But they have since learned, that the tract system is not less efficacious for advancing the religion of the Gospel, because it was invented and first employed for the destruction of that Gospel; that revelation is not to be extended in the world by isolated efforts only, because the principle of combined effort was employed by the illuminati to subvert the very foundations of society; and that those copies of the scriptures which issue from the very press employed by Voltaire to print his blasphemies, are not thereby rendered the less pure or perfect. Indeed, since the children of this world are in their generation, wiser than the children of light,' Christians have learnt to profit by that superior wisdom, and to seize upon those plans for the defence and extension of revealed truth, which worldly sagacity had invented for its destruction.

It had long been the proud feeling of scepticism that the wide fields of natural science were exclusively her

own.

Dressed in all the pride of a vain philosophy, she strutted and vapoured in the walks of science, fancying herself alone in the regions of light and truth, and looking down, with contempt, upon the weak and superstitious followers of the Nazarene. She reported with all the assurance of demonstration, that the history of the natural world was directly at variance with the sacred history. And it must be confessed, that during the reign of scholastic theology, those appointed for the defence of the Gospel, were not sufficiently conversant with the researches of natural philosophy, to determine whether the fact adduced from thence by sceptics were really, or only apparently, contradictory to the bible; and hence their only resort was, to commence an attack upon philosophy itself, and thus to separate the things that God had joined together, his work of creation and his work of revelation. But when such men as Newton, and Bacon, and Boyle, entered the walks of philosophy, and

looked at creation with an unjaundiced eye, they found that the responses from the temple of nature harmonized with those of revelation. And their answer to every philosophic scoff was like that given by Newton to the infidel astronomer Sir Edmund Halley, when, he said the scriptures wanted mathematical demonstration :-"'Mund, you had better hold your tongue; you have never sufficiently considered the matter." And it is a fact that ought not to be overlooked, that the more thoroughly the phenomena of nature are understood, the more exact and striking is their coincidence with the scriptures; while apparent discrepancies vanish upon rigid examination.

From no science probably has so much corroborating evidence of the truth of the scriptures been derived, as from geology. We are aware that this may be thought by some to be an incorrect assertion. There are very many who view with extreme jealousy and even alarm, those theories which modern geologists have divulged relating to the Mosaic cosmogony: and some cannot but look on them as subversive of the bible and even as tending to atheism. We mean in this place to give no opinion concerning the truth or falsehood of those theories: though we are disposed to adopt the sentiment of Bishop Burnet: "Let every thing," says he, "be tried and examined in the first place, whether it be true or false; and if it be found false it is then to be considered, whether it be such a falsity as is prejudicial to religion, or no. But for every new theory that is proposed to be alarmed, as if all religion was falling about our ears, is to make the world suspect that we are very ill assured of the foundation it stands upon." Apart however from all cosmogonical hypotheses, we are persuaded, that the man who will institute a comparison between the undeniable facts geology developes, and those of revelation, will be surprised at the striking coincidence

between them; and this too, in regard to points where it was least expected; thus rendering the argument, like that of the Hora Paulinæ, more strong and conclusive. It cannot be denied also, that this confirmation of the sacred history, derived from geology, has not been exaggerated by any partialities which geologists have exhibited for revelation: for it is well known, that many of the most distinguished of them even such as were friendly to the bible, have manifested a fastidious avoidance of all support from the sacred record. Yet their results have approximated more and more to the Mosaic account and the recent work of Cuvier, who stands first in this department of knowledge, contains an almost complete refutation of the objections of infidels to Moses' history; although he makes no refer ence to the scriptures as of more authority than any other history.

deed, although the Mosaic history of the creation and the deluge, have long been a favorite and strong hold of infidels, yet we know of no intelligent one, who dare attempt, at this day, to take a decided stand upon it.

The work of Professor Buckland is a striking exemplification of the increasing light and evidence geology is lending to revelation. No doubt many will look at its title page with 'a smile or a sigh', while the wild phantasms and airy dreams of Burnet and Whiston and Robinson and Hutchinson, float before their memories. It is not strange, indeed, that the vagaries of former writers on this subject, should have produced in logical minds a prejudice against every subsequent attempt to elucidate it: nor do we wonder that these writers were proverbially extravagant, with scarcely an exception, unless it be Catcott, when we consider the character of the age in which they wrote, and that geology was then in its earliest infancy. But it is unfortunate for the science, that a prejudice has thus been deeply rooted in the public mind, that even to this period VOL VI.-No. 8. 53

prevents men from an impartial examination of the writings of geologists of the present day, which are as different from the works of the theorists above alluded to, as those of Doddridge, Edwards and Dwight are, from the scholastic parade of Thomas Aquinas or Duns Scotus. The work of Mr. Buckland is written in the cautious inductive spirit of Bacon and Newton, and is well calculated to do away every lingering prejudice against a science, of which he is, as we understand, an able and accomplished Professor, in the University of Oxford. His object is to give a view of all the evidence of a universal deluge geology has disclosed; an important portion of which, results from his own discoveries.

Much, however, has been adduced in proof of the deluge, and is still insisted on, which has no relation to that catastrophe. And the want of discrimination between the true and the false evidences, has proved a source of endless confusion, and thrown an air of weakness over the whole argument. We propose, therefore, before entering directly upon the consideration of Mr. Buckland's work, to devote a few moments to the negative side of the question; and to show what is not proof of the Noachian deluge.

A principal evidence of that deluge, is the existence in the earth of organic remains; such as animals and shells: but these are not evidence, unless they occur under certain circumstances. We maintain that all those shells, animals, and other relics of organized beings, found in the solid and regular strata of the earth, were not deposited by the deluge of Noah; and are, therefore, no proof of that event. The earth, it is well known, is composed near its surface, of numerous layers of different sorts of rocks, clay, sand and gravel. Over these, is spread, almost every where, a mantle of sand, pebbles and rounded stones, confusedly mingled together and not of great thickness, called by geolo

gists diluvium. Now we maintain that it is only in this diluvial exterior covering, that we are to expect to find any evidences of the deluge. All the organic remains found in the regular strata below this, were deposited previous to that period, and could not have resulted from such a catastrophe. We cannot here discuss the questions, at what period, and in what manner, these fossils were imbedded. Some will have it, that there was a long intervening period between the original production of the earth out of nothing and the time in which man was created, and that these organized beings became enveloped in their stony bed during that period. Others maintain, that the work was going on gradually in the 1656 years between the creation and the deluge, and by that event, the sea and land were made to change places, so that the antediluvian continents are now the bottom of the ocean, and that our present continents were the bed of the antediluvian oceans. Professor Buckland's discoveries, however, have proved conclusively, that the sea and land did not change places during the deluge. But our business in this place, is merely to prove that the organic remains of the regular strata were not deposited by the deluge.

It is not surprising, indeed, that this phenomenon, when first observed, should have been thought conclusive proof of the Noachian deluge. And even now, let the fact be stated in general terms, that on the highest mountains, as the Pyrenees, the Andes and the Gauts, are found imbedded, immense quantities of sea shells and

an

imals, and where is the man, unacquainted with the subject in its details, who would not immediately feel that this was conclusive evidence of the Noachian deluge? But a knowledge of the details is necessary in order to judge correctly on the subject: and we are persuaded that any man who shall

thoroughly examine it, and make himselfocularly acquainted with the phenomena, will, without hesitation conclude that these remains were not the work of the deluge. It is true, indeed, that many respectable modern authors impute them to that event. Even Mr. Gisborne, in his very respectable work on the testitimony of natural and revealed religion, defends that opinion with much confidence, and it is well known, that the same sentiment is inculcated in every compend and catechism, of the evidences and doctrines of revelation now extant. But we are not aware that any able geologist of the present day can be pointed out,who has not discarded it. And certainly there are very many of them who are sincere and able defenders of the bible, and not very liable to be warped by system.

But we feel the difficulty of presenting the evidence of the position we maintain, that Noah's deluge was not the cause of the deposition of fossils in regular strata, until we have presented a complete history of the arrangement and relative distribution of these remains:-subjects yet in their infancy, but concerning which, more discoveries have been made within twenty years, than for thousands of years before that time. But this is impossible to be done within our limits: yet as we shall refer to the most modern and able writers upon the point, those who are not convinced may refer to these authorities for a more full discussion of the subject.

It was a fine specimen of infidel candour in Voltaire, at a time when the origin of fossils was extensively discussed in Europe, not merely to deny that they had any connexion with the deluge, but also to express doubts of their existence by suggesting that the fossil bones found in France, were stray specimens from the cabinets, and that shells imbedded in Mount Cenis, came from the neighbouring lakes, or even might have been dropped from the