CHAP. V.

formations; and, if it had done so, its general PART I. induction would have been the same as Newton's; but, by stopping its analysis short of the term to which Newton extended his, its induction became "the less general, and there"fore the less strong by how much it was the "less general;" and thus it necessarily fell into contradiction to him, as we have seen.

CHAP. VI.

CHAPTER VI.

PART I. BUT, there must have been some cause, which determined mineral geology thus to check its analytical progress, at the term of mineral matter; and to return at once from that point, to the exercise of its synthetical operation.

That cause, was the fascination of physical impressions, or what it denominates, phænomena. For, being habitually conversant with mineral substances, and passionately attracted by the admirable characters and varieties which they revealed; the appearance of these acquired so powerful an authority in its imagination as to confine it within their sphere, and to render every other object in nature secondary, and comparatively unregarded; and being unequally instructed in other branches of knowledge, and therefore partial to that particular branch with which it felt itself most familiar, it was led to regard that one branch, which in fact extends itself over the entire mineral surface of our planet, as alone sufficient to supply all the principles requisite for resolving the problem which it proposed to itself. Mineral phænomena, were therefore assumed by mineral

geology as all-sufficient for determining the great question, of the mode of the first formation of mineral substances; and, in this common principle, of the omnipotence of phænomena, both the Neptunian and the Plutonian or Vulcanian systems entirely coincide.

Yet there were other orders, or classes, of matter pertaining to this earth, whose first formations presented subjects for inquiry of equal importance; and which could not be separated from the former, in the question of the mode of first formations, without a dereliction of the first principles of the philosophy of Bacon and Newton, and, indeed, the first principles of common sense: these were the classes, of animal and vegetable matter. Newton's rules of philosophizing require, that we should refer to the same common cause all existences, which share the same common properties; and the three kingdoms of matter, equally share the same general properties of matter. But, besides sharing the same general properties of matter, they demonstrate a community of system; each existing with relation to the others, and having the reason of its own existence in that relation. Thus the solid body of the earth exists with relation to the vegetation, which it is to fructify; and to the animals which it is to support. The two latter exist with relation to the earth,

CHAP. VI.

PART I. without which they could neither be nourished nor supported. They are thus, in fact, corresponding and constituent parts or members of one whole; the first formations of each of which, must therefore be referred to the same cause, and to the same mode. Not to recognise this principle, would be, to be something more than purblind in philosophy; and indeed we have seen, that mineral geology lays claim to the province, of "connecting with their causes "the phænomena presented by our globe in "the three kingdoms;" although it has hitherto confined its exercise to one only. What it has thus omitted to perform, we shall now endeavour to supply.

By the universal analysis of matter, we arrive at the common cause of all the three orders of terrestrial matter, and of their several systems, and we perceive the equal relation of each to that cause; so that by discerning the relation of any one of them, we at the same time discern that of the other two. Now, their respective characters, or phænomena, in first formations, must be subject to the same common law; and the authority of the phænomena for determining the mode of their first formations, must be the same in all. The highest principle of probability in this question to which the mind of Newton could attain by induction, was, as

we have seen," that all material things were PART I. "in the beginning created, and set in order

by God, in their fittest sizes, figures, proportions, and properties;" from the vast planetary system, including this mineral globe, to the most diminutive insect which exercises its instinctive sagacity upon it. Common sense discerns, that creation alone could give origin of existence to that which before did not exist; it discerns, that there can be no intermediate stage or degree between non-existence and existence, and therefore, no graduality in the passing from the one state to the other. To the mode of creation, we cannot therefore ascribe that mode of succession to which we give the name of time. The action of creation was therefore effected without the mediation of time, and consequently, in that mode which we express when we exclude all notion of the mediation of time; namely, immediately, instantaneously, or suddenly. Let us now endeavour to ascertain exactly, what is the authority of sensible phænomena for determining the mode of the first formations of each of the three kingdoms of matter, by trying that authority, in each of them, successively.

As we trace back all terrestrial matter to a term of first, or creative formation, so we trace back each of its three orders, or kingdoms, to

CHAP. VI.