Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-03-02
III / str q a II { ons !.
GEoLoGY.-No. 4.
Consistency of Geology with the Mosaic
History.


Consistency of Geology with the Mosaic
History.
57 TCoNcLUDED.
The light spoken ofas appearing on the first
day of creation, ISL suppose, the light of the
sun; for cannot see why it is that we should
exclude from the formation OF the heavens, those
bodies, the sun, moon and stars, which are gene.
rally considereda portion of the heavens. With
out them there lwouldhave been nothing but the
blue canopy over.stretched-an empty space
But we are told thatthere was light. Whence
its origin? Was it ah ethereal vapor, surround
! ing the earth as sdme have supposed, upon the
theory, that lghtbsfng Vibratory fluid, proceed
ing from the sunsm waves, and that it did not
collect into sun g9ntlthe fourth day. The ob.
lection to this theg is, that SO long as it had not
collected into a seu it must have been in the at
mosphere surrounding the earth consequently
there could haves5een no night, bnt continued
day. The true solution of the text seems 10 be
this: That the sun, moon, stars, &c. were created
! in the time calledthe beginning," and when the
earth was created, 'darkness was upon the face
ofthe deep u thisdatkness was occasioned by a
dense uGpor, surrounding the earth-somewhat
similar to foggSSmorning-br on by the
evaporation of5wster and the unsettled condition
OF The planet; in the course of time, this vapor
| passing off and becoming less dense, then The
rays oil the sun (Which ] believe toabe particles
of matter, issning from the sun-the theory en-
tertained by NeWton,) penetrating it, causing
! light to appear as upon a sfoggy or cloudy day,
without seeing the cause fthe light; ofcourse,
there none, but who believe that the sun is
really shining. On the fourth day, when the
sun, &c, is said TO have been made, the earth
then came into itspresent orbit, fitted for the
ception ofanimalss;; and the skiing of day, re-
oicing in the East t,ssshone in his full brilliancy,
"to be signs for seaaops, and fordays and years. "
| I can ina gine the scene to have been grand and
awfulIy subIffne! the frst appearance of high.
" illuminated sun, like ball OF fire rising in the
! East, rolling through the heavens, and sinking
beneath the western horizon Unfortunately
that was nuobserved by man.
! II appears that vegetables were created upon
| the third day; marine animals, also, fouls upon
the fifth and land animals, with man at the close
as lord of creation, upon the sixth.
ssNIan from the dust he raised 10 rule the whole;
He brea he'd, and man became living soul;
Through Edcn's groves the lord ofnatIre trod,
Upright and pure the image of his God.''
Such seems also the order, as is indicated by
the strata Of the earth-vegetables, animals,
though the distinction between them is not very
clear, and in some instances they appear cotem-
peraneous, yet the fact must present itself to
! every mind, that vegetables must have preceded
animal life; then last of all, man, and it is re-
markable fact thai not a fossil remain of man
| has vet been discovered, though there have been
several remains fund in the caves in Europe,
and an imperfectskeeton of woman has been
brought from Gualaloupe, and upon minute exa-
mipation have ben found not mineralized-
Prof. Silman sais that, ''accordiBg TO the popu.
lar understanding the transition and secondary
mountains with tleir coal beds, plants and ami.
mails were therefole formed, in two or three natu.
raj days, by physical laws, which is incredible |;
because it is impossible" Another proof that
these fossil remEps must have required a long
period is that Their perfect structure is preserved
| even the most dAcGte cords have been found in
| theirtrue and natural position, which shows that
tha hov diph EuhoFn fheV
are found, and undesquiet water.
In reading the saced scriptures, we find "the
word day is used, nthree senses-for light as
distinct from darknesI-for light and darkness of
a single terrestrial re'olution, or natural day
and, finally, for TIM at large" A few pas
sages / will quote in support Of the long period,
"One day is with the Lord as Thousand years,
and Thousand years Is one day." tThey that
come after him shall b astonished at his day. -
/ $50 shallthe son of min be in his day.. "These
are the generations o. the heavens and of the
4 earth, when they wee created in the day that
the Lord God made ttH earth and the heavens"
4 This last sentence is ound in the second chap
ter of Genesis, and according to the popular un-
4 derstanding that Wide week of creation would
/ be but twenty four hours, but according to Geo
Illogical rendering an undetermined period of
time.
4 It is urged wit great vehemence and stress by:
4 the opposers of he long period, such as Prof.
IsComstock and KS leaders, 1hat the limitation of
morning and evhfng to. the word day is a cop-
4 elusive argnme4. Butincommon language we
frequently use forming in application 10 life, as
i in the morning pf life, that is, in the yigor of
youth, also, the kening Of is, the close;
Rand if we cfo0s{ we could with equal alproprety,
Jssay the noon o1Iife. Now,I would ask, could
4 notthe same fgare Of spea king be used by Moses,
A with respect Iothose long periods of time, when
entire and t6taB distinct species of planets and
4 animals were Introduced at the close of each r.
tisWhen a new gnus of the vegetable and animal
\ Iikingdom, and be earth had changed to a new.
4 condition, thennorning would be appropriate,
and atthe closS 6f this period when g their race
was run and their existence forever blotted
IIont, he could htve expressed it by calling it
4 evening.
There is ons ther argument that I5shallmen-
d tien, which his been pressed stropgly and has
4 been though clusiye. It's the fourth Com
Il mandment. Ne have every reason to believe
h that God whe, le delivered. that Commandment
4 had iriayiew oepeorGl condition. He knewt that
i Il was necess y that we should have frequent
and certain lie periods of time devoted 70 our
Il Creator that ne should be kept IN remem-
brances Of ours fuation end our dependence upon
Him that W should 2. keep il holy, free from
Il all labor, we ane all our subjects, s5sSs
is a wfseE oyision for the healthy condi itpn
4 of our moral institution and alsosfor our physi-
aeal one: butt INbnda are we eyensfie TO COM
sply the letteFs Of te law? ifso,how
many ith thatsviolat sit the whole chris
tiansfamily e OF itiexpres says that the ssr-
3sath VISUAL thouS keep holy !; and stead the
kohristians KEEP the ST day and we have no I'M
"a ileft Christ ordered itsto bS chan ned.