22 THE COMING [CH. 



time were regarded as unscriptural, it becomes less 

 difficult to understand the prejudice that was excited 

 against the gentle and modest philosopher of 

 Edinburgh. 



We have employed the term ' Catastrophism ' to 

 indicate the views which were prevalent at the 

 beginning of last century concerning the origin of the 

 rock-masses of the globe and their fossil contents. 

 These views were that at a number of successive 

 epochs of which the age of Noah was the latest 

 great revolutions had taken place on the earth's 

 surface ; that during each of these cataclysms all 

 living things were destroyed ; and that, after an 

 interval, the world was restocked with fresh assem- 

 blages of plants and animals, to be destroyed in turn 

 and entombed in the strata at the next revolution. 



Whewell, in 1830, contrasted this teaching with 

 that of Button and Lyell in the following passage : 

 'These two opinions will probably for some time 

 divide the geological world into two sects, which may 

 perhaps be designated the " Uniformitarians " and 

 the " Catastrophists." The latter has undoubtedly 

 been of late the prevalent doctrine.' It is interesting 

 to note, as showing the confidence felt in their tenets 

 by the l Catastrophists ' of that day, that Whewell 

 adds * We conceive that Mr Lyell will find it a harder 

 task than he imagines to overturn the established 

 belief 13 1 ' 



