are to find out the original habita tions of our present fossil animals." (4.) Moses, in the order of formation, which he distributes through six distinct periods, represents the primitive rocks as being first separated from the chaotic waters; plants and vegetables as being next made; afterwards fishes; after them birds; next, land-animals and reptiles; and, last of all, the human species. (Gen. i. 9, 11, 12, 20-22, 24-27.) Hence, if the six days were six periods, each of a very great length; and if, previous to the formation of man, those mundane revolutions occurred, which the frame of the earth requires us to acknowledge: then the order of the strata, provided the scriptural cosmogony be authentic, must correspond with the order of formation as detailed by Moses. In other words, the granitic or primitive rocks, though they may pierce upward through all the other strata to the tops of the highest mountains, must be the lowest; and, at the same time, they must be free from all organic remains, inasmuch as all organized bodies were formed subsequently to their emergence from the waters: next must come plants and vegetables: next, fishes: next birds: next, land-animals and reptiles: and, last of all, should any such be found to exist, fossil human relics. Occasional intermixtures may indeed take place but still the first remains of birds, for instance, will not be discovered below the first remains of marine animals; nor the first remains of land-animals, below the first remains of birds.

Accordingly, such is actually found to be the succession of organized fossils. They all rest upon the primitive granite, which contains no extraneous fossil relics: and they follow each other upward in the precise order of the Mosaical

narrative.

"The formation of the exterior part of this globe and the creation of its several inhabitants," says Mr. Parkinson, "must have been the

work of a vast length of time, and must have been effected at several distant periods.

"In the first of these periods, the granitic and other primary rocks were separated from the water. (Gen. i. 9.) That this separation took place, as is stated in the scriptural record, previous to the creation of vegetables and animals, is evident from the circumstance of no remains of any organized substance having been ever found in any of these substances.

"In the next period, we are informed by Scripture, the creation of vegetables took place. (Gen. i. 12.) Almost every circumstance in the situation and disposition of coal accords with this order of creation ; excepting that, in many of the coal measures, the alternating limestones are full of the remains of shells. But, on the other hand, it must be observed, that, as the formation of coal may have taken place soon after the creation of vegetables, and have continued even to a late period; so, consequently, the accompanying strata may vary materially as to their contents. In the later formation," that is to say, when the primitive continents, as they existed on the third day, became the bed of the ocean,-"the remains of marine animals may be expected to be met with: but in the earliest formation, that which is found on granite andaccompanied by porphyry and greenstone or the like, it is probable that no remains of animals would be found; and fair proof would be yielded of an accordance, in this instance, between the order of creation as related by Moses, and the order in which the investing strata of the earth are disposed.

"The creation of the succeeding period, according to the scriptural relation, was that of the inhabitants of the water and of the air. (Gen. i. 20.) In agreement with this order of creation, are the contents of all the numerous strata lying above those already mentioned; including the blue clay, which is disposed in

many places almost at the surface. In all these strata no remains are to be found, but those of the inhabitants of the waters; excepting those of birds, which exist, though rarely, in some particular spots. But in none of these strata has a single relic been met with, which can be supposed to have belonged to any terrestrial animal.

"In the next period, it is stated, that the beasts of the earth, cattle, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth, were made. (Gen. i. 24.) The agreement of the situations, in which the remains of land-animals are found, with this stated order of creation, is exceedingly exact; since it is only on the surface, or in some superficial stratum, or in comparatively some lately formed deposition, that any remains of these animals are to be found.

"The creation of man, we are informed, was the work of the concluding portion of the last period (Gen. i. 26): and, in agreement with his having been created after all the other inhabitants of the earth, is the fact, that not a single decided fossil relic of man has been discovered *.

"This last circumstance will be considered by many, as contradictory to the account of the deluge; by which the earth, with man, is said to have been destroyed; since, in the remains of the deluged world, man might be expected to be found in subterraneous situations. The fact however is, that, although no remains of man are found, the surface of the earth, which is inhabited by man, displays, even at the present day, manifest and decided marks of the mechanical agency of violent currents of water. Nor is there a single stratum of all those which have been mentioned, that does not

* I have already noticed the exceptions to this remark; and have stated the grounds, on which Cuvier, notwithstand ing their existence, scruples not roundly to assert, that no human remains have been hitherto discovered among the extraneous fos

sils.

exhibit undeniable proofs of its having been broken, and even dislocated, by some tremendous power, which has acted with considerable violence on this planet, since the deposition of the strata of even the latest formation *.

"From the whole of this examination, a pleasing and perhaps unexpected accordance appears, between the order in which (according to the scriptural account) creation was accomplished, and the order in which the fossil remains of creation are found deposited in the superficial layers of the earth. So close indeed is the agreement, that the Mosaic account is thereby confirmed in every respect, except as to the age of the world and the distance of time between the completion of different parts of the creation. These, in consequence of the literal acceptation of the word DAY in that account, are reckoned to be much less than what every examination of the earth's structure authorizes their being supposed. But, if the word DAY be admitted as figuratively designing certain indefinite periods in which particular parts of the great work of creation were accomplished, no difficulty will then remain. The age of the world, according to the scriptural account, will then agree with that which is manifested by the phenomena of its stratification +.

"On the whole, does it not appear, from this repeated occurrence of new beings, from the late ap

Hence, as I have argued above, the fossil animals contained in these dislocated strata cannot have been there deposited by the deluge: for, if the solid strata, which contain them, were dislocated by the deluge: the strata themselves, with their fossil contents, must have been formed before the deluge.

+ We have seen above, that, even if no researches had been made into the bowels of the earth, we should have been obliged to conclude, from the tenor of the scriptural account itself, that the six days were in truth six periods each of a vast length.

pearance of the remains of landanimals, and from the total absence of the fossil remains of man, that the creative power, as far as respects this planet, has been exercised continually or at distant periods, and with increasing excellence in its objects, to a comparatively late period; the last and highest work appearing to be man, whose remains have not yet been numbered among the subjects of the mineral kingdom?"

(To be concluded.)

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

In the application of Rom. xiii. 1-7, in sermons and conversation, it is frequently remarked, as an argument à fortiori, that St. Paul wrote these injunctions to the Christian converts at Rome in the reign of the proverbially cruel emperor Nero; from which it is concluded, that the utmost tyranny of a wicked ruler does not emancipate his subjects from any of the obligations of civil allegiance. I am not about to combat this general position, be it true or false; for the danger, in our own country at least, is seldom or never on the side of too blind an obedience-would that there were as little danger of unscriptural opposition!--but I venture to doubt the propriety of the above application of the passage: for, if, as appears most probable, St. Paul wrote this Epistle about the year of our Lord 58, it was penned early in the reign of Nero-namely, the fourth year after his accession and during the period in which his conduct was eminently characterised by mildness, equity, and virtue. The atrocities of his mind had not then unfolded

themselves; and, in particular, his persecution of the Christians did not commence till several years after. It is incorrect, therefore, to attempt to enlarge the import of the passage by a reference which a comparison of dates shews it will not bear. The character of the great Apostle of the Gentiles demands that he should not be subjected to the undeserved reproach of being an advocate for tyranny. His exhortations to civil obedience are sufficiently clear, strong, and comprehensive, both in this passage and in other parts of his writings and it would be well for the world if they were more conscientiously weighed and put in practice;-but it is a strained inference, neither consistent with fact, nor altogether decorous towards the Apostle, that he chose a most irritating and galling period of political cruelty and bondage to inculcate what, in fact, was not literally true, that a Nero was not a terror to good works, but only to the evil; and that those who did good would receive praise at his hands, and find him the minister of God to them for good. In our own eminently favoured country, it is our high privilege that this is, substantially at least, the case; and blessed be God for the highly valuable boon! But let us beware how we overset the first principles of society, and interfere with the legitimate operations of that natural and justifiable instinct, self-preservation, by confounding together periods and circumstances which no man more than the Apostle would have inculcated the necessity of distinguishing.

I am,

(at least I wish to be) Neither Whig, Radical, nor Tory, but

A SCRIPTURAL LOYALIST.

spe

The author tells us, in the Preface, that the Orations are but cimens of that method of handling religious truth, whereas the Argument, though most imperfect, is intended to be complete. (p. ix.)

It is fair to assume, that, however strongly he may have expressed himself as to the defectiveness of these essays, he has not sent them forth into the world without long and serious consideration; and the question, which has sometimes been put, Why did he, when convinced, according to his own acknowledgment, that the argument was imperfect, venture to publish it at all? can be adduced only as an instance of the unfairness of those that urge it. Had the author professed to think the argument perfect, what an outcry should we have heard about his arrogance! His meaning plainly is, that he deems the argument, however imperfectly conducted, to be, nevertheless, conclusive.

The discussion on "The Judgment to come" is divided into nine parts. The following is given as a brief summary of their con

tents:

"Part I. The Plan of the Argument; with an Inquiry into Responsibility in general, and God's Right to place the World under Responsibility.-II. and III. The Constitution under which it hath pleased God to place the World.-IV. The good Effects of the above Constitution, both upon the Individual and upon Political Society.-V. Preliminaries of the solemn Judgment.-VI. The last Judgment.-VII. The Issues of the Judg.

ment.-VIII. The only Way to escape Condemnation and Wrath to come.IX. The Review of the whole Argument, with an Endeavour to bring it home to the Sons of Men."

As Mr. Irving deals freely in digressions, it would have been very convenient to his readers, if, while imitating in other respects the venerable worthies of the "olden time," he had, after their manner, given (in default of those old-fashioned, but very useful, sermonish divisions which he has discarded) occasional hints in the margin to what point our attention is next to be directed. We found it of much service to ourselves to plant a few of these fingerposts. Without some such guide, we should not always have been able accurately to ascertain how we left the straight road of argumentation, or by what bye-path we returned to it. His own review of his subject, contained in the concluding part of the volume, may perhaps be of some service in this respect, if consulted during the perusal of the former parts; but this summary must, in reference to the purpose here mentioned, be considered defective: while tracing with sufficient correctness the general line of the argument, it does not mark, or profess to mark, with very accurate precision, at what point one subject ends and another begins.

It is not, however, our intention to give an analysis of the work: we shall be satisfied with the general table of contents; and aim at little more than furnishing a few specimens of the manner in which the argument is conducted.

Before entering upon the main inquiry, our author discusses the two previous questions; what good the Almighty proposes by laying us under responsibility; and what right He has to do so. The general scope

of his reasoning on these points may be seen from his own brief and quaint review of it at the end of the

section.―

"Man, it seems, by all his institutions for securing his welfare, is made for responsibility, and for submitting himself to judgment, when all other methods fail of preserving the peace. This is the nature of man, wherever he is found and into whatever community he enters. God, legislating for man, hath adapted himself to this his nature, placing him under responsibility; yet taking every measure of his wisdom, and applying to every faculty of human nature by each kindly, noble method, to secure sweet harmony; putting off issues of judgment to the last, and not ringing the knell of doom until every other note and signal has entirely failed to have effect. Therefore, he having taken that course which men uniformly take and admire, is devoutly to be adored for accommodating himself so sweetly to our nature and our condition." p. 130.

As a specimen of the reasoning itself, and the application of his argument by analogy, we subjoin the following paragraph.

"Had there not been such an account and punishment, God might have spared his pains in promulgating any laws for the guidance of man. For it has been well shown by the greatest philosopher, and perhaps the most truth-loving man [Locke] that England hath produced, that a law is nothing unless it be supported by rewards and punishments. And certainly there never was a law upon the earth that was not so supported. But if these laws of God were mere expressions of his will, not consultations for our welfare, having more of rigour in them than was necessary, harassing life out of its natural joy and contentment, and reducing us all into an unmanly servitude-then there might be reason to complain of inquisitorial judgment and undue severity. But waving the right of the Creator to have his will out of his creature, which is an argument God never uses, except when the creature sets himself into a most daring attitude (I know only once in Scripture [where] it is used, in the ninth of the Romans, against a most inveterate and incorrigible fault-finder and objector, whom there was no other way of putting down)-waving God's right, which he seldom rests his commandments upon, it is most apparent, from the whole tenor of Scripture, that the happiness of the

creature, not his own will, is his aim. He had thrones, and dominions, and principalities, and powers enow to rule over, if it was power he wanted. He could have created another world in room of this, if he had found his empire incomplete. He could have rid the universe of us if we had been an eyesore to him-or put us out of the way as he did the angels that kept not their first estate. It was an interest in us, a deep and pathetic interest, which moved him to interfere so often, and draw us out of sin under his own good government-to commission counsellor after counsellor, and to part at length with his own well-beloved Son. It is manifest, from the whole strain and language of the revelation, that it is intended for our happiness. Its name is the Gospel, that is, good news-it sets forth redemption, that is, deliverance out of slavery-salvation, that is, keeping from the power of evil, forgiveness, comfort, and consolation. It summoneth to glory and renown, to victory and triumph, and an immortal crown. It commandeth not to penance or monastic severity, but to honest, comely deeds; forbiddeth dishonesty, dishonour, and untruth; encourageth love and kindness; hateth hardness of heart and harshness of behaviour; breathes gentleness, peace, and charity; denounces strife, war, and bloodshed; knowledge it encourages, purity and love still more: all these virtuous and worthy qualities of heart and life it sustains and crowns with the promise of life and blessedness everlasting. The spirit of the law, therefore, is to rejoice the heart, to convert the soul, to enlighten the eyes, and give understanding to the simple. And, if we had leisure to trace its effects upon the world, we should find that it hath tended in every instance to promote its happiness and prosperity.” pp. 124-126.

With the course of his reasoning, Mr. Irving often blends passages of great pathos, of which our readers will feel indebted to us for the following example from this first part of the "Argument." The author is illustrating the beneficent interest which our Creator is pleased to take in us, as "his people and the sheep of his pasture."

"He presents himself as our father, who first breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, and ever since has nourished and brought us up as children: who prepared