Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-04-09
LYNCIIBURG, SATURDAY MORNING. APRIL .. 1
daily a'ir9inian.
TlN THE VIKUINIAN.
Scripture and Geolopy.

-. N y. III when he attempts T. show Tue mar
m ny existing between Revelation and the science
uf Geology, it seemed to us that, doul tlc>s from
some inad,er,ence, the words conveyed the idea
TINT CERTAIN lnicrcnccs from the tacts claimed TO
he estnb shed bv its teachers were vt u more cer-
tain character. and more nentl approached dem
onstra'cd truths, than we had ever thought: and
it occurred To- us 10 -mnke few remarks on the
subject which may peri APPS direct the attention
Of some 10 Prosecution Of this study to good rc-
suits.
1t seems to us that neither tho cause Of Reli-
gon. that If Scicutifc knowledge, eau he AL
van ell by any 'nisconcepion ns to their claims;
and as the remarks of uur frcnd rs. X. C." might
not be fully mrrrhcnded by some, we will in
qure intn the character of tho ,nici onces IN re-
gard to the Fossiliicrons Strata. which seem To
comtuin the evidences relied upon to harmonizr
the facts o Geological Science and the Records OF
Mascs.
In order t. u reconciliation of these two state
ments, II sceins clear that II satisfactory and rclm-
lie harmony rnn he established only 10y being snro
TINT such reconciliation he mnlc with whit is re-
ally true in the Science. with what is established,
unaaestioncd and undouhtcd. ns II basis from
which To extend the foundations uf our knowledge
further; aud it would seem that nny different
method of hnrmonizing would fail because IT
w,uld establish relations OF agreement not with
what il certain and kuawn To he true. but with
what may snon DO disowned by its abcst
teachcrs.
Sin Cntn,rs IYrlL snys: "lf we were dispos-
ed IN palaon'olagie grounds I" DIVIDE the entire
fassiliieruus series into IL few groups loss hume
rous thnn lho~c IN tho nh,,c table. I'd Isl aud
mo- nearly Co-ot,linalc in vnla. ihnu the scctons
called Primary. Secondary and Tertiary, w"mlsht
perhap- adept the following a.. Here follows
division m six groups.
WILLIAM SMITH. also called by some the father
of English Gr,hgv. practical. mh,rIous search
all tbn IN Ip irl Es
stei the ro H. of B 'itain into six groups.
LYEiL further says that "n the pre-, eni state OF
the Soien @, when We have not compared the evil
lence dcrirahe from all classes Il iossls. not even
those most generally distributed MS ,hells cornls
and fsh, sub g,n"mlizations nrr premature. aud
cnn only he regarded c"niretural schemes for
the FOUNDING Of nrgc natural group4.'
O her authorities r'rd hr quoted t. show that
the division ntp thrrc IL provisional. not fixed.
not scientifically true, and that II l. lialtr o mod
iticntlons tn" advance of kuowledc" in the phy-
steal sciences shall require but il ~ sufficient To
show that it cannot clnim that fixed aud certain
character which shall entiilr il to servo n the
ground on winch logical conclusions can hc drawn
with much ccsnntN.
The accurate ruutrpiion ~! the essential nature
of the fir-t thing created. th,S couccrpnn which
has never been realized, involves AL the difficulty
which alta hes to this subject. The creation "i
the first Mo'uli iryovn- the law hy which all sue
cessive Monals are brought into existence; and
whether this Mpnnl is unique, peculiar and one
in its nature from which all cxislcnccs how TT
whether they are various, whether there is but
one "Protopast," or whether there were several,
from which all species of pinnts mud animals pro-
ceeded, is alike cqnnlly difficult 1, determine up
10 the me>ent---aliko equally probable till the
truth is as, ,craned which of the two rupn"stl"nS
is n reality; and The conception Of the nature nad
law of tins Prptopla,t, il one. these Prolo-
fam he IA hot
equally supp ,se II creation--a beginning crea-
lion and lnws Of bcing--lnnd both equally refer
them to Him whose power and glory fill the UNI
verse; not less necessary t. the termination ot
the minute seed than in the balancing Of the
wheeling spheres Of ilntablc spa3c.
We go further in our case of inquiry as to our
ground If certainty and question tho snundness
of tie conrlu ,ion that have already found ihe
remains IF i,si created things-inr down in tho
bonndc - dcpjhs Of Primcyal Time and on the verge
Of Original Chaos. The mudrlatrs aud cpnglonc-
rates may vet Weld to the eye :" Sc'once the csi-
dences OF the first creations first settlers ot this
planet; nnd thus afford illustration Of the short
sighcdnc>s Of fixing limits to onr knowledge by
resting assured "f prof Or demonstration when
the evidences fall short Of it.
Ii appears then that this theory of Successive
Development is not on not demo"Sirdhfd. hut is
conle-selly assnmpt mptinc-tpnndel on the negative,
and hence is Questionable Ms II basis upon which
to try CONCLUSIONS.
Its truly profound regret that tho new thought
is awnvs me, on tho threshold Lv an unkind re-
cepton. and is yet not unirequrnlly cur sinrcrest
friend still mankind have not learned that Tree
End unfclterel inquiry after the truth; pursued
patiently, has always more and more deeply lay
ing the snstrucluie Of knowledge and Faith.
In order T., found this correspondence III the Sc
ries Of stiatilied rocks and the gradual develop
opment theory. shall we find the order risc to the
highest point Of organization in the series allotted
to it? We supp, ,se that this mus, he the true
principle Of measuring the correspondence.
1t viii be ,h~ervrd that the 1h'cc Divisions
must r,utain Q -Four Orders; hence 'e Divisions
must hc ,ubli> ,ied somewhere. Suppose then
that Fish claim all the series to the Pcrmian, nnd
that the permnn begins that of the Reptiles; the
Pernun has hcen claimed us not to he separated
from the Cal srrie. lecause FOSSIL plants ald oh'-
moIs Of liz orlrNf f,t commpa itoJ tie TO, necer
appeor ogaia: and they arc also very separable in
organization from the fish generally OF the Su-
vim period. Suppose however We embrace thes"
Formations of O.d Red Sandstone and Coal, usual
ly clns-f together but separate the Conl from
the Prrman, and claim this series for the Fish
this is in opposition to the ground for as-ocatlnS
the Coal ana the Permian given n'"ve; but in or
der to uccpnn o,atc ourselves t. tins view, we en-
brace n up t. the Permian. Yet it will o>ctr to
all thos acquainted with Geology, that there nre
fish, such as Cesraron, 'thnn " hich there is no
more tIepa'eH type, nHu tHHt lntNc oN'u' ~ III"
Silurian. Why therefore extend our division to
the Permian?
The Permain is n Saurian group, and contains
Sauran, or !izard-like reptiles as well as fish; the
fish are peculiar. This however is the beginning
of the Rrptilnn Seres--according 10 the division
of our friend IS. X. c."
The'Trias comes next This contains fossils
which are the more important as Icing all distinct
in specie. and many Of them In genera those from
below or above; but this is eminently Sauran, there
being five genera which extinct. The are two
great groups in which the amphbous lizard rep