[Sidenote: Triumph of scientific truth.] But what has become of the time-honoured doctrine of the human destiny of the universe? that doctrine for the sake of which the controversy I have described in this chapter was raised. It has disappeared. In vain was Bruno burnt and Galileo imprisoned; the truth forced its way, in spite of all opposition, at last. The end of the conflict was a total rejection of authority and tradition, and the adoption of scientific truth. CHAPTER IX. THE EUROPEAN AGE OF REASON--(_Continued_). HISTORY OF THE EARTH.--HER SUCCESSIVE CHANGES IN THE COURSE OF TIME. _Oriental and Occidental Doctrines respecting the Earth in Time.--Gradual Weakening of the latter by astronomical Facts, and the Rise of Scientific Geology._ _Impersonal Manner in which the Problem was eventually solved, chiefly through Facts connected with Heat._ _Proofs of limitless Duration from inorganic Facts.--Igneous and Aqueous Rocks._ _Proofs of the same from organic Facts.--Successive Creations and Extinctions of living Forms, and their contemporaneous Distribution._ _Evidences of a slowly declining Temperature, and, therefore, of a long Time.--The Process of Events by Catastrophe and by Law.--Analogy of Individual and Race Development.--Both are determined by unchangeable Law._ _Conclusion that the Plan of the Universe indicates a Multiplicity of Worlds of infinite Space, and a Succession of Worlds in infinite Time._ [Sidenote: Age of the earth.] A victory could not be more complete nor a triumph more brilliant than that which had been gained by science in the contest concerning the position of the earth. Though there followed closely thereupon an investigation of scarcely inferior moment--that respecting the age of the earth--so thoroughly was the ancient authority intellectually crushed that it found itself incapable of asserting by force the Patristic idea that our planet is less than six thousand years old. [Sidenote: The question is impersonally solved.] Not but that a resistance was made. It was, however, of an indirect kind. The contest might be likened rather to a partisan warfare than to the deliberate movement of regular armies under recognized commanders. In its history there is no central figure like Galileo, no representative man, no brilliant and opportune event like the invention of the telescope. The question moves on to its solution impersonally. A little advance is made here by one, there by another. The war was finished, though no great battle was fought. In the chapter we are entering upon there is, therefore, none of that dramatic interest connected with the last. Impersonally the question was decided, and, therefore, impersonally I must describe it.