SECTION V.

INTRODUCTION OF THE LIGHT; THE CONSEQUENT PROTOROTATION OF THE EARTH; AND ITS DYNAMICAL RESULTS.

CHAPTER XIV.

Explanation as to the possibility of the Earth and other planets, with their respective satellites having, in accordance with astronomical laws, revolved in space around the common centre of the system, long previous to the illumination of the sun. Further proofs that Darkness, in the language of Genesis, implies Attraction. Consequence of this fact upon the development of our Theory. Existence of the primeval Light before it was divided from the Darkness, and the important bearing of this truth on the subject under discussion. A few concluding observations on the subjects treated of in this chapter.

HAVING reached this convenient resting place, we shall, on commencing another chapter, avail ourselves of the juncture thus afforded, and of which we have long been desirous, to say a few words in explanation of the position assumed from the first, on the faith of its being unquestioned, although at variance with most of our pre-conceived opinions. We allude to the fundamental doctrine of this Theory, that the earth, and other planets-in virtue of the same laws which now govern their orbital motions-revolved around the sun; the satellites around their primaries, and the whole around the common centre of gravity of the system, for ages before the sun was illumined; for it may be supposed, by those who have not enquired into these subjects, that the solar system could not have existed under such circumstances.

In a subsequent part of this work we shall have occasion to prove, in a more formal manner, that the planetary orbital mo

tions in space, are perfectly independent of, and can exist with or without rotatory motion. Meanwhile, to convince our readers, that the solar system might exist, and perform all its orbital functions, although the sun should be again reduced to what it assuredly once was, for a long but indefinite period, AN OPAQUE MASS; and darkness should be again restored to its ancient dominion over the face of the deep-if the assertion made, to that effect, in Scripture be not deemed sufficientwe offer the the following opinions of men whose word should dispel all remaining doubts :

"Let it be granted," says Professor Whewell, when deducing evidences of design from the sun being in the centre," that the law of gravitation is established, and that we have a large mass, with others much smaller, in its comparative vicinity. The small bodies may then move round the larger, but this will do nothing towards making it a sun to them. Their motions might take place, the whole system remaining still utterly dark and cold, without either day or summer. In order that we may have something more than this blank and dead assemblage of moving clods, the machine must be lighted up and warmed.

"Now this lighting and warming by a central sun are something added to the mere mechanical arrangements of the universe. There is no apparent reason why the largest mass of gravitating matter should diffuse inexhaustible supplies of light and heat in all directions, while the other masses are merely passive, with respect to such influences. There is no obvious connexion between mass and luminousness, or temperature. No one, probably, will contend that the materials of our system are necessarily luminous or hot. . .

"The sun might become, we will suppose, the centre of the motions of the planets by mere mechanical causes; but what caused the centre of their motions to be also the source of those vivifying influences? Allowing that no interposition was requisite to regulate the revolutions of the system, yet, observe what a peculiar arrangement in other respects was necessary, in order that these revolutions might produce days and seasons! The machine will move of itself, we may grant; but who constructed the machine so that its movements might answer the purposes of life?

"This argument is urged with greater force by Newton himself. In his first letter to Bentley, he allows that matter might form itself

into masses by the force of attraction. And thus,' he says, ' might the sun and fixed stars be formed, supposing the matter were of a lucid nature. But how the matter should divide itself into two sorts, one luminous, the other opaque, he confesses he knows not.'

There appears, therefore, to be nothing wanting to convince an unprejudiced mind; that darkness, in Scriptural language, signifies attraction; and that according to the Mosaic account it "was upon the face of the deep," implying space in all its vastness and extent; and consequently that it pervaded our system as a part of space.

For our own part, we at once adopt these terms in the acceptation here given; and until they can be proved to have a different meaning we shall so apply them in all our future reasoning.

Yet, we desire not to be misunderstood; for we are perfectly aware there are minds capable of resisting this mode of reasoning; and, indeed, every mode of reasoning short of tangible evidences. For the conviction of such, we regret to say, that neither the nature of the subject, nor the present state of science, will admit of these direct appeals being made to their senses, although presently we shall have occasion to show, that during a long but indefinite period, there existed a state of matters on the face of our planet, to which light, as it now exists, so far from being serviceable, would actually have been inimical; and consequently could not, in accordance with the wisdom of the Supreme Being, have possibly existed. Besides, by denying or refusing to accede to the supposition that darkness is the scriptural expression for attraction, it would imply, that the inspired historian has omitted to mention a principle which is known, and confessed to have pervaded the whole universe! A conclusion alike inconsistent with our belief of the wisdom and prescience of that Omnipotent Being who dictated the divine record, as well as with all our experience regarding it; for no other circumstance, no, not even the most

Bridgewater Treatise, pp. 169–171. The remainder of this letter is not given, from being irrelevant to our present purpose, which is merely to prove, as we have seen they both admit, that the system could have existed though the sun had not been illumined.—AUTHOR.

minute, is overlooked when such is necessary to render the announcement complete. But it is not alone in this part of Scripture, as we have already been made aware, that darkness is mentioned as equivalent to attraction. We have the authority of the Almighty himself—it is so applied in several passages-and when speaking from the whirlwind to his patient and afflicted servant, he asks him in the sublime words which suited such an occasion, "Or who shut up the sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it," or in other words, before I thereby restrained it.

Taking, therefore, all these things into consideration, whether is it not more consistent with candour, or even with reason, to consider that the darkness mentioned by the Divine historian is the expression for attraction, when such well-grounded evidence can be adduced in favour of this reading? or, in the face of these proofs, and the concurring testimony of analogy, to persist in considering the words of inspiration to be defective?

The following considerations may, perhaps, serve to confirm our convictions with regard to the Scriptural meaning of the word "darkness." Admitting, for a moment, that it does signify attraction-and we do not see how it can well be denied-then we have the following. The ultimate end of

attraction is rest or inertia; for we cannot conceive of matter tending, as it would do under the unrestrained influence of attraction, to a centre, without associating in our minds the idea of its tending ultimately to rest. But if attraction be rest, inertia, or immovability, then it follows that all motion must be the antagonist of attraction; the very motion that matter has in tending to a centre being nothing save the visible effects of attraction when it is overcoming repulsion.

This view of the subject enables us to perceive more clearly the wisdom of the announcement which immediately follows the words already quoted: "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

*Job xxxviii. 8, 9.

It certainly does not become us, as finite, imperfect beings, to enquire into the nature of the movement here indicated; or the manner in which it was communicated to "the waters" by the life-giving influence of the Spirit of God; all we have to do is to believe, because it is so written. We confess our thankfulness that our minds are so constituted as to be enabled clearly to recognise that such is in strict accordance with the wisdom and the other attributes of the Deity; and to believe most firmly, in unison therewith, that the counteracting influence to attraction, whose effects are still appreciable in the works of the Creator during the period when "darkness was upon the face of the deep," was communicated to matter by immediate and Divine influence; and that it was motion which was then communicated. Not only because it is thus recorded in Scripture, but because it is confirmed by reflection, and the use of the reasoning faculties. For, as by the law of inertia, "matter can neither spontaneously create nor destroy motion in itself,"* so, consequently, whatever vibratory motion existed in the circumfluent, atmosphereless water of the earth before the formation of the light, must have been derived from a supernatural and immaterial source.

Those only who have felt the intense anxiety of mind arising from the contemplation of such subjects—which require to be traced out in the illimitable field in which they exist, and the fear which is entertained in doing so, of blending or weakening truth by conjecture-are capable of appreciating the comfort of finding spots of such secure foundation as those we have just elicited, and which, springing from opposite sources, science and religion, afford a firm footing amid all that is obscure and dubious around.

Science has rendered incalculable service by tracing so clearly the boundary line of the capability of matter, and frankly declaring "that it is unable to engender spontaneous motion in itself, or to destroy it when once it is originated by any external cause." Whilst, with an assurance such as this, exhibiting the inherent limits of matter, it is satisfactory

* Vide the sixty-seventh Theorem.