New-York daily tribune., 1845-03-25


These, fulfilling the idea of Socrates Of science
may teach US every thing, by showing the relations
OF all things.
The lustuous swedenborg in his early life wrote
a little work - On the Worship and Love of God
treating Of The Earth, of Paradise, and of Living
Creatures; also, of the Nativity, the Infancy. anc
The Love OF the First Begotten, or ADAM, in which
theory is given in some respects similar TO the ne
bulous hypothesis. This book, though enriched by
an everything current Of true philosophy circlina
through every page, can only be considered work
OF tine imagination; but IL is gorgeous and mag.
nificent poem.
Swedenborg says:
"There was Cherefore) time like no time,
when the being in state Of pregnancy, car
ried his worib the bodies of his own Universe,
and when, being delivered, he emitted them into
the regions OF the air; ior il they were derived
from the sun az parent, II IL manifest that they
must have burst forth from his fruitful womb. Ne
yerlheess, Il Impossible that he could carry IN
his burning focus, and aterward bring forth, such
heavy and iuert productions, and therefore such
burdens must have been The ultimate effects OF MS
eXhalatoDs, and OF the powers thence flowing and
efficient Hence ii follows that the sun primarily
was overspread with cifluvas excited aud Matched
by his real irradiatlon, and flowing together in
abundance and in every direction 10 nm, as an
asylum and only harbor OF rest and that from
those fluids in process Of time condensed, there
existed a surrounding nebulous expanse, or mass
like the white Of an egg, which, with the IN
cudcd in il, would resemble the GREAT EGG OF
THE UNIVERSE; also that the surface OF this egg
could at length derive crust, or KIND OF shell.
in consequence O! the rays being intercepted, and
their influence shut up, which crust, The sun, when
the time OF pariurtion was AT hand, By his inward
heat and agitation would burst, and would thereby
hatch numerous offspring, equal IL number 20 the
globes visible IN his unverse which still look up 10
him as parent"
The description is continued in language glow
ing with The enthusiasm Of grand conception and
lofty genius, until the Earth is prepared like a
virgin bride for the reception Of her crowning
glory andiAs supreme head Of creation, Man.
Blu, il has little scientific value.
Tho geological history Of the Earth is next
treated of in the Vesges of Creation, and IN u very
succnct and happy manner.
The various formations which distinguish the
periods of progress on the surface of the Earth into
Eras is described. There is the Era of Primary
Rocks, with the subsequent commencement OF Or
ganc life-thc Era ofthe Old Red Sandstone, ofthe
Secondary Rocks, with the formation of land and
the commencement land plants, of the New Rcd
Sandstone and the commencement OF Zoology,
reptiles and birds only, of the Oolite and the COM
mencement Of Manmalia, and of the Cretaceous,
Tertiary and Superficial Formations, together with
the phenomena Of each period. And finally the
scene is prepared for Man, when the history is
complete
This wonderful fact is shown, that, frcm the
commencement of organic life on the globe, each
geological era is distinguished from that which
preceded il, by new organization of being IN the
animal and the vegetable kingdoms, one stephigher
in the scale Of existence. In every era the way
was prepared for The next succeeding era by the
perfection of conditions, with corresponding
transformation of organic life into a superior
mould. The law Of Progress, or, as the author
calls ii, Development. IS clearly seen throughout,
in general view, but the points Of transition or
change remain underlined Here the author raises
remarkable hypothesis, which he attempts to estab
lish by variety of proofs 1t is this, that the law
of like producing like, which we see now to be
the prevailing law, holds only ior certain time,
and is Subordinate to higher l,lw, which, from
time te time, interrupts and Supersodes IT, This is
called the law Of DEVELOPMENT. The conclusion
is. that the lowest and simplest type Of organic
life generated and gave birth TO the type next above
ii, which in its turn was the prosenl;or OF The next
higher, and so on in regular series of develop
ment up 20 the very highest-from the polypus 10
man himself! An astounding thought!
Without entering into the argument 10 sustain
this singular hypothesis, let us make few extracts
showing the operation OF the general law OF pro-
gress. Commencing with the earliest living crsa-
turcs upon earth:
IL I, - Ill
he with kind of awe that the unnstructed m
quirer would wait for an answer 10 tins question.
But nature is simpler than mans Wit would make
her and behold, the Interrogation only brings be-
fore lis the uuprctendns forms OF vanouSzoophytes
and polypes together with Il tewslnse and double
Waived shell-is (molluscs) all OF them creatures
of the sea. Ii Is rather surprising 10 ind these be-
fore any vegetable forms, considering that vegcta-
hlcs appear TO US as forming the necessary ilrst
Ink IN the chain of nutrition; but II Is probable
that there Were plants, and also some simpler
forms of animal life, before tins period, although
of too slight u substance 10 leave any fossil trace
OF their existence"
Here we have the origin of organic life on the
glebe, and the beginning OF the operation Of the
principle OF Development. The authors reasoning
on the subject does not derogate from the power
and wisdom of the Almighty, but exats our ideas
Of Iii. initiate greatness. He believes lite 10 be
the result Of the original fat OF the Creator through
the agency OF mediate natural laws, and not OF
direct personal exer,ion. All things were ordained
from the beginning in the Couacils Of Divine Wis
dom, and in their order are brought forth as results
of inherent principles The whole train Of ANNA
ted beings, from the simplest aad Oldest up 10 the
highest and most recent hs regards as series OF
Garances qf the piileiPie Of dcrclQpment depending
~, ,,x,aruol Cirr,u,StancCs
+" In pursuing the progress of the development OF
beth plants and animals upon the globe we have
seen an advance ie both cases, along the line lead.
ing to the higher terms Of organization. Amongst
plants we have hSsi sea-weedS, afterwards land
Plants: and amongst these the simpler Cellular and
cryp,ogamic) before the move complex. IN the
department Of zoology, we see zooPhyteS, rad!ata,
uloliuSca ar,icalai, eXstlrs for ages before there
were any hisher forms. The first step forward
gives fishes the huublesi class OF the vertebraia
and, moreover. the earliest fishes par,ake Of the
character OF The next loves, sub.klngdonl, The
ar,iculata Afterwards come land animals, Of
which the fst are reptiles. universally allowed 20
be the ype next in advance from fishes. and TO be
connected with The Sc by The links Of insensIble
nradariop From rertilss we advance TO birds,