The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-02-03
lFor the Herald.l
Geology and Scripture.

lFot the Herald
Geology and Scripture.
As the science of Geology seems to claim the aten
Ton OF the curious and learned at the present moment
more than 1t has ever yet done, beg leave to oter
few crude remarks thereon.
The intimate connection this science has with our
religion being strikingy manifest think those two
learned gentlemen, Messrs auckland and Silllman,
have scarcely acted fair to the mere reader and snsu-
dous individual in broaching doctrines which are GER
tanly opposed to the generally received tenets of
faith, without previously informing them that although
the new doctrines might possess ncture of hetero
doxy-stl its leading features, its ground work, its
data IN fact Its tout ensemble was strictly IN accord
ance with the Mosaic account
Thus-Josephus the celebrated Jewish historian, in
his "Anquitles of the Jews" writes thus "Our le-
gisator, Moses, speaks some things wisely but eng
mahcaliy, and others under decent allegory; how
ever those that have mind to know the reasons of
every thing may find here curious philosophical
theory, which shall now indeed waive the explana-
ton OF, but if God afford me time for it, | shall set
about writing it, after have finished my present
work." viz Antiquities of the Jews.
This great writer, after recording the order of the
creation, we find it in the Bible, observes" After
the seventh day over, Moses began to talk philo
sophically" evidently implying that till then he had
been talking fguratirely or aIegoricaliy as indeed
he tells rs in the foregoing paragraph
Here 1t Is that we miss the singular work promised
by Josephus as it would doubtless have given Us the
reasons why Moses spoke in fgurave language, and
pressions to BEAR
We ought not to pass slightly over the evidence
which the above mentioned writer affords us IN our
inquiries on this subject especially when we conside
the great credibilty 10 which he is entitled. 1t being
we'll known that he neither followed the Septuagent
nor the Greek version; but only the Jewish origin
ais, and that punctuay in all his known writings,
as to make of none of the sacred books, but
those which written in the Hebrew language
and belonging the Jewish catal ,gue
Consequently, we know he must be much better
acquainted with the raw material, if may express
myself of our Bible than any Christians are. And if
we really be nquirers after TRUTH we ought certainly
to prefer the account given by Josephus to own
Bible, which has unfortunately, undergone so many
TRANSACTIONS revisiOns and corrections as to have O.
ven birth, according to DR.. Clarke to no less than
10000 versions of it.
Were it permitted to Moses to appear before this
generation, would he not smile at the simplicity Of
any set of men, who would understand him literally,
when he says the earth and heavens were made in
six days? As thosgh Almighty power could not as
easily have made it nstananeously Are we not told
that he has but to speak, and It's done-to command,
and it stands fast.
Moses in the second chapter of Genesis, calls these
six days generations or spochs, which, some wri-
tiers have supposed, thousand years. or indeed
hundred thousand! Moses, brought up at the Court
Of Egypt, at that period, the enlightened nation
of the EARTH doubtless had some acquaintance with
the hterati of his day, and from them gathered
knowledge of the order in which their biologists had
discovered the remains of animal vegetable and ma
rine substances-that animal and vegetable bodies
were of comparative modern existence, when viewed
with reference 10 marine subsanccs-from this, and
variety of other information, he has inferred that
rine animals were created irst-vcgetabes or plants
secondly-and thirdly animals. All which is geolo-
gically correct as respects the order in which they
appear IN the bowels of the earth. But the idea of
this being six days work is altogether NEUROLOGICAL
We have lost sight of the facts by the eastern imagery
in which they are clothed.
would propose question to the advocates of the
belief that the world IS in reality but six thousand
years old. How is il that it required so short a
space of time to transform mankind, who in the
first instance according TO our universal observa-
tons are always savages-lnto men of scence2 /
allude to the space of time which eapses between the
existence of Adam, and that of Moses. The nations
Of Egypt, Hindoostan, China &C., had attained great
proficiency in the arts and sciences in the time Of
Moses-wltness their splendid buildings, temples
towers, monuments, and palaces; their jewels and
precious stones, all which bespeak great advance
ment In civilization; In fact Their progress bears
proportion the time they had to effect in and can
only be accounted for, but by one of two theories
either that the earth is infinitely older than six thou
sand years-or, that the first were created at
once intelligent and learned, and had the possession
OF a grammatical language.
Sut then, had the latter been the case how il that
Adam left no record of that fact how is il that we
possess no knowledge comparatively speaking Of
him who might not only have recorded his own life
and adventures speak il reyerenty, but of the
Great Cause of events himself2 If Adam had been
created intelligent, who proper-who so capable
who so competent TO record and to transmit TO pos
terty those all important statements Ia belief in
winch Will either save us, or a disbelief damn us)
which when related by another so many years after
their occurrence, some men might refuse TO believer
This latter then not being the fact the inference
which we may logically draw, and the geological
facts which back IL all 90 to show the former is the
true theory, namely the vast antiquity of the earth
Twill mention another factin support of this theory
The Chinese than whom nation is more pari-
cuar in Its chronology, affirm that they have monu-
ments prove that the world is at least seventy thou
sand years old; which statement that learned Asatic
scholar Sir VIM. Jones, does not deny The question
is then, have credible proofs of the things we
assert being true-than the Chinese have1 The
latter certainly have geological discoveries in their
favor which the former would seem to lack accord
ing to our badly translated bible But if we take the
writings of yosephus fer rule of faith IL will be
discovered that the Chinese and Christian systems
are very similar.
In conclusion would say that geology and sacred
writ go hand In hand together, and that in the study
OF either subject no incongrutles occur which the
ardent and sincere inquirer after truth may not easily
reconcile GBC
Low Life I'm London.
A work has been published in New York entitled
L. Il