SeGt. IV.] Geology, 209 



the most part, unsuccessful modes of speculation 

 on this interesting branch of natural history. Ac- 

 cordingly, the eighteenth century has teemed with 

 plans almost numberless, for sohing the pheno- 

 mena, and elucidating the internal structure and 

 history of the earth. These plans, to say nothing 

 of the impious nature and tendency of some of 

 them, have, generally, rather resembled pliiloso- 

 phical dreams, than the conceptions of waking and 

 sober reason. Their authors, in forming tliem, have 

 been too often guided by imagination more tlian 

 judgement; and have laboured rather to support a 

 favourite hypothesis, than to consult the voice of 

 authentic history^ or patiently to examine the ma- 

 terials and structure of the fabric which they un- 

 dertook to describe. It may not be improper to 

 take a brief review of some of the more conspicu- 

 ous, among the great number, which, at dilferent 

 periods of the century under consideration, and in 

 different parts of the world, have been received by 

 philosophers. 



At an early period of the century, the celebrated 

 John Hutchinson, whose principles of philosophy 

 were mentioned in a preceding chapter, formed a the- 

 ory of the earth, which he professed to derive from 

 Scripture*. He supposed, that, when the earth was 

 first created, the terrestrial matter was entirely 

 dissolved in the aqueous, forming a thick, muddy, 

 chaotic mass -, that the figure of this mass was sphe- 

 rical, and on the outside of this sphere lay a body 



* This theory was enlarged and commented upon by Mr. Cat- 

 cot, a follower of Hutchinson^ who, in ir0"8, publiahgd a voUimo 

 on the subject. 



Vol. I. P 



