XX INTRODUCTION. 



present age, one for the depth of his know- 

 ledge in astronomy and general physics ; and 

 the other in zoology. It will be easily seen 

 that I allude to La Place and Lamarck, both 

 of whom, from their disregard of the word of 

 God, and from seeking too exclusively their 

 own glory, have fallen into errors of no small 

 magnitude. It is singular, and worthy of 

 observation, that both have based their hypo- 

 thesis upon a similar foundation. La Place 

 says, " An attentive inspection of the solar 

 system evinces the necessity of some central 

 paramount force, in order to maintain the 

 entire system together, and secure the regu- 

 larity of its motions." 1 One would expect 

 from these remarks, that he was about to 

 enforce the necessity of acknowledging the 

 necessary existence of an intelligent para- 

 mount central Being, whose goings forth were 

 co-extensive with the universe of systems, to 

 create them at first, and then maintain their 

 several motions and revolutions, so as to 

 prevent them from becoming eccentric and 

 interfering with each other, 2 thus -Upholding 

 all things by the word of his power. But 



1 System of the World, E. Tr. ii. 330. 



2 Ibid. Appendix, concluding note. 



