Chapter V: Fourth Day (6)

1. Immediately upon the impress of the laws of nature, by
the direct effort of the Divine Being, the whole mass would
commence revolving on its own axis, and moving around its
centre in its orbit. At the same time a quickening impulse
would be felt, from the operation of the laws of nature, which
would impart life and animation to the mass. The first effect
of this impulse would be to call the _caloric_, light, and
electricity into action throughout the body. This would raise
its temperature instantly, and call into action all the other
powerful agents, as soon as formed: such as the acids, alkalis,
&c.

2. There will be no difficulty, to those who know the power
of these agents, in believing _that the consequence of their
united action would be an immediate fusion of the whole mass_.
This would establish a state of _chemical mobility_; i.e. the
various materials, owing to their fusion, would be at liberty
to _combine_, according to the laws of chemical affinity; and
to take their relative positions, according to the laws of
gravitation.

3. The result of this process would be binary, and ternary,
and other combinations. Oxygen would enter into combination
with the bases of the various acids, and thus form the acids;
and with the various metals and thus form oxides; and the acids
and oxides would unite and thus form other compounds, commonly
called _salts_.

4. As such combinations as these would commence forming
first, water and air would be gradually and subsequently
formed, by the three gasses, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen,
escaping from the mass and rising to the surface, where the
oxygen combining with the hydrogen would form water; and with
the nitrogen would form air.

5. It is evident that the very small specific gravity of
the gases would cause them to escape from the interior parts of
the earth, rapidly, and to accumulate at the surface in immense
quantities. The consequence of this would be, _an immense
amount of water would be generated at the earth’s surface; but
the oxidizable bodies in the interior of the mass would not,
all of them, be completely saturated with oxygen_.

6. The condition of the earth, at this stage of the action,
would be an inconceivably high state of ignition, specially
in the interior, and a rapid chemical action still going on;
the combinations still forming, and the bodies thus formed
arranging themselves. In a very little time the various classes
of bodies would have obtained, generally, their natural
relative positions, according to their specific gravities; and
all the combinable elements, in the same neighborhood, having
combined, a state of comparative rest would ensue of course.

7. In the mean time, large quantities of different
substances would be held in solution by the acids, alkalis, and
water, whose solvent powers would be very much increased by the
presence of intense heat.

8. If we examine the whole mass at this stage of the
natural process, we will find it is in a condition to
_crystallize_ whenever it can be _reduced_ to a sufficiently
low temperature to admit of crystallization. We know that the
reduction of temperature would commence at the surface, where
the caloric would be conducted upwards through the waters, and
would fly off into the celestial spaces. Of course, the first
crystallized depositions would take place _at the junction of
the waters with the oxides or earths, in a state of fusion, on
which the lower stratum of water was resting_.

9. This first deposition would extend all around the globe,
as the waters _entirely invested_ the earth, and would lay the
_foundation of the primitive family of rocks_, which are well
known to be crystalline in their structure, and the result
of chemical action. It is, however, evident that there were
occasional tremendous agitations, and concussions during the
deposition of the primitive rocks, which altered the state of
the fluids, and caused successive, and, sometimes, alternating
strata to deposit.

10. The period of the deposition of the primitive rocks
continued until the elevations on the earth’s surface were
uncovered, became dry, and were subject to the disintegrating,
and rending powers of the elements: at which time some marine
animals, and some vegetables, adapted to warm and moist
climates, were created. The consequence of this state of
things would be that fragments of rocks, and marine animal and
vegetable remains would be found in the composition of the
strata deposited at this period, and subsequently. The family
of rocks thus deposited is called _transition_ rocks.

11. This is the proper place to institute an inquiry into
the origin of these _primitive elevations or mountains_.

12. It will be very obvious, that a mass of materials
thrown into chemical action, and raised to a very high
temperature, as explained above, would naturally, and
necessarily be upheaved at different points on its surface,
by the gases, and other bodies escaping from the interior.
And though the general softness of the mass would cause these
elevations to sink back again _at first_, upon the escape
of the gaseous bodies upheaving them; yet, when the surface
of the earth, which would cool by coming into contact with
the water, would thus begin to become solid, _the elevations
would maintain themselves, and consolidate_, and thus lay
the foundations of the irregularities which, subsequently,
would rise into mountains, and mountain chains, and sink into
vallies, by the combined action of the internal heat, and the
occasional rapid rise and subsidence of the waters, which would
alter the shape and appearance of the mountains, and deepen the
vallies.

13. But it becomes very natural to inquire into the cause
of the rapid rise, and subsidence of the waters at particular
times; which will also explain the cause of the distinctions
so obvious in the nature and ages of the different families of
rocks.

14. It will be recollected that the interior parts of
the earth are in a state of high ignition, and an immense
quantity of water surrounds the globe, the crust of which
is consolidating. By the natural pressure of the water, by
an occasional eruption of gas from the interior, and by
percolation, &c, the water would have access to the interior
materials in a heated state. In this case there would be an
immense production of steam, and decomposition of water, which
would of course produce an earthquake, until it broke forth in
a volcano under the waters. In this case an _elevation_ would
be produced on the surface, and, in all probability, a _cavity_
in the interior from whence the elevated materials came.

15. These phenomena would happen in quick succession, and
very extensively in the first period of the world; and every
time they happened, they would _reduce_ the quantity of water
at the surface, by admitting some into the interior cavities;
and by decomposing much; the oxygen and hydrogen of which would
enter into other combinations.

16. This will account for the rise and subsidence of the
waters, the formation of vallies, and mountains, and the
alterations in the fluids, so as to deposit the different
strata in succession.

17. During this process above, cavities sufficiently
numerous and capacious, filled with water, would be formed
in the earth to relieve the surface, in a great measure. But
it seems pretty evident that the waters thus retired into
those cavities were occasionally thrown back on the earth,
by the same means with which earthquakes and volcanos are
produced; and thus tremendous currents would ensue, which would
successively bury the vegetable materials in the adjoining
lakes, out of which the coal basins are formed; and also bury
those immense forests of trees, with the bones of animals, and
fishes also, which have been so clearly and satisfactorily
described by geologists.

18. Each successive deluge, in proportion to its power and
extent, would alter the quantity and quality of the materials
held in solution, and thus cause a corresponding deposition
subsequently. Hence, as remarked above, the distinction in
the strata, and the alternations of different substances
successively.

19. It may not be amiss here to say, it is very probable,
that many deluges preceded the formation of man, produced on
the same principles as the deluge of Noah, though for different
purposes, according to the wishes of the Divine Being.

20. To what has been said above, it is only necessary
to add, that all depositions, or formations of rocks took
place _at the bottom of the ocean_, or waters which held
the materials in solution, or suspended; and that this
ocean maintained its dominion for long periods together, in
comparative tranquility, and during such times the different
rock formations were deposited. The marine animals would
multiply, die, and their exuviæ quietly fall to the bottom: at
the same time carbonate of lime would be copiously deposited
from the sea waters, and thus would consolidate into a stratum
of rock, the thickness of which would bear some proportion to
the length of the period of its deposition. If this stratum
_remained in its place_, upon the retiring of the sea, it would
appear at the surface at first; until it was covered with
mould, and the ruins of other rocks disintegrated into earth,
or soil. But if it were _upheaved_ by the force of the internal
fire, it would become a _limestone mountain_, containing the
organic remains as they were first quietly deposited. The same
may be said of primitive mountains, or any other kind.

21. The _transition_ rocks, the formation of which was
barely noticed above, (No. 10) were deposited successively
in strata, indicating their relative ages by the increase of
rocky fragments, and fossil remains in their composition,
from the oldest of the family to the newest: and also by the
gradual change in their structure, which is more crystalline
in the oldest, and becomes less so in the newest, owing to the
decrease of chemical action, and the increase of mechanical
deposition.

22. From the fossil remains in the different strata of the
transition rocks, we have good evidence of successive deluges,
which swept away the animals existing at the time, and buried
their remains which are now found in a fossil state; and others
succeeded them. This will account for particular animals being
peculiar to particular strata of rocks.

23. During the transition period the chemical action ceased
almost entirely, and the succeeding family of rocks, i.e. the
_secondary_, was deposited _mechanically_, their materials
being merely _suspended_ in the waters. This class, therefore,
is not crystalline in its structure, and is nearly horizontal
in position and contains greater quantities of fossil remains,
both of animals and vegetables. These remains are, also, the
relics of beings more delicately organized, and approach much
nearer to the genera and species of animals now existing.

24. During the deposition of this class of rocks, and also
of the _tertiary_ class which succeeded it, the sea retired far
from the up-lands, and well nigh into its permanent beds. The
up-lands would, by the disintegrating power of the elements, be
worn away at their surface, and thus afford the matter of soil,
which would naturally be carried down towards the final retreat
of the sea, by the waters, and be deposited in the vallies,
and low countries. The same process would furnish fragments of
rocks in abundance, and of all kinds, which would be rolled
down the declivities of the up-lands, and become more or less
rounded, and thus be found entering into the rocks of the
secondary and tertiary classes; or in beds of sand and gravel,
or in the channels of rivers in the form of _pebbles_. If these
fragments were thrown together in sufficient quantities, and a
suitable cement deposited among them they would consolidate and
form _pudding-stone_, or breccia marble; such as the Potomac
marble, of which the columns in the Capitol at Washington City
are made.

25. It is very evident that this process would deposit
the heavier fragments, and materials nearest the highlands
whence they originated; and carry the finer and richer matter
further away towards the sea, and deposit it nearer the mouths
of the rivers. This is well known to be the case, as in the
Mississippi. Here the phenomena are doubtless, from the mouth,
along all its tributaries to their sources.

26. While these successive depositions were making,
modified by tremendous eruptions from the force of subterranean
fire, the same agent of these modifications would produce
another very striking phenomena. The immense quantity of matter
thrown from the interior to the surface in a melted state,
would either shoot up in the form of cones, or columns, and
by cooling crystallize and consolidate; or would flow in its
melted state over the surface of the upper rocks, and thus
cover them. This is the case with a class of rocky substances
which may be called by the general name of _basalt_. Sometimes
when the force below was not sufficient to protrude the
melted matter through the superincumbent rocks, it drove it
in _between_ the strata, or shot it up _through_ some of the
strata; frequently upheaving the rocks on one side of the
protruding body, or depressing them on the other. In this case
the injected matter constitutes what is called a _fault_,
_shaft_, or _dike_, by miners.

27. It is not improbable, nay, it is pretty certain, that
many of these basaltic ejections took place under the ancient
chaotic abyss of waters, and have become visible by the
retiring of the sea.

28. In this theory we have a satisfactory explanation
of the formation of _metallic veins_, and the _dispersion_
of metallic grains in sands, and soil. The metals being in
a pure state, or nearly so, in the bowels of the earth when
_projected_ upwards by the force of subterranean power,
would be _injected_ into the rocks in the direction of the
operating force. Hence they are found in veins in solid rocks,
running in all directions, and descending to unknown depths.
Sometimes the whole of the vein appears to be _insulated_ by
the rock. In this case, the whole mass was _fused_, at least
partly, and when the force ceased to act, it would consolidate
around the injected metal, leaving no trace of its injection.
Sometimes the metallic vein evidently entered the rock _from
above_. In this case the metal in a _melted_ state was thrown
to the surface, and _meeting with a chasm, ran into it and
consolidated into a vein_. When the metal was raised from
below in a state of fusion in conjunction with an immense
mass of rocky matter in a state of fusion, they would appear
at the surface mixed throughout. When this rocky mass yielded
to the disintegrating power of the elements, the particles
of the metal and rock would be carried off together into the
lower positions, and be found in the form of _dust_, in the
secondary, or lower countries.

29. The shape of the earth, in regard to which it is said
the polar diameter is less than the equatorial, would be the
same on the above theory, as it has been shown to be, on the
supposition that the earth was in a soft state by the solvent
powers of water, as commonly supposed.

30. It is a matter of peculiar pleasure to the Christian
philosopher, to observe the strong tendency in the Science of
Geology, to confirm the account of the creation of the world,
as given by Moses in the Bible. By a careful comparison of the
account of Moses with well established geological positions,
it will be found that _they agree expressly, in the_ ORDER
_and_ NATURE _of the events_. This is a splendid evidence in
favor of revelation. There can be no doubt, but, that if the
phenomena of nature, and the teachings of the Bible were better
understood, more striking and unexpected agreements would be
found. Religion and Science will one day be inseparable.

_Remarks._

1. It will be necessary for the reader to peruse the above
theory very attentively, in order to form a correct judgment
of it, as it is merely an _outline_, very briefly drawn up,
yet it is hoped, pretty clearly. Whether it be well calculated
to explain the great leading geological phenomena which we
observe, the reader will determine for himself. It was not
drawn up _in view_ of such explanation, but was constructed
by _induction_ from those well ascertained phenomena. It was
drawn up _out of view_ of any ultimate object, or system,
_previously_ embraced, and is even _different_ from the
writer’s previous opinions, before he had diligently compared
all the facts within his reach. It is therefore entitled to the
merit of having been drawn up with a sincere desire to attain
to truth on this interesting subject, and not to support a
favorite theory.

2. Upon examination it will be found to reconcile, in a
great measure, the _Vulcanian_ and _Neptunian_ theories which
have so long divided the principal writers on Geology. It
will be found that both _fire_ and _water_ were concerned in
producing the great geological phenomena. It cannot be doubted
but that subterranean force _commenced_ the irregularities on
our earth’s surface, and continued the action, probably with
occasional intermissions, in upheaving the mountains, and
mountain chains: but as this was commenced, and principally
accomplished, _under_ the ancient sea, there can be no doubt
but that the water has had a powerful and extensive agency
in modifying the structure and composition of mountain, and
moderate elevations. And while we have every reason to believe
the force of subterranean fire was the principal agent in
rending, dislocating, and confusing the rock formations of the
crust of our earth; we have no less reason to acknowledge the
agency of water in depositing the various strata; contributing
to the disintegration of the exposed uplands; and carrying down
the _alluvion_ which form the fertile tracts of vallies, and
low countries; and the sand bars, and banks at the outlets, of
rivers, bays, gulfs, &c.

3. This view will be more clearly explained by examining
the _shape_ of continents, islands, and countries, which will
be found to correspond, pretty nearly with the shape of the
mountain ranges in each. That is: the _length_ of a continent,
island, or country will be found to be _in the direction of the
mountain range_; and the _breadth across_ the mountain range.

4. This would be the shape which would naturally result
from the transition, secondary, and tertiary formations arising
principally from the disintegration of the materials of the
mountain range. This is evident from a single reflection: if a
_conical_ body stood in the midst of a plain, and was equally
exposed to a power which wore it away, the portions thus torn
from the body would roll down the declivity towards the base of
the cone, and would occupy a circle, generally speaking, of the
plane at the base equidistant from the body. In the same manner
the wasting away of the primitive elevations would deposit the
detritus equidistant from the foot of the range.

5. It will be obvious, however, that the conformity of
a country, _in shape_, to the mountain ranges which run
through it, will be more or less modified by adventitious
circumstances. If one side of the mountain range was originally
more precipitous than the other: or if some tremendous
collection or current of water lashed or swept one side, and
not the other, the shape of the country would be modified; but
not so much as to destroy the general conformity in shape. The
above remarks will be confirmed by an inspection of accurately
drawn maps.

6. Finally: Some formations are entirely owing to the
agency of water; as sand banks, bars, shoals, &c, and some
entirely owing to the action of fire, as the deposites of lava;
the upheaving of volcanic mountains, even in the memory of man.
These are _adventitious_ formations, and do not even _modify_
a general theory.]

* * * * *

Footnotes - Chapter V

[114] Time’s Telescope for 1815, Introduction.

[115] Dr. Robert Wittie, in his Survey of the Heavens,
makes the following observations concerning this miraculous
interposition of Divine providence. “We read that Joshua, in
his zeal against the enemies of God and his people, in the heat
of battle, called to the sun and moon to stand still, &c. The
design was that the light might be lengthened, till he might
destroy the army of the Amorites, and the day was accordingly
prolonged, as the sun went not down for the whole day, and the
moon also staid.--But why should Joshua call to the moon to
stand still, as well as the sun, which I could be of no use
to him, while the sun was up? To this I answer with all due
modesty; I do believe Joshua did call thus by inspiration, and
a special impulse from God upon his spirit: for that which
would make the sun stand still, would stay the moon. He that
from the hasty zealous call of this great general, shall think
to form an argument to prove the philosophical notion of the
sun’s diurnal motion about the earth, by taking the words in
a proper literal sense, may as well go on, and eke it out a
little further, and then he may prove the sun to have been in
the next great town, Gibeon, and the moon in the valley; but if
to all men this latter shall be judged a weak inference, I dare
say, to many wise men, so will the former.” P. 12, 13.

[116] Aristotle de Cœl. lib. ii, cap. 13.

[117] Macrob. Sat. lib. i, cap. 21.

[118] Macrob. in Somn. Scip. lib. i, cap. 20.

[119] That is, in adoration; from _ad ore_, to the mouth,
i.e. _hand_ to the mouth.

[120] Baseley’s Glory of the Heavens, pp. 73-76.

[121] The new moon is often styled a _crescent_; a word
formed from the Latin _crescere_, to _grow_; and though it is
used from the same figure of the moon in her wane or decrease,
when her horns are turned towards the west, yet these horns
always point to the east in the just crescent.

[122] M. Schroëter, of the Royal Society of Gottingen,
has recently published a very curious and elaborate work
in German, entitled, Selenotographische Fragmente, &c, or
Selenotopographical Fragments, intended to promote a more
accurate knowledge of the moon’s surface: a valuable extract
from which may be seen in the Pantologia, article _Moon_.

[123] See Mr. Howard’s valuable paper on the Philosophical
Transactions for 1802, Dr. Hutton’s Dissertation in the New
Abridgment, part xxi, and Dr. Adam Clarke on Josh. x, 11.

[124] The principal eclipse of the sun, for the present
century, has been already calculated, and it is fully
determined that it will take place in the year 1847. It will
be annular in this country, and several other places. Time’s
Telescope for 1815.

The Athenians, according to Plutarch, entertained very
terrific ideas of eclipses of the moon. Nicias and his army,
when they were on the point of withdrawing secretly from
Sicily, without being observed or suspected by the enemy,
refused to embark, because the moon became suddenly eclipsed;
this ignorant and superstitious conduct proved fatal, for they
were all, shortly after, either slain or taken prisoners.

[125] A valuable correspondent writing from Matura, in
Ceylon, May 7, 1817, says, “A festival was lately celebrated
here, principally on the river. A large boat was rigged for the
purpose, somewhat after the manner of a ship, which carried a
number of dancers and other persons in disguise, accompanied
with the music of pipes and drums. I particularly inquired into
the meaning of the ceremonies; and, as far as I could learn, it
was a celebration of the birth of the sun and moon. The world
is believed to have been once inhabited by holy brahmins, whose
bodies were transparent, and afforded sufficient light. When
these fell into sin, they lost their splendor, and other lights
became necessary.”

The African negroes, in the West Indies, on seeing the new
moon, take out of their pocket a piece of whatever money they
have, and, holding it up in their hand, say, “God bless the new
moon, this is all I can give you; take this, and give me good
luck:” and then throw it up toward it. After this action, they
believe that prosperity will attend them during the time that
moon continues. On embracing the Christian religion, they lay
aside this heathenish practice.

[126] On the dial of the cathedral at Bruges, the sun is
represented directing the hours, with this motto, _Non rego,
nisi regar_: signifying, that the sun could not rule the
day, if it was not first ruled itself. Had the Pagan world
known this truth, the greatest part of it had not fallen into
idolatry.

[127] Literary Panorama, for January, 1814, pp. 954, 955.

[128] “At what time the earth began to be considered,
or rather suspected, to be spherical,” says Costard, “is
uncertain, but probably not before the undertaking long
voyages; the first of which, it may be, were down the Arabian
Gulf, and out of the Straits of _Bab-Al-mandub_, by Europeans
corruptly called _Babelmandel_. What opinion was commonly
entertained of those who undertook those long voyages, may be
learned, in some measure, from this word. For _Mandub_ is one
that is lamented at his funeral; therefore _Bab-al-mandub_ is
the _gate_, or _strait_, of one lamented at his funeral; as if
a person sailing beyond that point, was considered as going to
certain death, or never to return.”

[129] See Verstigan’s “Restitution of Decayed
Intelligence,” Edit. 1673, pp. 64-68; and Time’s Telescope.

[130] On June 14, 1815, was published the following
astronomical notice. The Georgium Sidus is now visible to
the naked eye any clear night. It souths now a little before
midnight, is paler and less vivid than the fixed stars near it
in Scorpio; it will remain in company with Arcturus for two or
three years, passing north of it about the middle of the year
1816, and veering to the east, or left hand, at the rate of 4°
18ʹ annually, being near seven years in passing one sign, and
near 84 in making an entire revolution.

Dr. Herschell assumes, that the eclipses of the satellites
of the Georgium Sidus will, in the year 1818, be visible to
those who possess telescopes of high magnifying powers, when
they will appear to ascend through the shadow of the planet in
the direction almost perpendicular to the ecliptic.

[131] In the year 1712, Mr. Whiston having calculated
the return of a comet, which was to make its appearance on
Wednesday, the 14th of October, at five minutes after five in
the morning; he gave notice to the public accordingly, with
this terrifying addition, that _a total dissolution of the
world by fire was to take place on the Friday following_. The
reputation Mr. Whiston had long maintained, both as a divine
and a philosopher, left little or no doubt with the populace
of the truth of his prediction. Several ludicrous events
took place in consequence. A number of persons in and about
London seized all the barges and boats they could lay their
hands on in the Thames, very rationally concluding, that when
the conflagration took place, there would be the most safety
on the water. A gentleman who had neglected _family prayer_
for longer than five years, informed his wife that it was
his determination to resume that laudable practice the same
evening; but his wife having engaged _a ball at her house_,
persuaded her husband to put it off till they saw whether the
comet appeared or not. The South-sea stock immediately fell to
_five per cent._, and India stock to _eleven_. The captain of a
Dutch ship threw all his powder into the river, that the ship
might not be endangered.

The next morning the comet appeared according to the
prediction, and before noon the belief was universal, that
_the day of judgment was at hand_. About this time of the
day 123 clergymen were ferried over to Lambeth, it was said,
to petition that a short prayer might be penned and ordered,
there being none in the church service on that occasion.
Three maids of honor burnt their collections of novels and
plays, and sent to a bookseller’s to buy each of them a Bible,
and Bishop Taylor’s Holy Living and Dying. The run upon the
Bank was so prodigious, that all hands were employed from
morning till night in discounting notes, and handing out
specie. On Thursday, considerably more than _seven thousand
kept mistresses were legally married_! in the face of several
congregations. And to crown the whole, Sir Gilbert Heathcote,
at that time head director of the Bank, issued orders to all
the fire-offices in London, requiring them “to keep a good look
out, and have a particular eye upon the Bank of England.”

The comet which might have put the earth in most hazard,
was that of 1680. By Halley’s calculation it passed, November
11, within 60 semi-diameters of the earth’s orbit: and if, at
that time, the earth had been in that part of her orbit, there
is no conjecturing at the consequences.--Literary Panorama, for
December, 1811.--Probably the above was only a hoax upon Mr.
Whiston on account of the singularity of his opinion concerning
comets.

[132] Dr. Keill’s Astronomy, 5th Edit. pp. 189, 190.

[133] Dr. O. Gregory’s Treatise on Astronomy, p. 413.

[134] The celebrated Buffon supposed, that our earth was
originally formed by a comet’s sweeping off and receiving in
his train a portion of the exterior part of the sun; which,
after having been sufficiently cooled, in the lapse of time,
perhaps hundreds of thousands of years, had gradually assumed
its present form! When we reflect that this eminent French
naturalist was an infidel and a libertine, his many strange
theories confirm the remark of the Poet,

“An undevout astronomer is mad.”

When a person through the pride of intellect, will not
submit his fallible understanding to the sure light of Divine
revelation, he is liable to embrace the greatest absurdities,
which a sober and well-regulated mind would prevent.

[135] Guardian, No. 103.

[136] The distances of the fixed stars have never been
absolutely determined, and what is here stated is not given
as the true distance of Sirius; but from what has been
ascertained, the distance cannot be less than as above. Dr.
Bradley, after another method of calculation, makes it to
be more than ten times greater, or twenty-five millions of
millions, and 650 thousand of millions.

[137] In 1627, Schiller published a work, entitled Cœlum
Stellatum Christianum, containing the ancient catalogue,
with new constellations. In this work he rejected the
old designations, and substituted new figures for the
constellations, and names taken from the sacred Scriptures;
thus Aries he changed into St. Peter; Taurus, into St. Andrew;
Andromeda, into the holy sepulchre; Lyra, into the manger
of Christ; Hercules, into the wise men of the east; Canis
Major, into David; and so on. This he is said to have done in
imitation of the venerable Bede, who, instead of the profane
names and figures adopted by pagans, substituted the names of
the twelve apostles for those of the twelve constellations
in the zodiac: but these innovations were disregarded by
astronomers. Weigelius, professor of mathematics at Jena,
attempted to make an innovation of another kind; he wished to
change the starry heavens into a kind of Cœlum Heraldicum, by
introducing the arms of all the princes and states of Europe,
by way of constellations; but his project experienced the same
fate as those of Bede and Schiller.

[138] See Ferguson’s Astronomy.

[139] Gisborne’s _Walks in a Forest_, sixth edit. pp. 44,
45, 46.

[140] The author thankfully acknowledges his obligations
for many of the above thoughts to an old sermon preached “at
the opening of the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale;” but cannot
say of what date, or by whom delivered, as his copy of it is
without title-page.

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