prefers that explanation which is supported by the high authority of Dr. Pusey, the Regius Professor of Hebrew in Oxford, and has the sanction of Dr. Chalmers, Bishop Gleig, and other eminent contemporary divines,-namely, that the phrase employed in the first words of Genesis, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,' may refer to an epoch antecedent to the first day subsequently spoken of in the fifth verse, and that during this indefinite interval, comprising, perhaps, millions and millions of years, all the physical operations disclosed by geology were going on. Many of the Fathers quoted by Professor Pusey appear to have thus interpreted the commencement of the sacred history, understanding from it that a considerable interval took place between the original creation of the universe related in the first verse, and that series of events of which an account is given in the third and following verses.

'Accordingly,' says Professor Pusey, in some old editions of the English Bible, where there is no division into verses, you actually find a break at the end of what is now the second verse; and in Luther's Bible (Wittenburg, 1557) you have in addition the figure 1 placed against the third verse, as being the beginning of the account of the creation on the first day. This is just the sort of confirmation which one wished for, because, though one would shrink from the impiety of bending the language of God's book to any other than its obvious. meaning, we cannot help fearing lest we might be unconsciously influenced by the floating opinions of our own day, and therefore turn the more anxiously to those who explained Holy Scripture before these theories existed.'-Note, p. 25.

Thus all difficulty arising from the immense antiquity of the globe attested by geology is at once removed. The circumstances related in the succeeding verses must be understood as referring to those immediate changes by which the surface of the earth was prepared for the reception of man. Just as the facts disclosed by astronomy, without detracting aught from the credit of the inspired historian, prove that the sun, and moon, and planetary bodies must have existed previous to the fourth day,' on which he first mentions them as made,' or appointed to serve the office of signs and seasons, and days and years;' so geology in no degree contradicts the real meaning of the text, by proclaiming the fact that the air, the earth, and the waters were peopled by living creatures for innumerable ages before that epoch in the world's history which the sacred historian alone contemplates.

After all, it should be recollected,' says Dr. Buckland, that the question is not respecting the correctness of the Mosaic narrative, but of our interpretation of it; and still further, it should be borne in mind that the object of this account was, not to state in what manner, but by whom, the world was made. As the prevailing tendency of

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men in those early days was to worship the most glorious objects of nature, namely, the sun, and moon, and stars, it should seem to have been one important point in the Mosaic account of creation to guard the Israelites against the polytheism and idolatry of the nations around them, by announcing that all these magnificent celestial bodies were no gods, but the works of One Almighty Creator, to whom alone the worship of mankind is due.'-p. 33.

And, we may add, in this announcement it were unreasonable to expect that a revelation should be made of the details of the mighty work of creation, or of recondite facts relative to the celestial bodies, or the natural history of the globe, contrary to all the received opinions of the day, unfitted to the capacity of those whom the inspired writer immediately addressed, and likely, as such, to distract their attention from the real objects of his mission, namely, to declare the unity of the Godhead, to relate the history of mankind, and to lay down a rule of conduct to be followed by the chosen people. Matters of the former class come neither within the letter nor the spirit of Scriptural revelation. But they have been revealed to us in those physical monuments of his power that God has put before our eyes, giving us at the same time faculties whereby we may interpret them. And we shall surely err as much in denying or wilfully closing our eyes to these magnificent evidences of his wondrous attributes, because of some fancied non-accordance of the letter of Scripture with them, as we could in withholding our belief in the great truths of revelation on the same miserable grounds.*

This preliminary objection being disposed of, our author enters at once upon the main subject of his treatise, namely, the peculiar proofs of design and contrivance, attesting the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Creator, which are unfolded to us by geology. The past history of the globe comprehends two divisions,—that which treats of the changes to which the inorganic world, or gross mineral materials of the earth's crust, have been subjected,-and

* Dr. Buckland himself has afforded in his own writings a striking example of the danger and impolicy of endeavouring to connect geological theories with Scripture. The main object of his Reliquiæ Diluviana' was to exhibit the gravel which covers a large portion of the northern hemisphere, and the curious cave-deposits of the same tract, as the result and the evidence of the Mosaic deluge. Further geological investigations have satisfied the Doctor that this opinion is utterly untenable; and, accordingly, he quietly renounces it in a note to p. 95 of the present work. But may we not justly fear that such persons as have been led by the eloquent arguments of the Reliquiæ' to rely on the supposed geological evidences of the deluge as strong confirmation of the authenticity of the inspired narrative, may feel their faith rudely shaken on hearing from the same authority that this fancied corroboration is a fallacy, that the evidence is no evidence at all, and rested on an entire misconstruction of the facts? Would it not have been much better to have avoided altogether the endeavour to support that which needs no extrinsic confirmation, by frail and flimsy theories which the next discovery may upset?' Non tali auxilio!'

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that which embraces the history of the animal and vegetable kingdoms by which that surface has, through the various stages of its existence, been tenanted. The latter, as may readily be conceived, offers the most prolific field of the two to the investigation of creative design. But the former is by no means barren in such speculations. Indeed, though wanting in those examples of nice and beautiful contrivance by which, in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, all the resources of the most consummate art, refined ingenuity, and profound science,-if such phrases are allowable,seem to have been employed for effecting the purpose in view, this department of natural history presents instances of the adaptation of means to an end of a peculiarly grand and striking character. We are not sure, indeed, that our author has quite done justice to this part of the subject, which offers views of the creative intelligence and design not a whit inferior in force of evidence to those afforded by the animated creation, on which, by preference, he has so ably and eloquently dwelt.

We assume the main object of the disposition of the earth's surface to have been the provision of a state of things most favourable to the utmost possible development of animated and sentient existence, and consequently to the largest aggregate amount of ENJOYMENT. For what other end can we imagine so worthy of the exercise of the wisdom and power which are the co-attributes of the Divine Benevolence? In this view the astronomer shows us the globe of our earth hung in space by invisible but all-powerful chains, and performing that double revolution upon its own axis, and around the solar centre of light and heat, which are alike essential to the maintenance and constant renewal of life upon its surface. Taking up the argument where he leaves it, the geologist exhibits the admirable contrivances by which the crust of this ball has been rendered, throughout innumerable ages, capable of supporting countless myriads of organic existences. Now how has this great end been accomplished? Looking at the question à priori, it might be supposed most consistent with the order, harmony, and regularity which is maintained, chiefly by the great principle of gravitation, throughout the planetary system of which our globe is a portion, that its surface should present one unvaried character, the nucleus perhaps being enveloped in concentric folds of its component materials, gaseous, liquid, and solid, disposed like the coats of an onion, in the order of their specific gravity, or some other more or less symmetrical arrangement. But the slightest consideration will convince us that any such disposition would have been fatal to the possible existence of the greater part-probably to the whole-of the organic creation. The multiplicity and amount of animal and vegetable

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life with which the surface of the globe has ever teemed, are wholly dependent on the excessive irregularity with which its few and simple elements have been compounded into an endless variety of mixtures, and scattered up and down, hither and thither the great mass of liquids collected, it is true, into separate bodies, but at the same time circulating in an endless course through and over the whole-the solid parts aggregated into an universal crust, but which at the same time is broken up into the wildest confusion, so as on some points to pierce the clouds, on others to sink beneath the deepest oceans, while it exposes in turn upon its surface every variety of substance that enters into its composition, even those which could only have been formed originally in its inmost depths-the gaseous overspreading and penetrating all, but constantly undergoing the most irregular and complex changes. All this apparent confusion and disturbance, seemingly so opposite to the prevailing tranquillity, order, and almost symmetrical arrangements of the celestial universe, has been always indispensable to the existence of the animal and vegetable kingdoms on the surface of our planet, and can only be explained on the supposition that it was ordained for that end.

The

Geology points out by what contrivances these essential irregularities have been brought about, and the limits within which they are for the same useful purpose restrained. In the present state of the science all, it is true, are not agreed on the means which in the infancy of the planet were adopted to separate the atmosphere and ocean from the solid frame-work of the earth. But there is now no longer any difference of opinion among geologists as to the agency employed for elevating the latter as dry land above the liquid level of the ocean, and for giving to it that rudely varied surface and infinitely modified composition, which we have spoken of as of such paramount importance to organic nature. agency employed is mainly of two very simple kinds, namely, first, the expansive and alterative power of heat proceeding from the interior of the globe; secondly, the action of the immense body of water which is constantly moving over its surface, and engaged in grinding down its prominent parts, and re-distributing their materials in stratified beds within its hollows. These antagonizing forces of fire and water have from the first produced and continually maintain that endless variety of form and composition in the mineral masses of the earth's surface, to which its animal and vegetable inhabitants are indebted for their varied existence. The one has originated that class of rocks which are unstratified and crystalline, having been protruded in a state of igneous fusion, or something like it, from the interior of the globe to the places they now occupy,--the other has given rise to the immense aggregation

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of stratified and alluvial rocks which compose the greater part of its dry-surface, although, from the marine remains they contain, it is clear they have mostly been deposited below the ocean, and subsequently lifted up by the expansive force of subterranean heat. In order to bring clearly before the mind's eye of his readers the dynamical changes which have been thus wrought upon the crust of the earth, Dr. Buckland has engraved a long and elaborate ideal section of a portion of this crust; an improved reduction of the magnificent sketch of the same subject with which Mr. Webster (so well-known for his observations in the Isle of Wight and elsewhere) used to illustrate his geological lectures. Nothing can be more instructive than this section: it teaches more at a glance of the ancient history of the globe, and the revolutions to which it has been subjected, than the perusal of many a laboured treatise on the matter. The eye is carried gradually forward from the formations, igneous and aqueous, which are going on at present, to the most ancient which have been shattered and displaced by the convulsions of ages; and to each period is annexed a minute but spirited representation of the principal characteristic races of animals and vegetables that belonged to it.

What may be the precise nature, cause, or seat of the igneous power, by which the crust of the earth has always been so powerfully affected, is a matter still involved in much obscurity. Its activity is witnessed daily in the volcano and the earthquake; and the geologist traces its past violence in the visible fracture, disturbance, and elevation of the sedimentary strata, as well as in the vast masses of crystalline rock which have burst their way upwards through these, in the state of lava or something analogous to it, on almost every part of its surface, and at every age of its history. Two theories contend for the explanation of this force, that of central heat,' which supposes the nucleus of the globe to have always been at an intense temperature, and probably fluid, the cooling of the surface having first formed the solid crust, and then in its inward progress broken up and convulsed it-and the chemical theory,' which supposes the nucleus to be composed of the metallic bases of the earths; the phenomena of heat, eruptions, and elevatory expansions being caused by the oxydation of these substances by water or air that penetrates to them through clefts in the superficial rocks.

Dr. Buckland, unwilling apparently to determine between these conflicting theories, assumes both to be true-an easy way of escaping a difficulty, and avoiding to commit himself to either alone -but not, perhaps, very philosophical, inasmuch as either is alleged by its advocates to be alone equal to the solution of the problem.