Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-04-24

knowledge of its being laid by fowl,
most important fact remains hid, f;
This hypothesis of planetary creation al
presents strange contradiction to the ordi
ary methods of nature--the process of grow
and development from small germ is rever
ed, and instead Of expansion there is contra
ton in the progress from infancy TO maturit,
Nature, too, proceeds by peaceful assimiL
tion, hut ON this hypothesis she operates b
ctolem disruption. If there is Unity of Sys
tenn in Nature. how can such en- exception 1
her laws take place? Who shall say that 5
mighty an object Of divine care as a planet
not being, an organic icing being, subjec
to universal laws of generation and growth
a higher wisdom than we now possess i
needed to solve such a sublime problem
Possibly what is needed is knowledge. o.
the laws OF Universal Analogy and of,he Sc
REs. These, fulfilling the idea of Socrates
OF science, may teach us every thing, by show
ing the relations of all things.
| The illusirous Swedenborg in his early life
wrote little work "On the Worship and
Love of God, treating OF the Earth, of Para
disc, and of living Creatures; also, Of The Ma
!lvity, the Infancy, and the Love of the First
begotten, or ADAM" IN which a theory is Gil
ven IN some respects similar TO the nebulous
| hypothesis. This book, though enriched by
an everything current Of true philosophy
circiing through every page, can only be con-
siucred work OF the Imagination; but it is
gorgeous aud magnificent, poem.
Swedenborg says:
"Ihere was (therefore) a time like no time.
when the sun being in state Of pregnancy, car.
iiea IN his womb the bodies of his own Universe,
and when, being delivered, he emitted them into
REGIONS FIR If ftav
'som The sun as parent, i; is manifest that they
must have burst forth from his fruitful womb.-.~
nevertheless, ii was impossible that he could
carry In his burning fc,us and afterward bring
.o'.', such heavy and inert productions, and
therefore such burdens must have been The ulri.
mate effects Of his exhalaiions, and OF the now.
ers thence flowing and efficient. Hence it fol.
lows, that the sun primarily was overspread with
efiiuvias excited and Matched by his real irrada.
uon, and flowing together in abundance and in
every direction to him, as an asylum and only
harhor OF rests and tina; from those fluids in pro.
cess Of time condensed, there existed Surround.
ing nebulous expanse, mass like tile white
OF an egg, which, with the sun included in it,
would resemble the CREAT Eos OF THE UNI
VERSE also that the surface Of this egg could at
length derive crust, a kind Of shell, in con.
Sequence OF the rays being Intercepted, and their
influence shut up, which crust, the sun, when tho
time OF pariurilion was at hand, by his inward
heat and agitation would burst, aud would there
by hatch numerous offspring, equal in humble,
TO the globes visible in his universe, which still
look up TO him as parent"
The description is continued in language
glowing with the enthusiasm Of grand con
ceeptlon and . lofty genius, until the Earth is
prepared like. virgin bride for the reception,
OF her croWning glory and the supreme head
OF creation, Man.--But it has lille scientific
value.
The geological history of the Earth is next
treated of in the Vestiges Of Creation, and in
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 subseuuen.
commencement, of Organic life-the Era Of
the Old Red Sandstone, Of the Secondsrv
Rocks with the formation of land and the
commencement of land plants, of the New
! Red Sandstone and the commencement of 10
ology, reptiles and birds only, of the Oolite
and the commencement of Mamma!ia, and of
the Cretaceous, Tertiary and Superficial For
nations, 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, from
the commencement Of organic life on the
globe, each geological era is distinguished
from that which preceded il, by a new organ
ration 81 being in the animal and tie vegc-
table Kingdoms, one step higher in the scale
! OF existence. IL every era the way was pre.
pared Tor The next succeeding era by the per
lection Of conditions, with a correspondents
Transformation OF organic life into a superior
mould. The law of Progress, or, as the au-
>! thor calls II, Developement, is clearly see;,
throughout, iE general view, bat the noints
o. transition or change remain underlined
Here the author raises remarkable hypo,be-
Sis, which he attempts 70 establish by varie-
~ OF proofs. 1t is this, that the law of like
producing like, which we see now 10 be the
prevailing law, holds only for certain time.
and rs sMbordinafs 10 a higher lam, which.
from time TO time, interrupts and supersedes il
This is called the law Of DEVELOPMENT.
The conclusion is, that the lowest and sim
Pest type of organic life. generated and gave
birth 10 the type next above it, which in lis
turn was the progenitor Of the next higher.
and so on in regular series Of development.
up TO the very hlghest-irom the polypes to
man himself! An astounding thought!
Without entering into the argument to
sustain this singular hypothesis, let us make 4
lew extracts showing the operation Of the
general law Of progfess. Commencing viii,
the earliest living creatures upon earth:
't.And what were those creatures j. m;ob.
well DO with kind Of awe that the uninstrucied
inquirer would wait for an answer TO this meg.
tlon. But nature is simpler than mans wit would
make her, and behold, the Interrogation or,ly
brings, before Us the unpretendipA forms OF yar
rous zoophytes and polypeS, together with few
single and double-valved shel-fsh (rnolluses, !
all OF them creatures OF the sea. II is rather