Thoughts on the Deluge. 247 



siderable portion of the oil is rendered miscible, suspended in 

 the water, and consequently thrown away with it. Still a large 

 return of oil is procured. 



This also is a singular fact, — that while the wliite of the 

 eggs of birds consists almost entirely of albumen, (and so spee- 

 dily hardened by the heat of boiling water,) the white part of 

 the turtle's ^g^ seems to be rather a gelatinous substance than 

 albuminous, and appears to contain less of albumen than the 

 yolk ; for the latter soon becomes hard on boiling, whilst the 

 white remains liquid. 



Art. Yll,^^Thoughts on the Dehtge^. Communicated by 

 a Correspondent. 



The principal and most important object of the Holy Scrip- 

 tures being to instruct us in the material doctrines and duties 

 of our religion — to show us the origin of all things from an 

 Almighty power — to teach us concerning the creation of man, 

 his fall, and redemption, we are not to expect in them a per- 

 fect system of philosophy or correct ideas in science. — " It 

 is plainly no part of them to guide men's opinions, or to inform 

 their minds on any subject except that of religion and morals, 

 and consequently, the writers of them were probably left as 

 uninstructed on other points as other men. For example, they 

 no doubt laboured through their lives under the same mistaken 

 popular ideas that prevailed in their age and country regard- 

 ing the order of the universe, the globe we inhabit, and every 

 subsequent acquisition and improvement in science. — In every 

 other particular besides religion, mankind was left to the na- 

 tural progress of human intellect and human experience." 

 (Slightly altered from Four Letters on Religion^ by a Lay- 

 man. Bath, 1801.) 



To instruct us in philosophy is not their object, but a far 

 more important one, to instruct us in all things necessary for 

 our salvation. 



The investigation of the truths of science is left to employ 



* We have inserted this paper at the request of a much esteemed Cor- 

 respendent, although we do not adopt the views which it contains. — ^Ed. 



