488 Rough Notes on the controversy against Geologists. 



hold in it no solid minute particles to throw out light, which, 

 it has been proved, that all flame or other aeriform heated 

 bodies must do, before they can be luminous. The original 

 materials, then, being so intensely heated as to be in this 

 completely vaporous state, they would, according to the des- 

 cription of Scripture, be without form, and seemingly a void 

 or emptiness, and they would be dark, wholly devoid of 

 illuminative power. 



It has been proved incontestably by the experiments of 

 Wells, Leslie, and others, that the earth,* and by analogy the 

 other bodies of our planetary system, part with their heat 

 by throwing off or radiating it into the regions of space; 

 the nebula therefore would gradually cool at the outer sur- 

 face, different parts of it would come to possess different 

 specific gravities, as we observe in our atmosphere ; thence 

 would arise a commotion or rushing among its parts ; in the 

 language of Scripture, a wind of God, or mighty wind. As 

 these currents of vaporous matter would necessarily be 

 stronger in one direction than in another, the whole of the 

 nebula would at length begin to move in the direction of 

 the most powerful; it would assume a circular gyrating form, 

 like a whirlwind, or a vortex of water ; and from this would 

 originate that impulse which now causes the planets to 

 encircle the sun in their courses, and to revolve upon their 

 own axes. 



In consequence of continued progressive cooling, the less 

 volatile matters would begin to separate from the vapours 

 and gases in minute particles of solid matter. Then bright 

 and intensely increasing light would appear, just as may be 

 shewn by throwing a fine powder through the invisible oxy- 



* It was we believe the French Philosopher M. Fourier, who first 

 demonstrated all the laws of heat here referred to. We insert with our 

 extracts an abstract of M. Fourier's results, as a striking example of 

 the beauty and simplicity of his mathematical demonstration of the ge- 

 neral laws of heat, with which we cannot be too familiar. — Ed. 



