Mr, KlriVdn's Refutation of the Huttonian Theory. 5 



ccnfure, was neither animated by the fpirit nor guided bv 

 the maxims of true philolbphy. By the fpirit of philofophy 

 he mud have been induced to refleA, that fuch ^OT/oTZf^ wea- 

 pons as he was preparing to ufe are hardly ever allowable ia 

 Jcicniific conteftj as having a lefs diredl tendency to over- 

 throw the fyftem than to hurt the perfonof an adverfary, and 

 to wound, perhaps incurably, his mind, his reputation, or 

 his peace." This fevere cenfure appears to me unmerited : 

 of its liberality I leave others to judge. The inention of pre- 

 paration of fofojied weapons is perfe6lly rifible, when it is 

 confidered that the whole argument is comprehended in ten 

 or twelve lines. If Dr. Hutton had lived either in Spain or 

 Portugal, fome hurt to his perfon might indeed be appre- 

 hended ; but in Britain, where Mr. Hume, with impunity^ 

 trcfpafled much more on the received religious principles, no 

 danger could rationally be fufpefted ; and it were idle to think 

 that the reputation of an author could any more be wounded 

 by an inference obvioufly dcducible from his principles, than 

 by his own Ihtement of ihofe principles. 



Mr. Playfair continues : " By the maxims of philofophy 

 he (Mr. Kirwan) muft have been reminded, that in no part 

 of the hiftory of nature has any mark been difcovcred either 

 of the beginning or end of the prefent order." This I deny, 

 in common with thofe eminent geologifts already mentioned : 

 clear traces of a beginning are found. " By'attending to 

 thefe confiderations Mr. Kirwan would have avoided a very 

 illiberal and ungenerous proceeding; and, however he mi<fht 

 have diflered from Dr. Hutton as to the truth of his o'pi- 

 nions, he would not have cenfured their tendency with fuch 

 ralh and unjuftifiable feverity.-" I never once confidered the 

 tendency of his opinions, but merely their diredl confe- 

 quences; I had nothing to do with their tendency in a mere 

 geological treatife. 



Page 143. " It has been afferted that Dr. Hutton main- 

 tained all calcareous matter to be originally of animal forma- 

 tion : this pofnion, however, is fo far from being laid down 

 by Dr. Hutton, that it belongs to an inquiry whi^h he care- 

 fidly avoided to enter on." 



Page 147. " It is ncvcrlhclofs true, that Dr. Hutton 

 fomctimes exprefTed himfelf as if he thought that the prefent 

 calcareous rocks are all comp'fd of animal remains: thii 

 conclufion, however, is more general than the fafts warrant, 

 and, from (bmc incorrectnefs or ambiguiiy of lauguasje, is 

 certainly more general than he intended." Yet, p. 156, 

 treaiiug of mv account of the origin of coal mines, he fav*, 

 A .^ "' It 



