Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-03-05
Infidel Objections Answered
ontin ue d

Objection g. Noah = ark, as desert
bed in The Bible. was not large enough to
contain one half Of the animals for which
il was intended
.4nsDer. By an accurate measurement
taken from the proportions given by Mo.
ses, il is asrertained that the ark was "a
/ ships of the present day. The distinct
species of four footed animals known. "a
mount to but about two hundred and fifty.
These eighteen ships will carry twenty
thousand men. with eighteen hundred
pieces of cannon. and provisions for six
months. Who then can for moment doubt
that the ark, built not for speed nor for
beauty. but merely for buoyancy and
strength, would afford accommodations
for rnese two hundred and fifty pairs of
qusdruPeds. with the specified number Of
birds and insects, and eigh! human be.
ings. with provisions for year! Ii
seems almost like triilng to answer such
arguments, and vet deis,s are scattering
them about among The ignorant and the
credulous as powerful objections to the
credibili,y of the Scriptures. The fact
is, as stated by Bishop Wilkins, tina, of
the two, it is more difficult, to assign
number and bulk of necessary things to
answer to the capacity of the ark, than TO
find sufficient room for the several species
of animals, and their food, already known
to have been there
There is one very interesting fact in
this CONNECTION, deserving Of Notice. III
can be proved 10 demonstration that the
proportion of the length 10 the breadth,
and of both 10 the height in Noah's ark,
is exactly that which renders any sub
lv secure even in storm Now ii is a
question really deserving Of thought, how
did Noah obtain such skill in architectural
dimensions! Ii has been tho result of
long experience and careful observation,
by which architects Of the present day
have obtained this knowledge. 1t did
not come TO them n,u,ively. How then
did it happen that Noah, far back in the
! infancy of the world, was so accomplished
a ship-builder9 II is not ali easy CUES.
ton for the deis, TO answer.
Objection 7. The lsraeliies were or
dsred TO wage extermlnaling war against
the Canaaniies. they were to show no
mercy, they were TO feel no compassion
Neither helpless age nor innocent infancy
I were to be spared. Men women snc
children were 10 be eXtermnated by lndls
criminate massacre. l. il possible to be
ieve that God would issue such com
mand- that he would commission ont
/, nation to carry fire and sword To the hdb
i,atioas OF anohel'
.4nswer. a. May not God use any
: instruments he pleases in the execution
of his judgments! God poured an oceal
!, of burning lava on Ilerculaneum ant
Pompeil lie spared neither age nor in
fancy, neither mother nor babe. AL
were overwhelmed in indisermlnate de
s,ruc,lon. He sheok the foundations G
5. the earth, and opened one wide grave, il
which was swallowed Lisbon with he
thousands of inhabitants. He sends pes
thence and famine 10 desolate a city an
:. a nation. Neither women nor childre
~ are spared For hours and days they CIR
in the protracted agony OF an incurabl
disease. And are the horrors Of wa
!; more fearful! MAY not God with a
much propriety deliver up an abandone
= CITY TO the horrors Of war, as 10 the cce;,
of LIQUID FIRE, or the earthquake. or the a
;, devourng famine, or The dreadful plague
They who urge this objection, seem 10
perfectly unconscious that it is Just q
re- powerful against the God of nature as
gains, the God Of reuelation. In on
= point of fact, God is continually sendn
judgments which spare neither age nc
T sex, neither female heplessness nor uno
Tending infancy.
8, III Il is represented in the Bibl
that on certain occasion God found j.
be necessary TO check the pride and pr,
sumption of the lsraelites by sending N
on them deserved punishment. A judd
= men, was to be sent sufficiently appallIu
to produce an impression upon their o
5: dura,e hearts. The choice was thereto
offered to David, between seUea gears
famine, three months of erpos,re to co
guering enemies, and three days Of pc
-. thence. Now is the sending Of the no
TORS Of war greater Impeachment, of Il
divine justice. than sending the famine
= The peslilence? The deist says-G,
may send the famine he may send II
pestilence-but he must not send II
sword. How perfectly childish such
L distinction! And what arrogant presum
ZION for man 10 sit injudgmen. upon u
instruments which God may use in t
execution of his will!
T. a. Is it asked, why did God desi
the extermInation of the Capaaniies! "
md reply; why did he desire the destrncti
of Eercuaneum aud PomPeiil Why do
he roll the cloud of pesiilence over b
l. barry and Turkey! Why does he annual
destroy third par, of the human race
infancy? This asking Of questions is ca
e, work, and when the deisi has answer
one half Of those which are continual
!. arising before the thinking mind, he m
- begin TO expect that perhaps the hum
mind will eventually be able TO answer a
Even if we could see no reason why G
should desire The determination of I
/. Canaani,es. the occurrence would be b,
dened with no greater difficulties ih
( everywhere meet us as we look upon |
universally admitted acts Of God.