among geologists as to the enormous intervals of time which would be 
required for the formation of each stratum, but no theory has ever been put 
forward to account for the existence of the materials of which the strata were 
formed. There must have been something in existence before these superimposed 
strata were formed — something on which they were deposited, as well as their 
own materials. Geology at present tells us nothing as to either. Unless, then, 
you take a large view of the question, and go into the origin of matter, and 
make your theories consistent and complete, you will find it difficult to deal 
with ; — unless, indeed, you accept Professor Huxley’s explanation, that many 
superimposed strata have changed places, and that many of those things 
that look like fresh creations are the result of migration, — you will 
have the greatest difficulty in constructing a theory that will hold 
water for a moment. With regard to exegesis, though I am sorry to 
have exegesis of Scripture brought forward here, yet I know that sometimes 
it is impossible altogether to avoid it. But I think Mr. Davison is not 
very fair in his mode of using the Scriptures. Of course Matthew Poole 
and Bishop Stillingfleet knew nothing of the notions we have now, in the 
nineteenth century. That they wrote in reference to some of the notions 
current in their own day, is, I think, apparent from the context. But the 
exegesis of Mr. Davison is really not fair, and, indeed, it is scarcely worthy 
of his paper. He quotes from Deuteronomy ii. 25, these words of Moses : — 
“ This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon 
the nations that are wider the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee 
and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.” The words “ under 
the whole heaven ” he puts in italics, and the words following are totally 
ignored, which completely alters the sense. The meaning is plain : — “ the 
nations who shall hear report of thee shall be under the dread and the fear of 
thee.” It does not say all the nations of the world, but only those “ who shall 
hear report ” of them. That is so obvious that I cannot understand why 
the words “ under the whole heaven ” should have been put in italics at all, 
when the next clause of the sentence so completely destroys the factitious value 
thus given to them. Then he quotes from the 11th chapter of Deuteronomy : — 
“ There shall no man be able to stand before you, for the Lord your God shall 
lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread 
upon, as he hath said unto you.” There again it is expressly stated that it is 
all the land they should tread upon, and not all the land under the heavens. 
How could they be expected to frighten people who never heard of them ? The 
thing is absurd. If we have Scripture appealed to, we should be very careful 
how we deal with it. It should be handled with the greatest reverence 
Rev. M. Davison. — I hope there has been no want of reverence on my part. 
Mr. Reddie. — Not intentionally, I am sure ; but I do think there has 
been some carelessness. Mr. Davison quotes from St. Luke : — “ There were 
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven .” 
But surely such language does not imply a man literally from every individual 
nation in the world ; it only means an immense variety of persons from dif- 
ferent nations. In the same way he quotes St. Paul, who says that the 
vol. iv. jr * 
