REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 335 



to the first recorded day ! At this period, however, the earth was without form 

 and void. The labor of creation was thus disposed : — On the first day the dis- 

 tinction between light and darkness was formed ; on the second the waters which 

 were under the firmament were divided from those which were above the 

 firmament ; on the third dry land appeared ; vegetables, likewise, were created, 

 with powers of reproduction ; on the fourth lights were established in the firma- 

 ment to divide the day from the night, and to be " for signs and for seasons, and 

 for days and years ;'' on the fifth appeared birds, and marine animals ; and on 

 the sixth land, animals and Man. 



Our readers now have, in juxtaposition, two accounts of the creation as opposite 

 and as contradictory as can be well conceived. But we must here inquire, are 

 you a geologist, or are you not ? — a puzzling question, truhy, for those whose 

 veneration for authority triumphs over their reason, but one for which the more 

 plausible of even this class will not fail to find a ready reply, in the assertion 

 that " day" in the Bible is a mistranslation for " age" or " period." We fully 

 believe that " day" is a correct version of the Hebrew word. But let us suppose, 

 for the sake of argument, that we are mistaken. It appears, then, that so long as 

 the mosaic records remained undisturbed by geological facts and inferences, they 

 were not only considered unimpeachable in their correctness, but the hardy lover of 

 truth who should venture to impugn their accuracy was denounced, with christian 

 zeal, as an Infidel — a name, as frequently applied, honourable in the extreme ; 

 but no sooner are the facts produced, than this or some other equally mean 

 subterfuge is conjured up to assist the decaying cause ! Thus, whether it be days 

 or thousands of years, matters not ; it must be found correct if published under 

 authority. 



By the mosaic account, moreover, we are led to infer that matter, both organic 

 and inorganic, was created by a direct fiat of the Almighty. Here again the 

 Bible and Science are at issue, since the whole course of our researches in the 

 latter study tends to point out that the world has ever been governed by 

 fixed and immutable laws ; that the world " in the beginning" and the laws are 

 of God's ordainment, and that only thus far the Creator interferes with the 

 progress of the earth and its countless inhabitants. We have related the manner 

 in which, as geologists, we should explain the deposition of the eai-th's crust. 

 The creation of Man and other animals is far from being equally clear, and in 

 fact Science has hitherto proved unable to grapple with the point. But neither, 

 on the one hand, is this cause for dismay, nor, on the other, can it induce the 

 rational geologist to adopt, even temporarily, a view alike opposed to facts and 

 to reason. 



Lastly, prior to quitting this highly interesting question, let us briefly advert 



to a circumstance tending to cast doubt upon the accuracy of the first chapter 



of Genesis, and thereby supporting our argument. On the first day we are told 



2 y 2 



