Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-06-26
asl liscella { q 1t 4 .
The Bib.e in Harmony with
Science.
BY W. II. CHANEY.
TOM PAINE ANSWERED.

complete and triumphant, must beg the
readers careful attention to my premises
Notwithstanding the introduction may
seem entirely foreign to the subject; for,
without comprehending the premises, it is
impossible to have a just conception of the
conclusions.
After years of industrious research, am
we'll convinced that Astronomy is the old
est science known to man. The earliest
observers of the movements of the heav-
east. Their nomadic life, tending their
ilocks by day and pitching their tents at
night, inhaling fresh magnetism from ma
ture at every breath, naturally led to Il
contemplation and study of tins wonder
tul earth and wonderful uniyerse.-
Stretched upon his rude bed of animal
skins, with nou@ht but the vaulted skies
for a covering. it would have been strange
indeed the oriental had failed to observe
that the oybs of creation seemed constant
ly moving, Ike Il great ar,ny, from the
east to the west. This was in the grey
time oi yore, when the fleeting years left
no t.acc of rebelions quelled, cites de-
stroved. or garrisons sacked. 1t was when
no echo was awakened by the foot steps of
Father Time rs he silently passed i'll his
shoes Of wool. 1t was whea Il written IAN
guagc WAS unknown. 1t WAS before the
vowel points were added TO the ancient
lIebrew-aSe, long before Cad!nus haven't
ed the alphabet.
From observing the starry hosts. the
shepherds were not long ia discovering the
difference hatween the planets and fixed
stars. for while the former were constantly
changing their relative positions. Cmoyn@
through the Zodiac il their orbits.) shin
ing with II steady linlt. the latter made nc
relative changes and gave ont thc.r light
With tWin'xle. Continuing their observa-
tions they were enabled to rec!pn time bj'
The motions of the planets AID lumi .aric',
dividing it into days, periods and epochs.
They discovered that the Sla was always
ia the same relative position, (placc in the
Zodiac.) When they had summer and win
ter. sccd-ine and harvest. dc. This was
followed BY dividing the Zodiac into II
equal parts. giving name to each, and as
they had no written langua@e for express
ing that name, it was represented by 4
rude picture Of the animal whose name
each part he'd received
At Il later period they discovered (ol
suppose that am addressing myself to a
reader who does not believe in planetary
Influences. } fanciedthcy discovered that
Saturn exercised an evil Influence,
Jupiter Il good influence, etc, and that
I'LL the planets exercised veal;
or powerful influence, according to the
sign of The Zodiac each was transting.-
countries and kingdoms were under the
rule = of certain signs, the same rs per
sons were ruled by certain plan. IS accord
ing to the hour OF birth. Thus. Aries ruled
SYRIA, Palestine etc. Gemini ruled Amer
ica, Lower Egypt, etc. (Gcmini also
rules America. or mcGs properly the Uni
ted States. Cancer ruled Algiers, Tu-
mis- etc. Leo ruled Rome, Bohemia, etc
Virgo ruled Mesopotamia, Jerusalem, etc.
Another idea suggested was that when
ever comet appeared Gil the horizon. Il
prince was born to that country ruled by
the sign of the Zodiac in which the comet
50 far a. the clucidaton of the subject un-
der consideration is concerned. it is not of
the slightest Importance whether, even
one of the theories mentioned is true or
false, for am only undertaking to explain
why the shepherds came from the east i'll
stead Of going to the east. | am trying to
show natural, plausible reason for the
benefit of my inlidel friends, who insist
that no such reason can be given.
As the earth rolls over, tipping down to
the cast it is evident that the heavenly
bodies appear to rise in the east, and to
that point the shepherds naturally turned
their eyes, for so familiar were they with
the stars and tileir apparent risings. that
they could determine the holr ofth2 mig hit
by observing what star was rising, almost
to n minute. On the night of the illustrious
birth, then, imagine a sleepless shepherd
! rning his eyes eastward 10 judge of the
hour. a flaming comet meets his gaze
Excited and awe-struck, he arouses his
sleeping companions and they too view it
with amazement. The comet appeared in
Virgo, lerefore, according to one of their
theories mentioned, prince was just born
to one of the countries ruled by that sign.
None of the countries ruled by Virgo was