The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-06-02
joshua should be held not to have been
THR PuRposR OF THE CREATOR

prophet.
THE PURPOSE OF TIE CREATOR
was 10 convey to the then crude people Of
the earth knowledge Of salvation in Ian
guage that would be by them easily un-
derstood-not to instruct them either in
astronomy or In geology, He believed
that Moses was inspired to collect aud
write the Book Of Genesis, although Mo.
ses when writing that work, may not
have been aware OF the inspiration.
TIE CHIEF TROUBLE
in dealing With tho question raised be-
tween the Bible and science was,saId the
lecturer, that theologiaus, whenever the
scientists made new discovery, attempt.
ed TO make the crude traditions Of the
Jews coincide with every new astronomi.
cal or geological fact. Hence there was
endless confusion, endless change Of front,
and endless war Of ideas. In pursuing
this course, the theologians showed their
weakness, and exposed themselves to ridi.
cule. When Moses wrote, the word was
In the infancy OF It's knowledge, and II
was sheer nonsense 10 attempt 10 stretch
the scanty legends Of the Biblical era TO
an extent that would nationally cover the
wondrous scientific discoveries oI later
times.
THE CATHOLIC THRoLoGGAEs
had given up the idea of battling science,
for, years ago, St. Augustine warned the
priests against exposing themselves 10 in.
tidel attack by appealing 10 the Scriptures
whenever science developed some fact Of
the creation hitherto unknown. Other
churches had not been wise enough 10
follow this course, and, BY bringing in
human theories, they loaded their creeds
with such ideas as predestination, elec-
tion, and infant damnatlon, until q more
liberal age, more refined religion, and q
noble heart had forced q Prcsbytery to
abandon doctrines 60 iallAcious and illog.
icsl. Marks Of appreciation
TINE OF CREATION.
One OF the chief points over which the
theologlsts used to wrangle was as to the
time which was consumed by God in ere.
ating the world. Some held 10 the be-
lief that the earth had been Tor ages in a
state Of preparation, and that In six regu.
lar days God, like good jewish
mechanic, completed his work, and rested
on the seventh day, which was called tho
Sabbath. Others held thatthe Blk days
meant ages, and that Moses wrote ale
gorically. The more conservative ele-
ment clung 10 the opinion that the world
and all therein were created as written, or
transmitted, by Moses, in the six regular
days OF an ordinary week. They forgot,
however, TO define whether the Lord
worked on the eight.hour system, like
most Of the lsborers OF this day, or
whether He took his time in completing
the job. [subdued laughter.
GRNEsIs.
Now, all this speculation was simply
childish. In the first place, 1t was more
than doubtful whether Moses wrote any
part Of the Book Of Genesis except that
portion which was scontemporaneous with
his own times. Compare the several
chapters Of the Book Of Genesis side by
side, even as translated, and the most su-
perficial observer will at once discover a
singular and startling difference between
the style and the language. In the orig
inal Hebrew, they read somewhat as the
productions Oithe different periods OF En-.
glish literature-ot Chaucer, Spencer,
Shakespeare, Pope, Byron, and Tennyson
-conlrasted with each other. Thus it
could easily be inferred that, although
Moses might have written his own COM
mentaries, il was most rational to con-
clude that tho other portions Of Genesis
were handed down, first by tradition,
from father 10 son, next by means OF bards
singing from door to door, next by means
Of poet chroniclers preserving the teach
ings of those bards, and lastly by the
great law.giver himself finally gathering
up those traditions, placing them in reg
ular order, and then adding his own per.
sonSI experience, observations, and inspir'
alton. He had no doubt that the account
Of the creation as given by Moses was in
tended In no allegorical sense, and that
all theories 10 the contrary were simply
the offspring oil minds which sought to
apologize for tho discrepancies and con-
tradictions of Scripture by appealing Il
allegory.
The same was true with regard 10 thC
pretty story Of Eden and the creation o.
man. The Book OF Genesis was, in TACT
i A HUGE RPIC,
the product Of Oriental genius, inspired
perhaps, to preserve, by rhythmicsl ira
dition, some of the earlier fruits Of divinl
revelation. On this point oi mans origin
the theologisns had very long ago ex-
pended themselves. They had many
different theories, too. Some of them, a.
usual, fell back upon sllegory TO explain
away certain very mysterious matters
which human research failed 10 explain
Others, again, went so far as 10 defnC
Adams actual age at the period Of hi
creation. They generally set him down
as being from 80 10 35 years Of age at thai
interesting period. [Subdued laughter
It was the same with regard to the for
matiod OF woman out Of the rib. SOM
ssge religionIsts would have It that Adam
was put 10 sleep so that he might not fee
the pain Of the operation when the rit
=, was being taken out Laughter. Other
thought that God put our tlrst progenitol
to sleep 80 that the lady might bc spared
the pain Of having her mode Of construc-
tion criticised. Laughter,l In eithe
case, the lecturer thought Eve could very
readily forgive the absence Of the gentle
, man. tGreat laughter. In this way
j speculation might go on forever. Peopl
might be brought 10 speculate on the siz
oi the fig leaves that grew In Eden, when
, very late in the day, Adam and Eve hal
accidentally discovered their omission 4
= complete their morning toilet. In fact
i TIE ONLY THING TO DO WITH GENESIS
was TO accept 1t for what 1t was-al
/. Oriental epic-containing pearls OF reve
/ lation, 10 be redeemed only from their in
!, crusted state By tho acid ot criticism
# [sensstion,]
i II was remarkable fact that the fra