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INQUIRY into the CONSISTENCY of Dr. HUTTON'S THEORY 

 of the EARTH with the ARRANGEMENT of the STRATA, and 

 other PHENOMENA on the BASALTIC Coaji of Antrim. By the 

 Rev. WILLIAM RICHARDSON, D. D. 



Read May 2d, 1803. 



Quod mecum ignorat solus vult scire videii. 



P 



HILOSOPHERS at all times feem to have been fcized with a fort 

 of rage for inventing and fupporting theories, and for explaining the 

 operations of nature, and the phjenomena Are exhibits, upon princi- 

 ples difcovercd by themfelves; they feem to have confidered it as hu- 

 miliating to admit they v^ere not privy to her fecrets, and that they 

 were unable to explain the manner in which her various works were 

 executed. 



The mere adoption of the opinions of others could not procure 

 celebrity ; hence it became neceffary, that thofe who thirlled for fame, 

 ftiould ftrike out fomething new, which, while it fhewed their own fa- 

 gacity, gave them an opportunity alfo of difplaying their ability in 

 fupport of the fyflems they invented. 



Thus the attention of mankind was diverted from the fludy of 

 nature to the difcuffion of opinions ; for even thofe who did not 

 invent, thought it neceffary to adopt fome theory, for which they 



foon 



