Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-02-17
7EBR RJJ:.A'R 1862.
GEoLoGY.-No. 2.
Consistency Of geology win The Mosaic

d 4
s that related tolhs existenee here-this state OF
probation-this state of schdoIing $50 asdo pre-
! pare him TO enter eternity in bliss. aud he finds
s that, without preparation he will enter IN wo I;
so far he has rightly judged. but he has gone far
ter and rejected with scofn, and looked 5upn1s
with disdatns every thing that He (God) has ne
vealed lin His glorious works. and in His no less
glorious terms, that happened not to- be, ACCORD
ing to his; thecommon interpretation, recorded
in that sacred volume he has held out with long
and continued obstipacy and with as much hrm-
ness as the, resolute Luther, who held ont be-.
Ecadse the said that stths is my body = that
the bread of sacrament was no less than part
lo(sthe body of Jesus Christ, and the invariahe
Ilanswer whic;l 8hesgaye TO all the arguments
lYhichAWefe raised to the contrary was that ethIs
is my body" And so with the majority of the
professors Of religion as TO the sciences, more
lpeciallr Astronomy and Geology, niyersal-
4 ly excaim that they are Numerically opposite
4 to revelation; that is according TO the common
acceptation of the words; and if such, sciences.
\ are true, they pronounce the bible mere fable
-an lgnis fattuus--a meteor, whose light Is but
1 to contound aud amaze, standing aloof, giving
them promise OF their near approach to. eyerlast-
\ ing rePose, but leading them, into: everlasting
i bogs and mires. Yea, ii is truly light, a holy
light, burning brilliantly, kndled by God him
! self, supported by God alone, whose works here
J on earth or in the armament above, as are exem-
4 pliied to man. are fuel unto the righteous flame,
making Sitmore highly illuminated, shining with
increased 1uStre, penetrating fartner ana ueePer
/ into the hearts of his people.
| l have been at a loss, and frequently stretched
my Imagination to the utmost aud have been un-
able 10 conceive why it is, that ministers of the
| gospel have such adherence to the study of
4 Gods own works They, have no doubt, be-
| leve that the bible proceeded from God, and as
= consequence they must believe that the earth
from the same source. Whence then arises this
distrust this timidness, this fear, TO read and
study the result Of Gods labor, created and pre-
pared by his own hand. The battle-ground is
one day TO be upon Geology, and the ministers
of the gospel should study it thoroughly and be
fully prepared TO meet in combat any one and at
any time. "N is a part Of the panOpiy Of truth,
in Which they should be fully clad, although they
may rarely drao their boo, and perhaPsneyer let
fly an arrow from their appropriate watch-tower.
| Ii the Interpretation of The bible is true and the
rendering OF the structure of this globe is true,
who will doubt? where is the man who has the
audaciIy, the bodness, the face, the wickedness
OF the heart, to say that they will not coincide 2?
Truths are mighty and can never conflict. II is
| remarkable that they should receive the one with
such Willingness and the other with such dis
crepancy and distrust. 90
The more we study Geology, SO much more do
we see. in God 10 love and adore, and every new
discovery that is made, gives progress to the sci.
|. .ence-lends senchantment TO the study. and ex-
alls ouridea7 of the power, wisdom and goodness
of the all wise, ever present and eternal Creator
| When this science was in its infancy, and the
first fossil shells were discovereda at Verona, wild
| and fancful were the conjectures ofthose who
attempted an explanation ;es some called them the
products of7'sIalastie Natures" others said they
| were formed by the s tumultuous movements OF
| terrestrial eXhalation;" some that they were
| ",earthly concretions; )" others that they were
stones, which opened like shells .'through the in
! huence Of the heavenly bodics!" and Others con-
ceived this earth 10 be playful as in our child.
hood days, forming toys and they Qhe fossilre
mains) were nothing but the sports OF nature;
such we're a few of the conjectures that the
most enlightened threw out npon those premises.
| And as further Investigations were made into
| the condition and structure OF our planet, men
| began to enter into the most whimsical specpla-
ton forming the queerest and straBgest theories
not only inconsistent with! Dirine ReuetGti0n, but
] opposed to common sense and the dictates of hu-
man reason, hence arose much false and illogi-
cal. reasoning, during these discussions; where
| fore, one of the greatest Biologists (Lyell) Of
the present age has well remarked that"the sys-
TEN of scholastic disputation encouraged in the
universities Of the middle ages had unfortunately
| trained men TO habits of indefnte argumenta-
ton, and they often preferred absurd and extra
VACANT proposition, because greater skill and
| ac1teness was required TO maintain them; the
end and object of such intellectual combats being
| victory and not TRUTH; s.sgsq gt5
But those days have passed away and times
| have changed. The high aim of the present dis.
putants seems to be the truth and not victory ony
though there are now some who warp and dis
tort facts to suit their preconceiyed ideas, and
whose minds are not willing TO be acted upon by
| arguments and opened 10 conviction.
| The great point at issue is, whether the time
that has elapsed since the creation of the globe,
as is Indicated by theistrata 1.-THE earth, isl or is
not in opposition to that recorded in the first
chapter of Genesis 2H5 ;tsts5it- 5+'
! : We all, agree that Moses was inspired. and
| that he wrete his work underline influence, Of
| divine command and Of divine teaching OF. the
| truth of his writing am not inclined 10 doubt,
butiwhat do doubt Is, the interpretation. that
was; given to- us by the ancients or our forefa.
thers and do protests against that principle OF
| Imitation, which is but the characteristic of
child, and which he is still TO cling to when he
! comes t6 maturity, without calling TO aid the
d faculties of ofjndgment and of reason with which
he has been bIest by his creator, and which, are
4 the true characteristics of a man. And do say
that those persons of the present age, whozate
4 following fnsthe footsteps of.the ancients, and
not opening their eyes TO the light that has been
-laIefiyedsfro the study and the observation of
II Gods works, by the exercise of mans reason
ing powers, are far behind the age, and are tn
tdnts iuing dntJng men. sA'
Now, the trne'idea ofthe use of the bible seems
to be TO teach man moral and not intellectual
knowledge TO teach man how to conduct him
self while heTe4-his relation as a socialaEd NOR
all beihg3to his fellow man, and to his CREATOR
These seem be the true and mighty aims of
that holy, righteous and good 5book-to regene-
rate us and disenthraf us from the bondage of
4 sin ifhe had given us intellectual knowledge,
our nlindsiwouid have had no suitable employ
imert. Hisawofks-the boundless field of e4ea-
4 tion-was the theme upon which our faculties
we're TO be exercised, and our powers developed
and sunfoided; If these had been revealedto us,
\ thedvine reason OF our constitution, Rhich sepa.
rates and nhites, conceiVes and idEtnss would
haye;snnk intosnaction and The present consti-
fnfiorl of man would have been defect in the
q GRAND scheme of creation, and there wonld NOT
! have been that unity of design and harmony OF
Organization which'now persades the whole OF
Il cfeati ssisl8st stizo SPECTATOR
, Btsy not thyseIl in searching into other mems
lives the errors of thine own more than thou
i 5kcanst answer fox 1t more concerns thee 20
mend, one ault In yselt Than to find outa thou-