8 MINERALS. 



3; The third of Marble y with marine petrifactions iinbeddcd, and 

 often extraneous matter. 



4. The fourth oi SchiJ}. 



5. The fifth and iippermoft of Rocky often of vaft bulk. 



IT is palpable to common obfervation, that the ocean is the mother 

 of the earth. 



a. The waters of ocean, made turbid by nifrous fhowers, are preci- 

 pitated and cryrtallized into fand which covers the bottom of the fea. 



hi The ocean is here and there in vaft patches, overfpread with the 

 Fucus natans, eaufirrg tranquility on its fuiface^ unlefs when agi- 

 tated by vajiable winds. 



c. The foil from decayed Fuci b) gradually defcends, being lighter 

 than fand a), while this marine vegetable gradually dilates itfelf 

 into a floating meadow. 



<1. Marine Worms, Mollufca^, Tertaceous Animals, Lithophytes and 

 Zoophytes, Fifhes with their floating eggs, and Sea-birds, whofc 

 formation rendersr them unfit for flight, feed under this marine mea- 

 dow of Fucus c). 



e. Under the waters in aftate of tranquility b), is (howered down an 

 argillaceous fediment with the calcareous Ihells d) of gradually cor- 

 rupting worms, till an elevated accumulation is formed parallel 

 with the furface of the fea, while its preiTure moving the waters bj, 

 repels the marine fubftances around it d). 



f. For the formation of Roek, according to its own laws, the fea 

 firft cads up vaft mafles of Fuci, which moulder into foil, clothing 

 the naked earth at the bottom with an arenaceous covering, at firit 

 eafily blown about when dry, and when mixed concreting into gra- 

 vel and ultimately into rocks. 



g. By a long fucceflion of ages therefore, and by a perennial quiefcence 

 of fcafons, 



1. Safidi) is concreted into Sdnd-Jlbne i), variorufly but properly cleft, 



2. Soil c) IS cemented into Schiji 2), lamellousand conbuftible. 



3. Clay e) is indurated into Marble 3) congulated by worms. 



4. Soil f ) is cemented into an upper ftratum of Schiji 4), lamellous 

 and combuftible like the former. 



5. Sarn^ f ) is concreted into Gravel 5), with a mixture of othet 

 fubftances. 



6. This again is concreted into fmaller Hones, thefe into larger, and 

 thefe lail into rocks ; till at length, the waters of the fea gradually 

 fubfiding, there appears a mountain : nor can the highcft rocks float 

 upon an argillaceous furface, while, before it became calcified, 

 marine woims continue their growth in it. That the highelt 

 rocks therefore are the genuine offspring of time, while all was 

 lilence, themfelves iuflRciently declare. ** Such arc the mutations 

 produced by the lapfc of -time. "t 



f Luc. xii. 40, 



