New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-20
BIBLICAL ASTRONOMY
LECTURE
BY PSor, o, NJ. MI7caEl, OF clNctSSArr
Reported for The Tribune !


Prof o. NJ. Mitchell of Cincinnati, last evening
delivered the first OF series of Lectures upon
the Astronomy OF the Bible at Hope Chapel.
The house was we'll filed by an intelligent and
attentive auditory.
Prof Mitchell commenced with general state
ment OF the laws OF planetary motion, and passed
to consideration OF the evidences of Great
First Cause in the structure of the Planetary and
and Siderial Heavens. He adYerted to the dis
turbing influences at work in the planetary sys-
TENS. and argued that no definite results can ever
be obtained by human research into the wonder
full phenomena OF the Heavens It Is true that
mind has accomplished much that many proioand
questions have been answered True, we
can can calculate perturbation ON pertafoatlon'
We have reached to high point OF knowledge
with reference to it. But there is limit beyond
which we cannot pass. The system Of organiza-
ton is most wonderful. The more simple organ
cation which we ourselves would have given 1t
has not been given it. 1t is planned In complex
ity planned so that we never comprehend it
perfectly or entirely. The question may be asked,
How is this why is it 2 The speaker traced it
to a first great law. 1t originated in mind sui
hciently capacious to make it into perfect sym
metry and beauty Order was brought out of q
single unit. The magnificent system by which
we are surrounded was operated upon by one single
law Are there in the heavens indications OF de-
sign Then there must have been Designer
Is there special arrangement for stability, for
carrying out these wonderful movements 1t
must be due to the same source. The earth re-
wolves upon its axis with velocity entirely uni
form. For two thousand years 1t has performed
its revolutions with the variation OF hundredth
part of a second of time, The speaker here de-
scribed the orbit Of planet and the planet pro-
erosion through that orbit. He demonstrated the
Varieties of position and the changes which the
bodv must undergo But there is such an
thatI yhp change
promts stability, it is limited within the narrowess
possible limits.
DO we say that all this proves nothing? Sup
nose that man were gifted with Omnipotent pow
err. Let him seec. out OF the great store house OF
Nature filled with worlds just such an one as he
would wish to organize. Let him then perfect
q svstem and the sun itself. Let him weigh 1t III
the balance and see that it has the proper amount
of material Let him then locate and iiX 1t. Let
the distances Of the other planets from the sun
be more accurately adjusted. Let Mercury ana
Venus and the Earth all receive their appropriate
location and thence downward to those minute
planets the Asteroids and let Saturn, and JUPITER
and Uraneus and Neptune be properly placed
Let them radiate III a right line from the sun.
Your ,system would be now completed. but
still what impulsiye force would you employ 20
move them through space! Have you computed
il. If YOU place one planet too nenr another ii you
give it too great or too little velocity you destroy
the system But this is not oil. You cannot yet
turn your force in the best direction to the best
advantage nor tell how far forward you have to
| look for an inevitable destruction. To short
sighted mortals this knowledge is denied. We
must acknowledge an omniscent rs well as an
| omnipotent power
Thousands and tens of thousands Of fiery com
| cts come down to US from every part OF the uni
verse; they come up to US from all directions
They wheel about the planets and dash against
the sun and again fly out into space What
hand guides their movements! Who can explain
their phenomenal Here again none but an ON
niscient eye can see the beginning from the end,
and the end from the beginning The speaker
would draw the lines OF distinction broad and
deep between this philosophy and that which
accounts for these phenomena by the law OF
gravitaton. He demonstrated that grayitatlon
possessed n sustaining but no lmpulslve force.
w are obliged by necessity to stop here Wecan
rise no higher, can Como deeper penetrate no more
Thoroughly into the profound mysteries OF Nature
The speaker would not say that we should rise to
no higher state. He believed the day to be not
far distant when we may account fully and phlo-
sOphicay for the wonderful phenomena which
surround u.s. Yet we shall even then take but
one step further toward the Great First Cause.
We shall get a little nearer, by approximation
merely The full revelation will still be hid from
us by a veil which no mortal may penetrate. This
higher step will be such as marked the transition
from the Kemplerian discoveries to the Newtoni-
an We advance, but are still in darkness. None
but the Almighty and Omnipotent Being who pro
iected and sustains so wonderful a System, IRE
marked the speaker in conclusion,l can rightly
understand or interpret its mysteries.
We have given above mere abstract of this
Lecture, embodying the leading thoughts The
audience listened to the production with undiyi-
ded interest and attention. The second Lecture
of the Course will be delivered on Friday even
ing, upon the subject of The Creation, as reveal
ed through Moses, compared with our present
knowledge of the Universe
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