Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-31
Tor 1IE NIBslNIAS.
Scripture and Gcology NO 4

The Sacred llistp!i ,'uinmrnces " ith the simple
but sublime announcement thA, "in the bc.innin,
God created the heaven and the carrh. 1t has
been question am m. Biblical critics, whether
this verse hc merely introductory to whnt follows
or whether it is IT, be considered sopnfncly;
whether it he II gcnc'al or PREDATORY statement
with respect To the wu3k Of Creation the details
oi which afterwards gi,cn--or whether it re-
Ter 10 the rIual cr flon ui matter oui Of which
the world was >ubs, qpentiy formed? Before e,y-
ing our rca>uns in fu,.r ol the hitter intcrprctn-
ton, we rrunul. that dis question was moutcd
among ihcol ,ginns l,,, before any seeming dis.
crcpancy wa, discovered between the results Of
g"ulugcnl research aud the statements or the la.
spircd Ece.tl, So t!ot j, las not been started to
meet the In ulty.
We believe that tlr nfst verse of Genesis il n
distinct cnllrciaiin. the great t.uth. .hnt God
is the Greater Of the Universe. Assuming Ms n
postulatc the self rx ,Jrnce Of the Almighty il af
firms TINT al thing cl.c ihn' exist, nc but tho
utispring of his nInnip tent viii. How npnronri.
ate does it seem that this primary doctrine, which
lies ut the ,oundatiou uf all religious belief should
be thus prominently 81, forth ut the very intro
dnction If the sacred volume, How completely
does it SGT at naught the absurd cosn,oeoncs Of
the Heather World, AID the not les, ridiculous
theories OF modern srrttcisln concerning tho or
isn of matter? To this ernnd, essential truth.
sound philosophy cordially subscrihcs. and science
with each new discovery, is ucrnmuatne proof in
its. support. Nor has any scrnc. rendered rich
er tribute to its confirmation thnn that of Gcolopy
1t proves conclusiyclv that our World must have
Ind beginning and that it has been the scene of
several distinct and separate exercises of creative
power
If the ro,sl.c to witch we have tc(crrel relate
to the original creation If natter and be not sim
ply an introduction t. what follows then the six
DAYS work uusi have consisted in the tc.nodclinr
of our world from pro existent material. and its fit
ting M as IL place for human abode. This view
we think is sustained by the entire narrative
The second verse which begins the account of the
six days' work speaks of the earth and water ns
H,rady eristio4-thc one being submerged under
the other And if the matter of tho globe prcy-
ou-ly existed, how long bad it existed? Who will
undertake to- determine this question? Who will
say how crcut an interval elapsed between tho
first creation or matter a,d its present ORDERLY mr.
ranoement? Mirht it not have existed under
many different notifications and forms and
might no, these va a. r tivcs have rcouircd even
ages for their e, olutions What were ngc. Ia Him
with whom "a thousand years arc but as one
day 2" IT, in prcpnrinp n Lubitntion far our ro,e
He saw proper, before introducing i,s final occu.
pant upon IT, to bring into being other and inferior
orders of existence he was only Tins furnishing
with each new creation an additional evidence Of
his infinite wisdom and mower. Nor wero these
successiye exhibitions of Divine Skill wilmt ,hc;r
witnesses. They were seen bv Mt least one order
of created intelllpcrces-tbe ANGELS ol GoJ who
il ia said shouted fur inv when tho rocky Cunda,
tiops of the earth were laid. and who must have
civcn vent anew Strains Of m ntnrcd ndmir,tion "a
thew bebeLl one after another series of animated
forms nppeurirp on the stage and then ownv
to make room finally for Man, the last and noblest
work When we further ASCERTAIN. that these ere
at;ons uerr strictly nrenaratorv 10 tho lnst and
were designed ultimately 10 provide for The cum.
fort and Welfare of our species. we have thus pre-