theory upon
that deceitful analogy, which they had concluded between the stalactical
concretions of petrifying waters and the marble formed in the mineral
regions; thus, blinded by prejudice, they shut the door against the
clearest evidence; and it is most difficult to make them see the error
of their principle. But this is not to be wondered at, when we consider
how few among philosophising men remount to the first principles of
their theory; and, unless they shall thus remount to that first step,
in which the concreting operation of a dissolved stony substance
is supposed to take place without the necessary conditions for the
petrifying operation, it is impossible to be convinced that their
theory, thus formed with regard to mineral concretion, is merely
supposition, and has no foundation in matter of fact from whence it
should proceed.

But this is not all; for, even supposing their theory to be well founded
and just, it is plainly contradicted by natural appearances. According
to that theory of aqueous consolidation, all the stratified bodies, of
which this earth in general consists, should be found in the natural
order of their regular formation; but, instead of this, they are found
every where disturbed in that order more or less; in many places this
order and regularity is so disturbed as hardly to be acknowledged; in
most places we find those stratified bodies broken, dislocated, and
contorted, and this aqueous theory of mineralists has neither the means
for attaining that end, were it required in their theory, nor have they
any such purpose in their theory, were that end attainable by the means
which they employ. Thus blinded by the prejudice of a false analogy,
they do not even endeavour to gratify the human understanding (which
naturally goes in quest of wisdom and design) by forming a hypothetical
or specious theory of the mineral system; and they only amuse themselves
with the supposition of an unknown operation of water for the
explanation of their cabinet specimens, a supposition altogether
ineffectual for the purpose of forming a habitable earth, and a
supposition which is certainly contradicted by every natural appearance.

Thus, in examining geological and mineralogical theories, I am laid
under the disagreeable necessity of pointing out the errors of physical
principles which are assumed, the prejudices of theoretical opinions
which have been received, and the misconceived notions which
philosopher