COSMOGONY DISCLAIMED 171 



no sense were they scientific researches ; they can 

 only be looked upon as exercitations of learned 

 ignorance. Springing mainly out of a laudable desire 

 to promote what was believed to be the cause of true 

 religion, they helped to retard inquiry, and exercised 

 in that respect a baneful influence on intellectual 

 progress. 



It is the special glory of the Edinburgh school of 

 geology to have cast aside all this fanciful trifling. 

 Hutton boldly proclaimed that it was no part of his 

 philosophy to account for the beginning of things. 

 His concern lay only with the evidence furnished by 

 the earth itself as to its origin. With the intuition 

 of true genius he early perceived that the only solid 

 basis from which to explore what has taken place in 

 bygone time is a knowledge of what is taking place 

 to-day. He thus founded his system upon a careful 

 study of the processes whereby geological changes are 

 now brought about. He felt assured that Nature must 

 be consistent and uniform in her working, and that 

 only in proportion as her operations at the present 

 time are watched and understood will the ancient 

 history of the earth become intelligible. Thus, in his 

 hands, the investigation of the Present became the 

 key to the interpretation of the Past. The establish- 

 ment of this great truth was the first step towards 

 the inauguration of a true science of the earth. The 

 doctrine of the uniformity of causation in Nature be- 

 came the fruitful principle on which the structure of 

 modern geology could be built up. 



Fresh life was now breathed into the study of the 

 earth. A new spirit seemed to animate the advance 



