THEORT of the EARTH. 223 



BUT even allowing that, by the changed axis of the earth, 

 or any other operation of the globe, as a planetary body re- 

 volving in the folar fyftem, great continents of land could 

 have been creeled from the place of their formation, the 

 bottom of the fea, and placed in a higher elevation, com- 

 pared with the furface of that water, yet fuch a continent as 

 this could not have continued ftationary for many thoufand 

 years ; nor could a continent of this kind have prefented to us,, 

 every where within its body, mafTes of confolidated marble, 

 and other mineral fubftances, in a (late as different as pomble 

 from that in which they were, when originally collected toge- 

 ther in the fea. 



CONSEQUENTLY,. befides an operation, by which the earth 

 at the bottom of the fea fhould be converted into an elevated 

 land, or placed high above the level of the ocean, there is re- 

 quired, in the operations of the globe, a confolidating power, 

 by which the loofe materials that had fubfided from water, 

 fhould be formed into mafles of the moft perfect folidity, having 

 neither water nor vacuity between their various conftituent 

 parts, nor in the pores of thofe conftituent parts themfelves. 



HERE is an operation of the globe, whether chemical or me- 

 chanical, which is necefTarily connected with the formation of 

 our prefent continents : Therefore, had we a proper underftand- 

 ing of this fecret operation, we might ' thereby be enabled to 

 form an opinion, with regard to the nature of that unknown 

 power, by which the continents have been placed above the fur- 

 face of that water wherein they had their birth. 



IF this confolidating operation be performed at the bottom 

 of the ocean, or under great depths of the earth,. of which our 

 continents are compofed, we cannot be witnefles to this mine- 

 ral procefs, or acquire the knowledge of natural caufes, by im- 

 mediately obferving the changes which they produce ; but 

 though we have not this immediate obfervation of thofe changes 

 of bodies, we have, in fcience, the means of reafoning from 



diftant 



