The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-31
Lectures.

Eg On Friday evening last, Rev. B.
II. CLIFFORD, of Waterloo, delivered lee
ture before the Lyceum, in this place,
and continued the subject on the follow
ing evening, Mr.. JAMIsoN, who was adj
vertised to lecture on Saturday evening,
in the Independence course, courteously
giving way to allow Mr.. CLIFFORD to com
plete his discourse.
The subject of the Rev. gentleman's
discourse was GEOLOGY, and it was treat
ed by him in very Ineligible and in
teresting manner. He said that many
good people, in spite Of geological rec
ords, were averse to giving up the old
idea that the universe was made in six
days. at period no longer remote than
SIX thousand years, under The mistaken
idea that to believe otherwise would be
TO deny Scriptual testimony. The lee
lurer said this had been the feeling at
many other periods Of the world S history.
Every great law or fact of science, now
universally recognized and admitted, had
been met, when promulged, with the cry
Of Atheism, and the unfortunate discov-
erers, like CALLED, made to recant their
supposed heresies. But as time moved
onward, and minds became enlightened,
it Was found that these truths were antav-
onistic only to the limited significance
which ignorance had given TO the declar-
atoms of the inspired volume. There is
no antagonism, the lecturer said, be-
tween the facts of Science and the truths
of Revelation. There is no contradiction
between the Geological records and the
account Of creation in Genesis, when the
latter is properly understood. The dec
laration that In the beginning God
created the Heavens and the Earth"
good commentators had long contended
had reference to period indefinitely an
terror to the six days of creation men
toned thereafter. He read several ex-
tracts from the writings of DR.. CuAL-
MERs, Prof. HITcncoCK, and other di-
vines, showing that they, too, contended
for this Interpretation. Undoub tedly
thousands, perhaps millions, of ages were
requisite to bring the earth to the proper
condition for the existence of man when
this condition arrived, then man was crs-
ated as detailed by Moses. Mr.. GIF-
FORD also spoke of the Flood, and said
that it must be conceded that the old pop
ular notion of its universally was incor-
rect. The deluge was historically, aid
not geographically, universal. 1t ex
tended as far AS the race of man had ex-
tended, and no farther-there was no
reason why il should have extended far
Their, sent, as it was, solely for the pun
ishment of sinful, disobedient man. The
race had at that time only spread itself
over Eastern Asia, and the deluge had
spread no farther. The lecturer then
succinclly and connectedly detailed many
well.known results and deductions of ge-
illogical investigation, and spoke at con
siderable length upon the evidences of the
earth's great antiquity. He detailed The
situation and composition of the various
strata forming the crust of the earth, to
the depth of many miles, the method by
which these had been determined, the
lsG2Eas thsY nrefeRtu taf a Xapedahle and
periods. the giant growth to which both
animals and vegetables attained in the
preceding geological era. the location
and character of the igneous and aqueous
rocks, the character of the beds of GER
tain rivers, whose waters have worn
channels of immense depth through rocks
of flinty hardness, the records of the coal
beds, which show, in some places, that
several successive forests have existed
aud been destroyed in the same locality,
with indefinite periods of time elapsing
UetWcSH tuc uSStiuStioii Ol the one ana
the growth of the next-these, and many
other facts, were stated to confirm the DO
si,ion that the earth had probably exist
ed for countless ages. Much other in
formation was given by the lecturer.
lie spoke Of the analogous character
of the brain Of man with that of verte-
brated animals, the evidences of internal
fires in the earth, volcanoes, fossil re-
mains. the formation of the various met
ais and minerals, DC. All proved the
power, the wisdom, and the goodness
OF the Creator. who had arranged and
slapped all to the wants and comforts Of