edicate any definite length of time on its formaossibly it was washed into its present location; , if it was formed by the decay of vegetation, even ainly, no immense length of time is required for ction, for the artificial mounds of Ohio, which ndecayed human bones, are covered with a soil s to produce the largest trees of the forest. And

t is understood that the Portland soil was formed cropical climate.

er can great portions of time be predicated on orn stones, since those on our shores must have med since the commencement of the present "orings," which all naturalists agree was comparaithin a recent period. And it is most probable und in recent strata were formed before the of organic existences, and while yet "darkness pon the face of the deep."

regard to silicious petrifactions, into which the ere changed, it is acknowledged that we know with certainty, of the length of time required to this change on the Portland fossils. But reasonn analogy, we may conclude that this process oconly a century or two at most, since we know that cious springs of St. Michaels, one of the Azores, e property of incrusting vegetables with an exterof silex in a very short time, perhaps in a day or that as fast as the wood decays, its place is supith silicious matter, until the whole is replaced by

one.

known, also, that the ends of cedar posts which are o the ground, sometimes become petrifactions, beeir upper parts are entirely decayed.

may therefore believe, that where this change is at all, the entire process is completed in a few cenIt is probable, at any rate, that the process must with the entire absence of the woody matter. o the deposition of the limestone, embracing these etions, we have again no means except that of analjudging at what rate it took place, and therefore, s there are as many reasons for believing that it ed only centuries, rather than thousands of years, for

nation.

know that limestone is constantly forming at the t day, by the deposition of its particles from water,

Thus, in Tuscany, a certain spring, or rather springs, posit solid limestone, at the rate of at least half a foot - year, making a formation of 500 feet thick in 1000 rs, or of 3000 feet thick in one of Mr. Faber's Mosaic

In reference to the submersion and re-elevation of
rtland, we have given an account of a parallel instance
the Temple of Serapis, which occurred within the his-
cal era.
See p. 129.

Now, when we consider that the several processes
ming most of the phenomena exhibited at Portland
and, might have proceeded at the same time, viz. those
petrifaction, fossilization, and the deposition of limestone,
ere is the necessity of disturbing the common reading
he sacred historian in order to gain a series of ages to
ount for such phenomena ?

Who knows what preparations took place for the presorder of things, while "the earth was without form I void?" and what man can say what violent changes, at dislocations of the lower strata, and what upheaving mountains, were effected, when God said "Let the ers under the heaven be gathered together into one ce, and let the dry land appear?" Undoubtedly the st tremendous convulsions took place at that command, which hills and mountains were elevated, and the great leys of the earth formed.

.

Days of Creation indefinite periods. But while Prof.
liman sees a necessity in the mechanism of the earth,
extending "the days of creation to periods of time of
efinite length," (p. 65,) he finds in various parts of the
iptures themselves, full liberty to make such an inter-
tation.

With respect to the word day, he says, it could have had
application previous to the revolution of the earth, be-
› an illuminated sun, which did not happen until the
rth day. But we think it has been shown, that when
d said, "Let there be light, and light was," then the sun
created. If our arguments have convinced the reader
t this was so, then this objection is done away.
But Prof. Silliman has brought many passages of Scrip-
e where the word day evidently signifies a longer term
n twenty-four hours; in some instances the whole of a
a's life; in others it is used for a set time, or short pe-

the first

and mea

can shov narrativ evening If a r

val, I sa

us, "I who wo of the s can see

the tra mainta tive em made t time w second

That inspirat in six r creation allows

แ

It have u

signifi

ous on

the gl but ig literal

Examples are, "So

gh its length is not defined. the son of man be in his day,"- 'Rejoiced in -"One day is with the Lord as a thousand d a thousand years as one day,""These are cations of the heavens, and of the earth, when they ated, in the day that the Lord God made the earth heavens," "Shall accomplish as an hireling his Whose day is come when iniquity shall have an He will not spare in the day of his vengeance." these cases, and more might be selected, it is _t the word day is not confined to the period of Our hours.

e would inquire what analogy of language, or of , exists between "one day is with the Lord as a 1 years," and "the evening and the morning were day, or the second day." Or indeed, how the use ning of the word day, in any of the above passages v that the same word, when defined as it is in the e of the creation, between the morning and the , signifies an indefinite series of ages.

And yet we exegesis of when it is

nan says, "On the first, or second day of my arriw the king;" and at the close of his narrative tells have suffered many and great perils in my day," uld understand him to mean by these different uses ame word, the same periods of time. no reason why this is not as fair an veller's account, as that of Genesis, ned, that because Moses at the close of his narraploys the language, in the day that the Lord God he heavens and the earth," therefore the terms of hich he had before defined as the first day, and the day, signify periods of indefinite length.

66

t the sacred historian understood Him, under whose tion he wrote, to mean that the world was created natural days, all parts of the narrative, both of the n and the deluge, amply testify. Professor Silliman that Moses so understood it.

is granted," says he, (p. 70,) "that Moses might understood the word, (day,) according to the popular cation, and that this sense would be the most obvie to every mind not informed as to the structure of obe; even those who are learned on other subjects, norant of geology, always adopt, in this case the

We are utterly at a loss what to say of this concession、
the learned Professor. Is it so then, that the servant
the Lord God, who wrote down the words of inspira-
as they were communicated to him, was so deficient
knowledge or understanding, as to stand corrected by
geologists of the present day? Who committed the
or? Who made such a mistake as to put a single day
myriads of years,-for time indefinite? Was it Moses?
rtainly not, for he only acted as the instrument by which
d communicated to this wicked world the narrative of
= creation and the fall of man. Did Moses misunder-
nd the intent and meaning of the inspired communica-
ns, or is his language such that it may convey error
tead of truth? If so, why have not errors been found
other parts of his narrative. Who then made this
stake? Before we venture a reply to this question,
d we not better ascertain more certainly that our facts
e clearly incompatible with the sacred history as it
nds, and as it is commonly understood, and as Moses
derstood it?

Coal Formations. But, says Professor Silliman,

e usual mode of understanding the account, all the imense deposites of coal, and of vegetable and aquatic anil remains, with their vast strata and mountains must ve been made within seventy-two hours, for there was dry land until the third day, and consequently no vetables." (p. 69.) **" According to the popular undernding," he continues, "the transition and secondary ountains, with their coal beds, plants, and animals, were erefore formed in two or three natural days, by physical vs, which is incredible, because it is impossible." (p.

.)

64

It is believed that no one, who has given the least attion to this subject, ever supposed that these deposites ›re made within three days. Nor does the history renr such a belief at all necessary. Coal is constantly ming at the present day, as is proved by specimens of nite partially converted into that substance. The dif ent formations in which coal is found, show also by eir different ages, that coal has been formed at various riods of time.

When God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the rb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after

his kin

recentl getatio these lent cl

into la coal, i period beds d which ever,

beyon forme It i

was w

or cir the oth for su

No that th

was

then, years delus

tinue

perio prese It

the s ancie boni

d," there is no doubt but the dry land which had so y been prepared, was immediately covered with ven, from the herb, to the largest trees of the forest, and all in full maturity. How soon after this, those vioanges commenced, which swept these vegetables kes and estuaries, to form the first, or lowest beds of s unknown to us; nor can we now ascertain what s of time elapsed between the formation of different f coal lying one over the other, twenty or thirty of are pierced by some coal shafts. The fact, howof superincumbent coal beds is sufficient to prove, all doubt, that the vegetables of which they were 1, were deposited at different periods of time. s agreed by all naturalists, that the origin of coal Food, but no one has yet shown what the conditions cumstances were, under which one is converted into her, and much less the time which nature requires ch a process.

w, supposing (and no one can show to the contrary) he wood of which the oldest beds of coal are formed, gathered immediately after the last day of creation; according to Dr. Hale's Chronology, we have 2256 for the carboniferous process, down to the time of the e; and 3155 years more for the same process to condown to the Christian era, making 5411 to the latter 1; the whole forming a lapse of 7245 years at the nt time.

is true that many coal beds are at great depth from irface, and the strata by which they are covered are nt, though not primitive formations; while other carerous deposites are clearly of a more recent date. at since it is impossible to determine what periods of are required to convert wood into coal, or how much elapsed between the depositions of vegetable matter ing the older and newer beds, and as we know nothing e circumstances or degrees of heat, under which this ersion was effected, so it is in vain to conjecture from analogy observed at the present day, at what period e world the process commenced.

s we understand the inspired historian, there is allows little more than 7000 years in which to account for formation of coal beds and their phenomena, and yet, e these beds were formed at a period when tropical

its crow to enormous sizes under high northern lati