Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-11-25
GEOLOGY AND TIE BIBLE.

Some conversation took place in our pr
vale room yesterday n"rniny. upon the
snhJecl OF organic remains. aad OF course
the c"smogony Of Moses was discussed. a
scientific friend. who is professor of Chris
tianry. pfOiessed TO believe thai the lower
order of animals, many years prior t"
with the M"Aalc account Of creation, aud
indeed that the discoveries Of geology con
tirm that account. # the word dny be akcn
10 signify u considerable number of years.
Amer the cunv"r>a'ion. we accdenta ily
opened Belle London Weekly Messenger,
end found n hastily written article upon
the subject, in winch. views opposed to
those ofonr scientific friend. are advocated.
We transfer IA" piece 10 our columns. pre-
missing tina, it is likely to be followed by
the opposite views of the sreut Dr.. Chal.
merS.
F,om Bells Weekly Messenger.
THE NEW PHILOSOPHY. AND IT'S
DANGEROUS AND FANTASTIC uGMAs.
In come of the papers of the week. aud
in tho Standard tn particular. have been
published Two letters, WHICH have rXcued
that public ultrRil"n Which their inipnr
iadce 81 well rrirs /; Tie one from a gen-
tlcman OF sound rrlG'"us 'r"'iug, and Of
an exact aud profound eiudilion. IN winch.
in q tone of grave and sober lndlguarinn,
he anlmadvrrls upon the III judaed aud Ill
weighed declaration of Dr.. Buckand. the
Oxi"rd professor OF geology. and the Rec
tor ct 81. Geotge'S church ~ The borough.
that he he PROFESSOR deems that charn,,
IA necessary 10 the Interpretation OF the
first chapter Of G ne.Is, regarding the
creation Of the world aud us Organic crea
lures. "For yeats past" says tins cores.
pondent. "a dlscnrdancc has been seen be
twren'he plain and unrQuivncai statements
OF M"ses, as to the DAYS ot the creation.
and the unbounded periods lich men Of
science have declared necessary. for the
life and death of successive generations OF
living beings as are now found bnned in
the strata oft earth. Every method has
been tried 10 bring the Mnsaic account and
the geological facts into such harmony a.
will alone suu the unfnch,ng s,ubbornness
of human Intellect" All these attempt.
having failed. Dr. Bucklaud (c"n'iuues TIN,
correspondent, IN eub.auc'.l comes now
forward With b's his proposed new inter.
pre'a''nn OF scripture the suggested change
10 the sccrivrd version being, that bv the
term days" an indefinite extent q! some
millioas OF ages shalt BE- understood. An.
other Interpretation which DR.. Buckland
proposes l.. that the FIRST verse Of Genesis
ain the beginning God created he heavens
and The earth" should be read separale ed
from the two verses which follow, aud
'"God SAID lie; there be light and lb,,e wa,
light, and The evening aud the morning
were the first day."
To thls very serious charge, and Partic
ularlarly in the character Of a clergyman
who has hitherto borne high name among
the men of learning of The day DR.. Buck
land has replied, in a letter, the material
substance Of which so far as regards the
present argument, is contained in the fol-
lowing passage from il;
THE objections and difficulties proposed
By tire correspondent IN the Standard, are
nearly the same that occurred to myself
and which ! believe occur TO most persons
when the results Of eeoloe lcal researches
are hrst LAID before them, without those
explanations which show that, when fully
Understood and rightly interpreted, they not
only ahoId host of new aud important ev,.
eences OF he being and attributes of God,
out ore also strictly consistent with the
nsraI Interpretation of the Mosaic account
OF Inc creation AZ the explanation t.