IS 
by the finer particles, longer of precipitation, and forming 
our surface soils ; — are each and all but evidences of action 
of such trivial causes as rains, atmospheric abrasion, and 
action of streams or petty brooks during an infinity of ages 
of time. 
By such reasoning, and deducing from observations of 
relics of man and other organic matters, being commingled 
in deposits, deemed thus of vast antiquity, the hypothesis 
that man's age upon earth far exceeds the stated ti,000 years 
of the Mosaic history, a grievous doubt of the accuracy, and 
an obloquy of a wilful perversion of truth is thrown in regard 
to the narratives of Holy Writ. Yet geologists of this 
school professedly reconcile their theories with the authen- 
ticity of Scripture, while undermining its veracity as the 
revealed Word of the Great Author of Nature, by assertions 
that it was not revealed in the interests of scientific teaching, 
and that to the minds of Stwarts, designated authorities in 
science, the disclosures of geology do not support but disprove 
its dogmas of the period of man's advent on the earth, and 
the fact of occurrence of Noah's mighty desolating flood over 
the historically-noted " face " of the earth. And they 
farther build up theories as to development of faculties of 
civilization in man from his supposed originally savage state 
when a dweller in a cave, co-existent with the more ancient 
animals, now extinct on the known portions of our globe. 
Our theologians unfortunately are, almost to a man, now 
that Peter Mcnzies has gone from us, disinclined to grapple 
with such questions. They, like many geologists and 
palaeontologists, are not read up in general data of science, 
and therefore take far too much for granted the accuracy 
of assumptions, set forth as the asseverated facts of scientific 
demonstrations of accredited scientific authorities. Hence, 
they are insidiously led into derogation of the works and 
primary designs of the all-wise Creator, and thus they too 
virtually uphold the supremacy of Nature, and side with 
those who athcistically say of the one Author of Naturo and 
the sacred Word, " He hath no hands." 
To geologists of this school, time is all they want to accom- 
plish, by the most ephemeral agencies acting in succession, 
all changes of surface — the result of denudation and deposit- 
ation, and time they demand, the Scripture accounts of 
creation notwithstanding. Mr. Brough Smyth asserts that 
the change in aspect from that of a vast plateau to a deeply 
furrowed mountain chain, abounding in lofty peaks, "deep 
gorges, almost lost in haze," and broad valleys, has been 
fashioned only by rains, snows, and streams, during vast 
