586 



THE WONDERS OF GEOLOGY. Lect. V. 



no example. It must be acknowledged that the proposition 

 is astounding, and I do not feel any surprise, that many 

 intelligent persons, whose attention has not previously been 

 directed to geological inquiries, should hesitate to admit its 

 correctness ; but the conclusion is drawn from such an 

 immense accumulation of facts, corroborated by observations 

 made in every region of the earth, as to compel assent, in 

 spite of all our preconceived opinions. We may, indeed, 

 call up from the depths of our ignorance, hypotheses as 

 marvellous as the phenomena they are intended to explain, 

 but which a very slight examination of the facts before us 

 would prove to be utterly untenable. 



32. Concluding remarks. — There is another objection 

 to which I would allude, for I do not think with some, that 

 the errors, or prejudices, of those who differ from us should 

 be treated with silence or contempt ; but, rather, that it is 

 our duty to explain, again and again, the foundation of our 

 belief, in the hope and assurance that we shall at length 

 remove the erroneous opinions of persons, whose scepticism 

 arises from their imperfect acquaintance with the subject. It 

 has been insisted upon by those whose views are limited to 

 the present state of the globe, that the supposition of the 

 earth having been peopled by other creatures before the 

 existence of the human race, is incompatible with the evident 

 design of the Creator, and derogatory from the dignity of 

 Man, for whose pleasure and necessities they assume all living 

 things were created. But this inference is utterly at vari- 

 ance with what we know of the living world around us : 

 everywhere we see forms of animated existence utterly 

 unconscious of the presence of Man, and endowed with 

 faculties and sensations wholly dissimilar from our own. 

 Thus, while in the beautiful language of Scripture, we are 

 told that not a sparrow fall- to the ground without our 

 heavenly Father's notice, a philosophical examination of 

 the present constitution of nature, would alike condemn 



