CONSISTENCY OF GEOLOGY WITH SACRED HISTORY. 439 



This theory then is satisfactory as far as it goes : like the one pre- 

 viously discussed, it fairly recognizes and encounters the real difficulty 

 in the case, and it would be quite sufficient to reconcile geology and 

 the Mosaic History, as usually understood, did not the latter assign 

 particular events to each of the successive periods called days ; the 

 most important of these events are, the first emergence of the moun- 

 tains, and the creation of organized and living beings. It seems ne- 

 cessary therefore to embrace the days in the series of geological pe- 

 riods ; and the difficulties of our subject will not be removed, unless 

 we can show that there is time enough included in those periods 

 called days, to cover the organic creation, and the formation of the 

 rocks, in which the remains of these bodies are contained. 



3. The days of the creation were periods of time of indefinite 

 length. 



Instead of most of the observations, which we might otherwise 

 have made on this head, we shall substitute a comment on some of 

 the lectures of the late illustrious Cuvier, by a distinguished philoso- 

 pher. Prof. Jameson, of Edinburgh.* It is not necessary to speak of 

 the eminence of those gentlemen in science, or of their attachment to 

 the sacred writings ; both are well known. 



We would observe, that while we fully accord with Prof Jameson 

 in the general course of his argument, we leave his particular criti- 

 cisms on some minor points, to those who are qualified to judge of 

 their merits, Cuvier remarks : — 



*' The books of Moses shew us, that he had very perfect ideas re- 

 specting several of the highest questions of natural philosophy. His 

 cosmogony especially, considered in a purely scientific view, is ex- 

 tremely remarkable, inasmuch as the order which it assigns to the 

 different epochs of creation, is precisely the same as that which has 

 been deduced from geological considerations." 



This, then, is the issue, in the opinion of Baron Cuvier, of that sci- 

 ence, which has been held by many persons to teach conclusions at 

 variance with the Book of Genesis, — when at last more matured by a 

 series of careful observations and legitimate induction, it teaches us 

 precisely what Moses had taught more than three thousand years ago. 



The first chapter of Genesis is written in a pure Hebrew. This 

 was the language spoken, and afterwards extensively written, by the 

 people whom Moses conducted to Palestine from the land of Goshen. 



* Am. Jour. vol. xxv. pa. 26. 



