OP CREATION. 395 



for consideration which is yet more unanswerably 

 opposed to the theory of successive development. 

 Without, however, dwelling longer on this subject, 

 I would now, in conclusion, endeavour to bring to- 

 gether, and place before the reader in a simple and 

 intelligible form, some of the general results of geolo- 

 gical investigation. 



It appears, then, from the observations that have 

 been made, 



First* That the earth has always been subjected 

 to two kinds of forces acting on a grand scale, and 

 over large tracts. Of these forces, the one class 

 (called igneous) is connected immediately with heat, 

 and has been generally, if not always, deep-seated, 

 producing its effects partly by modifying and me- 

 tamorphosing other rocks, partly by elevating large 

 tracts, and partly by protruding heated, and some- 

 times molten matter through the surface. The 

 other (aqueous) is essentially and necessarily super- 

 ficial it acts chiefly where land and water are in 

 near and extended contact, it tends to diminish the 

 inequalities of the eartli's surface, and it has its effi- 

 ciency greatly affected by the corresponding action of 

 the former class of forces. It also appears that we 

 have no distinct proof, although there seems high pro- 

 bability, of that condition of things found in the 

 lowest aqueous rocks having been the first, for it is 

 quite possible that conditions of formation and subse- 

 quent modifications may have produced all those pe- 

 culiar characters on which we found our judgment 

 concerning points of this kind. 



Secondly, That during the deposit of the oldest 

 known fossiliferous rocks, which was certainly an 



