18 CONSISTENCY OF GEOLOGICAL 



CHAPTER IL 



Consistency of Geological Discoveries ivith Sacred History, 



It may seem just matter of sui-prise, that many learned 

 and religious men should regard with jealousy and suspicion 

 the study of any natural phenomena, which abound with 

 proofs of some of the highest attributes of the Deity ; and 

 should receive with distrust, or total incredulity, the an- 

 nouncement of conclusions, which the geologist deduces 

 from careful and patient investigations of the facts which it 

 is his province to explore. These doubts and difficulties re- 

 rsult from the disclosures made by Geology, respecting the 

 lapse of very long periods of time before the creation of 

 man. Minds which have long been accustomed to date 

 the origin of the universe, as well as that of the human race, 

 from an era of about six thousand years ago, receive reluc- 

 tantly any information, which if true, demands some new 

 modification of their present ideas of cosmogony; and, as 

 in this respect, Geology has shared the fate of other infant 

 sciences, in being for a while considered hostile to revealed 

 religion ; so hke them, when fully understood, it wdll be 

 found a potent and consistent auxiliary to it, exalting our 

 conviction of the power, and Wisdom, and Goodness of the 

 Creator.* 



* Hebc et hujusmodi coBlorum plisenomenn, ad Epocham sexmillennem, 

 Balvis naturae legibus, jEgr6 revocari possunt. Quin fatcnduin erit potius 

 non caridem fuisse originem, nequc coaevam, TcUuris noslrte et totiiis 

 Universi: sive Intellcctualis, sive Corporci, Ncquc iniruni videri debet 

 hsBC non distinxisse Mosem, aut Universi originem non tractasse scorsim 

 ab ilia mundi nostri sublunaris : Hoce enim non distinguit populus, aut 

 separatim aestimat^ — Recte igitur Legislator sapicDtissimus philosophis re- 



