The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-05-12


Much has been said, in times past, of
a supposed discrepancy between the Mo-
sale account of creation and the pre-
Adamite history of the Earth, as revealed
by Geology. The difficulty does not
seem to me to be great. Of course the
present occasion will not admit Of saying
all that might be said on the subject, but
the gist of the matter may be presented
in homely illustration.
We look into the Almanac for 1859,
and find it set down there that the sun
wiH rise at such an hour and minute to-
morrow morning and at such an hour
and minute on the next day, and so on
through the year also, that the moon
aoiu change on certain day and hour Of
this month. and on certain other days
and hours of other months. We wait and
watch few days, comparing our obser-
vations with the predictions of our al
manac. We find them verified to the
exact minute. We conclude that the man
who computed the ephemeris which we
have been testing, understood his work
that he was scientific man-and, on
the principle that the test of science is its
power Of prediction, our conclusion is
correct. Now astronomy comes in
and reminds us that there are no such
things as sunrise or new moons, and that
these are only forms of expression de-
rived from the manner in which certain
natural phenomena appear to our senses.
and are scientifically incorrect. Shall
we then withdraw our confidence from
the almanac maker, and denounce him as
a pretender Shall we not rather, mas
much as it was his purpose to give us
certain practical results of his science,
rather than to teach its principles. con-
clude that he has wisely chosen to give
them in the language of our sensual ex-
perience, and is entitled to our confidence
none the less on that account
Somewhat like this l conceive to be
the word-picture of the work OF creation
recorded by Moses. The simple Ian
guage in which few prominent features
Of those scenes were brought before the
eye, were sufficient for the theological
purpose Of that narrative, not intended to
embody the scientific theory of the events
it aimed to commemorate, and quite in
telligible to the simple and unlearned, as
well as to the learned and the wise.
The late lamented HUGH MILLER has
pointed out remarkable difference be-
tween true and false religions. Most Of
the false religions which have prevailed,
and which still prevail, have authorita-
lively taught some theory of Cosmogany,
and thus committed themselves to doc
trines, by disproving which science con
victs them of error and exposes them to
merited contempt. The religion of the
bible is committed to no such doctrine.
1t nowhere speaks the language of sci
ence. but always the language Of COM
mon experience, equally adapted to ev-
cry age of the world, and to every stage
of scientific discovery, and every degree
Of scientific attainment. Was this the
result of superior sagacity in its author
ship-a mere cunning avoidance of the
errors on which its predecessors foun-
dered !? Or was it part of the Divine
plan by which reason was given us to
find out that which instinct and revela-
ton do not teach and revelation given
us OF that which lies beyond the range Of
our perceptions. and which, therefore,
reason alone could never fathom ? Their
provinces are different. The sources of
our knowledge on the two subjects are as
far apart as possible. Yet the more per-
fectly we understand both. the more we
discover points of accordance. and are
al BILE to trace both to common author
Especially the more we study nature the
more we see
Above, below, in sky and sod
In leafand spear, in star and man,
The geometric signs of God,
Tho rpaoeurad nr1nr IF bis n1on