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HUTTONIAN THEORY. 131 



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furface of the earth exhibits, depends on the 

 operation of caufes, the momentary exertions of 

 which are familiar to us, though we knew not 

 before the effects which their accumulated ac- 

 tion was able to produce. Thefe are fads in 

 the natural hiflory of the earth, the difcovery 

 of which is due to Dr Hutton ; and, fhould we 

 lay all further fpeculation afide, and confider 

 the theory of the earth as a work too great to be 

 ' attempted by man, we muft ftill regard the phe- 



^'JJ nomena and laws juft mentioned, as forming a 



fohd and valuable addition to our knowledge. 



5^* 128. If we would compare this theory with 



others, as to the invifible agents which it em- 

 ploys, we muft confider, that fire and water are 

 the two powers which all of them muft make ufe 



til! of, fo that they can differ from one another only 



by the way in which they combine thefe powers. 



leu! In Dr Hutton's fyftem, water is firft employed 



erf to depofite and arrange, and then fire to confo- 



y 



lidate, mineralize, and laftly, to elevate the ft 

 elf. ta ; but, with refped to the unftratified or c 



ftallized fubftances, the adion of fire only is 

 recognifed. The fyftem having leaft affinity to 

 this is the Neptunian, which afcribes the for- 

 mation of all minerals to the ad ion of water 

 alone, and extends this hypothefis even to the 

 jU unftratified rocks. Here, therefore, the adion 



9f fire is entirely excluded j and the Neptunifts 



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