18 The Origin of the 



moon. This is singularly in accord with the Scrip- 

 tural record of the Creation, which puts the dividing 

 of the light from the darkness on the first day, but 

 interposes two clear stages of the work before the 

 forming of the sun and moon, and setting them in 

 the heavens as the two great luminaries, the placing 

 of these being assigned to the fourth day of the 

 Creator's work — days here being, of course, GOD'S 

 Working Days, not man's working days of his brief 

 memorial l week. This consequence should make 

 some sceptical men of science pause in their sneers 

 at the revealed record of the Creation and consider. 

 Secondly. It follows from this theory that every- 

 thing which is upon the earth has ultimately come to 

 it ah extra, by gradual condensation and attraction of 

 materials from the diffused nebular expanse towards 

 a centre ; though, of course, liable to many changes 

 and new combinations afterwards when upon earth, 

 of which geology traces the abundant evidences. 

 This consequence will be found of much importance 

 in regard to some geological facts, and some too 

 hasty assumptions ; and specially it follows that it is 

 in full consonance with science that the chalk and 

 flint formation may have come ab extra, that is, 

 from a meteoric source ; and that it is an unscientific 

 objection to say that no meteoric substances have 

 fallen, except such as have been analogous to those 



1 The fourth commandment notably commences with the word 

 " Kemember," marking the simple memorial character of man's 

 week, and that it was an institution prior to the law given upon 

 Mount Sinai. It is obvious that man's first day upon earth was 

 upon God's seventh day, for he was created at the end of the sixth. 

 How, then, can any maintain that the Creator's week, as recorded, 

 is meant to be understood as the same in continuity with man's 

 recurring memorial of it 1 The Creator's day of rest has not surely 

 been of the same measure with man's memorial Sabbaths. 



