THE EARTH. 



21 



dissolution. This universal dissolution he takes to have hap- 

 pened at tlie time of the flood. He supposes, that at that time 

 a hody of water which was then in the centre of the earth, unit- 

 ing with that which was found on the surface, so far separated 

 the terrene parts as to mix all together in one fluid mass ; the 

 contents of which afterwards sinking according to their respective 

 gra\dties, produced the present appearances of the earth. Being 

 aware, however, of an objection, that fossil substances are not 

 fi3und dissolved, he exempts them from this universal dissolu- 

 tion, and, for that purpose, endeavours to show that the parts 

 of animals have a stronger cohesion than those of minerals ; and 

 that, while even the hardest rocks may be dissolved, bones and 

 shells may still continue entire. 



So much for Woodward ; but of all the systems which were 

 published respecting the earth's formation, that of WTiiston was 

 most applauded, and most opposed. Nor need we wonder : for 

 being supported with all the parade of deep calculation, it awed 

 the ignorant, and produced the approbation of such as would be 

 thought otherwise ; as it implied a knowledge of abstruse learn, 

 ing, to be even thought capable of comprehending what the 

 writer aimed at. In fact, it is not easy to divest this theory 

 of its mathematical garb : but those who have had leisiure, have 

 found the result of our philosopher's reasoning to be thus : He 

 supposes the earth to have been originally a comet ; and he con- 

 siders the history of the creation, as given us in scripture, to 

 have its commencement jusf when it was, by the hand of the 

 Creator, more regularly placed as a planet in our solar system. 

 Before that time he supposes it to have been a globe without 

 beauty or proportion ; a world in disorder ; subject to all the 

 vicissitudes which comets endure; some of which have been 

 found, at different times, a thousand times hotter than melted 

 iron ; at others, a thousand times colder than ice. These altera, 

 tions of heat and cold, continually melting and freezing the sur- 

 face of the earth, he supposes to have produced, to a certain 

 depth, a chaos entirely resembling that described by the poets, 

 sun-ounding the solid contents of the earth, which still continued 

 nnchanged in the midst, making a great burning globe of more 

 than two thousand leagues in diameter. This surrounding 

 chaos, however was far from being solid : he resembles it to a 

 dense, though flmd atmosphere, composed of substances mingled, 



