Chap. 45-1 Form of thf Eartb. 29$ 



With refpeft to the form of the earth, it is fcarcely 



neceflary to mention, that it is nearly round ; a cir- 



cumftance, 



of water, which was then in the center of the earth, uniting with 

 that which was found on the furface, fo far feparated the terrene 

 parts as to mix all together in one fluid mafs; the contents of 

 which afterwards finking according to their refpe&ive gravities, 

 produced the prefent appearances of the earth. Being aware, 

 however, of an objection that foffil fubftances are not found dif- 

 folved, he exempts them from this univerfal diflblution, and for 

 that purpofe, endeavours to Ihew that the parts of animals have 

 a ftronger cohefion than thofe of minerals ; and that, while even 

 the hardeil rocks may be diffolved, bones and {hells may ftill 

 continue entire. 



So much for Woodward; but of all the fyftems which were 

 publiQied refpedling tbe earth's formation that of Whifton was 

 moil applauded, and moft oppofed. Nor need we wonder; for 

 being Supported with all the parade of deep calculation, it awed 

 the ignorant, and produced the approbation of fuch as would be 

 thought otherwife, as it implied a knowledge of abftrufe learning, 

 to be even thought capable of comprehending what the writer 

 aimed at. In fad, it is not eafy to diveft this theory of its ma- 

 thematical garb ; but thofe who have had leifure, have found the 

 refult of our philofopher's reafoning to be thus. He fuppoles 

 the earth to have been originally a comet; and he considers the 

 hiftory of the creation, as given us in fcripture, to have its com- 

 mencement juft when it was, by the hand of the Creator, more 

 regulariy placed as a planet in our folar fyftem. Before that 

 time, he fuppofes it to have been a globe without beauty or pro- 

 portion ; a world in diforder ; fubject to all the viciflitudes which 

 comets endure ; fome of which have been found, at different times, 

 a thoufand times hotter than melted iron ; at others, a thouJand 

 times colder than ice. Thefe alternations of heat and cold, 

 continually melting and freezing the furface of the earth, he 

 fuppofes to have produced, to a certain depth, a chaos en- 

 tirely refembling that defcribed by the poets, furrounding the 

 folid contents of the earth, which ftill continued unchanged in the 

 midft, making a great burning globe of more than two thoufand 

 leagues in diameter. This furrounding chaos, however, was 

 far from being folid : he refcmbles it to a denfe though fluid at- 

 mofphere, compofed of fubftances mingled, agitated, and (hocked 

 againft each other; and in this diforder he describes the earth to 

 have been juft at the eve of creation. 



'But 



