12 CONSISTENCY OF GEOLOGICAL 
is known upon the Avhole subject ; and that all 
geological deductions must be crude, unauthen- 
tic, and conjectural. 
It must be candidly admitted that the season 
has not yet arrived, when a perfect theory of 
the whole earth can be fixedly and finally estab- 
lished, since we have not yet before us all the 
facts on which such a theory may eventually be 
founded ; but, in the mean while, we have abun- 
dant evidence of numerous and indisputable phe- 
nomena, each establishing important and unde- 
niable conclusions ; and the aggregate of these 
conclusions, as they gradually accumulate, will 
form the basis of future theories, each more 
and more nearly approximating to perfection ; 
the first, and second, and third story of our 
edifice may be soundly and solidly constructed ; 
although time must still elapse before the 
roof and pinnacles of the perfect building can 
be completed. Admitting therefore, that we 
have yet much to learn, we contend that much 
sound knowledge has been already acquired; 
and we protest against the rejection of estab- 
lished parts, because the whole is not yet made 
It was assuredly prudent, during the infancy 
of Geology, in the immature state of those phy- 
sical sciences which form its only sure foun- 
dation, not to enter upon any comparison of 
the Mosaic account of creation with the struc- 
