THE AGE OF THE WORLD. 575 



all such estimates. One is, the fact that in the earlier ages of the world, the 

 higher temperature that prevailed, and the large per cent of alkaline and acid 

 substances held in solution by the water, would greatly increase its erosive power, 

 thus requiring a far shorter time to produce a definite amount of sediment than 

 is required at the present time. This would require a large reduction of the 

 above estimate. But on the other hand we have the fact that the erosion that 

 is now taking place is principally operating on sedimentary rocks; and doubtless 

 this has been true during a great portion of geologic time. The same material 

 has been laid down and removed again and again, so that an estimate of the 

 time that it would take to deposit the materials of the sedimentary rocks as we 

 know them, gives but a very slight clew to the time since the beginning of their 

 deposition. 



We conclude, therefore, that all efforts to deduce from the above data any 

 definite estimate of the age of the earth in years, are futile ; and all conclusions 

 drawn from such calculations are fallacious and misleading. In the beginning 

 of this article we spoke of the probable fluid condition of the earth : but if this 

 theory is correct, it is evident that that is not the beginning of the earth's his- 

 tory. The same reasoning that would demand such a condition, would lead us 

 on to a period when this same matter was in a gaseous state; when as incandes- 

 cent gaseous matter, it was expanded in space. But supposing this to have been 

 the true history of this world, it is evident that no data exist on which to found 

 any estimate of time as appUed to this stage of its existence. It is only when it 

 has reached a liquid condition that any basis is furnished for a calculation of time 

 as applied to its history. 



Different scholars have attempted a calculation of the age of the earth from 

 the rate of cooling of heated bodies exposed to a cold atmosphere. But the 

 various elements entering into the mathematical analysis of this problem, are so 

 numerous and uncertain, that there is no agreement in the conclusions arrived 

 at. These conclusions vary from 160,000,000 to 600,000,000 of years as the 

 probable time required to bring the earth from a fluid state to its present con- 

 dition. 



From all the foregoing considerations we are led to the conviction that 

 though the earth has existed for an inconceivable length of time, yet from the 

 data at command it is impossible to reduce it, even approximately, to years; that 

 these unmeasured and unmeasurable years are known only to Him who is from 

 everlasting to everlasting, yesterday, to-day, and forever. 



Canon City, Col., January, 1885. 



