The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-06-09

= Correspondence OF the Guardian.
MONTEREY, Mass, MAY 80, so.
FRIEND RrcH:
Your correspondent TRUrH AT
ALL HAZARDS" in the notice with which
( he honors communication of mine, in
Inmates that my remarks on the relations
1 OF civilization to Christianity, are rather
stale" common enough" is his Ian
guage. True. ! cannot deny it. Truths
SO patent on the very face of history, can
hardly be otherwise than ".familiar as
household words" l plead guilty to
the charge of saying what is very far
from being new. On the other hand, no
one can complain that his counter state
ment, if not strictly original, is still not
sufficiently fresh to relieve him from any
imputation of uttering truism.
Mr.. I. at A. H. is quite mistaken in
the understanding which he processes to
have of certain terms employed by me.
In styling the Mosaic record a (" word
picture" l did not say that it was sun
reasonable or untrue" Adding those
adjecliyes himself, as if by way of para
phrase, he is pleased 70 intimate an agree
mont with me on that point. l beg to
be excused from reciprocating that cour-
tesy.I acknowledge no sympathy with
such views. Neither did call it I" fig
ment of the Imagination" and think it
evinces either deficient knowledge of
the Specification of words, or lack Of
candor, SO to misrepresent my position.
A picture is not necessarily a g fancy"
picture. l do not understand that pic
ture. whether expressed in language or
in form, may not be truthful represen-
tation of lis subject-entirely different,
indeed, but not less true, than techni-
cal description IN the one case, or a
ground plan or elevation in the other.
Allow me to repeat here that regard
the Mosaic Record as true picture. AL
SO, that many theologians have come to
the conclusion. on purely pathological
grounds, even expressly ignoring the
facts and requirements of science, as.
Prof. TAYLER LEWIS has done, that the
language of that record not only admits,
but demands, an Interpretation which
brings it quite in harmony with the best
established doctrines Of geology. In
other words, which may suit my review
er better, when rightly interpreted, it is
found "true in point Of fact" as tested
by the principles of modern science.
Says Prof. DANA. 1.-The grand old book
of God still stands, and this grand old
earth, the more its leaves are turned over
and pondered, the more will it sustain,
enlighten. and illustrate the sacred word"
/ am content to leave it to the readers
of my article to Judge whether anything
there written justiies such assertions con-
corning the writer as these she believes
because he cannot understand and
his belief is bounded by his igno-
rance" But, per contra, does the gen.
tleman really mean to assert of himself,
that he believes nothing beyond the " ac-
tual grasp of knowledge q Whose
knowledge /? Of course he means none
but his own-to admit anything else
would take the backbone out of his
boast. Yet, unless he means other know
ledge than his own, such claim exhib-
its great hardihood, and very consist
ent contempt of "all hazards. Forimy
part, ] confess, to the happiness of believ-
ing great deal that have never seen
proved, aud / think can scarcely do
him wrong. notwithstanding his boastful
assertion, in presuming the same ofihim.
l Venture to, .'tguess'' that by far the
largest part of his science he kaows only
by proxy. and that he really believes
many things that mot becaass) he cannot
understand. For instance: He doubt,
less believes in. the existence and rela-
tons of the planet Neptune as ascer-
tanned and laid down by astronomers.
Why does he believe? Has heeeyer
seen it ?. Has he followed through all
its numerous, long, and intricate equa-
tons 1.-THE mere mathematical calculation
of which cost LIE YERRIER years of la
bor,) the process by which its place and
path are figured out? Ipresume not.
And / venture further to say that be
would not recognize it if seen, and that
there are steps in she process of its dem
onstration, which. unless he chance to be
a professional astronomer, he could not
l. e l. " Al