452 



then remain. The age of the world, according to the scriptural 

 account, will then agree with that which is manifested by the pheno- 

 mena of its stratification. 



I am aware, that I shall obtain very little support in such a change 

 from the critical expositors of this part of scriptural history, even should 

 I plead, that in the poetical language of the prophets this word is some- 

 times thus used. I however trust, that I shall have produced no slight 

 authority in its favour, if I show you that Moses himself employs this 

 word in this sense, when speaking of the whole creation of the heavens and 

 the earthy and all the host of them. " These," he says, " are the genera- 

 tions of the heavens and the earth, when they were created, in the day 

 that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." Genesis, ii. 4. 



It is not necessary to proceed any further on this subject : it is how- 

 ever fair to state, that I did not commence the inquiries contained in 

 these volumes without being forewarned of the great probability, that 

 they would terminate in the establishing of certain facts, which might 

 materially contradict the Mosaic account of the creation. This, how- 

 ever, instead of checking, served only to promote the investigation ; it 

 being concluded, that if this were made with a due attention to impar- 

 tiality, truth would be the result, and a fair criterion, by which the 

 authority of this account might in some measure be judged, would be 

 produced. Unapprised of what would be the termination of this inquiry, 

 I resolved to prosecute it with fairness; to shrink from no question, on 

 account of its supposed tenderness ; and to conceal no conclusion, how- 

 ever repugnant to popular opinion or prejudice. That the result should 

 be so strongly confirmatory of the Mosaic account, I acknowledge was 

 unexpected; and that so close an agreement should be found of the 

 order of creation, as stated in Scripture, with the actual appearances of 

 the depth of stratification which has been examined in modern times, 

 must satisfy or surprise every one Moses could not have learned this 

 accordance from the Egyptians. 



But leaving this subject to be examined by those whose extensive 



