Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-01
From the Scientific American.
THE AGE OF THE WORLD.

AWE WOhLDs
A question of great importance with diyiaes
and men of science at the present day, is that of
the age our planet, and the different changes
which have taken place upon it, as related in
Genesis. One class contend that the different
acts of creation took place exactly as described
in the first chapter of Genesis, in six solar days,
and that all things were made out of nothing in
that time. Another class believe that our plan
ct was in existence thousands of years prior to
the first act recorded in Genesis. that it had un-
dergonc vast changes, and that it had been long
in confusion, and was berelt Of life, when the
command went forth 50 Let there be light -
This class also believe that the successive acts
described in Genesis took place in six common
days, furnishing the world with the exact orders
of creation as there described. Another class
believe that the successive acts Of creation men.
toned in Genesis, took place in the exact order
there described but instead of the days there
mentioned being solar days, they were Indefinite
periods of tims-some Of them of great length
perhaps sixty thousand years. This latter
class embrace the greatest number of learned
geologists and diviues. In the last number Of
the BibHotheca Sacra, the Rev. John O. Means
of East Medway, Mass, presents his views at
great length on this subject, and takes the lat
ter view of the question, namely: that the days
mentioned in the first chapter of Genesis, if In
terpretod to mean indefinite periods Of time,
would reconcile both science and the Scriptures
in every particular. Hc employs some strong
arguments in favor of this view Of the question.
Thus, the sun, moon and stars were created on
the third day, therefore, the two previous days
could not be one of our solar days, embracing
one revolution of the earth on its axis in TWEEN
ty-four hours, with the sun to rule the day and
the moon to rule the night This argument is
ncontrovertible. But what was the cause of
light before the sun was created. He sees no
difficulty in this. He says, "the material UNI
verse is full Of light, ready to be worked at a
word Chemical action on vastet scale than
This opinion costs neither him nor any man
Of science anything whether it be true or false,
but he departs from reason and logic, by en-
deavoring to establish one hypothesis by setting
up another There is no positive proofs of tho
earth be crusted ball of fire. We are not
dependent on the sun for light, as he has clear
ly stated but he does not seem to understand
its true theory. 1t is produced by the vibra-
tions of subtitle medium diffused throughout
space. Our planet is self-luminous, but in q
degree less so than the sun, for there is one glo-
ry of the sun, another of the moon, and anoth-
er of the earth. Mans eyes are constructed to
see objects only by great quantity of intense
light; but some beasts and fowls have their
ewes constructed to range the forest and field by
night as freely as man does during the day,
while during sunlight they can scarcrly see at
all. A tribe of Africans also--the Bosjesmen
remain in their caves during day. and search
for their food during night. From habit, VIC
presume, they have become nocturnal roamers
men -owls-thus showing that natural light
belongs to our planet; the uncoasing throb-.
bings of its particles produce continual light
this was way, no doubt, that light was pro-
duced in the early days of the earth. Hugh
Miller brings forward some strong arguments IN
favor of the great age our planet, and mentions
number of geological changes requiring tens
of thousands of years to accomplish. which
could not have taken place in the short
period of six thousand years, as is believe by
those who adhere to the solar six days interpre-
tation of the Genesis narrative Of the creation
Sir Charles Lyel believes that it must have ts-
ken 67 900 years to form the delta OF the Mis-
sissippi, and 35 900 years for the Niagara river
to form its present channel from the Falls to
Queenstown. Nearly all the eminent geologists
believe this, and they consider they have facts
to prove it, so strong, that they cannot be gain
saved Mr.. Means reasons strongly to prove
that the meaning of the word day in the first
cbapter of Genesis in an indefinite period Of
time. and makes out very strong case in favor
of the world being perhaps a million years ol
age, according to the Mosaic account Of creation
man can follow, is taking place every moment
and foods of light are poured forth. Combus
tion is attended with light as web as heat. -
1t may sound strange" he againsays, "to ss
that the most intense light is to be found, no
on the earth. but in it. The whole Of the sum
rays which reach the earth, gathered to a focus
would not be so intensely light as the center o
the globe. 1t seems pretty certain that With
the crust of the earth, is globe of FIRE, at leas
two thousand miles in diameter
g