What can we think of the man who perils his own soul, and those of his readers, to establish the astounding and wondrous truth, that he is lineally descended from a frog, and that his noble ancestry came through the race of monkeys? As he has taken so much pains to find out his own pedigree, and is sure of having discovered his true line of descent, of course it does not become us to contradict him ; and although we know with infallible certainty that we have not the same origin, but are sprung from one formed after the image of the Most High, yet if the history he gives of his own family descent is correct, it will account for many facts which otherwise appear inexplicable. Perhaps at the creation of our ancestor Adam, the development of his ancestry had only reached the race of tadpoles, which satisfactorily accounts for his total ignorance of the existence of our progenitor. By the time of the Flood, they may have reached the form of a frog, and saved themselves by swimming, and therefore were alike ignorant of Noah and the ark. By the time the Law was given, the brain of his ancestry was not fully developed, and they were too busy in climbing trees as monkeys, to know of any events which were taking place on the earth, and shaking

its kingdoms. And although, during the last two or three thousand years, the brain has been undergoing rapid transformation, it is manifest that the species to which he belongs are at least 300 years behind our present generation. They have never yet reached the age of Bacon, but, like our own ancestry during the dark ages, or the immortal Des Cartes, are dreaming away their precious lives in idle, useless, and senseless speculations, which may amuse and bewilder, but can never profit.

W. C.

15

LETTER II.

FOLLY OF DISREGARDING HISTORY.

SIR,-What would be thought of the wisdom of the man who endeavoured to compile a history of Greece, merely by ransacking the works of modern travellers, to find an account of the monuments which the country still retains, and who treated with utter disregard its ancient and most authentic histories, and hesitated not to contradict their plainest records? His researches might be valuable; they might throw much light on obscure events; fix with certainty many important dates; afford more certain evidences of the actual proficiency attained by its ancient inhabitants in arts or science, and correct many erroneous impressions which had previously existed. The remains of temples, theatres, statues, inscriptions, might bring many facts to light, which had formerly been overlooked or unknown, and the historian who disregarded them would be justly chargeable with culpable neglect, for undervaluing one of the most important and

useful auxiliaries he could have found in constructing his work.

But an authentic history of the country, written by one who was intimately acquainted with the events he records, would be much more satisfactory and useful. It would establish facts which no monuments or stone records could ever convey, and, by by all intelligent men, its testimony would be deemed sufficient to explain events which could not otherwise be known. The man who refused to consult this ancient history, for the correctness of which the best evidence could be adduced, would expose himself and his work to the contempt of all sensible men. Yet such is the course which the author of the history of the Vestiges of Creation has pursued. He has thrown aside the most authentic history which the world contains, hesitates not to contradict what can be proved to be the statements of Jehovah himself, and from the works of men who have been exploring the hidden records of creation, which are treasured up in the bowels of the earth, he has endeavoured to concoct a history of his own, which is full of error and fable. The light of history is as little to be disregarded as the light obtained by scientific research; and while each assists the other

in revealing truth, each is incomplete in itself. The student of Scripture ought neither to undervalue nor set aside the knowledge which is obtained by investigating the works of nature, and far less should the student of nature overlook the revealed Word of God. Erroneous views of creation necessarily lead to ignorance in part of the character of its Great Author. Disregard of the Scripture may involve

the soul in endless misery.

If the author of the Vestiges had duly weighed the statements of Scripture, he would have found the strongest corroboration of many of his own opinions, have become much better acquainted with the unchangeable laws by which God governs the world, and would have been guarded from many of the palpable errors into which he has fallen, and which have converted his work, which might have been of no inconsiderable value, into an instrument of inflicting boundless evil both upon himself and the community. Because he received not the love of the truth,' it is to be feared that God has sent him strong delusion, that he should believe a lie.'

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It shall be my object to show, from the testimony of this author, that the revelations of geology do not contradict the statements of the Word of God,