128 THE HISTOEY OF CREATION, 



broken crust. Lyell, on the other hand, showed that we can 

 explain the formation of such enormous chains of mountains 

 quite naturally by the same slow and imperceptible risings and 

 depressions of the earth's surface which are still continually 

 taking place, and the causes of which are by no means 

 miraculous. Although these depressions and risings may 

 perhaps amount only to a few inches, or at most a few feet, 

 in the course of a century; still, in the course of some 

 millions of years they are perfectly sufficient to raise up the 

 highest chains of mountains, without the aid of mysterious 

 and incomprehensible revolutions. In hke manner, the 

 meteorological action of the atmosphere, the influence of rain 

 and snow, and, lastly, the breakers on the coasts, which by 

 themselves seem to produce an insignificant effect, must cause 

 the greatest changes if we only allow sufficiently long 

 periods for their action. The multiplication of the smallest 

 causes produces the greatest effects. Drops of water produce 

 a cavity in a rock. 



I shall afterwards be obliged again to recur to the im- 

 measurable length of geological periods which are necessary 

 for this purpose, for, as we shall see, Darwin's theory, as 

 well as that of Lyell, renders the assumption of immense 

 periods absolutely necessary. If the earth and its organisms 

 have actually developed in a natural way, this slow and 

 gradual development must certainly have taken a length of 

 time which surpasses our powers of comprehension. But as 

 many men see in this very circumstance one of the principal 

 difficulties in the way of those theories of development, I beg 

 leave here to remark that we have not a single rational 

 ground for conceiving the time requisite to be limited in any 

 way. Not only many ordinary persons, but even eminent 



