30 EXPLANATIONS. 



party can show these sciences as presenting far 

 more argument for a law-creation of organismsl 

 than against it, the hypothesis must be admitted 

 to have the advantage. I have so presented these 

 sciences ; the evidence has been disputed, and 

 some obscure points have been largely insisted 1 

 upon in objection. It is now my duty to enter | 

 into the consideration of these objections, and see 

 if they are really of the importance which has 

 been attributed to them. 



Fifty years ago, science possessed no facts 

 regarding the origin of organic creatur2s upon 

 earth ; as far as knowledge acquired through the 

 ordinary means was concerned, all was a blank 

 antecedent to the first chapters of what we call 

 ancient history. Within that time, by researches 

 in the crust of the earth, we have obtained a 

 bold outline of the history of the globe, during 

 what appears to have been a vast chronology in^ 

 tervening between its formation and the appeaX' 

 ance of the human race upon its surface. It is 

 shown, on powerful evidence, that, during this 

 time, strata of various thickness were deposited 

 in seas, each in succession being composed o: 

 matters worn away from the previous rocks ; vol- 

 canic agency broke up these strata, and projectecT 



