Page 9

ETS 2001: Boundaries on creation and Noah's Flood: Early 19

century British Scriptural Geologists

Terry Mortenson, PhD

tmortenson@AnswersInGenesis.org

P. 9

performed scientific experiments and attended some of the meetings of both the German and
British associations of science. On this basis, he published seven scientific journal articles on such
diverse topics as coal, Niagara Falls, human fossils, spiders, elephants, woodcocks and
microscopic animals. His most significant writings, however, were his two 400-page books on
geology: The Geology of Scripture in 1833 and Physical Demonstrations of the Mosaic Deluge in
1837. In these he sought to correlate the geological record with the order of events described in the
Biblical accounts of creation and the Flood. In his second book on the Flood he carefully argued
from the present state of the valley systems of the continents and the erosion rates of the
seacoasts and several prominent waterfalls in Germany and America, concluding that the Flood
must have occurred about 5,000 years ago.

John Murray

John Murray (1786?-1851) was born in Stranraer, Scotland, and from an early age he

demonstrated a great interest in science. Eventually he attained the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in
science. He became well known throughout Great Britain as a traveling lecturer on the philosophy
of physics and chemistry for much of his life, and was described by a prominent contemporary as
one of the best lecturers in the world. Although he was a loyal member of the Church of Scotland
and a strong Calvinist all his life, the local paper said of him at his death, "His benevolent heart
was a stranger to bigotry and sectarianism. He loved all who loved the Lord Jesus Christ. In the
hours of sickness and of death he manifested the same meek, patient, and amiable spirit which had
characterized his deportment through life."

With great industry he developed an impressive breadth of knowledge in many subject areas

of both science and literature. He did not gain great eminence in any single field, though he
contributed much to chemistry and to mining. Between 1816 and 1835 he wrote several scientific
papers, conducted many experiments and lectured often on the subject of the safety lamps used
by miners. This miner's lamp was one of Murray's many inventions. Because of this expertise,
he was invited in 1835 to testify on safety lamps and mine ventilation before a committee of
Parliament.

His knowledge and experience qualified him to become a Fellow of the Linnaean Society in

1819, the Society of Antiquities in 1822, the London Geological Society in 1823 and the London
Horticultural Society in 1824. He was almost appointed in 1831 to the chemistry chair of King's
College, London. His membership in the Geological Society continued throughout his career.
Additionally, he was a member of the Meteorological Society of London, the Wernerian Natural
History Society of Edinburgh and many other regional scientific or medical societies as well as the
mechanics institutes

in several cities.

Besides lecturing and doing experimental research he also traveled extensively to do his own

first-hand archaeological and geological fieldwork, some of which was done at great physical risk,

"Death of Dr. Murray, Ph.D., &c.," Galloway Advertiser and Wigtownshire Free Press (3 July, 1851).

In the 1820s mechanics institutes began to form in a number of provincial cities. These were intended to

teach artisans and mechanics the scientific information that would be practically useful in their trades. For a number
of reasons they failed in this objective, though they did help to encourage young people to pursue scientific studies,
and some of the Institutes went on to become polytechnics or universities.