REVIEWS. 



77 



severally the dogmas propounded by Owen, Huxley, Bolleston, Flower, 

 et hoc genus omne. To our geological readers, the second article on " The 

 Primaeval and Ancient World ; or, the relative Epochs of Monumental 

 History," will be more interesting. The author says : "The history of 

 humanity, as revealed by its monuments, may be divided into eight great 

 periods or eras, some of them of very long duration, and all presenting 

 materials for subordinate stratification. These eras may be named, the 

 Geologic, the Cromlech, the Cyclopean, the Pyramidal, the Eastern, the 

 Classic, the Mediaeval, and the Modern, the succession and contradistinc- 

 tion being very clearly indicated. The Geologic era may be considered 

 as extending from the time of man's first appearance on this planet, until 

 we meet with unequivocal vestiges of his civilized labours. During this 

 long period, infantile humanity was gradually overspreading the earth, as- 

 serting its supremacy over inferior animals, and rehearsing the sad story 

 of passion, conflict, and crime, which has been so often repeated in its sub- 

 sequent annals. In certain more favoured centres, it was also slowly 

 emerging from primal barbarism into incipient forms of civilization. This 

 vast unknown space must doubtless cover its tens of thousands of years, 

 and may hereafter have to be divided into several distinct epochs ; but as 

 yet it can scarcely be said to belong to archaeology at all, so few are its 

 known mementos, and so completely do these fall within the dominion of 

 geology." It is perhaps needless to state that the sentiments advocated 

 by Mr. Burke are of the most liberal character j and we trust full success 

 may be achieved by this philosophical periodical, of which he is the 

 energetic editor. 



Science Elucidative of Scripture, and not Antagonistic to it. 

 By J. K. Young. London: Lockwood. 1863. 



Mr. John E.adford Young is a mathematician of eminence, and was for- 

 merly professor in Belfast College. He makes no pretensions to being 

 either a geologist or a theologian; but he is a sensible man; and, as a 

 mere layman, " fully sensible by his own incompetency to do complete 

 justice to the cause he has undertaken," he steps in to take part in a dis- 

 cussion which is every day rising to greater dimensions, thinking, that 

 " when attacks on the Bible have to be repelled " it is likely a volunteer in 

 the service may receive more willing and candid attention than would be 

 given to " one whose sacred office and bounden duty it avowedly is," 

 as he swears in his ordination oath, to " drive away all erroneous and 

 strange doctrines contrary to God's word." As to the points in dispute, 

 whether the Bible and creation or the Bible and science are in accordance, 

 we have always set our face against expressing an opinion. On other occa- 

 sions we have invariably maintained that the time was not come for a 

 systematic and proper comparison. We think so still. The Biblicists 

 generally know nothing of geology, and not a tithe as much as they ought 

 to do about that very book, for the accuracy of whose every syllable they 

 so senselessly contend, and for the due fitting of whose every piece with 

 every possible doctrine or fact they so strenuously labour. The anti- 

 biblical geologists, on the other hand, are often quite as senseless in their 

 opinions as their antagonists. Mr. Young is too acute a man not to per- 

 ceive some of the weak points in accepted geological doctrines ; and it' he 

 do Dot always know enough to attack them with complete success, the well- 

 directed fire of his artillery and its destructive power upon some parts of 

 the groundwork, even of modern geological tenets, shews that the hat tie 

 is not yet half fought out, and that the war will last, at least, until science 



