| OCR Text |
Show '4 UNIFORMITY OF TliE SYS'l'EM. 16 e that there was per .. be weakened ?-woul d he cease to assludm h e no longer b e gm'd e d manency in the laws of natur~ ?-w~ul of induction? To this · b the stnctest 1 u es d in his speculatwns Y 1 d 1 e previously presume to question we may repl y ' thabt l1 a t 1 ru'formity of the ord er of t' the a so u e u · · h' dogmatize rcspec mgd btedl be checked by witnes~mg t ~s nature, he would un ou yd ld form a more JUSt estl-t d event an wou d l new and unexpec e ' f h' wn knowledge, an t 1e 1. . t d range o IS o B h mate of the 1mi e 1 f the universe. ut e t f the scleme o unbounded exten. °t hat no one o f tlle £xed and constanl t laws would soon perceive . ld was subverted by mman . . . nammate wor h of the ammate ot I 'fi . produced were on t e occur- } t th modi catiOns h agency' and t la c d' circumstances, and t osc not renee of new an d extraor l mary . The devi·a ti·O n permi·t te d ' . l b t mo?·a natme. . l h of a physwa ' u a 1' 1 t as was consistent wit 1 t e to be as s 1g 1 b · would also appear l ends proposed, and to e m . f the new mora l accomplishment o . 't ture so that whenever t 1e t porary m 1 s na ' . . d a great degree em 'thheld even for a brlef perw ' h agent was w1 ' · h power of t e new 1 t the ancient state of tlnngs; t e a relapse would take p ace o 1 overing in a few genera-d . 1 for examp e, rec . domesticate a~Im~ ' h ()'arden-flower and frmt-tree . . 'ld mstmct, and t e o twns Its Wl . f the parent stock. . reverting to the hkeness o bl to draw such inferences with Now, if it would be r;a~:~~ote but apply the same rules of respect to the future, w I ·u scarcely be disputed that we induction to the past. t Wl dt'fications in the results of . t' 'pate any mo 1 have no nght to an lCl h' h are not conformab e to . t' e to come, w IC 1 existing causes m Im d d b the pro(J'ressive deve op· analogy, unless they be pro e~l~: s from somcoother new re1ament of human power, or pd Pt 'al worlds. In the same h 1 an rna er1 . · tions between t e mora hat when we specul~te on the VICIS· manner we must concede, t . . te creation m former ages, situdes of the animate and m.amma nomalous results, unless we have no ground for e;pectm1 :~:tear indications appear of Where man has interfere ' or un e r det·angement. When Some other mora l source o f tempora lyt s of past changes, I·t I·s 1 · the monumet · we are unable to exp am h difficulty arises from our Ign~- always more proba?le. that t et r all their possible effects m ranee of all the existmg agen s, ~ t me cause was formerly an indefinite lapse of time, than t 1a s~ nd if in any part of m. operati.O n wh ich has ceased to act ' a RECENT ORIGIN OF MAN. 165 the globe the energy of a cause appears to have decreased, it is always probable, that the diminution of intensity in its action is merely local, and that its force is unimpaired, when the whole globe is considered. But should we ever establish by unequivocal proofs, that certain agents have, at particular periods of past time, been more potent instruments of change over the entire surface of the earth than they now are, it will be more consistent with philosophical caution to presume, that after an interval of quiescence they will recover their pristine vigour, than to regard them as worn out. The geologist who yields implicit assent to the truth of these principles, wiJl deem it incumbent on him to examine with minute attention all the changes now in progress on the earth, and will regard· every fact collected respecting the causes in diurnal action, as affording him a key to the interpretation of some mystery in the archives of remote ages. Our estimate, indeed, of the value of all geological evidence, and the interest derived from the investigation of the earth's history, must depend entirely on the degree of confidence which we feel in regard to the permanency of the laws of nature. Their immutable constancy alone can enable us to reason from analogy, by the strict rules of induction, respecting the events of former ages, or, by a comparison of the state of things at two distinct geological epochs, to arrive at the knowledge of general principles in the economy of our terrestrial system. The uniformity of the plan being once assumed, events which have occurred at the most distant periods in the animate and inanimate world will be acknowledged to throw light on each other, and the deficiency of our information respecting some of the most obscure parts of the present creation will be r·emoved. For as by studying the external configuration of the existing land and its inhabitants, we may restore in imagination the appearance of the ancient continents whjch have passed away, so may we obtain from the deposits of ancient seas and lakes an insight into the nature of the subaqueous processes now in operation, and of many forms of organic life, which, though now existing, are veiled from our sight. Rocks, also produced by subterranean fire in former ages at great depths in the bowels of the earth, present us, when upraised by gradual movements, and exposed to the light of heavep 1 |
