt up1--not annihilated1--but deluged by fire1 and either dissipated or again cooled8 ,what changes1 if any1 will succeed the final conflagration of the globe1 neither science nor revelation informs us4 ,yet1 if the laws of nature respecting heat are not entirely altered1 other changes must follow2 and we have seen1 in a former lecture1 that those changes are perfectly consistent with our ideas of heaven1 and that they may1 in fact1 enhance the happiness of heaven4 ,they may go on forever2 in which case1 we can hardly doubt but they would form a cycle1 though how wide the circuit we cannot conjecture2 or they may1 at least1 reach an unchanging state4 ,i confess1 however1 that the idea of perpetual change corresponds best with the analogies of the existing universe2 and in eternity1 as well as in time1 it may form an essential element of happiness4 ,in this world1 too1 this unceasing change1 though it presents at first view a strong tendency to ruin1 is1 in fact1 the grand conservative principle of material things4 ,in a world of life and motion like ours1 it is impossible that bodies1 especially organic bodies1 should not be sometimes subject to violent disarrangements and destruction from the mechanical agencies which exist2 and were no chemical changes possible1 ultimate and irremediable ruin must be the result4 ,but the chemical powers1 inherent in matter1 soon bring forth new forms of beauty from the ruins2 and1 in fact1 throughout all nature1 the process of renovation usually counterbalances that of destruction2 and thus far1 indeed1 the former has done more than this2 for every time nature has changed her dress in past ages1 she has put on more lovely robes1 and a fresher countenance4 ,can we doubt that this same principle of change1 operating1 as it does1 on a stupendous scale through the universe1 is one of the great means of its preservation8 ,it seems1 indeed1 paradoxical to say that instability is the basis of stability4 ,but ,i see not why it is not literally true2 and ,i can hardly doubt but this principle is superior to the laws of gravity--superior to every other law1 in fact1 for giving permanence and security to the universe4 ,it is true that1 in the case of man1 connected as diminution and decay are with the curse denounced on sin1 they assume1 in his view1 a melancholy aspect2 and the perishable nature of all created things has ever been viewed by the sentimentalist with sad emotions4 ,what does not fade8 ,the tower that long had stood ,the crush of thunder1 and the warring winds1 ,shook by the slow but sure destroyer ,time1 ,now hangs in doubtful ruins o'er its base2 ,and flinty pyramids and walls of brass ,descend2 the ,babylonian spires are sunk2 ,achaia1 ,rome1 and ,egypt moulder down4 ,time shakes the stable tyranny of thrones2 ,and tottering empires rush by their own weight4 ,this huge rotundity we tread grows old1 ,and all those worlds that roll around the sun4 ,the sun himself shall die1 and ancient night ,again involve the desolate abyss4--,akenside4 ,if we turn now our thoughts away from man's dissolution1 and think how speedily chemical power will raise nature out of her grave1 in renovated and increased beauty1 this universal tendency to decay puts on the aspect of a glorious transformation4 ,we connect the changes around us with those which have taken place in the great bodies of the universe2 we see them all to be but parts of a far-reaching plan of the ,deity1 by which the stability of the world is maintained1 and its progressive improvement secured4 ,when we look forward1 fancy kindles at the developments of divine power1 wisdom1 and benevolence which will in this manner be made in the round of eternal ages4 ,we see that what our ignorance had mistaken for a defect in nature is1 in fact1 a great conservative principle of the universe1 which ,newton did not discover because geology had not yet unfolded her record4 ,such are the developments of the divine character and plans unfolded to us by geology4 ,compare them now with the views which have hitherto prevailed4 ,the common opinion has been1 and still1 indeed1 is1 that about six thousand years ago this earth1 and1 in fact1 the whole material universe1 were spoken into existence in a moment of time2 and that1 in a few thousand more1 they will1 by a similar fiat1 be swept from existence1 and be no more4 ,on the other hand1 geology places the time when the matter of the universe was created out of nothing at an epoch indefinitely but immensely remote4 ,since that epoch1 this matter has passed through a multitude of changes1 and been the seat of numerous systems of organic life1 unlike one another1 yet all linked together into one great system by a most perfect unity2 each minor system being most beautifully adapted to its place in the great chain1 and yet each successive link becoming more and more perfect4 ,nor does geology admit that any evidence exists of the future annihilation of the material universe2 but rather of other changes1 by which new and brighter displays of divine wisdom and benevolence shall be brought out1 it may be in endless succession4 ,geology is not1 indeed1 insensible to the displays of the divine character which are exhibited on the present theatre of the world4 ,indeed1 she distinctly recognizes the act which is now passing as the most perfect of all4 ,yet this scene of the great drama she regards as only one of the units of a similar series of changes that have gone by or will hereafter come2 the chain stretching so far into the eternity that is past and the eternity that is to come1 that the extremities are lost to mortal vision4 ,do any shrink back from these immense conclusions1 because they so much surpass the views they have been accustomed to entertain respecting the beginning and the end of the material universe8 ,but why should they be unwilling to have geology liberalize their minds as much in respect to duration as astronomy has done in respect to space8 ,perhaps it is a lingering fear that the geological views conflict with revelation4 ,such fears formerly kept back many from giving up their souls to the noble truths of astronomy4 ,but they learnt1 at length1 that astronomy merely illustrates1 and does not oppose1 revelation4 ,it showed men how to understand certain passages of sacred writ respecting the earth and heavenly bodies which they had before misinterpreted4 ,just so is it with geology4 ,there is no collision between its statements and revelation4 ,it only enables us more correctly to interpret some portions of the ,bible2 and then1 when we have admitted the new interpretation1 it brings a flood of light upon the plans and attributes of ,jehovah4 ,geology1 therefore1 should be viewed1 as it really is1 the auxiliary both of natural and revealed religion4 ,and when its religious relations are fully understood1 theology1 ,i doubt not1 will be as anxious to cultivate its alliance as she has been fearful of it in days past4 ,shall it any longer be said1 remarks ,dr4 ,buckland1 that a science which unfolds such abundant evidence of the being and attributes of ,god1 can reasonably be viewed in any other light than as the efficient auxiliary and handmaid of religion8 ,some few there still may be whom timidity1 or prejudice1 or want of opportunity1 allow not to examine its evidence2 who are alarmed by the novelty1 or surprised by the magnitude and extent1 of the views which geology forces on their attention2 and who would rather have kept closed the volume of witness which has been sealed up for ages beneath the surface of the earth than to impose on the student in natural theology the duty of studying its contents--a duty in which1 for lack of experience1 they may anticipate a hazardous or laborious task1 but which1 by those engaged in it1 is found to be a rational1 and righteous1 and delightful exercise of the highest faculties in multiplying the evidence of the existence1 and attributes1 and providence of ,god4 ,the alarm1 however1 which was excited by the novelty of its first discoveries1 has well nigh passed away2 and those to whom it has been permitted to be the humble instruments of their promulgation1 and who have steadily persevered1 under the firm conviction that 'truth can never be opposed to truth1' and that the works of ,god1 when rightly understood1 and viewed in their true relations1 and from a right position1 would at length be found to be in perfect accordance with his word1 are now receiving their high reward in finding difficulties vanish1 objections gradually withdrawn1 and in seeing the evidences of geology admitted into the list of witnesses to the truth of the great fundamental doctrines of theology4--,bridgewater ,treatise1 vol4 i4 p4 #eic4 ,such1 then1 in conclusion of the subject1 is the religion of geology4 ,it has been described as a region divided between the barren mountains of scepticism and the putrid fens and quagmires of infidelity and atheism2 producing only a gloomy and a poisonous vegetation2 covered with fogs1 and swept over by pestilential blasts4 ,but this report was made by those who saw it at a distance4 ,we have found it to be a land abounding in rich landscapes1 warmed by a bright sun1 blest with a balmy atmosphere1 covered by noble forests and sweet flowers1 with fruits savory and healthful4 ,we have ascended its lofty mountains1 and there have we been greeted with prospects of surpassing loveliness and overwhelming sublimity4 ,in short1 nowhere in the whole world of science do we find regions where more of the ,deity is seen in his works4 ,to him whose heart is warmed by true piety1 and whose mind has broken the narrow shell of prejudice1 and can grasp noble thoughts1 these are delightful fields through which to wander4 ,more and more they must become the favorite haunts of such hearts and such minds4 ,for there do views open upon the soul1 respecting the character and plans of the ,deity1 as large and refreshing as those which astronomy presents4 ,nay1 in their practical bearing1 these views are far more important4 ,mechanical philosophy introduces an unbending and unvarying law between the ,creator and his works2 but geology unveils his providential hand1 cutting asunder that law at intervals1 and planting the seeds of a new economy upon a renovated world4 ,we thus seem to be brought into near communion with the infinite mind4 ,we are prepared to listen to his voice when it speaks in revelation4 ,we recognize his guiding and sustaining agency at every step of our pilgrimage4 ,and we await in confident hope and joyful anticipation those sublime manifestations of his character and plans1 and those higher enjoyments which will greet the pure soul in the round of eternal ages4 ,,lecture ,,xiv4 ,,scientific ,,truth1 ,,rightly ,,understood1 ,,is ,,religious ,,truth4 ,the connection between science and religion has ever been a subject of deep interest to enlightened and reflecting minds4 ,too often1 however1 up to the present time1 has the theologian1 on the one hand1 looked with jealousy upon science1 fearful that its influence was hurtful to the cause of true religion2 while1 on the other hand1 the philosopher1 in the pride of a sceptical spirit1 has scorned an alliance between science and theology1 and even fancied many a discrepancy4 ,both these opinions are erroneous2 and disastrously have they operated1 as well upon science as upon religion4 ,the position which ,i take1 and which ,i shall endeavor to maintain1 is1 that scientific truth1 rightly understood1 is religious truth4 ,the proposition may be misunderstood at its first announcement1 but ,i hope1 ere its examination be finished1 to satisfy you that it is true2 and if so1 that it ought to reconcile religion to science1 and science to religion4 ,in arriving at correct conclusions concerning this statement1 much will depend on the meaning which we attach to the phrase religious truth4 ,religion is properly defined to be piety towards ,god4 ,this piety implies two things3 first1 a correct knowledge of ,god2 and secondly1 the exercise of proper affections in view of that knowledge4 ,the former constitutes the theoretic part of religion1 and is investigated solely by the understanding4 ,the latter constitutes the practical part of religion1 and depends much upon the will1 the heart1 or the moral powers of man4 ,all truth1 therefore1 which illustrates the divine character or government1 or which tends to produce right affections towards ,god1 is properly denominated religious truth4 ,if1 then1 ,i can show that all scientific truth1 rightly understood1 has one or both of these effects1 it will follow that it is strictly religious truth4 ,scientific truth is but another name for the laws of nature4 ,and a law of nature is merely the uniform mode in which the ,deity operates in the created universe4 ,it follows1 then1 that science is only a history of the divine operations in matter and mind4 ,in order to avoid mistake1 we must make a distinction between the principles of science1 and the application of those principles to the useful arts of life4 ,the principles themselves are an illustration of the divine wisdom and benevolence1 but their application to the arts illustrates the ingenuity and wisdom of man4 ,at the most1 therefore1 the latter only indirectly and remotely exhibits the character of the ,deity1 while the former directly shows forth his perfections4 ,i now proceed to establish my general proposition1 by showing1 in the first place1 that all scientific truth is adapted to prove the existence or to illustrate the perfections of the ,deity4 ,after all that has been written on the subject of natural theology1 by such men as ,newintyt1 ,ray1 ,derham1 ,wollaston1 ,clarke1 ,butler1 ,tucker1 ,paley1 ,chalmers1 ,crombie1 ,brown1 ,brougham1 ,harris1 ,m',cosh1 and the authors of the ,bridgewater ,treatises1 ,i need not surely go into details to prove that science in general is a great storehouse of facts to illustrate the divine perfections and government4 ,it is1 indeed1 a vast repository1 from which materials have been drawn on which to build the argument for the divine existence and character4 ,efforts have been made1 it is true1 in modern times1 to show that the whole argument from design is inconclusive4 ,it is said1 that though the operations of nature seem to show design and contrivance1 they need no higher powers than those that exist in nature itself4 ,they do not prove the existence of an independent personal agent1 separate from the material world4 ,animals1 and even plants1 possess an inherent power of adapting themselves to circumstances2 and may not a higher exercise of this same power explain all the operations of nature without any other ,deity8 ,this argument appears to me to be utterly set aside by the following considerations3 ,in the first place1 there is no power inherent in vegetable or animal natures which can properly be called the power of contrivance and design1 except so far as it exists in their minds4 ,all other examples show merely the operation of impulse1 or instinct1 and will not at all explain that wide-reaching contrivance and design which cause all the operations of nature to conspire to certain great results1 and to constitute one1 and only one1 great system4 ,in the second place1 the operations of intellect furnish us with the only examples in nature of that kind of contrivance and design which must have arranged and adapted the parts of the universe4 ,but in the third place1 no intellect1 within our knowledge1 is capacious enough to have contrived and arranged the universe4 ,indeed1 to the capacity of that mind which could have done this we can assign no limits1 and1 therefore1 infer it to be infinite4 ,in other words1 we infer the existence of the ,deity4 ,in the fourth place1 the whole force of this argument rests upon the supposed uniformity of nature4 ,for no one imagines that there exists at present1 in nature1 any power of contrivance and design sufficient to work a miracle2 in other words1 to introduce new races of animals and plants4 ,could this uniformity once be broken up1 says an ingenious expositor of this atheistic argument1 could this rigid order be once infringed for a good and manifest reason1 it would change the whole face of the argument4 ,could we see the sun stand still in heaven1 that the wicked might be overthrown1 then should we be assured of a personal power with a distinct will1 whose agents and ministers these laws were4 ,such an event would be a miracle4 ,but if such events have happened1 they are not a part of nature2 it is not nature that tells us of them1 and it is only with her that we are at present concerned4--,president ,hopkins1 ,quarterly ,observer1 ,oct4 #ahcc1 p4 #cji4 ,geology1 however1 does reveal to us miracles of stupendous1 import1 miracles of creation1 which infinite power and wisdom alone could have produced4 ,hence1 if the testimony of that science be admitted1 this reasoning can no longer stand the test of examination1 and it must be acknowledged that the argument for ,god's existence from design1 which has ever been so satisfactory to every mind not clouded by metaphysics1 is left standing on an immovable foundation4 ,to return to the point from which we started3 it is not necessary1 ,i say1 to go into a detailed examination of each particular science1 and show how its principles prove and illustrate the being and attributes of the ,deity1 for the work has already been done more ably and thoroughly than ,i can do it1 and admitted by all1 save the few who reject the argument from design altogether4 ,there are a few sciences1 however1 which have been hitherto chiefly passed by1 because they were not supposed capable of throwing any light of consequence upon theology4 ,let us see whether these sciences are as barren of religious interest as has been supposed4 ,geology is a branch of knowledge1 which1 a few years ago1 would have been at once selected as not only destitute of any important religious applications1 but as of a positively injurious tendency2 and even now1 such is the feeling probably of a majority of the religious world4 ,true1 it touches religion1 natural and revealed1 at many points2 but so novel and startling are its conclusions1 that they are thought to unsettle more minds than they confirm4 ,they fall in with many of the views of scepticism1 and especially confirm its doubts concerning the age of the world1 and compel the religious man to give up long-cherished opinions upon this point1 and on other collateral subjects4 ,but we have gone into a careful examination of the religious applications of this science1 and have we not found it most fertile in its illustrations both of natural and revealed religion8 ,let us just recapitulate the conclusions at which we have arrived4 ,in the first place1 geology furnishes important illustrations of revealed religion4 ,it confirms the statement that the present continents of our globe were once1 and for an indefinite time1 beneath the ocean1 and that they were subsequently lifted above the waters by internal agencies4 ,it agrees with revelation in making water and heat the two great agents of geological change upon and within the earth1 and that the work of creation1 after the production of matter1 was progressive4 ,it shows us equally with revelation1 that the existing races of animals and plants on the globe were created at a comparatively recent epoch1 and that man commenced his existence not more than six thousand years ago4 ,it shows us1 also1 that the earth contains within itself the volcanic agency necessary for its future destruction by combustion1 as described in the ,bible4 ,but1 perhaps1 the most important illustration of revealed truth1 which geology affords1 is the light which it casts upon certain passages of the ,bible relating to the creation4 ,as those texts which represent the earth as immovable1 and the heavenly bodies as moving diurnally around it1 were not rightly understood1 until astronomy had discovered the true theory of the solar system1 so those passages which relate to the period of the creation of the universe1 the introduction of death into the world1 and the extent and operation of the deluge1 were misinterpreted till geology disclosed their true meaning4 ,it is still customary1 indeed1 to speak of geology and revelation as in collision with each other on these subjects2 but this is a false view of the case4 ,revelation is illustrated1 not opposed1 by geology4 ,who thinks1 at this day1 of any discrepancy between astronomy and revelation8 ,and yet1 two hundred years ago1 the evidence of such discrepancy was far more striking than any which can now be offered to show geology at variance with the ,scriptures4 ,we ought1 therefore1 to look upon that science as illustrating1 instead of opposing1 the ,scriptures4 ,having once admitted the conclusions of geology as to the great age of the world1 and a flood of light is shed upon some of the most difficult points both of natural and revealed religion4 ,it shows the occurrence of numerous changes on the globe which nothing but the power of ,god could have produced1 and which in fact were most striking and stupendous miracles4 ,hence the arguments which have so long been employed to show that the world is eternal are rendered nugatory2 for if we can point to epochs when entire races of animals and plants began to exist on the globe1 we prove the agency of a ,deity quite as strikingly as if we could show the moment when the matter of the world was summoned into existence out of nothing4 ,in the same manner1 also1 we silence the argument against the giving of a revelation from heaven1 as well as the miracles by which it is substantiated1 on the ground that we have no example of a special interference with the established course of nature4 ,here we have interpositions long anterior to man's existence1 as well as by his creation1 which take away all improbability from those which are implied in a revelation4 ,we hence likewise establish the doctrine of a special providence over the world--a doctrine proved with great difficulty by any other reasoning of natural theology4 ,still more abundant is the evidence derived from geology of the divine benevolence4 ,and this evidence comes mostly from the operations and final effect of the most desolating agencies1 heretofore regarded as a proof of malevolence1 or1 at least1 of vindictive justice2 and we may reasonably infer1 that could we look through the whole system of divine government1 we should find that all evil is only a necessary means of the greatest good4 ,no one can examine existing nature without being convinced that all its parts and operations belong to one great system4 ,geology makes other economies of wide extent to pass before us1 opening a vista indefinitely backward into the hoary past2 and it is gratifying to witness that same unity of design pervading all preceding periods of the world's history1 linking the whole into one mighty scheme1 worthy its infinite ,contriver4 ,how much1 also1 does this science enlarge our conceptions of the plans and operations of ,jehovah6 ,we had been accustomed to limit our views of the creative agency of ,god to the few thousand years of man's existence1 and to anticipate the destruction of the material universe in a few thousand years more4 ,but geology makes the period of man's existence on the globe only one short link of a chain of revolutions which preceded his existence1 and which reaches forward immeasurably far into the future4 ,we see the same matter in the hands of infinite wisdom1 and by means of the great conservative principle of chemical change1 passing through a multitude of stupendous revolutions1 sustaining countless and varied forms of organic life1 and presenting an almost illimitable panorama of the plans of an infinite ,god4 ,if such is the fruit which geology pours into the lap of religion1 how misunderstood have been its principles6 ,in many a mind there is still an anxious fear lest its discoveries should prove unfavorable to religion2 and they would feel greatly relieved could they only be assured that no influence injurious to piety would emanate from that science4 ,but we can give them far more than this assurance4 ,we can draw from this science more to illustrate and confirm religion than from any other2 and we believe that the history of the past justifies the general conclusion1 that those sciences whose early developments excited most apprehensions of a collision with religion1 have ultimately furnished the most abundant illustrations of its principles4 ,another science regarded as barren of religious applications1 and even as sometimes positively injurious1 is mathematics4 ,its principles are1 indeed1 of so abstruse a nature1 that it is not easy to frame out of them a religious argument that is capable of popular illustration4 ,but1 in fact1 mathematical laws form the basis of nearly all the operations of nature4 ,they constitute1 as it were1 the very framework of the material world4 ,when we look up to the heavenly bodies1 we see them directed and controlled1 along with the earth1 by those laws1 which vary not1 by an iota1 from century to century4 ,the infinity of changes1 which are going on in the constitution of bodies upon and within the earth1 chemistry reduces to mathematical laws4 ,so far as organic operations depend upon chemical changes1--and this is very far1--mathematics is the controlling power4 ,i will not say1 that life and intellect are in a strict sense under the guidance of mathematics2 and yet ,i doubt not that their operations are limited and controlled by its principles4 ,confident am ,i that atmospheric changes1 apparently quite as anomalous and irregular as the movements of the vital and intellectual principles1 rest on mathematics as certainly as do the revolutions of the heavenly bodies4 ,it seems1 then1 that this science forms the very foundation of all arguments for ,theism1 from the arrangements and operations of the material universe4 ,we do1 indeed1 neglect the foundation1 and point only to the superstructure1 when we state these arguments4 ,but suppose mathematical laws to be at once struck from existence1 and what a hideous chaos would the universe present6 ,what then would become of the marks of design and unity in nature1 and of the ,theist's argument for the being of a ,god8 ,but mathematical principles furnish several interesting illustrations of truth1 of no small importance4 ,in a former lecture1 we have seen how the doctrine of miracles stands forth completely vindicated by an appeal to mathematical laws2 how1 in fact1 they might have formed a part of the original plan of the universe1 when first it was conceived in the divine mind1 and how their occurrence may be as much the result of a fixed law as the most common operations of nature2 so that in this way all improbability of their occurrence1 on the ground that nature is constant1 is removed4 ,these views are illustrated in that singular1 yet original work of ,professor ,babbage1 called the ,ninth ,bridgewater ,treatise1 a work written1 it is true1 in part1 under the influence of exasperated feelings1 but yet full of original and ingenious suggestions4 ,but these views have been so fully presented in the ,lecture on ,special and ,miraculous ,providence1 and in that upon the ,telegraphic ,system of the ,universe1 that they need not here be repeated4 ,mathematics1 also1 aids our conceptions of truths of religion difficult or impossible1 from their nature1 of being understood by finite beings4 ,all the attributes of the ,deity1 being infinite1 are of this description4 ,but it seems to me that the contemplation of a mathematical series1 either increasing or decreasing1 gives us the strongest apprehension of infinity which we can attain4 ,it puts into our hands a thread by which we can find our way1 as far as our powers will carry us1 towards infinity4 ,true1 after we have followed the series till the mind stops exhausted1 we are no nearer infinity than when we started2 yet we do get most deeply impressed with the unfathomableness of the abyss that separates the finite from the infinite4 ,to many minds all statements of the biblical doctrine of the ,trinity appear so absurd and contradictory as to be incapable of belief4 ,yet let it be stated to a man1 for the first time1 that two lines may approach each other forever without meeting1 and it must appear equally absurd4 ,but after you have demonstrated to him the properties of the hyperbola and its asymptote1 the apparent absurdity vanishes4 ,so1 when the theologian has stated1 that by the divine unity he means only a numerical unity1--in other words1 that there is but one ,supreme ,being1 and that the three persons of the ,godhead are one in this sense1 and three only in those respects not inconsistent with this unity1--every philosophical mind1 whether it admits that the ,scriptures teach this doctrine or not1 must see that there is no absurdity or contradiction in it4 ,and thus it may happen1 that the solution of a man's difficulties on this subject may come from a proposition of conic sections1 as in fact we know to have been the case4 ,it is said1 however1 that mathematicians have been unusually prone to scepticism concerning religious truth4 ,if it be so1 it probably originates from the absurd attempt to apply mathematical reasoning to moral subjects2 or1 rather1 the devotees of this science often become so attached to its demonstrations1 that they will not admit any evidence of a less certain character4 ,they do not realize the total difference between moral and mathematical reasonings1 and absurdly endeavor to stretch religion on the ,procrustean bed of mathematics4 ,no wonder they become sceptics4 ,but the fault is in themselves1 not in this science1 whose natural tendencies1 upon a pure and exalted mind1 are favorable to religion1 because its principles illustrate religion4 ,there are several other sciences1 whose earlier developments were supposed for a time to be unfavorable to religion2 and hence has originated a ground of apprehension respecting science generally4 ,when the ,copernican system of astronomy was introduced1 it was thought impossible ever to reconcile it to the plain declarations of ,scripture2 and hence at least one venerable astronomer was obliged to recant that system upon his knees4 ,similar fears of collision between science and revelation were excited when chemistry announced that the main part of the earth has already been oxidized1 and1 therefore1 could not hereafter be literally burnt4 ,because some physiologists have been materialists1 it has been inferred that physiology was favorable to materialism4 ,but it is now found that they were materialists in spite of physiology1 rather than from a correct interpretation of its facts4 ,strong apprehensions have also been excited respecting phrenology and mesmerism4 ,and1 indeed1 in their present aspect1 these sciences are probably made to exert a more unfriendly influence upon vital religion than any other4 ,those who profess to understand and teach them have been1 for the most part1 decided opponents of special providence and special grace1 and many of them materialists4 ,but this is not because there are any special grounds for such opinions in phrenology or mesmerism4 ,the latter branch1 indeed1 affords such decided proofs of immaterialism1 as to have led several able materialists to change their views4 ,nor does phrenology afford any stronger proof that law governs the natural world1 than do the other sciences4 ,but when a man who is sceptical becomes deeply interested in any branch of knowledge1 and fancies himself to be an oracle respecting it1 he will torture its principles till they are made to give testimony in favor of his previous sceptical views1 although1 in fact1 the tones are as unnatural as those of ventriloquism1 and as deceptive4 ,when true philosophy shall at length determine what are the genuine principles of phrenology and mesmerism1 we can judge of their bearing upon religion2 but the history of other sciences shows us that we need have no fears of any collision1 when the whole subject is brought fairly into the daylight4 ,upon the whole1 every part of science1 which has been supposed1 by the fears of friends or malice of foes1 to conflict with religion1 has been found1 at length1 when fully understood1 to be in perfect harmony with its principles1 and even to illustrate them4 ,it is high time1 therefore1 for the friends of religion to cease fearing any injury to the cause of religion from science2 and high time1 also1 for the enemies of religion to cease expecting any such collision4 ,in conclusion of this argument1 we may safely challenge any one to point out a single principle of science which does not in some way illustrate the perfections of the ,deity2 and if he cannot1 scientific truth may be appropriately called religious truth1 especially since such illustrations are the highest use to which science can be applied4 ,it is no drawback on the argument because so few make this use of science1 nor because some attempt to array science against religion2 for this only shows how men may neglect the most important use to which science can be applied1 or how they can pervert the richest gifts4 ,i derive a second argument in support of the general position1 that scientific truth is religious truth1 from the fact that it will survive the present world1 and its examination become a part of the employments and enjoyments of heaven4 ,the ,scriptures are1 indeed1 sparing in their details of the specific employments of the heavenly world1 except so far as worship and praise are concerned4 ,but that worship will undoubtedly be the spontaneous impulse of the heart1 7as it is in this world when acceptable17 in view of some manifestations of the divine character4 ,accordingly1 the first sentence of the future song of ,moses and the ,lamb1 as the saints stand with the harps of ,god upon the sea of glass1 is1 ,great and marvellous are thy works1 ,lord ,god ,almighty4 ,the works of ,god1 then1 will be studied in the future world2 and what is that but the study of the sciences8 ,it is1 indeed1 said by the apostle1 that whether there be tongues1 they shall cease1 that is1 in a future world2 whether there be knowledge1 it shall vanish away2 and hence it has sometimes been inferred that all the knowledge which we acquire in this world will disappear with this world4 ,but this cannot be the meaning of the passage1 for in a variety of places the ,bible represents both the righteous and wicked in another world as conscious of what took place on earth2 and1 unless the nature of the mind be changed at death1 it is not possible to conceive that the knowledge we acquire here should be lost4 ,this passage may refer to one of those gifts of inspiration peculiar to apostolic times1 called by the sacred writer the word of knowledge4 ,but more probably he meant to teach that1 so much brighter and clearer will be the disclosures of another world1 that most of our present knowledge will be eclipsed and forgotten4 ,but this does not imply that our future knowledge will be essentially different in nature from that which we acquire on earth4 ,the grand difference is1 that now we see through a glass darkly1 but then face to face4 ,we can1 also1 see why some branches of science cultivated on earth should be very much modified in a future world4 ,there are several1 for instance1 dependent mainly upon the present organic constitution of nature2 and of such branches only the general principles can survive the destruction of the existing framework of animals and plants4 ,take1 for an example1 anatomy and physiology4 ,we believe1 indeed1 that the new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness1 will be material1 and that the bodies of men will also be material4 ,but even though these bodies should be organized1 we learn from the ,scriptures that this organization will be very different from our present bodies4 ,they1 says ,christ1 who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world1 and the resurrection from the dead1 neither marry nor are given in marriage1 neither can they die any more2 for they are equal unto the angels4 ,paul's vivid description of the future spiritual body leaves the impression on the mind that it must be very dissimilar to our present bodies4 ,he does not attempt to define the spiritual body1 probably because we could not understand the definition1 since it would be so unlike any thing on earth4 ,he represents it as incorruptible1 powerful1 and glorious1 entirely in contrast with our present bodies1 and declares that it is not flesh and blood1 and that it is not organized like our present bodies4 ,it seems1 then1 that we have no certain evidence that the future spiritual body will be organized2 and in a former lecture we have seen that it is not necessary to suppose it endowed with organs4 ,if not1 it is obvious that the sciences of anatomy and physiology can have no existence in a future world1 except in the memory4 ,on the other hand1 however1 there are some things in ,paul's description of the future body that make it quite probable that its organization will be much more exquisite than any thing in existence on earth4 ,he represents it as springing from our present bodies as a germ from a seed2 and this would seem to imply organization2 though we must not infer too much from a mere rhetorical similitude4 ,but he also represents the spiritual body as far transcending the natural body in glory and in power2 and1 since the latter is fearfully and wonderfully made1 we know of nothing but the most exquisite organization that can give the spiritual body such a superiority over the natural4 ,admitting that such will be its structure1 and1 although the nomenclature of anatomy and physiology1 which is adapted to flesh and blood1 shall pass away and be forgotten1 yet analogous sciences shall be substituted1 based on facts and principles far more interesting1 and developing relations and harmonies far more beautiful4 ,it may be thought1 indeed1 that1 so different will be these sciences from any thing on earth1 that there can be no common principles and no link of connection4 ,but the longer a man studies the works of ,god1 the more inclined will he be to regard the universe1 material and immaterial1 as founded on eternal principles2 as1 in fact1 a transcript of the divine nature2 and that all the changes in nature are only new developments of unchanging fundamental laws1 not the introduction of new laws4 ,hence the philosopher would infer that in existing nature we have the prototype of new heavens and a new earth2 and although a future condition of things may be as different from the present as the plant is from the seed out of which it springs1 still1 as the seed contains the embryo of a future plant1 so the future world may1 as it were1 lie coiled up in the present4 ,if in these suggestions there is any truth1 there may be a germ in the anatomy and physiology of the present world1 which shall survive the destruction of the present economy1 and unfold1 in far higher beauty and glory1 in the more congenial climate of the new heavens and the new earth4 ,if so1 the great principles of these sciences which are acquired on earth1 and which are so prolific in exhibitions of divine skill1 may not prove to be lost knowledge4 ,they shall be recognized as types of those far higher and richer developments of organization which the spiritual body shall exhibit4 ,it may be still more difficult to show that such a science as botany will have a place in the new earth2 simply because we have no certain knowledge of the existence of vegetation there4 ,we can infer nothing on this subject from the figurative representations of the new ,jerusalem in ,revelation1 since the drapery is all derived from this world4 ,but1 on the general principle already stated1 that the universe constitutes but one vast and harmonious system1 and all the economies upon it1 past1 present1 and future1 are only different developments of eternal principles1 this consideration1 ,i say1 should make us hesitate before we infer the annihilation of the vast vegetable kingdom upon the destruction of the present economy of the world4 ,and it does give us an aspect of extreme barrenness and cheerlessness to think of the new earth entirely swept of every thing analogous to the existing foliage1 flowers1 and fruits4 ,we have attempted to show1 however1 in another place1 that the spiritual body may be of such a nature that it might exist in a temperature so high1 or so low1 as to prevent the existence of such organic natures as now exist4 ,but how easy for the ,deity to create such natures as are adapted to extremes of temperature as wide as we now are acquainted with2 and that1 too1 on the same type as existing nature2 so that the new earth1 while yet an incandescent1 glowing ocean1 might teem with animals and plants1 organized on the same general principles as those of the present earth6 ,but there is another supposition4 ,i have endeavored to show that change ever has been1 and probably ever will be1 one of the grand means by which mind is introduced to higher spheres of enjoyment2 and even though the new earth at first should be destitute of organic natures1 both animal and vegetable1 they might be introduced in successive and more perfect economies1 as a means of increased happiness1 especially to rational natures4 ,these are1 indeed1 only conjectures2 but the balance of probabilities seems to me to incline the mind to the belief that there may be a botany as well as zoology in the future world1 far transcending their prototypes on earth4 ,among the things that we may be certain will pass away with the present world is the mode of communicating our ideas by language4 ,this the apostle expressly declares when he says1 ,whether there be tongues1 that is1 languages1 they shall cease4 ,now1 the acquisition of languages1 and the right use of language1 or rhetoric and oratory1 constitute a large part of what men call learning on earth4 ,and the question is1 whether there are any principles on which these branches of knowledge are based that will become the elements of new and higher modes of communicating thought in a future world4 ,these branches are1 indeed1 rather to be regarded as arts than sciences4 ,language is the drapery for clothing our thoughts1 and1 unless we have thoughts to clothe1 it becomes useless2 and rhetoric and oratory merely show us how to arrange that drapery in the most attractive and impressive style4 ,but there is such a thing as the philosophy of language and the philosophy of rhetoric1 whose principles are derived chiefly from moral and intellectual philosophy4 ,and these1 we have reason to believe1 are eternal4 ,different as will be the mode of communicating thoughts hereafter from the present1 we shall find the same philosophical principles lying at its foundation4 ,hence we may expect that there will be a celestial language1 a celestial rhetoric1 and a celestial oratory1 in whose beauty and splendor those of earth will be forgotten4 ,i now proceed briefly to consider those sciences which1 having little connection with material organization1 we may more confidently maintain will have an existence on the new earth4 ,it will be hardly necessary to spend much time in proving that intellectual philosophy will be one of the subjects of investigation in a future world4 ,for it would be strange if the noblest part of ,god's workmanship1 for which materialism was created1 should cease to be an object of inquiry in that world where alone it can be investigated with much success4 ,when we consider that the whole train of mental phenomena is constantly passing under the mind's own observation1 and that a vast amount of time and talent has been devoted to the subject ever since man began to philosophize1--that is1 for more than two thousand years1--it would seem as if psychology ere this must have attained the precision and certainty of mathematics4 ,but how different is the fact6 ,i speak not of a want of agreement in opinion on subordinate points1 for these minor diversities must be expected in any science not strictly demonstrative4 ,even astronomy abounds with them4 ,but metaphysical philosophers have not yet been able to settle fundamental principles4 ,they are not yet agreed as to the existence of many of the most familiar and important intellectual powers and principles of action4 ,the systems of ,locke and ,hume1 constructed with great ability1 were overthrown by ,reid2 ,stewart differed much from ,reid2 and ,dr4 ,thomas ,brown has powerfully attacked the fabric erected by ,stewart4 ,and lastly1 the phrenologists1 with no mean ability1 have endeavored to show that all these philosophers are heaven-wide of the truth1 because they have so much neglected the influence of the material organs on the mental powers4 ,now1 this diversity of result1 arrived at by men of such profound abilities1 shows that there are peculiar difficulties in the study of mind1 originating1 probably1 in the fact that1 in this world1 we never see the operation of mind apart from a gross material organization4 ,but in another state1 where no organization will exist1 or one far better adapted to mental operations1 we may hope for such a clarification of the mental eye that the laws of mind will assume the precision and certainty of mathematics1 and the relations between mind and matter1 now so obscure1 be fully developed4 ,then1 ,i doubt not1 the principles of mental science will furnish a more splendid illustration of the divine perfections than any which can now be derived from the material world4 ,will any one believe that the principles of moral science and mathematics will be altered or annihilated by the conflagration of the globe8 ,we believe them no more dependent upon the external universe than is the divine existence4 ,god exists by a necessity of nature1 and these principles have the same unchanging and eternal origin4 ,if so1 no changes in the material world can affect them4 ,so far as we understand them here1 we shall find them true hereafter2 and we shall doubtless find that our present knowledge is but the mere twilight of that bright day which will there pour its full light upon these subjects4 ,mathematical and moral truths1 which we now suppose to be general laws1 we shalt then find to be1 in many cases1 only the ramifications of principles far wider1 which we cannot now discover1 and which we could not comprehend were they open to inspection4 ,and we shall also find that moral laws are as certain and demonstrable as those of mathematics2 and that they form the adamantine chain which holds together the spiritual world1 and gives it symmetry and beauty1 as mathematics links together the material universe4 ,among men who understand biblical interpretation1 and also the principles of science1 the belief in the annihilation of the material universe at the close of man's probationary state is fast disappearing1 and the more scriptural1 philosophical1 and animating doctrine is embraced1 that there will be only a change of form and condition of our earth and its atmosphere1 and that the matter of the universe will survive1 and successively assume new and more beautiful forms1 it may be eternally4 ,if so1 all those physical sciences1 which do not depend upon organic structure1 will form subjects of investigation in the heavenly world4 ,there will be the heavenly bodies1 governed by the same laws as at present1 and offering a noble field for examination4 ,nor will the heavenly inhabitants need1 as on earth1 visual organs and optical instruments1 which1 at best1 afford us only glimpses of the material universe4 ,for there1 if we rightly conjecture1 will they possess the power of learning1 with almost intuitive certainty and intuitive rapidity1 the character and movements of the most distant worlds4 ,nay1 it may be that they can pass from world to world with the velocity of light1 and thus become better acquainted with their more intimate condition4 ,thus will the astronomy of the celestial world surpass1 beyond conception1 that science which even now is regarded as unequalled for its sublimity4 ,we cannot be sure through what material medium the mind will act in a future world4 ,but the manner in which we know heat1 light1 and electricity to be transmitted1 makes it not impossible that the same or a similar medium may be the vehicle through which thought shall be hereafter transmitted4 ,if so1 we can easily understand how the mind will be able to penetrate into the most recondite nature of bodies1 and learn the mode in which they act upon one another2 for the curious medium which conveys light and heat does penetrate all bodies1 whether they be solid or gaseous1 cold or hot4 ,hence we may learn at a glance1 in a future world1 more of the internal constitution of bodies1 and of their mutual action1 than a whole life on earth1 spent in the study of chemistry1 will unfold4 ,then1 too1 shall we doubtless find chemical laws operating on a scale of grandeur and extent1 limited only by the material universe4 ,universally diffused as light1 heat1 and electricity are1 and diligently as their phenomena have been studied1 yet what mystery hangs over their nature and operations6 ,they seem to be too subtile1 and to approximate too nearly to immaterial substances1 to be apprehended by our beclouded intellects4 ,when1 therefore1 our means of perception shall be vastly improved1 as we have reason to believe they will be in eternity1 these will become noble themes for examination4 ,for who can doubt that agents so ethereal in their nature1 and apparently indestructible1 and even unchanged by any means with which we are acquainted1 will survive the final catastrophe of our world8 ,probably1 indeed1 we are allowed to catch only glimpses of their nature and operations on earth1 so that we may safely anticipate an immense expansion of the electricity and optics which will form a part of the science of heaven4 ,we have endeavored to show1 in a former lecture1 that the future residence of the righteous will be material2 that it will1 in fact1 be the present earth1 purified by the fires of the last day1 and rising from the final ruin in renovated splendor4 ,we have shown that this is the doctrine of ,scripture1 of philosophy1 and of a majority of the ,christian church4 ,a solid world1 then1 will exist1 whose geology can be studied by glorified minds far more accurately and successfully than the globe which we inhabit2 for those minds will doubtless be able to penetrate the entire mass of the globe1 and learn its whole structure4 ,the final conflagration may1 indeed1 for the most part1 obliterate the traces of present and past organic beings4 ,but according to the doctrine of action and reaction in mechanics1 in chemistry1 in electricity1 and in organization1 every change that has ever passed over the earth has left traces of its occurrence which can never be blotted out2 and it is not improbable that glorified minds will possess the power of discovering and reading these records of the past1 if not on the principle just specified1 yet in some other way2 so that the entire geological history of our planet will probably pass in clear light before them4 ,points which we see only through a glass darkly will then stand forth in full daylight2 and from the glimpses we are able to obtain in this world of its present geological changes1 what a mighty and interesting series will be seen by celestial minds6 ,if1 even by the colored rays which come upon us through the twilight of this world1 we are able to see so many striking illustrations of the divine character engraven on the solid rocks1 what a noble volume of religious truth shall be found written there1 when the light of heaven shall penetrate the earth's deep foundations6 ,those foundations1 figuratively described in revelation as so many precious stones1 bearing up a city of pure gold1 clear as glass1 will then reflect a richer light than the costliest literal gems which the rocks now yield4 ,the geology of heaven will be resplendent with divine glory4 ,we see1 then1 with a few probable exceptions1 resulting from a difference between the organism of heaven and earth1 that science will survive the ruin of this world1 and in a nobler form engage the minds1 and interest the hearts1 of heaven's inhabitants4 ,it will1 indeed1 form a vast storehouse1 whence pious minds can draw fuel to kindle into a purer and brighter flame their love and their devotion2 for thence will they derive new and higher developments of the divine character4 ,shall we not1 then1 admit that to be religious truth on earth which in heaven will form the food of perfectly holy minds8 ,the position which ,i laid down1 at the outset1 that scientific truth1 rightly applied1 is religious truth1 seems to me most clearly established4 ,if admitted1 there flow from it several inferences of no small interest1 which ,i am constrained to present to your consideration4 ,in the first place1 ,i infer from this discussion that the principles of science are a transcript of the ,divine ,character4 ,i mean by this1 that the laws of nature1 which are synonymous with the principles of science1 are not the result of any arbitrary and special enactment on the part of the ,deity1 but flow naturally from his perfections2 so that1 in fact1 the varied principles of science are but so many expressions of the perfections of ,jehovah4 ,if the universe had only a transient existence1 we might suppose the laws that govern it to be the result of a special ordination of the ,deity1 and destined to perish with the annihilation of matter4 ,but since we have no evidence that matter will ever perish1 and at least probable evidence that it will exist forever1 the more rational supposition is1 that its laws result from the nature of things1 and are only a development of so many features of the divine character4 ,if so1 then the most important inquiry in the study of the sciences is to learn from them the phases in which they present the divine perfections4 ,in the second place1 it does not follow from this subject that the most extensive acquisitions in science necessarily imply the possession of true piety4 ,piety consists in the exercise of right affections of heart towards ,god1 excited by religious truth4 ,now1 ,i have attempted to show only1 that the natural tendency of scientific truth is to excite such religious affections2 but that tendency1 like all other good influences1 may be1 and often is1 resisted4 ,hence a man may reach the loftiest pinnacle of scientific glory whose heart has never heaved with one religious emotion4 ,he may penetrate to the very holy of holies in nature's temple1 and yet retain his atheism1 in spite of the hallowed influences that surround him4 ,nothing is plainer in theory1 and1 alas6 nothing has been more surely confirmed by experience1 than that the possession of science is not the possession of religion4 ,in the third place1 what a perversion of science it is to employ it against religion6 ,rightly understood1 and fairly interpreted1 there is not a single scientific truth that does not harmoniously accord with revealed as well as natural religion2 and yet1 by superficial minds1 almost every one of these principles has1 at one time or another1 been regarded as in collision with religion1 and especially with revelation4 ,one after another have these apparent discrepancies melted away before the clearer light of further examination4 ,and yet1 up to the present day1 not a few1 closing their eyes against the lessons of experience1 still fancy that the responses of science are not in unison with those from revelation4 ,but this is a sentiment which finds no place with the profound and unprejudiced philosopher2 for he has seen too much of the harmony between the works and the word of ,god to doubt the identity of their origin4 ,he knows it to be a sad perversion of scientific truth to use it for the discredit of religion4 ,he knows that the inspiration of the ,almighty breathed the same spirit into science as into religion2 and if they utter discordant tones1 it must be because one or the other has been forced to speak in an unnatural dialect4 ,in the fourth place1 how entirely have the natural tendencies of science been misunderstood1 when they have been represented as leading to religious scepticism6 ,i do not deny the fact that many scientific men have been sceptical4 ,but ,i maintain that this has been in spite of science1 rather than the result of its natural tendency2 for we have shown that tendency in all cases to be favorable to piety4 ,other more powerful causes1 therefore1 must have operated to counteract the natural influence of scientific truth in those cases where men eminent for science have spurned away from them the authority of religion4 ,among these causes1 the pride of knowledge is one of the most powerful2 and before the mind has attained to very profound views of science1 this pride does often exert a most disastrous influence upon a man's religious feelings4 ,he is looked up to as an oracle on other subjects1 and why should he not be equally wise concerning religion8 ,it is natural for him to feel desirous1 in such circumstances1 of rising above all vulgar and superstitious views1 and of convincing his fellow-men that he has made as great discoveries in religion as in science4 ,he1 therefore1 calls in question the prevailing religious opinions4 ,having once taken his stand against the truth1 pride does not allow him to recede1 and he endeavors to convert scientific truth into weapons against religion4 ,and this perversion produces the impression1 with those not familiar with its natural tendency1 that science fosters scepticism4 ,another cause of this scepticism is a superficial acquaintance with the religious bearings of scientific truth4 ,it is one thing to master the principles of science in an abstract form1 and quite a different thing to understand their religious bearings4 ,moral reasoning is so different from physical and mathematical1 that often a mind which is a prodigy for the latter1 is a mere ,lilliput in the former4 ,and yet that mind may fancy itself as profound in the one as in the other1 and may1 therefore1 be as tenacious of its errors in religion as of its demonstrated verities in science4 ,in the following extract it will be seen that ,dr4 ,chalmers imputes the religious scepticism connected with science chiefly to a superficial acquaintance with science4 ,his remarks may seem unreasonably severe and sweeping2 nevertheless1 they deserve consideration4 ,and they accord with the idea of ,lord ,bacon1 who says1 ,a smattering of philosophy leads to atheism2 whereas a thorough acquaintance with it brings him back again to religion4 ,we have heard1 ,dr4 ,chalmers remarks1 that the study of natural science disposes to infidelity4 ,but we feel persuaded that this is a danger associated only with a slight and partial1 never with a deep1 and adequate1 and comprehensive1 view of its principles4 ,it is very possible that the conjunction between science and scepticism may at present be more frequently realized than in former days2 but this is only because1 in spite of all that is alleged about this our more enlightened day and more enlightened public1 our science is neither so deeply founded1 nor of such firm and thorough staple1 as it was wont to be4 ,we have lost in depth what we have gained in diffusion2 having neither the massive erudition1 nor the gigantic scholarship1 nor the profound and well-laid philosophy of a period that has now gone by2 and it is to this that ,infidelity stands indebted for her triumphs among the scoffers and superficialists of a half-learned generation4--,chalmers's ,works1 vol4 vii4 p4 #bfb4 ,briefly1 but nobly1 has ,sir ,john ,herschel vindicated science from the charge of sceptical tendencies4 ,nothing can be more unfounded than the objection which has been taken in limine by persons1 well meaning1 perhaps1 certainly of narrow minds1 against the study of natural philosophy1 and1 indeed1 against all science1 that it fosters in its cultivators an undue and overweening self-conceit1 leads them to doubt the immortality of the soul1 and to scoff at revealed religion4 ,its natural effect1 we may confidently assert1 on every well-constituted mind1 is and must be the direct contrary4 ,no doubt the testimony of natural reason1 on whatever exercised1 must1 of course1 stop short of those truths which it is the object of revelation to make known2 but while it places the existence and principal attributes of a ,deity on such grounds as to render doubt absurd1 and atheism ridiculous1 it unquestionably opposes no natural or necessary obstacle to further progress2 on the contrary1 by cherishing as a vital principle an unbounded spirit of inquiry and ardency of expectation1 it unfetters the mind from prejudices of every kind1 and leaves it open to every impression of a higher nature1 which it is susceptible of receiving2 guarding only against enthusiasm and self-deception by a habit of strict investigation1 but encouraging1 rather than suppressing1 every thing that can offer a prospect or hope beyond the present obscure and unsatisfactory state4 ,the character of the true philosopher is to hope all things not impossible1 and to believe all things not unreasonable4--,diss4 on ,study of ,nat4 ,phil4 ,in speaking of geology and revelation1 ,sir ,john says1 ,there cannot be two truths in contradiction to one another1 and a man must have a mind fitted neither for scientific nor for religious truth1 whose religion can be disturbed by geology1 or whose geology can be distorted from its character of an inductive science by a determination to accommodate its results to preconceived interpretations of the ,mosaic cosmogony4--,dr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,smith's ,lectures1 p4 viii4 #dth edition4 ,we have often mourned1 says ,m',cosh1 over the attempts made to set the works of ,god against the word of ,god1 and thereby excite1 propagate1 and perpetuate jealousies fitted to separate parties that ought to live in closest union4 ,in particular1 we have always regretted that endeavors should have been made to depreciate nature with a view of exalting revelation2 it has always appeared to us to be nothing else than the degrading of one part of ,god's works in the hope thereby of exalting and recommending another4 ,perilous as it is at all times for the friends of religion to set themselves against natural science1 it is especially dangerous in an age like the present4 ,it is no profane work that is engaged in by those who1 in all humility1 would endeavor to remove jealousies between parties whom ,god has joined together1 and whom man is not at liberty to put asunder4 ,we are not lowering the dignity of science when we command it to do what all the objects which it looks at and admires do--when we command it to worship ,god4 ,nor are we detracting from the honor which is due to religion when we press it to take science into its service1 and accept the homage which it is able to pay4 ,we are seeking to exalt both when we show how nature conducts man to the threshold of religion1 and when from this point we bid him look abroad on the wide territories of nature4 ,we would aid at the same time both religion and science1 by removing those prejudices against sacred truth which nature has been employed to foster2 and we would accomplish this not by casting aside and discarding nature1 but by rightly interpreting it4 ,let not science and religion be reckoned as opposing citadels1 frowning defiance upon each other1 and their troops brandishing their armor in hostile attitude4 ,they have too many common foes1 if they would but think of it1 in ignorance and prejudice1 in passion and vice1 under all their forms1 to admit of their lawfully wasting their strength in a useless warfare with each other4 ,science has a foundation1 and so has religion2 let them unite their foundations1 and the basis will be broader1 and they will be two compartments of one great fabric reared to the glory of ,god4 ,let the one be the outer and the other the inner court4 ,in the one1 let all look1 and admire1 and adore2 and in the other1 let those who have faith kneel1 and pray1 and praise4 ,let the one be the sanctuary where human learning may present its richest incense as an offering to ,god1 and the other the holiest of all1 separated from it by a veil now rent in twain1 and in which1 on a blood-sprinkled mercy-seat1 we pour out the love of a reconciled heart1 and hear the oracles of the living ,god4--,method of the ,divine ,government1 p4 #ddi1 et seq4 ,in the fifth place1 scientific men and religious men may learn from this subject to regard each other as engaged in a common cause4 ,if it be indeed true that scientific truth1 rightly applied1 is religious truth1 then may the religious man be sure that every scientific discovery will ultimately contribute to the illustration of the character or government of the ,deity2 and therefore should he encourage and rejoice in all such investigations1 and bid ,god speed to the votaries of science4 ,even though he cannot see how the new discovery will illustrate religion1 and though1 when imperfectly developed1 it may seem to have an unfavorable aspect1 he need not fear to confide in the general principle that science and religion are alike of divine origin1 and must be in harmony4 ,on the other hand1 the votary of science should remember that the state of society most favorable to his pursuits is one in which religion exerts the strongest influence4 ,it is for his interest1 therefore1 merely as a lover of science1 and much more as a moral and accountable agent1 to have pure religion prevail4 ,scientific and religious men should1 therefore1 look upon each other as co-laborers in a most noble cause--in illustrating the divine character and government4 ,all jealousy and narrow-minded exclusiveness should be banished1 and side by side should they labor in warm-hearted and generous sympathy4 ,alas6 how different from this has been the history of the past6 and1 to a great extent1 how different it is at present6 ,a study of the natural world1 says ,professor ,sedgwick1 teaches not the truths of revealed religion1 nor do the truths of religion inform us of the inductions of physical science4 ,hence it is that men1 whose studies are too much confined to one branch of knowledge1 often learn to overrate themselves1 and so become narrow minded4 ,bigotry is a besetting sin of our nature4 ,too often has it been the attendant of religious zeal2 but it is perhaps the most bitter and unsparing when found among the irreligious4 ,a philosopher1 not understanding one atom of their spirit1 will sometimes scoff at the labors of religious men2 and one who calls himself religious will1 perhaps1 return a like harsh judgment1 and thank ,god that he is not as the philosophers2 forgetting1 all the while1 that man can ascend to no knowledge except by faculties given to him by his ,creator's hand1 and that all natural knowledge is but a reflection of the will of ,god4 ,in harsh judgments1 such as these1 there is not only much folly1 but much sin4 ,true wisdom consists in seeing how all the faculties of the mind and all parts of knowledge bear upon each other1 so as to work together to a common end2 ministering at once to the happiness of man and his ,maker's glory4--,discourse on the ,studies of the ,university1 #eth edition1 p4 #aje1 appendix4 ,in the sixth place1 the subject shows us what is the most important use to be derived from science4 ,it does not consist1 as men have been supposing1 in its application to the useful arts1 whereby civilization1 and human comfort and happiness are so greatly promoted2 although men have thereby been raised from a state of barbarism and advanced to a high point on the scale of refinement4 ,it is not the application of science as a means of enlarging and disciplining the mind2 although this would be a noble result of scientific study4 ,but it is its application for the illustration of religion4 ,this1 ,i say1 is its most important use4 ,for what higher or nobler purpose can any pursuit subserve than in developing the character1 government1 and will of that infinite ,being1 who is the sum and centre of all perfection and happiness8 ,other objects accomplished by science are important1 and in the bustle of life they may seem to be its chief end4 ,but in the calmness of mature years1 when we begin to estimate things according to their real value1 we shall see that the religious bearings of any pursuit far transcend in importance all its other relations2 for all its other tendencies and uses are limited to this world1 and will1 therefore1 be transient2 but every thing which bears the stamp of religion is immortal1 and every thing which concerns the ,deity is infinite4 ,it is true that but few who are engaged in scientific pursuits make much account of their bearings upon man's highest interests2 but very different will it be in heaven4 ,there1 so far as we know1 all the applications of science to the useful arts will be unknown1 and the great object of its cultivation will be to gain new and clearer views of the perfections and plans of ,jehovah1 and thus to awaken towards him a deeper reverence and a warmer love4 ,and such should be the richest fruit of scientific researches on earth4 ,in the seventh place1 the subject shows us that those who are the most eminent in science ought to be the most eminent in piety4 ,i am far from maintaining that science is a sufficient guide in religion4 ,on the other hand1 if left to itself1 as ,i fully admit1-- ,it leads to bewilder1 and dazzles to blind4 ,nor do ,i maintain that scientific truth1 even when properly appreciated1 will compare at all1 in its influence upon the human mind1 with those peculiar and higher truths disclosed by revelation4 ,all ,i contend for is1 that scientific truth1 illustrating as it does the divine character1 plans1 and government1 ought to fan and feed the flame of true piety in the hearts of its cultivators4 ,he1 therefore1 who knows the most of science ought most powerfully to feel this religious influence4 ,he is not confined1 like the great mass of men1 to the outer court of nature's magnificent temple1 but he is admitted to the interior1 and allowed to trace its long halls1 aisles1 and galleries1 and gaze upon its lofty domes and arches2 nay1 as a priest he enters the penetralia1 the holy of holies1 where sacred fire is always burning upon the altars1 where hovers the glorious ,schekinah1 and where1 from a full orchestra1 the anthem of praise is ever ascending4 ,petrified1 indeed1 must be his heart1 if it catches none of the inspiration of such a spot4 ,he ought to go forth from it among his fellow-men with radiant glory on his face1 like ,moses from the holy mount4 ,he who sees most of ,god in his works ought to show the stamp of divinity upon his character1 and lead an eminently holy life4 ,finally1 the subject gives great interest and dignity to the study of science4 ,it is not strange that the religious man should sometimes find his ardor damped in the pursuit of some branches of knowledge1 by the melancholy reflection that they can be of no use beyond this world1 and will exist only as objects of memory in eternity4 ,he may have devoted many a toilsome year to the details and manipulations of the arts2 and1 so far as this world is concerned1 his labors have been eminently salutary and interesting4 ,but all his labors and researches can be of no avail on the other side of the grave2 and he cannot but feel sad that so much study and efforts should leave results no more permanent4 ,or he may have given his best days to loading his memory with those tongues which the ,scriptures assure us shall cease2 or to those details of material organization which can have no place or antitype in the future world4 ,interesting1 therefore1 as such pursuits have been on earth1 nay1 indispensable as they are to the well being and progress of human society1 it is melancholy to realize that they form a part of that knowledge which will vanish away4 ,the mind delights in the prospect of again turning its attention to those branches of knowledge which have engrossed and interested it on earth1 and of doing this under circumstances far more favorable to their investigation4 ,and such an anticipation he may reasonably indulge1 who devotes himself on earth to any branch of knowledge not dependent on arrangements and organizations peculiar to this world4 ,he may be confident that he is investigating those principles which will form a part of the science of heaven4 ,should he ever reach that pure world1 he knows that the clogs which now weigh down his mind will drop off1 and the clouds that obscure his vision will clear away1 and that a brighter sun will pour its radiance upon his path4 ,he is filling his mind with principles that are immortal4 ,he is engaged in pursuits to which glorified and angelic minds are devoting their lofty powers4 ,other branches of knowledge1 highly esteemed among men1 shall pass away with the destruction of this world4 ,the baseless hypotheses of science1 falsely so called1 whether moral1 intellectual1 or physical1 and the airy phantoms of a light and fictitious literature1 shall all pass into the limbo of forgetfulness4 ,but the principles of true science1 constituting1 as they do1 the pillars of the universe1 shall bear up that universe forever4 ,how many questions of deep interest1 respecting his favorite science1 must the philosopher in this world leave unanswered1 how many points unsettled6 ,but when he stands upon the vantage-ground of another world1 all these points shall be seen in the bright transparencies of heaven4 ,in this world1 the votaries of science may be compared with the aborigines who dwell around some one of the principal sources of the ,river ,amazon4 ,they have been able1 perhaps1 to trace one or two1 or it may be a dozen1 of its tributaries1 from their commencement in some mountain spring1 and to follow them onwards as they enlarge by uniting1 so as to bear along the frail canoes1 in which1 perhaps1 they pass a few hundred miles towards the ocean4 ,on the right and on the left1 a multitude of other tributaries swell the stream which carries them onward1 until it seems to them a mighty river4 ,but they are ignorant of the hundred other tributaries which drain the vast eastern slope of the ,andes1 and sweep over the wide plains1 till their united waters have formed the majestic ,amazon4 ,of that river in its full glory1 and especially of the immense ocean that lies beyond1 the natives have no conception2 unless1 perhaps1 some individual1 more daring than the rest1 has floated onward till his astonished eye could scarcely discern the shore on either hand1 and before him he saw the illimitable ,atlantic1 whitened by the mariner's sail and the crested waves2 and he may have gone back to tell his unbelieving countrymen the marvellous story4 ,just so is it with men of science4 ,they are able to trace with clearness a few rills of truth from the fountain head1 and to follow them onward till they unite in a great principle1 which at first men fancy is the chief law of the universe4 ,but as they venture still farther onward1 they find new tributary truths coming in on either side1 to form a principle or law still more broad and comprehensive4 ,yet it is only a few gifted and adventurous minds that are able1 from some advanced mountain top1 to catch a glimpse of the entire stream of truth1 formed by the harmonious union of all principles1 and flowing on majestically into the boundless ocean of all knowledge1 the ,infinite ,mind4 ,but when the ,christian philosopher shall be permitted to resume the study of science in a future world1 with powers of investigation enlarged and clarified1 and all obstacles removed1 he will be able to trace onward the various ramifications of truth1 till they unite into higher and higher principles1 and become one in that centre of centres1 the ,divine ,mind4 ,that is the ,ocean from which all truth originally sprang1 and to which it ultimately returns4 ,to trace out the shores of that shoreless ,sea1 to measure its measureless extent1 and to fathom its unfathomable depths1 will be the noble and the joyous work of eternal ages4 ,and yet eternal ages may pass by and see the work only begun4 ,footnotes3 #a ,i ought surely to except the work of ,professor ,bachman1 which ,i have not read1 but which was certainly written by an able naturalist4 #b ,i am not aware that this reply to the objection was ever advanced1 till the publication1 by myself1 last year1 of a sermon on the ,resurrections of ,spring1 in a small volume of sermons1 entitled ,religious ,lectures on some peculiar ,phenomena in the ,four ,seasons4 ,i may be mistaken2 but ,i cannot see why this reply does not completely meet the difficulty1 and free an important doctrine from an incubus under which it has long lain half smothered4 #c ,i hope it is not vanity to say that this subject1 also1 was first suggested in the sermon referred to in the preceding note4 ,if correct1 it opens an animating prospect to the afflicted ,christian4 #d ,the first edition of this work was republished in this country4 ,in ,england it has reached the fifth edition1 much enlarged4 #e ,two or three years since ,professor ,bronn described twenty-six thousand six hundred and seventy-eight species2 and1 upon an average1 one thousand species are discovered every year4 ,m4 ,alcide ,d',orbigny1 in #ahej1 stated the number of mollusks and radiated animals alone at seventeen thousand nine hundred and forty-seven species4 #f ,the news has just reached us that this venerable man is no more4 ,i was present last summer at ,homerton1 when he resigned the charge of that beloved institution4 ,from his addresses and his prayers1 so redolent of the spirit of heaven1 ,i might have known that he was pluming his wings for his upward flight4 ,i am thankful that ,i was permitted to see the man1 whom1 of all others in ,europe1 ,i most desired to see4 ,but ,dr4 ,buckland ,i did not meet2 for he was in an insane hospital1 with no prospect of recovery4 ,alas6 how sad to think of such ,christian philosophers1 so soon removed from the world1 or from all concern in it6 ,could ,i dare to hope that ,i shall meet them and kindred spirits before the throne of our common ,redeemer1 how should ,i exclaim with ,cicero1 ,o preclarum diem1 quum in illud animorum concilium coelumque proficiscar1 ut quum ex hac turba et colluvione discedam6 #g ,this had always seemed to me a very strong case1 as ,i had seen it described4 ,but a recent visit to the spot 7,september1 #ahej7 did not make so strong an impression upon me as ,i expected4 ,in the first place1 ,i found the head of ,lake ,lehman1 where the ,rhone enters1 to be so narrow1 that the detritus brought down by the river cannot spread itself out very far laterally4 ,secondly1 ,i found1 on ascending the ,rhone1 that it is every where a very rapid stream2 and1 on account of the origination of its branches from glaciers1 it is always loaded with mud4 ,so that the process of deposition must be going on continually4 ,this cannot be the case in one in ten of other rivers1 whose waters1 for most of the year1 are clear4 ,this case1 then1 is only a quite unusual exception1 and cannot be regarded as a standard by which to judge of the rate of deposition at present1 or in past times4 #h ,for a much more minute and extended account of the different modes proposed to reconcile geology and revelation1 and indeed of their entire connection1 ,i would refer to several papers in the ,american ,biblical ,repository1 especially to the number for ,october1 #ahce1 p4 #bfa4 ,the progress of science has1 indeed1 rendered it desirable to change a few sentences in those articles2 but all their essential principles ,i still maintain4 #i ,see ,stuart and ,hodge on ,rom4 v4 #ab2 also ,chalmers's ,lectures on ,romans1 ,lecture #bf2 and ,harris's ,man ,primeval1 p4 #agh4 #aj ,johnston's ,physical ,atlas1 pp4 #ff1 #gf1 7,philadelphia edition1 #ahej47 #aa ,rev4 ,joseph ,tracy1 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,oct4 #ahej1 p4 #fad4 #ab ,see the ,frontispiece4 #ac ,the subject of this inference is treated with great ability and candor in the ,biblotheca ,sacra for ,november1 #ahdi1 by my friend and colleague1 ,rev4 ,joseph ,haven1 ,jr41 professor of intellectual and moral philosophy in ,amherst ,college4 #ad ,in this description ,i have attempted to give exactly the experience of myself and ,john ,tappan1 ,esq41 with our wives1 who ascended ,snowdon in ,june1 #ahej4 ,a few days after1 we ascended ,cader ,idris1 another mountain of ,wales1 near ,dolgelly1 where the views were perhaps equally wild and sublime1 with the addition of a vast number of trap columns1 and a pseudo-crater1 with its jagged and frowning sides4 #ae ,when ,i visited this spot1 in ,september1 #ahej1 ,i was so fortunate as to get sight of a party that had just commenced the descent from the summit of ,mont ,blanc4 ,to the naked eye they were invisible1 but the whole train could be distinctly seen through a telescope4 ,this was the third party that had ascended that mountain in the summer of #ahej4 ,i doubt not that the dangers have been exaggerated1 and that the excursion will become common4 ,there are other points of great interest around ,chamouny1 which ,i have not noticed1 some of which ,i visited1 but not all4 ,i have mentioned only the most common4 #af ,in ,september1 #ahej1 ,i visited this well1 and found the water running still1 at the rate of six hundred and sixty gallons per minute at the surface1 and half that amount at the top of a tube one hundred and twelve feet high1 from whence it could be carried to any part of ,paris2 and1 in fact1 does supply some of the streets4 ,i tasted the water1 and found it pleasant1 though warm1 7#hd deg4 ,fahrenheit47 #ag ,i adopt this division from an able ,american review of the ,vestiges4 #ah ,for the details of this remarkable subject1 see the ,parthenogenesis of ,professor ,owen1 p4 #gf1 7,london1 #ahdi27 ,steenstrup's ,alternation of ,generations1 published by the ,ray ,society in #ahde1 and ,sedgwick's ,discourse on the ,studies of the ,university1 ,supplement1 p4 #aic1 7,london1 #ahej47 #ai ,the subject of this lecture has been ably discussed1 within a few years1 in most of the leading periodicals in ,europe and ,america1 though ,i must say not always with the candor calculated to do the most good4 ,the two most able volumes that have fallen into my hands1 on the subject1 are ,professor ,sedgwick's ,discourse on the ,studies of the ,university1 c41 7fifth ed41 ,london1 #ahej17 and ,hugh ,miller's ,footprints of the ,creator1 now republished in this country4 #bj ,this subject has been treated more fully1 and ,i hope more satisfactorily1 in a little work of mine1 which has just reached its second edition1 entitled ,religious ,lectures on ,peculiar ,phenomena in the ,four ,seasons1 7,amherst1 #ahea47 ,see the first ,lecture1 on the ,resurrections of ,spring4 ,,union ,,book ,,store ,,allen ,,spier ,,importers ,,and ,,dealers ,,in ,,school1 ,,law1 ,,medical ,,miscellaneous ,,books2 ,paper1 ,blank ,books2 ,american1 ,english and ,french ,staple and ,fancy ,stationery1 ,no4 #adh ,,clay ,,street1 ,just below ,montgomery1 ,,san ,,francisco4 ,,union ,,school ,,book ,,depository4 ,this department embraces the latest editions of the most approved text books in various languages4 ,,spellers ,,and ,,readers4 ,abbot's1 ,mc,guffey's1 ,heman's1 ,swan's1 ,sanders'1 ,town's1 ,webster's1 c4 ,,arithmetic4 ,adams'1 ,colburn's1 ,davie's1 ,greenleaf's1 ,ray's1 ,smith's1 ,thompson's1 c4 ,,geography4 ,mitchell's1 ,morse's1 ,olney's1 ,smith's1 c4 ,,grammar4 ,brown's1 ,bullion's1 ,kirkham's1 ,smith's1 ,weld's1 c4 ,,history4 ,,allison',s1 ,bancroft's1 ,gibbons'1 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