On the Mosaic account of the Creation. 371 



nevertheless acknowledge that there was once a time when 

 matter had its origin, and although they may hesitate to refer 

 that origin to Him whom the believer terms his God, they 

 nevertheless are compelled to admit, that the matter and its 

 regulating laws must both have emanated from a great First 

 Cause. 



Let them then carry back that origin far as they list, even 

 for incalculable numbers of years and ages, still all must 

 spring from a beginning, and call that beginning by whatsoever 

 name they will, it will but resolve itself into the One, Almigh- 

 ty God, Creator of the Universe. 



Thus they but carry back creation to many thousand years 

 beyond the time accepted by the true believer as taught him 

 in the books of Moses; but they fail to disprove, nay, they 

 even prove, spite of their unbelief, the connection of geology 

 and theology; for they shew that God created earth, and 

 therefore that He is the origin, the very fountain head of all 

 geology. 



Part 1. — Geologists may be divided into two sects or 

 classes ; one advocating what is termed the mineral, and the 

 other the Mosaic geology. 



The distinguishing feature of these two systems is, that the 

 mineral geology founds its theories and doctrines solely on 

 the appearances and phenomena which the strata of the earth 

 exhibit ; and erroneously supposing that the Mosaic record 

 furnishes no causes by which such phenomena could have 

 been produced, it at once proceeds on its inquiries regard- 

 less of that narrative, and boldly advances its own specula- 

 tions in its stead. 



It can scarcely be necessary to point out to any right- 

 minded person, that as the doctrines which these theorists 

 set forth, are not only unsupported by the testimony of the 

 Scriptui'es, but actually in many respects directly opposed to 

 them, they must therefore of necessity be falsely based, and 

 consequently untenable. It is in vain that its able and learn- 



