Sect. IV.] Ceolo^v, 003 



\vhich always did, and always will go on, fijrmijig 

 world after world in pcrpetnal succx?ssion. Conse- 

 quently, according to this theory, the continents 

 "which we now inhabit mnst, in ])rocess of time, 

 be Avorn away and destroyed, and otiiers l>e forced 

 up to supply their place. The length of time to 

 be allowed for this successive destruction and re 

 production. Dr. Ilutton su})poses to be far greater 

 than is generally imagined. His system, therefore, 

 is to be arranged, of course, among those which 

 are hostile to the scicrcd histor}'; and the best 

 judges have pronounced it equally hostile to the 

 principles of probability, to the r<L"sults of the ablest 

 observations on the mineral kingdom, and to the 

 dictates of rational philosophy. 



It has been suggested, that this doctrine of the 

 igniform origin of our globe appears to be drawn 

 from the theory of M.Builbn, with the dilltjrence 

 of perpetuall}^ renovating powers, having no deter- 

 nainate commencement, instead of a once slowly 

 forming and now^ gradually decaying principle. 

 Dr. Hutton, indeed, does not attribute the fusion 

 of terrestrial substances to the state in which this 

 planet issued from the sun, but to subterraneous 

 fires and furnaces, coeval with it, and still existing 

 undiminished*. 



In 1790 appeared a new theory of the earth, by 

 Mr. John Williams, an English mineralogist of 

 respectable character, which, though it has not 

 acquired much celebrity, is entitled to a tran^'icnt 

 notice in the present -sketch f. 



* Howard's Thow^hts en the Globe, &c. 



f Natural History of th^ Mineral Kingdom, ScCv ^y John AVil- 

 liarns^ 2 vols 8vo^ i;oo. 



