ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 395 



it was necessary to produce the first, second, and third 

 " tioetz trap formations" in the few chosen spots where 

 they exist. This being done, the superfluous sea va- 

 nishes for the last time, and man is created. 



I have avoided a more minute account of this theory, 

 out of respect for this philosopher ; as it is unfortu- 

 nately the less intelligible the more it is explained. 

 But of all the properties of that which explains every 

 thing in the most perfect manner, the most perfect is, 

 that it is peculiarly and exclusively consistent with the 

 Mosaic history, which it also proves. The reader shall 

 judge whether those who assert, or those who believe 

 in, this marvellous property, are most worthy of marvel. 

 But, as Whiston says of his own, " whether it be pos- 

 sible, or not, such is the fact." 



If it has not accounted for the " tertiary" strata, a 

 sea so convenient might always contain the necessary 

 rocks at the necessary places; while so moveable a 

 substance can ascend and descend as often as is needful. 

 The minerals of mineral veins were precipitated in the 

 fissures, from the universal solution. Hock veins are 

 contemporaneous with the including rocks, and formed 

 by crystallization, as are the fragments in the conglo- 

 merates ; as contortions, fractures, elevations, and so 

 forth, are also modes of crystallization, and as are 

 mountains and vallies ; there being no subsequent pro- 

 cess of denudation. The coal deposits were formed 

 by an elective attraction at those points, from carbon 

 in solution ; as the vegetable fragments also tended to 

 the same places. The induration of strata near trap, 

 is the result of intermixture during crystallization ; 

 though the former were completed many ages before 

 the latter were produced : and while volcanoes are 

 purely modern, and heated by coal, pumice and obsi- 

 dian are deposits from water. 



