Smyrna times., 1857-11-11
harmony of Science and Revelation ON
the History Of the DeIuge.

: Rev. WM. Fl. BRISBANE lectured on the above
SUBJECT In the NJ E. Church, in this town, or
< sunday afternoon last, to u large and delighted
audlence. He commenced by remarking tha,
7 'hlS was perhaps the most difficult problem the
relations OF Science and Scripture had evolved,
= ana The most he could hope to do was to show
'hat II they did not perfectly harmonize on all
points, on this subject they conRicted on none.
lie stated that traditions of Deluge, and the
destruction of all but a single family of men,
VINO were saved in an ark or boat are TO be
FOUND IN every part of the world. And while
universal tradition of deluge did not prove the
deluge to have been universal yet universal
tradition of universal deluge ought to have
some weight in establishing that point.
lie then passed to a scientific examination of
'ne SUBJECT. The theory that all the greatgeo-
logical processes of the earth occurred between
the beginning of the first day of creation (un-
derstandlng those days as literal-of "a hours)
ana the close of the deluge. was shown to be
untenable and rejected
But what would be the effects ofsuch deluce
as the Bible describes! Were the waters tumnl. |
luous or not Were there violent currents and
counter-currents! Was there any Jisrunture
Ut displacement OF the earth's crust =! These
ana other questions important to the issue. we
cannot answer. We may conjecture, but con.
lecture is not fact, and scientific deductions
must be from facts.
The diluvial effects traceable all ovor tho
earth, could not be referred TO the Noacb;r do
Iuge; they were the results of many deIuges
occurring at different periods, and some of them
ages before the creation of man. t
IL is reasonable to suppose that the CHANCES t
earth mas undergone since the deuge of Noah. $
through the force Of human labor and of natu. Il
al causes would obiiteratc many Of the effects /
If that event. il
though there Is abundant evidence that tie g
resent condition. of the earth is of very recent
flsin' yet no one convcrsant with Geology can
oPe TO find physical proofs of Noah's Dc lure.
lie ehects OF that deluge are so mingled with
he effects of prior deluges, that it is imposs.
ie to distinguish them. The scientific obiec. o
on TO a universal deluge were then examined u
nu the conclusion was that if such deluoe ~
'ok place at the age of Noah, it could NOT ~
ave been the result of natural causes it must OF
ave been miraculous. This conclusion was &c
lstaned by quotations from Drs. Hitchcock no
nd Pye Smith, and Sir C. Lyel. ''o
Zen distinct passages of Scripture were riven Ia
winch the universally Of the Delugc was SCI
lequVoc2lly taught, while not a single text wa W.
iIsts teaching different doctrine. N
Local dcluges were shown to be obcctoral 'r'
scientific grounds, and could not dispense
lth the miraculous inlerposiron .f Divine
wer The population of the earth must have ~,
en- as large at the age of Noah as it was at
age Of Christ and no mere local deluge 90,
'uld have accomplished the destruction of the
&C. The Lecturer concluded by showing :, 'i :
1T Science and Revelation harnonizcd in
lchlng that 1T w, the Lords doings, and is -
-rVcilous in our eves'