Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-09-29
WE have before Us . lit.Ie book on Geoloen

CIRCULATION, OF ANY PAPER IN WHEELING.
We have before US a little book on Geology.
No department of learning has, in modern
times, met with so sudden and general revival
as has that Of Geology, within the past few
years. We say. repira5 because Geology is not
science Of recent origin, as some suppose; for
hough brought into its present state of advance.
ment in late days, it was yet taught and some
very correct ideas had on the subject in very
early times.
That it is science of very great importance
must seem obvious to every one Not only
does it develop, in most wonderful degree,
the great works Of creation, but it opens out
vast resources of material wealth,-thus adding
largely to human prosperity and happiness.
The chief objections which Geology, as &
science, has met. are that some gifts leading
principles are in direct conflict with the teach
ipgs of Divine Revelation. To the casual eve
of the unreasoning and unlearned, such a con.
hict does seemto exist; a very serious obstruc-
ton is thus placed in the way of its progress
Bot, notwithstanding this seeming discrepancy,
Geology has still pushed its researches, and as
greater lights are thrown upon it, apparent con-
tradictions vanish
AT one time, most stubborn opposition was
made to the new system Of Astronomy, then
introduced which taught that the earth moved
on its axis, and that the Sun did not move
around the earth. Was not the ''risins of the
Sun" and "the going down of the same" ex-
pressly mentioned in tho Bible? Are we not
told that, "God laid the foundations of the earth
that it should not be removed, forever" How
then could the Sun be stationary, or the earth
moVeableS Such were the arguments brought
by unlearned readers of Revelation, and it re-
quired many years to provo that no conflict be-
tween Astronomy and the Bible existed.
Just so with Geology and the Rible Appar-
ent contradictions present themselves, but it is
at last coming to be seen that no contradiction,
in fact, exists, and that the Bible may be be-
lieVed consistently with belief in the principles
OF Geology. Let us look at some of the exam
pies OF apparent discrepancy: According to the
account of Moses and the writer's of the Bible.
1t has been not quite 5000 years since the crea.
ton of the world. Geologists, however, claim
that the changes which have taken place in the
world have required countless years. Yet this
discrepancy may be reconciled on several rea.
may not be meant six literal days of "a hours
each; and there are strong arguments to show
that such was not meant The explanation,
however, which is most generally adopted by
Biologists, contains in it nothing either absurd
or contrary to Scripture, and entirely reconciles
Science with Revelation. ltis, in brief, this (:
Moses first relates the original creation. He
then passes over a long period of time, during
which the races of animals (whose fossil remains
are the proofof the great age of the worIdl
lived and persisted, and then relates the history
of the existing creation, which took place in six
natural days.
Thus may every other seeming difficulty be
solved. But, it will take some time vet to en-.
Tighten the world sufficiently to eradicate the
grOundIess pNiudices against this newly re.
Viyed science. Learned men must not be dis
couraged because ignorant ones declairn against
their benevolent efforts, for in the end knowl.
edge will prevail over want of understanding,
and theology Gas Astronomy has) will prove
itself to be the handmaiden, instead of the enc.
my of the Bible.