over a difficulty of which he evidently knows not how else to dispose. It is far easier, he finds, to turn the arguments of his "modern Daniel" into ridicule, and blow the snuff of suspicion into the eyes of his reader, than to answer these arguments fairly and manlike.

Let us look at a single instance of misrepresentation. He endeavours to inspire the posthumous remains of his cause with something of life and interest, by representing the writer to have said, that " not a single expression in Hab. 3 can be for a moment supposed to have had reference to an act that ever transpired." By omitting the word "literally" in this sentence, he has put into the writer's mouth what the writer never said, as any one will see by turning to the passage in question, where he will find it repeatedly explained, by being varied several ways in order to prevent being misunderstood.

We do not know who are the readers of the Methodist Quarterly Review; and consequently cannot tell who may have read the statement just quoted. We suppose they are men in search of truth. If so, we are compelled to say, their prospects for finding it in the writings or essays of our Reviewer, are not the brightest, if we must judge from the specimen of his veracity now before us. Any man who will take the trouble to inquire into this matter, who will read carefully the remarks on this subject found in the January No. of Biblical Repository, 1845, pp. 123-127, will certainly see that we have said no such thing. The death of utter annihilation had already settled under the nails of his gasping cause, and neither stimulants nor galvanism could save it from the grave, but misrepresentation would prolong its existence a day or two; and accordingly we have it.

We do most firmly believe and have ever maintained, that all the statements of this chapter, like every thing else, which is truly the word of God, are true; having fact for their basis, but poetry for their dress. They all refer to, and, in the high coloured language of oriental poetry, describe events which actually took place: But what were the events? This is the question. To what does the sacred penman refer,

when he represents the Almighty as walking upon glowing coals of fire? He did something which the Prophet referred to; but what was that something? In like manner, something grand, magnificent and probably miraculous, is referred to in v. 11. "The sun and moon stood still," etc., but what was it? The Reviewer may say it was one thing; the author of the Examination may think it was something else both admit and both maintain that it was something. The one contends that it was literally so; the other that if you say this of verse 11, you must say it of the whole poem ; the nodding hills, the trembling mountains, the Lord with bow and arrows, etc., etc. But this would be most absurd.

There is, therefore, not a solitary reference, not an allusion in all the Scripture to any such event as that which the passage from Jasher describes; wherefore we conclude, for the best of reasons, that no such event occurred.

But the Professor, having vanquished his antagonist, as he thinks, and given a very satisfactory account, at least to himself, of all the arguments with which the passage in Joshua had been assailed, excepting two, concludes that even these do not amount to much. After which, and just as he is retiring from the field so manfully defended, he brings forward the long promised "conjecture." It is, that v. 15 should read, "And Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the camp at Makkedah," instead of Gilgal. The Hebrew letters in "Hagilgallah" he thinks are so nearly like those which are combined to form the name "Makkedah," that some early, careless transcriber mistook the one for the other. "Alas, master; for it was borrowed!" The reader will find it duly drawn out in Dr. Clark's commentary upon the passage; and what will be particularly interesting, too, will be the discovery, that the tradition which the Reviewer thinks so much of was referred to by the Dr. He thought so little of both, however, he did but name them. It seems to us not a little remarkable, that he who was so fearfully alive to every thing like speculation or theory, as to be able to smell the "abstractional intellectualities of Kant " in all parts of the

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Examination, and detect, as by a kind of theological instinct, "Rationalism, skepticism," (and what not?) in every thing of the kind, he it is who can furnish us with such a "suggestion as we have above! Hagilgallah," in the Hebrew character, "is formed of letters so nearly resembling those which are combined in Makkedah, as to be easily mistaken the one for the other!" And the man who says this professes to understand Hebrew! He professes, also, a most profound regard for the sacred record; is alive to every thing which shall combine for its defence, and opposed to that which may serve to shake our confidence in it! Verily, the Bible in passing from the hands even of a Strauss, to those which can deal thus freely in" suggestions," made up of proposed alterations, is sent in effect from Herod to Pilate.

We deem it proper here to say, that we have been pained and disgusted with the bombast which every where appear in the Review. Could we have persuaded ourselves, that the merits of the question would have been clearly seen by every reader, and that the cause of truth would not in any measure have suffered from our silence, we should not have replied. If we have taken ground which can be maintained, it is important ground: if otherwise, the only favour we ask, is, that our position be overthrown by argument. We count him a friend and an honourable man, who, with his literary, theological, or philological claymore, shall cleave our theory and its arguments from head to heel. But let no one who wishes to be respected, as a scholar or a gentleman, attempt to settle a grave point like that we have now disposed of, by the potent energies of a "WINGED PEGASUS!"

The Reviewer, then, is welcome to the unenvied reputation which he may derive from the flippant assurances with which he has closed his labours, viz., that he has not "spent ten years of study" on the subject under debate; assurances gathered, we admit, by implication, but wholly unnecessary. No one who shall read his article, will need to be informed of it. He appears already to have reached that round in the ladder of self-exaltation, which leads him to infer the success

of an enterprise from the single fact, that he had undertaken it a calamity from which we most sincerely ask ever to be delivered.

ARTICLE IV.

ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN GEOLOGY AND RELIGION.

By Rev. J. JAY DANA, Canaan Four Corners, New-York.

ONLY a few years have elapsed, since the attention of the public became directed to the subject of Geology. It is not strange, therefore, that very many now regard it with comparative indifference. It is only a short time since lectures began to be heard on this subject, even in our literary institutions. We can well remember when a young man could be graduated at one of our colleges, without knowing one rock from another. This ignorance was deemed no disgrace; for the science had not become known. Of late, however, both in this country and the old world, great advances have been made, advances which have given Geology a place among the sciences; and we hope the day is not far distant, when a knowledge of this science shall be deemed as essential to a finished education as that of Astronomy. We are happy to believe that the interest in this subject is increasing. A few years since, men could not see any practical benefit which could accrue from investigating the rocks; but when it was known that it could be turned to account, they were ready to encourage those interested in the prosecution of this study. When it was found that Geologists could state with great definiteness, the mineral resources of any portion of the country, and that these resources had a bearing on Agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures, Legislatures were led to encourage Geological surveys. If these surveys shall prevent the ignorant from quarrying glazed argillite for anthracite coal

and sulphuret of iron for gold, they will not have been made in vain. But they will do much more than this. They will show the respective States their own resources, and teach them what agricultural products they can most advantageously raise, and what it will be better economy to purchase.

While the public have become in some measure interested in the relations of Geology to Agriculture, Commerce, and Manufactures, very little attention has been paid to the bearings of this important subject on Religion. One reason for this is, that some Geological facts have been supposed to impugn revelation, and hence Geologists have been regarded as semi-infidel; and this has prevented some from interesting themselves in the subject. Whence originated the opinion that Geologists desire to impugn the Scriptures, we know not, for it certainly cannot be found in the works of leading authors. That they are infidel in sentiment is an inference drawn by theological writers, from the fact that Geologists, on data which they deem sufficient, consider the world more than six thousand years old.

We are not aware that any original work has appeared in this country, devoted exclusively to this branch of the subject. In England Dr. John Pye Smith has published a work on "The Relation between the Holy Scriptures and some parts of Geological Science," which has been reprinted in this country. He states some of the prominent facts of Geology, and shows that between these facts and the Bible there is no collision. Dr. Buckland has also published his "Geology and Mineralogy considered with reference to Natural Theology." This, also, has been reprinted here. These works need no commendation of ours. We feel, however, the want of a work which shall combine the excellences of both these valuable treatises, and trust the day is not far distant when this shall be attempted by some able hand. In the mean time we propose to state a few Geological facts and suggest a few hints respecting their relation to Natural and Revealed Theology.*

* We would suggest to the reader to study the works above mentioned