THEORT of the EARTH. 2&7 



order and regularity in the works of nature, inftead of being 

 difgufted with diforder and confufion ; and he is made happy 

 from the appearance of wifdom and benevolence in the defign, 

 inftead of being left to fufpecl in the Author of nature, any of 

 that imperfection which he finds in himfelf. 



LET us now take a view of that fyftem of mineral ceconomy, 

 in which may be perceived every mark of order and defign, of 

 provident wifdom and benevolence. 



WE have been endeavouring to prove, that all the continents 

 and iflands of this globe had been raifed above the furface of 

 the ocean j we have alfo aimed at pointing out the caufe of this- 

 tranflation of matter, as well as of the general folidity of that 

 which is raifed to our view ; but however this theory fhall be 

 received, no perfon of obfervation can entertain a doubt, that 

 all, or almoft all we fee of this earth, had been originally formed 

 at the bottom of the fea. We have now another object in our 

 view ; this is to inveftigate the operations of the globe, at the 

 time that the foundation of this land was laying in the waters of 

 the ocean, and to trace the exiftence and the nature of things,, 

 before the prefent land appeared above the furface of the 

 waterSi, We fhould thus acquire fome knowledge of the fyftenv 

 according to which this world is ruled, both in its prefervatiort 

 and production ; and we might be thus enabled, to judge, how 

 far the mineral fyftem of the world fhall appear to be contrived 

 with all the wifdom, which is fo manifeft in what are termed 

 the animal and vegetable kingdoms. 



IT muft not be imagined that this undertaking is a thing 

 unreafonable in its nature j or that it is a work neceflarily be* 

 fet with any unfurmountable difficulty ; for, however imper- 

 fectly we may fulfil this end propofed, yet, fo far as it is to natu- 

 ral caufesthat are to be afcribed the operations of former time, 

 and fo far as, from the prefent ftate of things, or knowledge 

 of natural hiftory, we have it in our power to reafon from effect 

 to caufe, there are, in the conftitution of the world, which we 



now 



