other volcanoes. One of them, 3 miles in circumference, and more than half a mile in perpendicular height, appeared in February 1784, near the Gierfugla Islands, about 100 miles S. W. from Iceland; the other, the dimensions of which I do not find recorded, appeared to the N. W. between Iceland and Greenland. These islands, we have every reason to believe, are the productions of submarine volcanoes; but whatever difficulty we may find in accounting for their formation, it is evident, that they afford no argument against the Mosaic account of the creation of the globe.

IV. The fourth and last argument we shall mention, is that which has been reckoned the most conclusive. In digging through a mass of lava, in the neighbourhood of Catania, seven distinct strata of it were observed, with layers of soil interposed. Now as each of these layers of soil must have been formed before the superincumbent stratum of lava was added, and as a long time is generally required to form a layer of soil on the surface of lava, it is argued, that this succession of strata could not have been formed in 5800 years. Some have even pretended to determine the exact period which would have been necessary to form it; and they reason on the following principles: In the neighbourhood of Catania, there is a tract of lava known to be 2000 years old, which is still covered with but a very thin stratum of soil. Now, say these reasoners, if 2000 years be necessary to form one stratum of soil, the above-mentioned succession of seven strata, must have requir

ed at least 14000 years, or more than twice the Mosaic age of the world.

The whole of this reasoning will stand or fall with the principle, that 2000 years are necessary for the formation of a stratum of soil on the surface of lava; and this principle is demonstrably false. In theory, it is absurd; by observation it is expressly contradicted. The soil in question is formed originally by the ashes from the volcano.

A stratum of these ashes is capable, in certain circumstances, of supporting vegetation, and by the decay of successive crops of vegetable matter, assumes, in a few years, the appearance of ordinary soil. Now, it is evident, that the time necessary for the formation of such soil, will depend entirely on the deposition of the ashes; and as these are carried by the wind, they are deposited very unequally. Some places, as that on which the above reasoning is founded, may be so situated, as scarcely to be covered in 2000 years; but in other cases, we know for certain, and indeed we should have expected it a priori, that the deposition is much more rapid. An extensive tract of lava, near Hybla, in Sicily, was converted into a fertile plain, by a single eruption of ashes from Etna, about the beginning of the 17th century. It continued so for many years, till it was again over-run with lava in the great eruption of 1669. Here, therefore, we have a case in which a stratum of soil was formed, and a stratum of lava deposited over it in less than 100 years; and reasoning from the analogy, we are entitled to infer, that the

succession of seven strata, mentioned above, might have been formed in 700 years. Were we to go no farther than this, it would certainly be a very sufficient refutation of the hypothesis, which requires a period of 14000 years, as it overthrows the principle on which it is founded. But we can go far ther; for in digging through the lava which covers Herculaneum, seven distinct strata of it have been observed with layers of earth interposed, though we know for certain, that the whole is the production of less than 1800 years. Now, as in this instance, the number of strata is exactly the same as in that from which the argument we examining is deduced, it appears to us to prove in the clearest manner that the latter affords not the shadow of an objection to the age which scripture assigns to the world.

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On the whole, we conceive it may be proved to the satisfaction of every unprejudiced mind, that there is nothing in the phenomena of volcanoes that tends in the smallest degree to invalidate the authority of scripture. Were the other grounds examined, on which it has been attempted to be proved, that the phenomena of nature and the doctrines of revelation are at variance, they would be found equally unsupported by solid proof, equally chargeable with partial statement, and unfair deduction, and no less repugnant to the maxims of sound philosophy, than to the spirit of the religion of Jesus. The devout believer in the Bible would have the satisfaction to find, that all nature bears testimony to that word, which he has

chosen to be his counsellor and song in the house of his pilgrimage, and that each succeeding ef fort to obscure its light only makes it shine with greater splendour. Daily are the vast designs which it reveals unfolding before our eyes; and every such instance proves a fresh argument for its truth. And when, at length, the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; when nature's fairest works shall fall to ruin; then shall it shine with its native lustre, and every opposition die before it; "for the grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the word of our God endureth forever." MEDICUS.

FRAGMENTS.

CHARACTER OF THE ANCIENT FATHERS.

Ir we have patience to examine the authors, who wrote in the early centuries, commonly called Fathers, (says a very able and candid judge) we shall find things very valuable. Cyprian has a magnanimity and vehemence resembling that of Demosthenes.

We find in Chrysostom, an exquisite judgment, noble images, and lovely morals.

Augustine is both sublime and popular. He ascends to the highest principles by the most familiar turns. He asks questions. He makes his hearers ask him questions. He answers. It is a sort of conversation between him and his hearers. Comparisons are introduced to dispel doubts.

Bernard was a prodigy in a barbarous age. There is found

in him sublimity, tenderness, and vehemence.

One may well be astonished at what he finds, beautiful or grand, in the writings of the Fathers, when he considers the ages in which they wrote.

ANECDOTES.

The Triumph of Piety. SOME years before the revolution, a lady, who was a bookseller at Paris, attracted by the reputation of Father Beauvegard, an eloquent preacher, went to the church of Notredame to hear him. His discourse was particularly levelled against irreligious books; and the lady had cause enough to reproach herself on that account, having been in the habit of selling many publications, which were contrary to good manners and to religion. Interest had blinded her, as it does many others in the same line of business but penetrated by the sermon, she could no longer dissimulate, that impious and licentious books are a dreadful source of poison to the heart; and she was compelled to acknowledge, that those who print or sell, or contribute to circulate them in any way whatever, are so many public poisoners, whom God will, one day, call to account for the evils they occasion. Impressed with these sentiments, she went to the preacher, and with tears in her eyes she said to him, "You have rendered me a great service, by giving me to see how culpable I have been in selling many impious books; and I entreat you to finish the good work you have begun, by taking the trouble to come to my warehouse to examine all the

books, which are in it, and to put aside all those, which may be in. jurious to morals or religion. Whatever it may cost me, I am determined to make the sacri fice. I had rather be deprived of a part of my property, than consent to lose my soul." Accordingly Father Beauvegard paid her a visit next day to examine her books. When he had separated the good from the bad, she took the latter, and in his presence, cast them, one after an. other, into a great fire she had taken care to provide. The price of the books, thus consumed, amounted, it is said, to about 6000 livres. She made the sacrifice without regret; and from that time endeavoured to sell no books but what might tend to counteract the evil done by the others. Perhaps every one will admire this example; but few, we fear, will "go and do likewise." Evan, Mag.

Divine Correction, AN awful instance of divine correction, of a nature which cannot fail to be admonitorily applied by all who hear of it, was experienced by a young man in Stamford, on Monday last :Whilst giving reins to the vehemence of his passion, and impiously uttering the most blasphemous expressions, he was by the visitation of Providence suddenly struck dumb! Under this affliction, and in a state of mind from remorse and contrition, the most deplorable, the unhappy young man has remained ever since his intemperate and wicked behaviour under the infliction of this signal mark of Divine Providence. Lond. Pap.